Shadow of the Waxwing Slain, Ch. 19

Aftermath

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Previously, on Shadow of the Waxwing Slain, Dee and Fletcher went undercover into an illegal replicant fighting event. Dee was forced to participate and killed the replicant she faced in the ring.

Chapter 19: Aftermath

Shift 7: Night

Location: Happy Jack’s Casino

Dee stood over the body of Eve, looking down, knife sticking out of the dead replicant’s chest.

Stressful Situation: 3 Stress

Insight: 1,8 → 1 Success

She suffers 2 stress, dropping her Resolve to 4.

The doors were opened to the cage were unlocked.

Fletcher rushed in, picking up her leather jacket off the ground. He came over to Dee, still standing there. He grabbed her arm and pushed against the small of her back, guiding her out of the cage.

The crowd yelled and cheered.

A few floor workers came in, picked up Eve’s corpse, and carried it out.

Fletcher walked Dee away from the ring, toward the back door.

She let him push her forward, until they reached the hallway and back into the prep room they’d been in before the fight.

He pushed her to sit on a stool in the room.

“Dee, you okay, Dee? Say something.”

There were water bottles on a table in the corner.

He grabbed one, opened it and offered it to her. “Drink something, Dee.”

She ignored him.

He squirted water into her face.

She jerked back and yanked the bottle out of his hand, standing. “What the fuck?” She said, louder than intended.

Fletcher stepped back. “Good, a response. Drink some.”

Dee wiped her face with one hand, glaring at him. She looked at the bottle before drinking a few gulps.

Pei walked in and walked over to Fletcher. “Good show out there,” he said, handing over chinyen. He glanced at Dee, then back at Fletcher. “She barely got a scratch.”

“I told you she was good,” Fletcher said.

“You must have paid a pretty penny for her.”

“Is there somewhere I can wash up?” Dee asked.

Pei gave her a look, as if surprised she spoke up. He looked back at Fletcher. “There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall. You’ll be contacted about the next event.” Pei said. “There’s two more fights. You can either stay here or go watch, but you can’t leave the club.”

“Why not?” Fletcher asked.

Pei shrugged. “Guests know once you come in, you don’t leave until it’s over. Can’t have loose tongues on the streets, understand?” He left.

Fletcher looked at Dee. “Are you okay?” he asked.

She shrugged and walked out of the room, down the hallway, into the bathroom. The paint was peeling and the pipes were rusty, graffiti spray-painted across the walls. She closed and locked the door behind her. She looked at her face in the mirror. She turned on the faucet, hot and cold water and ran it over her sore knuckles. It felt good. She washed her hands.

She looked at herself in the mirror again. “You’re here to put a stop to this,” she whispered. “Remember that.”

---

Back in the room, she heard Fletcher speaking with someone. Entering, she saw a tall Asian man in a business suit flanked by two others wearing sunglasses and armed with pistols holstered at their side.

“The winner, herself,” the Asian man spoke, gesturing her to come in. “That was a lovely bout. Especially the end.” He smiled. “Brutal.”

Dee just looked at him and didn’t respond.

“She’s a quiet one, eh?”

Fletcher shrugged. “I didn’t buy her to talk, Mr. Katsuro,” he said.

Mr. Katsuro laughed. “I suppose not.” He walked around, eyeing her up and down. “She is a fine model…” he looked at Fletcher. “How much for a night with her?”

Fletcher hesitated, taken aback. “She’s not for sale,” he said.

Katsuro raised his eyebrows, grazing her forearm with his fingers. “You sure about that?” Katsuro asked.

Dee stood still, staring ahead, not moving.

“Yes,” Fletcher said, his voice iron. “She’s mine. And only mine.”

Katsuro took a step away from Dee, nodding. “Too bad. You are protective of your property, that’s to be expected, I suppose. You would do well to remember, everything has a price, Mr. Bjorn.” He walked to the doorway. “Come, join me in the VIP Lounge for the other fights. I would like you and your fighter to be my guests.”

---

The lounge was up above the dance floor and fighting ring, all tinted glass, so those within could watch the proceedings while nobody could see in. It was full of men in business suits sitting on couches, champagne bottles on ice on tables, busty women serving and sitting alongside.

Dee, in her leather jacket and jeans, could not have felt more out of place. She stood at the edge of the room, looking out at the club below. Humans dancing, throwing their bodies this way and that, drinking, enjoying life, partying, waiting for the next replicant death match to get under way.

Fletcher sat with Katsuro and a couple other men, champagne glass in hand, doing his best to maintain his cover while conversing.

Manipulation: 2d10 = 5,10 → Two Successes*

*Crit. Result: Impressive

He seemed to be making a good impression on them.

All these men needed to be arrested…or worse, Dee thought to herself. Put them into the ring and see how they do…

The announcer called out the next fighters, a couple of the business men stood up, moving to the glass wall to watch, drinks in hand.

Dee listened to the names of the fighters and repeated them in her mind, as they began to fight.

I will remember you, she said to herself, watching.

Shift 8: Morning

Location: LAPD-RDU

Fletcher sat across from Holden in his office, sipping at a coffee.

“Where is she now?” Holden asked

“Told her to take the morning off.”

“You think she’s alright? She took a swipe at you after what happened during her first case.”

“She’s fine,” Fletcher said.

“Are you certain? Are you saying she doesn’t need a baseline test?”

“I’m sure,” Fletcher said. “She’s good.”

Manipulation: 2d10 = 1,7 → One Success

“Fine, fine,” Holden said and shook his head. “You should’ve called it in before the fight. We could’ve arrested them all.”

“They searched us as soon as we went in and they don’t let anyone leave until it’s over. They’re not stupid.”

“What happened after the fight?”

“We met with a Mr. Katsuro, then they invited us to the VIP section where we watched the rest of the fights. I ingratiated myself with them as best I could.”

“So what now?”

Fletcher showed the list to Holden. “As many names as I could remember from last night. I’ll run them through the mainframe and see what information we have on them. Maybe we bring one in for questioning to find out more.”

“Long as you don’t blow your cover,” Holden grunted. “There’s also the question of where and how they are getting these replicants.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Fletcher nodded, sipping. “Supposedly, they shouldn’t be able to purchase replicants for this purpose. Dee spoke to Quell, she claims they wouldn’t sell replicants for an illegal purpose like this so purchasers are breaking their contracts. Of course, that could be bullshit.”

Holden sighed. “You be careful on this one. Make the wrong move…it could all come crashing down on our heads.”

Location: Dee’s Apartment

Dee lay in bed, trying to get some sleep after the long night. She thought it’d be impossible but she drifted off quickly.

Downtime: 3 → Dream about Key Memory

She walked down Animoid Row, past vendors selling snakes, rabbits and rodents, cats and dogs. She didn’t much care for them. She felt giddy, getting closer to her favorite spot, skipping along the street. Finally, she came to the fish tanks stacked up like glass walls, fish of all shapes and sizes, each one more colorful than the last.

She found the one she liked the most, a rainbow-colored fish of bright reds, purples, blues and greens. She leaned in close, putting her hands against the glass, getting as close as she could.

An iron grip on her wrist, wrenched back hard enough to hurt.

She cried out in pain.

Someone hit her, throwing her onto her back.

LAPD officer in uniform, gun out in hand, pointed at her face. “You little thief!” he said.

She stared at the barrel of the gun.

Dee woke, sitting up, sweat dripping from her face.

2 Stress Incident

Insight: 2d8 = 2,4 → No Successes

Takes 2 stress, down to 2 Resolve

She held out her hand in front of her. It shook until she grabbed it with the other one. She threw the blankets off and went to the shower.

A quick cold rinse woke her up. As she dressed, she wondered, once more, why Wallace Corp had given her that memory. To feel distrust towards the LAPD? To make her more susceptible to control from Wallace?

And knowing it was implanted, not real, why did it continue to affect her so?

She poured herself a bowl of cereal and noticed the fish, swimming in its bowl. She poured a few flakes of fish food for Remedy and ate, watching it swallow the flakes, one by one, until they were all gone.

Location: LAPD - Mainframe

Technology: d10 + d8 = 2,5 → No Successes, PUSH

Reroll: 3,8 → One Success

Fletcher used a console to access the LAPD mainframe, going through the names he’d heard the night before. One gave him something.

(donjon) Name: Fan Xinji, Drug Dealer

One of the names, Fan Xinji, brought up an old case, caught dealing drugs years ago. Apparently he’d come up in the world, from drug dealer to Golden Shard executive.

Clue Oracle: Connects a Person and Location

Location: Sector 5, Bar District, Bibi's Bar

Notes from the case showed he used to deal out of Bibi’s Bar.

Maybe he still frequented the place.

He sent a message to Dee with the information. “Dee, this is one of the Golden Shards from last night. Ask around Bibi’s Bar. Make sure you aren’t recognized though. I’m taking a few hours off.”

Fletcher left the RDU, considering whether to go home or not. The thought of being in the tiny hotel room in the middle of the afternoon depressed him.

Better to hit the streets. Do some walking. Clear his head.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Chapter 20: The Pit