Outer Ring, Kudan.

1732 Hours, July 30th 3039.

"To Victory!"

A loud clamor arose within Cyclone's exclusive bar as several children and teenagers raised their glasses or mugs to the air. The guest of honor, after a moment of deliberation, also raised her mug, which then caused the crescendo to rise to an even higher degree.

Viper raised the mug to her lips, and then downed the harsh alcohol in one quick gulp. Bam! She banged the mug onto a table, and then pumped her fist to the sky, drawing even more cheers from the crowd.

"Good Race, Viper."

Viper raised her head to see Nakamura Akikio smiling as he walked over. The lanky Japanese man's smile resembled a snake stalking its prey. Viper raised her guard, but her unease did not travel to her face. Instead, she nodded. "You did good, too. I did not anticipate you joining forces with Li."

Nakamura chuckled. "You shouldn't fight fate, Viper. The people with real power want the Cyclone. Just how much longer do you think you can hold out by yourself?"

Viper frowned. "Until the end."

Nakamura shook his head. It was not like he could not understand Viper's position. The Cyclone was one of the last few gang-free areas in the Outer Ring. He sympathized with Viper's fight to keep it that way. Unfortunately, this was a world where the strong ruled over the weak. The gangs, right now, were willing to play by the Cyclone rules. How long before they grew frustrated and just took over by force? That would result in countless, needless deaths. At least, this way, folks like Nakamura could get some benefits before the inevitable takeover.

"This was only the first race." Nakamura pointed out. He glanced at the celebrating kids. "We still have four more to go. Do you think your luck will hold throughout?"

Viper's eyes flinched, but ultimately, she stood her ground. "I don't need luck, Nakamura. It's all skill." With those words, she nodded, and then walked away.

A certain fire burned in Nakamura's eyes as he watched the teenager's confident back. However, he shook his head a moment later and then walked toward his teammates.

Viper, meanwhile, wore a frustrated frown as she made her way outside the bar. "Fuck me." The young girl cursed as she stared at the artificial clouds overhead. She knew better than most that she stood no chance now that Nakamura and Li had teamed up. Previously, she could depend on their rivalry to sneak her way into the top 5. But, if they teamed up...

Viper needed a team. There was no way around it. Only a team could defeat another team. At the very least, numbers served as a deterrent against petty tricks. Unfortunately, the best riders already had a team. Where the hell was she going to find some?

Viper reached into her pocket and then drew out a pack of cigarettes. It was funny. Many great inventions were either lost to time or rendered obsolete. However, cigarettes and booze remained a constant through the ages, soothing mankind's self-destructive vice.

Ksh. Ksh.

"Damn it." Viper cursed as she lit up the cigarette. She was just about to take a drag, when a foreign hand suddenly yanked it out of her mouth. "Hey Fucker! Don't Fu—" Viper's tirade froze when she realized who stood next to her. "...Dayle?"

Dayle, seemingly ignoring her, took a drag. A moment later, his face scrunched up like he had eaten bad pizza. "What kinda nasty shit—" Ptouey! Dayle spat on the ground and then crushed the cigar beneath his boot. He then looked at Viper with a stern gaze. "No more underage smoking or drinking if we're going to work together."

"What the—"

"Dayle, I believe you mentioned you started drinking at the age of twelve?" Arthur spoke as he and Raines approached them from the other side.

"Fine." Dayle shook his head. He looked at Viper. "You can drink. But no smoking. That shit'll kill you quick."

Viper, instead, gave Dayle a strange look, like he was a dumb student. "They discovered how to remove toxins from burned tobacco centuries ago. The worst you can get from a cigarette these days is a bad cough." She paused and then added with a light shrug, "Well, I guess it's still addictive."

"Oh." Dayle looked at the crushed cigarette and then at Viper. "Sorry about that. But you shouldn't smoke these cheap shit anyways. Lord knows what they put in that."

"Sure, I'll let you know when I can afford a DeVorian Cigar." Viper rolled her eyes. However, her attitude only lasted a moment before she returned to business mode. "What are you guys doing here, anyway?"

"We wanted to see how you're doing."

"Yeah, more like you wanted to see how your credit's doing." Viper snorted. She knew these people did not care about her personally. They were using her to achieve a goal. Well, it was fair. As she too intended on using them to achieve hers. Viper looked at the trio, and then said as she walked down the street, "Follow me."

Viper led the trio out of the Cyclone, and then through a winding set of streets till they reached a run-down building very close to the wall. Dayle, Raine and Arthur noticed that the further they went, the fewer people they came across. Even worse, those they did see appeared increasingly malnourished or in pain. The streets were cluttered with garbage and litter, while the buildings were damaged and in ruins.

To Dayle, Arthur and Raines, this was a terrible sight, but up ahead, Viper trudged through the clutter with a relaxed expression. She grew up and lived here all her life. This was an everyday sight.

Viper entered the building and then led the trio down a flight of stairs to the basement, where a steel door blocked their path. Viper knocked on the door. A eyehole slid open. The guard confirmed Viper's identity and then quickly opened the door.

"What the?" Raines whispered in shock as they walked into an unexpected sight.

Around two dozen children, ranging anywhere from 7 -18 were hard at work. Some were buried in sheafs of papers and documents, others were typing on consoles. Some were conversing with people on the phone, while others were gazing at a wall which had a map of Kudan, along with many other pictures.

The children paused upon seeing the unfamiliar trio, but then continued their work when they spotted Viper ahead of them. While the others continued, a boy who looked to be about 14-16 walked up to Viper with a stack of sheets.

The child glanced at Raines and the others, but then turned to Viper without acknowledging their presence. He handed the stack of papers over and began his report, "Our boys have compiled a preliminary report on the major players as you asked. It's not too detailed yet. We'll need much more bribe money if we want more information."

Viper nodded, but contrary to the child's expectations, did not immediately read the report. Instead, she clapped, a signal which informed the children to cease their activities and pay attention. When she had their attention, Viper, gestured at the trio at her side, "Everyone, these are Dayle, Arthur and Raines of FireRain. They are our benefactors as well as our employers. In future, their tasks will always take top priority. Is that understood?"

The children nodded.

"Good. Then, you can get back to work." Viper then looked at the boy who brought the report. "Richie, you're with me." With those words, Viper walked toward the wall that housed the map, with Dayle, Raines and Arthur obediently following behind.

Dayle wore a proud smile as he watched the children busily attending to their tasks. He smiled as he recalled a similar scene playing out when he was around 10. Dozens of children working hard towards a similar goal. The tasks were dangerous, but the cause was worthwhile. Dayle wondered what that man would say if he knew what Dayle was up to.

"Your money's on the wall."

Viper's curt tone drew Dayle's attention to a map on the wall. There were two maps actually. One was a view of the entirety of Kudan, while the second was a much more detailed view of the outer ring alone. The second map was heavily color-coded and had lots of annotations and strings pinned to pictures by the side.

Dayle scanned the map, and got a general idea of what was going on. But, still, it was better to hear from the source. "What's going on here?"

Viper pointed at the color-coded map. "If you want to get anything done in the outer ring, you have to know about the power distribution here. There are five major gangs, and roughly fifty smaller ones." The map depicted the territories of the five gangs with Red, Orange, Yellow, Green and Blue. "The five gangs control most of the territory in the Outer Ring. Starting from the smallest, Red is for the Mambas, who you already know. They're primarily a smuggling and weapons trafficking gang. They only recently rose into power, so they control the smallest territory. Orange is for the Skinheads. These guys control the flow of Skeet in Kudan."

"Sorry, Skeet?" Raines questioned.

Viper only then remembered that FireRain were still new to their world. There were still many commonplace knowledge they were yet to acquire. "Skeet's a hallucinogenic drug. Made from processing Dream Wasps' shit. Officially, it's a drug used to treat mental patients in loony bins, but those are the processed kinds. The Skinheads sell the unprocessed, raw version on the streets. Their effects are much stronger, but they are more addictive, and cause radiation poisoning if used for too long."

Arthur shook his head. "Let me guess. Despite how dangerous it is, it's still very popular."

Dayle shrugged. "No matter the time, people will always look for the easiest ways to run from the truth."

"I guess that makes sense." Viper looked at Dayle. She could not pin this man down. Most times he had a frivolous air about him, but every now and then, he revealed a wise side. She was not sure if this was a coincidence or his actual nature. "Anyway, Skeet sells like candy in the Outer Ring. So, the Skinheads have a sizeable territory."

"The Authorities don't care?" Raines asked, even though she already had an idea what the answer would be.

Viper's answer indeed fell within Raines' expectations. "The Authorities don't care about the Outer Ring. The only security we get here is making sure we don't do anything that affects the Inner Ring. Otherwise, we could slaughter ourselves for all they care."

Dayle's eyes suddenly gleamed with a strange light. "Oh? Then what happens in the event of a gang war? They still sit back?"

Viper nodded. The upper echelon in the Inner truly did not give a flying toss about the Outer Ring. "Yes. It's been years since the last major gang war, but even then, the cops did not intervene."

Dayle hummed and scratched his chin. "Well, that's good to know." He then pointed at the map. "The remaining three gangs?"

"Yellow's for The Violent Bull Gang. They run underground, illegal Bloodsports. Anything from fights to the death, to Hunts, to Survival games. If it involves people pitting their lives on the line, the Violent Bulls run it. Their members are all veterans of the blood Arena, so you can guess why most people don't mess with them. These guys eat, sleep and drink death." Viper tapped on the map with a heavy frown. "They've kidnapped countless children and forced them to fight to the death for amusement. They're the worst scum of the earth."

Arthur's brows furrowed in a tight scowl. The youth's expression darkened. "Dayle."

"Mmhmm." Dayle nodded and then patted Arthur's shoulder. "Don't worry, Art. We'll take care of them." Dayle then pointed at the Green and Blue territories. "And those?"

"Green is for the Luo Ba gang." Viper tapped on the green territory. "They run the local nightlife out here. Prostitution, gambling dens, human trafficking, underground casinos, illegal drinks... You name it. They have the most territory cause they're unofficially supported by tycoons in the Inner Ring. More than the gang, most people fear their backers in the main city. Those guys can buy your way into prison or a coffin in the blink of an eye."

Finally, Viper glanced at the last territory, the Blue. Intriguingly, the Blue territory seemed to be the smallest, only occupying a tiny location, but the fact that Viper saved it for last indicated there was more to them than meets the eye. Viper took a deep breath, and then tapped on the Blue Territory. "The final and most dangerous gang out here are the cops."

"As expected." Dayle nodded.

Raines shook her head. "It's the same no matter where you go."

Arthur looked at his partners. It was rare for the duo to so wholeheartedly agree on a single topic. What kind of pessimists were they? Arthur shook his head, and then asked Viper, "What makes you call them a gang?"

Viper tapped on the other territories. "None of these operations can happen without greasing the cops' elbows. The gangs don't only pay the cops to look the other way, but sometimes even hire them as personal hitmen to take out the competition. See, while you can fight back during a gang war, no one dares to fight against the cops. That'll bring the entirety of Kudan down on you. It's better to take the beating and retreat than hurt a single cop. That's why they're the strongest gang, with the smallest numbers. They have the law on their side."

Dayle looked at the map. "So, assuming a small gang wanted to wipe out the others and make their way to the top, what would the cops do?"

Viper tapped her chin. "It depends. I imagine they would side with the side that pays more. Or, alternatively, get paid to not intervene, and let both sides duke it out. They choose the second option much more often so they don't have to dirty their hands."

"That so." Dayle smiled. An embryo of a plan began to formulate in his mind. He looked at Viper and then flashed a thumbs-up. "Great job, so far. You've outdone my expectations by a mile and then some." Dayle looked at his teammates, and then, upon receiving their approval, said, "Here's 100,000 more credits. Put your people to work. I want to know everything there is to know about the Skinheads' operation. Every important personnel in their force. Aside from that, I want a holisti—uh, brief overview of the other gangs. Just their ranking systems and those near the top if possible. But,r remember, the main focus should be the Skinheads. The others can count as a bonus." Dayle's eyes gleamed with a challenging light. "Think you can handle it?"

Vipers' eyes narrowed. She grimly nodded. "Watch me."