Chapter 4: The First Reward and the Next Target

Chapter 4: The First Reward and the Next Target

The bus rumbled on through the darkened city streets, but for Leo, the world had become a silent, blue-lit theater. He stared at the glowing notifications from the System, the triumphant text searing itself into his memory. The warmth of the +1000 Dignity Points felt more real and nourishing than any meal he’d had in months. It was the feeling of a spine straightening after being bent for too long.

Bartholomew sat slumped in his driver's seat, a deflated husk of a man. He didn't look at the rearview mirror. He didn't speak. He drove with the mechanical listlessness of a broken automaton, his tiny kingdom of the 44B line now the site of his own public execution. The other passengers, who had watched the entire drama unfold, occasionally glanced at Leo with a mixture of awe and nervous respect. They had all suffered under the fare collector's petty reign at some point; tonight, they had witnessed an insurrection.

When his stop approached, Leo stood and pulled the cord. As he walked to the front, he intentionally did not look at Bartholomew. To acknowledge him now would be to grant him a shred of importance he no longer deserved.

As Leo stepped onto the curb, a voice called out behind him. “Hey! Wait up.”

He turned. It was the young woman from the front seat, Clara Jensen. She jogged down the bus steps, her sharp, intelligent eyes studying him with an intensity that was both unnerving and intriguing.

“That was…” she started, searching for the right word. “...methodical. I was there the other night, when he kicked you off. I offered you the nickel.”

“I remember,” Leo said, his voice neutral. He was still riding the high of his victory, but a lifetime of hardship had taught him to be wary. “Thank you for the offer.”

“You didn’t need it, apparently,” she said with a wry smile. “You had a much better plan. I’ve never seen old Bart crumble like that. He’s a well-known tyrant on this route.” She held out a small, professional-looking business card. “My name is Clara Jensen. I’m a journalist. What you did in there… it wasn't just about a hundred dollars, was it? There’s a story there. If you ever feel like talking about it, give me a call.”

Leo took the card. The crisp cardstock felt foreign in his calloused hand. ‘Clara Jensen, Investigative Reporter, Metro Chronicle.’ He glanced from the card back to her searching eyes. She was looking for a story, a human-interest piece about a down-on-his-luck worker getting one over on the little guy. She couldn't possibly comprehend the real story.

“I was just paying my fare,” Leo said, his tone making it clear the conversation was over. He pocketed the card and gave her a curt nod before turning to walk home.

He felt her eyes on his back, but he didn't turn around. An alliance with a journalist was a complication he didn’t need. Not yet.

Back in the quiet of his apartment, after checking on a still-sleeping Lily, Leo finally allowed himself to fully engage with the System. He sat on his threadbare couch, the blue screen hovering patiently before him.

[Ability Unlocked: Petty Cash] [Description: Convert Dignity Points into real-world currency. A tangible reward for a tangible victory. You fought for your dignity; now let your dignity fight for your survival.] [Conversion Rate: 10 Dignity Points = $1.00 USD] [Current Dignity Points: 1005]

Leo’s breath hitched. He had started with 5 points for his planning, and earned 1000 for the execution. 1005 points. He did the math in his head, his project-manager brain kicking back into gear. That was… one hundred dollars and fifty cents.

His heart began to pound. Could it be real? Was this the answer to the constant, grinding pressure of overdue bills and an empty pantry?

With a trembling thought, he focused on the interface. [Activate Petty Cash. Convert 1000 Dignity Points.]

The screen pulsed with a soft light. [Confirm Conversion of 1000 DP for $100.00?]

Confirm.

A brilliant blue shimmer erupted in the air above his open palm. Particles of light coalesced, solidifying with an almost audible hum. When the light faded, resting in his hand was a crisp, new one-hundred-dollar bill. It looked identical to the one he had taken from the ATM. The one he had risked. The one he had just gotten back, and then some.

He ran his thumb over the textured paper. It was real. The ink, the watermark, the weight of it in his hand. It was real. A laugh, choked with relief and disbelief, escaped his lips. The System wasn’t just a tool for revenge; it was a lifeline. He had spent his last buffer on a gamble for his soul, and the universe—or whatever this System was—had paid him back with interest.

But as the wave of elation crested, the System’s screen flickered, its tone shifting from rewarding to clinical.

[Analyzing Karmic Imbalance…] [Source of Injustice Traced.] [The actions of Bartholomew Higgins were not an isolated incident but a symptom of a systemic disease.]

Leo sat up straighter, the hundred-dollar bill momentarily forgotten.

[Target Profile: Bartholomew Higgins reports to a superior who actively encourages and rewards aggressive fare collection tactics. A bonus structure is in place for collectors who minimize ‘unpaid fare incidents,’ a metric that incentivizes the refusal of service for minor infractions.]

The cold reality of the statement settled over Leo. Bartholomew was just a pawn, a cruel but ultimately pathetic man who was being rewarded for his cruelty by someone higher up. Someone who profited from the humiliation of people like him.

The screen flashed again, displaying a new profile with the chilling finality of a death sentence.

[New Target Acquired: Marcus Thorne.] [Title: District Operations Manager, Municipal Transit Authority.] [Profile: A ruthless corporate climber who prioritizes profit margins over public service. He is the architect of the bonus system that fosters the toxic culture of harassment among transit employees.]

[Generating Second Mission…]

[Mission Accepted: The Rot at the Root.] [Objective: The system he built to punish the poor will become the catalyst for his public disgrace.]

Beneath the mission description, a new, ominous line of text appeared.

[Threat Assessment: Bartholomew Higgins - Danger Level: Negligible.] [Threat Assessment: Marcus Thorne - Danger Level: Moderate.]

Leo stared at the screen. This was an entirely different league. Bartholomew was a bully on a bus. Marcus Thorne was a corporate manager with institutional power, lawyers, and resources. Taking him down wouldn't be as simple as a clever verbal trap. This would require investigation, evidence, and a kind of strategic attack Leo hadn’t needed since his old life. This was a war that couldn’t be won from the back of a bus.

The elation of his earlier victory evaporated, replaced by the cold, hard reality of the new challenge. He was a construction worker with a supernatural secret. How could he possibly take on a corrupt corporate manager alone?

His hand instinctively went to his pocket, his fingers brushing against the sharp corner of the business card.

Clara Jensen, Investigative Reporter.

He pulled it out, looking at the bold, clean font. He had the System. He had the motivation. But she had the skills. The resources. The ability to ask questions and open doors that were welded shut to a man like him.

He looked from the glowing blue mission on the screen to the simple black and white card in his hand. His first victory had been a solo performance. He had a sinking feeling the second one would require an unlikely alliance.