"A Helping Hand" - Reboot.exe - S1 Chapter 11.

## A Helping Hand

Jenn

"A Helping Hand" is the eleventh chapter of season 1 of Reboot.exe. It was released on 5 March 2021 and is narrated by Dave.

## Synopsis

The next morning, Pr0 and Seb are both more open to conversation. Eve opens it up by stating that her actions were upsetting, and that if they no longer required her assistance, that should would understand. They begin to discuss that they are going to have to alter their course of action. Seb and Pr0 are going to have to meet in the middle and come to a compromise on how to do things. Pr0 suggests going back to Seb's parents to get some information. Seb agrees, reluctantly. Eve tells Pr0 and Seb about Ugly's current stance on them, and how it would be beneficial to go and state their case and reason for their actions.

There is a knock on the door. Seb answers to a hulking Incongruent standing in the doorway, asking to see Eve. After giving a confusing answer as to why he's there, Seb steps aside, and lets him enter. Incongruent walks up to Eve, and hands her a small phone from his pocket, and hands it to her, in an effort to get her to grow her own independence, while also having a way to contact him if needed.

Incongruent steps back and asks what the purpose of the soup kitchen is, and that it will end up being futile. Seb responds dejectedly by stating that it doesn't have to mean more than simply helping some people get through life. He understands and agrees that taking the initiative to start something based on passion is never one wasted.

After Eve finishes stitching Pr0's head, he asks her if she can teach him how to fight. She says she can only take him so far with her currant capabilities - and instead will set him up with someone more adept to these things. She tells him to rest before telling who it would be.

During the next five days, Pr0 spends the downtime to recover from his minor and moderate injuries, while also searching up some of the people he had helped wrong in the past with his involvement with the circle. He is coming up with mostly dead ends. Seeing the faces of the missing children, articles written for their parents in a desperate plea of holding out hope for finding their lost children is a sobering experience for him.

Seb spends the down time seeking out local boosters to provide security for the kitchen. A 6 foot man with two missing arms approaches the door asking for a job. Seb finds out that this man has been recently beaten by gang members, and that the missing booster arm is his. Seb says that if he can supply his own fusion, preform his job as requested, and not tell Ugly he works for him that he will be hired and put on the payroll. After being welcomed into the kitchen, he falls to his knees, leans into Seb, and begins sobbing at the opportunity. He introduces himself as Conrado. The first few days, Conrado proves himself to be who he said he was, and holds a level of respect over the people who are coming in.

Eve returns to Ugly's bar, in search of Xiang to offer Pr0 some training. After talking with Ugly a bit about his motivations, and current feelings towards Seb and Pr0, Eve goes off and finds Xiang using AUSLAN (Australian sign language.) She agrees to come and help, but says that she is on Ugly's side of things that they aren't going to make it here.

Upon meeting Pr0 and confirming that he is the one she will be training, Xiang instantly attacks Pr0. She gets him on the ground, rips open his shirt, and marks a talley mark with her claw on his chest, signing to Eve that "He's dead." Pr0 attempts to attack her from the back, and does suprise her, but gains nothing. Face to face after this altercation, she again gets him on the ground, and scratches another tally mark into his chest, repeating "He's dead." And doing it one more time. Pr0 states that she can keep doing this either until he's dead, or knows how to not die.

Xiang brings up the cost of her lessons, and asks why they won't help out Ugly. Eve feigns ignorance, and then Xiang announces her price at $1000 a day. The price to train two people would be $1500 a day. Seb begins taking off of his clothes to prove himself worthy of being trained with her. Xiang instructs him to take off all of his clothes. After expressing his flattery, Xiang states that she had no interest in fighting him, but instead only wanted to see him naked.

Xiang eventually agrees to train them, so long as they have the money to pay her. Eve says that they do, and then asks her to keep this a secret from Ugly. Xiang agrees, for an additional $500 a day, bringing the total training costs up to $2000 a day - which by current inflation standards in the world is still a grand amount of money.

-YHTris

## TL;DR

* Having had a day to rest between, Eve, Seb and Pr0 talk about the previous night's actions, and agreeing that some sort of compromise needs to be met in order to continue business successfully between the three of them
* There is around five days of downtime, where Pr0 spends some time researching some of the people he has wronged, coming across nothing but dead ends. Seb is beginning making previsions for the soup kitchen, including sending out applications for security guards, and more staff.
* A large man with two missing arms shows up at the soup kitchen, inquiring about the job. He introduces himself as Conrado, and states that he has amassed a lot of respect within the community, but has been honorably discharged from his gang due to his ailments. Seb agrees to hire him so long as he is able to provide his own fusion. Seb gives him back his arm that they found the other day
* In these down days, Eve returns to Ugly's bar seeking Xiang, and her willingness to train Pr0 to be a better fighter. She agrees and comes down to the kitchen to prove if he is worthy of being trained. She eventually agrees to train both Pr0 and Seb, and keep this training a secret from Ugly for a total cost of $2000 a day.

-YHT