He did look good. AJ knew that, but he didn't really feel it until he had a beautiful woman smoothing her hands over his lapels and telling him that he was worthy. Ohhhh boy. He was gonna need to remember this moment and cherish it in those cold, lonely ambulance nights that made him feel like a wrung out used piece of human trash.

He earned his check. That was something to be proud of.

AJ cleared his throat and banished his mind from imagining himself throwing Melissa over his shoulder and climbing out the window to escape King Kong style.

”So, did you win the secret scavenger hunt?” In other words, was he free to go?

It wasn’t like he was looking forward to the event de jour, but once he got that novelty check in his hot little hands, he could bounce. AJ caught the eye of Mr. Pagel and remembered his devil’s deal. Ah. He couldn’t bounce just yet anyway. He had promised to try to embarrass the Vanna White of the evening.

”I don’t suppose you know who, exactly, is passing out the goods tonight?” He tried to look over her head to scan the crowd and realized that she was taller than him. Yeah, he confirmed that she wore heels, but it was enough of a differential that he’d have to wear heels of his own to compete. No one said life was fair.

Tonight had turned out to be just a little more fun than she was anticipating. Not because she was looking to have a miserable time. She knew that what she was doing here was a good thing. She was honoring those men and women and everyone in-between who were dedicating their lives to helping others. It was an endeavor that was near and close to Niko’s heart. But what she didn’t care for was the hobnobbing with those putrid individuals who were only showing up to get some good PR to shield their disgusting habits.

She took a settling breath. As much as she wanted to feel that rage swell up inside of her chest, she knew that she couldn’t get carried away. She needed to maintain her control. though she may not be able to hunt those kinds of criminals down the same way she hunted others, she would ensure that their lives would go to hell one way or the other.

But such thoughts were now in the back of Niko’s mind. What was taking a more important part was the gentleman that stood before her. He really was handsome, now that she was looking upon him with her own eyes and not those of the samurai. If anything at least she got to see, first hand, that her money was going to someone worthy of it.

AJ seemingly came out of his own thoughts and inquired if she had won the scavenger hunt. Momentarily she forgot about the whole subterfuge she had invented to keep him entertained, and stumbled. A few sounds passed her pursed lips as she mentally went through a made-up list in her head. Finally she nodded with confirmation.

”Ugh, yeah,” she said. ”Looks like I win for tonight. Go Team Us.” She offered him one of her rare, genuine smiles and then cleared her throat. That was enough of that.

Niko glanced at the expensive watch on her wrist. It really was time to get this function underway. Most of the people here had waited long enough and surely wanted to spend their hard-earned time off getting some extra rest at home or preparing for their next shift. Why not give them another extra gift of hurrying-the-****-up so they could get going?

AJ seemed to be on the same wavelength and inquired who it was that was supposed to be passing out the checks. Shyly she smiled again, looking away as she set her glass down on the bartop.

”Oh, yeah, about that…” she said as he started to scan the crowd. It was at that moment that the MC stepped up to the podium and tapped the microphone.

“Hello, everyone! Can you hear me okay?” His voice echoed through the crowd. He was an older man, with white hair, dark skin, and a salt-and-pepper beard. His glasses glinted in the light as he spoke to everyone. “I want to thank you all you amazing professionals for coming out to this event. We here at Red Pearl Publishing want to thank you for all your amazing hard work and hope that this small shindig is at least a partial glimpse of our gratitude. But, of course, we all know that there’s another side to this that you are all far more eager to hear about. For that we turn to the organizer of this event…”

Niko winced.

“...Melissa Kobayashi!”

Niko sighed and took a deep breath as a spotlight searched through the room before finally landing on her. Glancing to AJ she gave him a small shrug. ”I...guess that would be me. Lovely to meet you.” She began to step forward as the crowd raised their glasses and applauded their suddenly revealed benefactor.

Team us had a nice ring to it... if this woman hadn't been part of a cult of weirdo rich folk who got bored at award ceremonies and secretly pitted the poor boring schmucks against one another. So far as AJ could tell, being rich was a crime. It put the worst people into positions of power since being that could not be attained without exploiting someone else.

> "Oh, yeah, about that..."

Oh no, about that. AJ's stomach did a double backflip and did not stick the landing. For all her faults (mostly being rich), he had agreed to embarrass some vapid nobody: the smile with no feelings, the body that held the check. But surely Melissa didn't mean it was her, did she? AJ's head whipped to the side while the MC was getting the show started and he shot Mr. Pagel a sour look. Mr. P tipped his cane to AJ with double his previous cheer.

> "...Red Pearl Publishing..."

AJ's eyes flicked to Melissa's red dress. But... red dresses were a thing. That didn't mean...

> “...Melissa Kobayashi!”

His stomach fell lower as she just oh so casually took the stage. Like bad video game ragdoll effects, his guts just kept tumbling off of any and every possible cliff. AJ clapped from where he stood at the edge of the spotlight and was slipped a full glass since it seemed everyone was toasting her merits or something. F***ing rich people and their petty games.

This was unfortunate. Niko didn’t mean to be so brash with AJ, given that he had been such a good sport so far. But she also couldn’t skirt her responsibilities for this event. She had appearances to keep, after all. But was it worth hurting a perfectly innocent man whom she had dragged into this nonsense. She didn’t know why she played along with the game, nor why she roped him into it. Maybe she just wanted to have a little fun at this normally boring-as-all-hell event.

That wasn’t responsible. Shaking her head, she left AJ behind but still her thoughts were with him as she marched through the crowd, waving as a spotlight encapsulated her in an aura of blinding light. AJ, like the rest of the crowd, disappeared into a sea of shadowy faces.

”Thank you, thank you all so much,” Niko said with her well-practiced smile. Standing behind the podium, she gestured gratefully to the MC before she took her place behind the podium and turned to face the eager crowd of medical workers. ”It’s easy to write a check. But it takes real heroism to meet people at their lowest and most terrified and do whatever you can to bring them back into the light. And that is what this event is all about, honoring you brave, intelligent, amazing souls who go out into the grind every day and heal the wounded and the sick. Though money cannot fix all problems, it my, and Red Pearl Publishings, absolute pleasure to offer you all our thanks.”

After saying her piece, there was a general applause from the audience. Most of the medical personnel seemed touched by her words; while those who were simply there for good PR responded with measured applause. Just enough to blend in with the crowd, but not enough to truly understand why these professionals were being honored. It was a sad sight to see. But, that was not why they were here, Niko thought firmly.

She turned to her security detail and watched as they stepped forward with several baskets and bins laden with envelopes. The checks. They had been closely guarded to ensure that there would be no tampering. Once they were at Niko’s side, they placed them on a table in front of her while photographers started to set up around her. Once everything was laid out, Niiko turned back to the microphone.

”Once again, a gracious thank you to you all. If everyone will please line up,” she said, gesturing to the table in front of her. ”We’ll start passing out the checks.”

Vainly her eyes searched the darkened, shuffling crowd for AJ. Maybe she could snag him afterwards to explain. Huh, would he allow her to? She put him through hell tonight, it seemed. She was feeling more and more awful by the second so she kept her eyes open as the first mass medical professionals approached her table. She handed them a check, shook their hands, smiled for the camera, and offered her genuine thanks before moving on to the next in line.

AJ would postulate that it was easy for most of the room to write a check since, a) loooots of old fogies here and b) most of them wouldn't miss a few Benjamins here and there. For someone like AJ, who wasn't even going to get to keep the check, he couldn't even afford to tip a stripper, not that he'd ever had the opportunity to. Most strippers he saw were busy dying and not there to perform.

Clearly, AJ should go see a stripper after he got paid...

He spun the steel bracelet on his wrist, taking care not to spill his untouched drink as he took a place near the end of the line. What could he even do to embarrass Melissa? She seemed nigh unflappable. AJ snuck another glance at the devil, but Mr. Pagel was otherwise engaged talking to a decrepit... somebody. And AJ was decidedly a nobody. He couldn't decide if Pagel would hold him at his word, but... dammit AJ always tried.

It was an impossible situation and he let his anger simmer so that once it was his turn to accept his check his usually easy smile was stiff and his eyes were smoldering. He put his hand on the check and stopped for the camera to take it's picture, snaking his drink hand around to Melissa's shoulder.

"Thank you." He wasn't rude, but his tone didn't exactly sound grateful either. "The department really needs this." It wasn't enough for raises no doubt, considering the finite amount, but maybe some repairs to the meat wagons. Fresh paint. That kind of stuff. He couldn't wait to get out of this over-glitzed world and back to reality.

Niko had danced this dance before. There were a few times over the centuries where she took on the persona of someone wealthy and more often than not, they required times where she would have to play host. But she didn’t know why, there was just something more annoying about it in the modern age. The lies, the shameless attempts at self-promotion, they were exhausting to say the least. But, such was the persona she was living with now and therefore, it was her responsibility.

Standing at the table, she flashed her practiced smile, waved, shook, and posed for pictures. Melissa Kobayashi was such a public figurehead that these were standard practice for her. But for Niko, they were like pulling teeth. For each person that approached, she could see the good ones from the bad. She knew those people who didn’t deserve it would scoff at such money, but those that did would certainly treat it as a gift from the gods.

If only she had enough influence to help those who really needed it.

But, Niko continued on. This was just a part she was playing, after all. None of these people knew the real Niko Kobayashi. Well...save for one -- though he didn’t know it.

After the last handshake, Nico jumped a little at the familiar appearance of the dinner jacket that she had stained and then rescued. Her eyes moved up to that handsome face and Niko felt herself taking a moment. He knew. He had seen the real her that night when she was running about as the Red Samurai, though he didn’t know it was her.

He flashed her a smile, practiced all the same as his, and draped an arm around her for a picture. His words were direct and lifeless. It wasn’t gratefulness like she was expecting, but maybe unfeeling with a tinge of annoyance? Momentarily her smile faltered as the photographer struggled to get his flash working. He was upset by her deception, had to be.

She looked down for a moment before she glanced his way. ”AJ…” she whispered. ”...I’m sorry if I deceived you...but…”

FLASH!!!

The camera whined and flashed her eyes and briefly the only thing Niko could see were the spots and whiteness that burned into her corneas.

He cringed. It was the flash, yes. But it was also a pulling in movement that made his hand tip just so. He had to spill his drink down the front of her dress. Distasteful, but oddly poetic considering how their evening had started. For a moment, even he couldn't believe he'd done it. AJ looked up at Melissa and then around in a semi-panic for a fire exit to yeet himself out of or a napkin, whichever he might spot first.

"Oh. I am-" Not an actor? His brain helpfully supplied. A terrible person? "-really sorry." He cringed again as someone stepped up to take his still not fully empty cup from his hand. Had he not put that down somewhere? He was really out of sorts. AJ shrugged out of his jacket and all but shoved it into her hands so that she could cover up the now incredibly clingy fabric before jumping down off the front of the small stage. It wasn't a big drop, but there had been stairs. If he'd been thinking clearly and wanted to avoid further attention, he should have taken the stairs instead.

Nat Pagel gave him a greedy thumb up, his other hand on a horizontal phone... probably filming. AJ took a step toward him, a growl simmering just below the surface but... but no. He had the check. He did the deed. Now he could just leave.

Rich people problems.