[Long Bar: Underground]
"Hey, Long." One of the n from Gigante called out, eyes on Long as the latter worked on the tray of dicine.
As expected, Long didn’t answer. The other n had already left, heading back to the entrance for what he called a suicide mission. The last man from Gigante wanted to go with them, but he was told to stay with Long in case of anything. Although he was unsure what kind of "last case" they were expecting, since once this place was infiltrated by enemies, it would be over for them.
The man let out a shallow breath. "Hey, I’m talking to you, man."
Still, Long didn’t answer.
"How co you’re so calm?" the man asked. "Did you sober up already?"
Long snapped his eyes up and shot the man a sharp side-eye. "Do I look drunk to you?"
"Uh... not anymore."
A shallow breath escaped Long as he refrained from responding with sarcasm. After all, no one else knew what he was actually doing here in this district.
"The flask I was chugging will sober up quickly," he said. "It’s a dicine I’ve been concocting for years."
The man knitted his brows, confused by what was said. However, he didn’t pry. That wasn’t his expertise, and even if he showed interest, he wouldn’t understand it.
"They told us to stay on standby here... just in case," he said. "We can’t hold the enemies off if they get through the only entrance."
He paused, studying Long, who still wasn’t reacting. "Can we really hold them off?"
"What do you think?" Long finally answered after a mont.
The silence that followed was enough. Long glanced at the man, took in the look on his face, and shook his head.
The faint hope in the man’s eyes told him everything he needed to know. It was that dangerous hope that was never allowed to exist in this place.
"We can’t," Long said. "If those guys fail, then we’re both dead. Just like these two who were still standing at death’s door."
The man frowned. "Shouldn’t we prepare sothing?"
"Like what, exactly?"
"Like a..." The man trailed off, sighing heavily.
For soone whose life might end in minutes if the others failed, his reaction was milder than expected.
For the man from Gigante, it made sense. Being on the run ant death could co any day. But Long wasn’t supposed to be in this situation until they arrived.
"They’ll be fine."
After a long pause, Long spoke again. His words made the man lift his brows as their eyes slowly t.
"I don’t know about those guys with you, or about you people from Gigante," Long said, "but I know the woman who sent them here."
He shrugged. "And I trust her... oddly enough. In situations like this, I’ve learned to trust that witch."
"The woman..." the man hesitated. "The sa person from the footage earlier? On that device?"
"Yes. That one." Long nodded, keeping his eyes on the dical tools he was cleaning with careful precision. "You might not know this, but she’s the one who caused all that ruckus years ago across Ravah."
The man’s brows slowly rose.
"The details you’ve heard were probably minimal," Long continued, "because those sitting on thrones behind those high walls did everything they could to downplay her cris. But those who know... understand the threat she carries."
The lack of details only confused the man. In his entire life, he had never heard of those in power minimizing soone’s cris. Usually, it was the opposite.
"They did it to avoid sha," Long said, as if reading his thoughts. "If everyone in Ravah learned that soone challenged their power and almost won, what do you think that would inspire?"
"A lot of people have challenged those in power," the man replied. "But no one has succeeded."
"True," Long agreed. "But I’m talking about just two people."
That made the man knit his brows.
"And they made all of Ravah move." Long paused before continuing. "I wouldn’t trust my life in that woman’s hands. I’d never go on a mission with her for that reason. But there’s one thing I do trust her with."
He finally looked up. "She won’t let others get hurt because of her failure."
Just like before.
That was why Long, Billionaire, and a few others were still alive—even after helping her.
Long snapped his eyes back to the man. "And if she trusts those people and chooses to work with them, then she and Haji already picked the right ones."
He turned back to his tools. "So instead of standing there talking, help ."
The man blinked.
"This place will open to the public soon," Long added. "There’ll be more people here. The least we can do is make sure we’re ready."
Realization dawned on the man as he stared at the tray Long had been ticulously preparing.
"Ahh... so, that’s what you’ve been doing."
****
anwhile, at the entrance of the underground facility, Ransom, Florida, and several n from Gigante reached the sealed exit above them.
Ransom held a spare tablet Long had given him, displaying the situation at the bar. rcenaries were inside—not many, but still more than their group.
"Once they make their move," Florida said, lifting his gaze from the screen, "we jump out and take them by surprise."
Their allies—those with Lola—were already approaching the bar quietly. They’d seen a few enemies taken down.
Helping them now could raise the odds.
The n fixed their eyes on the tablet, fingers poised near the button that would open the entrance.
"They’re approaching," one whispered. "They’re very close —"
Then, shots rang out in the bar.
"Now!" Florida shouted as smoke filled the feed and gunfire erupted.
Ransom slamd the button, already in position to fight.
The tal entrance groaned. and suddenly flew open. But the platform beneath them shuddered.
Their plan was simple: leap upward, burst out, and take control of Five District.
Instead...
The platform crawled upward slowly, painfully, and very slowly. Like an engine running on fus.
"Shit," Florida muttered, gripping his rifle. "This... is hella embarrassing."
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