Kenzo bowed low to Jun’s father. “Ryuji Sama.”

Ryuji Ishikawa moved his eyes around the room and took another puff from his cigarette before speaking. “Kenzo, carry my son. We are moving to the main safe house.”

He then addressed the rest of us. “Follow me.”

Not waiting for a response he turned around and started walking down the corridor.

We picked up those who couldn’t move and went after him.

The unhurried nature of his movements made me question his sanity, was the man not concerned about the literal army surrounding us?

After descending the five remaining flights of stairs I started understanding his relaxed behavior. The entrance of the building had been collapsed, and behind it a dozen armored individuals kept overwatch. The armor was the dark blue of the US space force, but it’s a safe bet to say that they were Sentai gangsters.

We turned and walked deeper into the building until we reached an open vault door. Behind the door, a metal tunnel descended downwards. Two more people in armor stood guard in front of the door. They bowed to Jun’s father.

While he passed between them, he said, “Recall the others.”

A dozen armored boots coming from the entrance could be heard as soon as the words left his mouth.

Before entering the tunnel, he took one last puff from the cigarette and threw it to the side.

The two armored gangsters waited for us to go in and then followed, with the rest close behind. After all of them crossed the threshold, the door was shut with a slam.

The weak lights of the tunnel plunged us into a world of darkness and long shadows. Echoes of our footsteps and the occasional tremors from above were the only sounds one could hear.

We were too weary to talk, the desperate escape had been too close of a call. Not that we weren’t used to life or death situations, it’s just that they never felt so hopeless.

We marched through winding and twisting tunnels for a good hour before we deviated into a smaller corridor that led to a black door.

Jun’s father used his interface to open the door.

On the other side was a large room. It was the same gray metal as the tunnels but on the walls, the coiling dragons and katanas proclaimed it as Sentai’s territory. Metal tables with seats lined the walls. Three doors on the other side of the room led elsewhere.

A single holo table was alone in the center of the room. Projecting atop it was a map of the space port’s interior. Two gangsters stood around the table, interacting with the holo image while talking to each other in low voices.

Another dozen gangsters were standing or sitting around the room. Talking with each other or immersed in their neural interface.

When we entered, they looked at us for a second and then turned back to what they were previously doing. Since they did not bow to Jun’s father, I guessed they did not belong to the Ishikawa family.

The man in question looked at us over his shoulder. “You can rest here, in one hour we will be discussing our plan of action.”

He then walked to the central holo table.

Our team went to sit on one of the side tables. Kenzo placed Jun on one of the chairs and took a seat himself. Batou put Vera on a chair adjacent to the wall making it so that she wouldn’t fall.

As soon as I sat, I felt all the tension leave my shoulders. I removed my helmet and placed it on the table. Revy and Batou did the same.

I looked at our faces, we all looked haggard. It wasn’t just the chase that had us exhausted, what we saw out there took a toll too. Being accustomed to violence did not make one accustomed to war.

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My sight wandered to Vera’s battered body covered in dry blood and gunshot wounds.

Someone should clean the blood, it becomes a pain to remove once it stayed for a long. I was reminded of the time I lost my arm, the stench of blood stayed with me for weeks.

Alex followed my sight and asked me. “What happened to her?”

Taking a moment, I thought of what I should share.

There was a possibility that the Ishikawa knew she was a vamp, but it could be just as likely that they didn’t. In which case they’d get rid of her. Emotionless sociopaths made for poor allies. Vera certainly did not feel like one, but that’s why they were so good at blending with society. Still, her tears came during her high, and the emotions behind them looked genuine. She also said that others forced her to become a cyber vamp. I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

I kept it brief.

“She fought three looters that were in our safe house. She got the jump on them, but one was a tough borg.”

Turning to Revy I added, “It would be nice of you to clean the blood off her.”

She pouted, “I reaaally wanted to take a nap, why can’t someone else do it?”

Jun explained it to her, “You are the only woman without a crushed arm in this group, and Vera was shot in the chest.”

“Ah,” Revy blurted.

“Guess I should help her out, she is nice.”

I held back a frown when she said that.

Revy turned to Kenzo, “Is there a-“

He cut her off, “There are bathrooms in here, I’ll show you the way.”

The two of them left, with Vera being carried awkwardly by Revy due to the height difference.

Facing Jun, I asked a question that was on my mind. “I thought you were involving only your family, but there are other gangsters here too.”

Jun shrugged at that. “I did, but who they involve is not up to me.”

“Fair enough.”

Batou sighed, “I could really use a whiskey right now.”

“You and me both,” Alex added.

I looked at Alex’s arm and extended my chromed right arm towards her. “Guess we’re gonna match.”

She looked at me, unamused. “Only if I go for a metal arm, most people go for the normal-looking ones.”

Knowing her I pointed out, “You’re not gonna be able to resist going for something funky.” Turning to Jun I added, “Speaking of funky arms, is your dad’s arm what I think it is?”

Jun rolled his eyes, “Yes, my genius father has a flamethrower in his right arm. Because he thought it would be cool. Thank fuck I did not turn out like him.”

Alex slapped him on the shoulder, “Hey, don’t insult your old man like that. But yea, it is pretty dumb.”

Batou smirked, “Yet you insult him twice.”

Alex looked back at him, “It’s his old man, not mine.”

A voice sounded from behind her. “This dumb old man would like a word with your team’s sniper.”

From my position, I had seen him coming over.

Alex gave me a betrayed look.

I smiled back at her.

Thankfully Jun's father was not angry, if anything he looked amused. While his lips were neutral, his eyes were smiling.

Rising I made my way around the table to the man, he pointed to one of the doors with his head and started moving. I walked next to him.

We entered an armory, it was packed full of weapons and armor that looked suspiciously like equipment of the US armed forces. I am sure that everything was obtained legally through the proper channels.

It was devoid of people.

He closed the door after we entered.

Turning to me he said, “You’re not in trouble.”

Leaning on the wall nearby I replied, “Didn’t think I was.”

Jun's father smiled with his eyes again.

“This isn’t related to what I wish to discuss, but I would appreciate it if you joined the Ishikawa family. Having another trustworthy person helping my son would ease my worries. And it would be extremely beneficial for you.”

He paused to take a cigarette and lit it up with a flick of his fingers. After taking a puff he continued speaking.

“If this spaceship venture of ours succeeds our position in Sentai will skyrocket, and so will Sentai’s power. There are already plans to expand throughout the entirety of the west coast, and here in Nox city. This war between Paragon and the US does not affect us. We will strike a deal with whoever comes out on top, as we always do.”

I blinked in surprise at the sudden offer. But one thing in particular that he said before had my attention, “What makes you think that I’m trustworthy?”

Ryuji Ishikawa smiled with his lips, I did not like that smile, it felt predatory. “A man who acts according to his principles and not his morality is easy to keep loyal. Morality is fickle, principles are not.”

“A fickle person will still have fickle principles.” I countered.

“And are you one? Someone who could not forgive himself after years.” He shot back.

I felt a slight sense of violation from the words. I guess he listened in my conversation with the old vice-head of Sentai, and it bothered me, more than I cared to admit.

Ryuji Ishikawa hid away his disturbing smile. “You don’t have to give an answer now, the offer will be open so long as my son sees you in a favorable light.”

Feeling a bit relieved now that we stopped talking about that, I asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”

The man took a drag from the cigarette, exhaled, and after some hesitation asked a question, “Did- did the vice head look at peace or was he regretful in his final moments?”

Not expecting that, I let seconds slip by as I recalled that day. “While I cannot say for sure, it looked to me like he was calm and steadfast.”

The lips of a student curled in a small, pleasant smile. “I see, thank you for your time.”

He opened the door and left me alone with my thoughts.

I was starting to see why Jun always looked grumpy.