I followed the attendant into the the lounge uncontested. The glares and stares turned to envy, but I couldn't really care less. The sooner I was through with this, the better. I so did not want to be around here for long

We passed through a massive room filled with hundreds of waiters and several bars. Exec's and other 'higher' walks of life were out and about in full force. Chipped bodyguards followed them around like lost puppies. Chrome, which looked too advanced to even exist, was everywhere.

Maybe that's why the didn't have an issue with searching me? Everyone here was strapped, and quite heavily at that. Pulling a weapon was borderline suicidal between all the guards scattered around.

And, of course, the attire was out of the world. About half the people present wore over the top costumes and outfits like some kind of weird themed costume party. Everything from literal sets of power armor to flamboyant and frilly clothes that barely covered the body. The last bit hurt to even look at. It was almost like a child designed all of it.

The attendant led me to an elevator on the far side of the room, easily bypassing dozens of guards. Unlike recent happenings with elevators, we easily zipped upwards without an issue. The indicator whipped through the numbers and club-like music blared through hidden speakers.

The attendant stepped out and held the elevator door for me. I followed after him down the winding halls of the place. My guide must've had a map pulled up in his HUD because it was a maze in the truest sense of the word. There were twists and turns everywhere in a confusing array of passages.

The servant stopped in front of a particular door. A massive moon was painted on the door, and the frame was done as if it were a massive ice wolf wrapped around the door. He lightly knocked on it. "Miss Shiro is here."

A moment later, Iris appeared at the door with a rather broad grin on her face. She didn't even give me a chance to move before locking her chrome arm around mine and dragging me into the room. "Shiro! C'mon in, tiny!"

The place was a massive room centered around a large half-moon shaped couch. Everything was done in dark blues, and lights moved around the place like they slid on ice. The decorations alone must've cost a fortune.

The couch itself was centered around a massive coffee table covered in maps and documents. A frankly imposing window took up the entire wall, looking out onto the west side of the city and the ocean beyond. It would've been breathtaking if I could even focus on it.

My focus was entirely stolen by a a- a man? It was hard to tell exactly. He was by far the most imposing thing in the room, and his presence alone made me want to back away slowly.

He was some kind of werewolf exotic, maybe. Hmm… was it implants? Or was this a mutation of HMV? He had a feral light to his eyes that reminded me of a predator's gaze, and I would be a fool not to notice his hair standing on end as he glared at me. His blue-eyed glare wasn't all hatred though. More… cautious?

Rich black fur covered his form from snout to paw. Chrome, done in black as if to blend in with his fur, covered his body. Deadly claws tipped his lupine-warped hands, looking as if they could eviscerate me in moments. The chipped werewolf's long ears twitched toward me, making me feel incredibly uneasy.

A man, this one far more normal, sat on the opposite side of the couch surrounded by bottles. He wore techwear, with enough layers to prevent a blade from cutting through. A thick plate carrier and pads covered him and an impossibly dark shemagh wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

A bandolier of wands fell from around his neck. An Adept, then. Magi didn't use wands, so it was always easy to tell. Especially since any Adept worth their salt carried a wand. Or several, in this guy's case.

Wands weren't strictly required for an Adept to use magic; at least, from my limited understanding. They could cast magic through a usually long and exhaustive process like what I caught that one Adept doing when I hunted down the Parkers. Wands were like quick magic. They already had a favored 'spell' built into them and could be instantly cast like the Ice Sword.

He didn't have any chrome- at least any visible chrome. I wouldn't be surprised if his body was entirely natural. Magic tended to go wrong when interacting with the chrome in a person's body, so most Aether attuned people strayed away from it and other forms of artificial enhancement.

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Iris stepped forward and tossed a pillow at the werewolf's face- snout? "Stop trying to scare Shiro, Kaynis."

"Fine." The werewolf said, his voice deep and rich gravely. He easily swatted the pillow out of the air. His claws shredded the thing to pieces, covering the couch in bits of fluff. He growled and then looked away from me, settling back down on the couch.

The Adept looked up at me and Iris. His expression twisted into one of disappointment. "This is your 'great' investigator?"

"Shove off, River. Don't be a dick. C'mon! Take a seat, Shiro. They won't bite… probably." Iris hopped over the back of the couch. She waved me over and patted the couch next to her.

I hesitantly walked over and sat down just in time to hear the werewolf- Kaynis speak. "What are you wearing, pup?"

"Um… I-I wanted to be c-comfortable." I could feel my cheeks heat up. As if I wasn't already intimately aware of how underdressed I was.

Iris laughed and slapped me on the shoulder hard enough to knock me off the seat. "Well, you look cute, chum! And you don't reek! Bonus points."

"T-thanks." I struggled to remain seated.

Insight triggered, and my gaze involuntarily snapped to the werewolf. More accurately, a frail girl tucked behind his fur and chrome-covered side. She looked as if she would collapse at any moment, and yet her blue gaze held a strength that was odd to see. How come I didn't notice her before?

The werewolf shifted, and the girl was hidden from view once more. Protective father? It would make sense. No sense in poking the bear- er, wolf. I quickly looked away toward the coffee table. "S-so, the photo?"

"Right!" Iris popped up and raced to one of the side doors at a speed that far surpassed the human limit. "I'll be right back! Don't be mean, especially you, fur-face."

There was silence for a moment before the Adept ruined it. "You sure you can find a clue? Iris vouched for you, but you don't look like much."

"What are you supposed to be? The crew's joytoy?" I snapped out- oh, shit. Sorry! Should I apologize?! It's just- well- the stress and um… I should definitely apologize.

"Why you-"

Kaynis's deep, guttural laughter cut off the Adept. I met his gaze- his glare? Was he always glaring? He winced and twitched as the frail girl beside him rammed her elbow into his side. "I-I appreciate you helping Iris with her… project. A couple days ago, I mean."

"No problem." I rubbed at the back of my head and stared out at the city's expanse beyond the window, ignoring River's glare.

It really was such a beautiful view. I felt like someone important as I stared out, and I wasn't even on the highest floor. I was beginning to see why execs got so full of themselves so easily.

"Ah, but it was. She left without asking any of us for help… her moniker stands true." The werewolf's snout was odd to watch. How was his speech so clear with that thing?

I adjusted my sitting position, forcing back the desire to start bobbing my leg. "Her moniker?"

"I Require Intense Supervision." River chuckled off to the side, seemingly letting go of his ire. He gulped straight out of a bottle. "Luna came up with that one."

Hmm… maybe the girl was Luna? Even the name kinda fits considering Kaynis was basically a werewolf. Based on the overall attitude of the room, probably best not to ask too much. I wouldn't want to end up with a claw through my heart or something because of his apparent protectiveness. It was an irrational fear, sure, but the last thing I needed was a borged-out werewolf hunting me down.

Thankfully, Iris returned shortly after with a data slate. She hopped over the couch and passed me a data slate. "Here. Check these out."

I grabbed the slate-

Any feeling I had that things would be alright immediately vanished. A chill settled on my spine, and intense paranoia wormed its way into my brain. The pictures were of a corporate drop pod crashed into the desert. A very familiar drop pod. They looked to be shortly after I left, and several Hawks were tearing into it-

Iris shook my shoulder. "Hey, you good?"

I took a deep breath and forced myself to remain calm. There were no cameras or anything out there, so the chances were microscopic that they traced anything back to me. Probably just a coincidence. I hoped. I really hoped.

I forced a smile. "Uh- yeah… sorry, just zoned out."

"Right, you said you were tired on the phone… anyway, like I was saying, any bit of info will help out immensely." Iris gave me an encouraging nudge with her shoulder. It nearly sent me off the couch.

I flipped through a dozen or so pictures. "What's this all about? I'd like to help, but I need some more background info."

Iris met Kaynis's stare. The wolfman himself rubbed at his furry chin- snout? After a moment, his deep voice escaped his inhuman form. "Hmm… It's not like it's a secret… Sentinel put a twenty million bounty on a briefcase from that wreckage. Any hint of where to find what we're looking for, and we'll pay you. If it leads to us actually finding the briefcase, then we'll pay you one percent."

Fuck fuck fuck. Twenty million Rayn! Maybe I should just turn it over myself- no, I'd get killed for even daring to look at the research. It was far easier to silence a lone and poorly equipped teenager than a crew like this… I'm fucked. Okay, play it smooth Shiro. "Alright."

I looked down at the slate again tried to plan. Part of me wanted to just say nothing, but that would waste the trip and throw my shaky networking chance into the dumpster. It was best I revealed as much as I could without giving myself away. Being in the graces of a crew, especially one strong enough to have their own residence in the Rime Peak Lounge, would be invaluable. Heck, I was already going to get paid five hundred Rayn for the shortest gig I've ever taken. Okay... how do I-

"See, she won't be able to-"

"Shut. The fuck. Up. River." Iris's hair flared red and she glared at the man. It immediately subsided when she saw my panic bleed out despite my best efforts. "Whenever you're ready, chum."

… I didn't think I'd ever be ready.

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