CHAPTER 291: THEY ARE BAD PEOPLE.

In more than one way, the Pit could be considered the entrance to the underworld. The deeper one went, the farther removed from normal society things got. Drug production, illegal weapon trading and manufacturing, human trafficking, all the abhorrent deals one might think of happen there on a daily basis.

Some of the world’s worst villains and criminal organizations have their hands dipped into that dark hole. It was a place untouched by the rule of law, and even the so-called heroes are instructed to never set foot in that place.

Naturally, that made it the best place to trade for illegal tech. Whether it’s stolen hardware, secret prototypes, or classified data, one is guaranteed to find practically anything down there. That included customers as well.

"What do you mean they backed down?"

Inside a certain shop on the fifteenth level, the tension reached its peak as a young woman voiced her dissatisfaction.

"Exactly as it sounds." Another woman replied, sounding entirely disinterested. "The deal is off. They won’t be buying the product."

"Why?"

"Heck if I know. They sent word saying it’s over, and that’s it." Sighing, the dark skinned shopkeeper put down the tablet she had been staring at. Though she appeared like a normal person, the fact that she dressed casually in the depths of the Pit spoke of all the bionics under her skin, which was likely synthetic as well. "I can try and find you a different buyer, but you won’t get the same price. The piece is custom-made, after all."

Standing on the other side of the counter was a young woman with short, dark hair. The lower half of her face was hidden behind a gas mask, leaving only her sharp red eyes exposed. Everything below her neck was hidden under a loose black cloak, masking the contours of her body and anything she might be carrying.

Casting her gaze down, the young woman seemed to dive deep into her thoughts for some time. Eventually, she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

"I will hold on to it for now." She said. "Might work as the base for a different order."

"I see." Nodding, the shopkeeper seemed to think for a moment before smiling. "Speaking of orders, I have another-"

"Pass." The cloaked woman cut her off.

"Wha- are you serious right now? These are pretty big jobs!"

"I will be getting busy again soon. I only came today to deliver this last piece."

"Seriously?"

"Sorry." Saying that, the cloaked girl turned around. "Hope you find a better Gearhead."

"You know that’s not happening!" The shopkeeper shouted. "At least tell me when you’re coming back!"

Unfortunately for her, the cloaked woman didn’t offer an answer. She walked out of the shop in silence, and once the door closed behind her, she let out a long sigh.

[Wha- done already!? That was fast!]

A loud voice echoed in her ears, causing her to wince.

[I told you to keep it down...]

A young girl stepped out of the shadows. She was wearing a similar black cloak that covered everything below her neck, and a mask that hid the lower half of her face. Despite that, she still managed to smile with only her eyes.

[Ah! Sorry, Suz- Maria!] Her honey colored kin seemed to grow a shade lighter as she realized the mistake she almost made.

Staring at her for a moment, the dark-haired girl heaved an exasperated sigh. Maybe telepathic links weren’t the best invention after all.

[C’mon, Mira.] She said. [Let’s get going.]

[Got it!] Clasping both hands on her mask, the dark skinned girl added in a whisper. [Got it...]

Covering their heads, the two moved out, one leading the way while he other followed as they squeezed between the closely pressed rusty huts. After a few turns, the narrow path opened up to a much wider road. Sadly, that one wasn’t as long as on the upper levels, and the two once again found themselves back in the narrow alleys, if one can even call them that.

At some point, people stopped caring and started building in the center of the road, which is why there is a limit to how deep one can go using a vehicle. That was the story most people heard, at least. In truth, the dense slums clogging the Tunnel’s lower levels were nothing more than a barrier.

With them in the way, even if the authorities got past the lowlives on the higher level, they would have no choice but to slow down, opening themselves to attacks from both sides.

[This place has gotten livelier since last time.] The second girl, Mira, continued to whisper, somehow finding enjoyment in that.

[You think?] Maria replied.

[Yes. A lot of the houses were empty the last time we visited.]

[Well, I guess it’s only normal.]

As she said that, Maria noticed a shadow shift through a gap between the rusty metallic sheets.

[You know how I told you a lot of bad people come to hide here?]

[Bad people...] Mira said. [Is that why this place stinks?]

[That’s right. This place stinks because a lot of bad people.]

Soon enough, they reached another open area surrounded by makeshift scrap huts. There were three openings from which one could progress, but before she could choose one, all three were suddenly blocked.

Three individuals manifested out of thin air, glitching into existence as the reality around them disintegrated into small square-shaped particles. Though they wore cloaks similar in design to the ones worn by the girls, theirs were a pristine white, a color that clashed with the filthy surroundings, as if to show they didn’t belong in that place.

They appeared tall and imposing, dwarfing the two young women. The one at the center stepped forward and extended an armored hand from under their cloak. It appeared like they were reaching for the hood covering their head, but before they could, a storm of bullets rained on them without a warning.

Listening to the rattling of bullets striking metal, Maria turned to look at her friend. With her cloak pulled back, the dark skinned girl stood firmly with her right arm pointing forward, her forearm replaced by the barrel of a roaring rifle. Noticing the look she was getting, Mira halted the fire and slowly lowered her arm.

[They are bad people... right?]