Day 156

[from Murder by Pixels]

As soon as Sapphire heard the news, her eyes lit up like fireworks. Hurriedly snatching up her phone, she selected Jesse's name from her contact list and put it to her ear, impatiently waiting for her to pick up.

When Jesse finally did answer, it sounded as though they had just woken up. "Hello?"

"Jesse! Jesse!" Sapphire's voice was filled with an uncharacteristic excitement, her Irish accent blossoming forth as it always did when she got emotional. "Have you heard the news?!"

"No, what is it?" asked Jesse. "I haven't heard you this excited since…" There was a brief pause, as Jesse began to realize what Sapphire was talking about. "Wait, don't tell me-"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sapphire. "The Supreme Court just ruled! Gay marriage is legal in all fifty states!"

There was a stunned silence on the other side of the phone as Jesse took in the news. When they spoke again, they were still noticeably tired, but also unmistakeably happy. "It's about time," they said. "It's not gonna solve all our problems, but it's a big step, that's for sure."

"I know!" said Sapphire. "First my country of ancestry, and now my country of birth… oh, I'm so happy, Jesse! I'm so happy I could cry!"

"Need a shoulder to cry on?" asked Jesse. "If my dad finds out about the ruling, then I might wanna get out of the house for a while anyway."

Sapphire nodded. "Sure," she said. "Come right over. We could celebrate with an Orange is the New Black marathon or something."

"I thought you'd prefer Steven Universe," Jesse remarked.

"Oh yeah, good idea," said Sapphire. "We'll watch that instead, then."

"I'll be right over," said Jesse. "I'll call you back when I'm outside, okay?"

Sapphire nodded. "Okay," she said. "See you soon."

"See you," said Jesse, before hanging up.

Sapphire put down the phone and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. It was certainly true that this wasn't going to end discrimination - there would certainly be plenty of people resenting the decision - but in terms of equal rights, it was a massive step forward. I'm glad I lived to see this day, thought Sapphire.

***

[from Project Nero]

Summer was relaxing and watching TV when her phone suddenly vibrated on the table in front of her, heralding a text message. Picking it up, she unlocked it and saw that Melody had sent her the following message: "WE DID IT! Gay marriage now legal in Vale :D #LoveWins"

Summer smiled, and quickly fired off a reply: "Nice. So, fancy getting married next weekend? I'm free if you are~ xxx" When Melody did not respond, Summer realized she'd gone a bit too far and quickly fired off another: "Relax, I was just joking. I know you don't go that way. Still, that's pretty great news, huh?"

Summer could almost hear the little sigh of relief coming from Melody, as the girl finally responded. "I thought you were joking :3c", she replied. "But yeah, it's fantastic news. Everyone I know is happy to hear it."

"I'm sure they are," Summer replied. "I'm happy to hear it as well. It's about damn time."

"It really is ^_^" Melody texted back.

***

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Hey, Yuuichi, you hear?"

"Hear what?" asked Yuuichi.

"United States legalize gay marriage," said Ilana. "Gay people can get married there now."

"Yeah, I heard about that hours ago," said Yuuichi. "It's all over Chirper and Nicebook."

"Oh," said Ilana. "I wonder if Katarina hear about news, wherever she is… I sure she be happy to hear it."

"Not really," said Yuuichi. "Not when it's still illegal in her own country. Hell, it's still illegal here."

"It is?" asked Ilana, surprised. "Why?"

"I dunno," said Yuuichi, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess this country's still a bit old-fashioned, in some ways."

"Maybe," said Ilana. "Is better than Russia, though, in many ways."

"Sure is," said Yuuichi. "Who knows, maybe we'll be next."

"Maybe," said Ilana.

***

[from Striker Man]

"Gay marriage is legal in America? Hah, took them long enough," said Striker Man. "We've had that here in Britain for years."

"You're the fifth person in this post to say that it's "taken them long enough"," said The Genius. "I think the writer has made his point clear by now, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, but I think what he wants is to show just how much the decision means to the LGBT community," said Striker Man.

"We're not lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, though," said The Genius. "We're stick figures, we have no concept of sexuality."

"Doesn't that make us asexual, which still comes under LGBT?" asked Striker Man.

This threw The Genius for a loop. "...you know, I can't argue with that," she said.

"Can I marry this pickle jar now, then?" asked Stuporwoman excitedly, holding up a jar of pickles.

"No, Stuporwoman," said Striker Man, "you can't marry a jar of pickles."

"Why not?" asked Stuporwoman.

"Because a jar of pickles is an inanimate object, and you can't marry inanimate objects," said Striker Man.

"Why not?" asked Stuporwoman.

"Because... uhh... damn, this is harder than I thought," said Striker Man.

Luckily, The Genius picked up the slack. "You cannot marry an inanimate object," she said, "because an inanimate object cannot love you back. Would you not want a partner that can love you back?"

"It does love me back!" said Stuporwoman. "It loves me back with flavour!"

"How can someone so stupid make such valid points?!" remarked Striker Man.

"I think the same about you sometimes," said The Genius.

"Disclaimer: the author does not condone, nor promote, the idea of marriage between humans and inanimate objects," said Striker Man. "In fact, I don't even know why he brought this whole discussion up, to be honest." Stuporwoman represents the crazies who think same-sex marriage is a slippery slope, and that next you'll be able to marry your dog, or your brother, or a helicopter, or an ice cream cone. "Ah, I see."

"...so can I-" You can't marry a pickle jar, Stuporwoman, end of story. "Awww." You can marry someone who likes pickles, and eat pickles together with them, though. "Ooh, that sounds even better! Okay, I'll do that then!" Good for you.

Day 148

[from Project Nero]

After drinking their tea, Nero and Alexis bade farewell to Melody, and headed back out into the street. "So, how many more left to introduce me to?" asked Alexis.

"Only two more," said Nero. "Hmm… I think Summer would be the closest from here. Let me check whether she's at home or at work." Nero began typing out a message on his wrist-mounted smartphone, his fingers moving over the virtual keypad with practiced precision.

"So, what kind of person is Summer, then?" asked Alexis. "What does she do?"

For the first time, Nero hesitated to answer, his expression changing to something resembling awkwardness. "Uhh… well… you'll see when we get to her workplace," he said. "That's where she is at the moment."

Alexis immediately grew suspicious. "What are you hiding from me?" she asked.

"Nothing," said Nero. "Like I said, you'll find out when we get there. It's just… easier if I show you in person."

"Alright," said Alexis, still a little uneasy. "I'll trust you on this one."

"It's a little walk from here, but from there it's only a few minutes on to the last of my associates," said Nero. "Come on, let's get going." Alexis nodded, and the two set off once again.

As they embarked on the long walk through Port Elizabeth in search of Summer, their surroundings gradually grew less glamorous. Soon they were entering the darker parts of town. The walls of the buildings around them became cracked and graffiti-covered, the windows smashed or boarded up in places. At one point a wailing siren heralded an approaching police car: Alexis hissed, "Shit! 5-0!" and dived down a nearby alleyway, only for the police car to rush straight by, heading off to some unknown emergency.

"The fuck are we doing in this kinda neighbourhood?" asked Alexis as she came back out of the alleyway. "Is this where your friend works? What is she, a hooker or something?"

Nero opened his mouth to object, but appeared to find himself stuck for words. Alexis' mouth promptly fell open as well. "Don't tell me we're gonna visit some crack whore," she said.

Nero swiftly regained his composure. "We're not going to visit some crack whore," he said. "But yes, this is the kind of environment in which she works."

Alexis sighed. "This had better be worth it," she said. "The last thing I need is for the cops here to find me - or worse, the gangs."

"Don't worry," said Nero. "As long as you're with me, nobody in this neck of the woods will even think about touching you. Trust me on that."

"They better not," said Alexis. "I did bring my guns, y'know." She patted the holsters hidden beneath her shirt, in which her extended-magazine Glock 18 machine pistols sat, ready for use.

"And I brought my sword," said Nero, patting his back, where his sword was sheathed. "Let's hope they won't be necessary."

Alexis nodded. "How much further?"

"Not much further now," said Nero. "Let's keep going."

A few minutes later, the pair happened upon the workplace in question: a gentleman's club named The Foxhole, located in one of the seedier parts of town. Alexis looked upon the neon-lit front with disdain. "So she's not a crack whore, but she is a whore," she remarked.

"Now you know why I was so hesitant to tell you about her workplace," said Nero. "Believe me, I don't much care for places like these either, but you get all sorts of people gathering here: from petty crime lords to police detectives, from gangland kingpins to bigwig senators. It's a great place to gather intelligence, and that's where Summer comes in. She gets me information: news about what's happening in the city, from the top of the chain right down to the bottom of the underworld. She also acts as my confidante: a gentle ear to listen whenever I have problems I need to speak to someone about."

Alexis snorted. "Like what, how desperate you are for a fuck?" she asked.

 "That's not what I mean by confidante," said Nero, still managing to keep his composure.

"Sure it isn't," said Alexis. "Well, are we gonna meet her or what?"

Nero nodded. "Of course," he said. "Just try not to start a fight or anything."

"I'll try," said Alexis.

As Nero opened the door to the club, the soft thumping of bass that had been audible from outside suddenly blossomed into music. Underneath the loud bass line and the general chatter of the patrons, the drawling voice of Snoop Dogg could just be heard:

-Now wave your hands in the motherfuckin' air,

And wave the motherfuckers like you just don't care-

"God, I hate the music in this place," Nero muttered.

"At last, something we have in common about this dump," muttered Alexis, scowling.

Nero made his way through the crowd, with Alexis following closely behind. Scattered around one part of the club were several circular pole-dancing stages, most of which were currently occupied by scantily-clad women performing all manner of erotic acrobatics in a bid to entice the various males that made up the vast majority of the club's clientele. These stages, unsurprisingly to Alexis, seemed to be Nero's destination. Specifically, he was making a beeline straight for a woman who was somehow hanging upside-down from her pole. Even at this distance, Alexis could see the bills tucked into her black lace panties.

Stepping between two lustful-eyed patrons, Nero politely cleared his throat, and the woman turned her head round to face him, still upside-down. "Oh, hey, Nero," she said, smiling. "Wasn't expecting to see you here today."

"Come down from there for a minute," said Nero, "I need to chat with you for a bit. Plus, all the blood's going to rush to your head if you stay like that."

In one swift, graceful movement, Summer flipped herself back the right way up and landed on her feet, away from the pole. She was about the same height as Alexis, and strikingly sexy, with a voluptuous chest that was covered only by a small black crop top. Her entire body was beautifully toned, like that of an athlete, from her finely-toned abs to her slender but powerful legs. Though it was hard to tell with the club's passion-pink mood lighting, her hair and eyes were both a deep, dark blue; her hair was long, and drawn back into a ponytail, presumably to stop it from getting in the way while she danced. As much as she loathed the woman's choice of profession, Alexis couldn't help admiring her impressive physique.

Summer squatted down at the edge of the podium to address Nero. "So, what's on your mind?" she asked, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. Then, noticing Alexis, she asked, "Is it her?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Nero. "Summer, this is Alexis Moreau, my new partner. That's work partner, before you get any funny ideas. Alexis, this is Summer Snow, my confidante and informant."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Moreau," said Summer, smiling. When Alexis merely shrugged and grunted by way of response, Summer remarked to Nero, "Not exactly the brightest ray of sunshine, is she?"

"She doesn't like these kinds of establishments," said Nero. "I can't say I blame her."

At that moment, Alexis was glaring up at the speakers as though willing them to turn off. "How many times does this bitch wanna say Snoop Dogg's name?" she asked. "Yeah, we get it, that's his fucking name. Get on with the next song!"

Nero and Summer exchanged a private smile at Alexis' expense. "I think she prefers metal," remarked Nero.

"Probably," said Summer. "She strikes me as that type of girl. So, partner, huh? How'd that happen?"

"It's kind of a dual arrangement," said Nero. "I provide her with a place to sleep and a place to hide, she provides me with an extra couple of guns when I need them."

"A place to hide?" asked Summer, intrigued. "From what, the KKK?"

"What? No," said Alexis, coming back into the conversation at the wrong time. "The hell would the KKK be after me for? I'm white!"

Nero and Summer couldn't help chuckling at their private in-joke. "No, silly," said Summer, "that's my nickname for the cops 'round here. The Krispy Kreme Krew, or the KKK for short. 'Coz they eat donuts and they shoot black people."

"Oh, I see," said Alexis. "That's a good one, I gotta remember that one."

"It's not just the police that are after her," said Nero. "There's a gang after her as well, and she needs my protection from both sides until the gang are wiped out. So we struck a deal."

Summer nodded. "That's a pretty good deal," she said. "Hey, uhh… listen, I better get back on the pole before the crowd starts getting antsy. It was nice to meet you, Alexis."

"I guess," said Alexis. As Summer straightened up, she quickly added, "Wait, hang on… can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," said Summer, placing a hand on the pole and leaning against it. "But make it a quick one."

Her pale face flushing a little, Alexis gestured at Summer's impressive bust. "Are those fake?" she asked.

Summer followed Alexis' gaze and grinned. "What, these?" she asked, cupping her breasts and squeezing them a little. "I thought about it, but… I got plenty already. So the answer's no: they're all natural." Before Nero could stop her, she continued: "Why? You wanna touch 'em? If you want that, you'll have to pay like everyone else~"

Alexis's cheeks flushed red and she turned on her heel, seizing Nero's arm. "Let's get outta here," she mumbled, as she started to drag him away.

As he was dragged away, Nero called out to Summer: "You shouldn't tease her like that, she's fragile!"

Summer playfully pouted. "You're such a spoilsport!" she said.

Nero sighed, and began to move under his own power. "Sorry about that," he said. "I know she can get a bit… much at times."

Alexis nodded. "To be fair, I probably shouldn't have asked something like that," she said.

"Then why did you?" asked Nero.

Alexis looked away and folded her arms, which had the side effect of hiding her substantially smaller bust. "No reason," she said.

Day 98

[from Project Nero]

"So, who's next?" asked Alexis.

"Next, we're going to visit Melody Montrose," said Nero. "She's my… science and technology partner, I guess you could say. She provides various services for me in those fields."

"And those would be…?" prompted Alexis.

"Well, firstly, my sword," said Nero. "It's obsidian-edged, like a surgeon's scalpel, providing expert sharpness and precision. Of course, that cutting edge doesn't last forever; it gets dulled over time, and putting on a new layer of coating is a fiddly science-y thing. So I get Melody to do that instead."

"I see," said Alexis.

Nero nodded. "Yeah. Little details like that are important. Secondly, she's a computer genius. Well… she's a genius, full stop, but her computer skills in particular are unmatched in the whole city. So if something needs hacking, she's the person I turn to. Thirdly…" Conscious of all the people around them on the sidewalk, Nero lowered his voice a little. "She's very good at removing blood stains from clothing, which is rather important in our line of work. Especially when you use a sword."

"Why do you use a sword?" asked Alexis, who had been rather curious about this up until now. "Why not just use guns, like I do? They're cheaper, easier to get, easier to conceal…"

"…inaccurate, capable of jamming, make a lot of noise, need constant maintenance, need a constant supply of ammunition…" countered Nero, rattling off the long list of complaints as though he had rehearsed it a hundred times before. "Not to mention they just feel so… impersonal. I like being able to actually feel the killing blow as I land it."

"I see," said Alexis again. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"Of course, guns have their own advantages," said Nero. "Much longer range, harder to block or dodge an accurate shot… like you said, they're easier to conceal, and easier to get your hands on. But I just prefer my sword."

"Fair enough," said Alexis.

"Now, there's two important things you'll need to know about Melody," said Nero, as they turned onto a residential street. "Firstly: try not to address her as a criminal. She's not one of us. She's merely turned her expertise into a way to pay rent. Secondly, on a related note, she's very sensitive and fragile. As a matter of fact, she suffers from selective mutism, so don't expect her to physically speak at all while we're there."

"Selective mutism?" repeated Alexis. "What's that?"

"Basically, she's so shy around new people, and unfamiliar situations, that she becomes physically unable to speak," Nero explained. "She might actually communicate with us in other ways, like writing things down, but she won't actually say a word the whole time we're there. When there's no-one around, she's a fairly normal teenage girl."

"Huh," said Alexis, nodding vaguely in acknowledgement.

"Oh, and also, don't ask her why she's mute like that," said Nero. "I know it's something to do with a childhood trauma she experienced, but she hasn't even told me the details of that yet, and I thought it best not to ask. I'm sure you can understand that, right?"

Alexis nodded. Though she had been able to tell Nero about the murder of her parents, she was still very reluctant to discuss it. It was a very painful subject for her, and evidently whatever had caused Melody's trauma was a very painful subject for her as well, especially if it would still having such a profound effect on her.

"I'll tell you this, though," said Nero, as the pair started to make their way up Melody's driveway. "When I first knew her, she was just fourteen. Her parents weren't home then and they're not home now."

"How do you know that?" asked Alexis, a second before Nero pointed at the completely empty driveway. There was no garage, and no sign that a car had been parked in front of the house in quite some time. Alexis nodded once more. "So where are they, then?"

Nero merely shrugged. Though the answer seemed fairly obvious to him, he did not want to discuss it while there was a chance Melody might overhear them. "Only one person here knows for sure," he said, "and she isn't talking." The pair of them came to a halt at Melody's front door. "Well then…"

Nero rang the doorbell and stepped back. After a short wait, the door opened a crack, revealing a sliver of a face, a single lavender eye and a tangled black fringe visible in the narrow gap. Nero gave the girl a warm, welcoming smile. "Hey, Melody," he said. "I've brought over a new friend of mine. May we come in?"

There was a brief pause, then Melody nodded and the door opened fully, giving Alexis her first proper look at the girl. She was even younger than Alexis had been expecting, only about fifteen or sixteen, with wavy black hair that seemed a little tangled and unkempt. She wore a pale blue T-shirt with a picture of an anime character on it, and dark jogging pants, though judging from her rather small frame, she did not do much exercising. Her expression was somewhat nervous, her eyes darting back and forth between Nero and Alexis as she stood to one side, allowing the two of them in.

"Nice place you got here," said Alexis, nodding appreciatively as the pair made their way inside. It was indeed a reasonably-sized, well-furnished house. She wondered how much it was costing the girl to live here, in terms of rent, and wondered in turn how much Nero was paying her for her work.

Melody, as she closed and locked the door behind her, blushed a little and gave a small nod. The three of them gathered around Melody's table, and the girl took out a small touch-screen phone that was also equipped with a keypad. This was her primary method of communication, with her throat refusing to work as it should. Her eyes continues to dart back and forth between the two before settling, with some unease, on Alexis.

Nero, sensing Melody's anxiety, decided to ease her into the conversation to make her feel more comfortable. "That's a new T-shirt, isn't it?" he asked her. Melody nodded shyly. "Where's that character from? She looks familiar somehow."

Melody started to type a response on her smartphone. Despite her nervousness, her typing speed was phenomenal, her slender fingers a blur over the keypad. It's Sailor Mercury, she typed. From Sailor Moon.

"I see," said Nero, nodding. "Are you doing well? How's your thesis coming along?"

It's going well, thanks, typed Melody. Are you going to introduce me to your friend, then?

Nero nodded. "Of course. Melody, this is Alexis Moreau. Starting today, she'll be working alongside me. Alexis, this, as you've probably already guessed, is Melody Montrose."

Alexis waved to the girl by way of greeting. "Hey."

Melody forced a smile, returning the wave. The room was silent for a moment before Melody took up her phone and began typing once more. Would you like a cup of tea? she typed.

"Yes please," said Nero, smiling. "Thank you, Melody."

Alexis shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you," she said.

Melody smiled back at Nero, and stoop up to go to the kitchen and make the coffee. "She seems like a really nice girl," Alexis whispers to Nero. "How'd she get mixed up in this kinda shit?"

"Like I said, she's just in it for the money," said Nero. "She needs a place to live, just like you did."

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!

Day 35

[from Project Nero]

"WARNING. UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDER."

Nero reluctantly tore his gaze away from the television screen, looking over at the elevator doors that led directly into his penthouse apartment as the cool female voice sounded its computerized warning. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered with a sigh. "Now of all times…"

Picking up the remote, Nero hit pause and got to his feet. His programme was going to have to wait. For now, there were more important matters at hand. Heading into the kitchen, Nero pressed his palm against a tile and a moment later a section of the worktop shuddered and slowly descended into the floor, revealing a hidden passageway.

Ducking through the gap, Nero found himself in his apartment's secret control centre. This was just one of the special perks he had asked for when he had slipped the building's developers a couple of extra million during its construction. Another of the perks was the special elevator access system. The elevator did not contain a floor button for the apartment; indeed, officially the apartment did not exist at all. Instead, it was accessed by pressing a special combination of five buttons that changed every week. Only Nero's closest friends knew the combinations from week to week, and his clients only received that week's combination. Nero would then program the elevator to recognize them when they arrived. Whoever this new arrival was, he wasn't expecting them.

 Nero made his way over to the security monitor, where he had a high-definition view courtesy of a hidden camera in the elevator roof. Inside the elevator was a girl wearing black biker leathers, her helmet clutched in one hand. She had short, sky-blue hair, with a long fringe swept to one side that obscured one of her eyes. Though it was hard to tell - one hip was hidden by the helmet and the other was facing away from him - it looked like she had handguns holstered on each hip. Nero recognized the look in her one visible golden eye: it was the look of someone determined. It was the look of a killer.

Nero crossed to a wall-mounted rack containing several gleaming swords, and selected his favourite, a one-handed blade that he had had specially manufactured. It was reinforced with carbon nanotubes to make it almost indestructible, and obsidian-edged for incredible sharpness. There were still a lot of things it couldn't cut through, but it could cut through flesh and bone just fine.

 Sword in hand, Nero left the control centre, the worktop automatically sliding back into place behind him. There were only seconds left before the elevator arrived at the apartment, but that was all the time he needed to prepare. Whoever this girl was, and whatever the reason for her visit, she was in for a surprise.

***

The elevator glided smoothly to a halt, and there was a soft ding as the doors started to open. Taking a look around, the girl could not see Nero anywhere. Perhaps he wasn't home, she thought. Nonetheless, she began to step forward, trying to get a better view. "Hello?" she called out.

The moment she crossed the threshold, there was suddenly a blade at her throat. The girl froze, her eyes transfixed on the blade. "Don't move," said a voice from above her.

The girl dared to look up. Crouched on the wall above the elevator doors was Nero, his expression blank as he held the sword against her neck. The elevator doors were already sliding shut behind her, leaving her with nowhere to run even if she wanted to. Nero's gaze lingered for a moment on the holsters at her hips, then he looked deep into her golden eyes. "Why are you here?" he asked her.

The girl tried to remain calm despite the situation. "Are you Nero?" she asked.

Nero did not answer. Instead, the blade pressed a little harder against her neck. "I asked first," he insisted. "Why are you here?"

The girl backed up against the closed elevator doors. "If you are Nero," she said, "then I need your help."

"Why not call me?" asked Nero. "Why perform what amounts to a break-in?"

"I don't have a cellphone," claimed the girl.

"You could have bought a disposable," suggested Nero. "Borrowed someone else's. Hell, you could have used a bloody phone box. You actually still have those over here."

The girl's calm façade started to slip. "Well, I'm here now," she said, "so are you gonna help me or not?"

Nero, keeping his eyes trained on the girl and his sword pointed at her, walked casually down the wall and back onto the floor, righting himself before crossing to stand in front of her, keeping the tip of his sword pointed at her throat. Though her explanations seemed somewhat flimsy, at the very least it didn't seem like she was there to kill him. For now, Nero decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Depends," he said. "What with?"

"I have people after me," said the girl. "The mob. The police. I need protection from them. A safe place to hide. I've been running for a while now, and I can't run any farther. Not now, anyway."

Nero couldn't help being intrigued. "What did you do to get the cops and the mafia on your tail?" he asked.

"Killed a whole bunch of each," said the girl bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Nero's stance relaxed a little. He slowly broke into an amused grin, then nodded in acknowledgement. "I see," he said. "And what made you think that was a good idea?"

A shadow passed over the girl's face briefly. "I don't wanna talk about it," she said.

"I see," said Nero again. Realizing he had touched a nerve, he decided to move things along, since the girl seemed genuine enough. "Alright then. Take off the holsters and leave them at the door. Then we'll talk."

Day 12

[from Project Nero]

Usually, when Nero entered Forza's garage, rock or metal music would be blaring out at high volume, and Nero would have to either shout over the top of it or just simply shut off the stereo in order to make himself known. On this occasion, however, he was surprised and rather amused to find Forza quietly singing along to Christina Aguilera of all things. Rather than interrupt, Nero silently took out his phone and began to record to unsuspecting mechanic.

It took Forza a full thirty seconds to realize he was being filmed. When he did, he immediately exclaimed, "Fuck!" and quickly switched the stereo off, while Nero chuckled and stopped the recording. "You upload that and I'll turn you in," he snapped, his anger covering his embarrassment.

"Oh, yeah, just you try it," said Nero with a grin.

"You threatening me?" asked Forza, who couldn't help grinning back.

"You threatened me first," Nero pointed out.

This gave Forza pause for thought. "Alright, you got me there," he admitted. "But you better be deleting that."

"I already deleted it," said Nero reassuringly, as he quietly mailed the footage to Summer.

"Good," said the oblivious mechanic. "And if anyone asks, I'll tell 'em it was System of a Down."

"Gotcha," said Nero, sliding his phone back into its wrist-mounted case now that the damage had been done. "Just out of interest, why were you listening to that, much less singing it?"

"I dunno," said Forza, shrugging, "I was just listening to the radio, it came on, and…it's catchy, alright? Now, are you actually here for some reason, or just to poke fun at me?"

As they got down to business, Nero's expression grew more serious, and Forza started to calm down. "I need your black market contacts," said Nero. "Well… Alexis, Carmen and I need them."

"What for, man?" asked Forza, heading over to his computer.

"We're raiding another cartel base in Santa Lupe," said Nero. "We're gonna need a few things for our attack."

"Like what?" asked Forza.

"Well, first, we're gonna need an attack helicopter-"

"Whoa, whoa…seriously?! A freaking attack helicopter?! With machine guns and missiles and shit?"

"Missiles might be a bit excessive," admitted Nero, "but yes, an attack helicopter with miniguns. Sec-"

"Okay, first of all," Forze interrupted, "it's gonna be pretty hard to get hold of one of those, and if I can, it's gonna be damned expensive. You're paying for all this, right?"

"Of course," said Nero.

"Great," said Forza. So yeah, no promises. But if I do get hold of one, when you go flying in on it, you better be blaring Ride of the Valkyries at full blast."

"Hell no; I'll be blasting your sweet cover of Christina Aguilera," joked Nero.

"I knew you didn’t delete that!" exclaimed Forza, lunging for the phone. "Give it here!"

"Alright, alright," said Nero, holding him off, "I'm deleting it, for real this time. See?" He held the phone up so Forza could see him deleting it.

Forza, not knowing it had already been shared, retreated back to his computer, safe in the knowledge that the embarrassing footage was gone forever. "Alright," he said, calming down again. "What else?"

"Alexis wants a sniper rifle. At least fifty rounds of ammunition, as well. She wants some tracer ammo as well, but I'm not sure that's a good idea; it'll give her position away."

"I'm pretty sure you can get tracer ammo where the trail only appears after the bullet's travelled a certain distance," said Forza. "That's probably the kind she's after. I'll put in an order for that, then."

"Oh, okay then," said Nero. "I don't pretend to be an expert on guns, so… anyway, the last thing I'll need is some high explosives. Enough to blow up a whole complex. You might have to split that order up so it doesn't look suspicious."

"Why not just get some missiles for the helicopter, like I suggested?" asked Forza. "Those'll do the job, and they'll look pretty damn cool."

Nero shrugged his shoulders in agreement. "Okay, missiles it is," he said.

"Alright, I've got all of that down," said Forza. "I'll get in touch with my contacts and see what I can get you. Again, no promises on the attack helicopter, but I'll do my best."

"Okay, thanks, man," said Nero, smiling appreciatively. "Let me know once you have them, and I'll send you the money."

"Will do," said Forza. "That everything?"

"I think so," said Nero. "Okay, I'll see you around, then."

"See ya, man," said Forza, as Nero headed off.

***

"God dammit, Nero, I thought you deleted that video!"

Nero chuckled as Forza's voice barked through the phone at him, easily audible even over the helicopter blades. "You mean the Christina Aguilera one? I did."

"Then what the hell's it doing on YouTube?!" he asked angrily.

"It's on YouTube?" repeated Nero, chuckling even more. "Oh geez…Summer must have uploaded it-"

"You showed it to Summer?!!" Forza was indignant.

"Yeah," admitted Nero. "I didn't think she'd put it on YouTube, though-"

"It's not funny, man!" snapped Forza.

At this point, Nero was laughing so hard he had to take a moment to try and calm himself down before speaking again. "How m…how many views has it gotten?"

"Thirty-seven, but that's not the point!" said Forza. "You're violating my trust, man! How'd you like it if I violated your trust?"

"Alright, okay, I'm sorry," said Nero, finally managing to stop laughing. "I'll get her to take it down as soon as I can."

"Why, what are you doing now?" There was a pause, then: "Wait, are you in a helicopter?"

"Yep," said Nero.

"The helicopter?"

"Yep," said Nero.

"Are you on your way to the-"

"On the way back, actually," said Nero.

"Did you blast Ride of the Valkyries?" asked Forza suddenly.

Nero's response was to turn back towards Alexis and shout, "Turn the stereo back on," pointing at the phone to indicate why. Silently, Alexis complied, and the iconic tune filled the helicopter once more. Even with the music blaring, and the blades whirring loudly, Nero could still hear Forza cheering in delight. "Am I forgiven?" Nero shouted down the phone.

"Are you what?" came the reply.

"I said, am I forgiven?" asked Nero, a little louder.

"Hell yeah you're forgiven!" yelled Forza. The line fell silent for a while, allowing the pair to appreciate the moment, Nero watching through the still-open door of the helicopter as the sun slowly sank beneath the shimmering horizon.

Day 3

[from Project Nero]

The human phenomenon known as "Focus" has persisted throughout recorded history. It is thought that this mysterious power is what allowed homo sapiens to survive, diversify, and ultimately becoming the dominant life force on the planet. However, the exact biological mechanisms behind it are as yet unknown, and numerous studies have failed to identify what causes this power to manifest itself, or why only humanity is blessed with it. Focus is thus deemed by most modern civilizations to be a form of magic, or a gift from the gods.

What is known is that, once a person has turned sixteen, they are able to unlock an ability beyond what an Unfocused human is capable of. This ability is itself usually known as "a Focus". To unlock this power, one must consume a quantity of liquid taken from a "Focus Spring", a special natural spring of which hundreds are known to exist. In modern Focus rituals, this consumption is undertaken at the person's house on their sixteenth birthday, rather than at a Spring itself. The traditional dosage is 100ml, though for most people, anywhere between 50-75ml is sufficient.

Focuses were once thought to be unique to each living human, however in modern times it is known that even with the millions of possible Focuses that can be unlocked, it is almost inevitable that at least one other human, living or dead, will share that same Focus. Some cultures believe that a person's Focus is retained between reincarnations; others believe that two people with the same Focus are natural soul-mates. While there are a handful of recorded instances of the latter, neither theory has ever been definitely proven.

The Focus that a person receives does not appear to follow any logical pattern. Focuses are not passed down through family lines, and are not usually linked to the life the person had led prior to unlocking their Focus. The Focus a person receives is thus thought to be completely random.

Focuses vary in power, restrictions, and other specifics. While there is a proven correlation between the power of a Focus and the restrictions governing its use, this correlation is weak and there are numerous outliers. For example, one man's Focus may be the ability to jump ten feet in the air, while another's may be to jump fifteen feet but only at night. A third may be able to jump twenty feet without restriction.

Even after it has been unlocked, a person's Focus is unknown to them, however, in the immediate aftermath of the ritual many experience a "strange and sudden urge" to perform an action which, when performed, reveals their Focus. For example, one whose Focus is the ability to walk up walls may have a sudden, inexplicable urge to walk up the wall in front of them. Discovering the person's Focus in this way is usually treated as a second part of the ritual, and the traditional advice given to newly-Focused people is simply: "do whatever comes naturally".

A number of Focuses have destructive capabilities, and it is estimated that around 100 people are killed every year worldwide by people using their Focuses for the first time. However, newly-Focused individuals are immune from prosecution for any crimes they may accidentally commit upon first using their Focus, and almost all insurers cover ritual-related damage as standard.

As with almost anything in modern human society, Focuses can be misused. Many criminals use their Focuses to help them either commit their crimes or escape from the law, and there are numerous accounts of people using their Focuses to facilitate crimes ranging from fraud and deception to theft, kidnap and murder. For some of these individuals, the nature of their abilities makes apprehending or incarcerating them extremely difficult, and in some countries (but not Vale) a "Focused homicide" is punishable by death. Famous Focused fugitives include Rachel "Cammy" Adams, who evaded Vale authorities throughout the 1950s, Eduardo Conceição, who started the Great Santa Lupe fire that killed over 400 people, and the modern-day gangster and hitman known as Nero, who as of the time of writing has been evading authorities in Port Elizabeth for over two years.

In rare cases, people may choose not to undergo the ritual; those who do not are known as the Unfocused. In exceptionally rare circumstances, a person may have no Focus at all or be unable to complete the ritual. Attitudes towards the Unfocused vary between societies. Some treat lack of Focus as being akin to a physical disability; others shun those without Focuses and make outcasts of them; still others believe that having no Focus means that God has deemed them perfect as they are, and revere them. In Vale, for the most part, public perception of the Unfocused has shifted towards the positive within the last century and they now enjoy legal equality. Efforts are underway to make it illegal to force a person to undertake the Focus ritual against their will.