The apartment was quiet, but the kind of quiet that made Lex more alert, not less. The pipes still moaned in the walls. Somebody's TV three floors down blared out some bootleg DVD with tinny gunshots and bad dubbing. But here, inside 6C, time had slowed down again.
Lex sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on knees, head tilted forward, still half-damp from washing blood off his hands. The towel sat in his lap, stained rusty brown. His hoodie—ripped at the sleeve and streaked across the back—was draped over the radiator, steaming faintly in the glow of the living room lamp.
The System had quieted again. No beeps, no pop-ups. Just that faint presence, humming at the edge of everything, like an app left running in the background. But Lex could still feel it, just under his skin. Like it was waiting on him.
The weight of the fight hadn't hit him yet. His body ached, sure—his shoulder was already tight from the bat swing—but the adrenaline hadn't let go fully. His thoughts were sharp. Focused. His breath steady, but... shallow. Like something was still coming.
It was.
A knock hit the door.
Three raps. Clean. Even.
Lex stood slowly. No rush. Just listening. He walked to the door and looked through the peephole.
Kevlar.
Alone. Hands in the pockets of that same red bubble coat, hood up. Still bleeding from the mouth a little. But calm.
Lex didn't open the door right away.
"You good?" he asked through it.
Kevlar's voice came back, low and casual. "You tell me, quiet man."
Lex clicked the lock, opened the door halfway, and leaned against the frame. "Didn't expect you to pull up."
Kevlar gave a half-smile. "Didn't think I would either, but here we are."
Lex stepped aside and let him in. The older man walked in like he'd been there before, nodding once at the room but saying nothing about it. He didn't sit—just stood there near the radiator, eyeing the hoodie drying like it might tell him something.
"You patched up?" Kevlar asked.
"Mostly," Lex said. "You?"
"I'll live. Tone's probably gonna be limping for a week. Dummy tried to square up with a dude holding a pipe."
Lex smirked a little. "Yeah, I saw that. Shit was ugly."
Kevlar chuckled. "Ugly, but loud. CMB don't know how to fight quiet. They come all teeth, no brain."
He pulled something from his coat pocket—a small plastic bag, folded tight. Inside: a prepaid flip phone, a roll of black tape, and a pair of gloves.
"What's this?" Lex asked, already knowing.
"Test run," Kevlar said. "Something light. You game?"
Lex didn't answer right away. He looked at the phone, the gloves, then back at Kevlar. "What kind of test?"
Kevlar leaned back slightly, resting against the radiator. "A pass-off. Just a bag. No guns, no drama. We got a drop we need someone low-profile to handle. You're the definition."
Lex scratched at his jaw. "So I'm a runner now?"
"Tonight? Yeah. Maybe more later, depending how you do."
"You usually hand out jobs to randoms with no stripes?"
Kevlar's smile grew. "Not usually. But I saw you move tonight. You didn't flinch. You weren't just swinging—you were thinking."
Lex didn't look flattered. "Or maybe I just got lucky."
Kevlar shrugged. "Maybe. But I'll take smart luck over loud loyalty any day."
The System flickered at the edge of Lex's vision.
[QUEST AVAILABLE: Trial by Quiet Hands]
Type: Discreet OpsDifficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Objective: Pick up and deliver a non-marked packageReward: +50 XP | +1 Gang ReputationBonus: Additional XP for stealth or awareness
Accept? → YES | NO
Lex looked back up. "Alright. I'm in."
Kevlar tossed him the phone. "Good man. Let's move."
The stairwell was dark, and the air tasted faintly like copper and roach spray. Lex moved a step behind Kevlar, watching how the older man's eyes scanned corners without making it obvious. He moved like he was always halfway expecting a punch—relaxed, but ready.
Out front, the night had settled into that low hum of nothing—the kind of quiet only broken by muffler pops or drunk couples fighting. A dark green Buick idled down the block. Lex followed Kevlar to it, slipping into the passenger seat without a word.
They rode with the windows cracked and the radio off. Just engine noise and soft static.
After two blocks, Kevlar finally spoke. "This life? It ain't all corner beef and party shots. Half the time it's watching, waiting. Being small until it's time not to be."
Lex nodded, eyes on the sidewalk. "I've been small my whole life. That part I got down."
Kevlar gave a short laugh. "Yeah? Then maybe you're more ready than you think."
They pulled up in front of a bodega with half the lights off and one of the letters in "GROCERY" burned out. A dude in a Yankee fitted leaned against the side wall, shelling sunflower seeds and flicking the husks at his feet. Lex could already tell—this was the pick-up.
Kevlar nodded toward the guy. "That's E. Go say what's up. He knows."
Lex stepped out, walked up casual.
"Lex?" the man asked before Lex could speak.
"Yeah."
E handed him a brown bag. Paper. Light. Folded tight. "That's it. No calls. No stops. Just walk it in. You know where?"
"Got the door number?"
"Third floor. Red sticker. Knock twice, wait, knock once. Don't talk. Don't ask."
Lex nodded. "Cool."
E gave him a look—half respect, half curiosity. "You got calm energy, my guy. That's rare."
Lex just turned and walked back to the car.
Kevlar drove two more blocks, then turned into an alley behind a faded apartment building. No cameras. No light. Only the low hum of someone's AC unit pushing too hard through a busted window.
He parked and killed the engine.
"Building's right there. Easy in, easy out. Package stays closed. They open it."
Lex opened the door and stepped out. The air back here smelled like piss and fried onions. He crossed to the stairwell and climbed fast, feet silent on the chipped concrete.
At the red-stickered door, he knocked twice.
Waited.
Knocked once.
The door opened halfway. A woman with a buzzcut and gold hoops took the bag, nodded, and shut it without a word.
Lex turned and left.
Back in the car, Kevlar didn't ask if it was done. He just nodded, started the engine, and pulled out of the alley.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Trial by Quiet Hands]
+50 XP+1 Reputation: 16th Block
Skill Usage Bonus: Movement Efficiency + Stealth+8 Bonus XP
Total XP: 202 / 250
LEVEL UP! – Level 3+2 Stat Points+1 Skill Point
New Status: Probationary 16th– Certain members may now call on you for operations– Access to Gang Affiliation Tree (LOCKED – Pending Rank)
Kevlar parked a block from Lex's building. No goodbye, no speech. Just a glance across the car.
"You kept it tight. Clean. That's what matters."
Lex gave a slow nod. "I don't do messy unless I have to."
Kevlar smiled, one side of his mouth twitching. "I'll remember that. Keep the phone on. You'll hear from us."
Lex stepped out. The Buick pulled off slow, tires whispering over wet pavement.
He stood there a minute before heading inside.
The night didn't feel dangerous anymore.
Just busy.