Finn was more than a little confused and quite a bit afraid. And why wouldn’t he? First, he had all of his spider-bots hijacked, then most of his savings were drained, and as if that wasn’t enough, he was then forced to get into a shady-looking van and stay still as it drove to who knows where.
As he listened to the round giant ramble on and on about a backstory he made up on the spot, it dawned on him that he was being kidnapped in the old-fashioned way.
Well, technically speaking, it’s not a kidnapping, since he went with them of his own accord. Still, even though what Tomato Head told him before they left the parking lot piqued his curiosity, he wasn’t so naive that he would follow around the guy who threatened him with murder for no reason.
Finn’s objective was still to find a way to steal back the Blue Night. He was looking for a chance to escape as well, and if that one showed up first, he planned on taking it and trying another time. The problem with that line of thought was that it required a lot of positivity, something he didn’t have a lot of right now.
The worst part about it was that he couldn’t discuss the matter with Jake. His physical connection to the Exocore was severed, and the wireless one was blocked. He had a hunch that his NIM was being monitored as well, which made him hesitant to try anything.
Gritting his teeth, Finn glanced at the red hair visible through the partition, and right away, he noticed the blue eyes of its owner staring back at him through the rearview mirror. That gave him the shivers, forcing his gaze to shift on instinct.
His enemy was a far more skilled Diver than he was, which brought a lot of things into perspective. His arrogance and carelessness were becoming more apparent, and that forced him to recognize that challenging Tomato Head again was a mistake. Was he going to stop? Absolutely not.
The van soon came to a stop and Tomato Head stepped out. With the door closed, Finn couldn’t see what was going on outside. He could hear just fine, however, and so he leaned toward the door to listen.
"Ms. Yukimura, it has been a while. Sorry for coming on such short notice."
"Dante! It’s so nice to see you!"
Finn gleaned a very important piece of information from that brief exchange.
’So his name is Dante...’
It was his first time hearing it despite having hunted him for days, and though it didn’t change much, being able to put a name to the face felt like a great improvement.
"Alright, I will be going now." The big guy spoke to him from the front. "Remember the plan, okay?"
The big guy, named Boris Marcov, seemed much more amicable, making it difficult to believe he and Tomato Head got along. When he heard another pop announcing one of the van’s doors opening, Finn recognized that as his chance.
First thing he did was reach for Jake’s bag and pull out all the necessary cables, quickly plugging them into his MLP. A line of yellow text immediately appeared on his OAM. His friend had been left in the dark once more, almost exactly like how it was when they were attacked in their home.
[Finn: I’m okay, Jake. Mind checking my NIM? See if it’s still breached.]
Although he preferred talking aloud to his friend, the current circumstances forced him to rely on his Mind Link Port to relay his thoughts in text form.
[Jake: Alright, give me a few seconds.]
Finn went about opening the side door, careful not to make a sound. He saw both the big guy and Tomato Head talking to a normal-looking young woman, likely the person they called Ms. Yukimura.
[Finn: There are people who still wear those glasses, huh?]
[Jake: Some people would rather not have their skulls opened. I’m done with the check-up, by the way. He’s maintaining a connection, but you should be fine as long as you get out of his range.]
He gave the odd trio another glance. Going by the woman’s expression and the words exchanged, it appeared that she was on good terms with those two. At the very least, it didn’t seem like she knew the truth about Tomato Head, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been smiling at him like that.
[Finn: I feel bad for her.]
[Jake: Focus, Finn. You’re the one in trouble here.]
Taking his friend’s advice, Finn widened the opening a little more then slipped out. He was worried about the young woman the most, but the big guy had shifted a moment earlier, blocking her line of sight. Now, if he only remained like that...
"Ah, right, there is someone I would like to introduce..."
Sadly, things weren’t going to be that easy. As he froze in his place, not knowing how to react, the messenger app suddenly opened and a new text appeared. He didn’t remember registering the sender, but reading their name told him how he got added to his contact list.
[Dante: Any funny business and I’ll make sure to put a hole in your skull. And I will use your dad’s gun to do it.]
[Jake: That’s... That’s messed up...]
As fear grasped his feet, turning them icy cold, Finn found himself faced with two choices. The young woman seemed like a normal civilian so it was unlikely that Tomato Head would try to hurt him in front of her. He was sure he could escape if he ran now, but he wasn’t sure he could deal with the problems that would come later. The second choice would be...
"Finn! Come over here and introduce yourself!"
When the big guy called out to him, Finn knew he had to make up his mind. Picking the latter option, he swallowed the fear pressing down on him and walked over, his hands clutching the strap of Jake’s bag. Standing in front of the young woman, he met her gaze and forced the words out.
"H-hello. I’m Finn Ward..."
=================================
For the months of May, June and July 2025, the first and only Privilege tier will cost only 1 Coin! Please read the latest Chapters as they come out!