Selling (Somewhat) Magic Goods in Arknights

[WillowFriend]

Yeah, those gangbangers are likely going to be lucky to be alive once every patron of the cart that they just attacked are done venting out their anger at them.

 

[Krein]

Police: "We will do literally anything to make you stay"
Arno: "There's too much organized crime for me to stomach."
Police: "Boy, do we love cafeteria food!'

Not fair, still funny.

 

[aokway]

We are reaching "angry old Mexican lady" of consequences
We are meters away from people organizing witch hunts to get these guys
Crime rate is gonna see a few month's long 30% drop, simply because the criminals may have been connected to the "happy fun time ruiner, ender's of the good meals" alliance (not the actual name but damn it caught on quick after a currier said it while staring at a "digestible" food bar)

 

[Paracsus]

We are reaching "angry old Mexican lady" of consequences
We are meters away from people organizing witch hunts to get these guys
Crime rate is gonna see a few month's long 30% drop, simply because the criminals may have been connected to the "happy fun time ruiner, ender's of the good meals" alliance (not the actual name but damn it caught on quick after a currier said it while staring at a "digestible" food bar)

Click to shrink...

Just like how the Long Schlong of the Law comes unlubricated,

The People's Chancla shall come with no warning, nor quarter.

 

[Despacitoleo]

MC NOOOOOOO ASK THE CART FOR HELP TO MURDERIZE THEM AHHHHHHH THE BENTOS, THE CANDY, THE INNOCENT CHILD NOOOOOO.

 

[Tenno]

The Calls Continue

Meanwhile, at the 13th Precinct Community Liaison Office…

The call was on loudspeaker.

The moment Arno uttered the word "cancellation", the entire open-plan office froze.

Officer Han's eyes widened. "Wait— he wants to what?"

A senior sergeant at the next desk nearly dropped his coffee. "No, no, no! Tell him we can increase patrols! Double them!"

Another officer, a young woman who visited the cart almost every morning, stood up so fast her chair rolled backward. "He can't leave! His coffee and bread are the only things that get me through the night shift!"

The gaggle of officers began to pace in their cubicles nervously. Some have even begun counting their money, most likely planning to head over during the next lunch break to hoard some food.

Click to shrink...

Poor officers, they're going to suffer through one hell of a withdrawal when Arno leaves. And poor lin's already feeling it, with her going full bulldozer on arnos "competition".Also, congrats on finishing your internship man.

 

[Paracsus]

Poor officers, they're going to suffer through one hell of a withdrawal when Arno leaves. And poor lin's already feeling it, with her going full bulldozer on arnos "competition".Also, congrats on finishing your internship man.

Click to shrink...

Thanks bud

 

[lethaliclucas12]

First ever comment on this site, just wanted to say this is peak.

 

[Paracsus]

Final Preparations

The television had been playing in the background for hours now, the volume turned low. An old documentary about nomadic cities drifted across the screen, showing massive steel landships slowly crossing barren plains while the narrator spoke about Catastrophe patterns and evacuation routes.

Niko sat cross-legged on the bed, her notebook open in her lap. The pages were filled with messy handwriting, long lists of country names with lines drawn through most of them, and columns of pros and cons that had been written, crossed out, and rewritten several times. She looked tired but determined, her pencil moving slowly as she reviewed everything they had already talked about.

Arno sat at the small desk, the folded map spread out in front of him. Several notes from Rhodes Island about their smaller clinics were placed neatly beside it, along with his own scribbled observations from the past few hours of discussion.

They had been at this for a while.

Niko flipped back through the notebook, her finger tracing the crossed-out names.

"So to start from the top," she said as she tidied up her notes. "We can't go to Yan because you said it was too connected to Lungmen. Even if we went really far, word could still reach the wrong people."

Arno nodded. "That's right. Meanwhile in Columbia, there are too many big companies watching everything. It might be easy to disappear in the crowds, but it's also easy for us to get found out by large corporations. It's also gonna be hard to answer unwanted questions considering it's basically the City of Science."

Niko turned another page while Arno continued along the list.

"Victoria is way too dangerous right now because of the civil war that's happening over there. It's too dangerous because we'll be fighting off both bandits and soldiers who want our food."

'If the regular people here arguing over the last Windrunner's Fuel and Coffee is any indication,' Arno thought to himself. 'Then the desperate and hungry refugees can cause a massive uproar over food that helps them get full for a whole day. Much less said about the soldiers on either side, the better.'

"Yeah," Arno said. "Bolívar might as well be in the same boat, and it's rife with bandits and other things in between due to the war there as well. Ursus was crossed out fast because of how the military can be especially cruel to those who don't give them what they want."

Niko made a small sound of agreement and kept looking through her notes.

"Leithanien had nice-sounding music cities, but we put it on the maybe list because of all the noble politics and strict Originium laws. Kazimierz had the knight tournaments, but we crossed it out because it would draw too much attention."

She closed the notebook partway and rested her chin on her knees, looking at Arno.

"So… we've crossed out almost everything," she said softly. "What's left?"

Arno leaned back in his chair and looked at the map again. He pointed to a few areas they had marked with light circles.

"A couple of smaller city-states near the borders," Arno said, pointing at the map. "Some small towns in the western parts of Yan that aren't too connected to the capital. Maybe a few places in northern Columbia if we stay away from the big industrial zones. And there are still those smaller Rhodes Island clinics we could use as safe stops if we need them."

Niko stared at the map for a long time, her expression thoughtful and a little sad. She had been looking at it for so long that her eyes were starting to feel tired.

"It feels like there isn't a perfect place," she said. "Everywhere has something that could be bad for us."

Arno was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Yeah. There probably isn't a perfect place. Not for people like us right now."

Niko hugged her knees tighter to her chest and looked back down at her notebook. The pages were covered with crossed-out names and columns of pros and cons they had written over the past few hours.

She flipped through the pages slowly, her finger tracing the crossed-out lines.

"We even looked at Siracusa, but you said the mafia families there fight too much," Niko said softly, tracing the crossed-out name with her finger. "Laterano and Siesta seem pretty good though. They're pretty lax in their rules and guidelines."

Arno leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. They had been talking about this for hours, and most of the countries on the list were already crossed out.

"Laterano is safe," he said. "The Sankta run everything with clear laws. Crime is low, and the Notarial Hall keeps order. They are generally pretty welcoming and hospitable for as long as we follow the Law. Most people there are Sankta. Outsiders stand out. And they have very strict rules about guns. If anyone found out about the Remington, it could cause problems."

She looked back at the map.

"What about Siesta?" she asked. "The hot spring city. You said that it's pretty fun and loud and lots of tourists come and go. That might be nice. It's warm there all the time."

Arno nodded.

"Siesta is a place that is really big on tourists from all walks of life," he said. "It's a nation that is full of resorts and concerts. People come for the springs and the beaches, so new faces don't attract much attention. The rules are more relaxed than most places. No big central government watching everything. The biggest problems there are the seasonal Catastrophes and sometimes trouble from big companies, but it's still one of the calmer spots as weird as it is to call it that."

Niko made another note: "Siesta — fun and warm, tourists come and go."

She stared at the two names for a while.

"So… Laterano or Siesta," she said quietly. "Or maybe one of those small border towns we circled earlier."

She was quiet for a long moment, then looked up at Arno.

"It still feels scary," she said. "Picking somewhere new. Leaving everything behind. What if we choose wrong? What about the people here"

Arno thought about it for a moment while he looked at the map, then at her.

"There's no correct answer when it comes to these things because there are so many other things that we can't control," he said honestly. "But we'll choose together. And if it doesn't feel right when we get there, we can move again. We don't have to stay anywhere we don't want to."

Niko considered this before she added one more line underneath:

"We decide together."

Arno watched her write with a small smile. After a moment, he spoke again.

"We should also think about how long we stay in each place. Siesta might be good for a few months because of the tourists. Laterano could work longer if we keep a low profile. The small border towns might only be safe for a short time."

Niko nodded and added those notes to her list.

"What if we start with Siesta first?" she asked. "It sounds easier. Warm, lots of people moving around. We could try it for a while and see how it feels."

"That could work," Arno said. "We'd have to be careful about what we say and who we talk to. But it's a good place to test things out."

Niko leaned back against the bed and looked at the notebook in her lap.

"It's still a lot," she said quietly. "There are so many places we can't go. So many things we have to watch out for."

"Yeah," Arno replied. "It is a lot. But we've already done the hard part; we crossed out the places that are too dangerous. Now we just have to pick from what's left and be ready to move if we need to."

Niko was quiet again. She closed her notebook and set the pencil down.

"Can we look at the map again tomorrow?" she asked. "I want to see the roads to Siesta and Laterano."

"We can," Arno said. "We'll do that first thing in the morning. But after that, we still need to tell our friends at Penguin that we're leaving."

Niko's ears folded back slightly as she remembered. She looked down at the notebook in her lap, her fingers tightening around the edges of the pages. For a long moment she didn't say anything. The soft sound of the documentary continued in the background, but it felt far away now.

"…Yeah," she said finally, her voice soft. "I know."

She shifted on the bed, pulling her knees closer to her chest again. Her shoulders looked smaller than usual.

"I really like Exusiai," she added after a pause. "She's always so happy when she comes. And she brought us apples today because she was worried. It feels… mean not to tell her sooner. Texas, and the others at Penguin Logistics too, even if they're kinda silly."

Arno watched her carefully. He could see the guilt sitting heavy on her.

"We're not doing this to be mean, or that we don't like them anymore." He said gently. "It's just hard. We didn't want to make her sad right after she ran all the way here thinking something bad happened to us."

Niko nodded, but she still looked troubled.

"I know. But… when she comes back in a few days and we're not here, or when we have to tell her we're packing up… she might feel bad too. Like we didn't trust her enough to say it earlier."

She traced a finger along one of the crossed-out names in her notebook.

"And the others at Penguin Logistics… they're nice too. They always stop to say hi and talk to us when they drive by. Sometimes they stop for coffee or bread even when they're in a hurry. It hurts to imagine what they're gonna look like when we say that we're leaving!"

Arno leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"They might feel that way at first," he admitted. "But we're not disappearing without a word. We'll tell them why we have to go. Exusiai might be sad, but she'll understand. I'm sure that she's the type who wants people to be safe more than anything."

Niko picked at the corner of her notebook with her fingernail.

"I hope so," she whispered. "I don't want her or the others to think we didn't like her. Or that we were hiding from her."

Arno reached over and gently placed his hand on top of her head, his touch light and steady.

"We're not hiding from her," he said. "We're protecting ourselves. The more people know exactly where we're going, the easier it is for the wrong people to find out too."

Niko leaned into his hand for a moment, then sat up a little straighter.

"…Do you think we can still visit them someday?" she asked, her voice small but hopeful. "After everything calms down? Maybe we can come back for a day and have coffee with Exusiai again. And she can show me more of her guns if she wants."

Arno gave a small, tired smile.

"Of course!" he said. "Remember, we're not leaving forever. We're just going away for a while because it's too hot right now. And we also have phones now, we can just call them if you start to miss them."

Niko nodded slowly. She looked back down at her notebook, at all the crossed-out countries and the short list of "maybe" places they still had left.

"I know it hurts," he said finally, his voice low and calm. "They've been good to us. Exusiai especially. She ran all the way here today just because she heard there was trouble. That kind of worry doesn't come from nowhere."

Niko sniffed once and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I just… I don't want them to feel like we forgot about them," she whispered. "Or that we didn't trust them enough to handle this..."

Arno moved his hand from her head to her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"We won't forget them," he said. "And we will say goodbye properly. When the time comes, we'll sit down with Exusiai and the others and tell them the truth. We'll tell them it's not because we don't like them. It's because we need to keep you safe."

Niko was quiet again. She picked up the half-eaten apple from the table and turned it slowly in her hands, as if it reminded her of Exusiai's bright smile and the way she had waved before leaving.

"…Do you think she'll cry?" she asked, very softly.

Arno exhaled through his nose.

"Maybe a little," he admitted. "But Exusiai is a big girl.. She'll understand. And she'll probably tell us to call her the second we find a new place so she can visit. Y'know, just like how Swire did."

That earned a tiny, watery smile from Niko.

"Yeah… she would say that," she said. "She'd probably bring a whole bag of apples and try to convince us to let her ride in the cart with us."

Arno gave a small huff of amusement.

"Probably."

The silence that followed was softer this time. Niko took another small bite of the apple, chewing slowly while she thought.

"It's a lot," she said after a while, her voice barely above a whisper. "Leaving Lungmen. Telling everyone. Packing the cart. Figuring out where to go next."

"Yeah. It is."

She was quiet for a long time after that. The documentary narrator kept talking about faraway lands and difficult journeys, but inside the cart the silence felt heavier, yet not entirely sad.

Finally, Niko closed her notebook and set it aside. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I'm a little scared," she admitted softly. "But… I think it'll be okay. As long as we're together."

Arno looked at her for a few seconds, then gave a small nod.

"We'll be together," he said. "That part doesn't change."

Niko gave him a tiny smile — sad, but real.

"Okay."

She slid off the bed and walked over to the small table where they kept their cups. She picked up the half-eaten apple again and took one last bite before setting it down.

"We should probably get some sleep soon," she said. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Arno stood up from the desk and started folding the map.

"Yeah. Get ready for bed. I'll finish putting these away."

Niko nodded and moved toward the small sleeping area at the back of the cart. Before she disappeared behind the curtain, she paused and looked back at him.

"Arno?"

"Hm?"

"…Thank you for listening to me about everything today."

He gave her a gentle look.

"You don't have to thank me for that. We're figuring this out together."

She smiled a little wider this time, then slipped behind the curtain.

Arno stood there for a moment longer, listening to the soft sounds of Niko getting ready for bed. The weight of the day was still with him.

He glanced toward the curtain where she had disappeared, then spoke in a gentle voice.

"Now, no more moping, okay? I know how to cheer you up. I'm gonna make some of that grilled cheese with the tomato and pesto stuff you like."

There was a short pause. Then Niko's voice came from behind the curtain, bright and excited.

"R-really? YAY!"

Arno smiled a little.

"Yeah, really," he said. "And if you're good, maybe some ice cream after. We still have a bit left in the freezer."

He could hear her moving around more quickly now. She came out from behind the curtain. Her eyes were a little red, but she looked happier.

"Grilled cheese and ice cream?" she asked, almost whispering.

Arno nodded. "That's the plan. Go wash your face first, then you can help me make it. Sound good?"

Niko gave a quick nod and hurried over to the small sink area. As she splashed water on her face, Arno started pulling out the bread, cheese, and the small jar of pesto from the fridge.

The simple promise of her delicious food had made the evening feel a little better.

---

It was a little past 2 a.m.

The cart was dark and still, lit only by the kitchen light on the lowest setting. Niko was fast asleep in her bed at the back, curled up under her blanket as she murmured something about banana bread. The only other sound was the faint hum of the small refrigerator.

Arno couldn't sleep. He quietly got up, careful not to make any noise, and walked over to the small sink area to get a glass of water. As he filled the glass, his eyes drifted to the table in the middle of the cart.

There was a new piece of paper there.

He paused, glass halfway to his lips. The paper hadn't been there when they went to bed.

'Must've come while we were asleep…' he thought.

Arno set the glass down and picked up the notice. It was a simple white sheet, folded once. The handwriting looked neat and official.

He unfolded it and read the short message.

For a long moment, he just stared at the paper in silence. His thumb brushed slowly over the edge of the sheet as the meaning of the words settled in.

This changed things.

A lot of things.

Arno let out a slow, heavy breath and placed the notice back on the table, face up. He stood there in the dim light, staring at it for a while longer. The quiet of the cart suddenly felt heavier than before.

He glanced toward the back where Niko was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware.

After a few seconds, he turned off the small lantern, leaving only the faint moonlight coming through the window. Then he walked back to his sleeping area and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Tomorrow was going to be more complicated than he had planned. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Arno slept like a baby, now that things are finally looking up.

---

Not Goodbye, But See You Later

The morning air was still cool as Arno locked the cart's side door. Niko stood beside him, holding her small backpack with both hands. She looked a little nervous, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

But mostly, she looked pouty.

"You didn't tell me about the notice," she said, her voice carrying a clear sulk. "I saw it on the table this morning when I woke up. You could've told me last night."

Arno glanced at her as he finished locking up. "You were already upset about leaving. I didn't want to make it worse right before bed."

Niko's ears folded back slightly. She hugged her backpack closer to her chest.

"I was crying so much for the past few days thinking about saying goodbye, you know?!" she said, her voice rising with emotion. "And then you just… hid the notice from me? Hmph!"

Arno paused and turned to face her fully. He crouched down a little so he was closer to her eye level.

"I wasn't hiding it," he chided calmly. "I just wanted you to sleep first since it was basically 2 o'clock in the morning. Kids like you need sleep to grow big and strong, after all."

Niko looked down at her shoes for a moment, still pouting. Then she gave a small, reluctant nod.

"…Okay," she mumbled. "But next time, tell me right away. Even if it's bad news."

"I will, don't worry." Arno promised. "Besides, what I got can't be considered bad news unless they're not the kind of people we thought they were."

He straightened up and started walking. Niko fell into step beside him, still looking a bit sulky, but the pout slowly softened as they continued toward the Penguin Logistics warehouse district.

They walked side by side in silence for most of the way. Every now and then Niko would glance up at Arno, then look back down at the sidewalk. Arno kept his hands in his pockets, his steps steady and unhurried.

After about twenty minutes, the large warehouse buildings came into view. The Penguin Logistics logo was painted in bold white letters on several of the metal structures. A few trucks were already parked outside, and workers were moving crates and packages around.

As they approached the main entrance, a familiar voice called out from one of the loading bays.

"Arno? Niko?"

Exusiai was standing on a raised platform, holding a clipboard in one hand and an apple in the other. Her wings perked up the moment she saw them. She jumped down from the platform and jogged over, her usual bright energy showing.

"Hey! How've you guys been?" she asked, stopping in front of them. "Did you come for more apples? I can grab some fresh ones from the back if you want!"

Niko gave a small, shy wave. Arno offered a brief nod.

"Good Morning, Exia." Arno greeted. "We need to talk to you and the others. Are Texas and the rest of your crew around? Emperor too, if he's not busy."

Exusiai tilted her head, her cheerful expression shifting into one of mild confusion. She looked between Arno and Niko, clearly sensing that something was different.

"Yeah, Texas is inside doing paperwork," she said. "Emperor's probably in his office. Croissant and Sora's still sleeping in the break room, I think." She paused for a second. "Is everything okay?"

Arno glanced at Niko for a moment before answering.

"We'll explain inside," he said. "Can you gather everyone if they're not too busy? It won't take long."

Exusiai's wings twitched slightly. She studied their faces for another second, then gave a quick nod.

"Okie-dokie!" she said as she led them around. "Come on in. I'll get them. You can wait in the lobby where the vending machines are while I go look for them."

She turned and led them through the large warehouse entrance. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the high metal walls. The familiar smell of cardboard, machine oil, and faint coffee filled the air. Workers moved around them, loading and unloading packages, but no one paid them much attention.

Niko stayed close to Arno's side as they walked deeper into the building. Her small hand occasionally brushed against his arm. She looked around at the tall shelves and busy workers as they walked along.

Exusiai glanced back at them every few steps, as if checking to make sure they were still following.

They reached a wide open area near the center of the warehouse. Exusiai grabbed her walkie-talkie and put it on the general channel.

"Hey, everyone! Can you come over here for a minute? Arno and Niko are here, and they need to talk to us."

Niko stayed close to Arno's side as they walked deeper into the building. Her small hand occasionally brushed against his arm. She looked around at the tall shelves stacked with boxes and the busy workers moving crates, taking everything in quietly.

Exusiai glanced back at them every few steps, as if checking to make sure they were still following.

They reached a wide open area near the center of the warehouse. Exusiai grabbed her walkie-talkie and switched it to the general channel.

"Hey, everyone!" she called out. "Can you come over here for a minute? Arno and Niko are here, and they need to talk to us."

After some time, people started coming in. They all eventually moved on to Emperor's main office for some privacy. Texas emerged from a side office, wiping her hands on a rag. Sora stumbled out of the break room a moment later, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Emperor was already waiting for them inside, putting away his recording equipment for the talk ahead.

"Unfortunately, not everyone is available to be with us today." Emperor notified Arno as the latter noticed some people missing. "Bison isn't here today because he had to meet with his father concerning his family's company, and won't be back for some time."

Emperor checked his logs before he continued.

"Croissant left an hour ago as she had to oversee some transactions since some of my boys have been getting harassed over by the docks. We'll just notify them later. And nobody knows where the hell Mostima went, so there's that."

'Mostima? Guess there was another crew member Niko and I haven't met yet. I wonder what she looks like…' Arno filed that away for later.

He took a deep breath and began his story.

"For the past few weeks, Niko and I have started to get heckled by people who want us to make exclusive contracts with them," he said. "It's nothing new in this industry, and we were selling especially good food and drink to people for cheap, so bigger names and people wanted a slice of the pie. We rejected them because doing so would have us shut down our own store, and we would have no control on what we can sell and to who. So they started harassing us."

Texas frowned, arms still crossed. "How bad did it get?"

Arno shrugged slightly. "At first it was just words. Threats. Then it turned into people showing up at odd hours, trying to intimidate us. A few days ago, it escalated. They came armed. They wanted to force the exclusive deal. When we refused, they attacked. We handled it, but it made it clear we can't stay here anymore."

Sora, who had been half-asleep, sat up straighter. "They actually attacked you? With weapons? Did you call the police?"

"Yeah," Arno said. "They attacked us just before we were beginning to open, so there were very few people nearby. I guess they did it early in the morning to avoid the LGD patrols."

Exusiai looked like she was about to burst. "That's horrible! Why didn't you say something sooner? I could've come over every day! I could've brought backup or at least stayed with you guys until it calmed down!"

"We couldn't do that!" Niko piped in. "You have a job here too, so we didn't wanna intrude since you looked so busy…"

"I could've made time for you guys though… You're our friends now, you lugs!"

Texas gave a short nod. "That kind of thing shouldn't happen to a small operator just trying to sell food. You guys handled it yourselves? We heard about gunfire"

"We did," Arno replied. "But it showed us the limits. We can't keep the cart running here if every week brings new people trying to muscle in. It's not safe for Niko."

Emperor leaned back in his chair, arms folded, his tone calm but serious. "So you're not just moving the cart to another street in Lungmen. You're leaving the whole city."

"That's right," Arno said. "We've been talking about it for days. We looked at a lot of places, but staying here just isn't an option anymore. Word gets around too quickly in this city, so just changing districts won't be enough. And if we did, we'd be surrounded by strangers; making it more dangerous."

Niko stayed quiet beside him, her small hand lightly holding onto the side of his jacket. She looked at the floor, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention.

Exusiai's shoulders slumped. "But… where are you even going? Do you have a place in mind yet?"

"We're still narrowing it down," Arno answered. "Laterano and Siesta are on the short list right now. We're trying to find somewhere quieter, somewhere we can run the cart without constantly looking over our shoulder."

Texas exhaled slowly. "Laterano's safe, but it's strict. Siesta's more relaxed, but the government can be pretty laissez-faire when trouble comes. Neither sounds perfect."

"I know," Arno said. "There isn't a perfect place. We just need one that'll be good to the both of us for a while."

Sora looked pretty sad. "This really sucks… I liked coming by in the mornings. Your bentos were always the best part of my shift. And the coffee and juices too. Who's gonna make all that stuff if you're gone?"

Exusiai agreed. "Yeah! The coffee is really good! Plus, the bars are lifesavers when deliveries come in late."

Emperor gave a low hum, tapping his fingers on the desk. "You're doing the right thing for the kid. That's what matters. But it's still a shame. Your food was reliable. Good quality, fair prices. That's rare around here."

Texas looked at Niko, her expression softening just a bit. "You holding up okay, kid?"

Niko nodded shyly, but her voice was quiet. "I don't want to leave… but it's not safe here anymore."

The room fell quiet again.

Exusiai looked like she was fighting the urge to say a hundred things at once. She finally settled on, "If you need help packing, or moving stuff, or even just someone to watch the cart while you get ready… just say the word. I can be there fast. Really fast."

Texas gave a short nod. "Same here. We've got trucks. If you need transport for anything, we can help."

Emperor leaned forward slightly. "And if you need a quiet place to lay low for a few days while you figure out the next stop, we've got some safe houses. No questions asked."

Arno gave a small nod of appreciation. "Thank you. We'll keep that in mind."

The then turns to Niko and gently pushes her towards Exusiai, Sora, and Texas.

"Why don't you guys spend some time together for now? Emperor and I just gotta hash out some things between us and it's gonna be pretty boring. Hey, how about changing numbers and stuff so you'll know how to call them?"

Niko nodded, and grabbed their phone as she went on to talk to the present crew. Together, they left the office talking about the places she and Arno were thinking of going to as they shut the door behind them.

Once the door clicked shut, the office became much quieter.

Arno turned back to Emperor, who was still leaning back in his chair, watching him with a calm, knowing look.

Emperor was the first to speak.

"So," he said, "you didn't just come here to say goodbye."

Arno shook his head and sat down in the chair across from the desk.

"No," he admitted. "There's something else I wanted to talk about."

He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Before we leave, I've been thinking about keeping some kind of connection with Penguin Logistics. Not just as friends. Something more practical."

Emperor raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.

"You see, I sometimes think back to the deal that you offered quite a while ago when the Windrunner's Fuel first came out. About how if we gave you some, as well as some other products, you would let me have priority queue when we needed deliveries to be handled, correct?

"That's right." Emperor agreed. "You said you wanted to think about it for a while, especially since it was such a hot item during that time. People clamoring for it and even trying to make it themselves and whatnot."

"Yes, and I thank you for letting me have all this time to think about it."

"Pshh, don't worry about it, man. You and the kid are cool. And the peeps here at the warehouse love your items, so that's a plus."

Arno nodded, then continued. "I was honestly planning on rejecting your offer because we didn't necessarily deliver our food yet, and I didn't want to take the girls away from more important things over here. Seemed pretty busy recently too, from what I heard Exusiai mention on her last visit."

"Yep. Some fashion brands recently did a massive sale and suddenly everyone and their pet slugs needed new shoes." Emperor brought his flipper to his beak in a thoughtful manner. "I think it was Epoque and Cambrian that had the most orders."

At Arno's bewildered look, Emperor snorted.

"What? We're a logistics company too, you know? You really think even we wouldn't get in on the opportunity? I may not look like it, but I didn't get this swanky office for my songs."

"...Huh, I guess you're right." Arno muttered, but shook it off. "But that's not the point I'm getting to. Due to another recent development, I think I can provide you with a better opportunity, if you don't mind listening."

"Go on, then. Don't keep me waiting with baited breath. Mostima does that enough when she's left unsupervised for too long."

'That name again. What the hell does she do around here?' Arno thought as his mind drifted to the notice that came up that morning.

---

BRANCH AUTHORIZATION NOTICE

Applicable Entity: Mobile Merchant Cart

Primary Operator: Arno

Authorization Level: Absolute

Due to sustained operational success and consistent demand exceeding single-unit capacity, the Primary Operator is now granted limited authority to establish designated branch locations.

The Primary Operator may appoint authorized personnel or organizations to operate legal branch outlets for the sale of approved merchandise, subject to the following conditions:

• Selection of branch locations, scale of operations, and duration of agreements remain entirely at the discretion of the Primary Operator.

• Authorized branch staff shall receive a predetermined percentage of daily earnings as compensation.

• Branch staff are entitled to a reasonable personal allowance of merchandise for their own consumption, within limits set by the Primary Operator.

• All existing rules concerning reselling, pricing, product integrity, and anti-coercion remain strictly enforced.

• No branch is permitted to produce, modify, or replicate any proprietary goods.

• No exclusivity is granted to any branch location.

• No access to production methods or proprietary processes shall be provided.

Restocking of branch locations will be handled exclusively by the Primary Operator through a designated secure transfer point. All deliveries will be conducted personally by the cart proprietor.

The primary cart's external operations will remain unchanged.

No public indicators of branch agreements shall be displayed.

This authorization is granted solely to support measured stability and controlled growth — not unrestricted expansion.

Enforcement: Automatic

Override: Primary Operator Only

Duration: Indefinite until revoked by the Primary Operator

---

He leaned forward slightly.

"I'm willing to set up a proper supply arrangement. You'd sell some of my food and drinks at your depots and on your routes. Your people would get a cut of the daily earnings as compensation. They'd also be allowed a reasonable personal allowance of the merchandise for themselves. Everything else stays the same — no reselling outside the agreed terms, no changing prices, no access to how anything is made. I'd handle all the refills personally through a secure point."

Emperor listened without speaking at first. He tapped his flippers slowly on the desk, thinking.

"You're offering us a branch deal," he said as he thought about it. "But on your terms."

"Pretty much," Arno replied. "No exclusivity. No access to production. Just selling what I give you. The same rules that apply to the main cart would apply to any branch you run. I deliver the refills myself. You get reliable product, your crews get good food on the road, and we both benefit."

Emperor gave a low hum. "It's not a bad offer. My crews are always complaining about the same old rations on long hauls. Your food is so much better than most of the stuff they usually get. Having a steady supplier who actually shows up on time would be useful."

He paused, then asked, "How many branches are you thinking about starting with?"

"I'll still see, but if you accept then this place will be the first." Arno said. "Nothing big. Maybe one or two in other cities once we settle somewhere. I'd rather keep it small and controlled."

Emperor nodded slowly, considering the idea.

"It could work," he said. "My drivers cover a lot of routes. If we set it up right, we could sell your stuff at stops without causing too much trouble. But I need to be straight with you. If we do this, my people will expect consistency. If you suddenly can't deliver because you're on the run or something goes wrong, it'll cause problems. My crews don't like surprises."

Arno met his eyes.

"I understand," he said. "That's why I'm only offering this if I can actually keep up with it. I won't promise something I can't deliver."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling between them.

Emperor finally gave a small nod.

"Alright," he said. "I'll think about it. You draft me up a contract and I'll talk to a few of the senior drivers and see what they say. But I'm not saying no."

Arno gave a short nod in return.

"That's all I'm asking for right now." He pulls out a copy of the contract that came with the notice and gave it to his potential business partner. "I came prepared, and I wanted you to look it over before you agreed to anything."

Emperor leaned back in his chair again, a faint smile on his face.

"You know, when you first started showing up with that cart, I figured you were just another small vendor trying to make it in Lungmen. Didn't expect you to turn into someone who could actually negotiate like this."

Arno gave a small shrug. "Things change."

Outside the office, the faint sound of voices could still be heard. Niko talking with Exusiai, Sora, and Texas. Inside Emperor's office, the two men continued their quiet discussion, slowly working through the details of what a possible partnership might look like.

The conversation carried on, careful and measured, as Arno and Emperor talked about supply schedules, payment splits, and how to keep everything discreet once the cart left the district.

---

The conversation with Emperor had gone longer than expected, but it had been productive. He glanced at the clock on the wall — it was getting late in the afternoon.

"I should go pick up Niko," he said. "We still have a lot to do before tomorrow."

Emperor gave a lazy wave from behind his desk. "Take your time. And think about what we talked about. No rush."

"Just call me if you agree to the contract, okay?" Arno says. "Thanks, Emperor."

Emperor nodded as he read over the contract once more and Arno stepped out of the office. He walked back through the warehouse, the sounds of crates being moved and workers calling out orders echoing around him. When he reached the open area where he had left Niko, he expected to see her still talking with the others.

Instead, he found Exusiai standing there alone, leaning against a stack of boxes with her arms crossed. She perked up the moment she saw him.

"Arno!" she called, pushing off the boxes and walking over quickly.

Arno gave her a small nod in greeting. "Hi, Exia. Where's Niko?"

"She's with Sora and Texas in the break room," Exusiai said. "They're showing her some of the new delivery routes on the map. She said she wanted to see how far Penguin goes. Croissant also just got back and Texas told her what you told us. Now she's trying to coax Niko to not leave with some snacks and books that she has"

Arno relaxed a little. "Good. Thanks for looking after her."

Exusiai didn't smile back like she usually would. Instead, she looked at him with a mix of worry and frustration.

"You don't have to leave!" she said, her voice coming out a little louder than she probably intended. "Why didn't you tell me when I came a few days ago…?"

Arno stopped walking and turned to face her fully. He could see the hurt in her eyes.

"I didn't want to worry you more than you already were," he said honestly. "You came running because you heard there was trouble. If I told you right then that we were planning to leave the district, you might've thought that you guys failed Niko and I."

Exusiai's wings twitched. She took a small step closer, her usual bright energy replaced by something more urgent.

"But we're friends, right?" she said. "You could've told me and I would've listened. I could've helped! I could've asked the boss to give you better protection or something. Or… or I could've come by every day after my deliveries to make sure no one bothered you again."

Arno shook his head slowly. "It's not that simple. The people who attacked us weren't just random thugs. They wanted control. If we stayed, it would only get worse. And the more people we involve, the more danger we put them in. I didn't want to drag you or anyone else into that."

Exusiai looked down at the floor for a moment, her shoulders slumping.

"I get that," she said quietly. "But it still hurts. I thought we were close enough that you'd tell me something this big. I ran all the way to the cart because I was scared something bad happened to you and Niko. And now you're saying you're leaving the whole district… and I had to find out with everyone else."

She looked back up at him, her eyes shiny.

"I don't want you to go," she admitted. "You and Niko… you're our friends... Coming by your cart in the mornings, getting coffee and snacks, talking about dumb stuff… it made the long days feel shorter. If you leave, it's gonna feel weird. Empty."

Arno stayed quiet for a few seconds, letting her speak.

"I know," he said eventually. "It's not easy for us either. But staying here isn't safe. We have to think about what's best for Niko."

Exusiai bit her lip. She looked like she wanted to argue more, but she held it back.

"…At least promise me you'll call," she said, her voice softer now. "Not just for business stuff. Call me when you're somewhere safe. Tell me how Niko's doing. And if you ever need help — any kind of help — you better not hesitate. I can go pretty fast with those bars of yours."

Arno gave a small nod.

"Don't worry, applehead." he said. "We won't disappear on you. I'm pretty sure your phone bill will rise with how Niko will probably try to call."

Exusiai let out a huff at the nickname, but smiled nonetheless.

"Okay," she said. "I guess that's better than nothing."

She looked toward the break room where Niko was still with Sora and Texas, then back at Arno.

"Just take care of yourselves, okay? Don't do anything dangerous while you guys are on your own out there."

"I won't," Arno promised. "We'll make sure of it."

Exusiai gave a small, sad smile, though it didn't reach her usual brightness. She stood there for a moment longer, as if she still had more to say, but couldn't find the right words.

The warehouse continued its usual activity around them — workers calling out, crates being moved, the distant rumble of trucks — but for a brief moment, the space between Arno and Exusiai no longer felt smothering.

 

[DystopianFjord]

"I don't want you to go," she admitted. "You and Niko… your our friends...

Click to shrink...

Pretty sure this should be "you're" but that was the only thing that stood out to me.

 

[Paracsus]

Pretty sure this should be "you're" but that was the only thing that stood out to me.

Click to shrink...

Fixed. Thanks for catching that.

 

[Tenno]

Final Preparations

Click to shrink...

Aww, this is pretty bittersweet. Also, with how they're rating places to go too, i cant help but think that they're eventually gonna open a branch at RI or just settle there.

 

[Arweinydd]

And we also have phones now, we can just call them if you start to miss them

Click to shrink...

If I remember right communication device exist, but their range is quite limited city per city in the same nation or just limited to the city proper. Essentially glorified walkie talkie. Random Catasthrope, moving cities, blocked out skies, etc is the reason why communication is slow, hence no proper signal tower or satellite

I can remembering it wrong, but I remember it kinda plot point because sending message like this is essentially the reason Messenger profession exist, and why spread of information quite slow despite modern tech.

 

[Paracsus]

If I remember right communication device exist, but their range is quite limited city per city in the same nation or just limited to the city proper. Essentially glorified walkie talkie. Random Catasthrope, moving cities, blocked out skies, etc is the reason why communication is slow, hence no proper signal tower or satellite

I can remembering it wrong, but I remember it kinda plot point because sending message like this is essentially the reason Messenger profession exist, and why spread of information quite slow despite modern tech.

Click to shrink...

...Welp. Guess who's gonna be really upset when she finds out.

Jokes aside, I'm aware. It'll be adressed soon enough. Let's just say it comes with the new notice.

 

[CereysKerrigan]

Don't make this man cry. I ugly cry.

 

[Paracsus]

Arno and Niko had been stuck in this rotting world for over almost a month now. The cart sat sealed tight on the edge of a motel parking lot, shutters locked, doors reinforced. They had quickly learned that opening for anyone here was usually a bad idea.

Just as they were preparing for their final departure, they got whisked off into the night while they were asleep. One indication that they were not in Lungmen anymore was that they sat in an open field filled with crashed and abandoned cars and numerous corpses. It was scary for Niko for a while due to all the gore, but thankfully Arno seemed cognizant of the danger they were in and prepared his rifle as they rode the cart around. Things went spotty quick when the "corpses" began standing up, some with their jaws and limbs missing.

It didn't take long for them to figure out where they were when a cop on horseback named Rick told them what was going on. After some explaining on what happened and where they were, they thanked him and gave him some food for the journey as he rode off towards Atlanta.

After getting their bearings, it was business as usual from there...at least as usual as you could get in an apocalypse.

The first few customers like in Hershel's Farm and the Woodbury settlement seemed fine enough. They were skeptical at first seeing a kid with purple hair moving around in a cart filled with food, as people usually would. But Arno managed to get the idea across that they weren't here to harm people by providing some samples of his goods, which appeared to be leagues better than bread that's been sitting in an abandoned supermarket for over 2 weeks, and a bottle of water from a creek. They immediately became a commodity as people were coming in droves with materials and items of varying value that the Cart seemed to accept as currency. This ranged from boxes of nails and worn tools to more precious items like batteries and even loose ammo.

But after that were also incidents where settlements and raiders thought that they could take the cart and food for themselves, maybe even have some fun with the cute girl in the seemingly vulnerable wooden box filled with food.

The notion of the cart being vulnerable was immediately proved wrong when all efforts to break it resulted in broken tools and weapons, as well as wasted explosives and bullets.

The Cart also did not seem to like being assumed as an easy target, so you could imagine the bandits' surprised faces when the top exterior suddenly revealed something that had them running for the hills.

A Cannon, loaded with grapeshot and explosive ammo.

Spoiler

Needless to say, while the surviving members of the bandit groups retold their accounts (much to the incredulous looks of whoever was listening), the Cart was no longer to be trifled with.

And here they are now, in Macon after some trades here and there with some wandering survivors, and providing a semblance of safety for the night to those who ask before they continue their journey to wherever it is they're going.

No, they don't let them inside. If they did, they'd never leave. Instead, if they are going the same way, Arno let's them sleep on top of the cart while Niko gives the traveller a spare pillow and blanket as the Cart chugged along at its usual pace. The most recent one named Morgan was kind enough to donate an extra copy of his map before he continued on his journey.

As they opened for business to the hungry looking survivors, Arno ran the whole spiel of communicating to the people in charge to let them know they aren't a threat, and have food to sell if they can afford it.

An African-American man named Lee met them halfway with an older man name Kenny. Things seemed to go pretty well, but as they were about to close the deal…

Until Larry saw the stock.

The older man's eyes widened for a brief second before narrowing into pure greed. Without warning, he drew his pistol and pointed it straight at Arno.

"Everybody freeze," Larry barked. "This changes things. Look at all that food! They've got enough in there to feed us for weeks!"

Lee stepped forward quickly, hands raised. "Larry, what the hell are you doing? We were negotiating—"

"Negotiating?" Larry cut him off, voice rising. "They're sitting on a goldmine while our kids are eating scraps! Hand it all over. Now. We've got women and children who need it more than some traveling salesman and his kid."

Kenny looked uncomfortable but didn't immediately object. A few others in the group muttered in agreement, their hungry stares fixed on the open counter and the visible crates of supplies.

Arno kept his hands visible and his tone level, though irritation was clear in his eyes. He spoke as he slowly backed up towards the entrance of the cart. "Look, man. That's not how this works. I sell this stuff to get access to things other people in other places might need. Put the gun down before someone gets hurt. This is stupid."

Larry laughed bitterly. "Stupid? You're the one hoarding while people starve! Open the cart and start unloading. All of it."

Niko, who was inside, began to pack things up. Thankfully, they didn't set up the outside tables yet in case things went south.

Arno kept their attention on him as Niko quickly closed up.

He glared at Larry as he was near the entrance. "We already said no. You're not the first person to try this, and you won't be the last. Please…we don't want to make this the last conversation you people will ever have.."

The situation grew tense. Lee tried to talk Larry down while Katjaa and a few others watched nervously. Some survivors looked ashamed, but hunger and the sight of real food had clearly worn down their patience.

Arno shook his head slowly. "We trade fairly or not at all. That was the deal on the table. Threatening us won't change that."

Larry took a step closer, gun still raised. "You think that fancy cart of yours scares me? We've got numbers. We can take what we need."

Inside the cart, Niko muttered under her breath, "Here we go again…"

Arno remained calm on the surface, but his patience was clearly running thin after nearly a month of similar encounters. "Last chance. Lower the weapon and back off. We can still trade like civilized people. Or you can walk away empty-handed. Your choice."

The group outside shifted uneasily. Larry's face grew redder as he waited for someone to back him up. The standoff hung in the air, with the sealed cart and its two occupants showing no signs of giving in.

Arno immediately jumped inside and locked the door, completely closing the cart off as the shutters and windows all slammed shut.

Just in time for Larry to open fire. And the Cart has been quiet ever since.

Communications have broken down, and repeated attempts have been made to compromise it from the outside, only to get the same broken tools and wasted ammo that the ones who previously tried.

'The glasses guy named Mark and some others even tried to set us on fire.' Arno thought, amused. 'Thankfully, some of the actual children had more common sense and brought up that if they set the Cart on fire, the food inside will go as well.'

They have been in this area for a few days now, and all Arno and Niko have been doing right now is eating pancakes and studying some maps and the supplies they got from other survivors, thinking about where to go next after this incident.

Especially after Larry's first attempt to bully them into handing over their food.

Yet the knocking never stopped.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

"Still them," Arno muttered, not even bothering to look up from where he sat cleaning the Remington Model 8.

Niko sighed loudly and dropped her head onto the small table. "Again? This is the fourth time today. Don't they have walkers to worry about?"

From outside came Lee's patient voice. "It's Lee. We've got some water and batteries if you're willing to trade. The kids are pretty hungry…"

Before Arno could answer, Larry's loud, angry bellow cut in. "Trade?! Screw that! They're sitting on a whole cart of food like kings while we eat beans from a can! Open the damn door before I kick it in!"

Niko rolled her eyes so hard Arno could almost hear it. "There he goes again. Does he think we'll suddenly feel bad with all of that yelling he's doing? I'm pretty sure he'd just hurt his back if he tried kicking that door anyway."

Arno shook his head, the corner of his mouth twitching in tired amusement. "First of all, that's mean. Second, you're probably right. At this point, I think he's just hoping we'll get so tired of hearing him that we open up out of pure spite."

Niko leaned back against a crate, letting out a long, dramatic sigh. "Spite sounds tempting right about now. We could open the door just enough to roll out a single expired bean can and slam it shut again. Bet he'd still complain."

A faint smirk crossed Arno's face despite the exhaustion in his eyes. "Don't tempt me. At least they're not violent or horrible enough for me to need to bring out the cannon again. Remember the Claimers?."

Niko shuddered at that memory. Violence would normally be something she'd be adverse to it, but the fact that one of them drooled at her made her glad that their cannon had grapeshot in it instead of being something harmless like smoke.

Outside, Lee's voice tried to intervene again, sounding worn thin. "Larry, come on. This isn't helping anybody."

Kenny added, "We're all trying to survive here. Don't make us beg."

Larry immediately bulldozed the calmer approach. "Beg?! We shouldn't have to beg! Those two are hoarding like it's the end of the world—oh wait, it is! Open up, you selfish cart people!"

Niko snorted softly. "Cart people? At least he's keeping it PG-13, now. He really committed to that one, huh? It's almost impressive how consistently annoying he is."

Arno rested the rifle across his knees and rubbed his face with both hands. "Yesterday it was 'moving vending machine bandits'. The day before that, I think we were 'traveling snack tyrants.' Give the man credit for variety and creativity."

They fell quiet on purpose. Answering only made the group stay longer and argue louder. A few minutes dragged by. Then came the sound of heavy boots circling the cart, tapping on shutters like Larry was conducting some kind of very determined inspection.

"You know we can see smoke when you cook in there!" Larry shouted. "We can smell it! You're making food right now, aren't you?!"

Niko whispered, "We're not even cooking today. That's just the coffee that's permanently fused into the walls at this point."

Arno let his head thunk lightly against the wall. "I'm starting to miss the gangsters back in Lungmen. At least they only tried to rob us once. These people show up four times a day like it's their full-time job."

Another knock followed — lighter this time, higher up on the shutter. Duck's small voice came through. "Mister? Miss? Do you have any apples? We saw you put some out before this… wait, no, that was somewhere else. Never mind."

Niko winced, her playful expression fading for a moment. "Ugh. He had to bring out the kid voice. That one actually stings a little."

"Yeah," Arno admitted, voice softer but still tired. "But we both know if we give Duck something, Larry will be here in ten seconds demanding the rest 'for the group.' Kid's being used as a Trojan Horse."

Niko poked at a loose thread on her sleeve. "Still…even when we have a little bit of the bread for the kids when they first came in, the adults took it anyway. At least that Kenny guy managed to give some to Duck before Lilly snatched it. If we give any more, then they'll be back tomorrow yelling louder."

"Exactly." Arno exhaled slowly. "We've done this song and dance enough times already. And if we give them some stuff, we're just rewarding bad behavior. I'm surprised that half of Macon's walker population hasn't come by with all this racket.

The group outside murmured. Someone (probably Lilly) tried pulling Larry away, but the older man kept grumbling the whole way. "Fine! We'll come back in an hour. They have to open eventually! Nobody can stay locked in a box forever!"

Footsteps retreated toward the motel, though not without a few last resentful glances thrown at the cart.

Arno looked over at Niko with a weary half-smile. "Think they'll actually wait a full hour this time?"

Niko gave him a flat, deadpan stare. "Twenty minutes. Maximum. I'm betting fifteen if Kenny gets hungry again."

"Want to take bets?" Arno asked, raising an eyebrow. "Loser has to clean the coffee grinder tomorrow."

"You're on," Niko replied, managing a tired grin. "Though at this rate, we'll both lose when they start knocking again at ten."


"Probably," Arno said, closing his eyes for a moment. "But then they'll just track us down again tomorrow like lost puppies with very loud opinions."

The two of them sat in comfortable, tired silence inside their reinforced home. They both knew the knocking would start again soon. The cart stayed firmly shut, and the mixture of amusement and irritation inside only deepened with every repeated visit.

Arno chuckled quietly, the sound lacking much energy. "This world is exhausting. Walkers are one thing. Persistent survivors who treat us like a mobile grocery store that owes them free samples? That's something else entirely."

Niko stretched her arms above her head and slumped further down. "At least the cannon keeps the really bad groups away. These people are just… annoyingly stubborn. Think we should move the cart tonight after they go to sleep?"

Arno was quiet for a long moment, staring at the sealed shutters. The constant knocking, the demands, the same tired arguments every few hours — it had worn them both down. Finally, he stood up.

"No. Not tonight." He reached for the starter mechanism. "We're leaving now. I've had enough."

Niko blinked, then broke into a genuine smile. "Really? Right now? Yes please."

The cart rumbled to life with a low mechanical growl. Arno took the controls while Niko quickly secured a few loose items. Outside, the engine noise immediately drew attention.

"Hey!" Mark's voice hollered from on top of the RV. "Lee! Kenny! The cart is moving! They're trying to leave!"

Rapid footsteps approached. Larry's loud, mocking laugh rang out. "Hah! Good luck with that! We've been piling junk and barricades around it for days. That thing isn't going anywhere!"

Arno glanced at Niko with a tired but satisfied look. "They really thought a few broken cars and furniture would stop us."

Niko grinned back. "Their funeral."

The cart lurched forward, pushing debris aside with surprising ease. Shouts of surprise and anger rose from the group. Larry kept laughing — right up until the roof mechanism whirred loudly.

A heavy metallic clank echoed as the cannon turret rose into view.

"Wait— what the hell is that?!" someone yelled.

The cannon swung slightly, then fired a single deafening blast of explosive ammunition into the largest barricade blocking their path. Wood, metal, and old tires exploded outward in a messy spray. The shockwave knocked Larry flat on his backside.

The path ahead was now clear.

Arno didn't wait around. The cart picked up speed, rolling steadily out of the motel parking lot and back onto the ruined road. Behind them, the survivors stood stunned amid the smoking wreckage of their barricades.

Niko peeked through a small viewing slit, giggling despite herself. "Larry's still on the ground while everyone is panicking at the sound of the explosion."

Arno allowed himself a small, satisfied smirk as he steered the cart forward. "Good. Maybe now they'll finally leave us alone."

The motel and its increasingly frustrated residents grew smaller in the distance. For the first time in days, the knocking had finally stopped.

As the cart picked up speed and began rolling steadily out of the motel parking lot, Arno went to open a small shutter on the side facing the stunned survivors. He tossed out a folded piece of paper weighted with a small, sealed tin of preserved meat.

The note landed clearly in view of Lee and the others.

Arno did not wait for a response. The shutter slammed shut again, and the cart continued onward.

---

Lee picked up the note and unfolded it. The handwriting was neat and precise:

"To the survivors at the motel,

We understand that you are hungry and suffering. Many people in this world are. We have seen it ourselves these past weeks. However, pointing guns at us and trying to take what is ours by force does not make you any different from the bandits at the Save-Lots depot. It only proves you have chosen the same path.

We are traders, not charity workers, and certainly not your enemies. But we will protect ourselves.

Be extra careful how you move on from here. Desperation has already made you reckless. It will get you killed if you do not control it.

Good luck.

— Arno & Niko"

Lee stared at the paper for a long moment. Behind him, Larry was still cursing on the ground while the rest of the group stood in uneasy silence.

Inside the moving cart, Niko leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath. "Think they'll actually listen?"

Arno kept his eyes on the ruined road ahead. "Probably not. But at least we said it."

The cart rolled on, leaving the motel and its persistent residents behind. For the first time in days, the only sounds were the rumble of the engine and the quiet relief inside their reinforced home.

---

AN: Just to let you know on how either Arno and Niko know about this world, it's a mix. Arno has watched the show in it's grueling entirety. While on Niko's 11th birthday, her mother told her to buy any game she wanted so she picked the TellTale Walking Dead (Definitive Edition). Her mother was skeptical at first after seeing the game, but a promise is a promise. Niko was scared at first because of how scary the zombies look, but she pulled through with her mom.


For the timeline, basically it's this:

1. Upon Arrival, Episode 1 of the game has already finished, and are currently a few months in at the start of Season 2. This is where Mark has already joined, but before meeting Ben and the St. John's.
2. Rick has just woken up from his coma, so weeks have passed already, and is heading to Atlanta on his horse with his bag of guns. He doesn't know how bad it is yet, but Arno has advised him to avoid the streets. He listens and lets the horse run free before encountering the horde. He meets Glenn early.
3. Morgan has already released Duane and went on his journey as more time has gone on with Arno and Niko travelling to different settlements. (Hershel's Farm after Lee has left, Woodbury in its infancy waaaay before the Governor took over, the Claimers before they've gained proper notriety but still a large force).

Not sure if this is the correct path, but this is how I think things went down.

P.S.: If you've read Corner Case by Kencord, you'll see the inspiration I made this from. Just felt like things could've been handled differently, y'know? Still a banger fic.

 

[mauveine]

we got ourselves some repeated text

Arno chuckled quietly, the sound lacking much energy. "This world is exhausting. Walkers are one thing. Persistent survivors who treat us like a mobile grocery store that owes them free samples? That's something else entirely."

Niko stretched her arms above her head and slumped further down. "At least the cannon keeps the really bad groups away. These people are just… annoyingly stubborn. Think we should move the cart tonight after they go to sleep?"

"Probably," Arno said, closing his eyes for a moment. "But then they'll just track us down again tomorrow like lost puppies with very loud opinions."

The two of them sat in comfortable, tired silence inside their reinforced home. They both knew the knocking would start again soon. The cart stayed firmly shut, and the mixture of amusement and irritation inside only deepened with every repeated visit.

Arno chuckled quietly, the sound lacking much energy. "This world is exhausting. Walkers are one thing. Persistent survivors who treat us like a mobile grocery store that owes them free samples? That's something else entirely."

Niko stretched her arms above her head and slumped further down. "At least the cannon keeps the really bad groups away. These people are just… annoyingly stubborn. Think we should move the cart tonight after they go to sleep?"

Click to shrink...

Also, ending up in The Walking Dead? That's some special kind of punishment, right there

 

[Paracsus]

we got ourselves some repeated text


Also, ending up in The Walking Dead? That's some special kind of punishment, right there

Click to shrink...

Thanks. Wrote this on my phone do it's a bit hard to see.

Write next chapter ️
Write random omake

 

[SHARKSODA]

This is really good……i wish this wasn't a one shot scene omake so i could fuel my zombie world addiction more

I really wish there were more walking dead fics….it feels like the verse is under utilized

 

[Tenno]

A Customer's Musings - 3

Hey journal, have you ever experienced a sudden wave of dread? A distinct unease? Like, I'm in the middle of working a machine when you suddenly feel something drop in your stomach? Cu's I did, almost lost a hand to a press when it happened.

Still, as weird as it was, I shrugged it off and kept on working. Figured it was a passing thing. Sadly, it was not.

See, that uneese I mentioned? Yeah, it got worse. How? Well, 2 reasons.

First reason, during my break I went to a little diner near the shop I work at. Settled in, ordered, and was about to relax. That was until a bunch of students shambled in, looking like they hadn't slept in days. Ordered the strongest coffee the place had. Strange, but not strange. And as I was thinking that, I started hearing them talk about Arnos shop. Like how they're "Looking for alternatives", "no more deliveries", "stocking up", "how to cope", and "Strategies to make him stay". Said strategies ranged from the tame, like bribes, to the not-so-tame of selling themselves to him, which was extreme.

Now, while I may not like poking into other people's business, hearing them talking about all those things got me thinking. Everyone knows that Arno's been hit with trouble lately, and people started speculating that he might leave because of it. But he won't actually do that, right? I mean, he's got friends in the LGD, doesn't he? He's not just gonna leave, right?

And that leads to the second reason. See, on my way home after my shift, I passed by the LGD HQ. And do you know what I saw? What made my feeling of unease worsen? I saw empty coasters.

"Empty coasters? What's wrong with that?" is probably what you're saying. And normally, you'd be right; there is nothing wrong with it. But to a loyal customer of Arno like me, we all learned of the LGD officers near horrific addiction to his coffee. Where officers genuinely fight over who gets to patrol his route (They even gave the route a name, Arnos Lane), just so they can get fresh and hot coffee. While the rest get the colder delivered ones. And how do I know this, you may ask? Well, simple. I asked.

And seeing those empty coasters, the near catatonic state of the officers in front of them (by Lung, one was grasping the air above their coaster, and another was openly weeping while cradling an empty cup!), and not a single delivery drone or Arno Brand coffee cup in sight. Genuinely scared me.

Because if Arno really is canceling orders, if he really is going to leave, I fear that everyone who's grown dependent on Arno's products. Is going to face one hell of a withdrawal.

 

[Despacitoleo]

This is really good……i wish this wasn't a one shot scene omake so i could fuel my zombie world addiction more

I really wish there were more walking dead fics….it feels like the verse is under utilized

Click to shrink...

god I wish the author also continued this plot with the NOIK in all her glory, mainly cause instead of zombies I want to feed my Niko addiction

 

[WillowFriend]

Yeah, Larry fucked around and found out the hard way. Seriously? Trying to mug the only guy who could feed the group under the pretense that since it's an apocalypse, he can mug the man and his charge?

Yeah, the old fuck managed to screw everyone over. Should have just played by his rules instead of inviting others to play the bandit game.