Gun Running

[Madotsuki]

The dreamer raced through the kitchen, swiping her backpack off of the table and slinging it over her shoulder as she swung the door opened and bolted out of the apartment. She skidded into the elevator and narrowly managed to keep herself from slamming into the wall. Within a few moments, she pressed the button for the ground level. Muzak played from the speakers as Madotsuki ran in place, barely able to keep herself still for the first time in her life.

The doors slid open, and she rushed out of the building, ignoring the robot bellhop along the way. Given the events that happened a few days before, she wouldn't have talked to it, anyway. Outside, Tier 2 was still as beautiful as always, with the holographic sky simulating a sunset. The light bathed the few people whom were outside at this hour in golden colors. A few Stormtroopers also roamed the streets, but since her data had been registered, she was free to explore the city without having to hide from anything. She jogged by, and the group of troopers gave her what were probably suspicious looks from under their helmets before returning to whatever they were doing.

And speaking of not having to be as sneaky, she could finally take the elevators to the lower Tiers. She noticed that the elevators for Tiers 6 and 7 were out of order, and she piled into the elevator for Tier 5 alongside a man in a plaid shirt with glazed eyes. He smelt like a factory, and that wasn't a compliment. An awkward silence passed before the elevator opened to the slums she had called her home. They parted ways after that, but when Madotsuki glanced back at the guy, he was staring back at her before he retreated into the darkness. Whoever he was, the Night Terror wasn't keen on crossing paths with him again.

It had taken her longer than usual to locate the Song and Dance. Why? Well, for starters, this wasn't where she entered Tier 5 the first time. During that first time, she found the establishment via the saxophone music Miku had been playing inside. Predictably, after the incident that Madeline had mentioned, the pub was now dead silent. There weren't even any customers. As Madotsuki rounded the corner, she saw Madeline glaring up at the pub's neon sign with disdain. Her arm was in a white cast. Next to her stood a tall, bulky man with a brown mullet and beard. A tattoo of a skull-and-crossbones covered his hairy chest, which was revealed from behind a purple jacket.

The two suddenly noticed the dreamer's presence. Madeline waved at her fellow Night Terror with her good hand, but the man just scowled at her. He was lacking some teeth. Lumbering over, he held out a sweaty palm to greet her. Madotsuki tenderly accepted the gesture.

"I thought ye'd flaked out on us," he grumbled, briefly glancing at Madeline as if to say "is this scrawny thing really her?" "Anyway, ye can call me Crusher. What might I have the pleasure of calling ye?"

Madeline replied for her. "Her name's Madotsuki."

Crusher chuckled. "What, does the lass not have a tongue?"

"She doesn't like talking."

"Ah." He turned back to the dreamer. "Just my kind of girl." He patted Madotsuki on the back so hard, she thought she was going to cough up a lung.

"Alright, down to business." He glanced around and frowned. "But not out in the open. Ye never know. 'ow about we 'ead inside?" He pointed to the Song and Dance, and much to the Night Terror's surprise, Madeline gave the muscle-bound man a very convincing death glare. It took Crusher one look at her cast to realize what he said was wrong. "Ah, right. Ye know what? There's another place not too far from 'ere we can go to. It's called the 'Blue Moon Cafe.' The place should work just fine for our purposes."

"No robots?" Madeline asked, cradling her broken arm.

"No robots," Crusher promised. "Now come on. We don't 'ave all night."