"Otherworldly invaders, Lukhan? Really?" Ansem attempted to give Lukhan an unbelieving look, but it was obvious he was interested. Or perhaps Lukhan's gift told him it was obvious.

"I would not have come unprepared, despite how intrigued you are at the prospect." Lukhan withdrew a vial from his gi and placed it on the desk.

Ansem snatched it up and began looking it over. The pitch black fluid seemed reluctant to slosh as its holder gave it a light shake. "Their blood is black?" He guessed.

Lukhan repressed a smirk as if it were second nature. Or, entirely due to second nature. Regardless, Ansem made the best incorrect deduction he could have.

"While the creatures' blood is indeed black, you are holding tissue material."

Ansem's eyes widened. "You say they are bipedal, and save for their appearance and blood, are akin to humankind, yet their bodies are made of this liquid substance? Lukhan, you sure know how to tickle a man's biology itch."

At that moment, the doors behind Lukhan opened, and Ansem's business partner strode in. "Hey boss, I'm back. There's a debt collected, a hit taken, and I've spoken with management about moving us up to a higher floor, hey Lukhan by the way, and they're willing to budge if they can push our rent up twenty percent, but I negotiated it down to ten percent if we take a pair of contracts for their interests, both-" He whirled on his heel, turning away from the office's back door and back to Lukhan. "Uh, hey Lukhan, by the way. Been a while."

"Greetings, Acero," Lukhan replied. "I was just negotiating a deal with your partner. If you two are looking for a larger space to conduct business and research, I can make our deal significantly more attractive to you."

"Please, please, just Ace, man. Even I don't use my full name." Ace glanced at Ansem, noting the look in his eye and began to leave the office. "I'll go tell management we'll be evicting ourselves, then?"

Ansem was still eyeing the vial of biological material, blinded by the prospect that just landed in front of him. "Yes, please do. And rent a mover, would you? I would rather make two trips out of Nova than two dozen."

Lukhan waited until the doors had shut behind him to continue. “No negotiations this time?”

“Lukhan, you’ve been good to me,” Ansem said, pulling out boxes and storing the contents of the desk. “Whatever you have to offer, it’s probably a lot better than a thirtieth floor studio loft.

“Remember the old hill you hollowed out for us?” Lukhan asked.

Ansem paused for a moment before slowly nodding. “I suspected one day I’d be working there. Are we going to be living with anyone else, or is it just you and Isabella again?”

“I have been…” Lukhan held his breath, looking for the right word. His superior’s suggestions were always just those, yet he felt an obligation to every one of them. “Requested,” he said at last, “to gather certain individuals. Two of them are already at base.”

Ansem chuckled. “I assume your ‘gift’ leads you by the nose, then?” Lukhan blinked in surprise, to whatever extent he could have. Did he mention the gift, even once? He wracked his memory for an answer, but was immediately interrupted. “Are Ace and I on that list, or are you here only because you know what we’re capable of?”

“The latter, obviously,” Lukhan replied. “You know the gift cannot sense either of you.” As if to defy himself, Lukhan noticed Ace’s presence before the doors swung open.

“Guys, we’ve got a situation on the ground,” Ace said, barely out of breath. Lukhan noticed clear signs of exertion, however. His breathing was slightly quicker, and his muscles were tense. “Lukhan, you most of all.”

Lukhan found himself immediately at the window, shoving it open and looking down at the streets below. Without so much as a glance at the others, he leapt from the building, wings already unfurling.

“Really devoted to his job, isn’t he?” Ace sighed, nearly being knocked over by Ansem as his partner rushed towards the elevator. “They both are, I mean,” Ace continued to nobody but himself. “I guess I am too, though I really doubt there’ll be any heads to pop by the time I get down there.” Ace reached for his overcoat, feeling a certain twitch as his fingers brushed against it.

Ansem burst through the ground floor doors, expecting to see far less than he did. What were obviously the creatures Lukhan described were pouring out of the first portal he’d seen. It was marginally smaller than a standard doorway, crookedly framed with a thin golden alloy. Lukhan was nowhere to be seen, but even stranger was the creature fighting the advance of its kin. Unlike the others, this one had two tendrils extending from behind its shoulders, which were currently being used for impaling. It fought with what Ansem could guess was familiarity, as if this one knew how to fight its own kind. Its tendrils always stabbed the same spot in the upper torso, just below where a collarbone would be. The rogue’s sharpened claws played more of an assist role, staggering instead of cutting. For whatever reason, this one was holding back the invasion with overwhelming efficiency.

Then the portal became inert. The creatures’ homeworld, once clearly visible through the jagged ring, blinked out, and the golden frame crumbled to dust. The sole remaining being let out a great sigh, and its tendrils retracted, coming to rest laying flat along its back. Lukhan landed next to it, sword vanishing and wings folding back.

“The city is secure, and you fight true.” Lukhan extended a hand to the alien. “I am Lukhan, and this is Paranova. I believe you have some questions to answer.”

It hissed in response. Ansem didn’t need Lukhan’s godlike intuition to know that this creature would rather be anywhere else.

“Malachi,” it said, with a low rumble to its voice.

“That’s a surprisingly human name for an alien,” Ansem chimed in.

Malachi glared daggers at Ansem. “Cinraal are bred for many purposes. Mine is among humans, so I was given a fitting name.” His gaze turned back to Lukhan. “I worked in Etras only briefly, and arrived here moments ago.”

Ace entered the street, observing the carnage before him. “Guess I missed all the fun. Is this shadow-looking guy an ally?”

The irritation in Malachi’s voice grew. “One got past me. If you’d like to, chase it.”

As if in response, a woman’s shout came from a nearby building. Its owner entered the streets, a Cinraal on her heels. It grabbed the woman by her hair, and upon seeing the four, held its claws to her throat and hissed loudly.

Malachi groaned. “A popular rumor among Cinraal is that with only a drop of blood, one can inherit another’s abilities.”

Lukhan’s eyes went wide as he realised three things: One, that woman was gifted. Two, Cinraal could sense gifts as he could. Three, he was not prepared for a hostage situation.

“He says he’ll only harm her a little if we let it go,” Malachi translated.

Ace’s eyes also went wide, but for completely different reasons. “How pragmatically acceptable,” he shouted, as if the opposing Cinraal could hear him. “But I didn’t grab my good coat for no reason.” He then withdrew a black device from his coat, and pointed it at the Cinraal, index finger trembling.

“Ace, do not act hastily-” Lukhan began.

“You know what’s in real rare supply around Nova?” Ace asked nobody in particular. “A pretty cool rock called nitre. You wanna know why nitre is cool?” He flicked off a small switch on the device. “Because Ansem can refine it down to something pretty explosive. And you know what I love about explosives?”

“Just fire it already,” Ansem grumbled.

Ace squeezed his trigger finger. In an instant, a small, localised explosion went off inside the device, propelling a lead projectile directly through the Cinraal’s head, felling it instantly. Ace grinned like a madman, and slid the pistol back into its holster. He turned back to the group, crazy grin frozen on his face. Ansem was holding his ears, Malachi looked stunned, and Lukhan raised an eyebrow.

“My ears ring,” Lukhan commented.