White Nights on Infinity

5. First Thaw

Eagle's men were nothing if not efficient. Their chief, Shima, was built like a boxer and covered in complicated etchings, yet he was also shrewd and cool-headed. Calmly, he listened to Kurogane's terse summary of events, nodding occasionally. Fai let Kurogane handle it; after all, he still did not trust his own voice, husky and hungry, his hands still hot and buzzing with the feel of the other man's skin. Feigning fatigue, Fai leaned casually on the doorframe, his face away from the alleyway.

Meanwhile, Shima had quickly assessed the situation. With a few brief orders he dispatched his people to scout the building opposite and to search for the men who ran off; another agent was sent to tend to the wounded thug outside. His lieutenant, a stern-looking young woman in a leather catsuit slipped back upstairs, to brief Rio.

"Well, that's quite a night you've had," Shima summarized, lighting up a hand-rolled cigarette, and motioning them outside.

Reluctantly, Fai followed, trying to arrange his face into a neutral expression. He caught Kurogane's suspicious glance, and turned away. Perhaps he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Quite a lot of trouble to go to, if you ask me," said Shima, looking around and frowning. He gestured to the man that was out cold on the damp pavement. "Your work, I presume?" he asked, turning to Fai. There was no inflection in his tone—he was merely curious.

Fai shrugged. "It was all very sudden," he said. "I was just reacting."

"Some reaction," muttered Shima, but didn't press the issue. After all, nearly anything was fair in self-defence on Infinity, and attacking a Chess Master or their team outside the Arena was a punishable offence. This city took its gladiatorial games seriously.

Fai kept his gaze from slipping below anyone's eye level. At eye level, there was the main street some distance away, and thick damp air full of reflective neon lights, and glossy wet towers rising above it all like silent sentinels at the edge of time itself. As for what lay at their feet... he didn't want to think about it, even as the metallic scent of blood and urine and acrid sweat threatened to overpower his keen senses. Rather than remorse he felt only disgust and disdain. He knew he had lost control back there, but he didn't feel badly about it, and this scared him much more than the actual consequences of his actions.

Kurogane spoke up.

"Does this happen often, then? If we were going to be attacked in public, you should have warned us. I'd have known to be prepared," he said, his voice steely.

Shima burst out laughing. "Just what we need! Two alien warriors roaming the Arts district armed to the hilt... No, gentlemen, I assure you. That's our job. They caught us off guard today, but that won't happen again," Shima added, turning serious.

Kurogane scowled, his expression grim. "Any idea why they did it? Are other teams being targeted?"

Shima puffed on his cigarette. "Not that I am supposed to discuss this with you..." he said, slowly. "But I can see you're a stubborn sort, so I'll make an exception. Truth be told, we were following up on a tip off when this happened. We received word that your Chess Master may be targeted."

Fai and Kurogane exchanged a worried look. If the princess was in danger, it was a game changer. Fai felt his perception sharpen tenfold, his body tensing, and almost immediately, he felt lightheaded. Clearly, he was not back to form.

Shima continued. "I can't say if that tip was a bluff, or if they are acting in several teams. But whoever it is, to try to pull this here, they must be mad."

"Or an insider," said Kurogane.

Shima frowned. "Not likely, but... not impossible. If that's the case..."