Chapter 6: Rule I
Surprisingly, it was not hard for the young rogue to find a hiring agency. Gotham was littered with them.
Jack managed to locate a lot of them yesterday while scooting out the surrounding areas. Considering what he now knew of the city, he would have thought those were a far concern for its inhabitants. But no, apparently, no matter how troubled a city was, alternate universe or not, the fundamental constant of people still needed to find jobs and pay rent held strong.
'Ah life, beautiful, beautiful life.ʼ
Another two hours long bus commute later, and he stood in front of a Job Agency, situated in a neighborhood called Burnley, one which was close to Crime Alley.
Burnley Gotham Job Agency
Sponsored by the Wayne Foundation
This particular Job agency was apparently founded by Wayne Enterprise. Jack has his suspicions about this company. No multi-billion company was this benevolent – with a good notoriety and generally well-loved and respected by people – especially in a city like Gotham.
If it was ever proven, he wouldn't be surprised to learn that the company was doing shady shits behind the scenes and was secretly responsible for the precarious state of the city and its status quo.
'Something, something, chaos is a ladder, something something, I must create as much chaos as possible and seize the opportunities for power that will present themselves while putting myself as the Messiah in the time of need of people.ʼ
It wouldn't be the first time that it happened after all.
His misgivings aside, they were still his best shot at finding a job that wouldn't ask for awkward things like an ID or a social insurance number.
Putting on a small smile, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the building. The place was small but well organized, furnished with a carpet covering the entire surface of the floor. There were also some chairs for customers to sit on lined at each side of the room. The smell of tobacco and coffee heavily wafted in the air.
Despite the nice furniture and the security inside – in the form of a bored, gun-carrying security guard standing at the threshold – the place was completely empty. The only other person being a female employee sitting in the center of the small room and slumped on the desk.
Bruce Wayne was probably losing money funding this thing as obviously not a lot of people were making use of the service in place.
His suspicions about Wayne Enterprise only further increased.
Then again, it was nearly 4 in the afternoon, outside, the streets were already plunged in semi-darkness, and from every piece of information he learned, the city wasn't safe at night. So maybe he should not be hasty in your judgment and give the company more credit along with the benefit of the doubt…
Jack stepped forward, smile still tugging on his lips even when the employee gave him a dubious look-over, raising an eyebrow at his charming smile and sunny disposition. No doubt the employee was not used to seeing a smiling person waddled inside the place.
"Looking for work?" The female employee grunted, doing her best to look terribly apathetic. Her tag read 'Jennifer' – black frizzy hair, plump lips and a big chest – his horny mind noticed. Also, she looked exhausted.
Then again, everyone in this city looks exhausted and listless.
"Yep," Jack affirmed, popping the p. He wasn't going to let them drag down his good cheer. If he'd managed to keep even a semblance of false cheer after witnessing his entire life and world as he knew it collapse, then it wasn't some underpaid employee that would make him lose some polite cheerfulness.
Beaming, he continued. "I'm looking for a job, one that won't ask for an ID or social insurance number. I won't say no if it's slightly shady either!"
"I–" The clerk stared at him, baffled. "–ok…. Okay. You do know that we are legally and contractually obliged to report you to the authorities if you're looking for illegal work, right? Even if it's our job to keep people like you away from the gangs by giving them better job options than the ones they're offered, I won't shy away from reporting you to the cops."
"I know," he chuckled. "It's a joke. Obviously, someone looking for illegal work won't simply stride into a job agency and ask to be given one."
Jennifer stared at him again, wondering if he was lying or telling the truth before giving up, probably deciding that she wasn't paid enough to care.
"It wasn't funny," she huffed before bending down – doing things to her chest – and retrieving something from one of her desk's bottom drawers and handing it to him.
It was a sheet of paper, covered in small print with listing names and phone numbers.
"All of those places will let you work for a commission." Jennifer explained. "Won't ask questions too. I can't give you any contract without seeing your papers."
Jack simply smiled at her, which made her roll her eyes, as if she had been expecting all along that he could not provide any identification.
"A joke, huh… wonder if it truly was…" She mumbled as he gratefully picked up the sheet of paper and took his leave but not before waving the older woman and the security guard goodbye while wishing them a nice day. That earned him a snort from the security guard, and an eye roll from the woman, which he caught thanks to the [chamber] he'd opened before entering the building.
Stepping under the afternoon dark clouds, Jack was blasted by the icy wind and humid air. They felt like someone injected ice right into his veins, making him shiver from the cold.
'Right, next time, gotta dress for the weather.'
As he began walking away, staring at the list in his hands, at the foreign names inscribed on it, and at the addresses listed, he quickly narrowed his choice of possibilities to two jobs that were in the general vicinity but also relatively close to his home base.
Turning his head to glance at the sky, he remarked that it was already dark, the sun had already started to set despite the fact that it couldn't be later than 4 in the afternoon.
Jack looked at the two job addresses listed that were in his vicinity and pondered which one he should try to contact or even go to in person…
In the end, he decided to settle for the one that was a little closer to his new hideout.
Decision taken, he got on the move.
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Walking in the streets of the city while there wasn't much visibility and without the feeling of safety that his costume conferred, was a nerve-wracking experience for him. Jack constantly kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings, opened and closed a [Chamber] to stay aware of things in a radius of 20 meters around him, and avoided taking any back alley.
At the end of the 30-minute walk to reach his hideout, he was relieved to have arrived without getting pulled over, but also to find the place as deserted as he'd left it this morning.
It took him no time at all to put on his costume, and the moment his helmet mecha-shifted around his face, Jack all but sighed in relief. After everything he learned and the warning signs he saw, there was no way he would start working a potentially dangerous job – that didn't ask for an ID – while being in his civilian identity. He would reserve another work – preferably one that was as safe and cushy as possible – for it when he had enough funds and money to craft a new identity.
For now, he would work using his supe's alter ego. Something he's been used to doing and has been doing for the better parts of the last three months now.
It was a familiar territory for him.
"Alright, Gotham. Hit me. Let's see what you've got for me."
On a cold and humid Friday night, Rule was about to make his debut.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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