Welcome back DEARIES

  Enjoy a new chapter

  Bonus for all

  _____________________________________

  New York City in 2006 truly smelled like roasted nuts, exhaust fumes and trumps fart.....well not really.

  I stepped off the bus at Port Authority and took a deep breath, It was grimy, it was loud but it was goddamn beautiful.

  In a few years, aliens would blow half these buildings up and in a few more years, a purple alien with a nut sack chin would wipe out half the population.

  But right now?, It was just just a Friday night.

  I adjusted my jacket , I was still wearing my SHIELD issue civilian clothes, a generic beige windbreaker that made me look like a tourist who was about to get mugged.

  "Destination, Hell's Kitchen," I muttered.

  I checked my surroundings.

  No flying men in iron suits nor was there any green rage monsters, Just angry cab drivers and people yelling on flip phones.

  My destination wasn't a pawn shop.

  Pawn shops asked for ID and Pawn shops had cameras, I simply needed a fence.

  Fortunately, the memories of the original Toby Dick were useful for something other than remembering his locker combination. The old Toby had been a bit of a degenerate gambler before he joined SHIELD.

  He knew a guy who knew a guy.

  I walked down 9th Avenue, turning into a narrower, dimmer street.

  The gentrification that would eventually turn Hell's Kitchen into a hipster paradise hadn't fully taken hold yet.

  Here, the shadows were long, and the graffiti was less street art and more gang territory marking, really curious .... so wanna know how ICE would function here ...will definitely get beaten.

  I stopped in front of a flickering neon sign: PC REPAIR & UNLOCK.

  The windows were barred and the door had three locks, i pressed the buzzer.

  Buzz Buzz

  A muffled voice crackled through the intercom.

  "We're closed."

  "I'm not here for a repair," I said, leaning into the mic, "I'm here to sell,High-end and no questions."

  Silence.

  Then, the buzz of the electric lock, i pushed the door open and stepped into the smell of solder and stale cigarette smoke. The shop was cluttered with CRT monitors, tangles of wires, and half disassembled towers.

  Behind the counter sat a man who looked like he was made of spare parts. Balding, greasy glasses, and a stained vest....like jeff bezos if he would run a mechanic store.

  [Target: Stan "The Static" Kowalski]

  [Level: 4 (Tech Specialist)]

  [Occupation: Fence / Repairman]

  [Mood: Suspicious]

  [Desire: To pay off his bookie by Sunday]

  Jackpot, I thought, he owes money and that makes him desperate.

  "I don't know you," Stan grunted, not looking up from a motherboard he was soldering.

  "You knew Toby," I said, using my Charm to project a relaxed, friendly vibe.

  "I'm the new Toby. The upgraded version."

  Stan squinted at me.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "The kid who owed Mikey fifty bucks? You look different, got a haircut?"

  "Something like that," I smiled, "Look, Stan. I'm in a rush and I have merchandise,You have cash,do we want to dance, or do we want to do business?"

  Stan put down the soldering iron.

  "What kind of merchandise?"

  I looked around, well no customers and no cameras that looked functional.

  "Inventory," I whispered.

  I reached into the inside of my windbreaker. To Stan, it looked like I was pulling something from a hidden pocket but in reality, I was pulling the Alienware laptop from the dimensional void.I set the sleek, black machine on the counter.

  The alien head logo gleamed.

  Stan's eyes widened behind his greasy lenses.

  "Alienware. Area-51 m5500, that's the new one. released like... two months ago?"

  "Fully specced," I added."And I have four more, Plus three Canon 5D cameras, Still in the box."

  Stan whistled low and stood up, wiping his hands on a rag.

  "That's hot stuff, kid. Where'd you get it?

  Did a truck fall off a bridge?"

  "Let's just say it was a clerical error," I said smoothly.

  Poker Face engaged. "Are you buying?"

  Stan tapped the counter, i could see the gears turning in his head, he was a Level 4 Tech Specialist and he knew exactly what this was worth.

  "I can give you two grand for the lot," Stan said, crossing his arms.

  I laughed, It was a genuine, hearty laugh.

  "Stan, buddy please.The cameras alone are worth three grand a piece retail and the laptops are two five each, that's twenty grand in hardware."

  "It's hot," Stan argued, though his eyes darted to the laptop hungrily.

  "I gotta scrub the serials and gotta find buyers, it takes time so two grand is fair."

  I leaned in, resting my elbows on the glass counter, I activated [Observe] again, focusing deeper.

  [Target Secret: Stan owes $8,000 to the Irish mob, Deadline: Sunday]

  "Stan," I said, my voice dropping to a sympathetic whisper.

  "I know things, I know the market is tough and I know Sunday is coming up fast."

  Stan froze. "What did you say?"

  "I'm saying," I continued, locking eyes with him. "That two grand isn't going to help you with your... Irish problem, but if you sell this stuff properly, you can make twenty.

  I'm offering you a lifeline here."

  I tapped the laptop in the desk.

  "I want ten thousand, Cash,Right now, You take the goods, you sell them for twenty, you pay off your debt, and you keep a nice profit and everybody wins."

  Stan stared at me,Sweat beaded on his forehead. My Charm (15) combined with the intel was hitting him like a physical blow.

  He wasn't dealing with a nervous kid anymore; he was dealing with an Operator.

  "Ten is... ten is steep," he stammered.

  "Eight," I countered.

  "Bottom line, and throw in a burner phone with a clean sim."

  He hesitated for three seconds, then broke.

  "Fine, Eight, but you never came here."

  "I was never here," I agreed.

  He went to a floor safe behind the counter. I watched him count out stacks of bills and it was a beautiful sight, love dear georgie.

  The System pinged in my head.

  [Quest Complete: Liquidation]

  [Reward: +200 XP]

  [Funds Acquired: $8,000 USD]

  [Total Funds: $13,000 USD]

  [LEVEL UP!]

  [You are now Level 2!]

  [+2 Stat Points Awarded]

  I didn't assign the points yet, I just waited until Stan pushed the stack of cash and a cheap Motorola flip phone across the counter.

  I pulled the rest of the laptops and cameras out of my jacket Inventory and stacked them up.

  Stan looked at my jacket, confused about how I fit five laptops in there, but he was too happy about the money to ask.

  "Pleasure doing business, Stan," I said, pocketing the cash.

  It felt thick and heavy, I walked out of the shop and into the cool night air.

  "Status," I whispered.

  Name: Toby Dick

  Level: 2

  Stat Points: 2

  I thought about it,Strength? no. I wasn't fighting yet, Intelligence? I was smart enough already so waste.

  "Put both points into Charm," I commanded.

  [Charm increased: 15 -> 17]

  I felt a subtle shift, my posture straightened slightly and my skin felt a little clearer.

  The world seemed to focus a little more on me, 17 was pushing into local celebrity territory. Now, I had $13,000 in my pocket.

  In 2006, that was King of the World money for a 19 year old, I hailed a cab, an actual yellow cab, not a bus.

  "Where to, man?" the driver asked.

  "Fifth Avenue," I said, leaning back in the seat. "I need a suit."

  I looked at the System menu.

  The [Shop] tab was now glowing.

  [System Shop - Level 1 Unlocked]

  [Category: Apparel & Aesthetics]

  * Tailored Suit of Confidence ($2,000): +2 Charm, +5% Persuasion.

  * Silk Tie of the Silver Tongue ($500): +10% Lying Success Rate.

  * Pheromone Undershirt ($1,000): Increases attraction from opposite sex in close proximity.

  I grinned, I could buy these items instantly, but I needed to actually go to a store so I had physical receipts and bags in case anyone asked.

  I could buy the System items and skin them over real clothes later, but tonight wasn't just about clothes.

  I pulled out my new burner phone and dialed the number I had memorized from the personnel files I accidentally saw earlier.

  Ring... Ring...

  "Hello?" A female voice.

  Tired, Skeptical.

  "Hey, Jessica," I said, my voice smooth as silk thanks to that 17 Charm.

  "It's Toby. The bagel guy."

  "Toby?" She sounded surprised, but pleased.

  "How did you get this number?"

  "I have my ways," I teased.

  "Look, I know it's late notice, but I just came into a little windfall, a bet paid off. I'm celebrating."

  "Okay..." she laughed. "And?"

  "And I remember you mentioned you've never been to Le Bernardin."

  There was a silence on the other end.

  Le Bernardin was one of the most expensive seafood restaurants in the city.

  "You're joking," she breathed.

  "I never joke about food," I lied.

  "Pick you up tomorrow at 7? Wear that black dress I know you have."

  "I... I don't..." She stammered, then gathered herself.

  "Okay. Yes 7 is good."

  "See you then, Jess."

  I hung up and looked out the window as the city lights blurred by.

  [Quest Update: First Blood]

  [Status: The Date is Set.]

  [Difficulty: Hard (High Expectations)]

  I patted the pocket full of cash.

  "Time to spend money to make money," I said to the empty cab.

  "And maybe get lucky in the process, may be tap a nice little ass."

  The game was officially on.

  Author's Note:-

  Well dick is making his move

  You guys wanna get more chaps ??

  Grind in follows and ratings.

  Bye