Downpour hurdled down onto the street outside as Eliza ran; Quinn and Claire hot on her heels. Even outside, gunfire was rampant. In fact, the violence had all but consumed the streets outside, with police and attackers firing up and down the road. A bolt whizzed right past Eliza’s glasses, causing Claire to tackle Eliza down behind a shuttle-car, Quinn joining in.

Eliza rushed to his side, kneeling down as a flotilla of vans barrelled down towards from up the street. Police drones and officers turned to see the new threat, before airburst grenades were hurled down the road.

Her red eyes caught a glimpse of the explosions, heading straight for the vehicles she was hiding behind. The shells opened up, showing a dozen small explosive pellets; right as Quinn grappled onto her and Claire, throwing the three of them down the street. The airburst ignited, sending sparks into the air that blinded Eliza’s sight… Police drones were scattered, as the lightly armoured police were met with a merc-grade response, as armoured individuals stormed down the street, wearing bulky armour.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!

They kept moving. Rushing backwards, the three hid behind an undamaged truck as fire raged past the smoke. “What the fuck is going on?!” shouted Quinn.

“No clue; just keep your head straight and keep shooting!” said Claire. Drones started to fall, whilst Eliza watched as officers tried to take cover, fleeing as they were gunned down en masse. Their navy blue uniform and armour was turned into molten heat with every shot, revealing flesh underneath; Eliza pried her eyes off the bodies.

“FUCK. Liz! Can you call for backup?” asked Quinn, “I’d very much prefer to have Arb here!”

“ALREADY DID!” shouted Eliza, panicking as she peeked out of cover, seeing figures within the smoke, slowly advancing. She fumbled her hand as she pulled out her phone, no reply from Kazuki… Her eyes widened. “Dammit… WHY CAN’T I JUST ENJOY A MEAL IN PEACE?!”

She mind complained, this was very much the last time she’ll be eating out at a restaurant on Anagora… Kazuki’s arrival, the bar… now this? Maybe she should eat out with a different group of people next time…

Sirens continued to wail in the background, sounding the call of more officers to the slaughter. Eliza was mesmerised by another wave of explosions, sending up colours of red and yellow. “Let’s be thankful the police can recognise between unarmoured civvies and terrorists…” Claire muttered to herself, before taking a peek and narrowly avoiding a streaming string of bolts.

Arriving police shuttles were turned into mobile coffins as heavy gunfire shredded into their fuel tanks, sending them crashing downwards. Between the police and the attackers, the three were forced into a hard place;. Kazuki… where the hell is he?! Eliza started to panic again. Just… where is he?

A crying voice pierced through her mind as she twisted a look towards a nearby shuttle, tipped over and on fire. Someone inside was crying for help, it was a police officer, trapped within.

Claire angrily tapped her ear, ‘DOES ANYONE READ US?! THIS IS PHALANX, WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS, WITH A SIDE OF ARMOUR PIERCING!’

Eliza glanced towards Claire, then back at the officer. An idea stirred in her head as Eliza noted that the trapped vehicle was only a small distance away. It was possible.

Glancing over, Claire looked at Eliza, then towards the shuttle, rubbing the scar across her nose bridge. She shook her head in response. “Fuck no, it’s a death trap. Middle of the fucking road? Sorry, Liz, but we’ll just have to hope they live it through,” Claire admitted. “I hate to fucking say it, but there’s nothing we can do but try and cover her!”

“I can’t just… leave them. You’re a good shot, right?” asked Eliza, tapping Claire on the shoulder, slowly standing up. “No… you are a good shot. Cover me.” What the fuck was she doing?

“There’s too many, without my gear you’ll be vaporised, stay here… We have to hold out.” ordered Claire, sighing as she joined Eliza, placing a hand on her shoulder. “These attackers have some serious punch, who knows what else they have?!”

“But… they’ll die.” said Eliza, sneaking off to the edge of the truck as a bolt impacted the side of it. Adrenaline pumped through her body, tightening her chest. Claire snatched her arm before she could do anything unreasonable.

“You can’t help her if you’re dead, got it? Wait for reinforcements, then we can worry about her, understood!?”

Logically, Claire was right, but Eliza couldn’t leave her to perish - not without a fight. Too many had died, and if she can help save another life, she has the obligation to do so… The officer was still crying out for help, but with the approaching muzzles, she’ll be cut down. Her heart ran into full drive, pumping blood into her legs.

“There’s no time…” Eliza trailed off.

She was still not used to the etiquette of the business: mission over life. And Claire made sure she voiced her disapproval. “Probably… but if you want to die, go ahead! Kaz will kill me…” said Claire, using everything to try and stop Eliza.

But the screams… They were begging for help. Taking a deep breath, she tensed her muscles as she started into a sprint - booking it from behind the truck. Running across fire, she ducked underneath the salvos. A stray bolt skimming her in the leg, tripping her over onto the cold asphalt below.

Claire forced herself into action, firing her pistol sporadically up the street, ducking behind the truck before any return fire could land a killing blow. Eliza scrambled, scrambled with all her legs and muscle as she forced herself forward. She narrowly avoided a string of bolts.

She ducked behind the shuttle, but with the approaching attackers, Eliza had to put everything in Claire. She knelt beside the downed vehicle as Quinn and Claire continued to buy time, with all they had.

“Hey! Help me outta here!” begged the officer, trying to push the dented door open as they pressed down on their uplink, a standard earpiece design. ‘I don’t give a FUCK about protocol, get SPTU here! I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAYS. WE NEED THEM!’

She grabbed onto the handle and door frame. “You push, I’ll pull, p—perhaps that’ll loosen the door up?” Eliza shouted back at them, fumbling words.

Eliza glanced down at the wound to her leg. She had scrapped her knee, with a seething bolt wound just eclipsing the back of her thigh, the fall had tore marks across her tights and legs…

The pain was seething, aching to her nerves. She took the first ever bolt wound in her life with pride, seeing it as an affirmation of who she is… With that in mind, she braced through the pain.

More and more attackers pushed forward, aided by their grounded-shuttles. The police lines held strong, with the two mercs fighting beside them; with the circumstances: the two AGENTs were less of a concern. But each second brought more death.

More drones roared by overhead, flying out from the lowrises and through the cracks in the buildings. All gunned down as they got closer to the scene, barely able to let off a salvo of gunfire. She looked back down at the officer, the fire in her eyes imbued with a cocktail of stress and adrenaline.

She nodded as Eliza counted down, “Three, Two, One, go!”

She placed her back into it, forcing everything that her spine and muscles could give into pulling… But it wasn’t enough. A whistling bullet singed her hair, before its sender was worn down and killed with a neck-shot by Claire. “FUCK…” she muttered to herself, “Should have spent more time in the gym with Aaron than studying with Chloé…”

She tensed everything she had and more, pushing everything into her back. The officer slammed against the door, pushing against it as a plasma bolt threw itself through the armoured window, splitting into their leg with a blood curdling cry.

“Fuck!” The Officer cried out, letting a shriek echo into Eliza’s ears. She can see fragments of her leg bleeding across the interior.

“Keep pushing, it’s nearly there!” Eliza shouted, closing her eyes, feeling the door slowly pry open. The officer gritted through the pain as their combined efforts sent the door cracking open. With the sudden force released, Eliza fell on her back as the officer scurried out from within.

The officer nodded at her, gritting through the pain as she leaned against the vehicle. “Don’t look…”

She complied, hearing the officer doing their best to hide the pain as they tended to their wound, injecting the leg with as many drugs as possible. “These guys are way too armed! Who in the eclipse are they? And why the fuck haven’t you guys ran?!”

“I don’t know?!” Eliza responded, glancing at Claire as she was being suppressed by the shuttle. “I… I think they want to kill me.” She didn’t want to admit it, but it was likely. The assassins months ago were after Kazuki; but he’s not here.

She nodded. ‘This is Mictia-5-5, 10-754, yes, 10-754.’ The officer immediately got to reporting, sliding her service pistol out. It was light and dinky, and gave Eliza no comfort. But she tried her best to calm down.

Taking a peek, Eliza could see a storm of armoured attackers march forward, killing anything in their path as the police were barely able to put up a token resistance. The officer gritted their teeth, hiding the pain. Eliza still looked away from the officer…

She couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Kauzki had left her on read… just where is he? He has to be close? Right? Just… Eliza couldn’t formulate the thought… the thought of him not coming to save them all. He’s always on time, always arriving at the right moment; so where is he?

‘Dammit…’ Eliza whispered into the uplink, her mind filled with stress and fear, ‘Where’s our backup?’

And a voice answered, cold and precise. ‘Here.’

∗ ∗ ∗ KAZUKI A blazing inferno caught fire as strings of rockets and armour piercing rounds scattered the street. Shuttles cried by overhead, arriving at the scene escorted by a fleet of support drones.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Kazuki and Eliza exchanged looks, the shuttles stalking in the air as they fired downwards. Gravity-Locks turned the hostile vans into an immobile mass of steel, crushed underneath the intense forces as it scrunched up, blood seeping out and exploding. Kazuki felt nothing.

His exospine burst out in a ray of blue light, a hue different from what he was used to. Drugs stimulated through his body, increasing his strength.

He watched as the attackers were slaughtered, turned into meshes of flesh and blood and organs. Wrist-rockets from up above sliced through their reinforcements, whilst those in cover stood no chance at the mercenary-grade response. He looked down at the carnage, his aug-glasses showing a thousand visual forms of information...

There was still staggered resistance left. He’ll let his men handle the stragglers as sealed his helm-mask on, clad in standard-full vest-plate armour. His men were outnumbered by the attackers, but they were not outmatched.

He noted one trying to push their way through the carnage towards Eliza. So Eliza was their target… Targeting the weakest link in the AGENCY… The Loyalists were after him, but these people, they’re after her. They must be linked. Somehow.

They deflected bullets off their shield from Claire as she shouted towards Quinn. Kazuki mumbled to himself… How did they know Eliza was here? Only someone in government or in the BCA or Board would have eyes up here. Did someone break or splice into their communication channels? Hiccup isn’t known for being the best at private security.

But that can be dealt with later. For now, he has an infection to cleanse. Taking a step off of the shuttle, he plunged downwards. Speeding with gravity, he crashed directly onto the attacker. He heard a crack. Looking down, he felt shame at the dead corpse. He would have left Archius to interrogate them…

Stepping off them, he dusted blood off his ANCHOR-braces and pants. He didn’t have his helm-mask on, the vest-plate’s neck-guard and helm-mask connector being naked for all to see, with its valves and hydraulic locks.

“Kazuki…” Eliza said, springing up from cover. Even as reinforcing shuttles came barrelling down the street, they were quickly eliminated - no match for high explosive armour piercing corrosion rounds that his armoured convoy used. Up above was a dozen shuttles. An overwhelming display of might compared to what should be used.

He gave her a cold look. Giving her that hoodie was a good call. If she was shot, the hoodie would’ve withstood the attack. “Are you hurt?” asked Kazuki.

He dusted off smoke and soot off his navy blue Judiciary dress coat, over his vest-plate armour. It looked makeshift. Professional dress against bloody contracted gear.

She looked down at her leg, it was only one wound. Good, he thought. Claire did her job, he’ll pay her for the hazard later.

“Arbiter…” said the officer, staggering up as she leaned against the vehicle, Eliza rushing to help her.

“Riley,” said Kazuki, taking his gas mask off. He recognised that voice and face, someone he served with for a few operations back in the day. He scanned the battlefield, seeing one injured attacker beside the truck, leaning against it - heavily armoured. Imperial armour, 59th drop division. They weren’t Imperials… and the 59th drop division went MIA in the war… “Hmm. MIA. It’s a lead…”

“Ah, you still remember me, then?” asked Riley, coughing up some blood as they injected themselves with morphine.

“Sadly not. My memory has not served me well but if I had to guess… you served in the 2nd Fleet as a naval gunner before you joined the force. I also guess that we fought alongside each other at Kibatuki.” snapped Kazuki.

Riley laughed his sarcasm off, sitting down on the vehicle beside her. Eliza slowly walked towards Kazuk. But he stopped her, placing a hand out and ushering her away. Riley tapped Eliza on the shoulder as the two gave Kazuki space. He slowly turned to the near-dead attacker, approaching and kneeling. He ripped their helmet off, seeing the cracks beside his lips for a split-second reflect off the visor.

The face of a seasoned veteran was underneath the helmet. It didn’t look like a war-vet, nor a merc-vet… crim-vet, probably - but he didn’t recognise it. “Let’s make this easy for both of us. Who sent you?”

The grizzled man gave Kazuki but one look, and spat blood in his face. The rain wiped it off. “What a shame.”

Calmly, he hydraulically punched them in the liver. He gave his regular, stone-cold face. They tried to fight back, but Kazuki kept them pinned. He’ll rip their fingers off next. He repeated himself, “Who contracted you? You have Imperial armour, it should be impossible. Most were melted down.”

He needs to know. They went after Eliza, not him. They had connections, enough to get old war gear. He looked too grizzled to be a Clandestin veteran he didn’t know. Looking up the street, Kazuki saw the burning shuttles. More reinforcements came after the AGENCY arrived, but why? He had an idea… but it was too foolhardy, and arrogant. If they planned that, they were stupid. Someone was behind this, and it was safe to assume they might be involved with the Loyalists… BUT Who?!

The man opened his mouth as he gasped in pain. “Fuck… you.”

“Poor choice of words.” said Kazuki, going for their hand but as he did, the man grappled with Kazuki, trying to stab him with a knife. Rain muddied the stab.

Kazuki’s eyes lit up as he activated his shield, embedding the knife into the shield as it became stuck. A red light blinked, as Kazuki’s eyes glistened a hue of blue. The red light that consumed his vision as a bomb was strapped directly to their chestplate.

He kicked the man backwards, denting the truck. His ICAPAD lit up with notifications, as he pushed his shield in front of him. His ANCHOR activated on instinct, projecting himself backwards. A fireburst blaze of airburst munitions combusted. Smoke rose. Shouts and cries came from the police and AGENTs…

“Kaz!” Eliza shouted, running forward, “Are you…”

“I’m fine.” said Kazuki, stepping out from the rising smoke, his armoured vest-plate and clothes were relatively undamaged. Scratches on his face showed some effect. “I think you should stay away from eating out for a while…”

“I… agree, what the fuck… This is the third time…” Her voice was strained, Kazuki thought.

“Well, the second time was kinda our fault…” Claire trailed off. Quinn sheepishly nodded, letting off a small, embarrassed chuckle.

“They stood no fucking chance!” joked one of the operatives checking on the dead bodies. “Fucking dirt-eaters…”

“Hah,” came another. Kazuki did not recognise their voices. They must be some of the defected Loyalists Martinez or Sato vetted. Best not to learn their voices, Kazuki thought.

The only thing knowledge brings him is more responsibility. More memories, voices, jokes and smiles to bear on his shoulders.

A figure dropped out from a shuttle, hovering close to the ground, before rising up into the air. It was Martinez, without his helm-mask. “Arbiter! AO’s clear, seems to just be them.”

The middle aged Yamikoi man waved to Kazuki. He waved back. “Keep sweeping the area for hostiles.”

“Sweep this area… sweep that area,” Martinez started. “That’s all we ever did in the Kanzibar Hinterlands.” He shrugged, sighing. Martinez had served both local and Republic forces in the Kastenor Oversector, a local of the Republic Kanzibari Hinterlands.

Kazuki raised his voice back. “When? Serving in the Kanzibari national guard, military or private security?”

“All of them!” Martinez shouted back, turning towards the carnage. “I can handle the clean-up, best to get it out of the way.”

Professional. Always offering assistance. Martinez never faltered in his efficiency, Kazuki thought. He nodded, before turning to the group that survived the attack. They were battered.

“Didn’t know you made jokes, Arbiter,” muttered Quinn. Compared to Quinn, Martinez was more acclimated to Kazuki. To him, the Contract-Breaker was merely a comrade in arms, not just his superior, like what Quinn saw him as.

“Well, most of his jokes are rather dark and morbid,” Eliza commented, her gaze drooping down to the cracked road.

Fuck, getting Eliza involved placed her in this situation… He’ll need to put one of his actual guards in charge of protecting Eliza from now on, he thought. This was getting way too out of hand. Something jagged into Kazuki’s mind. He swallowed a pill of Halolazil in response.

The new burn beside his lips still felt weird, different from what his memories were accustomed to. No matter. It’ll adapt to the feeling.

Eliza took a step forward and continued, “Your… injuries…”

“Minimal,” he said. It was of no concern, though. He had ANCHOR’d out of the blast radius. “It’s fine. I’m fine…”

Claire quickly ran up to Kazuki, grabbing onto him as if she expected him to fall down immediately. Her face wore worry as Quinn ran over, joining her as Kazuki brushed them off, taking out an energy-umbrella from his pocket.

“I made sure to get this.” Kazuki commented, before turning to Claire. “Really. I’m fine.”

“But, your medinet—”

He cut Claire off. “Eliza reinforced them. There is no need to worry.”

The two looked at Eliza. Kazuki ignited the energy umbrella, the holo-art showing a phoenicia-leviathan soaring the galactic winds beside a fleet, it was moving, with a thousand stars and phenomenon showing. He could name it all. He gave it to Eliza, she took it.

“Wait, for me?” She seemed confused.

He nodded, but didn’t step under it. He was used to harsh conditions. Yet, Claire and Quinn were surprised that she was able to do that. They glanced at her, then at him, as she was looking up at the majestic art-work made, Lilly’s signature in the corner. “WHY DIDN’T YOU DO IT BEFORE THEN!?”

“We had a bit of a problem with a three hundred vessel fleet chasing us for a year.” said Kazuki, “Plus, with the Loyalists, I haven’t exactly found time.”

“Ah, I guess you’re enjoying them?” asked Eliza, dusting herself off as Kazuki saw pride in her eyes, yet her confidence was dimmer… He didn’t blame her, after everything that happened, he’d find it hard to be confident in her shoes. But he wasn’t in her shoes…

“Not as smooth,” commented Kazuki, brutally honest. “But it works well with more replaceable charges.”

Claire winked at Eliza without Kazuki noticing. “Well then, it seems like you’ve found the one, Kaz.”

Eliza’s face immediately went tomato-red as Kazuki glanced at her, then at Claire. If it was a metaphor or a saying, he had no idea. He had little time to understand the nuances of language, especially nuances that do not assist him in killing opponents.

A few press drones were catching the incident in the aftermath.

“Yes. She was able to repair my cybernetics where no one else could.” said Kazuki, giving a banal response. He felt his exospine gears smoothly shift into place, reclocking. “Objectively, she makes a good aide.”

“So, you like them? How about the new cooling agent?” she asked. “I was able to find a solution that worked slightly better, though it’ll be somewhat expensive.”

Kazuki replied instantly, “Blue catches the eye less than green. For its purposes, it’s good.”

Quinn found it amusing and sniggered, whilst Claire gave Eliza a pitiful look. Eliza shook her head at her. “Come on…”

The two spoke in hushed voices so that neither Quinn or Kazuki could hear. Eliza responded, “Whatever you believe it to be, it’s the contrary…”

“Oh, seriously? Then what’s your real goal here if it isn’t our top-dog.”

“No, no, I’m not after—hey!” said Eliza, quickly lowering her voice, “We’re working together on something…”

Claire nudged her, winking.

“Absolutely not, disclosure is on Kazuki’s side of things.” said Eliza, “Rules are made to be followed, after all.”

He heard what they said. But Kazuki didn’t care. He knelt down, picking up an old rifle as he pressed his finger against the filed off serial number… “F482a-49” said Kazuki.

He’s done this before, and the most subtle of clues gave it away. Martinez dropped down beside him, crunching the road below.

“Arbiter, got anything?” asked Martinez. The hydraulics between his vest-plate and helm-mask sealed.

Kazuki turned towards him, showing him the old rifle. “Imperial made, F482a-49. They tried to file it down, it was… rudimentary. You know anything about that?”

Martinez, of course, shrugged. “No fucking clue, let’s see if Sato or Krystalink can tie it down. I haven’t fought or seen any Imperial gear since the war.”

Kazuki nodded. These attackers went after her, they probably didn’t know of his first contract. But the fact that they went after the softer target was worrying. Someone apprehends her value to him, to lure him out… It was troubling, but he’ll get them eventually. All of them.