The group walked in silence leaving the Central Hub behind. The towering steam belching structures of the city core faded into the smog replaced by the jagged silhouettes of the industrial fringe. Here the Aether lights were dimmer and the streets were narrower.
They eventually reached Bolt Cafe. It was a lonely squat building on a corner where the soot lay thick like fallen snow. Inside the air was heavy with the scent of burnt oil and old wood. They were the only people in the cafe, the empty tables gathering dust in the flickering light. As they sat at a large circular booth the social side of the group finally started to leak out, some more than others.
"I'll have the strawberry cream tea" Eevee chirped kicking her legs with manic delight. "And a slice of honey cake! The one with the extra drizzle!"
Quinna leaned forward surprisingly animated as she signaled the barista. She wasn't the cold statue she'd been in the attic. "Listen I need a double shot charcoal espresso cut with a splash of steamed oat milk two drops of vanilla bean extract, real not synthetic, and a side of cinnamon bark" she said her voice fast and lively. She lit a cigarette waving it as she talked. "And make sure the temperature doesn't exceed 160 degrees. I have a sensitive palate."
Aero blinked at her impressed. "Uh I'll just take a latte. Keep it simple."
Acheron leaned back crossing his arms. "Matcha. Whisked not stirred."
Mugen slammed a heavy hand on the table. "Rum. The dark kind. If it doesn't burn my throat I'm not paying."
Lucidia stared at the scarred wood of the table. "Warm tea" she muttered. "Just plain warm tea."
The barista turned to Ash but the noble didn't even look at the menu. He sat at the very edge of the booth his nose wrinkled in disgust. "I'm ordering nothing" Ash snapped his voice dripping with condescension. "Only peasants drink in hovels like this. I only came here to investigate the potential threat of the Blood Seeker not to play house with commoners."
"Suit yourself Ashy" Aero sighed though the rest of the group besides Eevee gave Ash a collective eye roll.
The group sat huddled in the circular booth the flickering neon sign outside casting rhythmic yellow flashes across their faces. For a moment the industrial grit of the fringe felt miles away as the drinks arrived.
Quinna leaned back exhaling a thick cloud of smoke as she stirred her espresso. "You know" she said loud and energized "this reminds me of a brawl I saw down in the Iron Sump last month. Six guys one lead pipe and enough blood to paint a house. God I love a good street fight. The raw physics of a punch is just art."
Aero shuddered nearly spilling his latte. "Uhm no thanks. Street fights are terrifying. One wrong move and you're eating through a straw for a month."
Quinna let out a dramatic groan rolling her eyes. "Oh please you little scaredy cat! Where's your sense of adventure?"
"He's not wrong about not liking them" Ash interjected sitting perfectly upright. "Street fights are a complete waste of time. It's just poor commoners rolling in the dirt fighting for pocket change. It's beneath any civilized person."
Quinna snapped her head toward him a sharp grin on her face. "Easy for you to say Spoiled One. We don't fight for money we fight for the thrill. The adrenaline? The way your heart hammers? You wouldn't know civilized if it bit you on your silk covered backside."
Acheron let out a raspy genuine laugh at the argument leaning his head back as he sipped his matcha. He seemed to be enjoying the verbal daggers more than the drink. Meanwhile Eevee was in her own world humming a distorted nursery rhyme her face partially covered in whipped cream as she shoveled honey cake into her mouth with terrifying speed.
"You're a mess" Mugen grunted sliding a napkin toward the girl. "Eat carefully brat or you'll choke before the bill comes." He took a massive swig of his rum and slammed the glass down his eyes widening. "Actually this rum is great. Best thing in this dump."
Mugen then turned his heavy gaze toward the end of the table. "Hey why so quiet Writer girl Lucidia?"
Lucidia didn't even look up. Her pen was scratching furiously against her journal her brow furrowed in deep concentration. "Shut up!" she snapped without breaking her rhythm. "I'm writing."
Aero leaned in closer flashing his most charming lopsided grin. "Aw come on Luci. Don't be like that. A beautiful girl like you shouldn't be hiding behind a notebook all night. Why don't you put the pen down and let me tell you about the time I outran a Sector Guard?"
Lucidia's pen stopped. She looked at Aero with an expression of pure unadulterated deadness.
Before she could insult him the vibe in the room shifted.
The barista, a man with sunken waxy eyes, placed Lucidia's warm tea on the table. He lingered a second too long his gaze darting to the weapons leaning against the booth. He walked to the door and with a heavy CLANK he slid the iron bolt into place.
The Tea Party was officially over.
The barista turned around flanked by a bunch of henchmen with serrated blades emerging from the shadows of the kitchen. "Sorry kids" he cackled. "The drinks were free but your lives are gonna cost you."
Quinna dropped her cigarette her extroverted warmth instantly replaced by a cold predatory focus. "Don't touch the tea Lucidia. It's laced. My order was too complex for a hack like him to poison correctly but yours wasn't."
Acheron chuckled. "Hahaha i knew it. The drinks were all laced by using my abilities of anti poision and poision i took care of all the drinks and Eevee's cake."
The barista's face contorted in rage. "Smart one. ATTACK!"
Mugen growled his hand already ripping his massive axe from the side of the booth. "I knew this place smelled like a trap!"
As the scavengers lunged BAM. Lucidia hit the void then BAM she was back. With mechanical speed she drew her cold iron blade parrying the barista's saw in a shower of sparks.
The group stared eyes wide. Aero watched her move with a dazed expression. She's the perfect girl he thought heart hammering.
"Everyone move!" Quinna shouted. She lunged forward delivering a brutal precision kick that sent one henchman crashing through a wooden partition.
Aero, suddenly wanting to impress Lucidia, thrust his hand forward. A massive blazing fireball erupted from his palm roaring across the room and scorching the front line of henchmen into a panicked retreat.
Mugen followed up a roar echoing in his chest as he swung his massive axe the blunt side pulverizing the shoulder of another attacker.
Acheron didn't even stand up. He flicked his wrist sending precise shots of concentrated poison through the air like liquid bullets hitting multiple henchmen and sending them to the floor in convulsing heaps.
Ash stepped into the center of the room his face twisted in a sneer. "Enough of this gutter play." He raised his hand and a blinding singular release of pure light erupted from him. The shockwave cleared the remaining wave of henchmen instantly knocking them senseless against the walls.
In the sudden silence the barista tried to bolt but he froze. Eevee sat calmly her fingers dancing. Invisible strings had already woven a cocoon around him biting into his skin.
Ash stepped toward the trapped man looking down his nose. "Who are you! Are you the blood seeker?"
"I'm I'm Mr Labon!" the man stammered trembling. "The captain of the espresso guild!"
Ash scoffed a look of pure disdain on his face. "I see. One of those pesky criminal guilds. How pathetic."
"Uh I was manipulated by the blood seeker!" Labon cried out sweat pouring down his waxy face.
Acheron let out a cynical chuckle. "What a blatant bluff."
Eevee tilted her head her spiral eyes spinning. "Can I kill him?" she asked with a sweet terrifying smile.
"No" Ash snapped straightening his coat. "I'm a noble. I'll arrest him."