Zeke rode through the city with Amanda, the cool air split and shattered as it bounced off the windshield of her car, while his surroundings blurred into a collective of extravagant lines and shadows. As he rested his head on the window, feeling a cold tingle against his forehead, a sudden realization came – he was riding in a supercar. "Is it really fine if I let you off here?" Amanda asked as she parked in the lot across the street from his house.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks for driving me," Zeke replied, walking away.

"Oh, and Zeke," Amanda called for him.

Zeke looked back.

"Thank you for helping my daughter," Amanda smiled, warmly and gracefully.

"There's no need to thank me," Zeke waved her goodbye. "She was the one who helped me make up my mind," he thought. "The last city in the world stands like a final bastion of humanity. I need to change this world, so that people like Violet can live here without worry." He looked on with determination.

Zeke returned home, taking off his shoes as he went inside his apartment.

"Yo!" Fredric raised his eyes and shut the book he was reading. "Where did you disappear after free period?" he wondered.

"I helped someone in need," Zeke sighed.

"Oh, was it Violet?" Fredric asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Zeke wondered, visibly surprised.

"I have someone spying on your every move," Fredric laughed.

"Bullshit," Zeke growled.

"Caught me," Fredric set the book down on the coffee table. "You're not the most sociable person in the world, so I figured it was her," Fredric explained. "We were planning on heading down to Artificial Love today, is that still on?" he asked.

"Yes and no," Zeke remarked.

"Explain," Fredric stood up.

"I'll go there alone," Zeke set down his backpack. "I have a favor I want to ask."

"For fuck's sake, it's gonna have something to do with Nia, isn't it?" Fredric shouted, visibly annoyed.

"Bingo! Wow, you catch on quick," Zeke replied in a mocking manner.

"You're the only one with one-dimensional brain wave patterns here," Fredric sighed, shaking his head. "So, what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Trail her, figure out where she goes and what she does during the evening. She took on a babysitting job, and she's even been taking bribes from students. Sounds pretty desperate. Figure out what she needs all of this money for. I hear she's apparently been going to the hospital, find out why." Zeke instructed.

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"You sure ask a lot," Fredric sighed. "Especially considering that I'm supposed to be the one supervising you."

"Would you do it as a favor for a friend?" Zeke asked with great determination.

"Well, when you put it like that, I can't really say no, can I?" Fredric smirked.

The two got dressed, putting on their combat clothes and masks, which had been washed and patched up since their last outing. They left the building together, parting ways without saying a word to each other as they exited.

Zeke got on the monorail, traveling to the heart of the city. Most people taking the train alongside him were intoxicated in some manner, rounded up in groups of four. Many gazed at Zeke after noticing his concealed face, but none dared to approach, fearing that he was an illegal contractor or a gang member.

Zeke exited the monorail and headed straight to the club, which stood completely repaired, with only several bullet holes indicating that something had happened just a week prior. Just like before, a line had gathered at the entrance, all residents wanting to spend a good time carelessly partying and dancing without a worry in the world. It was as if the devastation wrought by Maki Lin and her armed men had never occurred, as if the chaos and violence were just fading echoes, swallowed by the pulse of the present moment

He approached the front, skipping the line. Voices murmured in irritation as he cut in line, but the complaints were quickly swallowed by silence; no one dared confront him. "Yes?" One of the guards asked.

"I have an appointment with Derek Archer," Zeke said in a robotic, voice modified by his mask.

"I didn't hear about the boss having any appointments scheduled," the bouncer replied. "Did you?" he asked the other bouncer. "Nope," he replied.

"Not this again," Zeke shook his head.

"Hey, who even are you?" the second bouncer asked.

"The Prowler," Zeke grunted.

"The Prowler?!" the two bouncers called out in unison.

"I'm sorry for not recognizing you sooner!" one of them said. "The boss will be waiting for you inside the VVIP lounge."

The doors of the establishment opened, allowing the loud, oppressive music to spill out into the open as the two bouncers stood aside, welcoming Zeke inside. He rushed in, walking right past the reception, heading straight into the VVIP lounge.

"Prowler!" Derek called out after seeing him. "I've been waiting for you to show up."

"You sure fixed this place up quick," Zeke remarked.

"In this line of business, you can't afford to stay closed or people will forget you," Derek looked on with a sad expression.

"Makes sense," Zeke said, sitting down on the sofa next to Derek.

"You tired? I didn't take you for the sit-and-slouch type," Derek asked, pouring a glass of whiskey and placing it in front of Zeke.

"You have no idea," Zeke sighed, as his mask morphed his voice to sound like a growl.

"That bad?" Derek stared forward into the crowd of dancing people.

Zeke looked at Derek without saying a word.

"Look at them," Derek remarked. "Dancing to this empty rhythm without a worry in the world, listening to what barely counts as music and still enjoying themselves," he paused. "Betcha can't relate, huh?" He laughed, smacking Zeke on the shoulder.

"I can't," Zeke lowered his gaze.

"Anyway," Derek clasped his hands together. "You crazy bastards really did it, you rescued my girls. All I heard was how all hell broke loose at the Golden Baron Casino, and the next thing I know all of my girls came home safe and sound," Derek explained. "So I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart," Derek grabbed his ring, taking it off his finger and placed it in front of Zeke.

"What is this?" Zeke asked, inspecting the ring. It appeared large and ornamented, silver, with black intertwining hearts inscribed all over it in a graphical pattern. "This is the proof of my loyalty." Derek explained. "There are a total of seven major criminal organizations within Lower Babel. This ring is the proof that you are the leader of one of them. It is known as the Don's ring."

"The Don's ring, huh?" Zeke smirked, putting the ring on his finger.

The ring immediately adapted to fit his finger perfectly.

"I, as the previous leader of the Don gang, welcome you as our new leader," Derek bowed his head.

"So tell me this," Zeke sighed. "As the Dons, how do we make money?" he asked with a stern and powerful gaze.

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