The Legendary Junkmaster

Highrise became a buzz of activity as people talked in hushed whispers about the attack the night before. The Hunters on the streets looked frustrated as they questioned everyone they could get their hands on. The Lord's men had to step in to stop it from escalating into violence within his own territory.

The moment the store was opened for the day, two individuals barged in straight past Raymond as they headed for the workshop in the rear. Raymond cleared his throat as he was about to shout at them that they could not go back there. But the men shot a look at him that stopped him from getting the words out. A nervous sweat broke out on his forehead as he stared at their solemn expressions. 'Maybe it's better to let Jason deal with this.'

The men understood that Raymond would no longer be an issue as they continued their march into Jason's workshop, where they could hear the sounds of him working away. However, before they could make it past the opening, the metallic frame of the ANT-V filled their vision as Jason sat on it and glared down at them.

"Whoever you are, you can beat it! I won't condone anyone trying to steal a look at my work!" Jason growled furiously from his higher vantage point, causing the men to frown.

"Mr Wright, I'm afraid you misunderstand our intentions." One of the men coughed as he maintained a stern tone. "We're in need of your help and we can not take no for an answer. Can we talk about this in the back?"

Jason frowned as he looked from one top to the other. 'They're serious about this. But there's more to it. I get the feeling they want to use this chance to have a look around.' Jason kept up his stern appearance as he looked towards Raymond by the door and the customers waiting outside.

"Ray, step outside please, and close the door. Let the customers know there's a delay in our opening today." Jason growled as he smirked inside at the ugly expression that flashed across one of the men's faces. He waited for Raymond to comply before shifting his full attention back to his guests. "Speak."

The men frowned at Jason's domineering attitude, but they recognised that they had to take a step back to gain his cooperation. "Mr Wright, have you heard the news of what happened last night?"

Jason snorted as he narrowed his eyes. "Of course I have. Raymond hasn't shut up about it since he got here this morning. What's it got to do with me? Haven't I done enough by increasing the reward?"

The men glanced at each other awkwardly. "Mr Wright, we believe you may know who's responsible for this. Every attack so far by Black Arrow has happened while you were in the vicinity of Highrise. You recently left and since your return you've been locked up in your workshop. However, last night's attack revealed some key information."

Jason cocked an eyebrow as he feigned curiosity. "What key information? And who are you anyway?"

He made sure to add annoyance to his tone while pretending not to recognise them. When, in fact, he recognised the guy on the left who was doing all the talking. He had been hanging around the store, dressed in far shabbier clothing than he was now. Jason jumped to the conclusion that it was supposed to be a disguise and this pair had to be part of a Hunter group or have serious backing.

"Sir, we're acting on behalf of the Lord. That's all you need to know." The man who had been silent so far replied sternly.

His partner cleared his throat to draw Jason's attention back to him. "We've discovered that it's believed that Black Arrow has a physically enhanced Power. However, according to eyewitnesses his weaponry has gone through serious changes since the information we put out."

The man took one of the bolts that had been fired during the attack out of his pocket and handed it to Jason for him to examine. "This projectile was fired from a powerful yet small weapon. The Lord hopes you can shed some light on this matter. You won't be held responsible if you were indeed the mind behind it. As long as you can produce them for the Lord."

Jason cocked an eyebrow as he let out a long sigh. "I'm not the one you're looking for... But I think I can help with the weapon."

The men stared at him curiously. Wondering what he meant. If he had not created the weapons as they believed, then how could he help with it? Jason disappeared into the workshop after warning them to remain in the shop area. They heard him moving around noisily before he returned with an item in his hands. Causing their eyes to go wide.

"This..." They said hesitantly as they looked at what Jason carried.

"Yes. It's a prototype I've been working on since I left Highrise. I have a deal with a travelling merchant to sell these once I complete it." Jason handed a poor copy of the Arbalest over to the two men for them to take a look, as well as a handful of bolts that lacked the polished finish of the ones he used personally. "You should know that I have an interest in Black Arrow for killing my friend's father. As such, I've been trying to recreate the weapons in the bounty reports. Unfortunately, it seems he's still a step ahead if he's upgraded the design."

Their faces became expressions of embarrassment as they looked over the weapon. It was clear that it was a long way from what had been reported, but they still felt it was impressive anyway. If he had been working on this since his return, it explained a lot of his actions. Especially why he had locked himself away and placed his own bounties. However, the Lord's agents remained skeptical. After all, the prototype in their hands proved that Jason could at least make a rudimentary copy. Who was to say that he had not already perfected it and taken it further?

However, their job was merely to investigate the matter and come up with the possibilities. It would be up to the Lord to make his own judgement before they could act. Besides, the reports on Black Arrow clearly stated that he was lively and had full use of his legs. Not to mention that his Power did not match what they knew about Jason. It cast many doubts on their original theories.

"Mr Wright, do you mind if we borrow this for a while? The Lord will probably want to see it and perhaps make an offer." The man on the left suddenly said, as he felt that they would get no further with their enquiries for now.

"I'm afraid not..." Jason sighed as he shook his head. "But I'll have the merchant dealing with this contact the Lord. If he wishes to place an order, he can do so through him. I'll speak with him later and make sure he calls round later this afternoon. You have to understand that I can't just take your word for it, that you work for the Lord. What if you steal this and produce a copy of your own?"

The duo revealed ugly expressions on their faces at Jason's sharp words. But they had to admit that he had a point. The weapon would surely be worth plenty of money in the right hands, and he had the right to protect it. However, it bugged them that Jason would use a middleman for the meeting. Meaning that yet again he had avoided being caught alone so that they could press him for answers and favourable terms.

"Thank you... We'll let the Lord know to expect your agent." The one on the left showed a strained smile as he nudged his partner. "We won't take up anymore of your time, Mr Wright. Have a good day."

"I won't show you out. Let the Lord know that I look forward to his patronage." Jason revealed a sly grin as the agents frowned and turned towards the door.

Jason sighed as they left, and Raymond slipped back inside. The latter shot a concerned look towards him, but Jason just waved in response to show that it was nothing to worry about. 'Well... That went better than I thought it would. I didn't realise the Lord was paying close attention to me.' Jason hummed as he glanced at the Freedom. 'It's lucky I cut them off before they got a chance to see it...'

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