The man—Krow, as Alex would later learn—stared at the ground in silence. His knuckles were pale, trembling, as the knife clattered onto the floor with a hollow clang.
Alex kept his eyes on him, while Cypher slowly melted back into the inky shadow trailing from Alex's back, shrinking down until it once again resembled nothing more than a dark mist curling at his heels.
"I didn't know," Krow muttered. "I thought—hell, I don't know what I thought."
Alex stepped closer, his voice still calm but steeled. "You tried to stab me. Twice."
"Yeah…" Krow exhaled shakily. "Yeah, I know. Thought you were one of Vorn's dogs."
Alex's tilted his head. "You know about Vorn?"
Krow nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Everyone in that circle does. Sue too. She got wrapped up in Vorn's business through Sam. In fact, the reason she was after Sam was because she wanted to steal something from him. When Sam went missing, Vorn started sniffing around for whatever he was supposed to deliver. Word is, it wasn't just money."
Alex crossed his arms. "Then what?"
Krow hesitated before speaking. "Something called the Red Box. That's what everyone's after. It's not cash. It's not drugs. I don't even know what it is—but Vorn thinks Sue knows where it is."
"And I'm pretty damn sure she's the one who stole it," he added.
Alex's eyes narrowed. "How long have you known Sue?"
"Long enough," Krow replied grimly. "Since back when she was nothing more than a thieving brat."
Alex didn't speak, letting the man continue.
"She was an orphan. But she never wanted to get adopted. She made sure her profile was so bad, no one would take her in. She'd rather roam the streets, pickpocketing and surviving her own way."
"No one ever figured out why she hated the idea of adoption," he went on. "But that's how she was. Always moving, always avoiding stability. When she got older, the orphanage kicked her out. By then, she'd already built a network with other street kids—dealing drugs, trading arms. She had her own little kingdom in the alleys."
"She even got involved with Hand"
Alex raised a brow. "And what is this 'Hand' you mentioned earlier?"
Krow nodded. "You probably haven't heard of them, but the Hand is a serious organization. A real big-time gang. No one messes with them—not even guys like Kingpin- The King of Underworld cross their path lightly. Some make deals with them. Most avoid them altogether."
He looked at Alex closely before continuing.
"Sue once told me how she ended up in the Hand. It started at a dojo—she was learning martial arts there as a teen. Tough place. But once she got good enough… they pulled her in. Moved her up the chain. The Hand doesn't just deal in weapons or smuggling—they train assassins, spies, and worse. And Sue?"
He shook his head.
"She was good. Too good. But something happened. She walked away from it. Or at least, she tried."
Alex nodded, processing everything.
"So she might've stolen the Red Box. Vorn needs it for whatever reason... and now a powerful illegal organization like the Hand is involved?"
"Exactly," Krow said quietly, looking at Alex.
There was a short silence before Krow spoke again. "Who are you, anyway?"
Alex met his gaze. "Name's Alex. As for my connection to her... she lived in my house for about a week."
Krow raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further.
Alex continued, his voice calm but firm. "Where can I find the Hand? And that dojo you mentioned—where is it?"
Krow hesitated, eyes narrowing in concern. "If you're really a friend of Sue's, then please… save her," he said quietly.
Alex nodded. "For that, I need leads," he replied steadily.
Krow exhaled, then leaned closer, voice low. "The dojo is on 6th and Jasper, just west of Midtown. Look for an old building with red-painted doors and no signboard. They call it The Hollow Palm."
"And the Hand?" Alex asked.
"They have a base near Hell's Kitchen," Krow said reluctantly. "Not the main one—just a known hangout. An old meatpacking warehouse behind Pier 17. You'll know it when you see it. No lights. No signs. Just a feeling that tells you you're being watched."
Alex absorbed the info in silence, already forming a plan.
"Be careful," Krow added. "If the Hand knows you're sniffing around, they won't hesitate to put you in the ground."
Alex simply nodded once more.
"Good," he muttered under his breath. "Finally, I can get some Blood Crystals, then."
Without another word, he turned and began walking out, his cane tapping lightly against the ground. The door creaked shut behind him.
Krow stared at the spot where Alex had just stood, the air still heavy with tension. He glanced down at his pack, then back at the dark hallway.
"I need to move… fast," he muttered, already grabbing whatever he could. His hands moved quickly, stuffing gear into a duffel bag, eyes darting to the windows every few seconds.
He knew what Alex had just walked into.
And if he was heading toward the Hand… then Krow didn't know exactly what would happen—but he was certain of one thing.
It wouldn't be a usual gang fight.
Not with that thing the kid had. That shadow beast… that cane…
"Especially with that thing backing the kid…" Krow muttered under his breath, heart pounding as he swept through the shack, erasing every trace of his presence. "I wonder how much time he's got before the Hand notices him—or worse, underestimates him."
He threw the last of his burner phones into the sink, smashed it with a hammer, and grabbed his duffel bag. Within seconds, he was gone—fading into the shadows, just another ghost trying to outrun the storm.
Because Krow knew the truth: when the Hand gets involved, there are no second chances.
Alex, on the other hand, returned back to his home.
He had what he needed now—answers, a direction, and a name that carried weight: The Hand. But he wasn't rushing into this, not yet. Whatever tomorrow held, it was going to be intense, and he'd need his full strength.
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