The Red Circle headquarters smelled of rust and smoke, a damp haze clinging to the cracked tiles and yellowed ceiling lights. Four men sat waiting in the main room, weapons close at hand. Their leader lounged behind a desk scarred by years of knives and ashtrays, the Concord's stolen crest carved into the wood as mockery.
Kai, Renn, and Matt stepped inside. None of them flinched at the barrels pointed their way. The Flowride outside—the mob of junkies, locals, and armed strays they had whipped into a storm—had already shattered Red Circle's grip on these streets. Still, the room felt like the last quiet breath before the city exhaled violence again.
"We've come for the documents." Renn's voice was sharp, precise, her pistol already lifted. "Lay them on the table. Now. Or else."
The leader barked a laugh that cracked into something closer to panic. "You're insane! A Flowride against Red Circle? Do you have any idea what you've done? This isn't some petty street war. Assassins will come. I'll make sure of it. You've just signed your own—"
BANG.
The pistol jumped in Renn's hand. The leader jerked backward, chair toppling, body hitting the ground with a wet finality. His cigarette burned out on the carpet, leaving a spreading scar.
The silence after the shot was worse than the sound itself. Three remaining Circle members froze, eyes wide and teeth clenched. Kai noticed one of them trembling, his knee tapping uncontrollably against the floor as if begging for release.
"Documents," Renn said flatly, her arm steady, smoke curling from the barrel.
None of them hesitated. The nearest thug scrambled to the desk, rifling through a drawer with shaking hands before slapping a thick folder onto the surface. Another shoved it across with a look that hovered between fury and terror.
Kai picked it up, flipping through enough to see codes, shipment routes, names—evidence that could burn the Circle's influence in a dozen sectors. He snapped it shut, the weight of it heavier than paper should ever feel.
"What now?" Kai asked, his voice low.
Renn's gaze didn't soften. She gestured with her pistol toward the kneeling men. Matt stepped forward, his shadow sliding under their feet like a pool of tar. The room dimmed unnaturally, making the overhead lights flicker. One by one, they cried out as Renn put bullets through their kneecaps, neat and efficient. The screams bounced against the cracked plaster walls, echoing like a choir of broken instruments.
"Consider this mercy," Renn said, holstering her weapon. "You'll live, but you won't be standing in Red Circle's wars anytime soon."
Kai exhaled slowly, feeling Velnix stir faintly at his shoulder like a restless ribcage. He kept his eyes on the bleeding men until they were safely limping, clutching themselves and groaning. Then he nodded toward the exit. "We're done here."
The three of them slipped back into the Lawless City's fractured night. Outside, the Flowride had scattered—half the mob drinking their victory away in nearby alleys, the rest looting Circle stash houses and torching what they couldn't carry. The air reeked of sweat, blood, and gasoline.
As they cut down a quieter street, Renn slung her pistol back into its holster and finally broke the silence. "So. What are you going to do with those documents?"
"Return them to the Concord, of course." Kai didn't hesitate.
Renn slowed her step, disappointment flickering across her face before she masked it with her usual grin. "Figures. Concord dogs, the both of you."
Matt glanced sideways at her, unreadable. "Better than letting Red Circle profit."
Renn waved it off, though her smirk looked tight around the edges. "Fine. Hold onto them for now. But don't pretend the Concord won't use them just as dirty. Power's still power. Paper only decides who gets to smile while holding the knife."
Kai tucked the folder deeper into his cloak. The weight pressed on him like a promise, one that would echo beyond tonight.
"Say," Renn continued, sliding her hands behind her head, "you've got me for the day. What's next? We paid Admin a visit and let him live. We just started a Flowride that gutted Red Circle's grip. They'll have trouble getting a foothold here for weeks. But they've got other compounds if you want to keep pressing."
Kai shook his head. "No. Next, we stop a game they like to play."
Her grin widened. "Game?"
"Russian roulette," Kai said, his voice carrying the same weight as the documents in his cloak.
Renn gave a low whistle. "Ohh, fun. Okay, I'm down." She sounded almost cheerful, though her eyes gleamed with something sharper.
The three moved deeper into the Lawless City, following the twisting veins of neon and shadow until the sound of laughter and shouting reached them. A boy stood at the edge of a crowd, no older than fourteen, his jacket torn at the sleeves, eyes wild with profit. He called out to passersby with a predator's charm, waving the gleam of a revolver as bait.
"Step right up! Five credits a spin! Winner walks away alive, loser—well, you know the rules!" His laughter rose above the jeers and bets being thrown like coins.
The crowd parted slightly as Kai, Matt, and Renn approached. The boy's grin widened, sharp and cruel. He had found his next players.