The underground space was as I expected it to be.
It was a repurposed mall with an inbuilt train station beneath it, which was where the pit was.
The location was dark and mostly empty. Only now and then would we spot gang members in red, lounging about smoking cigarettes or eating food.
As me and Bleacher passed, I noticed that they stood up straighter and some even dipped their heads towards him with respect.
The militant man seemed to be a very important figure.
"You mentioned the Ten Pains before," I said as Bleacher showed me the room for the male gang members who didn't own homes. It was an old store which had been cleared out and replaced with sleeping equipment.
"Where are the others?"
Bleacher let out a chuckle. Thankfully, he seemed happy to explain things to me.
"As you know, there's been tension between the four gangs in StoneCity. Our strongest forces are always out on important missions. Meeting with other gang leaders, patrolling, visiting the safe zone to make purchases. There are hundreds of things that must be taken care of within the structure of our gangs, so you'll hardly ever catch the higher-ups loitering about aimlessly."
I was grateful for the lengthy explanation. After all, I knew nothing about this world and needed to gather as much information as I could.
It seemed that the Heartless were located in the south of StoneCity, and the mall that we were in acted as it's headquarters.
From the sounds of things, there were other gangs spread throughout the city. And from what I knew, we were not friendly with one another.
But as he responded, a question popped up in my mind.
"What about you? How come you aren't on any of those missions."
Bleacher turned his head towards me and smiled.
"I'd say this a pretty important mission. Looking after the rookies."
...
This man is too kind to be a gang member!
Bleacher continued down the hall, and I swiftly followed behind him. He led me to a room where he could give me a new change of clothes.
After all, I was wearing the casual attire that I had died in while on earth. He swiftly replaced that with a red shirt, black jeans, and a pair of trainers.
The red shirt clung tight to my body, highlighting the lean musculature of my arms, and the jeans were dark and baggy, making the cuffs cover the majority of my white sneakers.
As I looked in the mirror, I was met with an unfamiliar sight.
I was still myself. Young, roughly 5'9, 75kg with spiky red hair and black eyes. But my attire had already changed my demeanour.
I looked like I fit in with the rest of the Heartless Members already. And with the new magical essence that I felt constantly flowing through me...
That was still something that I needed to explore further.
Perhaps I can ask Bleacher...
"Ahh, he's here."
As I turned around, I saw Bleacher shaking hands with a new man.
Straight away, I could tell that he was a gang member.
His skin was a caramel colour, and his black hair was tied back in large braids. He sported a stubbly black beard and wore a black oversized jumper and tracksuit joggers.
The only red that he wore were the laces of his shoes.
I guess that was enough to signal that he was a Heartless.
"Gray, this is Red," Bleacher announced with a smile on his face, as though he had made a revolutionary joke. "He's a level 1 Slasher."
The man named Gray glared at me. An expressionless look on his face.
"I know." The man responded, voice as emotionless as his face. "I saw his initiation."
"Good. Then I don't need to introduce him. I want you to take him with you on your patrol today. He needs to learn about our enemies. In a way, it's more important than learning about our own gang. It'll be the enemy that kills you, after all, not us."
Gray let out a short chuckle at that. It seemed he was capable of emotions.
"As long as he remembers our motto," Gray answered, making Bleacher's eyes widen before he turned to leave us.
"Shit, do you even know the motto yet, Red?"
I shook my head, unaware that there was even such a thing.
Bleacher palmed his face and let out a sigh.
"This memory of mine will be the death of me."
Then, he looked up at Gray and nodded his head. "What's our motto, Gray?"
The caramel-skinned man wasted no time in giving his answer. He looked deep into my eyes as he spoke the words.
"Let the heart not lead us astray."
---
Bleacher left us shortly afterwards, and I now found myself with a man who didn't speak unless spoken to.
I stood by the exit of the headquarters as he said he had to fetch something.
As I waited, I traced my mind over the events that had taken place, and the information I had gathered.
I was now a member of The Heartless. A major gang in StoneCity, which seemed to carry many similarities to Earth.
However, this world was one of magic, and I was one of its wielders.
A Slasher.
The leader of my gang was a man who covered his identity and appeared before us as a shadow. I knew nothing about him, except that his presence was powerful.
And beneath the leader of our gang, were the Ten Pains. I assumed they acted as 'Generals', and must be some of the strongest in the gang.
Within their unit was Bleacher. An RPG-wielding man who I had swiftly grown fond of.
And now, I was to go and patrol an enemy block with a man named Gray, who I knew nothing about.
As I leaned my back against the wall, I let out a sigh.
One step at a time, Red. You'll learn more about the world soon, but for now, let's focus on staying alive.
After all, the world of gangs is dangerous.
My thoughts were cut off as I heard footsteps coming from the stairs that led to the upper floor of the mall.
I turned my head to see Gray walking down the stairs with his hands in the pockets of his black joggers.
The only difference now was that the man wore a sword strapped to his back. From the looks of it, it seems to be a katana. A red one.
Is he a Slasher too? I still need to learn about this Fury stuff...
I then came to the realisation that I had no weapon of my own, and as Gray walked past me towards the exit of the mall, I called out to him.
"Where can I get one of those," I said pointing towards his back. "The sword."
The man shrugged his shoulders in response as if I was beneath him. I didn't show it, but the gesture angered me.
"Dunno. Guess you can find something on the way." He spoke without looking at me, before pushing open the door to the outside.
I knew from then that he and I wouldn't get along. But I assumed he was a higher rank than me, which meant that I had to show him respect.
Looks like I'll be stepping into enemy territory with no weapon...
Then, without letting him get too far ahead, I made my way over to the exit of the mall and stepped through the door.
The cold breeze in the air instantly washed over me, and I relished it.
It was the first time that I had seen the sky of my new home.
StoneCity.