We Lease The Kraken! - A LitRPG Pet Shop System Story.

Jeremiah ducked into an empty alley and crouched in the early morning shadows behind a rusted dumpster.

Seconds later, heavy boots pounded around the corner. Three shadows streaked past the alley mouth. A fourth hesitated.

Jeremiah held his breath, pressing himself tighter against the wall. His heart thudded loud in his ears, and he silently begged, Move on. Just go. Nothing here.

The shadow lingered for a moment longer, then turned and jogged after the others.

Jeremiah exhaled, shoulders slumping as he sagged against the cold metal.

His original plan had been simple: head straight to Market Street and get to Ulrick before Jonny's crew could catch up. But he'd underestimated just how much of a labyrinth this place was. Twice already he'd had to double back — once to get around a collapsed building, and another to avoid a group hanging out in the doorway of a building that practically screamed trouble.

That delay had given Jonny's people time to rally. Now they were combing the district, and unlike him, they knew these alleys like the backs of their bloodied hands. For the last thirty minutes, it had become a brutal game of cat and mouse. Him slipping through shadows while gangs of searchers and would-be muggers tightened the noose.

Jeremiah risked a quick glance over the dumpster. Clear.

He stood, turned, and took off running in the opposite direction, boots slapping quietly against the cracked pavement.

I need to find a way to lose them and get to Ulrick, he thought. Maybe if I—,

A hand shot out from a nearby doorway, snatched his coat, and yanked him sideways.

Jeremiah's reflexes kicked in. He twisted and slammed an elbow backward, adrenaline firing hot through his veins.

A figure ducked just in time.

"Oi! Watch it!" a youthful voice barked.

Jeremiah froze, heart still racing. His vision adjusted to the dim interior, and his eyes narrowed.

"…Mani? What the hell are you doing here?" His voice was flat but sharp.

Mani straightened and beamed. "Saving your sorry butt, obviously." He planted his hands on his hips like a hero in a cheap cartoon.

"We're here to help too!" chimed a bright, feminine voice.

Jeremiah turned to see a blonde girl, slightly older than Mani, leaning casually against a wall. Stella Grim pushed off it and started toward him, then paused with an exaggerated sigh.

She turned back to tug a third figure from behind the wall.

Alan Grim stumbled after her, his large frame moving awkwardly as she dragged him forward.

He stopped dead the moment he met Jeremiah's glare.

"Uh… hey," Alan said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told them we should go find an adult. But, well… you know how they are." He coughed and looked away.

Jeremiah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But once more, what are you all doing here? Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?"

Mani folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Please. We've been running these streets longer than you. We know what we're doing."

"Yeah!" Stella chimed in with an emphatic nod.

But then Mani's voice dropped to something more serious, his usual bravado fading. "We should be asking you that, Jeremiah. What in the Maker's name were you thinking, hitting the Kindergarten like that?!"

"…Kindergarten?" Jeremiah raised a brow.

"That's what the locals call Jonny's crew," Stella said brightly. "Or at least, whoever's using that building at the time."

Alan shrugged. "Most of the punks around here spent time in that place growing up. It's basically a training ground for the neighborhood gangs. A lot of loyalty tied up in that dump."

Jeremiah's brow rose higher. "Hence the name?"

Mani nodded. "Exactly. And that's why nobody messes with it. Hitting that place won't just tick off Jonny — you'd have a lot of powerful people mad at you for screwing around in their old stomping grounds."

He jabbed a finger at Jeremiah like a parent catching a child sneaking sweets. "That's why when I saw you sneak in, I knew you were gonna be screwed! So I went to get reinforcements!" He thumped a thumb toward Stella and Alan, grinning.

Jeremiah frowned and glared at the boy. "You were following me?"

Mani wilted a little and looked away. "I mean… kinda? You've been acting shady ever since you got back from Ulrick's. I figured maybe you found a hot lead or a fat stash or something, so… yeah…" He gave a nervous chuckle.

Jeremiah sighed again. "I wasn't stealing anything, Mani. I was taking something back for Ulrick."

Stella lit up. "Ha! I told you Jeremiah wasn't a thief!"

Mani clicked his tongue but said nothing.

Alan scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I mean… he did break in…"

Stella turned and glared at her brother, cheeks puffed in frustration. "Shush! You're not helping."

Jeremiah shook his head. "Look, none of that matters right now. What matters is this place is dangerous, and you shouldn't be here."

He turned a hard glare on Mani just as the boy opened his mouth to argue. "No matter how well you think you know the area."

All three siblings looked like they wanted to protest, but before anyone could speak, raised voices echoed from outside.

"You two check the next building. We'll sweep this one. Don't let that bastard slip by again," a rough female voice barked, followed by muffled shouts of confirmation.

"Crap!" Jeremiah whispered, ducking below the sightline of a grime-streaked window. His eyes scanned the backroom of the decrepit shop — dusty shelves, stacked crates, no back door. No clear exit.

"Quick! This way!" Mani hissed, tugging on his shirt. Seeing no other option, Jeremiah followed the two boys behind a stack of old crates, heart pounding.

Then he froze.

"Where's Stella?" he asked, standing up just in time to see her still standing in the middle of the room, twiddling her thumbs, rocking on her heels, and humming softly to herself like she was waiting for the bus.

"Stella!" he whispered through clenched teeth. "What are you doing?! Hide!"

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Before he could move, Mani yanked him back down. "She'll be fine. Trust us."

Jeremiah opened his mouth to argue, but shadows passed across the window, and heavy boots hit the floorboards.

He held his breath.

There was a pause. "Stella…" the female voice from outside said, exacerbated.

"Hi, Misty!" Stella said with her trademarked cheer. "Good to see you too!"

"Girl, don't start your nonsense," Misty growled. "I don't have time to deal with you right now. Go home before your mother finds out you're in this part of town again. We don't need her showing up on top of everything else."

"Oh? Something going on?" Stella asked innocently, rocking back and forth. "I did notice a lot of people out and about today."

"Some jackass broke into the Kindergarten and roughed up Jonny!" another voice chimed in, this one a young, male.

Thwack!

"OW! What was that for?!" the male voice asked.

"For not knowing when to keep shit to yourself," Misty growled. To the side, Stella giggled.

"What are you even doing here, girl? Don't tell me your brother's dragged you into some nonsense again," Misty asked.

"I did not!" Mani shouted, popping up from behind the crates and pointing an accusatory finger.

He froze mid-motion. Eyes wide. Then slowly started to sink back down.

"Hold it," Misty commanded. Mani stood straight again, sheepish.

"Boy," Misty said sternly, "do I need to remind you that your mother gave Nic full permission to beat some sense into you if she catches you pulling your usual crap on our turf?"

Mani scratched his cheek and looked away.

Misty sighed, the edge in her voice softening. "Look, kids, there's a dangerous man on the loose. So, for your own safety, go home. If you get hurt out here, your mom'll burn the Kindergarten to the ground."

"Na… she'd lock us all inside first and then burn it down," the young man muttered.

Thwack.

"OW!"

Mani deflated. "Fine. We'll go."

"But not because you told us to," he added hastily.

Misty chuckled. "Whatever you say, kid. Just stay out of trouble. And if you see someone you don't recognize — hide. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," the siblings echoed.

"Good." She turned to her partner. "Let's move. We've wasted enough time here."

Their footsteps faded. Silence settled over the room.

A moment later, Stella's grinning face popped up over the edge of the crate.

"See? Totally fine," she whispered smugly.

Jeremiah stared up at Stella, unblinking, not quite sure what to say.

"Oof!" He grunted as a duffle bag hit him square in the chest. Alan stood over him, expression serious.

"Quick, get changed," the middle Grim sibling said. "We're not out of the frying pan yet."

Jeremiah opened the bag and blinked. Inside was a full change of clean clothes.

He slowly turned to Mani.

"…Did you really break into my apartment again?"

All three siblings burst into laughter.

——————————————————

The next hour was among the most nerve-wracking of Jeremiah's life. Every step through the crew's territory felt like a roll of the dice, yet the group moved slowly but steadily toward Market Street.

Jeremiah had been certain they'd be spotted and stopped within minutes, but somehow, the mere presence of the Grim siblings seemed to cloak him in an invisible shroud of legitimacy. Stella even waved to passing patrols a few times, earning reactions that ranged from stern glares to casual nods or even friendly waves.

All the while, Jeremiah's heart pounded like a drumline in his chest. The warm morning air clung to him, and he was fairly sure he was sweating through the shirt the kids had smuggled to him. But they were making progress—and with each street, he began to recognize familiar signs and buildings. If he had his bearings right, Ulrick's bakery was only a few turns away.

Naturally, that's when the universe decided it wasn't finished tormenting him.

"You lot! Hold up!" a voice called out.

They froze in place. Jeremiah's blood ran cold.

He knew that voice.

Sure enough, when they turned around, Nic was striding toward them, her two musclebound goons trailing right behind her.

Jeremiah's limbs locked up. All the blood drained from his face.

The siblings, on the other hand, reacted like they'd just seen a favorite aunt.

"Hi, Nic!" Stella chirped, skipping forward to wrap the woman in a hug.

Nic returned it with a faint smile, which quickly faded into a stern frown.

"What do you three think you're doing here? I've told you before — if you want to play with the crew kids, you call me first. I'll send someone to escort you. This place isn't safe."

"Oh, you know… nothing important," Mani said, avoiding eye contact.

Nic folded her arms, unimpressed. "Right. Like I believe that. If I find another of your 'pranks' stashed in one of my safe houses, I'm hanging you by your toes from the lift tower."

Then her gaze slid past Mani, and her eyes narrowed. As if only now noticing him for the first time, she focused on Jeremiah.

"And who's this?" she asked, her voice suddenly cool and sharp — none warmth it held when speaking to the children, just razor-edged suspicion.

Stella rushed back and grabbed Jeremiah's hand.

"This is Jeremiah! We heard there was trouble today, so we asked him to walk us home. Just to be safe," she said with a bright giggle.

"Did you now?" Nic replied, voice like frost creeping over glass. She stepped forward until she was standing uncomfortably close, her eyes locked on Jeremiah's.

He stood frozen, breathing shallowly, heart thudding hard against his ribs.

Without warning, her hand snapped up and caught his chin. She turned his face side to side, examining the dark bruises that painted his jaw and cheek.

"Those are some nasty bruises, Jeremiah," she said flatly. "How'd you get them?"

"That was my fault," Alan suddenly blurted.

Nic raised a brow and shifted her attention.

Alan's shoulders sagged under her gaze.

"When I heard these two were up to something, I went after them and… wound up in a tight spot," he said, gesturing toward Jeremiah. "Mr. Bridge here got me out."

Nic's eyes flicked back to Jeremiah. She narrowed them.

"Bridge?" she repeated. "As in Sarah Bridge?"

Jeremiah stiffened, jaw clenched tight.

How many times had he heard that question? How many times had he had to endure the stares? The looks of disgust and anger? Or worse, the ones of pity?

He met her gaze head-on. "Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "Sarah was my sister."

Then, something strange happened.

Nic grinned.

She let go of his chin, patted his cheek once, and took a step back.

"Well, would ya look at that?" Nic said with a chuckle, turning to her goons and thumbing at Jeremiah. "We've got ourselves a celebrity."

Jeremiah blinked, caught off guard.

One of the goons folded his arms and gave a solemn nod. "Ms. Bridge did a lot of good around here. Damn shame what Central's doin' to her name."

The other spat to the side, his voice laced with venom. "It's bullshit, is what it is. Like anyone who worked with her believes any of the crap they're spreading."

The raw bitterness in his tone — and the respectful silence that followed from the other two — hit Jeremiah like a punch to the gut. He nearly crumbled under the weight of it.

"I… uh…" He fumbled for words. Of all the scenarios he'd rehearsed in his mind over the last hour, none had prepared him for this one.

Before he could compose himself, Nic turned back to him.

"So, Jerry, what brings you out this way? Shouldn't you be back in Central living the cushy life?" Her tone had lost the cold edge from earlier. It wasn't exactly warm, but it was no longer hostile. Almost… friendly.

"Jeremiah's our newest resident at Tell Tales!" Mani announced proudly, puffing up his chest like he was the building's landlord instead of just living under his mother's roof.

"Oh?" Nic raised a brow. "Oh," she repeated, her eyes widening as realization hit. "I see…"

Then, more to herself than anyone else, she muttered, "Those damn Central bastards… never know when to quit, do they…"

When her eyes met Jeremiah's again, there was something new behind them. Not quite pity, exactly, but something adjacent.

She reached out and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Well, whatever the case, welcome to the neighborhood." A dry chuckle followed, like she knew how hollow the words sounded. "Like Ben said — Sarah helped a lot of people here. Any family of hers is good in my book."

Then her voice shifted again, stern and commanding. "That said, all of you need to clear out. This place isn't safe on the best of days, and now we've got a dangerous man roaming around."

She turned and waved them off. "Hurry along now. And stay safe."

The kids waved goodbye as Nic and her men strode away.

Jeremiah stood frozen for a moment, watching their silhouettes recede into the distance, mind reeling. Only a gentle tug on his sleeve from Stella snapped him out of it.

As they turned down the last stretch toward Market Street, Nic's voice called out again behind them.

"Hey! Jeremiah!"

He paused, looking back over his shoulder.

Nic raised her hand in a half-wave. "Keep the kids safe, okay?"

Jeremiah was silent for a heartbeat, then gave a small, resolute nod.

Nic grinned, satisfied, and turned back toward the alley.

——————————————————

As Nic and her men walked away, Ben leaned down toward her.

"Hey, Boss… wasn't that a little, I don't know, suspicious?"

Nic let out a short laugh. "As suspicious as a wolf in the sheep pen."

Ben raised a brow. "And you're just gonna let him walk off?"

Nic paused, glancing back toward the path the Grim kids and Jeremiah had taken. Her smile was tight, calculating.

"Let me ask you something," she said. "Say that was Sarah's little brother — the same little bookworm she never shut up about. Do you really think he could lay out Jonny like that?"

Ben furrowed his brow, thoughtful. "Hmm. I mean, I didn't talk to Ms. Bridge much, but the way she described him… soft, kinda bookish. Definitely not the rough-and-tumble type."

Nic nodded. "Exactly. Now flip it. Suppose he is our guy. Somehow runs into the Grim kids, takes them hostage, makes them spin that story to keep us off his back."

She turned back toward Ben, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Now ask yourself this. Who's he gonna have a worse time with? Us… or their mother?"

Ben's expression twisted into a gleeful grimace. "Ooh! You cruel bastard! I love it. Another Grim Tale to keep the kids up at night, huh?"

Nic threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing down the empty street. "Maybe. Guess we'll find out soon enough."

Then, softer — almost to herself — her gaze drifted forward again.

"I guess we'll see."