The dead-end alley was a trap. Three ways in, one way out, and that way was blocked by Silas and his two sneering cronies. They advanced slowly, savoring the moment. "Nowhere to run, anomaly," Silas hissed, his eyes glinting with a predator's delight. "Vex wants to have a little chat with you. He's very interested in things that go 'spark' in the dark."
Ryu's back was pressed against a cold, damp brick wall. His head was throbbing, his body trembled with a mixture of fear and the phantom energy that was slowly killing him. This was it. This was where his pointless, miserable life ended, not with a bang, but with a quiet capture in a forgotten alley. He clenched his fists, preparing to fight, to go down swinging, even if it was hopeless.
Then came the sound. A soft, almost gentle thud from behind the Vanguard trio. It was the sound of a boot landing on pavement from a great height. Silas and his men spun around. There, standing at the alley's entrance, was the woman from the Azure Dragons. Her face was impassive, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Her name, was Kiera.
"Azure Dragon," Silas spat, his confidence wavering for only a second. He quickly recovered, his arrogance bolstered by his new allegiance. "This is Vanguard business. Walk away, and you won't have to get your pretty clothes dirty."
Kiera didn't answer. She simply drew her blade. The movement was so fluid it was like watching water flow. One moment the sword was in its sheath; the next, it was in her hand, its polished surface catching the dim light. The fight, if it could be called that, was over in less than five seconds. Kiera moved with a speed that defied logic. She wasn't just fast; she seemed to exist in the spaces between heartbeats. A flash of steel, a series of dull thuds. Silas's two cronies were on the ground, groaning, their limbs bent at angles that were clearly not natural. Silas himself was on his knees, the tip of Kiera's blade resting gently against his throat.
"The Vanguard doesn't have 'business' in the Outer Sector," Kiera said, her voice as cold and sharp as her sword. "It has 'infestations.' And we are the exterminators. Now, run back to your master and tell him the Azure Dragons are watching."
She withdrew her blade. Silas, his face a mask of fury and humiliation, scrambled to his feet and half-dragged, half-carried his men away into the darkness. Kiera didn't watch them go. She turned her analytical gaze to Ryu, who was still slumped against the wall, trying to process what had just happened.
He expected... something. A question. An offer of help. Instead, her expression was one of profound annoyance. "You," she said, her voice laced with irritation. "You are becoming a problem." She approached him, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. "The energy signature you're leaking is like a beacon. You're drawing every scavenger and shadow-dweller for kilometers. My orders were to observe, but your continued existence is making that difficult."
Ryu's hope withered. She hadn't saved him out of kindness. She had cleaned up a mess. "Orders? From who?" he managed to ask.
"Not your concern," she snapped. "My only concern is that you are a liability. A walking, talking, energy-leaking liability. You need to be contained before you start a war." She grabbed his arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Come with me. And try not to 'spark' again. It gives me a headache."