Neighborhood Cuts sat squeezed between a neon-lit liquor store and a prominently advertised check-cashing outlet. The grimy strip mall, clad in decaying brick and barred windows, hadn’t seen renovations in decades. Mold infested the boarded-up spaces marked “For Rent,” and potholes cracked the buckling pavement of the neglected parking lot.

Inside the barbershop, every detail suggested authenticity—weathered leather chairs, mirrors lining cracked walls, and a long countertop cluttered with disinfectant jars that had yellowed from their original blue. Yet, sharp scissors and razors lay scattered suspiciously, positioned more like weapons than grooming tools.

Appearances aside, Neighborhood Cuts wasn’t interested in haircuts or shaves. Customers looking for fades or trims were aggressively discouraged by peeling signs reading “No Solicitors” and a stern notice stating, “No Walk-Ins—By Appointment Only.” Curiously, no phone number or contact details were provided.

The barbershop’s real purpose emerged late at night, long after the liquor store shut its lights and the homeless population huddled out of sight. Only then did the shop’s owners—two faux barbers—arrive discreetly to exchange cash or orchestrate elaborate scams. Visitors were infrequent, always disguised by baseball caps pulled low over their eyes and collars raised high.

Money laundering and processing tainted drugs for criminals and corrupt white-collar clients provided limited income. So, the two con artists supplemented their earnings by preying on wealthy, vulnerable women. Expert manipulators, they effortlessly adopted personas—CEOs, tech moguls, venture capitalists—whatever it took to charm and exploit their marks before disappearing with emptied bank accounts.

Their profitable schemes unraveled when a group of devastated and financially ruined women banded together to hire Midas, a notorious revenge agent who handled everything short of murder—leaving life-or-death decisions to her clients. Early one cold morning, as the men gleefully divided stolen funds, Midas burst into Neighborhood Cuts with ruthless efficiency. She swiftly incapacitated them with a taser, gagged their cries, and tightly bound them. Calmly, she delivered the pair, gift-wrapped in ropes, to the furious women who had sought vengeance.

Midas vanished without hesitation, unconcerned with her targets’ ultimate fate. Yet, in her line of business, mercy was rarely the outcome, and she couldn’t care less.