Lonely Thieves

Act IV, Part V

Daryl's Side (April 13, 3:00 pm)

Daryl shifted uncomfortably on the sofa he was sitting on. He and Megumi were invited to stay the night at the penthouse, and while he was happy to rest up in a ritzy locale, he felt pretty awkward there. Everything looked like they cost at a minimum thousands of redals, and to a debtor like him, he was worried that he'd accidentally ruin or break something priceless. Lunch was already a smorgasbord of delicacies and high-class delights, and the sheer difference to his usual living quality made him far more nervous than he had ever been before.

Daryl glanced over at Megumi, who seemed to be nervous for a different reason. Well, he wasn't surprised. This Chisato person was supposedly her deceased mother, and as someone who believed her parents were dead for her whole life, Megumi was clearly shocked by the news. Her face clearly showed that she was still pondering over that reveal.

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked casually.

"Huh?" Megumi seemed perplexed for a moment until she realized what he was asking her. "Oh. Yes, I'm fine."

She wasn't very convincing, but Daryl didn't think he could say anything to help her. He got up from his seat and walked out to the balcony. He decided to give Megumi some space, and he wanted to get some fresh air as well.

He winced a bit when the cold air hit his face, then looked down at the city below. He didn't know how far up he was, but it was enough to nearly make him dizzy just looking. Coming out here to calm down was a bit of a mistake.

As he stepped away from the railing, he suddenly caught sight of a drone flying into the balcony from within the room. He was on guard for a moment until a voice emitted from the drone.

"How are you doing? Are there any problems with the accommodations?"

"Not at all," Daryl replied after some apprehension. Chisato had mentioned this drone before. She was using it to communicate with them so they didn't need to enter her room just to speak with her. "This place is far ritzier than any place I've ever been to."

"Yes, this is a very lavish building. It's a little ostentatious, if I say so myself."

"Do you own this place?"

"No. It was lent to me by a mysterious benefactor I know only as Mr. Fineman."

"Mr. Fineman?" Daryl furrowed his brow. "I feel like I've heard of that name before."

"The name does come up a lot in gossip columns and rumor mills."

"I see. Still, I wonder why he'd freely give out a building like this to someone he doesn't know."

"He doesn't know me, but he does understand my goals. He has been helping me and my ally Raven ever since we explained to him our plan to topple the Three Great Families."

Daryl took out a pack of smokes he had gotten from Trevor and lit up a cigarette. He'd been trying to quit, but with everything that had happened, he needed some way to take the edge off. "Do you really think you can do it?"

"Why did you chose to stay if you believed we could not?"

Daryl let out a puff of smoke. He didn't know how to respond.

"You're quite the interesting fellow," Chisato continued. "You have no connection to any of this aside from your debt, yet you chose to stay behind regardless. A normal person would have run away long ago."

"You're telling me. It's not like I have any delusions of grandeur about being a revolutionary hero that changes this godforsaken city. If anything goes wrong, I'll probably end up rotting in an Innocenti sweatshop working off my debt for the rest of my life."

"If you have doubts, you might reconsider staying on, then," Chisato said without a hint of mockery or pity. "An undertaking like this should only involve those who have the proper resolve."

"I'm pretty sure I don't have the option of going home anymore," Daryl said with a chuckle. Even if Chisato really did relieve him of his debt obligations, Daryl's face was still known to the Overman Foundation and Hayasaka Security. There was no way that they'd leave him alone even so long as he had even a sliver of a connection to the emerald necklace.

Chisato seemed to understand what he was getting at. "I suppose you're right. Then let me ask this. Will you be Megumi's ally until the end?"

Daryl hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. "Yes. I threw my hat in expecting to do at least that much."

It might have been his imagination, but the drone carrying Chisato's voice seemed to nod in acknowledgement of his declaration. "Then, come follow me for a second."

Daryl nodded hesitantly and followed the drone back into the main room of the penthouse, down a flight of steps to a row of featureless, unmarked rooms. He was a bit unnerved, but he continued to follow the drone until it beckoned him to open one of the doors.

Behind that door was a shooting range, a large white room with a row of human-shaped targets placed against the far wall. Daryl was confused as to why she was there, until the drone came back with a pistol in one of its mechanical grippers.

"Here. I won't ask you to become a crack sharpshooter, but at the very least, you should be able to properly shoot a gun."

Daryl nodded and took the pistol from the drone. He walked over to the first booth and aimed at the target on the other side of the room, remembering the few tips Norah had given him before.

Bang!

A bullet hole appeared instantaneously on the paper target, missing the left shoulder by a hair's breadth. Daryl squeezed the trigger six more times.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Six more holes appeared on the target, each one on different parts of the body. Of the six shots, only half hit the body, and only one in a vital area. Daryl lowered his hands and sighed, resting the gun on the counter.

"Not too bad for an amateur," Chisato remarked. "Your stance is poor, but at least you seem to understand the basics."

"I was a computer programmer before all this happened," Daryl muttered, slightly embarrassed. "It can't be a surprise that I don't know how to shoot a gun."

"Indeed. But it doesn't mean you can't learn." The drone pressed a button on the wall, replacing the battered target with a new one. "Dinner will not be for some time, so if you like, you can practice down here for as much as you like."

"Do you think it'll matter?" Daryl asked, somewhat deflated. "I can't say I see the worth of a day's practice when I'll be up against trained security officers."

"I suppose it's not much comfort," Chisato concurred. "However, if it will help you out even a little, then I would at least try to get used to the feeling of firing a gun. Even a moment of hesitation can mean the difference between life and death."

Daryl glanced down at the pistol laying flat on the counter. To be honest, he still didn't like the idea of having to use such a lethal weapon in the first place. Even if there was an implant he could install that would make him a crack shot, he felt like he'd still go out of his way to avoid firing his gun as much as possible. Despite all that, he knew that it would be naive to assume that he could actually get out of this situation without firing a shot.

Daryl picked up the gun and aimed at the target once again. This time, he took a moment to calm his nerves, steady his hands, and aim carefully at the target in front of him. He took a deep breath and fired a single shot.

Bang!

A bullet hole appeared again, this time in the chest of the target standing before him. A rush of adrenaline from actually hitting his target where he intended ran through him, and he clenched his fist in a quiet celebration of this small achievement.

Daryl immediately resumed his stance and fired at the target again. He wasn't hoping to uncover a secret talent for sharpshooting. He just wanted to do his best where he could.

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When Daryl re-emerged from the shooting range, it was already night. Daryl was tired, and his arms were incredibly sore from non-stop shooting. As he climbed up the steps to the penthouse, Daryl was suddenly greeted by a furious Megumi, arms boldly placed on her hips.

"And just when did you think you were going to come up? It's past seven, you know?!"

Daryl could only sheepishly apologize. He had completely lost track of time while in the shooting range, though he certainly hadn't meant to. Megumi seemed intent on tearing him a new one, but some of the fire in her eyes went away when she heard Daryl's stomach audibly grumble.

"Come on. Dinner's already out on the table."

Dinner was just as luxurious as the lunch meal was earlier. Lobster, steaks, cakes, and more were placed all over the table, and Daryl's hunger, which he hadn't noticed before, was now roaring at full volume.

As Daryl tucked in heartily, the drone representing Chisato hovered in front of the three gathered around the table. Daryl quickly noticed that no one else was eating, and quickly stopped and cleaned himself up. Chisato waited for him to finish cleaning up before she began speaking.

"As of now, we have two of the three necklaces needed to reveal Tom Hayasaka's great crime. The last piece is all we need, yet in order to get to it, we need some way to get to the Sunshine district."

Daryl nodded soberly. That much was obvious. However, things were not going to be that easy.
Megumi seemed to think the same. "That's easier said than done. The police aren't going to drop the lockdown until they catch Raven."

"I am fully aware," Chisato responded through the drone. "That's why we're going to break it instead."