I was in a mood.

  The mood.

  The mood that makes men cower, babies cry, and maidens weep.

  So, yeah. I was pissed.

  And it wasn't just because I was hauling a whole damn ogre's head back to the Lucky Strike. The damned bowling alley that was vexing me all day.

  Oh no. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

  I'd gone on a rampage today. I'd been tracking down and claiming bounties one after the other. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it. I just... I was angry. Frustrated. And hunting monsters seemed like a good way to take my mind off things. To take my mind off Star Morganite and her friends.

  I'd spent the past few hours taking out my anger on any monster that dared cross my path. Goblins, trolls, giant rats - you name it, I'd killed it. That is, if you could call what these things were alive.

  Dire rats would dissolve into a puddle of goo at the first slice of my serrated short sword. The goblins would fall, their eyes glassy and their limbs twitching as they collapsed to the ground before evaporating into smoke.

  Some though, some would stay in this world and make a mess of things for hours. Some, with total permanence.

  I had claimed at least 15 different bounties in two or three hours.

  So much for not drawing attention to myself.

  But at least I was getting paid.

  It was exhausting work, but it kept my mind busy. Busy enough that I could ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. The feeling that I was missing something. That there was a piece of the puzzle that I just couldn't quite put my finger on.

  And it was that feeling that made me angry. Angry at myself for not knowing. And angry at the world for being such a messed up place.

  I sighed and shook my head, marching straight towards the dingy-looking bowling alley that was the entrance to the Lucky Strike.

  As I approached the door, I could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from within. I paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I had to keep my cool, I reminded myself. I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me, especially not when I was about to confront someone like Shiv again.

  I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  The interior of the bowling alley was dimly lit, the neon signs and flashing lights casting an eerie glow over the place. The air was thick with the smell of stale beer and cigarettes, and the sounds of pinballs and video games filled the air. I made my way through the crowd of bounty hunters, several eyes noticing my return and more importantly the trophy I carried.

  Whispers broke out all around me, and I could feel eyes following me as I made my way to the counter. The people I passed seemed to give me a wide berth, as if they were afraid of what I might do next. I couldn't blame them, really. I was a walking disaster, and I knew it.

  As I approached the counter, I noticed a familiar figure standing behind it. It was the same dark-skinned guy I'd fought when I was last here. He was still nursing the wounds I'd inflicted on him, and he looked down at me with suspicious brown eyes.

  I set the frozen ogre's head on the counter and it rolled over with a heavy thud. The dark-skinned man eyed it with a mixture of disgust and admiration. "Damn, girl," he said, shaking his head. "You really did a number on that thing. First the calamari and now all this?"

  I shrugged. "It was nothing. Just another day at the office."

  The man chuckled. "Well, you've definitely got balls, I'll give you that."

  I glanced over at him. "What's your name, anyway?"

  He looked at me, surprise in his eyes. "Peterson. Evan Peterson."

  "Alright, Evan," I said, leaning on the counter. "I'm... sorry for earlier. Things have been... stressful."

  To my surprise, he laughed. "Nah, it's cool. I was being an ass. You had every right to knock me on my ass."

  He frowned, letting his right forearm hang loosely. "You really fucked up my ulna, though. My elbow still feels like shit."

  "I know," I said neutrally. "I'm not exactly gentle when I'm pissed off."

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  He laughed again. "Yeah, no shit. But hey, you got the job done. That's what counts, right?"

  I smiled slightly. "I guess so. Thanks for... not holding a grudge?"

  He grinned back at me. "Hey, what can I say? I'm a forgiving guy."

  I extended my left hand to him. He took it in his own and shook it firmly. "So, let me set you right up with that bounty. That's... that's the Ogre playing hide and seek that's got Liberty State Park closed down, yeah?"

  "Yeah," I said. "And I got a bunch of others too. Can you add them on to this?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, sure thing. Just show me the heads."

  I started pulling out the other heads I'd collected. There were goblin heads, troll heads, even a few dire rat heads all locked at the moment of death. Evan's eyes widened as he took in the sight of my grisly trophies. "Damn, girl," he breathed. "You really have been busy."

  I smiled thinly. "You have no idea."

  "How'd you get them all frozen like that? For that matter, how'd you get around so quickly?"

  "Trade secret," I grinned, baring my teeth. "These things will still go up in smoke when my stasis wears off, though."

  The large man shook his head, muttering under his breath. "I'll be damned, I was a real fucking idiot for picking a fight with you, huh?"

  I smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

  I pulled out a few more heads, including the head of a giant dire boar that I'd killed while hunting down the ogre. It was a massive, tusky thing, and its head was almost as big as my torso.

  I finished stacking the heads on the counter, and Evan got to work, typing away at his computer and muttering to himself. After a few minutes, he looked up at me and said, "Alright, that's everything. The total payout for all the bounties comes to... $3,175."

  I blinked.

  That wasn't a bad sum, all things considered. Assuming the dollar purchasing power was anything like my old world. Not great, but not bad.

  "So, you wanna set up a dummy account at all or you want this in cash?" Evan asked. "I recommend the dummy account. You get charged 2% every transaction, but you can just deposit it into a bank account or something later on. Aliases are fine for this line of work."

  "Sounds good to me," I said. "Just use the name 'Hanako.'"

  "Hanako, huh?" Evan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Nice. That's... pretty. Surname?"

  "Yamada," I confirmed. "Hanako Yamada."

  The moment I gave that name, a snort came from nearby.

  I turned to see Shiv, the pink-haired owner of the Lucky Strike. She was leaning against a nearby wall, her gray eyes watching me with amusement.

  "Quite a choice of a name," she drawled, her voice dripping with amusement.

  She was nursing a drink and staring at me with a cold, calculating gaze. I could feel her eyes boring into me, and I knew she was sizing me up. She was probably wondering if I was going to cause any more trouble, if I was going to be a problem for her business.

  "What?" I asked, meeting her gaze evenly.

  She chuckled, her lips twisting into a smirk. "It's a bit... on the nose, don't you think? Hanako Yamada. Unless I'm mistaken, that's the Japanese equivalent of Jane Doe, is it not? Not that most people around these parts would know."

  I didn't know how much American and Japanese culture had mingled in this world. I only had mine and one other world for reference. But I had grown up on an artificial mega island where the Republics of Japan, the United States, and several oceanic powers had all contributed to.

  I hesitated.

  "Nevertheless, our contractors have full anonymity and privacy protection, so I can't exactly pry." Shiv said. "I'm not stupid enough to poke my nose into a Class 7 Sentinel's business, either. It's... a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Yamada."

  "Likewise," I said, a little stiffly.

  I had no idea what a 'Class 7' even meant in the context of this world. But I wasn't about to admit that to Shiv. I was already walking a dangerous line here, and I didn't need to give her any more ammunition to use against me.

  After all, I'd been the one to make a big fuss about staying under the radar. Now, I'd just gone and done the exact opposite. I'd made a scene, I'd cleared out a quarter of the standing bounties, and I'd made it very clear that I was a force to be reckoned with.

  And that was the problem.

  I had... no idea what I was doing. I was flying by the seat of my pants, and I was pretty sure Shiv could tell, if noone else.

  Shiv just smiled, her expression unreadable. "Well, there's always work here for those who are willing to get their hands dirty. And from the looks of it, you're not afraid to get a little blood on your hands. So, I'll keep an eye out for you, Miss Hanako Yamada."

  "Thanks," I muttered, feeling a little uneasy.

  I didn't know what to make of Shiv. On the one hand, she was offering me work and a place to hang out, which was more than I could say for most of the people in this city. But on the other hand, she was clearly a shrewd businesswoman, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she was up to something.

  But then again, what choice did I have? I was stranded in a strange new world, and I had no idea how to truly navigate it.

  "Anyway," Evan said, interrupting my thoughts. "Your account has been created, Miss Hanako. Your bounties have been claimed. You can cash out at any time. We do transfers to major banks in the region for a small fee, but cash is no problem either."

  "Thanks," I grunted, taking the card he handed me.

  Shiv chuckled. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I've got a business to run. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

  I turned back to Evan, who was watching me with a bemused expression. "What?" I snapped.

  He blanched. "Oh! Uh. Nothing. Just... you're an interesting person. T-That's all!"

  I shrugged. turning to leave.

  "Mmm. One more thing!" Shiva called after me. "Miss Yamada?"

  I stopped and looked back at her. "What?"

  "Nice work today," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Maybe next time, we can grab a drink or two? You know, for... business purposes."

  I stared at her, not quite sure what to make of her offer.

  "I don't drink," I said finally.

  "Neither do I, sweetheart," she replied with a sly smile.

  I glowered at her, causing her to giggle and wave at me to leave.

  "You know, you're pretty cute when you're flustered," she winked, blowing me a kiss.

  I just rolled my eyes and sighed, leaving her and the rest of the Lucky Strike behind me while shaking my head.