Chaotic ZZZ Chapter 15

With our surprisingly not at all ill-gotten gains in hand. Billy and Anby brought me over to Sixth Street. Not only was that where Nicole was. But that was also where we needed to buy my W-Engine, and its tracks.

"Guys... I am getting nervous with all this money in just a camping bag! What if one of the PubSec agents checks us and thinks we just sold a bunch of drugs or something???" Billy hissed as he looked around furtively.

With a sigh, I said helplessly. "Then we just sell you for scraps to bail out Anby so she can then break me out of prison." 

Anby nodded and said firmly. "I can for sure break you out of the low security section of PubSec's station. So don't get their real attention, and within a couple hours, we can be lying low in the Outer Rim." 

Billy let out a low whine as he whispered about how we were totally traitors and whatnot. But as we walked, Anby gave me a light nudge and said quietly but seriously.

"Jake, we are introducing you to the Cunning Hares ' preferred Proxy... When we can afford their services anyway. But you can't tell anyone the identity of our proxy."

I nodded even though I knew their Proxy was the 'legendary' Phaethon, who was one of the most wanted Proxies by PubSec and other organizations for their talents. And for escaping being hunted for being a proxy in general, which was illegal.

"I ain't no snitch," I said with a shrug, with Anby giving me a sharp look of approval and Billy throwing me a thumbs up.

The two then led me towards the one and only storefront and home of the legendary proxy Pheathon. A video rental store that made my face twitch. As the internet, phones, and such were very much a thing here in this world.

It honestly didn't make much sense that the siblings were able to actually own and run a successful video store that could act as the front for their proxy activities.

Opening the door, we were greeted by a lively, dark-blue-haired girl next to a snazzy-looking Bangboo, who perked up at the front desk as we came in.

"Oh! Anby and Billy, hello you two! Wise and Nicole are talking upstairs, but is he with you two?" The blue-haired girl asked with a raised eyebrow.

Billy then took a very long step forward to shoot forward, and with a happy laugh, he explained my origins. "Yup! This is our wonderful new addition to the Cunning Hares family, Jake Bariss! He has already taken some commissions with us, and he is both a perfect chef and amazing at making money, haha!"

The store runner gave me an all to wide smile before she spoke. "That is wonderful! So your name is Jake, right? My name is Belle, and your 'family' still has some truly OUTSTANDING' debts with my own family as well!" 

I couldn't help but laugh helplessly as I said sheepishly. "Uhhh, yeah, that's fair. Sooo how much does Nicole owe you guys here?"

Belle's all to wide smile became almost haunting as she looked at Billy, who flinched heavily and actually dove behind me to hide. 

Then Belle 'happily' explained. "Oh... Not too much. Just forty million Dennies! After Billy drove a delivery truck through a load-bearing wall of the building, a client commissioned us to have the hollow raider gangsters cleaned out of!"

"Besides that 'little' maintenance fee. Nicole still owes us a modest couple of million more dennies in back payments we have been... Soooo kind as to not add interest to!" Belle finished with a helpless shrug.

I gave Anby a look, who likewise shrugged and said thoughtfully. "Nicole collects debt notices like certain people collect collectable cards... But she eventually pays her debts if the debt isn't from a bad person." 

I shook my head as that wasn't the reply I wanted to hear. I shifted the bag off of my back and said thoughtfully. "A bit over 40 million dennies in debt right? We will take care of that now then. Having an outstanding massive debt with our proxy is a terrible idea."

Both Billy and Anby froze along with Belle as I locked the door to the store, and then with a loud, streaming clanging noise. I began literally pouring hundred thousand denny large coins onto the counter.

"Billy, come over and use your supercomputer brain to calculate the width of the area of these coins to quickly pinpoint how much I need to sweep back into the bag." I said putting my hands to my sides in pride.

Then I utterly just sagged in place as Billy happily broke my moment as he said with a whine. "Jaaaakkkeee! My memory and personality modules take up like almost all my computing power! I can't do such extreme math without wanting to dunk my head into a tub of coolant to stop it from overheating!"

Anby helpfully chimed in. "Stupid robot who can't even do math... We should have brought our own bangboo."

I then helplessly began manually counting out the coins for the next few minutes, leaving a nice lovely stack of dennies in front of Belle who smiled from ear to ear as she happily swept them into the register.

Then she asked with a naturally wide smile from such a lovely payday. "Sooo, Jake was it? What are your movie tastes, actually? Whether it be movies from the Old Capital Era and even earlier to even modern movies, we have it all!"

I looked Belle straight in the eye and I said shamelessly. "I rip my movies directly from the Interknot so I can watch them from the comfort of my own home and don't need to return them." 

"Billy, shoot him in the back of the knee. He can't be allowed to live." Belle retorted as she threw me a fierce look of anger at me. But I knew she was joking as Billy just laughed even harder.

But Billy's laughter seemed to draw attention as the bluntly labled 'Staff Only' door opened with Nicole and a grey haired young man walking out.

And seeing the three of us. Nicole's raised and eyebrow and said sharply. "Hey! What are you guys doing here? I thought you guys were going to pick up a commission or something?"

I gave Wise and Belle a look before I gave a slight nod of the head to wise in a guy greeting as I said calmly. "Hello, my name is Jake Bariss, I am a part of the Cunning Hares. And we came over to pay our wonderful, beloved, and kind bosses outstanding debt we owe."

Nicole dramatically grabbed her chest as she hissed out. "Forty million dennies!? How the hell did you pay it off?"

And with a serious expression I said calmly. "We sold Billy on the black market. And then I sold the buyer out to Krampus Authority and we ran before they could collect the money."

The room went quiet as Anby said thoughtfully. "Black on black crimes isn't a bad way to go about making funds if we use a borrowed knife to get rid of our target actually."

Nicole's face twitched before I coughed and said more naturally. "Actually, remember my Ether Abilities, we just sold some stuff."

Wise shared a look with Belle who knowingly tapped the register and sent her brother thumbs up. So Wise just cleared his throat and said with an easy going smile. "Well well, in that case Jake. I am glad that the Cunning Hares has some talent that is capable of making money... And is proactive to clear up their debts."

He took another step forward and offered a hand as he spoke in a truly genial tone. "My name is Wise. And, Belle and I go by the Proxy title of Pheathon, what's your Interknot handle?" 

I shook his hand and I quickly realized how Wise and Bell were the protagonist's of this world. Their charisma stats was off the charts!

Not nearly as omnipotent as Ritsuka Fujimaru who could charm the pants off of serial killers, world destroying Beasts, gods, and demi-gods alike. But the way Wise and Belle could hold themselves and speak to us was truly something even with their direct lack of combat skills.

But then I paused as Nicole said more sharply. "Also Jake, I gave them some info about the crazy snake Thiren that attacked you. It's going to take some time... But they will try to look into PubSec's offices and departments to find out who the heck that weirdo was."

Looking at Belle and Wise I was glad to see they weren't looking at me like I was made out of glass or something. So Nicole didn't tell them I was basically sexually assaulted by a snake thiren with an oral fixation specifically about licking.

But still I took a breath and said. "Well that's good to hear... And having paid OUR debts, it won't be like we are mooching either." I finished rather pointedly then I paused as a thought crossed my mind.

"Actually, I am curious. Do you guy's have a kitchen here?" At the siblings' nods I continued with a grin. "How about you guys let me cook up some dinner and while we eat we can try to pick up a commission or something? Much better then going to General Chow's or something next door." 

Belle gave a somewhat weak smile before she said quietly. "Uhh... We both aren't much for cooking so we don't have much if any, ingredients. But you don't need to-"

Nicole cut Belle off as she said, as serious as a heart attack.

"Belle, Wise... I swear upon all that is good in the world. Although Jake was weird to offer to cook for you guys after just meeting you. But you WILL regret not eating Jake's cooking. It literally was good enough to make that Thiren go crazy and stalk him."

My face twitched at the force in her voice with Wise and Belle sharing a look before shrugging, and Belle said thoughtfully. "Wiiissseee how often do we get to eat some good homecooking anyway?"

Wise let out a put-upon sigh. The sigh of a brother who had spent god knows how much time, effort, and emotional energy dealing with a gremlin of a sister.

And then Wise said with a light chuckle. "Fine, Belle, go ahead and show Jake our pantry. See if we need to head across the street to the grocery store to pick up anything."

Belle waved me over and said. "Come on and follow me upstairs, Jake. Come see how we basically just live off of takeout and such haha."

Then as Belle ran up the stairs... I couldn't help but notice that. 'Damn, Belle has a fucking fantastic ass. The perks of being a chair general I guess.'

And the kitchen was the equivalent of a small apartment kitchen with an electric oven/stove top. With a rather small fridge as well, and a wardrobe that was turned into a pantry.

Inside the pantry and the fridge in terms of ingredients... Consisted of a bag of moldy bread which I quickly tossed, a half dozen cans of tomato soup. Some thankfully fresh eggs in a good amount, some light cheese, and a bag of frozen mixed veggies.

"Hmm... Alright! We are going to make some Shakshuka." I said with a wide smile as I then looked to Belle and said. "Can you just go get some thick cut bread. That's all we really need at this point as you do still have a good bit dried spices and such."

Belle tilted her head to the side and asked curiously. "Is Shakshuka something from the Outer Rim? I have never heard of it?"

My lips twitched as at the reminder that with most of the world having be destroyed by hollows. Alot of culture was likewise lost in this world. So with a helpless shake of the head I said. "It's a sort of late breakfast or early lunch dish. It will be good don't worry."

Belle just accepted my words as fact and said with a shrug. "Alright, I will go get the bread while you start then? Unless you need the bread before we start cooking or something?" 

I shook my head and said. "Nope, go on ahead it's all good."

And after Belle left to go down the street to get some bread I got to work. Shakshuka was basically taking really thick tomato sauce and gently poaching some eggs inside of the sauce. But seeing as we were doing this as more of a lunch item.

I started by creating a thick butter sauce that filled the air with a rich scent as I began drawing the flavors and life out of the dried spices for a good couple of minutes. While the spices were brought back to life. I rinced off and defrosted the frozen mixed veggies.

'Hmm, some light peppers, tomato chunks, green beans and carrots. That is fine in terms of texture but it needs some more depth of flavor. Thankfully they still had some chili powder to give this a bit of a kick.'

I mused as I then began frying the veggie mix in the rich butter glaze I had created.

By now... The rich scent of the cooking and my Grandmaster tier cooking perk's enhancement had led to the scent spreading even further away from the small kitchen area.

Actual sniffs rang out Belle and Wise somehow snuck up the stairs without me hearing them and I looked back to see the two goober siblings holding the doorway as they took deep inhales through their nose.

And seeing my weirded out expression Belle said almost accusingly. "Hey! People outside of our shop were asking if we were renovating to make premade meals to sell with our movies!"

"My... Apologies?" I said helplessly as I then added the tomato soup and a fuck load of cheese to thicken it up to bring it to a low boil all the while adding even more spices to the tomato soup itself to give it more flavor.

While leaving the tomato soup to come to a boil so that it could then be used to poach the eggs. I took the offered loaf of pretzel bread and smiled as I said with a grin. "Good! Pretzel bread will be even better with it's innate added bit of salt as this is already going to be rich enough as it is."

Plus the point of the thick cut bread would be for people to ladle on the sauce, eggs, and veggies into the bread in a communal manner from the giant pan.

"I can't say the smell of this food is going to leave my mind for a while. But ahem, we already do have some commissions we have been sitting on for bit Nicole. Here let me show you what the clients want." Wise said as he went over to sit next to Nicole and talk business.

While Belle bounced over and with stars in her eyes and her hands up against the side of her head as she looked at the food with adoration.

Then she said quietly in realization. "Wait... So you are able to make alot of money, you can cook amazingly, and you can even fight really well?"

Belle then looked over at Nicole and Wise before she called out teasingly. "Heeeeyyy Nicole! How much for Jake? How about six months of free Proxy guidance from the legendary Phaethon in return for this snek?" 

My face twitched as I said under my breath. "Gorgon... Not a little snek."