In a dark, unlisted warehouse where the air was cold enough to show one's breath, the tinge of rust, the buttery odor all of which migled together with a faint, coppery tang of fear.
A single low-level Aether-forged was bound and gagged to a steel chair, his eyes wide with terror. He was at the center of a complex runic circle etched into the concrete, glowing with a dim, hungry light.
Ivar Askel, Vice President of the Destroyer Guild, watched from the shadows, his arms crossed. Two robed acolytes made the final preparations.
"The sigils are set, Vice President," one acolyte reported. "The sacrifice has been prepared."
"Good," Ivar's voice was a low growl. "The Havenworth experiment was a success. The reptilian confirmed the siphoning process works. Now, the real harvest begins. We need more shards."
"This vessel's Aether is thin," the other acolyte noted, contempt in his voice. "It will not fill much. It's a weak sacrifice."
"It is the first of many," Ivar said, his eyes glinting with fanaticism. "Every shard and every sacrifice will create the bridge we need... "
He nodded and the ritual began. The bound man thrashed as the runes flared to life. An unseen force ripped his Aether from his body, and he screamed against his gag as his life force was siphoned with it. The stolen energy was channeled into a single obsidian shard held by an acolyte. The clear blue colour of the victim's Aether was twisted, corrupted, and finally burned a deep, viscous purple as it filled the shard.
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"He's consolidating power!!"
In a sterile white analysis room at the Bureau, Dr. Evelyn Reed pointed to a glowing smartboard. Sun's grainy photo was at the very center, now linked by holographic strings to the Siren Guild, the Golden Palm Guild, and half a dozen known criminal enterprises.
"A confirmed, in-person meeting with Kaito, the 'Smiling Buddha,' and a high-ranking Siren, Clio Vance. All on the same day!" Dr. Reed said, her voice electric with discovery. "This 'Sun' is not just a mastermind; he's a broker, trying to unite the underworld with the major guilds."
Director Nair rubbed his temples. "And Kaito? He just let his brother be humiliated by Sun's enforcer?"
Commander Thorne, standing stiffly in the corner, muttered just under his breath, "Must I really be here ? I told you that guys is no hired muscule. I have seen him in action."
"Director, I need to go. This is a waste of time and I will serve better elsewhere."
"It's a distraction!" Dr. Reed said, not hearing him. "A show of force from Sun's pet superhuman to intimidate Kaito. It's classic psychological warfare. We must focus all surveillance on Sun. He's the key."
Nair sighed, worn down by her confidence. "Fine. Focus all surveillance on Sun. Find his network. He's our way in."
"To where?"muttered Thorne under his breath.
He took a long look at Dr. Reed.
'Me and the doctor need to have a talk '
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"Sweet Haven" was surprisingly quiet the next morning. Jinx, his arm in a high-tech Aether-cast provided by his brother, was miserably mopping the floor. He wore a 'Sweet Haven' apron, and his expression was one of profound humiliation.
At a small table, Sun sat with his head in his hands, nursing a black coffee.
Behind the counter, Ace was also "working." He, too, wore an apron and was meticulously, with the terrifying precision of a bomb-maker, placing individual sprinkles onto a single cupcake.
The bell jangled, and Clio Vance walked in, her face all business. She stopped, stared at Jinx, who pointedly mopped in the other direction.
"You," she said.
"Don't look at me, Siren," Jinx muttered. "I'm... 'learning the value of honest labor'."
"You missed a spot, intern," Ace said without looking up from his cupcake.
Clio ignored the circus and walked directly to Sun's table. "We need to talk. Your... associate... agreed to help."
Sun looked up, his eyes haggard. "He's not my associate. And I didn't agree to anything. I am out of that life, Clio. I am not getting dragged into your guild war, and I am especially not going back to Havenworth. Find someone else."
"I'm not asking you to," Clio said, her voice low and intense. "I'm telling you he agreed. And he's... unmanageable. I need you to be his handler."
"His handler?" Sun's voice cracked with hysteria. "I'm his babysitter! And no."
"I have completed the confection." Ace appeared at the table, holding the lopsidedly decorated cupcake. "Now, when does the 'spy game' begin? I am eager for my code name. I was thinking... '007'."
"We are not doing this," Sun groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Clio slid a phone across the table. "My private contact. Add your number in here. Il call you."
"I'm trusting you. Find out where the Destroyers are. ....And try to keep him on a leash."
Sun stared at the phone then at Ace, who was now trying to "intimidate" the espresso machine. He felt the invisible walls of his old life closing in.
In a quiet, high-end cafe across town, Tartar sat at a table.
"I can't track him," she reasoned, her mind racing. "If I track him he"ll flay me and I don't i will have to go back. What hell is this."
She pulled out a sleek computrer and opened a program: a hacked, real-time feed of the Bureau's high-priority surveillance list.
"Ah. There we go," she murmured, a slow, cunning smile replacing her fear. "A high-priority target. A 'shadow broker' named Sun... linked to two major guild incidents... and an unclassified energy signature."
She closed the device and took a sip of her espresso. "Time to get to work".