Ava had
seen the bunker's trade system
up close.
But the
real
deals?
The ones that
actually mattered
?
Those happened
underground.
And Lucas Bai was
taking her straight into the heart of it.
The so-called
Black Market
wasn't actually
black
or a
market
in the traditional sense.
It was
a hidden network
beneath the bunker—a
neutral zone
where traders, scavengers, and mercenaries
cut deals between settlements.
Getting in required
connections.
Lucas Bai, of course, had
plenty.
The two of them approached an
unmarked passageway
, guarded by
two men with modified weapons
—a mix of salvaged tech and
Shifter-made blades
.
One of the guards, a broad-shouldered man eyed them.
"Didn't expect you today, Bai."
Lucas
smiled easily
, slipping a small
metallic token
from his pocket. "Change of plans."
The guard took the token,
scanned it with a handheld device
, then nodded. "She with you?"
Lucas glanced at Ava. "She's mine."
Ava
arched a brow
. "Property now? Bold move."
Lucas chuckled. "Figure of speech, Zhang. Try not to get kidnapped in there."
The guards stepped aside, and the doors
slid open.
Ava followed Lucas inside.
The Black Market was
alive
in a way the bunker above wasn't.
Dim
LEDs flickered overhead
, casting
deep shadows
along the concrete tunnels.
Stalls and makeshift booths lined the
walkways.
Traders displaying
weapons to tech to illicit medical supplies.
Ava's
Blueprint System flared to life
, scanning
everything in sight.
[ANALYZING...]
[Weapon Mods: 67% Salvageable]
[Old World Electronics: 83% Functional]
[Experimental Combat Stimulants – HIGH RISK]
Ava let out a low whistle. "So this is where all the
good stuff
goes."
Lucas
smirked
, leading her deeper into the maze of trade posts. "You don't think I get my inventory from the bunker rations, do you?"
Ava scanned the crowd.
Shifters, Normals,
even a few Level Two Mutants like herself
were
bartering, trading, watching.
Deals were made in
low voices
, agreements sealed with
handshakes, smirks, or the occasional knife fight.
No military presence.
No rules.
Just
pure business.
Ava exhaled slowly. "Alright, Bai. What's our play?"
Lucas's golden eyes gleamed. "We're here to hunt, Zhang."
Ava frowned. "For what?"
Lucas's smirk widened.
"You'll see."
The second they stepped deeper into the
Black Market
, Lucas
pulled a hoodie over Ava's head
and shoved it down low enough to
shadow her face.
Ava scowled. "Seriously?"
Lucas adjusted the hood like she was some
disobedient child
. "Seriously. Keep your face down, Zhang."
Ava crossed her arms. "What, afraid someone's gonna fall in love with me?"
Lucas
snorted
, amused. "No, I'm afraid someone's gonna
recognize
you."
Ava frowned. "Why would they—"
Lucas gave her a pointed look.
Oh.
Right.
She wasn't
just some scavenger anymore.
Lucas Bai had made sure of that.
She wasn't
famous
, but people
paid attention
to who worked for him. And in a place like this?
Being noticed could get you killed.
Ava sighed. "Fine. But if anyone asks, I want a cooler alias than 'Zhang.'"
Lucas smirked. "I'll call you
Trouble
."
Ava rolled her eyes. "You're the worst."
Lucas just laughed and
kept walking.
The
market stretched for miles
, an underground maze of
makeshift stalls, stolen goods, and whispered negotiations.
Lucas moved
like he owned the place
, golden eyes
scanning everything
, calculating
value and opportunity
with each step.
Ava followed close, keeping
her hood low
, letting her
Blueprint System scan the area.
[Weapon Caches Located – Partial Functionality]
[Shifter Gear – Custom Modified]
[Medical Stockpile – Heavily Guarded]
Ava
absorbed the information quickly
, matching it against the flow of
trade, who was buying what, and how the power shifted between groups.
Lucas must have
noticed
, because he glanced at her.
"You're watching the trade flow," he observed.
Ava shrugged. "You watch people. I watch
what
they want."
Lucas smirked. "Good. Keep doing that."
Ava glanced up. "So what
exactly
are we hunting?"
Lucas nodded toward
a gated-off section at the far end of the market.
"The real game," he murmured.
Ava squinted.
Beyond the gates, traders weren't
bartering openly
anymore.
This was
higher-level trading. Bigger risks. Bigger rewards.
And from the
way Lucas was smiling
?
He was about to
drag her straight into it.
The further they walked, the more Ava realized
the Black Market had layers.
The outer sections?
Scraps, common goods, small trades.
The deeper you went?
The riskier—and more valuable—the deals got.
Lucas led her toward
a heavily guarded section
, where the
real players
operated.
The entrance was
marked with crude symbols
, and the guards?
Definitely not friendly.
Ava noticed their gear instantly.
Shifter-made weapons. High-grade mutant armor.
They weren't just
protecting a market.
They were
controlling who got access to the real economy.
Lucas stopped in front of them, his
expression relaxed, completely at ease.
One of the guards, a
tall man with jagged scars down his jaw
, eyed him. "Bai."
Lucas smiled. "Jin. Got something good for me today?"
Jin grunted, eyeing Ava. "Who's the shadow?"
Ava kept her head down,
letting Lucas handle it.
Lucas didn't hesitate. "My assistant. She's with me."
Jin studied her for a long moment, then exhaled. "Your problem." He stepped aside.
Lucas
motioned for her to follow.
Ava did—
but she didn't miss the way people watched as they passed.
This place wasn't just
about trade.
It was about
who had power.
And Lucas Bai?
He had
a lot of it.