W Corp. L4 Cleanup Agent - CCA: Heathcliff's Story
W Corp. L4 Cleanup Agent - CCA Heathcliff
Confirming: Railway status Unobstructed.
5 minutes left until train arrival is announced at the platform.
Agents on site, please complete the Cleanup ASAP.
Your attention, please. 5 minutes left until...
Whew…
In the last car of a WARP Train, a few Cleanup Agents stood facing an unknown Fixer who was armed to the teeth with Workshop-made gears.
An azure-sheened blade, glowing with energy, emerged from the child's elbow and pierced through the Fixer's heart.
The child let out a pale breath of relief as he deactivated his overcharged gauntlet.
That's the gear she's been usin', innit? Looks Workshop-made... Don't these cost a fortune, like?
The child shot an irritated glance at the floor, where a glove made of high-grade material lay.
A "hand," severed at the wrist, would have been a more appropriate term than a "glove"...
Not that it mattered - the child was more interested in the piece of equipment that clearly was not standard issue, even at first sight.
I can tell from the serial number that it's one of Kōri Workshop's top-tier products.
Kōri Workshop? Not sure what that is, but you're sayin' it's fancy stuff, yeah? Now I see why she was so bloody strong. What grade was she again?
Let's see... the ID card in her wallet says... Grade 4.
Chuffin' hell! That fuckin' hand there's a Grade 4?
10 seconds in name, but millennia in actuality, was enough time to turn every passenger aboard the train into rampaging maniacs.
Madness, however... comes in different forms.
Some passengers long for death, flaying themselves and painting the walls with their own flesh and blood...
... while others continue to fight back without a moment's respite even after they have completely fallen into insanity.
Blimey, what's that Grade 4 been up to all this time...
... to be givin' me this much grief even with the CCA on? First time I've been pushed like this.
Didn't you say the same thing the last time a train was Canceled?
Oi! That was when I had to nip out and give the Class 5 lads a hand! How's that the same, huh?!
Haha. I suppose today wasn't exactly a walk in the park for you. You had to clean up on your own, after all.
... Huh?
...? Whassat? Somethin' unusual about her?
Whoa, she's accumulated so many penalty points! Probably enough to demote her from her original Fixer Grade...
... Nothin' unusual, then. Just another bloody stowaway.
Penalty points, check. Contract papers, check... She was a Grade 2 Fixer just a few days back. By heck, no wonder the lass was such a handful!
Back in W Corp.'s heyday, the term "stowaway" referred to freeloaders who would either get on the WARP train without tickets or occupy first class seats using economy class tickets.
Today, however, the meaning of the word has somewhat changed.
People used to travel on the WARP Train only three or four times a year at most - a luxury easily afforded by wealthy citizens who preferred the first class seats.
But when passengers began to go missing and one accident followed another, demand took a dive...
... until people avoided first class seats like the plague in spite of W Corp.'s promotion and encouragement.
These rich 'uns are all so tight... would it kill 'em to just buy a first class ticket?
I don't think the price difference between Economy and First Class really matters, but the bad rumors are not helping.
What doesn't matter...? Y'know what, never mind.
Now that I think about it... Them first class seats - one bad word and the business is done for. Not all that surprisin', innit?
Don't you think people might start taking them again in time?
Ah, yeah. Our proud slogan. Just 10 seconds to anywhere.
People used to pay daft money just for a trip that'd be over in a blink...
All so they could brag on about it over a pint.
But now, First Class is more like a risky investment - who'd shell out for a ride when you can't even count on gettin' out in one piece?
It'd be more convenient if combat professionals were placed in a special compartment just like Color Fixers... I wonder if the higher-ups have ever considered it.
Reckon they'd have done it if it'd ever crossed their minds.
... The price of first class seats is calculated to yield only the bare minimum profit - substituting for the passengers' emotions and time.
After the fall of Lobotomy Corporation, W Corp. is desperate to cover their losses.
To sustain the operation of its trains and make the time payments owed to T Corp., they seek ever more extreme emotions to harvest.
That's why they would rather risk the lives of their Cleanup Agents than lower the price of first class seats or place the passengers in another special compartment.
Did you see them Index Proxies that turned up the other day? All of 'em were dead set on sittin' in Economy to do their bloody Prescripts.
Then the day before that, a Thumb Capo fancied a seat just behind First Class since his superior was sat up there.
Oh, do you mean those corpses with the jaws smashed into bits?
Haha. Now that was far from boring. I actually liked it.
What'd you know about it? You weren't even called in for support since you're only Level 2.
... Forget it. I'm off - good luck puttin' 'em back together.
Can't exactly help out collectin' the pieces wearin' this armour.
Clocking out early today?
Aye. Been a while since I clocked out on time, that.
Catch ya later.
Confirming: Cleanup Agent consents to return the Congestion Cleaning Armor.
Armor disengagement in progress.
Oi, be gentle with it!
... I oughta get my shoulders swapped for prosthesis. Don't get why this fancy armour's so bloody heavy.
Congestion Cleaning Armors, better known as CCAs, are astronomically expensive units of equipment, authorized only for Level 4 Cleanup Agents or above whom demonstrate the highest job performance.
There was a time when CCAs played a larger role in external conflicts such as power struggles between Wings and hunting down Syndicates in the Backstreets...
But recently, they are more often used to contain the passengers of WARP Trains.
*yawn* Today, I'm gonna drop by the pub on the way back and...
Congestion detected in Car 3 of Train PW-24.
... and grab a pint...
"Congestion," or "Congested," is one of the five levels of danger warnings issued by W Corp. to its Cleanup Agents.
The WARP Train is deemed "Unobstructed" when it's running without any issues. If passenger suppression becomes necessary along with the usual Cleanup, the status changes to "Delayed."
And then... there's "Congested," which means that rare types of enemies have emerged or passenger resistance has become severe, prompting the dispatch of multiple Level 3 and Level 4 Agents - or a Level 4 outfitted with the CCA.
Level 5 Agents can clear up Congestions in no time, but...
Confirming: No Level 5 Cleanup Agents are present at the platform.
They're usually tied up handling "Canceled" trains - a Grade 1 Fixer-level threat - and "Derailed" cases, which represent something far more dangerous.
.......
Congestion Cleaning Armor deployment authorized for Level 4 Agent on site.
... Hold on a sec - me?
Hearing the announcement, the child gave a quick look of disbelief at the list of Cleanup Agents available at the platform...
... and realized that he was the only one available for sortie.
That sweet, sweet dream of heading home on time fizzled out with the blaring sound of the warning alarm.
Attention, all Agents. Railway Congestion detected. Railway Congestion detected.
Attention, all Agents.
Nearest Level 4 Agent, please board the next train immediately and commence Cleanup operations.
125 seconds until next arrival.
.......
Huh? You haven't checked out yet? You know, I'm thinking about trying out the new menu at HamHamPangPang for din -
... Go.
What?
Quit takin' the piss out of me and just go.
Unfortunately for the child, looks like it's overtime again for him today.