Ling regarded the new arrival briefly. Bold to think you could out-hack a hacker, you're lucky I went easy on you.
"Probably because I wasn't a factory worker. My brother and I had higher ambitions, spent our lives shooting at Xenos and LPI. Isn't an endless ground war against snakes that want to be king and snakes that are already king so much more noble than some factory-dweller choking on boron fumes for slave wages?"
Seeing the exit to the room was covered and he was surrounded, he pulled a cigar from the pocket of his suit coat and leaned back in his chair. Wolfe could kill them if things went bad, but not before they killed him. Might as well get a last one in, just in case. With a flourish, he produced a shiny metal Jack of Spades and used its razor-sharp edge to cut the cap. With the same flourish, he seemingly turned the playing card into his favorite lighter, meticulously ensuring his burn was perfect before continuing.
"Anyway, the only place I was really bound to was Airdrie. Since it's not around anymore, I don't really have a base or a group I can say I hail from. Came here from Cochrane, though." Ling looked back to his inquisitor. "For reasons you probably know."
Irelei made no intentions to free the doorway, instead smirking at his little tale. She still had a little ace up her sleeves, although she was by now certain that Ling wouldn't be easily scared by it. "An early...career not too unlike my own. Except I've lucked out and never stepped a foot on this shithole called Pittsburgh. Unlike our daring fox here, she literally lived there for a year or so." She shook her head as if she remembered something from the far past. "Cochrane.." She glimpsed over at the fox mask, seeking approval which she promptly received with a small nod. "I've walked its halls myself. So that's where you took the wreckage, huh? Excuse me sidelining the topic a little but how's the place holding up? The LSFs little operation and the massive wave of Xenos trying to drive them out.. that made quite some waves even in Kusari." By now just one thing was clear to Ling, Irelei was someone with past connections to the Lane Hackers. To the Inner Circle? An associate? Perhaps a Hacker who has turned their back on everything and left? It was certainly unlikely for her to respond to any inquiries..
