Day 79

[from Project Nero]

"If we're going to be working together from now on," said Nero, "there's a few people I'd like to introduce you to. They're my own personal alliance, if you like. They provide me with information, their various professional services, and even back-up, if the situation calls for it. If you're going to be working with me, you'll need to at least know who they are, and they'll certainly want to know you."

"I see," said Alexis. "Alright. When can I meet them?"

"Right now," said Nero, "if you don't mind a bit of a walk."

Alexis shrugged. "Sure, whatever," she said. "Not like I got anything better to do."

"Okay, follow me, then," said Nero, heading towards the elevator. Alexis followed him, and the pair were soon descending back towards the ground floor.

"Now, what would be the shortest route to each of them…?" Nero wondered aloud as they descended.

"No good asking me," Alexis remarked.

"I wasn't," Nero retorted. "Hmm…" After a moment's thinking, he said, "Well, I know who's the closest, so I might as well start with them, and just work my way around."

Alexis nodded quietly, stinging a little from the sharp retort, and soon the pair were back at the entrance lobby, making their way back out onto the street. "So, who's first?" she asked.

"That would be Forza," said Nero. "He's a mechanic who works a few blocks from here."

"Forza?" repeated Alexis in a disbelieving tone. "That can't be his real name, can it?"

"Nope," admitted Nero. "His real name is Joey Frazetti, but everyone just calls him "Forza". I imagine he'll probably tell you to call him that."

"Why does everyone call him "Forza"?" asked Alexis.

"As far as I can gather, it's a word associated with Italian motorsport," Nero explained. "Forza has Italian heritage, and he certainly loves his motorsport, plus "Frazetti" sounds a bit "Forza" to start with… someone at some point must have given him that nickname and it just stuck."

"Alright," said Alexis. "So, what does he do for you?"

"Several things," said Nero. "Firstly, if I need to leave the city for a mission, he's happy to lend me one of his many cars. He has a great collection of cars, most of which are extremely rare and extremely fast. Secondly, he's a good engineer, so if I need anything that involves complex mechanics, he's the man I turn to. I imagine he'd be able to tune your bike up pretty nicely. Thirdly, he has several underworld contacts, both here in the city and across the so-called "dark web". If it's illegal, but you need it, he's the man you go through."

"So he can get me more ammo?" asked Alexis.

"Weapons, ammo, you name it," said Nero casually. "Heck, he managed to get hold of a rocket launcher for me once."

"The fuck do you need a rocket launcher for?" asked Alexis.

Nero shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "Never hurts to have one around, though, just in case."

"In case of what?" Alexis persisted.

"In case I need to blow up a tank or something, I guess," said Nero.

"Why would you-" Alexis interrupted herself mid-sentence, sighing. "Actually, I guess if you're a mercenary, you might actually need to, depending on the mission, so… yeah, you've actually got a point there."

Nero nodded. "You haven't seen some of the armoured vehicles the drug barons ride around in over in Santa Lupe," he said. "You either need a rocket launcher or a very powerful Focus to crack open one of those things. "

"I see," said Alexis. A moment later, she pointed at a garage looming on the other side of a crossing. "Is that his garage?"

"It sure is," said Mystery. "I hope he's not too busy working… and doesn't have his rock music turned up too loud."

As they approached, it became evident that Forza did indeed have his rock music turned up rather loudly; "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" drifted audibly from the open garage door. As they made their way towards the entrance, voices could be heard coming from within: "…now I can't feel it at all." "God dammit… hang on, lemme take a look…" "You sure you know what you're doing?" "I built the thing, didn't I?"

Inside the garage, Nero and Alexis quickly located Forza. He was busy working, but not, strangely, on a vehicle. Instead, a man with black mechanical prosthetics was lying on a low table near the rolling road in the centre of the garage space, with Forza standing over him, wearing grey overalls that were smeared with oil and grease. The man's left prosthetic was partially disassembled, pieces of grimy black metal lying on the table next to him, and Forza was shining a small LED flashlight onto the mechanics within, peering at them with intent, a screwdriver held firmly in his other hand.

As Nero had half-expected, Forza did not notice them approaching. The man on the table, however, did notice, and turned to face them as they approached. He was Asian, with jet-black hair and emerald-green streaks running through his fringe. "Hey Forza, Nero's here to see you," he called out. "He's brought a girl with him as well."

Forza looked up, grinning at the pair as he noticed them. He had messy reddish-brown hair, mostly hidden beneath a Scuderia Ferrari baseball cap, and beneath his overalls he wore a black hooded sweatshirt with a chequered-flag design on the sleeves, and black jeans. "Hey, Nero," he said, casually waving the hand holding the screwdriver by way of greeting. "What's up? Who's the broad?" he added, waving the screwdriver in Alexis' direction.

"Can you turn the music down a bit, please?" asked Nero, jerking a thumb at the radio on the side, which was still blaring out Airbourne at top volume.

Forza, used to hearing this question, rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Fiddler," he remarked, downing tools as he headed over to the radio.

"Fiddler?" Alexis repeated, confused.

Nero smirked. "There was an ancient Roman emperor called Nero," he explained. "There was a great fire in Rome during his reign, and it's said that he sat and played the fiddle as the city burned before him. So Forza calls me "Fiddler" sometimes."

"Exactly right," said Forza as he span back round to face them, having already turned the radio down. "So, I'll ask you again… what brings you here, man?"

"I have someone I'd like to introduce you to," said Nero. "Alexis, as you've probably guessed, this is Forza. Forza, this is Alexis Moreau. She's going to be working with me from now on."

Alexis waved lazily in Forza's direction. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," said Forza, waving back and eyeing her up with interest. "Any friend of Nero's is a friend of mine. So, you introducing her to the gang?"

"Yep," said Nero. "I think after here it'll be on to Melody's."

"You wanna introduce her to Ren?" asked Forza, gesturing at the man who was still lying on the low table.

"Might as well, while he's here," said Nero. "Alexis, this is Ren Nishikori. He's a friend of mine and Forza's, who helps me out from time to time."

"Hello," said Ren. "I'd shake your hand, but mine are kinda not working right now."

"I can see that," said Alexis awkwardly, staring at Ren's half-disassembled left arm.

"Forza built Ren's prosthetics himself," Nero explained. "He keeps tinkering with them, though, adding stuff like built-in machine guns, and I guess he must have broken something. Again."

Forza let out a small chuckle. "Not this time, Fiddler," he said.

"That's right," said Ren. "This time they just broke down of their own accord. Although that's still technically Joey's fault, since he's the one who built them."

"Hey, I resent that," protested Forza, drawing a smile from Ren.

"I guess I'll leave you two in peace to get on with the repairs, then," said Nero. "Oh, but first… Forza, would you be willing to take a look at Alexis' motorbike sometime? I reckon you could give it some real nice improvements for her."

"You know I can't resist doing a favour for a cute dame," said Forza, picking his flashlight and screwdriver back up again. "What model is it?"

Alexis shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "Stole it off some guy's driveway."

"Is it fast?" asked Forza.

"Yeah," said Alexis.

"Bring it in sometime and I'll make it go even faster," said Forza. "Not just in a straight line, either. I can probably put some other fancy shit on it as well, like bullet-proofing. Let me know when you want it doing, alright?"

"Alright," said Alexis. "Sounds good."

"I'm sure it does," said Forza nodding. "Alright, I'll see you two later then."

"See you," said Nero, waving goodbye as he turned to go.

"Goodbye," said Ren, who could not and did not wave. Alexis waved quickly to the pair of them, then headed off after Nero, with Forza eyeing the girl's rear until she was out of the door. As Nero and Alexis headed back out onto the street, the radio behind them was turned back up to full volume, and this time Nero could make out Forza singing over the top of it:

--my future's determined by thieves, thugs and vermin,It's quite an excursion, but it's okay!Everything's backwards in Americana, my way--Well, fuck you!