Kenny took a step inside, surveying the interior with a look of disappointment. It was just as bad as the outside—if not worse. Standing amidst the ruins, Yasuke grinned and waved casually.
"It's as bad!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Yo, Old Man... Oh! A new guy!" Yasuke greeted with a smirk.
Kenny turned sharply to Edward, eyes blazing with frustration. "You said I'd have free housing!"
Edward shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, you live here for free. I didn’t lie."
"You said free housing! Hoooouuuse! This ain't no house! These are ruins!" Kenny retorted, voice rising.
Without waiting for a response, Kenny spun on his heel and stormed out. “Forget it. I’m going home!”
The door slammed behind him.
Moments later, a commotion erupted outside—shouts, a scuffle, and then a cry of pain.
The door creaked open again. Kenny limped back in, now wearing only his boxers, his shirt torn and his face freshly bruised.
He cleared his throat. “Sooo... I’ve decided to stay. Something about the charm of this place. Real... secure energy.”
Edward sighed like a man who knew better than to ask.
Yasuke burst out laughing. "He’s a funny one!"
Before Kenny could respond, Nailah walked in. Her steps faltered at the sight of his disheveled state, her eyes widening as recognition dawned. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. She stood paralyzed, a storm of questions racing through her mind. But one thing was certain—she just wanted to hold him.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up, a desperate instinct to run to him and—
“Don’t,” Edward whispered, stepping beside her. “He won’t recognize you. I’ll explain later.”
That snapped her out of it. She blinked, then drew in a sharp breath, pulling the mask of composure over her face like slipping on armor.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to see a man walking around in his underwear in my domain."
Nailah quickly refocused and pointed at Edward. "Come with me. I’ll be right back for you guys."
As she and Edward stepped aside, Kenny leaned toward Yasuke. "What was that?"
Yasuke shook his head. "No idea, man."
Out of earshot, Nailah was pacing, the cold edge in her demeanor melting into visible panic.
“How? Why is he here? What happened to him? Why doesn’t he remember me?” Her voice trembled with disbelief, her usual icy mask shattered.
Edward raised both hands with a teasing grin. “That’s a lot of questions for someone who usually doesn’t ask any.”
“Edward,” she snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut steel.
"Okay, okay!" he conceded. "He’s the advisor you need. As it happens, he was already fighting against one of the honchos in his own way, for his own reasons, without even realizing it."
Nailah narrowed her eyes. "And his memory?"
Edward sighed. "I’m not sure… My guess is he survived the accident but suffered from amnesia…” He added with a sad expression, “ And… maybe that’s a mercy. The poor man lost his whole family.”
Nailah’s heart ached as she wondered why fate had been so cruel to him.
Edward gestured back toward the others. "We should return. Besides, Kenny says he knows the solution to our problem."
Nailah nodded, her face returning to that practiced calm. “Then let’s hear it.”
Back inside, Yasuke and Kenny had settled at the table. They quieted as Nailah approached.
She didn’t let her eyes linger. Didn’t let anything show. Just pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
"Sorry for the wait. Kenny, was it?" She asked, pretending he was stranger.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
He nodded.
"I hear you know how to solve my problem."
Kenny leaned back, smirking. "Yeah, it’s simple."
Nailah arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? Let’s hear it then."
He lifted a finger dramatically. "All you’ve got to do… is change your gang’s name."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Eh?" Nailah blinked.
"Eh?" Edward echoed.
Yasuke burst out laughing. "How is that going to change anything!?"
Nailah crossed her arms. "I’ll need some explanation."
Kenny grinned. "Let me ask you this… What do you think of the Crimson Bandits?"
"Cowards!" Nailah scoffed.
"Weaklings!" Edward added.
"Pussies!" Yasuke chuckled.
Kenny nodded. "Guessed so! Would you ever see them try to defy the honchos?"
Silence.
He continued, "What I’m saying is, you've been asking them to act out of character. So, introduce yourselves as a different gang, with different values."
Nailah tapped her fingers on the table. "And what makes you think that'll work?"
Kenny’s expression turned serious. "People don’t follow a person, they follow what that person stands for. That’s why fear’s a dead-end."
Edward leaned forward. "So, you’re saying the people who’ll join us will be those who agree with our values?"
Kenny nodded. "Yup!"
Nailah frowned. "But not a lot are going to join, then."
Kenny shrugged. "You’re probably right… but one committed man is worth more than ten that aren’t, right?"
Nailah mulled it over before finally smiling. "I agree. Then who shall we be?"
Edward shook his head. "That’s something for you to decide. Alone."
Kenny nodded in agreement. "You’ve gotta figure out what your gang is for. And here’s a piece of advice, skip the usual crap like chasing money or trying to be the best. That stuff’s too vague, and it pulls in the wrong crowd. Most important? It can’t just be about you. The purpose has to hit home for everyone, or no one’s sticking around."
He leaned in, pointing at her. "Whether I stay or leave will depend on that."
Nailah furrowed her brows, deep in thought.
Yasuke yawned and stretched. "All this talk is boring. Call me when there’s action!"
He strolled away, leaving the room. Kenny yawned as well. "Damn, man, you made me tired!"
He stood. "Well, I’ve worked enough for today. I’ll go to sleep—maybe read a comic first."
Edward motioned him forward. "Let me show you to the room."
As they left, Nailah remained seated, troubled. She needed to clear her head. Rising, she stepped outside, letting the cool air guide her thoughts.
She wandered through Scrapville, observing the city’s decayed beauty. The weight of leadership pressed upon her. *It seems like an easy question to answer, but there's a lot behind it. So, that’s what being a boss is like?*
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Mistress?"
She turned, spotting Edward approaching with a plastic bag in hand. "Oh, Edward! What are you doing?"
"Went to get some food. You seem preoccupied. Were you thinking about the changes you’ll make?"
"Yes. It’s a very impactful choice that doesn’t just concern me."
Edward smiled. "Why don’t you run it the way you would’ve run the Pristine Company?"
Nailah frowned. "I wasn’t ready yet. I was still learning."
Edward’s expression softened. "There’s something important Kenny forgot to tell you. Before anything else…"
His gaze locked onto hers. "This is your organization."
Her lips curled into a small smile. "Yes."
As they parted ways, Nailah continued her stroll, lost in thought. Soon, she crossed paths with Tommy and Olivia. They saw her.
Their eyes met for a second.
Then they looked away and walked past in silence.
Like strangers.
They knew Nailah—but they didn’t know the Blood Baroness. And they had no interest in meeting her.
Her chest tightened. She froze.
"...I’m sorry!" Her voice cracked as it tore through the silence.
They stopped.
Slowly, she turned around. "I get it now… why you were angry. I became the kind of person I swore I’d never be. The kind I hate most."
She took a breath, then another. "You’re not just friends. You’re family. My family. And I hurt you."
Her gaze fell to the ground. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I let my anger drown out everything else. So… what can I do? How do I fix this?"
For a moment, nothing. Then the sound of fast footsteps.
Olivia rushed to her, tears in her eyes, and threw her arms around her waist. "Just come back to us. Be the sister we love. That’s all I want."
Nailah’s throat tightened as she hugged her back, holding on like she was afraid to let go.
Tommy stood a few feet away, arms crossed, still scowling—but his lip trembled.
"This is your last chance," he muttered, looking away.
Nailah smiled through the sting in her eyes. "Then I won’t waste it. Now get over here."
He hesitated… then marched into the hug, muttering something about how they were all being sappy.
And as they stood there—messy, emotional, whole—Nailah felt something settle in her heart.
"Come with me," she said softly. "There’s people I want you to meet. My new comrades..."