The City of Ionia

138. Ruben: Penthouse



Ruben sat on his reclining chair with a luxurious glass of hard liquor in his hand. He swirled it around before taking a small sip.

The television was on, though Ruben paid no attention to it. It was boring news regarding a local university, something Ruben didn't care for. He simply had it as background noise as he waited for his guest to arrive.

He groaned and stood with the glass still in his hands. "Jello, turn off the television."

Jello was Ruben's AI assistant—a voice-controlled operating system that managed his home and various other tasks when needed, almost like a digital butler.

"Sir," said Jello, "Alice and Fernando have entered the vicinity."

"Well, well, well." Ruben checked his watch. They were supposed to arrive twenty minutes ago. "About damn time. Let them pass."

Less than a minute later, the elevator opened with a ding. Out came two people, both unique in their looks.

One was a tall woman, almost as tall as Ruben. Her blonde hair was short with a unique asymmetrical bob. She wore a sophisticated red shirt with a neat collar and a black button–up vest. Her pants were clean with not a strand of hair stuck.

The other was a shorter man with a beautifully trimmed beard and a sturdy, brown–brimmed hat. His hands were stuffed in his blue skinny jeans, and his red checkered shirt made him seem not from around here. He made the most fascinating wardrobe.

"Ah, glad you guys made it in one piece. Care for a drink? Fernando, I know you want one."

Fernando adjusted his hat. "Just a little. I had some this morning."

"Right…" Fernando was one of the few people who outdrank Ruben. His liver was indestructible. "And you for, Alice? Or are you still sober?"

"Sober," she said with no emotion.

Ruben poured a small glass of booze for Fernando. They clinked glasses and took their respective sip. Fernando wiped his bread and complimented the drink. Ruben smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Shall we get down to business?" Alice asked with her arms crossed.

"Business. Yes. About that. We are expecting one more person to join us. Make yourself comfortable while we wait."

"One more?" Fernando asked in a thick voice. "It's my men and Alice. How much more do we need?"

"Right. One more is tagging along. I'm sure neither of you will have an issue."

Fernando coughed without covering his mouth before asking, "Whose this new rider?"

Ruben clasped his hands. "Well, she's an interesting fellow. Who she is is irrelevant. We do, however, have to teach her how to use special devices. I'm sure you won't mind doing the honors, Alice?"

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"No, thank you." She said without hesitation. "I'm not here to baby someone."

That's a hyperbole and a half.

"You're not babying anyone. Simply show her the ropes. That's all."

Alice leaned on Ruben's special, illuminating table. "Jello, who is this person Ruben speaks of?" She stared at it without getting a response, then banged her fist on the surface. "Is it broken?"

"No—No. I changed it so it only recognizes my voice. I had had enough of you playing around with it like some sort of… toy. Can we get back to business, please? Will you help her succeed or not?"

Alice pushed herself off the table and rubbed her eye. "What choice do I have?"

That answer was good enough for Ruben. He clasped his hands and stood in front of the bookshelf. He removed a navy–colored book that was a bit dusty and reached his hands deep into the void. Once he felt it, he pulled the lever and stepped away.

The middle section of the abnormally sized bookcase smoothly shifted forward before sliding aside. Behind was a reinforced steel area embedded within the wall. A biometric scanner grew from the ground, which was used to open the door via Ruben's left hand. Inside, an entire arsenal was visible under a blue LED lighting with custom handguns, snipers, railguns, shields, and SCAR–grade devices. Each was secured in its own padded slots.

What was displayed here wasn't the best of the best. Ruben dispersed his best weapons and gadgets within the different bars that he owned. He found it unsafe to leave a pot of gold all in one area.

"Have at it," he said with his arms wide, standing proud as ever.

Alice slumped her shoulders, unamused by Ruben's showcase. "We are not using anything today."

"Did you not hear a word that came out of my beautiful mouth? We have to teach someone how to use these glorious weapons properly."

"Heh, you're telling me she doesn't know how to use a gun? Are you recruiting children?"

Alice always jumped to the most bizarre conclusions without knowing the truth. It drove Ruben crazy. He cleaned up multiple misunderstandings in the past since Alice didn't understand what 'context' was.

"No, not a child. She's new to this particular equipment. She doesn't know how to use a translocator or a shield skin, or anything of that regard. To make this mission successful, we must teach her the—Fernando!"

He turned towards Ruben with a guilty look. In his hand was a bottle of expensive red wine that Ruben had saved for a special occasion. This was not an occasion.

Fernando carefully put the wine bottle down on the counter and attempted to hide his guilty look by lowering his hat.

"Bloody hell. Were you listening at all?"

"The drink was speaking to me. Just give me the rundown."

Ruben anxiously looked around the room, trying to maintain his breath. Fernando was a notorious drinker. Pretty sure that was the only thing he did in his free time. Whenever he came to the penthouse, he always grabbed a drink with or without permission. At times, Ruben believed that Fernondo only agreed to the mission for the drinks.

"Rundown? Bloody hell, why was I talking for the past couple of minutes? Alice, do you mind?"

She compiled and summarized Ruben's words. Fernando leaned against the counter with his hat tilted downwards. It was hard to tell if his eyes were open or not.

However, his response indicated that he had understood the rundown.

"Loud and clear," he said.

"Great—" Ruben clasped his hands. "Well, shall we—"

"Sir, Jill has entered the vicinity."

"Jello, you son of a bitch. Delivering good news when I was about to say something spectacular. Regardless, allow her to enter." He adjusted his tie. "Fernando, Alice, the fun is yet to begin."

Moments later, the elevator opened, and out came a woman who wasn't from this world.


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