CHAPTER 8
November,5th 1993
Morning came slowly in Lowtown. The ceiling above Alicia was cracked, paint peeling in thin flakes like dead skin. She lay on the bed with her arms behind her head, eyes open, watching the dust dance in the slivers of light filtering through the barred window.
She hadn't dreamt.
The warmth of the mattress still felt strange—soft, but not comforting. Like a lie waiting to be exposed. She sat up, pulled on the jacket they gave her, and tied her hair back lazily.
Her side still ached from yesterday's fight, where the older girl had gotten one shallow hit in before Alicia turned the tide. The wound was minor. The outcome wasn't.
The door creaked open. A boy, maybe twelve, stood in the doorway. Pale skin, shaved head, eyes like broken glass.
"They said to bring you."
"To who?"
He shrugged. "Just come."
She followed, hands in pockets, aura suppressed.
They moved through narrow corridors, rusted pipes lining the ceiling, the air thick with mildew and something metallic—blood or oil, she couldn't tell. The base wasn't clean, but it was organized. Lowtown had its own hierarchy, and she was now on the lowest rung of it.
They passed others—boys and girls, some younger, some older. All marked by silence and sharp eyes. No one spoke unless necessary.
Eventually, the boy stopped at a door and knocked twice. A voice from within: "Enter."
She stepped into a cramped office, dimly lit, with files stacked on every surface. The man behind the desk was the same one who'd offered her the knife. He now sat in a worn leather chair, a steaming mug in hand. He gestured for her to sit.
"You passed your trial," he said, as if it weren't obvious. "But now comes the harder part—proving that you're worthy of the job."
Alicia didn't reply , She was used to these speeches already.
The man leaned forward. "You'll be used here , That's the deal. Don't like it? There's the door. You leave and we forget you existed."
The girl rolled her eyes annoyed from hearing the same thing again and again , but she didn't snap at him.
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Then listen."
He slid a file across the table. Alicia flipped it open. Inside it were photos of people , maps and names.
"This is your first job. Surveillance. You'll shadow a courier named Marlo. He runs a route for one of the mid-level families. We've had… suspicions about him. You follow, observe, report. No contact unless absolutely necessary."
Alicia scanned the page. "He's a Nen user?"
"Doubtful " he replied "But be careful nonetheless"
She nodded , registering the information in her mind
"You leave in an hour," the man said. "Gear's in the locker. Report to Ash once you're back. Don't get caught and don't be seen."
She stood, file in hand. "Got it."
"And Alicia," he added, just as she reached the door.
She paused.
"There are no second chances. Fail, and you're just another ghost in Lowtown."
She gave him a small, crooked smile. "I'm good at surviving, remember?"
Getting out of the door , veins popped out of her temple " that arrogant bastard! "she seethed " just wait till I get experience and money and I'll show you who's the ghost "
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
The sun had just begun to rise when she slipped into the crowded streets above. Lowtown operated beneath the city like a shadow, but the surface was bustling and indifferent. No one noticed a small girl with a messenger's satchel, weaving through foot traffic.
Marlo was easy to find. Average build, graying hair, sharp suit that didn't quite hide the wear on his shoes. He moved with purpose but not paranoia. A professional.
Alicia followed from the rooftops, staying three buildings back. Her Nen was light, barely a whisper around her skin, and her Zetsu made her presence vanish like smoke.
Marlo met with three people in total that day. A banker. A florist. A man in a restaurant who handed over a briefcase.
She made mental notes —patterns, timing, changes in posture , she needed more experience for sure , but she'll manage to get the job done .
Hours passed. Eventually, Marlo ducked into a narrow alley, uncharacteristically off-route. Alicia narrowed her eyes and followed silently.
He stopped in front of a graffiti-tagged door and knocked three times, then once more. A code.
Interesting "gotcha" she whispered , her smile widening
She dropped from the roof silently, landing on the other side of the alley. There was a fire escape above. She climbed fast and flattened herself against the wall, peering through a grime-covered window.
Inside, five men. Marlo handed over the briefcase. One man opened it—stacks of bills and something else. A flash drive.
She frowned. That wasn't in the file.
They talked, but she couldn't hear them .
Then one of the men looked up. His eyes scanned the room—then the window.
Alicia dropped back, her heart thumping against her ribcage.
" what a jump scare"
She hadn't used Zetsu while spying—just enough In to focus her eyes. She was sloppy.
They didn't press on it , but still, she circled back, retreating through back alleys until the sun dipped below the horizon.
" my safety comes first"
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Ash was waiting at the base when she returned. He was young, probably fifteen, with sharp teeth and a scar across his cheek. He always looked amused, like he knew something you didn't.
"Well?" he asked, arms crossed.
"Marlo met with five men, passed them money and a flash drive. Not on the route he's assigned."
Ash raised a brow. "You saw what was on the drive?"
"No."
"Then we'll have to retrieve it."
"I can get closer next time."
Ash grinned. "You'll get your chance. They liked your report. You're moving up to recon tier two."
"Cool."
He handed her a sealed envelope. "And your code."
She opened it.
A single word: Rook.
"Like the chess piece?" she asked.
Ash smirked. "Yeah. You move straight, hit hard, and sacrifice isn't off the table."
"I'm not planning on getting sacrificed."
He shrugged. "No one does."
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Later that night, Alicia sat in her room, now bare except for a mattress, a flickering lightbulb, and a lockbox for her belongings. She traced the letters on her code name again and again.
"Rook huhh...."
She didn't know if she liked it or not
"hehhh" she sighed " I don't know how I managed to get used to this life so quickly, I guess humans never fail to adapt to any environment"
She wasn't here to play hero nor She was here to fix the world , She had one goal which is to survive long enough to live freely and experience the adventures in the original story .
Her hands were still sore from the knife fight. Her body bruised from the week of hiding and running.
At least things are starting to change .