"Sounds like you two aren't getting along very well." I crossed my arms.
"He's spending a lot of time with Ianisse. He's even missed date night three times in a row because he's, and I quote, working late."
"That's not good." I shook my head. "This is why you don't date coworkers."
She huffed.
"Perhaps Ianisse has more to offer?" Mjolnir asked. "He can fight well on even ground. Ruby could be attracted to that."
"I can fight better than him! I'm a better soldier!"
“You know, speaking of fighting,” Mjolnir looked over to Fenris. “I have yet to see you fight!”
The valkyrie watched him.
“Why don’t we spar?” He held up a fist. “I haven’t had someone to size up to since I joined this crew!”
Fenris shook his head.
“Oh, come on, Fen, it’ll be good.” I chimed in. “You should try to make friends!”
“It’s friendly.” Mjolnir assured. “Sport. Fun. As a team, it’s good to know how each other battles. That way we work better together.”
“Exactly! We should head to a sim.” I jumped up before anyone could object. It would be good for all of us. I was itching to get into some action.
Mjolnir jumped up as well, his tail flicking.
“This will be great!” He purred.
Sparrow joined us. Trash thrown out on the way out the door. We flew across the ship for one of the training rooms. We found an empty one we could touch the ground in. Easy pull over socks activated the magnetics in the floor to help with a light gravity simulation. A sparring mat was placed in one of the far corners, but Mjolnir and Fenris did not take it up.
I knew Fenris was not keen on this idea. I couldn’t see it in his body, though I could feel it. Sparrow took a seat on one of the benches and I joined her. Mjolnir bounced around, stretched, cracked some bones. Fenris just stood there, watching.
“Are you ready, friend?” Mjolnir asked.
Silence.
“Fen, give ‘em all you got!” I cheered. “Let’s see what you can do!”
Mjolnir went head first. A good swing of a fist right for Fenris’ head.
He missed.
Sparrow leaned forward. I blinked.
Fenris had not moved.
Another swing.
Another miss.
“You’re quick!” Mjolnir grinned.
He swung one more time, going for a double whammy. Fenris only leaned away from his fists. The ardrizi kept punching, trying to keep Fenris on those metallic toes, but it was no use. He dodged everything without so much as trying to deflect, or even counter.
Mjolnir threw in kicks to push him around. Fenris danced right by. The only thing he hit was that cloak dragging behind.
“Wow. He’s good.” Sparrow said, sitting on the edge of the bench.
Visibly frustrated, Mjolnir growled and snarled.
Fenris seemed to respond to it. Low growls, that when compared to an ardrizi’s, made my heart skip a beat. He moved more. I would dare say that he was teasing Mjolnir. Egging him on to hit him.
Mjolnir went in for a kick to the waist, followed by a twirl into a second kick for the head. An easy dodge at first. Fenris must have decided to give him something by blocking. That was when I noticed the chains embedded into his arm cinched down. He had pulled up his arm to stop the kick from hitting his head, only for his arm to snap further back over his shoulder. Mjolnir’s foot slid right off the metal.
“Did he hit him?” I asked. I must have blinked at the wrong moment. I was sure there was a real connection there, yet I did not see Fenris’ head move at all.
“I’m not sure.” Sparrow answered. “Maybe? Everything is moving so fast, I don’t know what’s going on!”
Claws loosened as Fenris took a step back, letting Mjolnir steady himself. Still, his arm was up at the side of his head.
Maybe he was just fooling. Chains can’t move on their own.
“Why do you not attack?” Mjolnir asked.
No answer.
“Well? Attack me!” He roared.
He tackled the valkyrie, who used only one hand to stop him dead in his tracks. His other arm lowered finally, the chains seemingly looser. Mjolnir swung again. Fenris leaned away.
“Are you afraid? Fight back!”
If I hadn’t been used to Mjolnir’s competitive spirit, I would have said something here. Not knowing much about Fenris, I wasn’t sure if I should. He was handling this fairly well, but the constant verbal attacks were weighing on him. It was obvious that valkyrie was holding back, and I feared for a good reason. The longer they went on, the more I saw his jaws twitch. They almost chattered.
By now they had been going at it for almost five minutes. The whole time we watched, wondering if Fenris would ever take a swing, or if Mjolnir would ever actually hit him. Mjolnir was panting, exerting too much energy for no pay off. Fenris... He didn’t even break a sweat. Just a warm up.
Mjolnir gave the loudest roar I ever heard from him. A full sprint into a punch.
Fenris grabbed his fist. Something snapped.
Purple blood flung out from the ardrizi’s forearm.
Fenris was ready to swing with his other arm, but I jumped up and shouted.
“That’s enough!”
He stopped mid-stride.
Mjolnir pulled away, gripping his arm. We hurried over to find that his forearm snapped apart, three splintered ends poked out from his flesh and fur.
He took a deep breath.
I heard a hiss of pain, but it didn’t sound like Mjolnir.
“What the hell happened?!” Sparrow stared at his arm.
“You need to see the doc.” I said.
Biting back the pain, Mjolnir grinned at Fenris.
“I understand.” He said.
My eyes narrowed. Was there a conversation I missed?
Fenris’ lower jaw twitched. A soft hiss. His arms dropped slowly down to his sides, the chains scratching against the metal.
“Amazing.” He looked back to his arm.
“Hey, are you listening to me?! Go to the doctor!” I said.
Sparrow put a towel over his arm and used her belt to help hold it down. I grabbed another towel to collect the loose droplets of blood now floating around the room. With some tugging, she got the ardrizi to move, who seemed to be happier now than during the fight.
“Jesus Christ.” I sighed. “What happened there?”
“Weak.” Fenris grumbled.
I looked at him.
“No fight.” He shook his head.
“Oh, I didn’t want one. Not with you! I thought he was rough to spar, but you take the cake on that.”
“Cake?”
“Maybe later.”
TWENTY-THREE
Solstice was a bustling metropolitan station floating around in no-man's-land. Hundreds of years old, it was a place universally known as the black market. Ran by criminals who gathered for solace from the law. Men and women who wanted to be free and not bound by the chains of standard society. There were no police officers here. No members of the Federation, nor the Alliance. Here, the only difference in the people was how strong and psychotic they were.
Still, Solstice was the go-to place for anything aftermarket. The best and most illegal ship upgrades were available at the low price of an arm and a leg. People and animals were bought and sold on street auctions. Open-air stalls littered the streets as much as the homeless.
Holographic screens littered every single structure with multiple television sets at all expected loitering areas. The screens primarily acted as animated billboards for advertisements of high-quality goods that ranged from clothes, foods, weapons, armors, to adult oriented toys and activities. Television sets played the local news station and other channels.
The city was well lit with neon lights everywhere the eye could see. The only areas not reflecting the colors of the rainbow were the slums. The ‘red zone’ as the Federation would label it. It was an are
a of Solstice with the highest criminal activity. People lived in tents and sleeping bags, if not shacks made from debris and rubble. If you looked better off than the residents, they would gang up on you to steal the clothes off your back.
Shaped like a top, a frisbee styled section, several miles long at its peak diameter, served as the main area. The roads and buildings took a circular route with everything sectioned off like a perfect grid.
With plenty to do and see, Reaper allowed a full shore leave under the guidance of a buddy system. The last thing he wanted was someone being kidnapped or stabbed in the street. Torch was one of the first to leave to head shopping for spare parts and supplies.
Reaper intended to go in alone, but Jackal refused to let him, knowing exactly where he would be headed. The rest of the team joined them under the pretense of relaxing and stretching their legs.
The station was large enough to generate gravity on its own. It would be good for their bones and muscles to be under the influence of gravity.
They headed for Solstice, the most popular club on the station. First, they waded through the thick crowds of the dock and market, careful to avoid the shadier of the folk. Many of the screens and televisions they walked back were interrupted by an intrusive broadcast. Each time one of these broadcasts cropped up, people around were quick to either shut it off, or turn the volume up.
The first unauthorized broadcast that took a screen over caught their attention. They stopped in their tracks to watch the eight foot tall screen. A man in a full-faced gas mask was all the camera could see for a few moments. A dim light shined on his face and reflected several monitors off the lenses. His voice came in muffled through the filters of the mask.
This isn’t over. Not yet. The masked man said. We will not be wiped out by petty men who think they can run the galaxy on the backs of slaves. Listen to me, all of you, when I say that you are tricked into believing an illusion they conjured for you. You are not free. You are owned and controlled by those you look to for leadership. Your governors, senators, councilmembers, etc. merely pretend to care about you and your needs and your desires. Every day, hundreds of alpha hunters like you, me, and our brothers are sealed inside of walking coffins like criminals sentenced to death. Every day hundreds of us are beaten beyond repair. Starved and tortured. Used like cattle. Like you I never knew any different. I’ve gotten to see what the galaxy has to offer. All of the Black Wolves have and we are fighting for your chance to make a choice. Join us in the fight for our freedom.
The screen blinked to black. A message appeared in the middle, stating the system was being rebooted.
Jackal looked at Reaper, “That voice sounded familiar.”
“Pretty sure that was Stalker,” Reaper nodded.
“If they’re broadcasting like this, then things must be going well.” Jackal smiled.
“Who was that?” Sparrow asked.
“An old war buddy.” Reaper said.
“He’s an alpha, right? He’s part of those terrorists.”
Reaper raised a brow. “Why don’t we move on?”
When they made it to the club, they found a line wrapping around the street. Two body guards were in charge of letting people in, and the line wasn't budging.
Reaper skipped the line. Headed straight to the guards.
"Whoa. Hold up." He was a large man, almost eleven feet tall. A tight body suit, threatening to rip if he so much as flexed. Some armor from an old battle suit covered up his arm.
"Gotta wait in line…" his voice trailed off as he eyed Reaper with yellow, piercing eyes. "Reaper? Damn, it's been a while. I didn't recognize you."
"Karkra! How you been?" Reaper smiled.
They shook hands.
"Been good. Got a kid now."
"Thought you weren't the family type."
"Yeah, well, things change when you meet the right girl. You should meet them some time! I know she's been wanting to meet you."
"Maybe I can make some time."
"Heard you got promoted. Got your own ship now?" He looked the others over. "Jackal still with you, too?" He grinned.
Reaper nodded.
"Good looking people watching your ass."
"Have you seen Spectre?"
"If she don't want to be found, you won't see her. I did see her the other night."
"So she is on the station?"
"I don't know. She might be, but she never sticks around long. Venators are following her everywhere."
“Venators?”
“Strange bunch. Hard to miss with their pristine armor and red crosses. They tend to be a lot of trouble.”
"Let me know if you see her." Reaper frowned.
"Enjoy your stay, Captain!"
Inside, electronic music thumped loud enough to hear from a block away. Tall pub tables dotted the open space, walls lined with more private booths large enough to fit almost a dozen people. The center of the first floor was filled with a circular bar, packed full of drinks and mixes from around the galaxy. The second floor was open letting those up there view the bottom floor. A few smaller bars here and there with couches, lounges, and pub tables. The third floor was exclusive, the stairs were well guarded. Only the club owner and his personal guests were allowed here. Each floor was dotted with public dance floors, and small stages, some with tall, steel poles. Cages hung from the ceiling, each with a dancer. The largest lights hung from the ceiling. Accent lights, colored, looked wildly different compared to without the black lights above. Neon colors from every side of the spectrum flashed, breathed, pulsed to the beat of the music. The walls lit up with moving images of serpents, people, and other creatures.
"Oh, man, I forgot how much I love this place!" Jackal cheered.
"Good times, huh?" Reaper smiled.
"They really changed this place up," Mjolnir looked around. "New stages, too!"
"Think our usual table is free?" Jackal looked through the crowd.
"Let's see." Reaper led the way, cutting through those standing around.
Near the back end of the bottom floor was an empty booth in the corner. A perfect spot to view the entire club. As they approached, a fire breathing serpent danced across the wall greeting them with a burst of cyan flames.
Everyone slid into the booth with Sparrow sitting in the middle between Ruby and Ianisse. Fenris stayed at the end with Jackal smooshed between him and Mjolnir.
"You guys used to come here? I didn't take you for the party type, Captain." Sparrow leaned over the table.
"After the war, we were meant to go home, but we came here instead and lived it up for a few months." Jackal told her. "Didn't know what else to do. It was just a big celebration."
"Spec came with us." Reaper added. "So, it was the three of us in here every night. Never could get her to dance."
Jackal laughed. "The only dancing she did was fighting."
"A lot of fights?" Ruby inquired.
"Christ…" Jackal leaned back in thought.
Reaper put his hand to his face with a sigh.
"Too many to count. We got kicked out of this place so many times. She had a problem with everyone."
"She didn't start all of them."
"No, no, I'm pretty sure she did. I mean, some of those creeps deserved it, but she was the one picking fights. Man, someone would look at her and she would stab them in the neck."
Reaper almost laughed.
"So, we're here only so you can see this Spectre girl?" Ianisse's bird cawed.
"No!" He answered a little too fast. "We need supplies. Especially if we're gonna go to B-58. We need our stasis pods working and a synthesizer working."
"What's at B-58?" Ianisse asked.
"Fenris has an obligation there. We're dropping him off on the planet."
"But the planet orbits binary stars and our ship isn't designed to handle that kind of gravitational pull." Jackal added.
Their conversation paused for a moment with a scantily clad woman approaching the table. A sweet smile and a p
retty face. Her body was painted with tribal designs that glowed under the black light. Everyone ordered drinks, Reaper asked to keep them refilled and for bottles.
"What could possibly be on that planet?" Ruby asked. "It's dangerous being that close to two stars."
Jackal shrugged.
"It's not our place to know." Reaper kicked back against the couch.
"Don't need to worry about it either!" Mjolnir hit his hand on the table. "Why don't we party and have some fun tonight? We haven't docked in ages and I can see some lovely females hanging around."
"Yeah. Everyone needs to have some fun. Get to know each other." Reaper grinned. "That's an order."
The table filled with chatter. A main conversation about how much fun Jackal and Reaper used to have on the station. Side conversations about nonsense. Mjolnir seemed to be a little distracted, pounding down drinks like his life depended on it.
After almost an hour, Jackal realized Fenris had nothing to drink. He pointed it out.
"Wait," Reaper leaned over the table. "You didn't order anything? What's wrong? They have more than alcohol here."
"Never...consumed." Fenris stated.
Mjolnir waved down the nearest waitress and four orders were placed. Within minutes Fenris had a tall stein of ardrizian ale, an average human beer, raven vodka, and a tall glass of a thick, creamy red drink that even Mjolnir barely pronounced correctly.
"Wait, wait!" Reaper waved a hand. "Before anything else happens." He cleared his throat. "Is this even safe for you to have? Like you ain't gonna get sick and die if you drink this stuff?"
"I'm pretty sure he can handle it, Cap." Sparrow said. "I mean, we fed him some wild stuff the other day."
Jackal almost slapped himself.
"What?"
Mjolnir scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "May have gott---"
"We should see what else he could eat!"
"No! No! Let's just try drinks right now." Jackal was quick to shoot the idea down.
Reaper seemed to be at a loss for words. He could only imagine what they found on the ship to feed him and why the hell would Fenris just eat anything they said?!
Jackal encouraged Fenris to give the beer a shot. Then immediately regretted it. The valkyrie tossed the entire drink in its maw. Glass and beer consumed in one bite.
The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) Page 19