Match (3)

Another thirty minutes had passed for Takagi and Aurora since then, and they had moved from their place after the order arrived through Aurora's digipad.

Aaron had instructed them to go towards a place which he had marked. Both of them complied, with Takagi still in handcuffs while Aurora watched from behind as they walked together, carefully treading closer to evade potential confrontation. The district was not calm yet.

It was a surprise yet again for Takagi.

A tunnel beneath Regra somehow slipped under his knowledge, but it was in front of him. He tried to remember all the network paths. After all, he also used it back when Regra was still alive.

However, this tunnel was something he had missed.

"Do you know about this tunnel?"

"I'm lacking compared to you, obviously," she said. "So, you don't know this?"

"No." Takagi shook his head.

"Then this 'Aaron' is not a normal person after all."

Aurora walked in front of Takagi. To Takagi's surprise, she took off the handcuffs that had bound him for a long time.

"My job is done here," she said. "Just walk deeper into the tunnel, and you will find him–or her, whatever. I'll guard the entrance above to ensure you're not running away, so don't try to be smart."

Takagi did not say anything as she walked away. Not long after, she turned once and threw Takagi's knife, which was in her possession, towards him. Takagi caught it with one hand.

"Good luck, Phantom. Also, don't forget you owe me a favour."

"What favour?"

"That I've spared your life."

"It's just because of your job, so it does not count."

"To me, it is."

She then turned away. Takagi's eyes were glued to her back as she walked into the elevator that had brought them into the tunnel. As the door opened, Takagi turned his body and walked through the tunnel.

It felt like he was willingly walking into a trap.

However, he knew he could not ignore Aaron, and despite the person's intentions, there was a chance that he or she knew the needed information. In particular, regarding his mission, or at least what happened in the whole Podzemgrad.

Takagi stepped through the underground corridor again, illuminated by the orange light tubes. He held his knife tight. His senses were on alert.

The tunnel was clean. He thought it was impossible for such a tunnel to exist because the technocrats had destroyed everything beneath Regra. Several paths had been closed by demolition. However, the integrity of the tunnel was still intact. Not to mention, the lights were still working as well.

This tunnel might be preserved for a purpose, and if there was a reason for it, it was probably in the interest of technocrats. It meant that they would know this place as well.

It worried him.

There was a feeling that he should not be here. He should get his chance to get away from here. However, on the other side, his curiosity could not be quenched. There had to be something, he thought. It was like a belief that kept him walking in the tunnel network to the point that he almost forgot every path he had passed.

He then approached a big four-way intersection. One path to the left had been shut and destroyed, leaving three ways open. He thought he would take another straight.

Then his eyes were thrown wide open.

A lone figure in a black armoured suit stood ten metres before Takagi. It had a curved torso which implied a feminine design, with the head and torso wholly covered. She had a suppressed 9mm pistol in her hand aimed at him.

Her outer appearance looked like a fully-fledged android, but how she moved almost convinced Takagi that she was a human. It appeared that the envoy was not lying.

However, It was not the figure that had shocked him the most.

But the fact that he could not use his power. All of a sudden, it was lost.

"Who… what are you?" Takagi asked calmly, but his brown eyes were sharp.

"Aaron. Although it's just an alias." The woman replied with a distorted metallic voice. "You won't know me, but I know everything about you, Mr Takagi. Even the fact that Takagi is not your real name, along with the many other secrets…including your powers, is beside the point. Regarding me, you can refer to me as a human or a robot. Either way, it doesn't matter."

"...What do you want from me?"

"I have something you need, and you can do something I can't."

"...A favour?"

"Call it whatever you like," she said. "Compliance and obedience, Mr Takagi. In return, I'll give you information about her whereabouts."

Takagi gripped her knife hard. "...Her?"

"You know who I'm talking about," she said. "She's the reason why you are in this wretched city. Isn't it so, Mr Takagi?

Takagi did not say anything for a long moment. "How did you know us?"

"You know my… ventures with the technocrats, don't you?" she said. "I have more secrets than you know, including a particular family who once had ties with them."

"...How can I trust you?"

"...Our disdain towards them." She said with confidence. "Don't lie to yourself, Takagi. I have read a lot about you from the technocrats. Quite an interesting one, I should say, which is why I'm here in front of you right now."

Takagi paused for a bit. "...Is she… still alive?"

"Yes."

"Can you prove it?"

"No," the woman said, "But I can tell you she's in Podzemgrad now."

"...Where?"

"You have to do my biddings first, Mr Takagi. If it's all done, you'll have the answer."

After those words, Takagi fell into pondering.

The person in front of him was definitely the culprit of the massacre. He did not expect her to block her powers as well. If it was an ESP jammer, Takagi would still be able to use a limited amount of power and instantly recognise it. To find it was shut completely was something he had never experienced.

It was far worse than he had imagined. Not to mention the envoy had failed to mention this as well. There was no reason he would miss this if the intention was to hire an esper against him.

It was foolish to try anything against the person before him this time. He did not know what he could do against him. With his powers gone, he was no better than those in Pavlov's compound.

However, the biggest mystery was that someone like her was trying to find an accomplice. She was more capable of working alone, and she was mentioned as having some companions alongside her. It did not sit well in Takagi's mind, let alone trying to find a reason why she came for him instead of somebody else.

There were a lot more capable people than him in Podzemgrad. Aurora was one of them, so to speak. Yet, she just used him as an errand girl, which, again, was unnecessary as "Aaron" could do it by herself–or she probably just wanted to hide her ability. Takagi was not sure.

Every oddity came with a reason, but Takagi decided it was not the right time to ask–or know. He had to dig something out of all of this, despite his life being at the mercy of the armoured woman in front of him.

"...What do I have to do, then?"

"I assume the technocrats have contacted you to find me, correct?"

Takagi wondered for a moment whether he had to disclose it or not. "What if they did?"

"In time, they will ask you for a whole new mission. You only have to wait, but I expect you to do the right thing when the time comes."

Takagi furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean the right thing?"

"You'll know it by yourself later."

"You're being too cryptic about this," he said. "What happens if somehow I mess up?"

"You won't," the woman said. "But if you're curious-"

A sharp whip-crack then echoed, and a strong force struck Takagi's left shoulder. He then collapsed to the ground, groaning. It was a powerful sting, followed by the numbness, growing into pain, then the warm blood. His vision blurred. His breath became rough.

For a mere 9mm bullet, it was much worse than he had expected.

Takagi's mind could not process what had happened entirely. He tried moving his hand to control the bleeding. However, he realised his entire body slowly became stiff. He could barely move a limb. His heart was still working, the same with his lungs. He could blink and move his lips, albeit with some difficulties, but other motoric capabilities were lost.

"...You…you…bastard…." Takagi grimaced.

"Powerful, isn't it?" The woman said as she stepped closer. "It's a special bullet, designed to neutralise people like you, Mr Takagi–a product from the surface world."

Takagi tried to move again, but his body gave almost no reaction. His eyes could only stare with fury towards the woman without even blinking. He narrowed his sights on the walking figure with total concentration. Meanwhile, the woman kept strolling until she stood near him and crouched down. She brought her face closer to Takagi.

"It's useless, Mr Takagi. No matter what you do, you can't use your powers against me."

"Your words… was it all… a lie?"

"No, as long as you keep your side of the bargain," the woman said. "It's a reminder for you and a warning–in many ways, more than you could possibly know."

"Fuck… you…"

"Don't be so mad. Your biomechanical limbs heal fast, and this bullet isn't as bad as you might think."

The woman then stood up and walked away, leaving him alone.

Not before she said her parting words.

"By the way, the name's Dea. Until then, goodbye, Mr Takagi."