Williams didn’t offer her a comfortable seat where they could negotiate. Instead, he led her to the counter where he had been seated moments ago, the wood sticky in places from spilled alcohol.

But Vera did not say anything. As long as she got the deal, she’d take it—even if he offered her a toy seat.

"I’m sure you’ve heard about Ignis...." she began. "It’s one of the strongest substances you could—"

"No, no, no," Williams interrupted, pressing a finger against her lips with a long-suffering look. "How can we just delve into business immediately without a little pleasure? Unlike the others, I like to know my partners very well." His words dripped with meaning.

Whether it was his finger against her lips or the implication behind his words, Vera felt a shiver of revulsion crawl down her spine.

She almost lost her patience, a vision of slamming the bastard against the bar top and roughing him up flashing temptingly through her mind.

Just months ago, what was a small crime lord in District One compared to her? She had contacts all over Aster City. But now, she had been reduced to this? It was annoying.

Nonetheless, Vera held back her irritation, saying faux sweetly, "What do you want to know?"

Williams leaned in, his eyes bright at the hint of her concession. "What is your poison?"

"What?" Vera frowned, thinking he meant something else until he clarified.

"What would you like to have for a drink?"

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Vera composed herself as Williams waited casually, clearly enjoying the control he had forced onto the situation. She reminded herself that she had shared drinks over deals before. Except this was different, this was clearly a game to him.

"Something strong," she said finally, holding his gaze without breaking it.

A slow grin curved Williams’ lips. "My strong woman," he murmured, amusement flashing in his eyes.

Vera chuckled, playing along.

Williams snapped his fingers, and one of his men immediately moved behind the counter, taking on the role of bartender.

The man worked quickly. He pulled out a bottle from beneath the counter, twisting the cork loose with a soft pop. Then he poured the dark liquid into a glass, followed by ice. He brought out another bottle, a lighter spirit he added in careful measure, the scent of alcohol rising faintly between them.

Williams rested his elbow against the counter, watching her as the drink was prepared.

"So tell me, my lady," he said, almost casually, "how does a woman like you end up in a dirty business like this?"

Vera wasn’t here for bonding but she gave him just enough.

"I was born into it."

Williams beamed, clearly entertained. "It would be such a pleasure to meet the parents responsible for bringing such a fascinating woman into the world."

The drink was set before her, the glass sliding across the counter. Vera picked it up, her mind already made.

"Sorry to burst your bubble," she said calmly. "But you won’t get to meet them. My father is dead."

She paused just long enough for the words to settle.

"And as for my mother..." Her gaze didn’t waver. "I killed her." She tipped her head back and downed the drink in one go, the burn of it sharp as it went down her throat.

Williams’ eyes widened just slightly and he reached for his own glass, chugging the whole thing down quite quickly. If there was one thing that move had achieved, it was the fact he now took her seriously.

There was a new wariness to his gaze. The realization that the woman standing before him might just be more dangerous than he thought.

Vera studied him for a moment, taking in the shift in his posture, the way his eyes no longer roamed carelessly over her body but stayed on her face, calculating.

"So," she drawled, tilting her head just a fraction, "do you want to know more about me... or should we talk about Ignis?"

There was a subtle warning beneath her tone. If Williams hadn’t cared, he would have continued his little game, dragging things out just to amuse himself. But the air around him changed, replaced by a grim thoughtfulness as he set his glass down.

"I did my research," he began, his voice losing that earlier playfulness. "Just months ago, your people offered the same Ignis to the Red Dragon gang and they turned it down."

He watched her reaction.

"In case you don’t understand the hierarchy here, the Red Dragons were one of the strongest gangs in this district. That was until Titan met a miserable end and the entire structure collapsed." He tapped his fingers against the counter. "But the point remains, if the Red Dragons didn’t consider it worth the risk, what makes you think it would work for me?"

There it was. Doubt.

So that was why he had been playing around earlier. He hadn’t taken the deal seriously. And since she was a woman, why not entertain himself a little while at it?

Vera let out a quiet breath, relaxed.

"You’re right," she replied. "Titan, may his soul rest, rejected the deal because it wasn’t good for business at the time. The first batch of Ignis was too lethal. Consumers went berserk, their systems burning out by the time they came down from the high. Titan couldn’t afford to wipe out his own clientele."

Her gaze lifted to meet his again.

"But that was then. The new version is different. There’s a wider window before the body starts to fail. Users can take it up to three times, stretch it over days, as long as they don’t push too far."

Williams let out a low sound, not quite convinced.

"In the end, they still die."

Vera exhaled. "Unfortunately, Ignis was never meant for long term use. The human body simply isn’t built to endure that level of strain."

"Then Titan made the right call," he said, folding his arms. "What’s the point if my clients end up dead?"

Vera’s expression lost its warmth, something darker settling into her eyes.

"Look around you, Williams." She gestured towards the outside, "Don’t you see the commotion out there? What makes you think there will be clients left by the time they force you all out of this place to wherever they decide to dump you?"

Williams’ jaw tightened.

"They can’t force us out of our homes over some made up story of some virus."

"It’s not made up," Vera cut in, her tone firm. "I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It’s real." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She let that sit between them, heavy and unyielding. What Vera didn’t say was that she had played a part in it. Instead, her voice lowered, drawing him in.

"If anything," she continued, "this might be your last opportunity to profit before everything collapses. The question is simple, will you let the anarchy swallow you, or will you take advantage of it while you still can?"

Silence stretched for a moment between them.

Right as Williams opened his mouth to speak, a sudden, ominous blaring sound echoed through the space.

Then came the screams. It was loud, piercing and terrifying. They rose from outside, followed by the pounding of frantic footsteps and the desperate shouting of Williams’ men.

"No! You can’t come in!"

Gunshots rang out next.

Williams stiffened. "What is going on?"

Something in Vera’s gut twisted. This wasn’t normal. She moved quickly to the window and then she saw it. Absolute chaos.

People were running in every direction, shoving, screaming, and falling over one another in blind panic.

Behind them was a swarm of Zombies.

They tore into the crowd without hesitation, dragging people down and feasting where they fell, blood spilling across the streets.

"Oh my God..." Vera gasped, her stomach dropping.

She spun around immediately. "Shut the doors. Now! Don’t let anyone or anything in. The zombies are here!"

"What?" Williams said, still trying to process it. He didn’t move fast enough and that hesitation cost them.

The doors burst open as a wave of terrified people rushed inside, pushing and stumbling over one another, desperate for safety.

But this was no safe haven and they didn’t come alone. The zombies followed. Their guttural sounds filled the room, sending chills down everyone’s spine.

Screams erupted.

A man was tackled to the ground, his cries cut short as sharp teeth sank into him. Another tried to crawl away, only to be dragged back. Blood sprayed on the ground while panic spread like wildfire.

More people kept pouring in from outside, thinking this place offered refuge, only to realize too late that it didn’t, increasing the population already inside. Bodies pressed against each other, trapping everyone in place.

Vera wanted to escape but she couldn’t leave without the briefcase. She pushed toward the counter, shoving past people, but someone slammed into her hard, throwing her off balance. Her foot slipped and she went down.

"Shit—" She tried to get back up, but it was impossible.

People were already trampling over her, their boots slamming into her sides, her arms, and back as they fought to escape. Pain exploded through her body.

"Get off—!"

But no one listened or cared. Survival was all that mattered.

She forced herself up again, gasping, her vision spinning as she struggled to stand.

Then she saw a zombie just a few meters away. Its head snapped toward her, blood dripping from its mouth.

"No—" Vera scrambled backward, trying to get away, but someone crashed into her from behind, their leg knocking into hers and sending her down again.

Her head hit the floor hard and her vision blurred. The last thing she saw was the female zombie lunging at her, followed by blinding pain.

Her scream of agony rent through the night as the zombies teeth sank into her neck, ripping through skin and flesh.

After everything, this was how she died.