Kira’s lips twitched at the signs of battle decorating his features.A cut on his cheekbone courtesy of Kira’s fist.The swelling around one eye which would produce a nice shiner to match her own.His lip was split and still bleeding.His clothes torn.
She nodded in satisfaction.“I do good work.”
“I’ll consider it an honor to have traded blows with the Phoenix and come out the other side alive.”Her barely perceptible flinch made his smile widen.“Don’t worry.I won’t tell anyone.”
Like she believed that.
“I was on theCSS Gambitduring the Falling.I know what I owe you.Also, I’ve heard what you do to your enemies.I have no wish to be on your bad side.”
That last part sounded more like the truth.
For someone with a blade still pointed at his throat, Flame showed an astonishing amount of balls.Even going so far as turning his back on Graydon to address Kira.
“What an impertinent human.Coli, are you sure you don’t want him dead?I’d be happy to take care of him.”
Despite his words, Graydon was already lowering his en-blade.
“You don’t want the problems shedding his blood would bring,” Kira told him.
“True,” Flame agreed.“My boss is sensitive about things like that.”
Jarek stared at Flame in bemusement.“Are humans always so cavalier regarding their safety?”
“Not usually,” Kira answered.
Humanity’s instinct for survival was one of the things she liked most about them.They refused to submit, clinging to life with broken fingernails when necessary.
Flame’s behavior was an outlier.Unusual enough that she would have been tempted to investigate if the circumstances had been different.
He was either someone very dangerous.Or he knew something they didn’t.
Dylan hopped out the window Kira and Flame had fallen through, carrying Jin under one arm.
“You’re just now escaping?What took so long?”Kira asked.
He should have snatched Jin up and been long gone by now.
“He was difficult to catch,” Dylan stated with a regal calm that Kira couldn’t help but admire.Particularly given the way Jin was flailing.
“Let me go, you big oaf.I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own.”
Raider climbed out of the window after them.“But will you walk in the direction we want you to?That’s the more relevant question.”
“What did he do?”Kira asked, feeling like she was missing something.
Her question was forgotten as Jin landed a punch on Dylan’s chin.
Raider choked, looking like he was about to die from laughter.
Dylan looked down his nose at Jin.“Are you done?”
Jin’s expression was rebellious even as he went limp in the oshota’s grip.
Finn exited the bar and walked over to Raider, Amila and Solal behind him.“Was there something wrong with the door?”
“Everyone else was using the window,” Raider said with a shrug.“I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
“And did you?”
