Part 3: The City of Crime

[Dracos]

And so they entered New Reno, the sky scrapers rising tall above them as their feet touched the warm cracked pavement roads.  New Brunswick had nothing on this as gangsters headed around the crazy ninteen twenties city.

Greg, the greeter, hung out near the entrance, his standard hip hop outfit and golden chains around him.

Dracos

[Shukuen]

"Hey, Mister!" Leets called to the man by the entrance. "We're new here. Do you know where we can find a place for our friends to rest?" He gestured to Jan, who was still unconscious as Clyde supported him.

[Dracos]

"Ah, yeah, shits man.  I can hook you up with all kinds of stuff if you be getting the right stuff, ya?  Gots the greens to make things move?"

Dracos

[Shukuen]

"Yeah, how much are you talking about?" Leets asked, hiding his suspicion for the moment.

[Dracos]

"Eight, cuz I don't recognizin' ya."

Dracos

[Shukuen]

Leets reached into his pack, quickly counting the amount specified before handing over eight dollars.

[Dracos]

"okay, okay, greg gonna hook you up.  Youse be wantin' to get something abouts the hospital or just a place to sort of slip away?  Any of the families have an interest in him?"

Dracos

[Shukuen]

"Just an inn or something similar will do. We've been having a rough few days lately."

"And I'm not sure myself," Leets admitted, though he vaguely remembered Jan saying he wasn't looking forward to New Reno when they first started out.

[Dracos]

"eah, the cheap one's easy.  Phily side."  He rattled off some directions.

Dracos

[Shukuen]

Leets nodded, memorizing the directions. The group then headed off to the inn on Phily side.

[Dracos]

It didn't take too long before the arrived at the hotel.  it was kinda junky but it was a place to stay.  There was a young guy smoking out behind the counter and joking around with a few friends.

Dracos

[Halbarad]

"How much for a room?" Clyde asked curtly, not really liking the look of the place but not seeing much alternative, either.

[RyderHakubi]

Silently following the group, Ryder continued to be completely melancholy about everything... everything since he ran.  He fled, he bravely ran away from a fight, something that deep down inside, he knew was wrong.

Of course, what he didn't remember is that inside of him, beyond all the memory wipes and rebirths, was the l337 Commander of COR, Ryder Angel Hakubi.  The same man who split a planet in half, took down an empire, murdered thousands and thousands, led armies into battle, and destroyed armies dedicated to the purity of Cat single-handedly.  That Ryder never ran from a fight...

He also didn't know that within him was another Ryder, a crazed loon with the same guitar on his back, that would fight against enemies that the mind couldn't fathom.  Tentacled Purple Demons, Perverted Evil Tuxedo-clad Men, Cute Cuddly Armies of Evil, and much much more.  That Ryder would never run away from a fight.  He would fight, no matter the consequences and then drink a cappuchino after.

Still, Ryder had one more life left in him... and this one, he ran.  He fled from a fight that both of those past lives wouldn't have sweat at.  While he didn't know any of this, he still felt it.  He felt the internal sting at running away... and it didn't feel good.

Neither did running into a wall, which temporarily snapped him out of his deep thought... "Oww!  Why didn't anyone tell me there was a wall there!"

[Shukuen]

Leets watched their strange companion. "Because we didn't think you really would walk into the wall."

[RyderHakubi]

"Sorry... was lost in thought." Ryder muttered as he rubbed his nose and looked around at the surroundings for really, the first time.  Sure, he had glanced about and thought that it was nifty, if not really weird, but overall, he had his mind elsewhere.

Still, now that he had a better look at the place... He smiled a bit.  "This isn't just really nifty... This is super-cool nifty."