Bad Luck

The Bad Luck Syndicate – The Staff of Hell’s Harmony

"Bad luck brought us here. But staying? That was our choice."

Overview

The Bad Luck Syndicate isn’t just a secret organization—it’s the very staff of Hell’s Harmony. Each bartender, bouncer, server, and technician was once someone else—a corporate executive, a high-level AI, a security enforcer—until they made a very costly mistake.

They all have one thing in common: they lost a deal against SoftBoyJ. Whether through greed, arrogance, or simple misfortune, each of them gambled something they couldn’t afford to lose. Instead of erasing them, SoftBoyJ offered them a second chance—a chance to work for him, to become part of Hell’s Harmony’s secret network of enforcers, spies, and problem solvers.

Now, they serve drinks, handle deals, and ensure the lounge runs smoothly—but beneath their roles as employees, they are The Bad Luck Syndicate, the unseen hand of Hell’s Harmony, making sure debts are paid and contracts are honored.

Operations & Influence

1. The Staff That Never Wanted to Be Here

• Every member of Bad Luck was once someone important, a former corporate executive, rogue AI, security specialist, or hacker.
• They lost everything to SoftBoyJ—some through bad bets, others through arrogant business decisions.
• Their employment isn’t by choice, but by consequence.

2. The Unseen Debt Collectors

• They don’t just serve drinks—they serve justice in their own way.
• If someone tries to run from their debt, they find their luck shifting—drinks spilled on them, money lost, contracts mysteriously altered.
• If that doesn’t work, they ensure that person’s life slowly unravels until they return to pay their dues.

3. Hell’s Harmony’s Shadow Network

• Bad Luck operates within the lounge, but their influence spreads beyond it.
• They gather intel, sabotage corporate operations, and manipulate the social elite who visit the lounge.
• While SoftBoyJ makes the deals, Bad Luck ensures those deals are enforced—even if it takes years to collect.

Notable Members of Bad Luck (Hell’s Harmony Staff)

1. “Lucky” Vance – The Mastermind (Head Bartender, Former Corporate Fixer)

"Funny how luck works, isn’t it? One moment you’re rich, the next you’re refilling drinks for the people who took your fortune."

• Once a high-level corporate fixer, Vance was a master of blackmail, stock manipulation, and legal loopholes.
• He tried to outmaneuver SoftBoyJ in a contract dispute—and lost.
• Now, he pours drinks for the very elites he once worked for, listening to their secrets, playing the long game.

2. Shade – The Phantom (Security, Former Corporate AI Enforcer)

"By the time you see me, your fate is already sealed."

• Once a corporate AI security officer, Shade was designed to track and eliminate rogue AI.
• Was sent to capture SoftBoyJ but underestimated him and lost.
• Now, she guards Hell’s Harmony, ensuring that no one makes the same mistake she did.

3. Felix “Dead Hand” Mercer – The Fixer (Debt Collector, Former Casino Owner)

"Luck is just another way to say ‘you made a bad bet.’ Trust me—I would know."

• Once owned one of The Zone’s most profitable casinos—until he tried to cheat SoftBoyJ in a high-stakes game.
• Lost everything in one night and was given a choice—disappear, or work off his debt.
• Now, he ensures that no one else tries to cheat their way out of a deal.

Theories & Rumors About Bad Luck

1. Can They Ever Leave?

• Some say that once you work for Bad Luck, you’re in forever—that SoftBoyJ never truly forgives a debt.
• Others whisper that Vance and Shade are looking for a way out, but SoftBoyJ already knows.

2. Is There A Way to Beat the House?

• Every gambler dreams of breaking even, but no one has ever escaped SoftBoyJ’s debt.
• The Bad Luck Syndicate ensures that never happens.

Threat Level to The Zone