The Legendary Junkmaster

Jason watched on with a strange expression as the old man grabbed Sam by her long hair and dragged her from the clinic. It was quite a pathetic sight to witness, and it would usually provoke him to say something about how she was being treated. However, Sam had made his life hell for a while now.

Jason could not even feel glad about his enemy's misery since the event was marred by Dani's father passing away. His emotions were a mess right now. On the one hand, he wanted to grieve for the man since he had been kind to him all of his life. On the other, he wanted to celebrate the death of an opponent that probably would have killed him.

"You should go for now." Dr Cree said as she appeared in the doorway. "The guards are talking to the Kane family just now. It will take them a while."

Harry smiled at her and thanked her before placing a hand on Jason's back. He could tell that Jason was not thinking straight right now and needed a gentle nudge. Jason felt numb as he stood up and walked towards Star Gear under his Gramp's guidance.

'I should eradicate the Red Steel Gang. Before they draw in more good people like Mr Kane.' Jason knew he was just using them as an excuse for what had happened. However, he had to vent his anger somehow.

'Being Sam today was a blessing in disguise. It looks like she won't have significant power within the gang for some time. But that old man is something else.' Jason did not even delude himself into believing that he could beat that guy head-on. He got lucky with Wraith only because he survived the first encounter. Which allowed him to create a counter to the man's powers.

'I doubt they'll underestimate me anymore. They'll probably overestimate my abilities to prevent me from getting away again. I have to be careful about this.' As Jason was lost in his thoughts, Harry had already guided him into the store without Jason realising.

The line outside was still waiting, with many people asking when they could finally go inside. Of course, seeing Harry and Jason enter the store only made them more excited. Only a few noticed their expressions and that something had clearly happened.

Just as these people began to doubt whether or not the store was actually open, Raymond emerged and ushered in the first few customers. Jason was in a trance as he worked away in the workshop. It was like his subconscious had taken over his body while his mind wandered.

New Multi-tools and other items soon took shape within his hands. However, the moment they were completed, Harry would appear to take them away. This process lasted for a couple of hours before Harry suddenly interrupted him.

"Jason, listen carefully. Captain Trevor is here and wants to talk to you." Harry's tone sounded solemn as Jason's heart skipped a beat.

'Do they know? No. They wouldn't announce themselves if they did.' Jason's hand trembled as he straightened his clothes to try and look presentable. "Show him in."

Harry nodded before fetching Trevor and the other two guards. Trevor's eyes studied the workshop with a curious gaze before they fell on Jason. He noticed that the young owner looked visibly nervous and somewhat distressed.

"Don't worry. You're not in any trouble." Trevor smiled as he held up his hand in a friendly gesture. "We're just carrying out Mr Kane's last wishes."

Jason raised an eyebrow at that. He had no idea what Mr Kane could possibly need the guards to do for him. Especially when it came to himself.

"Let me explain. Mr Kane asked us to transfer a significant amount of money to you. This to pay for anything his daughter might need to prepare herself for Guardian Tournament." Trevor continued in a friendly manner. "Anything leftover is to be used by you as you see fit. You can either keep it as a bonus or give it to Ms Kane."

Jason finally understood why the guards were involved with this. Most people kept their money at home, but that made them susceptible to being robbed. However, some people actually used the town's bank if they could afford it. The bank charged a substantial amount each month for protecting your assets, and the majority of people could not afford that.

If these funds had to be transferred to someone without an account, it was part of the guards' duties to take charge of it. This was to make sure that the funds would not be stolen during transit.

"I see," Jason frowned as he glanced at the guards. "However, I don't see where you are keeping these funds."

"As I said, it's quite a large amount. It will take time for us to gather it and transport it over. This visit is just to make you aware of it so that you can prepare somewhere safe to store it."

Jason nodded slowly at these words. It was most likely that it was not the number of credits that were the problem. It was just that they did not feel that these three would be enough to deter potential thieves.

"Thank you, I'll prepare something immediately." Jason held out his hand to shake Trevor's.

Trevor smiled at the gesture before grasping Jason's somewhat sweaty palm. It was an awkward moment, but neither of them really knew what else to say. With a look of relief on his face, Trevor casually led the other guards from the store.

'I wonder how much we're talking about here? If he worked as a mercenary on the side, then he should have squirrelled away a fair sum.' Jason felt as if the mystery of Wraith's past was even more profound than he could imagine. 'Still, it seems like I've only benefitted from this. Why do I feel like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment?'

At that moment, a commotion suddenly sounded from the storefront…