The bunker hummed with a quiet mechanical rhythm. Newly installed security systems clicked and whirred outside the walls while stolen Chitin surveillance monitors cast a faint blue glow across the inner entrance. The once-abandoned hideout was slowly transforming into something resembling a headquarters.
Solar sat alone on a worn couch near the far wall, elbows resting on his knees. His gaze remained fixed on the concrete floor. The silence should have been comforting after everything he had endured within the Iron Nexus, yet his mind refused to let him rest.
Every now and then he could still hear them. The screams. The metal doors slamming shut. Even worse was the crackling equipment in Steiner's laboratory. Solar clenched his jaw. A screwdriver suddenly bounced off his shoulder. “Come on man.” Solar looked up. Mori stood balanced on top of a ladder near the ceiling, tightening a security camera into place.
“Good. You're still in the land of the living,” Mori said. “ For a second there I thought your soul finally faded from your body.” Solar rolled his eyes. “I’m serious,” Mori continued. “You’ve been sitting there staring at the floor for twenty minutes. At this rate the floor is gonna start charging you rent.” Solar let out a small sigh.”I’m no good at this tech stuff bro. I know some but not all.” Mori immediately pointed out. “There! See that? Progress. That almost sounded like a human emotion.Dude look I’m not asking for help I just want your ass up outta my crib. You’ve been here since we sprung you from the pen!” Solar shook his head. “Leave me alone.” “No. I won’t. You’ve gone full agoraphobic and got me worried.” Mori hopped off the ladder and landed with roughness.
“The night is young.” “I don't care.” “You should.” “Well I don't. And what’s that gotta do with me anyway?” Mori placed a hand over his heart as though physically wounded. “Solar, you’re crushing me.” Solar remained silent. Mori looked around the bunker dramatically before spreading his arms. “Look at this place.” Solar reluctantly glanced up. The bunker did look noticeably different from when they had first arrived. New cameras covered several blind spots. Security monitors lined one wall. Fresh high tech wiring ran through the ceiling. Automated turrets stuck inside the walls and reinforced paneling. Stacks of stolen equipment even filled storage racks. Mori proudly gestured toward his work. “Safe.” He pointed toward a monitor. “Safer.” Then he pointed toward a collection of blueprints spread across a nearby table. “And soon to be even safer.” Solar followed his gaze. Among the papers were several technical schematics covered in notes and markings. “The camo wall?” Solar asked.
Mori snapped his fingers. “Bingo.” A grin spread across his face. “Them boys down at Chitin labs were nice enough to donate experimental camouflage technology, security systems, turrets, and these lovely computer goggles.”
Solar smirked, “You stole them.” Mori raised an eyebrow. “ I prefer the term uhh adopted willfully.” “So ya stole it.” “Ehh tomato thermonuclear bomb who cares about the details man. Point is we got it.”
Mori picked up a pair of advanced goggles from the table and examined them. "Once I figure out how this camouflage system works, nobody will know this bunker exists lest we tell them." He lowered the goggles. "The four captains and crew will be ghosts."
Solar stared at him. "The four captains?"
Mori nodded confidently. "You must mean future captains. You ain't even asked em’ yet to see what they’d say" Solar said pointedly. "Minor obstacle twinkletoes." Solar rubbed his temple.
~1~
Mori's grin slowly faded. For a brief moment, he studied Solar carefully. The exhaustion followed by constant tension around him. The thousand-yard stare that still lingered behind his eyes proving he was still on edge. Mori recognized it immediately. "You know," he said quietly, "you got out." Solar remained silent. "You survived."
Still nothing. Mori leaned against the table. "Steiner didn't break you." Solar's fists tightened. "He tried." "Sure." Mori shrugged. "But clearly he failed. Pull yourself together, soldier."
The room grew quiet. Solar looked away. Part of him wanted to believe that, believe all the poking and prodding didn’t tear him down into nothing. Another part still felt trapped inside the Iron Nexus. Mori pushed himself off the table.
"Which is exactly why we're leaving."
Solar frowned. "Leaving?"
"We're going out."
"No."
"We are."
"No."
"We absolutely are."
Solar groaned.
Mori pointed toward the bunker entrance. "Come on, it'll be fun."
"Why?"
"Because running away is easy." Solar looked up.
Mori smiled. "The living part is hard." For the first time all evening, Solar hesitated.
Mori immediately noticed. "Good. That's not a no." Solar sighed heavily.
Mori's smile widened. "Oh we're definitely making progress now." Mori wasted no time capitalizing on Solar's hesitation. "Excellent. Go put on your boots." Solar blinked. "I never said yea."
"You never said no either."
"That's not the same thing."
"It's close enough."
~2~
Before Solar could object further, Mori was already walking toward the bunker entrance. "C'mon. The city isn't going to conquer itself." Solar released a long sigh. Somehow arguing with Mori always felt pointless. The man possessed an almost supernatural ability to drag people into whatever nonsense he had planned.
A few minutes later, the bunker door slid shut behind them. The cool night air greeted Solar's face. For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't staring at concrete walls or reinforced steel. As Mori and Solar left the desert, the city stretched endlessly over the horizon before them.
The pair made their way toward a nearby transit station on the outskirts of the desert. Neon signs illuminated crowded streets. Music drifted from distant clubs. Vehicles sped through intersections beneath glowing advertisements. People laughed, talked, argued, and lived all at once
Solar stood still for a moment on the bus with the sights feeling strangely foreign. Seven months inside the Iron Nexus had altered his perception of normalcy. Freedom still felt unreal. Mori noticed immediately. "See?" he said. "Nobody's trying to electrocute you." Solar shot him a look. "Yet."
"That's the spirit."
Several minutes later they found themselves aboard an overcrowded public transport train. Mori appeared completely comfortable. Solar did not. The train doors hissed shut. The vehicle lurched forward.
A metallic screech echoed through the cabin. Solar froze. For a split second the sound transformed. Steel restraints. Laboratory equipment. Containment doors.
His pulse quickened and face flushed.
The images flashed through his mind before disappearing just as quickly. He looked away and focused on the passing city lights outside the window. “You're not there anymore. You're not there anymore. You're not there anymore.”
Mori quietly observed him from the opposite seat. The joking expression faded from his face for only a moment. "You okay?" Solar took a second before answering. "Yeah everything's good." It was a lie. Mori knew it. Solar knew it. Neither acknowledged it. The Salta Transit continued through the city as passengers came and went. Some discussed work, others spoke of sports, gambling, relationships, and local gossip. Ordinary conversations from ordinary people. The kind of life Solar had almost forgotten existed.
Eventually Mori leaned forward out of annoyance. “You know what your problem is?” Solar looked over. “No” “You keep looking backward.” Solar frowned. Mori shrugged, “Can’t blame you.” His tone was surprisingly calm and comforting. “But if all you do is stare at the worst moments of your life, you’re gonna end up missin’ every good thing standin’ right smack dab in front of you.” Solar stared at him.
~3~
“Didn’t know you were a philosopher.” “I’m not?” “Could’ve fooled me.”
Mori smirked. “I’m a criminal with excellent people skills.” Solar snorted unexpectedly “That’s probably the first real truth that fell out your jaw since we met.” The sound caught both of them off guard. For a brief moment, Solar almost laughed. Almost. Mori immediately pointed at him. “There he is, my big joker.” “Shut up Mori.” Solar shook his head.
Yet despite himself, he found his shoulders feeling slightly less tense. Outside the train window, the heart of Sin City drew closer with every passing minute.Whatever Mori had planned, there was no turning back now.
The city seemed to grow louder the deeper they traveled into it
Neon lights painted in violent shades of pink, blue, and purple. Music spilled from open doors. Crowds packed the sidewalks. Gamblers, tourists, mercenaries, criminals, PoM, and thrill seekers blended together into one chaotic river of humanity.
Club Neon was cooped up and hidden away to the side with a Neon sign that pointed down some steps to a booming atmosphere.
The massive underground venue pulsed with life. Its towering sign flickered above the entrance while a line of patrons wrapped around the block. The muffled roar of a crowd could already be heard from somewhere beneath the building. Solar glanced up at the sign. “So this is where we’re goin’?”
Mori responded, "You sound disappointed.” “I’m not,” Solar shook his head. “ I just wasn’t expecting you to drag me to a titty bar.” Mori was shocked. “Hello?! This is not a titty bar mister gigolo. Dude that’s actually funny as hell but nah this is something different. I’ll keep the Tata club idea in mind next time you look like you're about to go postal though.”
The pair stepped into line. The moment they reached the front entrance, two heavily armed security guards blocked their path. “No weapons.” Mori’s smile vanished. “What?” “No weapons.” Mori looked genuinely offended. “What kind of establishment doesn’t allow weapons? Especially cause me and the big guy here are on in like” Mori examined his computer gauntlet. “Five ten minutes.” “The kind that wants people alive long enough to spend money.” Mori sighed dramatically. “Fine.” The guards handed him a plastic bin.
What followed looked less like a security check and more like an inventory audit. A combat knife, pistol, another smaller pistol, three magazines, a garrote wire, several types of lockpicks with at least two of each type, two smoke grenades, a collapsible baton, and a handful of throwing knives. The pile continued growing. A miniature drone followed by a strange device neither guard could identify and finally a pair of brass knuckles.
~4~
The guards stared. Solar stared. Even people waiting in line stared. One of the guards blinked. “How were you carrying all this?” Mori pointed a thumb at his jacket proudly. “Trade secret.” The guard slowly pushed the bin away. “Anything else before this goes in the safe?” “Nope.” The guard narrowed his eyes. “You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
The metal detector immediately screamed when Mori walked through it. BEEEEEEEEEEP. Mori froze as did the guards. Solar covered his face with one hand. The larger guard sighed. “Empty your pockets.” Mori reached into his jacket and produced a sterling silver butterfly knife. “Oh.” The guard stared at Mori as Mori stared at the knife in his gloved palm. “I forgot about that one.”
The guard's eye twitched. “You forgot.” “Ayy man honest mistake.” The guard extended his hand as Mori reluctantly surrendered the knife. He stepped through the detector again.
BEEEEEEEEEP.
The guard pointed without saying a word. Mori sighed dramatically and pulled out a compact taser. "Oh come on. You forgot that too?" Solar asked.
"I did."
"No you didn't."
"I absolutely did."
The guard confiscated the taser. Mori attempted the detector a third time. Silence, finally. The guards waved him through. Mori looked back at the confiscated pile of equipment with the expression of a man watching his family board a departing train.
"They better still be there when I return."
"They will be," Solar reassured.
"You don't know that."
"It's a nightclub."
"It's Sin City."
Solar couldn't argue with that. The pair descended a long staircase into the heart of Club Neon. The atmosphere changed immediately. The air vibrated with music. Hundreds of spectators filled the underground arena.
Lights flashed across the crowd while announcers shouted over speakers. Below them sat a massive fighting pit enclosed by reinforced barriers. Blood stained portions of the floor. The audience loved it. People screamed for violence. Money exchanged hands through betting windows. Everywhere Solar looked, the crowd hungered for another fight.
~5~
One knockout after the other followed by a broken bone and another reason for the crow to cheer. Mori leaned against the railing overlooking the arena. An evil smile tugged at his mouth. “Now this…” He gestured toward the fight pit. “...is entertainment.”
Solar folded his arms. “I thought we were meeting locals." he shouted.
“We have and we are.” Mori yelled back pointing toward the bloodthirsty audience. “Look at them.” The crowd erupted as a fighter was slammed into the arena floor.
Mori laughed.
"Locals!"
A female voice suddenly echoed through the arena speakers. "NEXT CHALLENGERS TO THE PIT!" The crowd roared. Mori cracked his knuckles with Solar beside him exhaling slowly. The horrors of the Nexus still lingered in the back of his mind. The screams, experiments, cages. The months of seemingly endless suffering. But for the first time in a long while, those memories felt slightly more distant. Not gone, just quieter. He looked toward the fighting pit then toward Mori.
“You ready?” Solar asked Mori, leading Mori to reach for a high five. “Dude I thought you’d never ask.” The two captains headed toward the preparation area as thousands of eager spectators ravenously cheered for blood. And somewhere deep within Club Neon, fate waited for them in the ring.
The arena lights dimmed following the eruption of the crowd. Hundreds of voices blended together into a deafening roar as Solar and Mori stepped through the reinforced gate into the fight pit. Spotlights flooded the ring. The announcer's voice rumbled from the overhead speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Give a warm welcome to our newest challengers!" The audience answered with cheers, whistles, and demands for blood. Solar's eyes scanned the arena. The crowd.The exits.The guards. The betting stations. Everything.
Old habits that’d kept him alive and aided him in his work before the Nexus.Yet despite his focus, a thought lingered in the back of his mind.
Mori.
Solar glanced sideways at him. Mori looked completely relaxed. Too relaxed in fact. For god sake the man was smiling and waving at spectators. He even blew exaggerated kisses into the crowd. As though he belonged there. As though he wasn’t standing inside a cage designed for people to hurt each other.
~6~
Solar narrowed his eyes. Part of him wondered if Mori had brought him here for a reason. A hidden reason. A dirty no good selfish reason. The thought refused to leave but before he could dwell on it further, the opposite gate opened. Three opponents entered large, scarred, clearly experienced. It didn't matter, the bell rang and the fight began.
The first round wasn't particularly difficult. Solar handled himself with military precision whilst Mori fought like an absolute lunatic. He ducked punches he had no business dodging. Talked to opponents while fighting them and even insulted entire bloodlines.
At one point he thanked a man for attempting to break his jaw. The crowd loved him. The first team eventually collapsed leaving the audience roaring.
The next round began almost immediately. Then another and another. Each group became larger.
Stronger, more aggressive with weaponry of their own this time. The organizers clearly had no intention of keeping things fair. Solar noticed it first. They weren't matching fighters.They were escalating them. Testing them trying to see how far they could be pushed before they broke. By the fifth round Solar was breathing heavily. His body still carried scars from Iron Nexus. His muscles burned.
His mind drifted toward old memories.
Steiner. Bastard was lucky enough to not have been on the Nexus during the riot.
The experiments. The restraints. The screaming.The months spent suffering.
For a split second he froze. A mistake.One of the fighters capitalized instantly. A fist slammed into Solar's jaw, another into his ribs. Then another. Solar stumbled backward. The crowd cheered as blood hit the floor.
The world spun. Then Mori appeared in a blur.
A violent blur. One moment Solar was surrounded. The next several fighters were on the ground as Mori stood over them breathing hard but steadily. His expression was very serious this time. For once there was no joke, not even a smile or a performance, just sheer action. “You alright?”
Solar blinked, “...Yeah.” Mori pursed his lips, “No you're not.” Solar laughed. Mori extended a hand. “Get up.” Solar stared at it then accepted. Mori pulled him to his feet. Simple. No lecture or criticism followed. Not even an ounce of manipulation. Just help. For the first time since escaping the Iron Nexus, Solar felt something unfamiliar. Hope. Not just survival or bloodthirsty rage. Not even revenge either. But honest to God hope. Maybe he wasn’t alone. Maybe just maybe Mori actually meant what he said and this wasn’t just another transaction. Maybe this was the beginning of something real.
~7~
The next wave entered the arena. Six fighters, then eight, finally ten. The crowd lost its mind. Solar wiped blood from his mouth. Mori cracked his neck. "Well?" Solar looked at him.
Mori huffed from exhaustion. "You gonna…ah goddamn…you gonna show me what that mutation can really do?"
Something changed, leading Solar to close his eyes. Focus. He reached inward to his palm unleashing an answer. Few witnesses understood what they had actually seen. Though chains spewed from Solar's palm outwardly leaving the crowd gasping. Steel links twisted through the air like serpents.
Pieces of broken fencing tore free allowing metal to fly across the arena. Mori's eyes widened. For a moment everything else vanished around him. Some moments resist prediction. This was one of them. The noise of the crowd and even the fight itself disappeared. Time itself seemed to have stopped. His attention locked entirely onto Solar.
The metal obeyed him. Not mechanically or technologically.
Naturally.
As though reality itself accepted Solar's command.
“Beautiful. Terrifying. NO. Extraordinary!”
Mori found himself in awe. Not because it was useful or because it was powerful. But because it was fascinating and seemingly impossible. It was truly a work of genetic art.
Solar formed two crude wooden bats launching them from both palms One for himself.One for Mori. Mori caught it. His eyes sparkled. Several people witnessed Solar's mutation that night. Only one truly appreciated its implications. "Oh yea guess who won the lottery? I did!"
The crowd exploded.
What followed was slaughter.
Solar's chains wrapped around opponents and dragged them off balance. Mori shattered ribs with devastating swings.
In Mori’s hands, wooden bats cracked against shoulders, against knees, against skulls. Once broken, Solar need only form another for Mori to use. Chains snapped across the pit. Opponents fell one after another. The bats eventually splintered and bent from repeated impacts.
Solar simply created more. The audience screamed themselves hoarse. Blood stained the arena floor. Bodies piled up. The bell finally rang. The fight was over.
The crowd erupted with hundreds of people rising to their feet chanting, screaming, and demanding much more. The announcer descended from her platform. A British woman with vibrant turquoise blue hair and confident posture. She carried herself with effortless charisma, Microphone in hand.
~8~
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
Silence and anticipation filled the underground bar and arena.
"YOUR NEW CHAMPIONS!"
The audience answered immediately. The arena shook.
Solar raised an exhausted hand. The crowd cheered. Mori stumbled and huffed then bowed dramatically. The crowd cheered even louder.
Moments later the celebration had migrated toward the club’s central bar with music blasting and alcohol flowing. Champions were treated like royalty which eased Mori’s mind for his fellow fighter. Solar had disappeared due to an entourage of fans that cheered him on offering to buy him drinks and food. He sat himself down in a corner bar with a few beers allowing him to enjoy the rare feeling of peace in the place. Meanwhile Mori pursued his actual objective; the announcer.
She sat alone for only a moment before Mori appeared beside her. "Mind if I sit?" She smiled at him and shrugged.
"Sure why not, I was wondering when you'd show up. Although I thought you’d be a bit more professional as Mao suggested.” Mori placed a hand over his chest. "I’m Wounded."
"Why?"
"I thought I was being subtle."
"I thought I was being subtle." She laughed. "You weren't. That whole fight pit bit might’ve had something to do with it." Mori sighed dramatically. "Tragic." The woman extended her hand. "Deirdre Kelly." Mori shook it. "Mori." His eyebrow lifted slightly. "Though I'm surprised."
"Oh?"
"Jackie Mao surely mentioned me."
Kelly laughed.
"He did."
"I knew it."
"But he definitely neglected to mention just how beautiful you were. I would’ve come sooner had I known." Kelly blinked then laughed again. A genuine laugh this time.
"That line usually work mate?"
"More often than you'd think."
~9~
The conversation continued. Easy and natural. Calculated on Mori's end. Genuine on hers. Eventually he leaned slightly closer. "Too loud in here." Kelly nodded. "It is." Mori smiled and leaned into her ear whispering. "How about somewhere private?" then sat back in his chair sitting up straight.
Kelly squinted her eyes studying him then smiled back.
"Depends."
"On?"
"Whether you're here to flirt with me or talk business."
Mori chuckled.
"Why not both?"
For the first time that night, Kelly looked genuinely intrigued. And just like that, Mori had opened the door he came to Club Neon to find. The real game was finally beginning. The consequences of which would not become apparent for quite some time.
The noise of Club Neon gradually faded behind them as Deirdre Kelly led Mori through a secured hallway accessible only to staff and management. "So, weird question but" Mori said casually, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Where do you live?"
Kelly smirked. "You're standing in it." Mori raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" She opened a reinforced door and stepped inside. Mori followed.
The room was surprisingly spacious.
A massive wall-mounted display dominated one side of the room, stretching nearly from floor to ceiling. In front of it sat a low floor bed covered in blankets and pillows. A vanity cluttered with cosmetics and jewelry occupied a corner near the bathroom door. A compact refrigerator hummed quietly nearby while various jackets, shirts, and pairs of shoes were scattered around with little regard for organization.
The room looked lived in. Comfortable.
Mori slowly looked around. "Well damn." Kelly folded her arms. "What?"
"The commute must be incredible."
"What commute?"
Mori pointed toward the floor. "You literally just wake up and go downstairs." Kelly laughed. "I suppose that's one way to look at it." Mori's attention drifted toward the enormous screen. "Where's the computer?" Kelly blinked. "The computer?" "The keyboard. Mouse. All the nerd stuff."
~10~
Kelly smiled. "Don't need em." With a simple wave of her hand, the dark display suddenly illuminated. Windows opened.Applications launched. Data scrolled across the screen. Everything happened without a single physical input. Mori stared,then stared even harder.
"Oh."
Kelly grinned.
"Technomancy."
"That's horrifying."
"It's useful."
"It's horrifyingly useful."
Kelly laughed again.
Mori found himself enjoying the sound.The two continued talking. What started as casual conversation gradually became more personal. Kelly spoke about Club Neon. The casino. The city. The strange people she encountered every day.
Mori listened very carefully. Far more carefully than he appeared to. Kelly did not surrender her trust immediately however. She merely stopped guarding it as fiercely as before. Not just tolerated him like most people he’d met so far. But seemed to respect and actually like him.
Mori noticed the lingering eye contact followed by small smiles. The subtle attempts to keep conversations going.
The way she laughed a little harder at his jokes than she probably should have. Interesting, very interesting. At first he had viewed her exactly as Jackie Mao described her. A useful contact and possibly a powerful ally. He had no idea she was a talented mutant technomancer.
At first he thought nothing more than Mao’s plea to just go check her out. Now he realized there was another angle entirely. One he would be foolish not to use. Not maliciously or even cruelly. But strategically.
Mori smiled inwardly.
Sometimes people opened doors because they trusted you. Sometimes they opened them because they liked you. Either way, a door was a door. "So," Mori said. "What was your favorite part of the fight?"
Kelly answered immediately.
"Your jacket."
Mori blinked and shook his head.
"My what?"
"Your jacket. You know all the pins and shiny bits on it"
"Not my sweet moves?"
"No."
"Not the chains or bats?"
“Nah.”
"The dramatic entrance?"
"Not a chance. I thought you were a bit of a knob for that really"
Kelly pointed at him. "That jacket. It’s pretty bitchin’though!"
Mori stared for several seconds then looked down at himself. Then back at Kelly.
"Damn."
"What?"
"My mother was right."
"About?"
Mori straightened his collar proudly.
"Dress to impress."
Kelly rolled her eyes. "Your mother sounds smart."
"She may be but she’s quite unbearable to most people to tell ya the truth." The conversation continued effortlessly.
Eventually Mori gestured toward the door.
"How about a drink?"
~11~
Kelly tilted her head.
"Thought fighters weren't supposed to drink after matches."
"I like breaking rules."
"I noticed."
Mori offered his arm dramatically.
"Come on. Humor me."
And she did.
The pair returned to the club floor where music thundered through the building.
Mori bought the first round then the second. Not enough to impair judgment. Just enough to keep spirits high. Eventually he extended a hand.
"Dance?"
Kelly looked surprised.
"You dance?"
"I prefer organized falling."
She laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes."
The dance floor wasn't crowded enough to hide them but wasn't empty enough to draw attention either. “Perfect.” Mori thought as he led Kelly from goth bouncing into a slow dance to inquire about Shamil Shakhid.
Kelly found herself smiling more than she had in months. Mori made her feel special with all his flirtation advances and him acting less intelligent than he was. Kelly was no fool and noticed of course. But Mori had been such a turnaround from what she had expected. She had no idea Mao would send such a gentleman to help her escape her contract with the Chechen and she was glad for it.
Mori found himself learning more than he expected. He had no clue Kelly would have such a past. One thing that burned Mori was Kelly’s treatment under her current boss. During the slow dance Kelly was all smiles but when it came to how The Chechen treated her she became tight lipped and changed the subject. Mori was no saint but at the end of the day he knew being tricked into employment by a human trafficker was surely no walk in the park. He felt this as Kelly clutched onto him tighter explaining that Shamil could at times be...mean.
~12~
By the time the night began winding down, trust had formed between them.
Real trust. Though trust is often mistaken for safety.
The kind Mori had hoped to build.
Fortunately, business still awaited him. "I should get going," he said.
Kelly's smile faltered slightly.
"So soon?"
"Afraid so. I think me and my friend will be late for our meeting if not."
A brief silence followed. Then Mori stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. The hug caught her completely off guard. For a moment she simply stood there. Then she returned it. When they finally separated, Mori smiled.
"I'll see you later."
Kelly hesitated.
"Later as in..."
She looked away for a second scratching the back of her neck.
"...a date?"
Mori blinked. Pretended to think. Then shrugged.
"Sure if you're up for it. Why not?"
Kelly immediately looked away to hide her excitement.
Mori pretended not to notice.
The grin tugging at the corner of her mouth and swaying of her feet and legs suggested otherwise. As he walked away through the flashing neon lights of the club, Kelly watched him disappear into the crowd. Later gossip would reduce the encounter to a simple story of attraction. Most accounts even claim Kelly trusted Mori and had fallen for him immediately. That is not what happened. The truth was slower and far more dangerous than that. Kelly did not trust Mori immediately. She simply wanted to believe someone like him could exist. What grew between Kelly and Mori began instead as fascination, comfort, and a dangerous amount of hope.
Meanwhile Mori's thoughts were elsewhere entirely.
A powerful technomancer. Direct access to Club Neon. Connections to management. And perhaps most importantly—trust. The first piece of the board had moved exactly where he needed it.
Several hours after the pit fights, after the cheering crowds, after the drinks and conversations, the four men found themselves gathered once again inside Mori's bunker. The reinforced blast door sealed shut behind them. For once, the hideout felt peaceful. The stolen Chitin security systems hummed quietly in the walls.
~13~
Turrets tracked lazily from hidden positions. Stacks of equipment, blueprints, weapons, and scavenged technology cluttered every corner of the bunker. In the center of the room sat a large circular table concealed beneath an enormous beige blanket. Mori stood beside it proudly.
The others stared. Solar folded his arms. Cain looked confused. Santi already looked annoyed. Mori spread his arms dramatically. "Gentlemen." He grabbed the blanket. "I believe it's time." With a theatrical flourish he ripped the blanket away. The table underneath was completely normal. Silence. Mori pointed at it proudly. "The Circle of Truth." The room remained silent.
Solar and Cain blinked. Santi pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's what we're calling it?" Santi asked. "Absolutely.", Mori replied.
"That's terrible."
"I worked very hard on it y’know."
"Pulled it straight out your ass I bet."
"Yeah you're right I did...didn't I." Mori sighed.
"Fine. Tough crowd everyone’s a fuckin’ critic."
He pulled out a chair and sat down. "Then I'll go first because I really want this idea to work and frankly you all seem cool."
The others reluctantly took their seats.
Mori leaned back comfortably. "My name is Mori as you all know." He stretched. "Though some people know me as Death." He shrugged. "Others know me as Tree, or fForest even." Another shrug. "Vivaldo occasionally." He waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm flexible really. You all know why I brought you here. I needd a crew." The room remained quiet. Mori slowly reached up and brushed his dreadlocks away from his face. Then something changed. The smiles disappeared. The peachykeen laughter vanished. The theatrical energy evaporated. For the first time since any of them had met him, Mori stopped performing.
His face settled into its natural state. Empty. Cold. Emotionless. His eyes seemed distant and predatory. The expression wasn't angry. It wasn't sad. It wasn't happy. It was nothing. And somehow that in and of itself was worse. The room fell silent.
Nobody spoke.
~14~
Solar stared at him.Santi's brow furrowed. Cain slowly sat forward in his chair. The silence stretched longer than it should have. Mori glanced between them. "What?" "That's not your face," Cain said. "Sure it is." "No," Solar replied. "The hell it is."
"Oh." He blinked. "I didn't mean to startle anybody." Nobody responded. Mori folded his hands. "To be completely honest, since we're doing this whole truth thing, I figured I'd put the Pagliacci act to rest for a little while." He gestured toward himself. "I wanted you all to see how serious I actually am beneath all the nonsense." His voice remained calm. Measured, almost gentle.
Which somehow made the expression more disturbing. "And I thought..." He raised his hands into an enthusiastic pair of jazz hands. "...since seeing is believing, why not?" The gesture only made him look more uncanny. Like something pretending to be human. Solar finally broke the silence. "What happened to your joy and whimsy?"
Mori blinked. "Nothing." He leaned back. "This is how I always am." The answer caught everyone off guard. "I'm just tired." He rubbed one eye. "Painting my face and voice with emotions is exhausting." His blank stare remained unchanged.
"I do it because people feel safer and less… unnerved that way." Silence. Then Mori smiled. Or at least attempted to. The result somehow looked worse. "The truth is I'm a fairly despicable person by nature." Another shrug. "Nurture just barely keeps me on the right side of politeness."
Cain suddenly pointed. "You said you didn't have a mutation." Mori immediately pointed back. "No, no I didn't." "Yes, yes you did."
"No."
"Yes."
Mori leaned forward. "You assumed I said that." Cain looked annoyed. "Man what?"
"What I remember saying was that you had a good eye and that I can be a bit psychotic."
Mori grinned. "That was the joke." Cain groaned as Mori snickered.
"My mutation is psychokinesis." The room became attentive again.
"The purported ability to move, manipulate, and interact with matter and energy using only the mind." His eyes drifted toward Cain. "I wasn't jumping at the opportunity to reveal that information. As I remember the first time we met you had a shard of darkness pressed against my throat." Cain shifted awkwardly. Mori pulled down the collar of his hoodie and squinted at him. For a moment he looked genuinely dangerous. Then he chuckled and pulled out a deck of cards.”Eh, C’est la vie” The tension evaporated. The cards began dancing between his fingers.
"I told my story. Shuffle. Whose next?”
~15~
Cain pointed around the bunker. "Actually, how'd you find this place?" Mori shrugged. "Research." The cards continued moving on their own. "Journals. Old accounts. War records." He glanced toward Cain. "Your father wasn't the only person collecting information during the Great War." Cain nodded slowly. Mori gestured around the room.
"This place was abandoned. Forgotten and off the books so to speak." An inhuman grin crossed his face then dropped. "The perfect place to set up shop." The cards snapped together. "Now who's next?" Santi sighed.
"Your turn," Mori said.
Santi groaned.
"Pass."
"Not how the game works."
"Then your game fucking sucks."
Mori pointed at him.
"That's the spirit. Now trauma dump."
"Fuck you." Everyone looked toward him. "There ain't shit to tell anyway." He leaned back. "I'm an orphan." A shrug followed.
"No parents. No family. No inheritance. Nada" His hand moved in the air. "The only thing I ever had was my dragon." Another pause. "And the organizations that took me in."
"Vine and Noose."Mori placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder."Mmm that's sad partner. I'm sorry to hear that, brother." Santi immediately shoved the hand away. Mori stared at him with completely dead eyes. The contrast was almost comedic. Mori nearly laughed. Next came Solar. "There isn't much to tell either."
His arms crossed. "I'm a mercenary." Mori nodded. "And what's that mean?" Solar's gaze hardened. "It means I get the job done." The room grew quieter. Solar looked down. His jaw tightened. The memories surfaced again.
The prison.
The torture.
The experiments.
The betrayal.
~16~
"I got framed." His voice lowered. "PoM took everything from me and ruined my life." His hands clenched. "I want revenge." The words came out sharper than intended. Nobody laughed.
Nobody interrupted. The room grew still. Solar hadn't raised his voice. Somehow that made it worse. The hatred sounded practical. Rehearsed. Like words he'd repeated to himself for months.
"For what they did to me." A pause. "And my people." Silence followed. Nobody dared look away from him or interrupt. The pain in his voice was too genuine.
Finally Cain spoke. He kept things brief. "I joined Mori because I refused to join my father." Mori nodded while shuffling cards."Fair." Cain's expression darkened. "I think he's a coward."
Mori tsked and wagged a finger. "Virus Draven? No shock there" Cain shook his head. “Cirus.” Mori snorted. "I know what I said, I've heard my fair share of complaints." The cards stopped briefly. "I'd argue he's almost as awful as another father I know." Cain ignored Mori’s commentary and continued. "I'm looking for someone."
His voice softened. "That's all." Santi pressed,"That's it?".
"That's it."
"C'mon."
"No, that's all that needs to be said until further notice. I don’t even know where this person is, much less if they're alive."
Santi sighed, "Fine.".
Cain folded his arms."Compared to my father and brothers I'm nobody." The room became quiet. Then Mori spoke. "He's right." Everyone looked at him. Mori stared down at the cards.
"We all are." Silence followed as the cards stopped moving. "But soon." He looked up. "We won't be."
Something dangerous flickered behind his eyes. The kind of look that suggested entire cities could burn if it helped him achieve a goal. "We'll become something." His voice remained calm. "Captains of industry. Captains of wealth. Captains of power. We'll own this city."
A smile slowly creeped. "And then some." The room felt smaller. More intense as Mori stood.
"If someone comes after Cain." His eyes narrowed. "I'll crush their collarbone. If someone slights Solar. I'll slit their throat.” His eyes drifted toward him. “ If someone schemes against Santi…” Mori folded his hands. “I'll sever their spinal cord." Cain laughed slightly.
Nobody joined him. The laugh died quickly. Mori wasn't smiling. He wasn't even looking at Cain. He looked completely sincere it was the first promise Mori made that night. It would not be the last. . No theatrics or jokes. Just conviction. Mori extended his hand. "Gentlemen." His irises suddenly glowed neon purple. A wooden box floated across the room and settled into his palm. "I come before you with respect." The lid opened by itself.
~17~
Three silver lighters floated into the air. All adorning a beautiful pin up girl from the 1960’s. One stopped before each captain. "I propose an alliance." The lighters hovered silently. "Take these pretty ladies." Mori smiled.
"As a symbol. Of brotherhood. Loyalty. Of what comes next." For several tense seconds nobody moved. If there was ever a moment when everything could still have been prevented, this was probably it. Nobody present could see where this path would lead. Then Santi reached forward first. He took his lighter. Solar followed. Then Cain. Mori stared at them. Almost unable to believe it. A genuine smile finally broke through his otherwise vacant expression.
"So it's settled." Solar examined his lighter. "What's the name?" Cain looked up. Santi flicked his open. The tiny flame danced. Mori leaned back in his chair. A grin spread across his face. "It's like I've been saying all along." The four men looked toward him.
Mori opened both arms around the table toward all of them at the same time.
"We're the captains."
~18~