Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gently rolling waves fall onto the loose rocky beaches of Port Elpis. Their surfaces, shimmering like a pool of brilliant sapphires, stretch for kilometers upon kilometers into the distance. Atop each wave is a line of sea foam that resembles a string of pearls with its stunning white coloring. 

A beautiful morning sunrise graces the horizons above the vast body of water. Warm rays of purple and orange emanate from a sun that has begun its rapid ascent into day. A sea of twinkling stars is just now beginning to fade as the horizon is the last dark wisps of night give way to blue skies and gently floating clouds.

The sounds of seagulls and of chattering denizens fill the air below the stars. Fishermen speak quietly about bait and the state of the tides. Children scream and laugh as they chase one another around the dock; all while their parents warn them to be cautious of its slippery nature. Couples whisper sweet nothings into each other's ears while holding hands below the table, any possible hint of their contents drowned out by the noises all around.

Far more audible than the low hum of humanity is the soothing sound of the ocean and moving water. Each rustling sound of a crashing wave comes at an even pace that’s almost rhythmic in nature. Like the steady breathing of a great beast that’s far beyond man’s comprehension, the water moves in constant rhythm, guided by the invisible force just now peeking over the horizon.

A man takes in a deep breath as he rests his hands on the weathered guardrails of the dock. The unmistakable texture of wood that‘s absorbed countless years of misty salt spray from the ocean meets his touch. As that same salty air works his way through his nose, his eyes roam the beautiful rolling waves ahead of him. The deep blue of the ocean mixes with the green of his eyes, creating a light turquoise color that matches the sky above. On occasion, his eyes glance around Port Elpis to look for the reason for his visit.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t dare to make a move here!” 

A voice yells above the crashing of the waves, shattering the relaxing atmosphere like a pane of thin glass. The tone of the screaming man is laced with anger of the kind heard when violence seems but a step away. A murmur of discontent spreads through the throngs of fisherman and passersby, many of them looking with concern towards where the altercation is taking place.

The man removes his hands from the wooden guardrail and follows the gaze of the pedestrians. Green eyes lock onto the epicenter of the disturbance before widening considerably. A woman that he is well acquainted with is down near the coastline. The beating of his heart nearly doubles in pace as he spots an unfamiliar figure approaching her with a threatening stance.

Without a second of hesitation he transitions into a brisk run towards the stairs leading to the pier. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reaches the site of the altercation in the blink of an eye.

The woman’s eyes soften with relief when they meet with those of the man. Despite the obvious happiness, an edge of concern still remains in her expression. Whether or not she is worried about herself or her friend is a matter left unspoken.

“What are you doing!” The green eyed man yells as he slides to a stop behind the aggressor. Though not wanting to get into a fight, he still allows an edge of anger to enter his tone.

The aggressor turns around with a menacing look at the newcomer, angry to be interrupted. The glint of malice in his eyes could not have contrasted more with the pleasant light reflecting off the waves just off the pier. “Mind your own business, bub. Unless you want to wake up missing an arm or a leg.”

As if to emphasize the threat the aggressor pats the small of his back with a wicked grin. Due to his baggy clothing, the green eyed man can’t tell if he actually has a weapon or not. Despite the danger, the threat does little to dissuade him.

“Wait! This has nothing to do with him!” The woman protests, clutching her hand over her chest.

“Threatening me? Should we take this to the Public Security in detail?” The green eyed man asks casually, shoving his hands into his pockets as he does so. The aloof nature of his speech and demeanor only seems to anger the aggressor more.

“Tch… just you wait. We’ll be watching you. Once you step foot into Port Elpis, you won’t escape the grasp of Black Anchor!” The thug swears vehemently. Although trying to appear as if the green eyed man didn’t bother him at all, he turns on a heel and begins swaggering down the salty boardwalks of the port. Whenever some poor fisherman or jogger crosses his path, he can be heard yelling at them to get out of his way.

The woman breathes in a large gasp of air, filling her lungs with the refreshing scent of salty ocean spray. Once her speeding heart has slowed and the last traces of adrenaline trickle from her body, she turns towards her rescuer and speaks. “Wise… I never thought I would run into you here. Normally, I’d be giving you some commission, but today’s a special case. Honestly, you didn’t need to get involved in this mess.”

The now named Wise smiles warmly before shaking his head and speaking softly. “Your business is my business, Venus. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

Venus returns his smile and averts her blue eyes, shining like the blue water of some tranquil lake with a light of gratitude. She clears her throat and responds, still unable to make eye contact with her rescuer. “Thank you… if you hadn’t shown up, he wouldn’t have backed off so easily. But now it seems you’ve gotten yourself tangled up with Black Anchor.”

Heaving another deep sigh, she turns around to face the rolling waves of the ocean. She gently sets her elbows on the rickety wooden guardrail of the boardwalk and leans forward. Blue eyes idly roam the sea as a torrent of invisible thoughts and emotions play out behind them.

Wise watches Venus for a moment while her back is turned. Her shoulders are tense, almost as if frozen in place an inch higher than they should have been. A nearly imperceptible shaking of her hands is also present before she clasps them together in front of her. Whatever is going on, the Proxy can tell that it has her on edge. Chasing away that thug certainly hasn’t made her feel safe in the slightest.

He takes several steps towards where she is leaning against the guardrail. After a short moment of consideration in his own mind, he quickly decides that whatever is going on with her and Black Anchor, he wants to help.

“Black Anchor… sounds like trouble. If everyone in that organization is like our friend over there, then there may be more people in danger than just you and me.” Wise says as he idly traces the cresting waves of the with his eyes. Now more than ever, he needs their calming effect to steady his mind in the face of this coming trial. Shaking his head of the errant doubts, he continues speaking with a small smile. “Even if it does sound like a Bangboo’s name.”

A small smile of amusement graces Venus’s beautiful features when she hears his joke. Even despite the seriousness of the situation, she finds herself relieved that she has someone for support. Once her humor has faded, her voice regains its serious edge. “It’s a long story, and I bear some of the responsibility for it. Recently, I subcontracted a commission; my clients needed assistance finding Bangboo merchants somewhere in the Hollow of Port Elpis.”

Venus sighs heavily, brushing a lock of forest green hair out of her face that the wind had blown astray. “I thought it would be an easy task, but halfway through, my Proxy bailed on the mission and came back. She said the clients’ behavior after finding a Bangboo merchant scared her.”

Despite the scarcity of details, Wise can connect the dots well enough in his head. So much so that it almost makes him sick to his stomach. Although already being sure of the answer, he asks for clarification anyways on the small chance that his assumptions are incorrect. “The clients. What did they do to the Bangboo that scared your Proxy so badly?”

Venus shudders involuntarily despite the warmth of her sweater and shining rays of evening light. Although not witnessing the events herself, the terrified look of the Proxy and gritty recounting thereafter still shook her to her very core. “They attacked the Bangboo merchant, completely unprovoked, tearing it apart. In her words it was like… they were slicing it apart.”

Wise closes his eyes and nods his head solemnly. It’s even worse than he expected. Hollows are dangerous places free from the protections afforded by groups like Public Security. Large, shimmering domes of purple Ether light that corrupt anything within, living or inanimate, into foul monsters. The mutant Ethereal creatures that remain after this process are devoid of all logic, mercy, and humanity. These monsters are what make Hollows so dangerous that only the highly trained or highly motivated enter them purposefully.

Naturally, this danger only increases the value of whatever can be found within.

However, the most disturbing part of all, is that sometimes the scariest and most dangerous thing to find in a Hollow is a person uncorrupted by Ether energies. Someone like Venus’s clients that tore apart a Bangboo not just for financial gain, but for the sick sense of satisfaction and thrill granted to them for such an act. The thought of something like that happening to little Eous sends Wise’s stomach twisting into knots.

“Honestly, I feel bad for the Proxy. She’s just a rookie…” Venus says in a crestfallen tone that’s barely audible over the sounds of the sea. Instead of looking out at the rolling waves, she is staring blankly at her hands which are now tightly clasped together in front of her. “She panicked and did what Tips For Rookie Proxies suggests: she deleted all of the Bangboo merchants’ locations on the map, replaced them with regular escape routes, and then fled the Hollow when they weren’t looking.”

Wise nods his head in understanding. The job of a Proxy is a dangerous one. Having to guide commissioners through Hollows is hard enough on its own due to Ethereals and Raiders. It’s not unheard of for Proxies to go missing after doing a job for shady clients; whether or not this is due to knowing too much, failing at their task, or being subject to a simple accident is impossible to know for sure. He can’t help but sympathize and agree with the unknown Proxy’s decision making. 

Venus operates as a Broker, someone who finds a Proxy for clients looking to commission one for Hollow exploration. The fact that these clients were able to pull the wool over the eyes of such an experienced Broker is no small feat. Even though there is no real benefit for doing so, Venus has always taken great care to protect her Proxies; many of which have described her as a sort of older sister.

“And then… Well, you saw what happened. The clients were furious. After the Proxy blocked them, they came after me instead. That’s when I realized they weren’t ordinary clients. They were from the Black Anchor.” Venus says with another involuntary shiver. “Since I was the only one who knew how to contact her, they wanted me to lure her back out with some excuse, but there’s no way I’d agree! My Proxy did the right thing. This whole mess is over for her. Whatever comes next, I’ll deal with it; it’s my responsibility since I subcontracted the commission.”

“Robbing a Bangboo merchant is bad enough on its own. Killing the poor guy doesn't provide them with any kind of value, they did it for their own personal amusement.” Wise says while clenching his hands on the weathered wood of the dock guardrail, causing the old material to creak and groan. “Threatening you on top of murder… It's unforgivable. We need to put out a post warning Proxies and Brokers of how dangerous the client can be. Nobody else should be hurt because of them.”

For the first time since their conversation began, Venus turns her head to look into Wise’s eyes. Although shimmers of anxious fear still swim through her blue eyes, a deep and aching feeling of shame makes her chest tighten. She sighs before diverting her gaze back out towards the rolling waves. “This is on me… I should have seen through their act. If I had known the clients of this commission were tied to a gang like that, I would have never taken it, let alone passed it onto a rookie.”

Wise shakes his head before giving her a gentle smile. One of his hands moves from its place on the guardrail to rest on her shoulder as a quiet showing of support. After a few moments of comfortable silence, he speaks in a kind tone. “You can’t blame yourself, Venus. I know that you were just trying to get the best job possible to help that rookie launch her career. You had good intentions, it was those Black Anchor thugs who are to blame for all of this.”

Venus stares at Wise’s hand on her shoulder as she listens. Once the Proxy is done speaking, he removes his hand and returns it to the guardrail. She immediately misses the subtle warmth it provided, parting her lips to ask him to put the hand back where it was. At the last moment she stops herself from speaking. Warm embarrassment at what she almost did subconsciously bubbles to the surface of her mind as her skin takes on a slightly pink hue. 

“Anyway, whether it’s apologizing or compensating, I will handle whatever comes next on my own. I don’t want to drag anyone else into this, including you.” Venus continues after regaining her composure. As she speaks, her voice fills with more and more determination.

“The only thing that bothers me is that I don’t think Black Anchor is after only money, at least based on that guy’s attitude.” The Broker says while nodding her head in the direction that the thug from earlier retreated towards. “What on earth do they want from Bangboo merchants?”

Wise pinches his chin between two fingers as his mind mulls over the possibilities. “I don’t know either. In terms of ways to make money in a Hollow, it’s certainly not the most efficient or sensible. Especially if they keep killing the Bangboo after robbing them.”

Venus absentmindedly nods her head in response to the Proxy’s conjecture. It seems her own mind is coming to conclusions as well. “If it comes down to it, I’ll report this to Public Security. It might mean that I can’t do this work anymore, but as Tips for Rookie Proxies says, people’s safety comes first!” The Broker says while pumping her fist in the air, trying to reassure both her rescuer and herself.

Wise watches the enthusiastic display with a small smile. However, he can tell that Venus’ positive attitude is forced, and she is still deeply concerned about the events transpiring all around her. The lines of her face are drawn tight and her shoulders are locked in place. Perhaps the most concerning is her wandering blue eyes, which are nervously checking their surroundings every few moments like those of a frightened deer.

“I’m just glad you’re safe, Venus. It seems to me that you prioritize the safety of your rookies over your own.” Wise says with a knowing smile. His tone carries notes of admiration and respect as he continues. “That’s a good thing, of course. But it does make me concerned that you will get yourself hurt at this rate. Maybe we should get ahead of this and contact Public Security now?”

Venus shakes her head, causing her shoulder length green hair to shake like leaves on a tree caught in a warm spring breeze. She abashedly averts her eyes to the ocean, her heart sent fluttering by the Proxy’s kind words of concern. “It hasn’t come to that yet, at least for now. I’ll start by looking for a new place to live; somewhere safer, quieter, and ideally patrolled regularly by Public Security Officers.”

Wise makes a small noise of affirmation as his mind begins running over possible locations that would fit her criteria. Lumina Square comes to mind almost immediately, as the Public Security Headquarters is located there. It’s probably the most patrolled area in all of New Eridu from what the Proxy has seen. If it comes to it, he could even call in a favor and have Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, or Seth check in on her every once and a while.

However, that does miss out on her preference for a quieter area. Lumina Square is constantly abuzz with some event or another; not to mention the everyday thrum of traffic and the high cost of living. Wise squints his eyes as he digs deeper in his mind for somewhere that is safe, quiet, and regularly patrolled. The answer, when it finally comes to him, is so obvious that he almost wants to bash his head against the wooden guardrail.

“How about Sixth Street? I would say it matches all of the criteria you listed. And, you would be close to the best video rental business in all of New Eridu.” Wise says enthusiastically.

Venus takes several moments to think over his suggestion for matching his eager smile and responding. “Great idea! That way, I’ll get to see you more often too. No time to waste; I’ll head there right away and look around for rental listings. Would you… maybe help me search and decide?”

“No problem, I’ll be your tour guide!” Wise says happily as he pushes off from the wooden guardrail and turns towards the pier. As he makes his way towards the Random Play van parked further down the road, he glances over his shoulder and smiles, beckoning her to follow with one of his hands.

For a moment, Venus just stands there with wide eyes. The setting sun frames the man beckoning to her, bathing his silhouette in the warm orange and calming purple of the setting sun. 

The Broker smiles gently and takes a step towards the waiting horizon, eager to leave behind the dread she was feeling only moments ago. As she walks she speaks softly to herself, too quiet for the Proxy to hear.

“Today’s commission: help Venus find a rental on Sixth Street. Reward… yet to be determined.”

“302? Oh, I know! It was just listed recently. I live downstairs in 202 and have been in this neighborhood for years.” An elderly woman says enthusiastically after several moments of consideration. “I’m telling you, this building has the best vibes on the whole street! Everyone’s like family here, helping each other out. You won’t regret renting here! I know the guy in 302 well! I can give him a call, it’s no trouble at all.”

Venus and Wise listen to the older woman with quiet attentiveness as she speaks. Every so often they share a quick glance at one another, surprised by her enthusiastic nature. 

“Thank you, granny, you’re so kind. But I think I can handle it myself.” Venus says with a kind smile.

“Oh, don’t mention it! It’s rare to see such a polite young lady like you these days. Sweet and pretty.” The older woman says with an almost blinding smile. A moment later, she shoots a wink towards Wise, causing the Proxy to bluster for a moment. His reaction causes the elder to laugh heartily before she continues speaking to the Broker. “By the way, my third son happens to be about your age… Are you living alone? Oh, don’t get me wrong! I’m just curious since we might be neighbors in the future!”

Venus and Wise exchange a glance once again due to the old lady’s odd questions. Regardless, the Broker clears her throat and responds. “I’m not exactly alone. I’ve got three kids with me.”

While the elder hangs her shoulders in disappointment, Wise’s jaw hits the floor. An expression of complete and utter shock is plastered on his face as he tries to form some kind of cohesive sentence, yet only garbled noises escape his throat. Venus can’t be much older than he is, and yet she has already had three children? It’s hard enough to believe on its own, but the fact that she has never even mentioned it makes it even more difficult.

“What! You have… three kids? Maybe… you’d better make that call yourself. I seem to have misplaced my phone…” The older woman says with obvious disappointment. She makes a halfhearted show of patting down her pockets to emphasize her point, but doesn’t even bother to check every one of them nor the purse hanging from the crook of her elbow.

“What?! You’ve got three kids?!” Wise says incredulously, finally recovering from his shock enough to actually speak.

Venus turns towards him with a raised eyebrow and a small smile of amusement that matches the tone of her response. “Yup; their names are Pika, Mochi, and Empire. They’ve lived with me for a good while now.”

Wise’s expression turns from one of shock to confusion. Curiously, he asks. “Those names are very unusual… are they people’s names?”

Venus smiles brightly. Her two hands raise up to form loose fists in front of her face, unable to contain the excitement she feels at the mention of the subject. “They’re pets! Pika is a big dog I adopted from the shelter, Mochi is a little kitten that Pika found, and Empire is an injured parrot Mochi spotted on the windowsill.” The Broker says with enthusiasm, each word leaving her mouth faster and faster, leaving Wise and the old woman almost unable to keep up.

The Proxy smiles nervously and rubs the back of his neck before responding. “You’re all pros at picking up strays!”

The old woman, sensing an opportunity that would serve her interests, suddenly reaches back into the small bag at her side and speaks. “Ah, so they’re pets! That’s wonderful… My third son loves animals too. Oh, look, I suddenly found my phone! Let me help you -“

“Oh, no need!” Venus says kindly as she unlocks her own phone and briefly glances at its contents. Once she is done reading, she holds the phone up towards the old woman and gives it a little shake. “The landlord of 302 messaged me, he’s out of town until tomorrow. I’ll go check some other places first. Thank you for your time, granny!”

The old woman hangs her shoulder slightly in a showing of disappointment as she responds. “Well, that works too. Take your time and look around. Once you’ve seen everywhere else, you’ll realize our building is the best.”

Waving goodbye, the old woman opens the door to the apartment building and steps back inside. Wise and Venus step off of the street and towards the news stand, taking shelter from the sun under its small awning.

Howl greets them enthusiastically, welcoming them to his shop in his own canine way. After smiling and greeting the adorable dog, Wise glances over to casually read the headlines of today’s newspaper.

Meanwhile, Venus takes out her phone and begins casually scrolling. Several minutes later she looks up from the device and speaks. “This street has another person with a rental listing. He just messaged, saying he’s waiting for us near the coffee shop. Would you go with me to check it out?”

Wise nods his head with a kind smile before responding. “Absolutely, I’d love to.” He turns around to wave goodbye to Howl before stepping into the street with Venus close behind. The Proxy follows her across the street and past Tin Master Coffee, entering the dimly lit alleyway that leads towards the pay phone. A lone figure stands next to a pair of dumpsters as he idly scratches the head of a cat.

Venus double checks the address on her phone and the message she received earlier. Deciding that this is indeed the landlord of 302, she steps forward and speaks in a friendly tone. “Hello, I’d like to ask-“

“First floor, forty nine square meters, one bedroom, one living room with a terrace. Only available for two months. Rent is two hundred thousand Dennies per month. Don’t ask about anything else.” The shrouded figure says in a bored tone, never taking their eyes off of the small cat on the dumpster.

“So straightforward…” Wise mumbles just loud enough for his companion to hear. A small amount of worry and annoyance creeps into his tone.

“Only two hundred thousand Dennies…” Venus mutters to herself, seemingly more shocked about the price than the mysterious figure’s lack of etiquette.

The landlord slowly nods their head before continuing. “There are only two conditions: first, you’re not allowed on the second floor. Second, every night at ten PM, you must open the terrace door and wait for this cat to come back before closing it. It will go to the second floor on its own.”

Wise narrows his eyes, suspicious about the dodgy nature of the landlord. Before he can say anything, Venus speaks up.

“Can I see the place first?” The Broker asks curiously.

“No. I have said everything that needs to be said. Don’t ask anything else. If you agree, we will handle the paperwork. If not, leave.” The figure says, finally turning his head slightly to glance at the pair.

“This place seems suspicious.” Wise says quietly, just barely loud enough for Venus to hear.

The Broker turns towards him and nods her head in silent agreement. She pinches her chin between two fingers as she mulls over the offer. Making up her mind, she gives her answer. “Hmm… The price is tempting, but if I can’t even see the place, I wouldn’t dare to sign a lease. It’s getting late: let’s call it a day. Tomorrow, I’ll check out that 302 myself.”

Venus sighs deeply and turns to look at the window of the apartment she just declined. “What a pity, I was really hoping to rent a first floor place with a terrace. My cat loves sunbathing… speaking of which, this cat looks just like mine, only a bigger version of Mochi.”

Suddenly, the landlord freezes in place, not moving a single muscle for several seconds. Then, he begins slowly turning his head until he is staring directly into Venus’ eyes. “Wait, you have a cat? How old is it? What’s its coat pattern? Male or female?”

Venus begins to sweat nervously, taking a subconscious step backwards in reaction to the man’s sudden enthusiasm. “Uh… less than a year old, female. As for the pattern, it looks a lot like this one. Why do you ask?”

The man pauses once again for several long seconds. Suddenly, he takes a step forward and speaks once again, even more enthusiasm suddenly coloring his voice. “Want to see the place? I can show you around right now, I guarantee you will love it! Feel free to ask me anything!”

Wise watches the man’s continued march with concern, preparing himself to get between him and Venus in case he turns out to be a threat.

The Broker blinks several times as her brain attempts to catch up with the situation. “Uh… your-“ 

“Oh, this cat is mine. His name's Elle, but folks around here call him Cookie. It doesn't matter. He loves hanging out around Sixth Street but always comes back through the terrace at bedtime to go upstairs. Your cat's a tabby too? A little female one? Perfect. We, oops, I mean our cats will definitely become friends!” The man says with ever growing enthusiasm, almost seeming like he is possessed by some sort of cat loving demon. A bright smile can be seen on his face as he continues making his way closer to Venus.

Wise takes a few steps forward as well, partially putting himself between the landlord and the Broker.

Venus nods in silent gratitude before attempting to talk to the cat loving stranger once again. “Then, may I ask-“

“Of course, you can go upstairs too! No problem! Bring your little kitty up as well. What's her name, Mochi? Give me 2 hours, and I'll clear out the second floor for them! It can be their dedicated room. They'll bond sweetly and have a litter of little Elles and little Mochis. Heh, heh heh…” The landlord says before chuckling softly to himself, interrupting the Broker once again with his unhinged ramblings.

Venus waves her hands in front of her and takes another step backwards before her back hits the wall of the alleyway. “Wait… I can see you are a huge cat lover too! But-“

“You must be great at taking care of cats. You're definitely better than me. So I'll need to trouble you to look after Elle a bit more. For that, I'll cut the rent in half to 100,000 Dennies! Consider it compensation for your efforts over the next two months.” The man says enthusiastically with a hint of desperation.

“But…” Venus mumbles, considering the massive amount of money being shaved off of the tent.

“50,000 Dennies.” The man adds, sweetening the deal even further.

“Is this guy for real?” Wise mumbles to himself, not budging an inch from what little space remains between the Broker and the landlord.

“There is another thing. Besides the cat, I also have a big dog and a parrot. Can they live on the second floor too?” Venus asks nervously.

Wise turns to her with a shocked expression, stunned that she is even considering this weirdos offer. 

The landlord thinks for a moment before giving his answer. “The parrot isn’t a problem. The big dog needs to be thrown out.”

Venus and Wise both stare incredulously at him while gasping in shock.

“What? Throw it out?! No way, absolutely not! My dog, my cat, and my parrot are family. We have to live together!” Venus declares loudly, clearly not willing to budge at all on the issue.

The landlord shakes his head in disappointment before giving a counteroffer. “I will waive the rent entirely and throw in 500,000 Dennies if you get rid of the dog.”

Wise almost wants to laugh at the absurd amount of money being thrown around by the cat enthusiast. Only the distress in his friend’s voice stops him from doing so.

“500,000 Dennies?! No, this isn’t about money! Some things can’t be bought with money.” Venus says vehemently, shooting down any possibility of a compromise.

The landlord scoffs and shakes his head before responding. “You’re too naive. You only think that because you haven’t heard the right price.”

“No. This is something we will never agree on.” Venus says while clenching her fist tightly, causing her arm to shake. Without another word she turns on her heel and begins marching out of the alleyway with Wise following behind. “I am not looking for a place to save money, I just want a stable home for myself and my little ones. And my little ones… not one of them can be left behind.”

Wise opens his mouth to respond but is interrupted before he can get a word out.

“Then why not come see my place?” A female voice says from directly beside them.

Venus and Wise both turn their heads to look at the source of the new voice. A woman is sitting down on the patio or Tin Master Coffee, nursing a steaming cup between her hands. She glances up from the dark liquid with a small smile and continues. “I have the perfect place for you. It is pet friendly, affordable, and ready for an immediate move in.”

All of the apprehension in Venus’ body and tone evaporates instantly as she responds. “It’s on Sixth Street too? Are you the landlord?”

The mysterious woman nods her head, never loading the gentle smile that decorates her features. “That’s right. But it’s still being tidied up, so I can’t show it to you yet. It should be ready by midnight. What do you think? Come by tonight and check it out? The sooner you rent, the sooner you can relax.”

“At midnight? That seems like a bad time, I could just come tomorrow instead.” Venus says with disappointment.

The woman smiles and waves her hands in front of her, trying to allay the Broker’s worries. “Oh, it is no bother! I live alone, and once I have tidied up, the place will be completely vacant. I want to rent it out quickly too. My place is excellent; if you wait until tomorrow, some else might just snatch it up.”

Venus shares a glance with Wise, having a silent conversation between their gaze about whether or not she should accept. Once she has an answer, she turns back towards the mystery landlord and nods her head in agreement.

The mystery woman smiles brightly and breathes a sigh of relief. “Alright, sounds like it's a deal! Tonight, around midnight, let’s meet at the corner here by the coffee shop. I will take you to see the place once we meet up.” She says before standing from her seat and holding a hand out towards Venus.

“My name is Lana, by the way. Don’t worry, my place is perfect for a young lady like you. You will fall in love with it at first sight and sign the lease on the spot.” The landlord says enthusiastically.

After receiving the handshake and exchanging goodbyes, Lana takes off down a nearby alleyway and disappears from sight.

Venus takes a step towards Wise, nearly brushing against his shoulder as she turns to face him. “What do you think?” She asks quietly so as to not be overheard.

Wise studied Venus’ face for a moment, drinking in every detail. Her cheeks are drawn tight and her eyes are constantly looking around to constantly check nearby alleyways and corners. In comparison to earlier today, her sage green hair is becoming unkempt and disheveled, most likely a combination of their frequent movement and the strong breeze at Port Elpis. It’s obvious that she is still on edge after both the incident with Black Anchor and the weirdo landlord in the alleyway.

The Proxy’s chest tightens at the sight of her beautiful features being marred by such stressful circumstances. After all Venus has done to look out for him, even if she didn’t know his true identity as Phaethon, he couldn’t simply leave her to fend for herself. It’s about time someone stood up for her instead of the other way around.

“I’ll come with you, Venus. Something about this seems unusual.” Wise says with a small but warm smile of support.

Venus breathes a sigh of relief, some of the tension visibly draining out of her shoulders as she does so. She returns his smile and responds. “That’s good. Honestly, I would feel uneasy going alone. But with you, I will feel much safer.”

Wise nods in response, his heart warmed by her earnest trust in him. He turns around to look towards Tim Master coffee, briefly considering going inside to buy a caffeinated beverage to help with their late night quest. 

“Lana said to come back around midnight, is she really tidying up until that late?” The Proxy asks idly, doubtful that such a menial task would require so much time.

“Maybe she just wants some time to say goodbye to the apartment, or maybe she just has other plans between now and then?” Venus suggests casually. After taking a deep breath of rapidly cooling evening air, she turns towards Wise once again with a look of concern. “I usually stay up pretty late anyway, but it is still kind of you to come with me for this midnight trip. Won’t it mess up your rest? I remember you always try to get enough sleep every day.”

Wise casually shrugs his shoulders before responding. “It’s fine, I’ll just sleep in tomorrow. No big deal.”

“Thanks. I hope we can settle this quickly.” Venus says with a small degree of apprehension. Sheepishly, she brushes a lock of green hair behind her ear. Whether or not it’s a trick of the light, Wise notices a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks before she continues.

“Would you mind if I ran back to my place to freshen up a bit before the meeting? I’ll meet you back here at midnight.”

Wise checks his watch for what he feels like is the hundredth time in the last hour. He looks down one darkened alley, then another, then another, until he is certain nobody is around. With yet another sigh of disappointment, he slumps into a chair and pulls his jacket closer around him. His only company on the deserted street is General Chop working diligently at his shop, chopping up vegetables in preparation for tomorrow.

Currently, the Proxy is sitting on the patio of Coff Cafe. The arranged meeting that he and Venus agreed on has long since passed, the time now being twelve thirty at night. Although he has considered calling or texting her, he doesn’t want to come off as rude or impatient. However, a twisting knot of worry deep in his chest makes itself more and more known by the minute. Where is Venus? Is she safe?

“So, it is just you here after all.”

Wise nearly jumps out of his own skin when a calm male voice suddenly speaks out from directly behind him. He flies upwards in the air and takes the chair up with him, his back crashing hard onto the cold concrete a moment later. After rubbing his now very sore backside, he glances up at the man who snuck up on him so completely. To the Proxy’s shock, it’s the unnamed man who offered Venus a deal on the second floor room of his house.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t Venus decline your offer because you wouldn’t let her move in with her dog?” Wise asks suspiciously as he makes his way to his feet.

“Have you heard of The Black Anchor?” The man asks suddenly.

Wise’s eyes shoot open for a fraction of a second as his mind casts back to earlier in the day. The confrontation himself and Venus had with two members of the mysterious organization was not something he was quick to forget. But what bearing could that possibly have here? Before the Proxy can collect his thoughts and respond, the silence is broken.

“Fine. I got the answer from your reaction. I had a feeling that the woman who suddenly joined the conversation earlier seemed familiar. So, I looked into her. Turns out, she’s the second in command for The Black Anchor.” The man says with a weary sigh. As he speaks, he fumbles around in the pockets of his oversized coat to fish out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

The realization shocks Wise into further silence, his body going rigid. What would the second in command of The Black Anchor want from Venus and himself? Unless…

“I don’t know why you’ve gotten entangled with such a lowlife gang, but you must realize now that your friend is probably in danger.” The man says after removing a cigarette from the pack and lighting it, taking a deep drag and exhaling the smoke into the night sky. Compared to his demeanor from yesterday, he seems like an entirely new person.

The dots begin to quickly connect in Wise’s mind. If the two thugs from earlier reported back to their boss, then maybe that woman came here looking for retribution. “Oh no. Now she’s-“

“Try contacting her or search the nearby area. If you still can’t find her by tomorrow, I suggest you go to Public Security and report it.” The man says through puffs on his cigarette. “Hopefully it’s not too late by the time you find her.”

Following the man’s advice, Wise quickly whips out his phone and shoots out a few text messages to Venus, hoping against hope that she responds.

Lana said you already arrived.<

How come I didn’t see you?<

>Lana’s a liar, you have to get out of there!

What? I’m on Sixth-<

>Sixth Street?!

>Venus! Are you still there?

Wise growls and lowers the phone, whipping his head around frantically in an effort to survey his surroundings. If Venus is on Sixth Street, then she couldn't have gone far. However, the most disturbing thing he finds is that the man he was speaking to is staring at him unblinkingly, a completely blank expression plastered onto his face. For a reason he can’t quite explain, the man’s demeanor makes Wise incredibly nervous.

“Why aren’t you looking for her yet?” The man says suddenly.

“How do you know all of this… about Black Anchor and Venus? Who exactly are you?” Wise asks hesitantly. Subconsciously, he takes a step backwards and prepares himself to run if necessary.

“Is my secret more important than your friend’s safety? I’m just someone out of place in your world. For your own safety, I suggest you don’t pry too much into your neighbors’ secrets. After all, who on this street doesn’t have a secret or two hidden away.” The man answers cryptically, narrowing his eyes.

Wise shakes his head and protests. “That doesn’t-“

“Originally, I wanted to help you look for her. After all, she is my ideal tenant… so long as she doesn’t bring that dog of hers.” The mysterious man interrupts. “But I’ve noticed something unusual happening on this street lately. It’s not because of the Black Anchor, it’s because someone sharper and more powerful has shown up… likely someone from high-up in the government.”

Wise massages his temples with his fingers for a moment before responding. “You’re not making any sense, what does that have to do with-“

“So I’ve decided to stay low for now. This is the extent of the help I can provide. If you find your friend, remind her about the rental.” The man interrupts yet again before turning on a heel and beginning to walk off. But, before he can make it more than a few steps, he turns his head over his shoulder. “Oh, about the dog. As long as she ensures it doesn’t go upstairs, I might reconsider.”

With that final cryptic statement, the man rounds a corner into a darkened alleyway and disappears from sight, leaving Wise with more questions than answers. He can’t decide if the man is secretly more than he seems or is just insane. Regardless, now isn’t the time to think about it.

Wise’s footsteps echo off of the narrow walls of alleyways as he frantically searches every nook and cranny of Sixth Street. The area with the flatbed truck next to Godfinger, the isolated stretch of road nearby to Box Galaxy, even the various side streets near Bardic Needle; he has searched all of them without any luck. Finally, in the last area he checks behind Random Play’s parking lot, a small object on the ground catches his attention.

Venus’s phone lays on the ground with a cracked screen, its dim light the only source of illumination in the darkened alleyway. As soon as he sees it, Wise sprints towards the discarded piece of technology as if his own life depended on it. Gingerly, almost as if the slightest touch will break it forever, he uses both of his hands to guide it upwards and read what the screen is displaying.

“Port El-“

Another half typed message, this time it points to Port Elpis. Wise takes a quick look around the alleyway to see if there are any other clues. All he finds are signs of a struggle. It seems like whoever took Venus was in a rush and left behind several items of hers that she dropped, such as a watch and even her purse. With as much care as possible, he picks up the discarded items, unable to tame the anger he feels building up in his chest. A shaking hand reaches into his pocket and removes his phone.

They’re not going to get away with this.

“Fairy, contact Public Security. Tell them to meet me at Port Elpis.”

Chapter Text

“Lana… so, you’re with them. I didn’t think Black Anchor would extend their reach to Sixth Street,” Venus says with a scowl, staring down the woman that kidnapped her.

Although the ambience of Port Elpis at night would usually bring a sense of calm to anyone that experienced it, the lapping of the gentle waves against the wooden dock brings only discomfort. Every sound of the ocean’s wake reminds her that she is very much in danger of disappearing into it without a trace. At least that’s what she’s heard about Black Anchor’s modus operandi when dealing with people who know too much.

Instead of Lana responding to her comment, one of the thugs steps forward with a confident swagger. “As expected of our lieutenant, even I wouldn’t dare to do this!” The man boasts.

“Idiot!” Lana yells angrily, grabbing at the collar of the much larger man and dragging him towards her in an impressive display of strength. “You think I want this? The boss is running out of patience! Public Security is picking up on our trail and chasing us down, they are nearly on to our hideout! If we don’t clean this mess up tonight then we will be spending the rest of our lives behind bars!”

The thug, stunned into silence and sweating buckets, nods his head in agreement with the woman’s statements. With a sigh, she lets him go, turning her attention instead to their new captive.

“So sorry, missy. The Black Anchor doesn’t like loose ends. One way or another, we are getting the information we need tonight,” Lana says in a deadly cold tone as she approaches where Venus is kneeling on the ground. She slowly lowers her head until their noses are nearby touching, dropping her voice into a whisper. “Now, spill it. Where is the Proxy hiding?”

The thug from earlier steps forward yet again, cracking his knuckles in a menacing display of force. “Confess, unless you want to wake up missing an arm or a leg,” he threatens.

Lana sighs with annoyance and looks back over her shoulder at the thug. “Don’t repeat that cliché, I wouldn’t be that crude,” She says before turning her attention back towards Venus. The Broker can feel her heart turn to ice as the Black Anchor lieutenant's lips curl into a feral grin. “At most, I’ll leave you missing a few fingers. You wouldn’t want to be stuck sending voice messages for the rest of your life, would you?”

Matching his boss’s grin, the thug gingerly pats a folding knife attached to his belt, allowing the implications of the threat to hang silently in the air.

“Venus!”

A voice cuts through the sounds of rolling waves, filling the Broker’s heart with a warm growth of hope.

“Wise…?” Venus asks hesitantly, not quite trusting her eyes. “You were able to see my message?”

“Oh my, isn’t this the young man from earlier today?” Lana says coolly as she stands. “Here to play the hero, boy?”

Instead of responding, Wise holds his phone up in the air. “I’ve already contacted PubSec. Whatever you have to say, save it for the precinct,” he says with a confident grin.

“Public Security? Do you expect that to frighten me, boy?” Lana says with a scowl. She turns towards the thug and jams her thumb towards the Proxy. “Does that scare you?”

“Not in the slightest!” The thug answers loudly. “By the time anyone from Public Security shows up, you’ll already be tied to cement barrels at the bottom of Port Elpis!”

Realizing that there’s no hope of getting through this using negotiation, Wise’s mind instead turns to confrontation. It’s two on two… the one thug is pretty intimidating, but if he and Venus can isolate them then maybe there’s a chance. Or maybe they should just run… but what if they catch up?

Before he can make a decision, Venus leaps from the ground in a shocking display of athleticism and sprints towards where Wise is standing.

He understands her intentions immediately and prepares himself to run back into the city. They would only need to make it back up onto the pier and into the Random Play van to make their escape.

However, the second Wise turns around, three more figures descend from the very same stairs he was about to use as an escape route. They’re dressed in modest black clothing with two of them wearing masks that conceal their faces. If there’s one thing he knows for sure, it’s that they aren’t the PubSec officers he was hoping for. 

“With your scrawny builds, do you really think you can resist us?!” The massive thug from earlier says as he takes several menacing steps towards the pair. “Even if Public Security Officers show up tonight, I’ll knock them flat and toss them into Port Elpis along with the two of you!”

A warm presence presses against Wise’s side as Venus latches onto him. He glances down at her, only to see a terrified set of aquamarine eyes glancing back up at him. She’s shivering, and he doubts it’s just from the cool breeze coming off of the river. The sight fills him with anger… who are these thugs to come hurt someone as sweet as her?

“What… what do we do, Wise?” Venus asks quietly, her voice quivering slightly. 

“I don’t know. We can’t fight them… so we just have to run,” Wise admits hopelessly. He fishes around in his back pocket for a moment before retrieving Venus’s damaged phone. Gingerly, the Proxy holds it out for her to grab. “You go ahead and run, call PubSec once you make it somewhere safe. I’ll be right behind you.”

Venus’s eyes widen with recognition and she shakes her head. “There’s no way I’m just leaving you here! I’m supposed to protect rookie Proxies like you, not-“

“Wait! Don’t hurt them yet!” Lana yells suddenly, shooting her arm out to stop the large thug in his tracks.

Wise and Venus both go rigid in shock as they pivot their heads to look at the Black Anchor lieutenant.

“Young man… what’s that you have in your hand?” Lana asks curiously as she points a slender finger towards Venus’s phone. “That looks a lot like the phone we were looking for. I had my suspicions that Venus may have stowed it away somewhere… or given it to somebody she trusted.”

Wise scowls in response and hugs the small device close to his chest on instinct. If these thugs want the phone, then there has to be a reason for it. Next to him, he can feel Venus’s breath taken away with shock; her body unnaturally still, not even blinking.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to admit it. Just send the message and lure the proxy back out; that will suffice, ” Lana says in a sickeningly sweet voice. One of her slender arms reaches out with an open palm.

“No! No way! We can’t let them take the phone!” Venus says in horror, instinctively taking several steps backwards.

“Enough of this!” The large thug says with a growl of frustration. In the blink of an eye, he closes the brief distance towards Venus and lunges, curling his fingers into a fist aimed directly at her head.

The world begins to move in slow motion around Wise. The few meters left between Venus and the thug close in front of him with the inevitability of one of the waves crashing against the shore all around them. Cold ice spreads up his legs from his feet, a primordial sense of fight or flight screaming at him to run and preserve his own safety. The grim cadence of a ticking clock thunders in his ears as he realizes there is no way that she will be able to dodge on time.

CRACK

The curled fingers of a fist make contact with the fragile cartilage of someone’s nose, overpowering the calming sounds of the sea with the sickening noise of shattering bone.

Venus hesitantly opens one of her eyes just a crack, still fearful of the massive thugs fist. She gasps slightly in surprise at what she sees as her eyes shoot open completely. Sprawled on the algae-infested wood composing the dock is the Black Anchor enforcer. Although not unconscious, the man is sitting completely still due to the absolute shock he is experiencing. A steady trickle of blood from his now crooked nose flows down the side of his face.

Lana stands over the form of her injured comrade, mirroring his shock. She tries to say something but only strangled noises escape her throat.

“You… little brat! Who gave you the guts!” The muscular gang member bellows into the light air while throwing himself to his feet. “Need a good beating, huh? I can help you with that!”

Without wasting a second he blitzes towards the Proxy with lightning fast speed. He pivots onto his left leg, much more quickly than someone of his size should be able to. Wise realizes too late that the thug is aiming a devastating kick at his chest.

“Look out!” Venus yells in warning, rushing to get between the large enforcer’s boot and Wise.

At the last moment, Lana rushes forward and wraps her arms around Venus, stopping her from interfering with what is about to occur.

CRUNCH

White hot pain fills Wise’s mind as he is sent flying several meters backwards, eventually skidding to a stop beneath the rough stone of the pier.

“Wise!” He can hear Venus yell, but the sound seems a thousand miles away due to the ringing in his ears. 

It feels as if every inch of Wise’s chest has been set on fire. Every breath sends a wave of pain crashing throughout his entire body.  Even in the haze of his pain, he can sense the thug stepping forward to stand next him.

Wise lurches from his prone position and wraps his arms around the hulking man’s torso, eager to get back into the fight. For his trouble, he gets a kick from a steel toed boot directly to his broken rib. Stars fill his vision and unconsciousness threatens to overtake him as he is sent tumbling back into the concrete.

“Leave him, we have places to be.” Lana orders with casual disdain. “We just need Venus to unlock the phone and lure in that Proxy. Everything else will just be dead weight.”

“Wise! Get up! Get up!” Venus yells desperately before the muscular thug begins to drag her away.

“Freeze! New Eridu Public Security!” A new voice shouts from above. The voice is feminine and very familiar, but Wise can’t quite put a name to it in his stunned state.

Lana whips around to look at the newcomer with a shocked expression. She quickly reaches into her pocket and produces a switchblade, its blade gleaming with a menacing light in the dim glow of the moon. She takes a quick series of steps to stand next to the bulky thug carrying Venus and presses the blade against her neck.

“Don’t even think about it, Officer. You take one more step and this lady will be breathing out of a new hole in her neck.” Lana threatens menacingly. 

Wise manages to summon enough strength and turns his body to the side to see what’s going on. To his shock, Captain Zhu Yuan is standing only a few feet away. A look of determination colors her face as she points her handgun towards the two escaping criminals and their hostage.

“If you let her go now, I’ll tell the judge you cooperated! Don’t make this harder on yourselves!” Zhu Yuan says, giving negotiation one final chance in a situation that’s rapidly spiraling out of control.

“If you think this ends with us in front of a judge then you haven’t been paying attention!” Lana retorts with a snarl. “The Black Anchor doesn’t give in to empty threats and it certainly will never surrender to PubSec!”

As the conversation continues, the two thugs are backpedaling slowly with Venus in tow. Finally, they arrive at a small gangplank that leads to a rickety old boat that bobs with the gentle waves coming into Port Elpis.

“Last chance! Don’t you dare step on that boat!” Zhu Yuan commands with a level of menace that Wise didn’t even know she was capable of.

“You won’t risk hitting the hostage, so stop pretending that you’ll shoot,” Lana says with a snarl as the large thug runs forward to the cabin.

The sound of the boat’s motor starting makes Wise’s blood run cold.

“Wise! Don’t come to rescue me, it’s too dangerous! Whatever you do, don’t-” The rest of her words are cut off as the thug revs the engine, causing the boat to shoot forward in the water. A large spray of seawater camouflages the vehicle from view and drowns out Venus’ voice.

“No!” Wise screams out. He tries to scramble to his feet, desperate to help, only for an immense pain in his chest to stop him in his tracks.

“Stop trying to move, you’ll only make your injuries worse.” Zhu Yuan says as she holsters her handgun. She leans down with a sympathetic look on her face to examine his torso.

“I don’t care, you can’t let them get away!” Wise says before coughing violently. The pain flaring in his chest causes stars to dance across his vision.

“I already called it in, Public Security will be flooding the channel with search boats. I promise, those officers will find them, you have my word,” Zhu Yuan says kindly. “Now, don’t try to move. An ambulance will be here soon.”

A feeling of overwhelming helplessness consumes Wise as he lays on the cold, uncaring wood of the docks. All he can do is watch as the already dim lights of the fleeing boat fade into the thick darkness of night.