- Atlacall: Ethereal HQ
        Briefing Room -

- Two days later -

-It's a humid morning of clear skies at Atlacall. As Vern enters the briefing room, he sees Lux, Klaus, Jade and Tora all sitting in their usual spots. He walks to the furthest wall, then turns to face everyone before giving them a nod in greeting-

Vern:
Good morning, everyone. I hope you all slept well.

Lux:
Not with J's loud ass snoring.

Jade:
'Cuse me? You're the one who snores loud as shit.

Tora:
You did snore a little loud, Lux...

Lux:
Shut up, Tora. Whose side are you on? Mine, or Purple Drizzle over there?

Tora:
I-I was just tryna say that it was a little loud, that's all.

Lux:
Your dumb ass decided to sleep with us, now you wanna complain? I'll fuck you up.

Jade:
Fuck off, Lux. You ain't doin' shit.

Lux:
That a bet?

-Vern raises his right eyebrow as he glances at everyone in slight concern-

Vern:
Is everything alright?

-Lux casually leans back in his chair, and speaks to Vern acting as if nothing happened-

Lux:
Yeah, we cool. Why you askin'?

Vern:
Hm. Pardon me. I asked you all here to-

-Klaus suddenly raises his hand and shouts to get Vern's attention, heightening his voice so that it's in a high pitch tone-

Klaus:
'CUSE me, guard! Let me out, I gotta shit!

Lux:
We ain't in the clank no more, Klaus. And you had a shitter in there, so shut the hell up. If you've gotta shit, go do it.

-Klaus stays silent for a moment, then slowly lays his head on the surface of table-

Klaus:
I don't gotta go anymore...Continue on with your speech, fearless leader.

Vern:
Thank you. I asked you all here to first give you your pay and give you some of the weapons and supplies we found in the warehouse. Miss Zelterra.

Tora:
Mhm, I gotcha!

-Tora places a black duffel bag on the table then pushes it to Lux, who then grabs it and unzips it to looks inside-

-Lux and his squadmates received $2,500,000. Due to equal sharing, Lux receives $833,000, and also receives new weapons, gear, and items that you can check in the inventory menu-

Lux:
'Ey, good shit.

Vern:
It is only right to pay you for your hard work. Now onto our next step. From here, we will continue to take cities and towns in this state, when we finally have enough military power, we turn our attention to the Silver Baron.

Jade:
Meriport was in the Alimoor, right?

Vern:
Yes, that's correct. Taking the state is our true goal, it will show we are not to be underestimated, despite what Baron Dunham said on the news.

Lux:
He said some other shit, right? Fuck do we care?

Vern:
By saying we are "dangerous creatures" on the news does not give us full recognition. The AAF has dealt with dangers like this before, even though no group has officially taken a city before us. We must push harder.

Lux:
Long as we gettin' paid.

Vern:
Very good. There are many things we must do. Speak to Dawson should you have any questions. I will adjourn this meeting for today. If you'll excuse me.

-After a well mannered nod, Vern takes his leave. As he walks out of the briefing room, Tora gazes at him, her eyes beaming with idolization-

Tora:
Sweet apples on a tree, he's so cool...

Lux:
You sit there and drool about 'em. I've got shit to do.

Jade:
Oh, please, like what?

Lux:
You ain't gonna be there, so what's it matter?

-Lux lightly stretches his arms out and he stands up from his chair, then throws the duffel bag onto Klaus's back-

Lux:
Take our shit back to the house, Klaus.

Klaus:
The pain...Make it go away...

-As Lux walks past Klaus, he pats his back aggressively, then walks over to the exit door and swings it open-

Lux:
Be seein' ya.

-After Lux leaves the briefing room, he stops in his tracks when he hears Dawson call his name. He then approaches Dawson, who's standing in front of the large, holographic display of Jeogen-

Dawson:
Halcyon. Got a second?

Lux:
Wassup, Dickmen?

Dawson:
Still running your mouth? Good. Before we get to that though, Matthias has asked me to help you with any questions you have in terms of transportation or our military.

Lux:
Blah, blah, blah, lots of boring shit. I got it.

Dawson:
Alright, then. Glad I don't have to hold your hand. Now, follow me.

-Dawson steps forward past Lux, who follows behind him without questioning where exactly they're going. Using the elevator, they descend to the lowest floor. Once they both step out, Lux glances around curiously as he walks forward. It's a humongous area with surrounding white walls, and the Ethereal symbol embedded into the floor-

Lux:
Fuck is this shit?

Dawson:
This, is the Ethereal HQ training room. They've recently finished construction, so we'll be the first ones to use it.

-After his words, Dawson then walks further ahead towards the opposite side. Once there, he slowly removes the top half of his uniform, locking eyes with Lux afterwards-

Dawson:
You talk a lot of shit, merc. I can't stand it. There isn't a better way of letting out my frustration than this. You and me, no powers. What do you say?

-A cocky smirk forms on Lux's face as he releases a light chuckle-

Lux:
Looks like you not a pussy after all, Dickmen.

-Excited for the inevitable battle, Lux assumes his fighting stance-

- Caution! (Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3)

Lux:
I'm in. No powers. Hope you ready to get your ass handed to ya.

Dawson:
Back at you.

- Defeat Dawson without using your skills or A-Meter.

-Lux rushes forward without hesitation, beginning to wildly unleash a flurry of swift punches. Unfazed by the sudden attack, Dawson raises his arms up to block Lux's blows. Immediately afterwards, Dawson grabs Lux by his shoulders, and tosses himself aside to create distance. Lux quickly lands on his feet, once again dashing forward to unleash yet another flurry of punches-

-To Dawson's surprise, Lux's punches are swift and precise, making sure that they hit certain weak points on one's body. Had Lux been using his powers, Dawson knows this would be a much difficult fight. Seeing a fallacy in Lux's assault, Dawson quickly grabs Lux's extending and pulls it towards him to close the gap between the two of them. Dawson unleashes a swift punch to Lux's jaw, following up with an ascending knee to the same area, and finishing with a violent boot to the gut that kicks Lux away-

-Lux stops the momentum of the boot, quickly landing on his feet once again. After a wipe of his lip, Lux chuckles to himself as he looks forward at Dawson-

Lux:
Heh, not bad. Kinda hit like my moms.

Dawson:
Least I know I'm hurting you so bad you have to think about your mother.

-With a smirk on his face, Lux rushes forward in extreme speed. Dawson isn't prepared for the rapid assault from Lux. Through blocking, evading, and even talking the blows from Lux punches and kicks, Dawson can't seem to find an opening. Each strike is quickly followed up with another, all pinpointing exposing spots from Dawson's guard. Lux throws a quick faint, and Dawson falls for it. Taking advantage of this chance, Lux throws out a left overhead punch that staggers Dawson, follows up with three back to back strikes and a finishing gut punch. Lux then spins his body and lowers his legs to perform a leg sweep that trips Dawson onto his back-

-Lightly groaning in pain, Dawson slowly sits himself up and motions his hand to admit defeat-

Dawson:
Damm...

-With a light smile on his face, Lux leans over extending his arm forward to help Dawson up. Dawson then takes Lux's arm, and stands up straight with his assistance. Afterwards, Lux lightly pats Dawson's back in a sportsman like manner-

Lux:
You ain't bad, Dawson. Where you learn how to fight?

Dawson:
Matthias taught me believe it or not. I wasn't always like this, just an average man who owned a candy store.

Lux:
No shit you weren't always like this. A candy store, though? Fuck is that all about?

Dawson:
It was a family business. My father built it from the ground up.

Lux:
Where he at now?

Dawson:
Probably somewhere relaxing. Feeling good that he turned his son in.

Lux:
Sounds like an asshole.

-Dawson laughs lightly at Lux's comment, feeling the same way about his father deep down-

Dawson:
Yeah. You don't care about that, though. Just here for the money.

Lux:
Ain't say I ain't care, but if that's what you wanna tell yourself, go ahead. You right about that though, I am here for the money.

Dawson:
Hm.

-Dawson gazes at his hand in silence, then returns his sight to Lux. He then walks over to where he placed the top half of his uniform, and tosses it over his shoulder after picking it up-

Dawson:
Feel free to use the training room anytime you need it.

-Dawson reaches into his pocket, then hands Lux a small piece of paper-

Dawson:
Here.

-Lux received Dawson's Blackcell number-

Dawson:
In case you need something. We are working together after all.

Lux:
Should I even ask why the hell you had that on deck?

Dawson:
I have a pretty bad memory. I forget my number a lot of the time, so I keep it on my person. At least when I'm here anyways.

Lux:
A commander with a shitty memory. The Ethereals are fucked.

-Dawson chuckles, then walks past Lux heading towards the elevator-

Dawson:
I'll see you another time.

-Moments after Dawson leaves, Lux glances around the training room in interest-

Lux:
Let's see what kind of shit I can do in here.

-You can now use the training room at Ethereal HQ. When using the training room, you can simulate fights with enemies you've seen before to get more comfortable with their fighting styles. You can also do special challenges and if completed, will grant you rewards. You can also invite three squadmates to train with you, or other contacts you have that have the ability to fight. Training will consume hours-

-Lux trains by himself for a few hours. When he's finished, he leaves the training room. As he walks out of the front entrance of Ethereal HQ, Lux feels a vibration in his back pocket. He then pulls out his Blackcell and places it up to his ear to answer the call-

Lux:
Yo.

Vern:
Ah, hello, Lux. It's Vern.

Lux:
No shit. What you want?

Vern:
Miss Zelterra gave me all of your numbers earlier. I wanted to see if my cell was functional. I also forgot to mention before I left that I'm holding another meeting tomorrow morning to go into details about other specified matters. I hope for you all to be there.

Lux:
We'll be there. What else you want?

Vern:
There is nothing else. You have my number now. Should you need anything, I will most likely be in my office.

Lux:
You still tryna fuck, huh?

-Vern chuckles lightly in response to Lux's question-

Vern:
I will not comment on such things. I will see you another time, Lux. Goodbye for now.

Lux:
Uh-huh.

-After hanging up, Lux slides his Blackcell into his back pocket-

- Partake in activities or rest until tomorrow morning.

-After leaving Ethereal HQ, Lux decides to walk around Atlacall to get a better feeling of the city. During his aimless adventure, he finds scraps of items, lost cash, and assists a few Abnormals with their troubles. Now in the south district, Lux is walking down the same sidewalk where Thins is located. As he continues to walk, he sees Theo outside working on the neon sign. Hearing footsteps, Theo glances behind him, only to see Lux walk by-

Theo:
'Ey, kid.

-Hearing someone call out to him, Lux stops in place then turns his head to look at Theo-

Lux:
Fuck you want, Thin man?

Theo:
Mind helping me with this sign real quick?

Lux:
I'm not gettin' shit from that, so nah, I'm good.

Theo:
Heh, alright. I'll compensate ya.

Lux:
All you needed to say.

-Lux effortlessly picks up the large, neon sign with one hand, then hangs it up at the front of the store. Theo grips a part of his cap and nods, amazed with Lux's strength-

Theo:
I'll be dammed. Thanks, Lux.

Lux:
Where's my shit?

Theo:
Heh, come on inside.

-Following behind Theo, Lux walks inside Thins-

   - Thins -

-Theo walks through the center aisles, then steps behind the back counter. Lux steps up to the counter and glances at Theo in expectation of a reward-

Lux:
So, wassup?

Theo:
Told ya I'd compensate you. Let me see your brass knuckles.

-Lux grabs his pair of brass knuckles off the chain on his right hip, then lightly slides it to Theo. Theo then picks them up and inspects them with squinted eyes, turning and flipping them to get better angles-

Theo:
Hm. This an alright model. Ain't much of you ask me.

Lux:
You gonna talk around what you tryna say all day?

Theo:
Tell ya what. How about I modify this a bit?

Lux:
Sounds complicated.

Theo:
You don't have to worry, it's on the house. You bring me some scraps of shit- something I can use- and I'll mod these so they're more effective. You can still buy new shit if ya want though.

Lux:
'Ight, sounds cool. Still want money though.

Theo:
Heh, alright kid, I'll pay you for the shit you bring me. That good for ya?

Lux:
That's more like it.

-Weapon mods. When you bring Theo certain materials, he'll modify and upgrade your weapons to give it buffs. If you're comfortable with a weapon's look and stats, you can upgrade it, allowing it to become more powerful and effective-

-Lux asks Theo to upgrade to the squad's current weapons, giving him rare materials as payment. After Theo is finished, the two of them motion their hands, partaking in a farewell handshake before Lux leaves-

Theo:
Come by anytime you hear?

Lux:
I won't.

Theo:
Heh, be seein' ya, kid.

-After Lux steps out of Thins, he glances up at the afternoon sky-

Lux:
Still got some light.

-As Lux begins to walk forward along the sidewalk, he decides to pull out his Blackcell from his pocket to look through his contacts-

Call who?
- Tonya. (Busy)
- Tora. (Available)
- Klaus. (Available)
- Jade. (Available)
- Dawson. (Busy)
- Vern. (Available)
(Tora)

-Lux decides to call Tora. He places his cell up to ear, and awaits an answer. After one ring, Tora answers the call, responding with a friendly tone-

Tora:
Hello?

Lux:
'Ey, four eyes.

Tora:
Oh, heya, Lux. Whatcha up to?

Lux:
Was gonna ask you that. That's why I called ya.

Tora:
Um...well I ain't doing much. Just finishing a few reports.

Lux:
Put that shit down. We goin' somewhere.

Tora:
Huh? Just us?! Like, hanging out?

Lux:
Why the fuck you always askin' stupid ass questions? You heard what I said. You startin' to irritate me, woman.

Tora:
Alright, alright...good grapes on a branch. Where are we goin'?

- We're workin' out.
- We're shopping for clothes.
- We're chilln' on the balcony at the house.
- We're training.
- We're walkin' around.

Lux:
Your boney ass is workin' out with me. Meet me at the house, 'ight? Don't take too long, either.

Tora:
Okie dokie! I'll be there!

-After hanging up, Lux takes the short walk back to Kenvale. Upon entering, he walks upstairs to his room, and changes his clothes for the workout. He puts on dark red joggers without a shirt or shoes, then walks back downstairs and into workout room. After a few moments of waiting, Tora walks into the room with a smile on her face. Lux can see she's wearing a brown sports bra and tight, white joggers along with a brown headband-

- What's Going On? (Persona 5)

Lux:
The fuck is that on your head?

Tora:
It's a handband! I sweat a lot, okay...?

Lux:
Shit must be ass for J.

Tora:
C-Can we just workout?

Lux:
Heh, yeah. It ain't nothing too bad, least for you anyways. Just a twenty minute workout. Your scrawny ass can handle that right?

-Tora nods in affirmation, she then turns her body, and raises her finger in the air in an awkward pose-

Tora:
Let's get workin'!

Lux:
Don't ever do that shit if front of me again.

Tora:
I do what I want, a-assbucket!

-Lux suddenly steps directly in front of Tora, assuring that their eyes lock into each other-

Lux:
What was that? Gimme some backbone.

-Tora whimpers lightly, then stomps her feet to stand her ground-

Tora:
I-I said I do what I want!

Lux:
'Ight, that's more like it.

-After stepping back, Lux waves his hand lightly to tell Tora he's ready to start the workout-

Lux:
Let's start this shit.

-Lux and Tora partake in a twenty minute, full body workout. Moments after they've finished, Tora flops on the mat directly behind her after exhaling in pure exhaustion-

Tora:
Whew! That...I can't breathe...!

Lux:
Ah, shaddup, it won't that bad.

-With a strong lift, Lux helps Tora to her feet. He then leans over to his right to grab a bottle of water, and hands it to Tora after standing up straight. The two of them sit in silence on a small bench that's against the mirrored wall. Tora takes large gulp of water out of the bottle, then breaks the silence after placing it between her thighs-

Tora:
Ah...! Woo! You ain't tired?

Lux:
Nah, shit was simple.

Tora:
Really...?

Lux:
You're just out of shape.

-Mixed with a whimper, Tora let's out a embarrassment groan as she attempts to hide her face-

Tora:
I know, I know...

-Tora picks up the water bottle, then takes another small sip before glancing at Lux. Lux leans back against the wall, and when he notices Tora's glance, he returns the look-

Lux:
Fuck you lookin' at? You wanna say something?

Tora:
O-Oh, um...I just wanted to say...thanks.

Lux:
Don't be a weirdo. What you sayin' thanks for?

Tora:
Well, I mean...you didn't have to call me and hang out with me, ya know? I guess I'm just sayin' I appreciate it. I didn't have a lot of friends in my um...past life.

Lux:
All we did was workout. What, you in love with me now or some shit?

Tora:
Wha? No, you rooster! I'm just sayin' thank you!

Lux:
Heh, I like that energy. Keep that shit for next time.

Tora:
Um...wanna get something to eat?

Lux:
You payin?

Tora:
Um, sure, I don't mind.

Lux:
Then I'm in. Your skinny ass needs some meat or somethin' anyways.

Tora:
I ain't that skinny!

-With a blank face, Lux takes the cap of the now empty water bottle and places it in the palm of Tora's hand-

Tora:
What's this for?

Lux:
For the lie you just told.

Tora:
Erm...I don't really understand.

Lux:
Fuckin' Christ...C'mon we leavin'.

-Lux and Tora leave the workout room, then change their clothes and leave the estate to grab something to eat. It's a calm and breezy night when the two of them return to Kenvale. While in the middle of a conversation, they stop as they step up to front door-

Tora:
Wait, so what did you do after that?

Lux:
I made 'em my bitch. What else would I do?

Tora:
Oh. That's u-um...

Lux:
You got a stuttering problem?

Tora:
No! You're just...an odd guy.

Lux:
Says the woman with the ugly ass jacket on all the time. What is that, plaid?

Tora:
I like it.

Lux:
I don't give a shit if you like it, it's ass.

Tora:
Oh yeah? Well...you don't even wear a shirt most of the time!

Lux:
Eh, keep tryin'. You'll get there.

Jade:
Fuck are you two doin'?

-Tora and Lux glance behind them in response to hearing a familiar voice and sees Jade impatiently waiting for them to move aside-

Jade:
I'm tryna get in. Get the hell out of the way.

Lux:
I'll move if I feel like it.

-Jade sighs in irritation, then steps up to Tora-

Jade:
'Cuse me, babe.

Tora:
Oh, sorry.

-Jade walks inside the house after Tora moves out of the way, then Lux looks over at Tora as shakes his head in disappointment-

Tora:
What?

Lux:
You pitiful. Sorry? C'mon now.

Tora:
I was tryna be nice.

Lux:
That's your fuckin' problem. Anyways, beside you being a pussy and havin' one, I had a 'ight time today.

Tora:
You...did?

Lux:
Yeah, I did. Next time I call you, you better answer, or I'll come and find you.

Tora:
Wha?!

Lux:
Heh, I'm fuckin' with ya. People take shit too seriously.

-As Lux steps inside the house, he looks back when notices Tora isn't following behind him-

Lux:
C'mon, you stayin' outside or what?

Tora:
Huh? Oh, right. Coming!

-Breaking out of her trance, Tora walks inside behind Lux, and closes the door behind her. After giving Lux a friendly farewell, both she and Lux walk to their separate rooms. Upon entering his room, Lux yawns while stretching lightly as he steps forward-

Lux:
Fuck I'ma do for the rest of the night?

-Lux steps up to his bed, then glances down at the unmade mess comprising of covers and pillows. Just how I like it. He thinks to himself-

- Save your progress?
- Yeah.
- Nah.
(Yeah.)

-Reminding himself of the things he's done so far, Lux saves his progress-

- Would you like to rest until the next day as well?
- Yeah.
- Nah.
(Yeah.)

Lux:
Fuck this. I'm goin' to bed.

-Deciding he wants to sleep, Lux flops on the far right of his bed. After a few moments pass, Klaus walks inside Lux's room and closes the door behind him-

Lux:
Yo. J and Tora ain't sleepin' with us?

Klaus:
They in Jade's room sleepin' together.

Lux:
Probably fuckin'.

-Klaus walks over to Lux's bed and slowly lays down onto the left side. After a moment of silence, Klaus speaks up softly to grab Lux's attention-

Klaus:
'Ey, Lux?

Lux:
Hm?

Klaus:
Are you my real dad?

-Lux laughs lightly, deciding to play along with Klaus' silliness-

Lux:
Probably. If I am then you're fucked.

Klaus:
I was thinkin' the same thing.

Lux:
Was that it, dumbass?

Klaus:
Yeah. Just wonderin'.

Lux:
'Ight. Next time you say somethin', you sleepin' on the floor.

-Klaus yawns loudly as he turns onto his side, unfazed by the threat-

Klaus:
You gonna have to get me on the floor first, muscle boy...

-Lux chuckles lightly. He closes his eyes after moving into a comfortable position, then slowly begins drifting off to sleep-