Expenses

1128 Hours, 2546

Club Opal, New Rio

Mamore, Zeta Lumiere System

"Come on man, it'll be fun!"

"Just let me be for now, I'll come out there soon."

"Come on man, you're a good looking guy, these girls don't care what happened earlier today."

"I said leave me be, I'll be out there soon."

"Your loss man."

Sitting at the bar, listening to the slamming beat of the music the DJ was playing in the club, Tony Shadwick sighed as his friends once again tried to get him out on the dance floor. He had just received a breakup text from his girlfriend earlier that day, and his friends evidently thought that going out to a seedy nightclub would help ease his pain. "What a fucking bitch." he muttered to himself as he downed his overpriced cocktail. "Couldn't even break up with me in person, had to send me a text message through her Chatter." he continued under his breath, looking depressed at his friends on the dance floor.

"I'll just tell them I gotta go home after this. Feeling sick or something. That oughta wor-" he thought to himself, before his thought was cut off by another patron clapping him on the shoulder. The man was evidently drunk. He wasn't even facing him and he could still smell the alcohol on his breath. Finally, the other patron piped up. "Hey man, you look down in the dumps." he said. "How about I buy you a round?" he continued, slurring his words so heavily Shadwick could barely hear him over the sound of the club's music

"Don't see why not."

"Great! Anything special?"

"Don't have a preference, it's your money man, you know best."

"You're too kind man!" he said. "Hey, bartender!" he shouted out. "Get me and my friend here a Grunt Punter!" he continued. Turning back to Shadwick, he said "This oughta bring you back up!".

A few moments, the bartender slapped two brightly colored glasses down on the bar. "That'll be seventy credits." he said. Fumbling with his wallet, the other patron slapped a hundred credit note on the bar. "Keep the change." he slurred, before turning to Shadwick. "Come on man, take a drink and get out there!" he said.

Shadwick shrugged, casting off the fact his newfound friend had just overpaid by thirty credits, and began drinking the cocktail. As he set it down and turned to the other man to thank him for it, Shadwick heard gunshots, screams, and breaking glass, and snapped his head around to look at the doorway.