"That bastard!" Vicky yelled, throwing the spanner she held as hard as she could. "I can't believe that boy. After saving him, this is how he repays me? Ughhhh!"
Vicky couldn't control her frustration. That gadget took a lot of time and effort to build, and now it was gone. All because she decided to be a good Samaritan and help someone in need.
"Calm down, Vicky. Everything's going to be alright," she muttered, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "Think happy thoughts. Rainbows. Motor oil. Explosions... good ones."
Why would he even steal it? It wasn't something flashy he could hawk at an auction. Heck, Adam probably didn't even know what it did. But no matter, she couldn't just let some street rat walk away with her tech.
Thinking about it, Adam couldn't have gotten far. He had barely recovered from the battle, so he shouldn't be that hard to find.
She took out something from one of the shelves. It looked like a tablet of some kind—only it had exposed wires and made funny noises when she tapped on it. It was a scanner.
Being a mechanic and inventor, Vicky always had a backup plan—and a backup for that too. She intentionally put tracking devices on all her gadgets and anything she repaired for someone, just in case something like this happened.
[Bond instability rising]
[Glitch level 63%]
''That thing is unstable. Its not ready yet! If i don't get it back soon... I dont even want to think about what'll happen'' She said, glancing at the scanner
Vicky slung on a side bag, getting ready to go after Adam. She still had oil stains and wore dirty clothes, but changing would take too long, so she decided to go as she was. She took out the scanner from the bag and kicked open the door.
"I'm coming for you… Ghostboy."
---
Elsewhere...
The market was alive with noise and motion, just like any other afternoon. The sharp tang of rusted metal hung in the air, mixing with the shouts of vendors as they hollered over one another, each trying to outsell the next.
One customer was in a heated argument with a vendor over a faulty appliance he'd recently bought. A man turned on the red neon sign above his shop that read "Weapons Shack." A muscular guy was testing his strength at one of those punching machines.
The rich scent of roasted beef and bacon drifted through the air. A wave of warmth hit Adam's face as he wandered through the market casually.
Even though the system stated his HP was back to, his body said otherwise. He probably needed more rest to fully recover—but right now, there was something important he needed to do.
His eyes darted around, scanning the shops and people nearby. Deep down, he still felt scared that the agents might spot him.
He took out the small cylindrical device he stole from Vicky, carefully analyzing it in his hands. The small green light wouldn't stop blinking.
"I hope it doesn't explode or something."
He didn't know what it could do or how to use it, but judging from its design, it was probably something expensive. He just hoped he could find an expert to look into it and sell it for a decent price.
This time, he opted not to go to Old Man Kree. That man was a cheat and never gave Adam a good deal. He didn't want to get scammed on something like this.
Did I do the right thing? Adam thought to himself, beginning to regret what he had done. She's got tons of crazy gadgets. I'm sure she wouldn't miss this one… right?
For some reason, he was starting to feel bad. After all, she did save him and treat his wounds.
But Adam didn't trust anyone apart from himself. Who knew? Maybe it was all just an act to turn him in and earn some cash from those crazy Nexora agents. Since she already knew about the GhostCode, it was a logical assumption.
From the corner of his eye, Adam spotted a small shop tucked away with a large sign that read: "Mystery Shack."
"Why does that sound familiar for some reason?" he muttered.
Intrigued, he decided to check out the shop and see if the owner was interested. There weren't any customers around right now, so he had to be quick before it got crowded.
The shopkeeper didn't look too happy to see him, even though Adam was probably his first customer in the past three hours. He had an eyepatch, a bionic right arm, and wore a brown cowboy hat for some reason. But his most striking feature was the massive mustache covering his entire upper lip.
"Oh hey there, kid. What can I help you with?" the shopkeeper asked with a soft smile.
"Nothing much. I'm just here to ask for your help with something," Adam replied, taking out the device and putting it on the table. "I'm looking for a buyer. You interested?"
The moment the shopkeeper saw it, his eyes shot open like he'd just discovered treasure. He grabbed it with his bionic arm and pointed his index finger at it. The tip of his finger lit up, and a blue scanner-like light began sweeping over the device.
"Damn, this is some good tech you got here, kiddo. You make it yourself?"
Adam laughed internally at the comment. Him, someone who barely knew how computers worked, making something like that—yeah, right.
"Nah, found it," he lied.
"Hah, you expect me to believe that? This kind of gear isn't something you just stumble on, kiddo." The shopkeeper shrugged. "Whatever the case, it's none of my business. Tell you what—how 'bout I take it off your hands for 105 credi—?"
"300, take it or leave it," Adam interrupted.
"What? 300? Hahaha, nah, you're joking, right?"
Adam did something bold. He knew the game. Lowballing first offers was classic market behavior. They'd pretend a piece of tech wasn't worth much, then flip it for a fortune.
.
Even though he didn't know its true worth, he wasn't going to settle for a lowball price. For all he knew, it could be worth way more.
"I'll give you 120. Final offer ." The shopkeeper snapped back.
Adam sighed. This was going nowhere, and the guy clearly wasn't budging.
"Since you're not ready to do business…" Adam picked up the tech off the table. "I'll go somewhere else and find someone who's actually serious."
"Hey, what do you mean? Let's talk this out here!" the shopkeeper said, clearly frustrated.
Adam ignored him and started walking away. Maybe it was the wrong decision—but he was sure he could find another buyer in this busy market. Maybe he could even sell it for twice the amount.
"Hey, you there!" a voice called out.
Adam turned to see who it was. It sounded like someone was calling to him.
He was only a few meters away from the Mystery Shack when he saw two figures approaching. One man had a lean frame, while the other had a chubby build. His clothes barely fit, and part of his belly was exposed.
Without warning, the lean one shoved Adam hard, sending him tumbling to the floor. His body was still weak, so he didn't have much time to react. The device skidded across the concrete with a metallic clink. A small green light blinked twice… then stopped.
"See? I told you it was him. This is the kid that stole your phone,I recognise that white hair anywhere," the lean man said.
"Hey! What the hell's with you guys jumping a kid in the middle of a market? I don't have any mon—"
WHAM!
Pain exploded in Adam's cheek. Blood sprayed from his mouth as the fat one's fist crushed into him like a hammer.
'What the hell—?!'
Adam hit the ground hard, the breath ripped from his lungs. For a second, everything spun.
"Shut up, you twerp!" The fat one punched Adam hard in the face.
Adam coughed up blood, his cheek screaming in pain. He didn't recognize these guys… so why were they attacking him?
Joe—the fat one—grabbed Adam by the collar. His face was turning red with rage. His friend, George, walked over and picked up the tech off the floor.
Through the haze of pain, recognition finally clicked.
The fish shop.
These were the two guys he'd pickpocketed while they were watching the news a few days back. Somehow, they'd found him. And they definitely didn't look happy.
______
Through the smoke and chaos, a lone figure watched from within the crowd. His hood shadowed most of his face… but the moment he caught sight of that messy shock of white-streaked hair, he stiffened.
"…No way. He's alive?"