The meeting with Big G had been a fascinating learning experience. It was one thing to vaguely know that the shot callers of the street gangs ran the underworld, but it was an entirely different thing to understand the thought process behind the moves they made. Damien had seen and learned a lot in his short time as a pirate, but the meeting with the KDL leader was one of the more enlightening experiences.

Perhaps most importantly, he’d gained a better understanding of the dynamics between the gangs, and the pecking order among them. The leaders of the largest gangs in each of the city’s sections were called the monarchs. This title represented their position as the top dog in their respective part of the city. On top of being a source of pride, the universal acceptance of this title among the populace granted additional legitimacy and fear to the owner's name.

Being the leader of the Kingslayers—the largest gang in the whole city but operating primarily out of the east end—Razor held the title of monarch of the east side. The monarch of the west side was Joker, the leader of the Royals. Learning this fact bothered Damien slightly, considering that he and Marcus had just helped take away one of their key pieces of real estate on the west side.

The largest gang on the south side called themselves Legion, and their leader, Slade, was the monarch of the slum-covered southern parts of the city. They were the third largest gang in terms of numbers, but they were also growing the quickest. The north side was an outlier in many ways. Being the upper-end of the city, there were comparatively few street crimes here, and gangs rarely roamed out in the open. Instead, a gang specializing in cybercrime and hacking had secured their space at the top. They called themselves the 404 Gang, and their leader went by the street name Index. Apparently, no one had ever seen this mysterious leader in person.

These were the primary players in the city’s underworld, and they mostly kept large-scale battles off the table. According to Big G, all of that was about to change. For the firs time ever, that delicate balance would be tipped, and there could be a monarch of the city center, the most influential part of Neopolis. The prospect of an all-out gang war was equal parts terrifying and exciting. The city was already a chaotic mess infested with street crime. How much further could that be pushed?

One interesting thing that Damien noted was the consistent motif of gangs relating themselves to royalty in some capacity. In addition to the title of monarch, the Kingslayers, and of course the Royals themselves, there were also smaller gangs that held similar types of names. The irony wasn’t lost on Damien. Most of the people involved in the shadowy part of the city were really the equivalent of peasants, and perhaps in some strange form of symbolism, this was their way of forcing themselves into the upper rungs of society, if in nothing but name. In a way, Damien could see the appeal in it all.

I wonder… could I somehow become the fifth monarch? He mused, letting his mind wonder of the possibilities.

He quickly brushed the thought away. The meeting with Big G only solidified what he already knew: he was far too low on the totem pole to make any major plays in the city, let alone in an upcoming gang war. If he really wanted to move up in this world, he needed to properly position himself in this interconnected web, and link up with powerful people who had information and influence. Big G wasn’t at the very top, but he was much higher than Damien, and he’d proved himself cunning and capable.

The only disappointment that had come from the conversation with the KDL leader was that he didn’t learn anything new about TrillTech. Once again, he was left with nothing to go on, and he had to rely on the only person who seemed to have the information that no one else had.

“He’s late again,” Kat said impatiently, bringing Damien out of his deep thought. She scowled her usual scowl as she drummed her fingers on her crossed arms. Even now as they waited in the lobby of Zero’s building, something was eating at her. He could tell. At least, he liked to think he could tell.

He remembered how Marcus had said that she hated working with incomplete information. Since that was the case, Zero’s entire existence bothered her at all times, and she frequently flip flopped on whether to trust the Inkeye or not. Zero seemed to know too much, but he’d also been honest about the contents of the Archangel files, an act that had caught her off guard. If he’d lied about what he’d found, at least she could firmly place him in the Can’t Trust category. Instead, her only piece of evidence was that her gut told her that they were dancing with the devil.

For Damien, that was a worthwhile price to pay. Zero had finally called them in to brief about a new operation, and Damien was itching to make some progress on his search for answers. They could finally take another step forward after their assault on the underground research facility.

“Remember what Zero said during out first meeting?” Kat asked, as if to verify something that was already on her mind.

“Yeah,” Damien replied. “He said he wanted to eliminate TrillTech. I can understand taking out a few key people or slowly ruining their financials or something. But to eliminate implies to destroy it completely. He can’t be serious about it, right?”

“I think he is, despite how crazy it sounds. It would take months or even years to plan and execute something that daring, not to mention the obscene wealth you’d need to bankroll the operation.”

“I don’t think wealth is a problem for him,” Damien said with a shrug, “considering how much he payed us last time. By the way, is there anything we need to discuss before going up and meeting him? You know, how to approach this meeting. Something like that?”

“Nope. We’re going in empty handed.” She couldn’t hide the contempt in her voice.

Finally, Marcus arrived into the lobby and approached the two pirates. “Sorry I’m late, guys, but I had to confirm it for myself. Just like Kat said, cops won’t let anyone near the research facility we raided. The entire industrial park is off limits.”

“Think they were paid off by TrillTech?” Damien asked.

“No doubt. They don’t want anyone snooping around their bio labs.” Marcus let out a sigh and steadied himself. “Alright, I’m good to go. Let’s get this meeting over with.”

They entered the lobby elevator and made their way to Zero’s office. For the first time, one of Zero’s assistants stood in front of the metal door, blocking the entrance. She gave a pleasant nod as they approached. “Please wait here. Master Zero has other visitors.”

“Come on,” Marcus groaned. “Isn’t Zero super strict with his time? Don’t tell me he took another meeting just because we were a little late. If he did, that’s low.”

“I’m not authorized to say. Please wait patiently.”

As always, everyone around Zero was formal to a tee. From the way they dressed to the way they spoke, it was all entirely impersonal, and to Damien, it seemed a little much. Sure, they weren’t exactly best friends, but they could’ve lightened up a bit.

Marcus grumbled something to himself and crossed his arms. At first it seemed like he’d let it slide, but he was clearly antsy in anticipation of meeting Zero. “After how well we handled that last mission, you’d think he wouldn’t make us wait. I mean, pirate crews like ours are hard to come by. He should really be more grateful.”

The assistant kept a neutral face, but her eyes shot a look that said hold your tongue.

A few minutes later, the door opened from the other side, and five people walked out. They looked like typical street thugs, and Damien was sure that he’d never seen these people in this building before. Each of them sized up the three pirates as they left, taking the same elevator that they’d just used. They certainly weren’t the type of people that one would expect to see in this financial district.

“Who the hell’re those guys?” Marcus asked.

The assistant didn’t reply, keeping all unnecessary information to herself. “Thank you for waiting. You may now go in.”

They entered into the office and found Zero standing by the window, overlooking the city. This was the first time the bald-headed man hadn’t been seated behind his desk upon their arrival. Luckily, Damien had a moment to steady himself before Zero turned around to face them, his all-black eyes causing the hairs on Damien’s neck to rise, and undoubtedly causing equal or greater discomfort to Marcus.

“Who were those guys?” Kat said, pointing her thumb back behind her toward the corridor.

To Damien’s surprise, Zero actually replied with a direct answer. “They are another pirate crew,” the Inkeye said. “I require much greater manpower for this next mission.”

“Sounds good,” Damien said, barely able to contain his excitement. “So what’s the plan with this one? Another raid on a research facility?”

Zero’s black eyes fixed on Damien. “No. This will be the largest operation thus far, and it will be our final one.” Before anyone could say a word, he added. “In exactly seven days, I will make my move, and TrillTech will be completely eradicated.”