You step into a cramped, grimy restaurant dimly lit by flickering bulbs. Of the four tables, three are taken. At the first, a solitary old man sits quietly. At the next, two women devour their fries with gusto, their faces streaked with smudged, fading makeup. At the last table, two men and a woman huddle closely, murmuring softly over a coffee and pastries.
[[Approach the last table->Resistance]]You approach the last table, grab a chair and sits down at their table. Glares fall heavely on you.
[[I want to join the resistance.->Resitance2]]The woman likes her lips and put down the croissant she intended to dump in her cup of mud like coffee.
She doesn't lift her head to look at you, not yet. Her voice is calm and cold like a blade.
"You have three seconds to get up and fuck off. One."
[[I want make a difference!->Resistance3]]
[[I can be useful!->Resistance3]]The two men stand up, stretching up wrist and necks. The woman looks up, staring directly into yours eyes, sizing you up.
"Two."
[[Let me help you. ->Resistance4]]The two men pulls on your chair, you cling firmly to the table. One of them sighs as the other one scoffs lightly.
The woman raises an eyebrow.
"Three."
[[I know how to operate mechas, all of them.->Mecha]]
[[I was in the army.->Army]]The two men stand motionless, while the woman briefly looks surprised. Her expression quickly hardens.
"That's great, I have one parked out front. Why don't you take it for a drive and leave us the fuck alone?"
Lifted by the two men, your chair rises a few inches, your feet dangling above the ground. You nearly fall but grip the table tightly, holding on for dear life.
[[I can get you one.->Mecha2]]The woman’s expression hardens as she leans forward, resting against the table. Her face inches closer to yours, her voice low and cutting.
"You don’t leave the army, and the army never leaves you. Either you’re a particularly stupid spy, or you’re a genuine little miracle—and I don’t believe in these."
You meet her gaze unwaveringly.
[[Soldier 2682, 47th Division, Burner. I know everything about mechas—especially how to get one. ->Army2]]
The woman gives you a slow, assessing look, her tongue briefly moistening her lips.
"On the Void Bridges in three days at dawn."
With a flick of her hand, the two men hoist your chair and toss you out of it through the door. One of them smiles at you before slamming it shut behind them. You land in the dust, staring up at the metallic, pipe-laden sky of the XIII district.
Now, all you have to do is figure out how to get your hands on a mecha. Easy.The woman raises an eyebrow, a flicker of interest crossing her face.
"Interesting."
The two of you lock eyes, the tension thick in the air. You feel like she's scanning your soul, unlike the General you let her look deep inside of you, surrending yourself to her gaze. After a pause, she speaks again.
"The cycle has ended. Did you carry out the order?"
[[Yes. ->Orderyes]]
[[No. ->Orderno]]Rage twists the woman’s features. She spits in your face. Startled, you turn your head away, but there’s no time to react further. The two men grab your chair and haul it outside, tossing it onto the ground before slamming the restaurant door shut.
You lie in the dust, staring up at the sky—a patchwork of sheet metal and tangled pipes, the grim ceiling of the XIII district. You wipe the spit from your face, for the brief moment when your eyes are closed, you hear the screams and smell the burned flesh.
You sigh deeply.
Now, you need to figure out how to get your hands on a mecha.
And find a way to meet with the Resistance again.
Without making a fool out of yourself.
Again.The woman steps back, settling into a more casual stance, though her piercing gaze never wavers.
"On the Void Bridges in three days at dawn."
With a flick of her hand, the two men hoist your chair and toss you out of it through the door. One of them smiles at you before slamming it shut behind them. You land in the dust, staring up at the metallic, pipe-laden sky of the XIII district.
Now, all you have to do is figure out how to get your hands on a mecha. Easy.