"Hey, asshole! I told you to stay away from me!"
Somewhere in the Old West, near the town of Gallows Creek, the air was thick with heat, and sand etched paths across the barren roads.
A car slowly approached the town, now visible on the horizon. Inside were six individuals—Jasper and the rest of the Neo X squad.
"You're the idiot who always takes up all the space, dumbass leader," Jasper snapped, clearly irritated.
Ever since they'd been teleported to the outskirts of the city, he and Slavik hadn't stopped bickering.
"Enough already! You're both driving me crazy!" Suse finally exploded, seated between them and quickly losing her patience.
Lin was fast asleep with headphones on, blissfully unaware of the chaos. Neo 8 stared silently out the window. In the driver's seat, F16 navigated calmly, as if he'd grown used to the dysfunction.
"I thought they were going to teleport us directly into the town," Jasper grumbled, his tone finally cooling down.
"We usually do that when the target is a dangerous XCP or one acting purely on instinct. But this time is different," F16 replied without taking his eyes off the road.
"This one could be human. We can't afford to draw attention. Besides, something's off—no local citizen has reported any deaths or abnormal incidents."
Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Wait... you mean—?"
"The townsfolk are hiding something," Suse cut in, her expression darkening.
"Ah. One of those cases," Slavik muttered, watching the scenery roll by. "The kind where the XCP is either loved… or feared."
"Oh, Mr. F16, someone's heading this way. We could try here," Slavik suggested as he spotted a figure in the distance.
F16 brought the car to a stop. Everyone climbed out. With a quick motion, the car shrank to the size of a toy. F16 casually slipped it into his pocket.
"Alright team, just like I said—gear up," F16 ordered, tapping a command on his wristband.
One by one, the squad members activated their devices. In an instant, their clothes transformed into old west attire. Jasper blinked, now dressed as a cowboy—wide-brimmed hat, worn boots, dust-covered vest. he had thought the bracelets were a joke...until now.
"Wait… aren't we missing something?" Lin mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Oh right, forgot," F16 said, pulling several miniature horses from his pocket.
Within seconds, the horses expanded to full size. Jasper couldn't help but marvel. The Association's tech was ridiculous—shrinking large objects into pocket-size? Insane. Sadly, the same couldn't be done with high-level weapons, which required special cases instead.
With everything in place, the squad began walking… until they crossed paths with the man.
"Excuse me, good sir. Do you have a moment?" Slavik asked, approaching with a casual demeanor.
"Sure. Are you from the next town over?" the man asked, taking off his sun cape.
"Yes, we are. Our horses are worn out and need water. I heard there's an inn here in Gallows Creek, but also rumors of danger," Slavik replied, gauging the man's reaction.
"Ah, outsiders. Well, I'm not from here either—I'm just a merchant. But lately… the place has been peaceful. Never seen the town this quiet before."
"Peaceful? Funny. I heard there were gangs causing trouble around here," Slavik pushed a little further.
The man paused, thinking.
"Now that you mention it... yeah. I used to have to pay escorts every time I passed through. This time, they said I didn't need one."
"They? What, the authorities arrested the gangs?" Suse asked, smoothly joining the conversation.
"No, no arrests... They didn't tell me much. But right before I left, this boy with a scar called to me from an alley. Said something like, 'they were burned.' Honestly, I thought it was just a kid being weird."
"I see. Thank you, sir. You've been very helpful," Slavik said with a nod and returned to the group.
"What's your take?" he asked, serious.
"Exactly what we feared," Lin answered grimly. "The town's hiding the truth. Too calm to be real."
"Then it's decided. Time to investigate," F16 said, voice steady.
They mounted their horses and rode toward the town.
***
"So this is Gallows Creek," Suse murmured as they arrived.
The town looked like something ripped straight from a western film—dusty roads, wooden buildings, an atmosphere that rejected modernity. And yet, a few automobiles and renovated homes dotted the scene. A strange fusion of past and future.
As they crossed into the village, the eyes of the locals locked onto them. Theydidn't belong here—and everyone knew it.
Pam!
Out of nowhere, a boy crashed into F16's horse. He was filthy, his clothes torn and ragged.
"Oh, sorry! Won't happen again!"the kid stammered, already turning to bolt from the scene.
F16 gave a slight smile, watching the boy for a few seconds.
"Morning… This is the inn, right?" he asked, eyeing a large building with a faded, weather-beaten sign.
"Yes, sir. Welcome. It's $120 for the night, $20 per person," the manager replied in a flat tone.
"Alright. We'll take it."
A few minutes later, the team was gathered inside a spacious room at the inn.
"Wowww! This place is huge! And I look like a Western movie assassin!"
Neo 8, who had been ordered to stay quiet until now, finally broke the silence with a huge grin.
"It's an inn, not a house... And I think you meant 'actress,' not assassin," Lin said, flopping onto the bed with a lazy smirk.
"Focus," F16 cut in, arms crossed as he looked out the window. "I know it's cozy, but we're still on a mission."
"We need to investigate, but we can't all move at once. Neo 6. Neo 7. You two will take the lead."
Both turned toward him at the same time, sharing—for the first time—a flicker of mutual annoyance.
"What? No way I'm working with him!"
"I'm not teaming up with this asshole either!"
F16 raised an eyebrow.
"It's not up for debate. Neo 6, your ability makes you perfect for gathering intel. Neo 7, you can copy it. That makes you ideal."
"Ay… fine. But only 'cause you're the boss," Slavik grumbled, arms crossed. "So where do we start?"
"Simple." F16 nodded toward the window, pointing to a narrow alley down the street. "With the one kid who didn't look scared to talk."
They all glanced outside.
In the distance, a group of dirty kids lingered in the alley. Among them—one familiar face.
The same boy from earlier. In his hand… was F16's wallet.
"We need to find the boy with the scar," F16 muttered. "But first, I'm getting my damn wallet back."