Benjamin Wray: Acid Reign: Genesis

“Get outta the way, asshole,” Gus said.

“Thought you’d come around,” Ripp said as he smiled and followed.

Nun’s compound was an old cracked cement and steel building, right in the middle of two other identically old cracked cement and steel buildings, south of the East Market. There were no windows and only one entrance, which always was heavily guarded.

Lilly charged right up to the two armored men that were guarding the door. Both the guards let go of their rifles for a moment, and without adjusting their gazes gave her high fives as she walked by.

She passed two more guards that were inside the door.

“Hey, Lil,” one of them said as she hit him on the arm.

She passed room after room of supplies, gear, and weapons of all kinds, skipped down a flight of stairs, and charged into a large empty room. On the other side of the room, there was a wide door where two heavily-armed guards stood. She recognized Jim, but hadn’t ever seen the other one before. As she reached for the handle the new guy stepped in front of her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he said.

Lilly looked at him as if he had just eaten his own feces. “I need to talk to Nun and you’re in my way.”

“We don’t sell dolls here. Go away, little girl.”

Lilly looked over at Jim, who was trying hard not to laugh. “You been planning that one for a while haven’t you? Waiting around for the first girl you saw? So witty. Really, I’m impressed. Especially coming from a guy who can’t even close his pants up.”

Lilly looked down at his belt and pointed with her eyes. She bolted past him as he checked his zipper.

“Hey!”

Jim finally let out a laugh, as the other guard chased after her.

Inside the room, there were a handful of people looking at small arrangements of rare electrical devices. She recognized a member of the consulate that had paid Ripp and Gus to drive him around the Fringe for a day so he could be able to say he had been out there.

She spotted Nun talking with a hooded woman that looked very familiar. Normally she would never interrupt Nun, but she turned and saw the angry guard coming right for her.

“Nun.”

Nun looked up and saw Lilly and his guard coming right for her. Nun held out his hand.

“She’s okay.”

Nun turned to the woman who was keeping her face hidden.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Nun said graciously and walked over to Lilly.

“Sorry, boss,” the guard said, trying to catch his breath.

“She’s okay. Hello, Lilly. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, irritated with the guard but not her.

“As in Ripp’s Lilly?” the guard asked.

“Yes. Lilly, moron, moron, Lilly. Now that you’ve been formally introduced you can go stand at your door again.”

“Sorry boss,” he said, and headed back to the door.

Nun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “What can I do for you, Lilly?”

“I want another contract,” Lilly said as she put her hands on her hips.

Nun smiled. “Let’s talk in private.” He put his arm around her shoulder, acknowledged another patron waiting with a nod, then walked her to his office.

Nun’s office was lit with a red hue except for the white glow of a holodesk near the far wall. He motioned for Lilly to sit and closed the door.

“Ripp and I talked about your last con, and your little outburst in the market.”

Lilly shifted uneasily in her seat.

“He made a pretty compelling argument for not having you do open cons. He says he feels you aren’t ready for that kind of competition.”

Lilly wanted to respond, but remained silent as Nun leaned forward across the holodesk, creating ominous shadows on his face.

“Personally, I disagree.”

“I know I let my guard down. It won’t happen again.”

“Oh, I believe it.”

Nun walked over to a shelf, grabbed a small box, and sat down in his chair. He looked at it closely as he turned it over. Lilly started to get impatient.

“I want a solo contract if you have one.”

Nun looked at Lilly with the stoic face that he was well known for; a hard man to read.

“I don’t think Ripp would like that,” he said as he set the box down, sending an electronic ripple across his desk.

“Don’t really care about what Ripp would or wouldn’t like right now. I know I can handle it,” she responded with confidence.

“I sense a bit of desperation, and you know I don’t do desperation,” he said as he sat back in his chair and folded his arms.

“I want a con because I am ready for one, not desperate for one. Just determined. I think there’s a difference,” Lilly sat back in her chair and folded her arms right back at Nun.

Nun smiled and let out a friendly laugh. “So you want a solo contract?”

“Yes,” she said, still folding her arms.

“And you understand the terms of any solo contract I give?”

“Yes.”

“I think I can smooth over a solo contract as opposed to an open one, if Ripp finds out that is.”

Nun thought for a moment and purposely drew out the situation with more silence, just to have a little fun with Lilly.

She unfolded her arms and put them on her hips as she leaned forward.

“Please?” she asked with a smile.

“Lucky for me, I don’t answer to Ripp,” Nun said as he slid the small box over to her and motioned for her to open it.

After a moment, she opened it, and took out the small data drive that had the information about the contract.

Nun put his hands together, stood up, and walked over to a monitor on the wall. After his eyes were scanned, he navigated through a couple of screens and typed in some information.

He turned around and put his hands on his hips mocking Lilly in a friendly way.

“Okay,” he said with a smile.

“That’s it? Just like that?” she asked, thinking about how he had the box ready to give to her at the beginning of their conversation.

“Everything is on there. If you need an advance for any gear, talk to Maricella.”

“Thank you,” she said with a huge smile.

“The fact that you are thanking me for sending you out in the Fringe makes me want to reconsider this.”

“Thank you for trusting me is what I meant.”

“Good girl,” Nun said as he walked to the door and opened it.

“I won’t disappoint you,” she added.

“I know you won’t.”

Lilly stood up and followed him to the door.

“Lilly?” Nun asked as she walked past him.

She turned around and saw Nun with a much more serious face.

“Yeah?”

Nun took a slow breath and pursed his lips.

“I don’t want to cause any problems between you and Ripp, but I do think he underestimates your potential. Yes, he wants to protect you, but all that will do is hold you back in the end. We don’t achieve great things because of fear. We achieve great things when we come at it head on. Let me know whenever you are up to the challenge. My door is always open for you.”

Finally. She thought to herself as her face lit up.

“Thank… Okay, I will,” she said.

Nun chuckled and motioned for her to leave. He watched her bounce away then went and sat back at his desk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a colorful Chinese finger trap.

Every yell, every cheer, every curse, every bottle broken, every snarl, and growl, and laugh bombarded Bean. She tried to see through the patrons but she was too short.

“Everybody, shut up!” Bean’s voice boomed over the crowd, causing almost everyone in the two main areas of the Pits, including some of the fighters, to freeze.