Bab 99: Haggle
"So, this the place...?" Ori looks at Judy and questions.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well..." he trails off, staring at the place. He, Judy, and Bats were currently standing before a large maintenance tunnel that was nearby a bridge overlooking the river. The tunnel was so close to the water level that he feared it might actually flood... Considering there was apparently a whole fencing operation going on, he figured it would've been better situated...
"I'm thinking the same, why would anyone use this place... I'd be afraid of drowning from a random large wave..." Bats admits.
Judy just snorts, "It's because it's so stupid that it works. This is one of the only places in Watson where you could open something like this without it instantly getting raided. So unless you two want to drive down to Pacifica..."
"Ah, nah, I'm good..." Ori mutters, remembering the time he'd spent in Pacifica. Outside of Delamin dropping them off to a replacement vehicle after the Plaza attack. He had done a few jobs there, and surprisingly, it was as the media presented it. A lawless shithole that not even the NCPD dared to enter lightly.
That wasn't even mentioning the combat zones, which had been blocked off almost entirely and guarded. The skyscrapers, arena, and areas around them were in complete chaos. Even journalists refused to enter, so everything he'd heard had basically been second-hand or third-hand.
Still, considering most cyber psychos in Pacifica get forced into the combat zones, along with any gangs that got too ambitious, he suspected it might actually be more dangerous than the Corpo Plaza itself...
"Anything we should watch out for?" Bats asks.
Judy shrugs, "Don't be stupid, I guess? Let me do the talking and, oh, yeah, if someone steps to you man up. No one respects soft steel here."
The trio make their way inside, the flickering fluorescent bulbs above them illuminating their path. Five minutes later they reach the end of this tunnel, a large makeshift metal door blocking the rest of the way, along with a few guards for good measure.
"Got biz?" one of them growl at them.
"Yeah, looking to buy some wheels." Judy states, folding her arms as if waiting for them to do something.
They shrug, punching a button that slides the door apart, revealing a huge room with signs that it used to be part of the sewer. It'd been so heavily modified however that the only evidence of its former functions was the slight smell, and the large circular grates you could spot on the walls.
Around the place were various stalls and huts that reminded Ori and Bats somewhat of Casinha. People milled around, but almost everyone kept their heads down. No one lived here, it only served as a black market, a place you could acquire stolen or illegal goods.
"This place got a renovation..." Judy remarks as they walk to the left side of the room where a bunch of cars seemed to be gathered and worked on, sparks flying from the welding equipment people used.
"Wait, you mean it smelled worse than this...?" Bats asks in surprise.
She laughs, "Heh, you think this was bad? You should've seen it when it was still a sewer! I'm honestly impressed it's come so far."
"Or lasted this long..." Ori adds, spotting a half-rotten human body laying at the side of the large concrete hall.
"See anything you like?" Judy asks, gesturing around at the vehicles.
"Hm, I'm not really a 'car' guy, I'd probably get scammed by some fake bodywork..." he pauses his steps and glances at a nearby car, "This looks pretty cool though..."
"Huh," Judy wonders as they stop and stare at it.
"What?"
She gestures at it, "See all the scratches? They scrubbed the paint off. This is a NCPD Enforcer, wonder how they got it? Cops might be lazy but all their shit comes stuffed with trackers and markers..."
"A fellow motor enthusiast?" a short man states as he walks over, visor flashing with holographic light. "Call me Locor, any of you fine people interested in buying this piece?" he places himself beside the 'Not-NCPD' Enforcer.
"Depends on how much it is." Ori says, straightening his back slightly.
"Hm... For this? I could let it go at forty thousand."
"Rip off." Ori instantly retorts, "I could buy a brand new car for that."
Locor shrugs, "Yes, but would your 'brand-new car' come complete with armouring, bullet-resistant glass, tri-turbocharged six cylinders engine, and access to private NCPD communications?" he smiles at Ori's speechlessness, "I thought so. To be perfectly honest, I'm giving this away for far too little, given how difficult it was to acquire."
"How'd you manage it?" Judy asks.
"A former officer needed a 'bonus', so I had him lose his vehicle... Unfortunately, things are never so simple. The department sent three whole units in search of it, sending my hires on a wild goose chase around the badlands. The state they brought it back in, they might as well have left it out there..." he admits.
"Still, forty K is a bit much for me..." Ori says, while he had the money, he wasn't exactly happy to spend it on a car, especially with Cat still missing... He also promised to help Six with Charlie, god he had so much shit to do...
Locor nods, "A little less then? Come, I've got something you might like. You're an Edgerunner, correct?"
"How can you tell?"
Locor taps the side of his nose, "I've got a talent for these things... Plus, you perked up when I mentioned armour on the car... You don't look like a Suit executive, so someone who willingly steps into danger is next on the list."
"Well, you got any cars for mercs under thirty K?"
"How about this one?"
...
"Wow..."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Niggross
Niggross Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
Faruk Ereng
VidDav FerDeL
Daniel
Peter Evans
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone