Kai found Roric the next evening, not in the grimy shadows near The Pit's entrance, but seated at a surprisingly clean table in the back of a slightly less derelict cantina a few blocks away. The establishment was still firmly District 7, but Roric himself seemed out of place. His clothes were of a quality Kai had only ever seen on vids of inner-district citizens – dark, well-tailored fabrics that spoke of understated expense. A data-slate of sleek, high-grade alloy sat beside his untouched drink. He looked less like a denizen of the underbelly and more like a young magnate slumming it, an observation that immediately set Kai on edge.
"You found me," Roric said, looking up as Kai approached. His smile was the same – confident, intelligent – but against the backdrop of his expensive attire, it seemed sharper, more predatory. "Pull up a seat. I was beginning to wonder if the thrill of near-destitution had won you over."
Kai remained standing. "I thought about your offer."
"And?"
"It's… a lot to take in," Kai admitted. "Leading a crew. You still haven't told me why you think I'm the one." He glanced pointedly at Roric's clothes. "And you don't exactly look like you're struggling to make ends meet yourself. Why are youdoing this? In District 7?"
Roric chuckled, a low, appreciative sound. "Perceptive. Good. To answer your first question: I told you, I see potential in you, Kai. A spark. As for me…" He leaned back, his gaze sweeping over the grimy cantina before settling back on Kai. "Let's just say I have my reasons for starting here, at the bottom. And I have resources. Significant resources."
He tapped the high-grade data-slate. "The initial capital for our… enterprise? That's covered. Secure location, gear, untraceable comms, a substantial operating fund – consider it handled. Money isn't our immediate obstacle."
Kai was taken aback. "You can just… bankroll a new crew? Just like that?" This was beyond anything he'd imagined. This wasn't just some ambitious street kid; Roric had serious backing, or was seriously wealthy himself. The fear of the package owners suddenly felt very small compared to the scale of mystery Roric represented.
"Just like that," Roric affirmed. "What I need from you isn't seed money. It's something far more valuable. I need your strength, your will, your… uniqueness. I need a leader who can inspire, who can fight, who can make people believe."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping, becoming charged with an almost fanatical intensity. "Because what I'm planning isn't just another District 7 crew scrabbling for territory, Kai. We're not here to be kings of the gutter. I'm aiming higher. Much higher."
"Higher how?" Kai asked, a sense of unease prickling his skin.
Roric's eyes gleamed. "Apex Conglomerate. They rule this city, from the gleaming spires of District 1 to the forgotten slums of District 8. They control the MODS Academy, the flow of Anima tech, the very economy. They are the pinnacle." He paused, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "I want to build a crew, an organization, that will one day outshine them. An independent power that answers to no one, that can challenge the status quo, maybe even reshape it."
Kai stared, dumbfounded. Outshine Apex? The ambition was so audacious it bordered on insanity. Apex was a monolith, untouchable. To even speak of challenging them was unthinkable.
The System, which had been quiet, flashed a series of rapid notifications: [Faction Ambition Level Detected: EXTREME (Apex Supremacy Challenge). Associated Risk Profile: CATASTROPHIC.] [Conduit Query: Is Roric… sane?] [System Analysis: Subject Roric exhibits high intelligence, resourcefulness, and potentially narcissistic megalomania. Probability of success for stated ambition: <0.01% based on current power dynamics. However, high-risk ventures can yield unpredictable evolutionary leaps for involved Anima Conduits.]
"You're talking about taking on Apex," Kai said, his voice barely a whisper. "That's suicide."
"Not if it's done right," Roric countered, his confidence unwavering. "Not with the right people, the right strategy, and the right kind of power at its core. That's where you come in. We need to make a statement. We need to show this city, from the bottom up, that a new force is rising."
He leaned back again. "Which brings us to your first act as the visible leader of this nascent force. The Pit. End of the week, they're hosting a special card. A brute named 'Crusher' is their current champion. He's a D-grade MOD, all muscle and no finesse, but he's got a reputation. Taking him down, publicly and decisively, will be our announcement. It will show that we're serious, that we have power. The credits from the win will be a bonus, but the message will be the real prize."
The eviction notice, his family's plight, still weighed heavily on Kai. Roric was offering a way out, a well-funded one, but the price was entanglement in an ambition so vast and dangerous it made his head spin. Yet, if Roric truly had these resources, if he could provide a secure foundation…
"You provide the backing, the strategy," Kai said slowly, trying to process the sheer scale of Roric's vision. "And I… I fight? I build the reputation?"
"You become the legend, Kai," Roric corrected, his eyes blazing. "I'll manage the machine. You'll be its heart, its fire. Together, we'll give them a story they won't forget." He extended a hand. "So, are you in? Ready to do more than just survive? Ready to aim for the stars, even if we burn up trying?"
Kai looked at Roric's outstretched hand. This wasn't just an offer to lead a street crew anymore. It was an invitation to join a madman's crusade, a gilded cage with the promise of unimaginable power and equally unimaginable danger. But the alternative – fighting for scraps, the constant hunger, the fear for his family – was a slow death.
With a deep breath, feeling like he was stepping off a cliff into a raging storm, Kai reached out and clasped Roric's hand. "Set up the fight with Crusher. Let's make some noise."
Roric's grip was firm, his smile triumphant. "Excellent. The first spark, Kai. The first of many."