Changing Masks

by Nicholas Metelsky

  'That's good,' I pronounced pensively.

  'What's good about it? I hope this is not a genetic disease, and your children turn out the same crackpots. Yeah, and don't forget your promise to give me a child.' What? When did that happen? She saw me jump and realized that she might have crossed the line. I could literally feel my eyebrows raise at the very idea.

  'Fine. I can't even make a joke. But you promised to think about it!'

  'I said... Okay, I'll think about if that's what you want to hear.'

  'As long as you're gonna think about it and not just frown and forget about it.'

  'Let's leave it for now. How about you start looking for someone who wants to 'order' a Teacher? Well, you know…' She sighed heavily, closed her eyes tight, and rubbed her nose. Then she looked at me again, with arms folded. Is she trying to provoke me or what?

  'Baby first.' I raised my eyebrows. 'This mission will be suicidal for you. That's why I need a baby first.' Great! Now all I have to do is pray that no one else finds out that I'm a Patriarch. It's not gonna be easy after that. Just for your information, young horny woman, I already have three Teachers on my account.'

  'That's impossible!' She called out. I was getting annoyed.

  'Are you telling me to get back to my business now?'

  'No, I want you to tell me about your plan.'

  'Akemi, what's wrong with you? Don't play your eyebrows in front of me. I was pretty clear when I said what I need, what for, and how I am going to accomplish it. I even told you my little secret to pacify you. Get yourself together and start thinking of my bloody options!'

  'It's impossible,' she said, much less confidently.

  'Akemi, stop aggravating me. What don't you get?'

  'You couldn't have killed three Teachers,' she said sounding offended. I put my palm on her face. Calm down, Max, you can understand her too.

  'I doubt that you heard about the first one. He was the father of one insignificant aristocrat. You should remember the second. Hugo, the one who went missing a year ago, along with all of his people. The third was Owl.'

  'They say he was killed by someone from the clan. What did he do to you?'

  'He liked one of the ladies at the club. You know nothing good could come from him liking anyone.'

  'Unbelievable.'

  Well, my growling at her worked, and she started to believe me right away. It looks like even she wasn't able to erase the traces of the female education of this world. Once in a while, it shows through. She really did have some bad times without Serge. If he were still here, I wouldn't be able to take a peek as he was always behind her, protecting her like a huge pillar. She needs a child. Then, she'll probably devour the entire Garagarahebi. The woman has incredible willpower. In my world, business women were treated very differently.

  'But still a fact. So, do you have a job for me?'

  'I can't help you right now. I need time.'

  'You don't just live here, it's your workplace too. You must store some info here? Like on the computer?'

  'This is a public place,' Akemi gestured with her hands. 'Blackmail is not kept here. Especially after you arranged the crash-test for my guards. Anyway, if what you're telling me is true, the target needs to be chosen carefully. Do you mind helping me at the same time?'

  She definitely has acumen, always thinking about her own profit. She probably has the target already. Perhaps, not just one.

  'I'd like to ask you make an order through the mediating guild. I don't care where or who.

  'Mediators? Okay, noted. Couldn’t we perhaps do it without them?'

  'How are you going to explain, when everyone finds out that the Dwarf killed a Teacher who was in your way? What about my transfer from thieves to mercenaries? You know I don't take such orders, which I'll be showered with after this. Attitudes towards me will change immediately. But you know what, I should have quit a long time ago. In the past, I needed money, now all I need is extra prominence.' Akemi started fidgeting in her chair.

  'Are you saying you want to quit?'

  'Yep. I'll still use the Dwarf's identity. As long as they don't connect the dots to you, we'll be fine. A couple of orders from someone else, perhaps even on you, and some high-profile case, and that's all. End of the Farce. I'll convince everyone that I'm working for myself.'

  'Perhaps you are right. Okay, I need a week to think it through.'

  'A week? Why so long?'

  'Yep, something like that. You think it's that easy?'

  'Pretty sure, it's not that hard.' She thought for a moment and continued:

  'Okay, give me three days. Two or three more—for your prep. Next weekend, you can start. Weekends work best for you, anyway.'

  'What about arms?'

  'What for? You aren't a Shooter.'

  'I need to charge 'Spittle'.'

  'Spittle,' aka PlPU-99, is a plasma pistol. It holds almost a hundred bolts of plasma, has high accuracy and low impact; it's small in comparison to analogues of the same weight. One of the best samples of plasma handguns. It has only a few disadvantages. One of them is the exorbitant price of the shells. It's all because of its rarity and unavailability. Even if you have the money, you might not have the necessary connections to obtain it. Akemi wouldn't be able to obtain the shells in a week either, but she didn't need to: I knew for sure that she had a stash put aside for a rainy day. Being a Shooter (which is a rare branch in martial arts), she has stashes of all kinds of things.

  'You, little... I’m not even sure anymore if I need a Teacher for that price. Why do you need the Spittle? It kills Veterans, not Teachers.'

  'It'll be a good help as it'll tear him apart. Don't be greedy, I'm paying.'

  'To hell with the money. Where will I find more supplies after that?'

  'Where did you find them before?'

  'Through Hugo…' Oops.

  'So nobody supplies them anymore?'

  'Many supply weapons, but not many have their ins and outs with the Russians. At least, for now.' Hmm. There are only two analogues to the Spittle, the American 'Blaster' and the German 'Kammerjager.' The German one is a real destroyer. Before it was taken out of production, it killed almost half its owners. It has a tendency to explode. The American one is not that bad, but its clip holds no more than twenty shells. The prices of the Spittle and Blaster do not differ much.

  'Well, that means I’ll have to take just one clip with me.'

  'You're a brat, you know that? Are you begging for sympathy? Alright, you got it. I'll give you shells. But remember: it can only assist you against a Teacher. It can't be your main weapon.'

  'Yeah, yeah, I remember that lecture.'

  'It's good that you remember. Would you like a cannon as well? Why are you looking at me like that? In case you miss the first time... Okay, never mind.'

  We fell silent, thinking. I was thinking about a week of waiting. No, not that I'm impatient, but I had wound myself up by then. I just wanted to be done with the whole story. Actually, a week was pretty good. I had Kazuki at The Swallow, I’d irritated Shina at home, and Rydon was to have fun in his own way—at school. Therefore, I had things to do. Oh yea, I still have to figure out what I'm gonna do about the school clubs. Akemi, what a fox, perched up in her seductive manner. Her games will get her what she wants one day.

  'Madam, are you aware that I can control whether I have a child?'

  'Huh? What do you mean?' Her face was struck with shock. 'What are you talking about?' she asked suspiciously.

  'I just wanted you to know that your female charms won’t get you anywhere. You might not end up with what you wanted.'

  'Hmm, I'm willing to try,' she purred.

  'Try?' She clearly did not believe me. After that, I got up from the chair. 'Take off your clothes then!'

  Chapter 6

  The following week crawled by like a snail over a cushion of slime, slowly and reluctantly although that doesn't mean that nothing interesting happened.

  Akemi and I did not have s
ex because we had a relationship that didn't allow for accidental banging. There are no obstacles aside from that: she was very good-looking. I was thinking one day, but not now, not so frivolously, anyway.

  I returned to the club, found Kazuki in the kitchen, and took him with me to Funtik.

  'The school gives you knowledge, which is useful in life, so don't you dare skip classes or sleep through them. I'm not saying that you have to get excellent grades, but at least, strong average grades would be nice. You're gonna leave here at 11:30 P.M. and go straight to bed at home. The person that you're gonna meet has very specific knowledge, but this might be useful to you as well. Knowledge is rarely useless, and my pilot of combat drones will not leave you ignorant.' The boy listened to me very carefully, and when I mentioned the pilot, he perked up. 'The next few years, prior to starting your pilot classes, will be very difficult for you. Going to school and working for me will not leave you much free time. But if you really want to achieve something, you'll have to endure it. Perhaps you think this is nonsense, but if you treat it carelessly, I don't want you. Learn everything that is given to you, and look to learn more. Think about what you are told and what you say, and, most importantly, be true to your word and your employer. Even if you have a different employer, these skills will be useful to you. However, I hope you and I will get along, and you'll be faithful to me.'

  During the conversation, I tried to use a 'convincing voice,' literally hammering my words into the boy's head. If anyone thought I was going to invest so much effort into someone, like Kazuki, and then let him go, they would be very much mistaken. However, my 'convincing voice' abilities aren't that good and can't tie him to me for life. Hypnosis would be better for that. This 'voice' was more like an oppression skill, similar to a Jedi's. I remember watching a movie as a kid called 'Dune,' based on the book, so there was something like that too. I'm not an Eraser and my 'voice' is very average, so my persuasion techniques sound rather like the words of an immensely respected man, whose wishes should be fulfilled with enthusiasm.

  I once knew an Eraser at the rank of Absolute. He could tell the person to die, and the person would die right on the spot, although there were many restrictions. By the way, I killed the Absolute. I'm just bragging, you know.

  I introduced the boy to Funtik, who was pretty surprised to be acquiring an assistant, and told him what was required of him.

  'Teach him what you know. You don't have to pass all your knowledge on to him, but I think you could make a competent technician out of him in a few years.'

  'Me, a teacher? You know, I have plenty of my own stuff to get on with.'

  'Teach however you can. We don't have anyone else. Let me explain: this guy will not become a professional technician unless he discovers the talent and desire for it. You will not be the only one to teach him. For you, he will be more like an assistant, whose competence should improve thanks to your efforts. I do not intend to infringe on your, heh, heh, freedom. Teach him gradually what you can,' I paused. 'Then reveal the other sides of our business to him.'

  'Kazuki, if Kadzukhisi-san is not in the club, you go to Umari-san.' This is a Japanese analog of the name Natasha. Umari Romanova. Not every Japanese person could pronounce her name, so she had a nickname. 'She will find something for you to do. You'll be paid at the end of each month. We will decide later how much. Now tell me without holding anything back—what's going on in your family?'

  At first, he struggled to be honest but fairly quickly, I got it out of him. It turned out to be a supremely banal story. It turned out that Kazuki's mother had not died, but ran away with another guy. His father was a wimp, and after his wife left, he became an alcoholic. Kazuki did not blame his mother. He was slightly offended, that's all. He barely talked to his father and earned himself a living because his father would simply pour any money he earned straight down his throat. The boy tried to be home as little as possible, coming back only to sleep.

  What the heck, I thought, we can try and solve this problem once and for all. The family situation opened the floodgates.

  'Okay, you're at Funtik's disposal starting tomorrow.

  Today I'll take you to the kitchen. You can work there for now.'

  I left him with Natasha and went to Shotgun. I had to talk to him.

  'Are you nuts? You can't take the child from his father.'

  'It doesn’t sound like he would mind.'

  'Since when have you become a benefactor?'

  'Blue Lagoon, bud. Two.' A guy in his twenties made the order smiling, winked at me, and then waved to someone in the bar.

  We waited for him to get his order and then continued our interrupted conversation.

  'I need this boy, Honda. If I must take him from his own home, where he is not wanted, anyway, I'll do it so that I can assure a better upbringing for him. It's not nice to say so, but I got lucky with him. I can fully support him, and no one will mind. Plus, there will be someone to look after Auntie Natasha,' I smiled at the end of my speech.

  'What do you want from me?'

  'You are the chief owner of the Club. I can't move him in here without your permission.' I got a gloomy look in response.

  'I hope we won't attract problems doing this.'

  'We won't. Honda, you didn't hear his story. The father doesn't give a crap about his own son.'

  'Whatever,' he knew he was doomed.

  Next, I had to take the boy home and talk to his father. Kazuki lived half an hour away from the Club on the third floor of the old hotel. While the apartment was a pigsty, his room was clean and tidy. He might be a clean freak. While he was packing his things, I went into the living room, from where I could hear the TV.

  Making a deal with his father was surprisingly easy. A few money bills—and I got his permission for the boy to live permanently at the club. A few minutes later—just in case—I also gained his permission to rent separate housing.

  The boy was agitated when I took him back to the club, where I immediately handed him over to Natasha explaining that we had the parent's permission. I was quite surprised at how fast this kind of problem could be solved. For me, the situation was a mere formality, but for the boy, it was an entirely new stage in his life. I don't think he'd had much time to analyze what happened.

  I entered my house with much trepidation. At such times, I regretted losing the skill of 'discovering life.' I wasn't able to reduce the impact radius, and so using this skill in the city caused me severe migraines. I had to use different scanning techniques instead to check my house for danger. How long is this going to last? Tomorrow morning, I'll visit the neighbors and talk about it.

  The next morning, Shina joined me on the second logging lap. She said nothing the whole time we ran, and then silently strolled off home. Offended, eh?

  Before school, I decided to stop at the Koyama's. I stood in front of the gate wondering who best to talk to and make my request. The old man wasn't good for that. It would be like shooting at sparrows from a cannon. On the other hand, I could bring up the issue of the school clubs with him. Akeno was only serious with his daughters during their workouts. He could scold them and yell at them if necessary, but he loved and spoiled them too much at the same time. It had to be something really serious for him to punish them. There was no guarantee that the stealing of the security service keys from my house would constitute a serious offence in his eyes. Kagami. Hmm, she was at the opposite end of the spectrum. She loved her girls and considered preaching part of parenting. That punishment wasn't suitable. The thing is, I was sure that the senior Koyamas were aware of the keys event. However, they hadn't said a word, and neither had I.

  'Hello, Shinji, it's been a while since you last visited us.' Well, Shina, that's your fate. No hard feelings.

  'Hello, Kagami-san. Every time I see you, you look better and better.'

  'And you're still a flatterer.'

  'It's just a statement of fact, Kagami-san.'

  'Will you come in? We are having uirō this morn
ing.' Oh, those things are awesome. Kagami makes the best Japanese sweets. 'Would you care to join us?' Mm. Hold on, the conversation is not going in the right direction.

  'I can't, Kagami-san, I'd love to, but I have to find a new lock before classes start.'

  'Is your lock broken?'

  'It’s become useless, to be exact. Believe it or not, I have to enter my own home like a thief. I never know who will be waiting for me there. So, I want to install something fancy.'

  'Well, good luck with your search.'

  I noticed the way her face changed, and with a feeling of accomplishment, I went to school.

  At the entrance to the school, I met Rydon.

  'Shinji!'

  'Oh, look! Is that Ohajasi-womanizer-san?' I wanted to add 'Finally a man,' but thought it might not be correct to do so. Besides, saying such things in front of the crowd...

  'Get out!' he flushed. 'Look at yourself. We had a great time though. We’ll have to do it again, but this time, it's on me.'

  'Sure,' I smirked. 'What's the occasion? I hope we don't turn into alcoholics.'

  'There is an excuse. My younger sister's birthday is in a couple of weeks.'

  'How old is she?'

  'She'll be 12.'

  'You're gonna get drunk on your 12-year-old sister's birthday?'

  'Of course not, we can drink after. The birthday party is just an excuse. So I officially invite you to celebrate Okhayashi Ami's birthday,' Rydon solemnly proclaimed. Too dramatic.

  'You know, I can't promise anything, but I'll try to be done with my stuff by then.'

  'Excellent! The party is on Saturday, so we can hang out right after.'

  Hmm, I thought Rydon's quick wits would tell him that this was a setup. Or perhaps it was a hint to me not to resist. It appeared his dad had become interested in his son's new friend. In that case, it was better to indulge his curiosity.

  'Fine. So be it. Sakurai Shinji will attend the party.'

  The classes before the recess went fast. I mean the class dragged by as usual, but it seemed like the day was going relatively quickly and I left the house. There was half the day left. During the advisory, we had to vote for a class leader and assistant. It was supposed to be a spectacle.