Chương 40: Never Trust A Scumbag

"Good job, you three," Vicky congratulated Hao, Lanor, and Scar for a heist well done as they reconvened in her workshop. The night was dark, the hour just past midnight, with a slight chill in the air. The stolen item, the mysterious crimson S-Catalogue, was now in Vicky's possession.

The gang was visibly pleased with the success of their mission. Lanor basked in the admiration of the younger children, who looked up to her as a role model and protector. Meanwhile, Scar was busy conveying the details of Rector's extravagant gallery to Raven, Hunter, and some other scruffy thugs who had gathered around a peculiar machine. This machine called the Titan Lifter, was shaped like a truck engine and was used for lifting heavy objects. Its robust design and impressive power made it a valuable tool in their line of work.

Hao, however, was not pleased. He frowned, his displeasure evident on his face. "Can somebody please fill me in on what the heck we stole?" he asked impatiently. "I don't believe we went through all that trouble for a simple S-Catalogue." He waited for Vicky to respond, growing increasingly agitated. "If not, give me the X-Class sword and let me be out of here." Hao was due Judgment Day if he succeeded in his mission, and now that he had, he wanted it back.

However, Vicky refused. "Not so fast," she said. "Since you've performed so well tonight on your first job for me, I have another task for you."

Hao's displeasure turned to anger. "Hey, we had a deal!" he hollered. "You promised you would give it back to me if I did your stupid job, and I did. Now hand it over!" He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, ready for action. "Listen, you big sour lady, don't make me have to cut you down a notch."

"Don't talk about my mom like that!" Lanor shouted, stepping forward with her Rapier and readying herself to defend Vicky. Even Scar was coming over with a twisted element of anger on his countenance, he was ready to discipline Hao for his rude remarks.

But Vicky intervened, raising her hand to silence them. "I understand this must be frustrating for you, Hao, but you should never fully trust the terms set by a stranger, especially when that person resides in a slum district. Do you catch my drift?" Her eyes carried a sway of guile; maybe she had no intention of returning Judgment Day in the first place.

"So you're saying that you and your scum gang are untrustworthy...?" Hao paused briefly before saying, "Duly noted." His senses zoomed in on the S-Catalogue in Vicky's mechanical grasp. In a split second, he used his Shadowstep Slash ability to teleport and snatch the S-Catalogue straight from her hands.

Whoosh!

He then teleported again, this time appearing near a fiery pit where he immediately dangled the S-Catalogue over the molten furnace, threatening to drop it if his X-Class sword wasn't returned to him.

"You thief!" Lanor and the other gang members began rushing over when they saw this.

Perceiving their menacing approach, Hao ordered them to halt their movements. "Take another step and I'll drop it."

"You wouldn't dare, you brat!" Vicky glared at him with a range that could rival Death's.

"Try me." Hao's voice was cold and unyielding. "You have five seconds to give me what I want, or else..." He let the S-Catalogue slip slightly from his grip as he began counting down.

"Grr…" Vicky's face glistened with cold sweat as she tried to calculate whether or not Hao was bluffing.

"That dirty dog." The others stared back and forth between Vicky and Hao, the tension in the room palpable. Time was running out.

"Alright! You can have it." Vicky eventually conceded. With a flick of her wrist, a sword popped out of her gauntlet. It resembled Judgment Day and clanged onto the ground as she tossed it at Hao's feet.

"Hmm...?" Hao's ears perked up at the sound it made. The design was impeccably forged to the point where it almost fooled his Vibe Sense, but not quite. Hao might be blind, but he knew better. "Do you take me for a fool, woman? That shit is fake!" In his anger, he kicked the imitation sword away, revealing its true nature as an expensive but ultimately worthless copy of the real Judgment Day.

"Keep pissing me off and you'll regret it." Hao's threats intensified as he resumed his countdown, lowering the S-Catalogue further into the fiery pit. "3... 2... 1..."

"Ok, stop!" Vicky cried out, finally giving in. This time, she produced the genuine X-Class sword and tossed it to Hao; it also crashed at his feet.

Clang!

"Hmm?" Hao observed the sword, running his unique vision along its scabbard, it was the real deal. "Now that's more like it." With a swift motion, he picked up the sword with his foot, caught it with his free right hand and secured it at his rear.

After reuniting with Judgment Day, Hao smiled then dropped the S-Catalogue into the furnace. He then executed a quick slash, using his Night Tamer ability to teleport outside the workshop. "See you losers never!"

Poof!

"That wretch!" Vicky and the others were furious at Hao's actions.

"That thieving bastard! Let's go after him! He couldn't have teleported far." Scar's voice boomed like thunder as he raced to pick up his Scissor Cleaver from where it was hanging on the wall. Lanor, Raven, and Boulder also prepared to give chase.

"No! Retrieve the item first!" Vicky ordered, urging them to rescue the burning S-Catalogue before it became utterly useless.

Hence they rushed over to the furnace, hesitating for a moment, fearing the heat inside. Lanor pushed the men aside, her quick thinking leading her to a mechanical device capable of withstanding high temperatures and grasping objects. She grabbed the Heatwave Gripper and used it to retrieve the S-Catalogue. Despite being blazing hot, the rare item was still intact, much to their relief.

"Mom, we've got it!" Lanor exclaimed, holding the recovered S-Catalogue. "What about Hao, should we go after him?"

"Don't mind him. He will return eventually." Vicky sounded very sure of this. Could she have done something to Judgment Day that Hao wasn't aware of?