We ducked out of the club, brushing past a couple of guards but getting no close looks; a moment later, we were out and met up with Kayson. We quickly drove away from the club and got to shoot the shit while Kayson went through the phone.

“He’s been in contact with the crew housing the alchemist.” Kayson's eyes were still looking through the phone. We had to be quick since the Crimson Eagles would get all riled once that guy got up or someone found him. “Ah. There we are, a mention of the location in his messages.”

“Well shit, we gonna get going?” I asked

“We will in a moment.” Kayson glanced at Eve. “How’d Luca do?”

She paused, her harsh gaze lingering on me. “Well, he blew the plan.” Ouch, but accurate. “He did a lot better than I thought. When it went to shit, he got himself out of it, mostly. With some help.”

“About what I expected.”

“What, ya aint angry I messed up?” I asked.

“Well, no. You’re going to get better with time. I think you’ll flourish as a distraction or our frontman, given enough practice. However, I apologize that a gun got involved. I had no clue they would go that far or had anything like that.” With that apology, he rushed us off to our next location. He took point in our pack of bikes as we made our place to a warehouse located along the border of the Rust Docks.

Once we arrived, Kayson immediately called forth his Manifested Soul. Twinkling pinpricks of moonlight formed from his skin and congealed into his spiders. They spun off him and climbed away, crossing the ground at an alarming speed. His fingers weaved through the air—occasionally twitching from the webs connecting him to his Manifested Soul. The barest trace of light reflected on the thin webs from dim street lights. We were about two blocks away from the target.

“Very few Crimson Eagles,” Kayson muttered, dark eyes scanning us. “Suzaki, you’re going to go around the side with Luca. Bruno and Eve will stir up trouble in the front. While they handle any guards, you two will subdue the alchemist. Be careful not to breathe if you see any gas. If he makes any unexpected moves, maintain as much distance as possible. Suzaki, let Luca take him down. You’re there if something goes wrong. You spring into action thirty seconds after Eve gives a signal.”

“It uh, I-isn’t meant for poisons…” Suzaki said, eyes twitching toward me.

“Shit, I’m going to get poisoned?!” I asked.

“Maybe. Probably not, but alchemists can be incredibly dangerous. We’re not sure of how capable this one is, or what his relationship is to the Crimson Eagles. So be prepared for anything.”

With that, he sent us off. Suzaki and I made our way carefully around the back of the Rust Docks—past discarded bottles, litter, and disused factory equipment gathering rust. This place was a tetanus case waiting to happen. Suzaki kept pace with me; the boy was slinky and unobtrusive. Letting me pick the path forward, we reached the place and took a look at the half-rusted sheet metal door that made up the back entrance.

Less than a minute later, a loud voice ripped through the air. “Come out, you piss-stained Crimson-Eagle-Shit-Bags!” Eve. Well, there it was. I kept a count in my head, I moved to a door and tested the handle.

Locked. Not good. But still salvageable since this door was a piece of shit. I slammed my knuckle into my palm—a spark of blue. Exactly what I needed. My skin went numb—feeling leeched back in as I waited, counting off the remaining time. Thirty. I burst forward, a rush of pure energy as I slammed my shoulder into the doorway. I wasn’t as strong as Bruno but still gave the thing a heavy whack. The frame shook—I heard a noise on the other side, followed by a cascade of collapsing objects, until the door blew outward, giving me just enough time to duck out of the way as a box burst out of the now broken door.

Dust flooded outward. My slam must have knocked a stack of containers loose, dominoing them until a stack collapsed on the door and forced it open. I paused, mouth agape. Sometimes it was easy to forget how powerful Fickle Fate could be when it wanted.

I let go of that odd sense that I was still grasping at straws with my own power. I made my way into the factory and slid past the pile of boxes near the door—I ignored the loud scuffle and yelling from the entrance. My eyes scanned the desolate interior—tables filled with spirit herbs, grow lights, and planters. A thick smoke mingled in the air with the collapsing boxes' dust caused. Ah fuck. I rose a hand to my mouth and locked eyes with a man hunched over a cauldron.

Half of the guy’s hair was burnt off, and heavy bags hung from his eyes. He had sallow skin, and as he looked at me, he raised his eyebrows. Shakily, he rose both hands in a gesture for me to relax. Like he didn’t want a fight.

My gaze flickered over to a stained mattress shoved in the corner of the room. There was nothing else next to it except a microwave plugged into a power strip and a shit ton of frozen-meal trash.

“What in the hell?” I asked.

“Hold. No need for violence.” His eyes settled on the cauldron below him. “Just… let me finish this. Volatile.” His voice was raspy, drawn. Almost like it was a labor to get it out.

“What? Volatile? Ya threatening to blow us up!?”

“Luca—c-calm down.” Suzaki came in behind me, grabbing me and preventing me from rushing in to knock him out. Didn't he know there might be poison or an explosive?! But I let him stop me. Suzaki had a much cooler head than me. The alchemist was far more worried about whatever was in that cauldron than us—carefully measuring a frosty chopped herb on a kitchen scale and adding it in little bits. He gave it three precise stirs with a stone spoon.

Oh. We’d just walked in while he was doing something dangerous. I felt awkward but dismissed all thoughts of violence. Now that I got a look at him, he seemed a bit pathetic. I shoved my hands in my pockets, fishing for a smoke. His panicked eyes landed on me as I put the cigarette in my lips. “No fire!”—I stopped, lighter half pulled out.

“Shit, you’re awful fussy for a guy we’re taking out of here.”

“Just—I’ll go. I’m fine with that… it’s not like I enjoy these people. Whoever you are can’t be worse… Just… no fire, please.”

“Fine, fine.” I packed my smoke back away and tapped my foot. Felt weird to know a fight was going on I wasn’t a part of. It took two more minutes before the fighting in the front stopped—then Bruno waltzed in with his fists still blazing from his Soul Ability. My eyes went wide. The alchemist started to scream out a warning.

Suzaki only had enough time to let out a quick, “S-son-of-a-bitch.”

I shoved Suzaki to the floor and threw myself over him. The smoke caught fire and combusted into a blast of concussive force strong enough to bash my head against the concrete.

The smoke and fire cleared. I was still alive. I turned and saw Bruno sprawled out on the ground, gasping. Suzaki crawled out from underneath me to heal the big guy. The Alchemist? Well, he was completely fine. A shimmering gray bubble wrapped around him; he had a tired look but was otherwise unharmed. The man had witnessed this same thing happen too many times based on his expression. Suzaki placed his halo above Bruno’s head.

He left his spot behind the cauldron, taking shaky steps to the wall where he slumped over and sank to the ground. Kayson and Eve rushed in right as Bruno got to his feet—the fire managed to singe off one of the big guy's eyebrows. Thanks to Suzaki, the burns would heal in time.

Kayson looked around, eyes settling on the Alchemist. “He did this?”

“No—Bruno walked in on fire, and the place went up.” I paced closer to the Alchemist, who’d closed his eyes.

“Sudden combustion to the flammable vapors in the air. I didn’t have time to warn him. Why do they always bring fire into my labs?” the Alchemist sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, this was close to a good execution. We’ll take him to a second location, then I’ll establish contact with the Captain.” Kayson squatted, eyes soft as he took in the Alchemist. “Sorry about this. I don’t know your deal with the Crimson Eagles, but we cannot allow you to work with them any longer. What’s your name?”

“I’m James… Just… get me out of here.”

I left James’s side and tilted my head at Bruno still wearing that Halo. Eve seemed fine—other than a bit of blood on my forehead and my head being a bit slow, I didn’t think I got hurt too bad and Suzaki would get to me in time. “Ya alright, big guy? Why you always gotta make such a flashy entrance?” I gave him my best stupid grin to cheer him up. He didn’t know it yet, but he wouldn’t look good for a while—not with that fucked up eyebrow.

“Hahahaa!! Luca—you should have come with us! Those Crimson Eagles were puny! They refused an honorable duel, so I smashed their heads together! You would have loved the fight!” It surprised me how much that bastard kept himself together under the influence of Suzaki’s ability. Sure, he healed slowly, but I seemed to shift to a different person when I wore it.

Maybe it had something to do with body size? Kayson mentioned it depending on envy, but what did that really mean? Soul Seeds were odd and varied in how they worked, ranging from concrete to abstract concepts.

“Wouldn’t have said no to a fight. All I had to do was bust a door down. It worked out, though, I suppose. Thought this guy was supposed to be tough.” I glanced at the alchemist. Kayson and James were holding a quiet conversation. “He threw his hands up and asked to finish what he was doing, though we see why he was so worried now, I guess."

“I-I don’t think he chose to be here.” Suzaki pointed towards the trash and shitty mattress.

I looked it over again. Wasn’t it a sloppy street gang thing? ‘What? They force him to pump out pills?”

“W-well. Look at him.” Suzaki had a point. The guy seemed rather apathetic about this whole thing; he had no idea who we were. And we’d come in and beat the crap out of the Crimson Eagles watching over him. But James didn’t have it in him to care.

“Assholes.” I wished I’d been the one to take on the guys at the front. Maybe I could settle with punishing them a bit. I began to pace for the door. “They aint done learning their lesson.”

“No! Luca! You can’t!” Bruno yelled, making me flinch.

“They deserve it!”

“There is no honor in that!” Bruno said. His wounds were almost all gone—making it easy for him to block my path.

“Don’t see why there’s a difference between bashing them some more now; look what they did to that guy. Aint right.” I said. Bruno’s face was a rare shade of seriousness. That typical friendliness was gone. I saw that Eve was already pocketing stuff she could from the corner of my eye. “Look at that—how’s picking more fights with these fuckers more dishonorable than her stealing shit? Why don’t you go bug her?"

“Their possessions belong to her since she conquered through combat.” Bruno nodded his head at his warped logic. Apparently, by the middle finger Eve threw my way, she wasn’t too fond of my plan to sic the big guy on her instead. “We do not kick those that are down. Worry not, my friend. You will learn in time.”

He plopped a big palm on my shoulder, damn near buckling my legs. Too strong for his own good. Well, whatever. I’d drop it for now. It wasn’t worth getting him riled—who knew what he’d do with Suzaki’s halo on his head.

Suzaki healed me before we drove off to meet with our Captain.

I didn’t look forward to seeing her again. I didn’t know what she thought of me or even if she believed what I’d said; maybe I could convince myself Kayson wanted me for more. But her? She wanted to use me; that much was clear. This gang—the Brass Kings made me who I was, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to be more.