Parallel: United Front

Chapter 20: The Way Forward

July 28th 3039 A.D

Junkyard, Outer Ring,

Kudan.

"So, care to let us in on your master plan?" Still seated in the common room, Raines, Arthur, and Dee fixed Dayle with a hard glare moments after Viper left the aircraft 100,000 credits richer than she came in. Although Raines usually backed up Dayle's play, it did not mean she was content to sit in the dark while he planned out something huge that would impact her own life.

"Of course," Dayle prompted with a snarky grin as he relaxed into the sofa. "We're a team aren't we?" Chuckling at Raines' predictable eye-roll, he began his explanation. "We're gonna be in this city for quite some time. If we're gonna find the Intel we need, we can't rely only on Vega. It'll give him too much hold over us. On the other hand, a company of some kids eager to move up in the world is much easier to handle. Plus, as far as information gathering goes, you'd be surprised the stuff children can listen in on without suspicion." Dayle shrugged his shoulders, his gaze seemingly looking at something beyond the immediate room. "A hundred thousand credits as an investment isn't the worst choice either. If she manages to pull it off, we got ourselves a fledgling information agency. If she fails, it ain't the end of the world either. We got plenty of reserves, and I'm certain we can make that amount in no time." Dayle raised a brow. "Any questions?"

Raines snorted. "Hmph. Since you've already got it all worked out, what questions could I possibly have?"

Dayle chuckled in response then turned to Arthur for confirmation. "Art?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders as he leaned into the chair he sat on. "I have no reason to doubt you. Your plans have only nearly managed to kill us so far."

Dayle's smile stiffened somewhat at Arthur's jab as he sighed with melancholy. Indeed, the cute little kid who agreed with everything he said had begun to show signs of leaving the mother's nest. Finally, he turned to Dee with a sweet smile, "You on board?"

Caught off-guard, Dee hesitated, eyes turning from one FireRain member to the next with shock. Pointing at herself, she asked, "You're asking me?"

"Of course!" Dayle affirmed like it was the most natural thing in the world. "You're one of us now. We have to take your opinion before taking any action."

"Oh," Dee muttered. Revealing a rare smile, she cast the trio a grateful look as she said, "Thanks. I have no problem with the arrangement." Dayle was about to speak when a crafty look soon passed through Dee's eyes. "Hey, wait a moment. If I'm now a member, can I propose something?"

Dayle shivered, a sense of impending crisis causing all the hairs on his body to rise. Still, despite the warning, he could not find a reason to deny her question. "Sure," he said with difficulty. "What do you have in mind?"

Dee grinned, a savage gleam akin to a grim reaper's flashing in her eyes as she stared into Dayle's eyes. "For the sake of a better workplace, I propose there be no flirting amongst our members, or with any of our business partners."

"REJECTED!" "AGREED!"

Dayle and Raines, who had roared at the same time, glared at each other with apt hostility, electric sparks exploding between them. Dayle, whose eyes held the look of an embattled General about to watch his beloved troops be sacrificed, stated coldly, "Flirting is a natural biological phenomenon. It brings us all closer. How can you deny our basic human needs!?"

Raines rolled her eyes at him, a crafty grin on her lips as she stated. "It's two against one bud. You have to give up this time." Over the years, whenever she brought this up, Dayle would always fiercely oppose it, and with Arthur adopting a natural stance they were always deadlocked. Dayle's penchant for chasing everything with a skirt had caused her no small amount of headache when unsuspecting women joined them for missions. When a chance to finally win propped up, why would she let it go?