TBVF: Chapter 16: One down, another to go

Title: The Blue Vast Future
Author: Ariel Chew
Genre: Sci-Fi, Humor, Friendship, Family
Summary: A SB#187 team aged-up to be in a Kaiju battle. Ariel’s merely a 21-year-old supervisor of Gamma Rapper, but with all the training of the Academy she has, will it prepare her for the biggest turns of events of the century?
~*~

“Um, this is…?” Ariel switches from looking at Achik to looking down at a piece of paper on her hand. The meeting has long been over, Ariel being privately pulled aside, looking endearingly confused when Achik hands her the rectangle white paper scribbled with words.

“I have an… Acquaintance who will be able to supply us with the spare parts, but since I have something urgent to attend to, I want you to go and visit him. There’s directions on the paper, so I’m sure you won’t miss it.” Achik smiles, giving Ariel a thumbs-up as the Marshall turns to leave. “You’ll be fine. Make sure to be back before dinner.”

Ariel gingerly nods, watching her superior exiting the room while she wonders what sort of acquaintance the Marshall had mentioned. Achik stops, halfway through the door as she casually mentions.

“Oh, and if he refuses to hear your deal, just tell him that I will personally see to it that he will pay the debts he owes me. With interest.”

Ariel has a brief thought that crosses her mind: Is not Achik the more dangerous person here?!

After changing her clothes and dropping by the ward to make sure Aaron is resting properly (If playing PSP while tuckering into his temporary bed beside Eric counts as resting), Ariel sets out into town. According to the given information, it’s in the center of town, in a particular street she’s never been to. Well, technically Hades Street was that one place everyone she knew had warned her to never go to – Only frequent locals would go there for the occasional illegal activities, like street brawling and black market business.

Ariel is thankful that she did not come at night.

There is a particular white door with red paint splashed across it, the number four ominously spray-painted at the top center of it that makes Ariel unwilling to enter. As she is about to enter, a large shadow casts over her, the girl slowly turning to find a bald man standing behind her. Ariel immediately jumps to the side in fright.

“A-Ah…! Sorry, is this your place…?” The man with the black sunglasses stare at her, Ariel growing uncomfortable under his gaze before he eventually speaks.

“I don’t. You speak Chinese?”

“[Uh, yes. Yes, I do!]” Ariel quickly replies.

The man harrumphs. “[What is a young lady like you doing here? Are you lost?]”

“[No! I mean, I’m here to look for a man by the name of…]” Ariel peers down the paper. “[Mr. Chau. Is he in?]”

The man stiffens. “[What business do you have with Mr. Chau?]”

Ariel shakes her head. “[It’s confidential. I- My employer says that I am to deal with Mr. Chau directly. Is Mr. Chau in?]”

The man sighs, pulling out a key to unlock the door. “[Follow me then. But I warn you, if he does not like your deal, you’re going to be in deep trouble.]”

The second the door swings open, Ariel wants to step back and get out of there at the sight of spider webs dangling from every corner of a narrow staircase. Biting back a whimper, she lets the man guide her up the stairs and into what she assumes is some meeting room.

“Boss! A girl is here to see you!”

Ariel has half her sanity to not snap out “I’m not a girl! I’m a lady!” when a large, obviously not Chinese, man appears from the other side of the room, followed by what seems to be his lackeys. Mr. Chau is a tall Caucasian, sporting a pair of gold shoes that makes her eyes hurt when the light is reflected from the color. Like all his lackeys, he’s wearing sunglasses, though they were rose-tinted.

“Ah? What d’ya want, kid? Kaiju organs? Bones?” Ariel resists the urge to make a face, instead she shakes her head and politely answers.

“My employer sent me here because she said you are well-connected with people who can make machinery, specifically spare parts for Jaegars.” There is a brief silent, everyone looking at her like she just grew an extra head, before Mr. Chau burst out in laughter.

“Gahahaha! So what if I do? What makes your employer think that I will supply you guys with what you need?”

Ariel beams, immediately relaying Achik’s message.

“She told me to inform you that, should you refuse, she will personally see to it that you will repay the debts you owe to her, with the addition of interest as well.” Instantly Mr. Chau’s face sours, the earlier bravado gone when he realizes that just who exactly he’s dealing with.

“Fine. Tell her she’s got her deal. Now if you don’t have anything else, get out of my shop! I’m about to open for business.” With a haughty remark, Mr. Chau dismisses her. He didn’t even need to say it twice, Ariel mentally rejoices, the supervisor instantly disappearing down and out of the shop to find the Marshall.

Only to arrive right in the middle of a tense, gun-point situation.

Metaphorically, of course.

“Uh… Guys? What’s going on here…?” She tentatively asks, her voice slightly shrilled at the sight of Aaron and Talha, the two injured Rangers, glaring murderously at two men bound and kneeling in the circle. Amirul and Iris looked equally pissed, the sentiment well shared with Zul and Asyikin by the deep frown across their face. Achik is the only one who looks up, a smile appearing on the previously expressionless face.

“Ah, Ariel. How did it go?”

“Well, he said that he’ll supply to us…” Ariel nervously approaches the circle of her friends, who part to reveal two techs that Ariel has seen them around. She’s not particularly close to them, only close to Fitri and Faiz, but she is still surprise enough when her mind puts the pieces together. “Are these two–“

“Yes. How fitting: to have one of them sneaked in as a tech for Beta Strucker and the other for Gamma Rapper.” Achik sweetly informs, though Ariel can tell that Achik is far from in a good mood. “You came in just as they spilled out everything, though I’m sure that Aaron and Talha would have been more than happy to physically get the answers out of them.”

Ariel silently sweat-drops. “R-Right… So, what are we going to do with them…?”

 “First of all, we’re going to make them write everything they’ve done to sabotage our members from the past until now.” Asyikin begins, folding her arms across her chest as Zul extracts a white board and several markers.

Iris claps her hands together. “Now that this matter is solved, let’s leave it to them to handle the rest. As for us, how about we go to BeanHoppin’ for tea?”

Aaron brightens, tugging along Ariel with Talha and Amirul following swiftly behind as the Gamma pilot rambles. “Great idea! I bet it’s been a long time since Ariel saw GeE-HH?! Why did you elbow me, Ariel??”

~*~

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