Risky Business 4

[size=4]Chapter 4: The House Always Wins[/size]

[i]The Tops Casino
New Vegas, Nevada, Post-War Wasteland
One hours after Cetea T'Zumo's distress call

A man with slicked back black hair and a black and white checkered suit saunters into the bar of the Tops, a busy day of planning leads him to want to end the day with a few glasses of scotch.

Benny considers this a small treat to himself, a brilliant thinker, the man who will one day rule New Vegas. He deserves this, and the drinks are free for him, the head of the Chairmen, so why the hell not? The added chance of finding a pretty girl who'd want a one night stand only kept him walking into the large bar area, where several bottles of alcoholic beverages stood on the wall behind the counter.

As he scanned the room, he noticed a woman in a suit of armor he had never seen before tip her helmet up to take a drink from a glass of water. He could briefly make out a tuft of bright orange hair poking out from the back of her neck, and her visor provided a clear view of her face. Benny smirked to himself, he seemed to have found his lady for the night.

Sitting on a bar stool beside the woman, Benny tapped the counter. "Scotch, keep the rads out, you dig?" He said, his tone carried a casual swagger.

As he waited for his drink, he faced the orange haired woman beside him and looked down at her glass of water, "What's the matter baby? On a budget?" Said Benny, smiling slighty.

Azumi rolled her eyes, drinking half of the glass before looking over at him. "I'd rather keep from getting drunk on business," she said flatly. "Though drinking to forget someone trying a pickup line [b]did[/b] once cross my mind, it's not really a priority."

Benny chuckled, "Smarter than the average broad, but that's probably cause you don't know me. Name's Benny, and I don't think I've seen any broads wearing armor like yours, dig?" He said, before taking a small shot glass filled with scotch and draining it in one gulp. He then leaned onto the bar counter.

"I don't think you're here for our water, talk to me baby." Said Benny, and he indeed thought that Azumi, dressed in her armor, was here on business, not pleasure.

Well, at least he could think. She knew the name, though she didn't outwardly show how stupid she felt right then. She was here to talk with him. "Yeah, actually. I was here to do just that. See some strange woman run through here? Futuristic guns, not your standard energy weapons. Probably dark hair, or... well, you'd know if you saw her, trust me. She'd be looking to talk to you most likely."

Benny smirked, she was looking for somebody, this could go to his advantage. "I might have, but the question is: how badly do you need to know, baby?" Said Benny, who actually did know about the woman Azumi described from what his body guards had told him about the slightly awkward woman who had requested to see him. Of course, he merely told them to turn her away with a false promise to see her eventually.

"Badly enough to crack skulls if I don't find out," she threatened through a very thin veil.

"Easy there pussycat, I'm a reasonable guy. Ever hear the phrase 'You scratch my back, I scratch yours?' What do you have that I might want in exchange for any tasty tidbits I'd happen to know?" Said Benny, who expressed little fear. He didn't expect Azumi to attack him around his various bodyguards.

Cats. She wasn't racist, but cats were a sore subject. She frowned, giving him a death glare, before downing the rest of her drink. "Another, barkeep. Been out there for a while." She then looked his way again. "Aside from [b]that[/b], what would you [b]want[/b] from me?"

"Simple, I wanna see that broad you're chasin'. Don't ask why, and I won't tell you. So do we have us a deal?" Said Benny, who extended an open hand.

"Only if you don't harm her. At all," she said in return. "Do [b]we[/b] have a deal?"

Benny smiled slyly, "I won't harm a hair on her head, don't you worry at all, baby doll." He said, staring at Azumi, his hand still extended.

She frowned, thinking for a moment. If he was giving her a bad deal and lying to her, she could just save Cetea. Her stealth training had to mean something. So she shook. "Deal.

"Ring-a-ding-ding, baby. Here's all I know. The broad was last seen going into the Ultra-Luxe. Going on a guess here, but they might be planning to cook her. The White Gloves were always sneaky finks. So don't let their looks fool you, the whole lot of 'em are more crooked than a dog's hind leg," Benny then sat up, "That's all I got. Remember our deal, pussycat." Said Benny, before walking out of the bar."

A nod, again ignoring his nickname for her, and she downed the next glass as it came. Throwing down the right amount of caps, what funds she had taken from their Milky Way associates transferred to them by world magic, she walked out, heading to the door and on her way.[/i]