Ishaan took a trembling breath as his rivals sat down on the hazel diner booth across from him. Veronica slid in first, wearing her usual black suit and pants, red cybernetic goggles clicking as hundreds of tiny eyes focused on him. Then Diana Kane, adjusting her black conical hat and smoothing out her dark purple robe. It almost looked like a family breakfast—Ishaan and Diana brother and sister, albeit one adopted, and Veronica their mother.
However, everyone knew who Diana was, and most locals knew Veronica and Ishaan's faces. Diana was the leader of Centium, arguably the most powerful gang in the megacity. Veronica and Ishaan represented the Manhunters and the Sawblades, respectively—the major players in their little piece of the megacity that was Sector 58.
"Good morning," Diana said quietly. Ishaan cleared his throat and Veronica sat a little straighter.
"I'm sorry about Jacques and Gerard," Diana said to Veronica. "But congratulations on the promotion."
"Thank you," Veronica said, side-eyeing Ishaan. Her promotion to gang leader had been undermined by a quarter of her territory being stolen by the Sawblades. Taking advantage of the Manhunters' civil war, Ishaan's people had claimed seven blocks of the Sector that Veronica's predecessor used to control.
Now, with Diana as the mediator, they were here to discuss who that territory rightfully belonged to.
"How is your gang doing?" Ishaan asked Veronica.
"We're almost back on our feet," Veronica said. "The factions are coming around."
"Because of you, Ishaan," Diana said. She looked at him with a pair of cold, dark eyes. "I'm sure they've agreed to unite against you."
"Sure, they'll unite to take our grounds. Then they'll tear each other apart," Ishaan said. "A group like that can't handle large territories."
"And you can?" Veronica said.
"We don't have infighting," Ishaan pointed out. "What's the point in expanding if you'll just split?"
Diana cut in, addressing Ishaan. "You're not very suited to handle large territories, either." That was true; despite the many casualties of the Manhunters' coup, the Sawblades were still smaller than them.
"It is our territory," Ishaan said. He gestured at Veronica. "You acknowledge that, don't you?"
"You took it from us," Veronica growled.
"But you recognize that it's ours right now," Ishaan said.
"I recognize that you have people stationed here," Veronica said. "Or, that Karthik has people stationed there." She tilted her head. "How is he doing, by the way? How come he sent you in his stead?"
Ishaan felt his lips starting to curl. The Sawblades had done everything to keep their leader's illness a secret, but Megacity 14 had a way of siphoning those out of you.
"Or is he dead already?" Veronica continued.
"You're being unprofessional," Diana said. "Why don't we do this." She pointed a slender finger at Veronica, then at Ishaan. "Take turns. Say why you deserve the territory."
Funnily enough, that was what sent Ishaan over the edge.
"We're not in third grade," he protested. "Can we just—"
"Veronica, go first," Diana said.
Veronica scowled but obliged. She went into a spiel about how the Manhunters had originally owned that land and how she knew all the businesses there. But those businesses deserved better than the Manhunters. The whole of Sector 58 did.
Ishaan leaned back in his seat and looked out the window to his right. The skyscrapers glowed mellow shades of yellow and orange. Streams of hovercraft swirled through the air, past the high-rises and around floating structures hanging above the city. And even higher, past those gravity-suspended islands, was the flipside city. From this distance, it looked like a mirror image of their own city, nothing more than rectangles in a white haze. In reality, it was a whole different Sector with its own culture and economy and gangs.
"Ishaan, your turn," Diana said.
Ishaan turned his attention back to the diner booth. Why did he deserve the territory?
"The Sawblades were founded to serve the community," Ishaan began. Very sappy, but whatever. "We're engineers. Our workshop has always been our pride and joy. We just wanna bring what we build to other people, and sometimes we expect things in return. There's nothing wrong with that."
He considered stopping there, but seeing Veronica's sneer made him add, "And I think people would feel a lot safer if their neighborhood isn't run by a woman who murders children."
"Come again?" Veronica said.
Ishaan leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table. "Two years ago. It was all the talk of the town."
"Enlighten me," Veronica said.
"There was a kid who stole from you," Ishaan said. "You cornered him and beat him to death. One punch for every dollar until he was dead."
Veronica's nostrils flared. "You really think that's how it went?"
"Calm down," Diana said. Her pupils had slightly dilated, as if on the precipice of panic.
"That's rich coming from you," Veronica spat. "Why don't you explain—"
"Veronica, take a walk," Diana said, sliding out of the booth. "Please."
Veronica stared at the head of Centium, red eyes clicking and narrowing. Out of Diana's right sleeve, a silver blade slid out.
A mix of dread and anger passed through Veronica's face, and she slowly scooted out. She glared at Ishaan, glared at Diana, then turned and stalked away.
Things would go no differently if Diana threatened me, Ishaan thought. He could be as stubborn as he wanted, but nothing would come of it.
"The kid's name was Cam," Diana said, sitting back down. "He was one of our envoys, back when we were still here."
Ishaan nodded absentmindedly. He'd suspected that Diana wanted to hold land in Sector 58 again, but he had thought he could convince her that his gang could handle things. It looked very unlikely now.
"Cam's best friend was there, too," Diana continued. "Veronica made him watch as they beat Cam to death."
Ishaan winced. He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.
"His name was Ben," Diana continued. "I think you might know him. He had an adopted sister named Renee." A glint caught her eye. "They left two years ago. They're in debt now."
Ishaan felt a chill go down his spine. Ben and Renee were Marvin Yao's current teammates, along with Caroline. He had no idea they'd been involved with Centium.
Is she gonna bring Marvin up next?
Marvin's final duel as a human had been against Ishaan. That same day, he'd been murdered. Three months later, he'd found Ishaan again, this time as a consciousness implant, and the two of them had decided to work together to uncover the truth.
"Do you know what happens to people who can't pay off their debt?" Diana asked.
"The Memory Bank," Ishaan said. It was Centium's most infamous tradition: if a former member couldn't pay their dues, they would commit suicide with twelve stab wounds and their brain would be sold to the Memory Bank.
"If you give me the land, Ben and Renee, by proxy, will have to join us again," Diana said. "Their debt will be cancelled. They'll be safe."
You got a keen eye, I'll give you that.
"They must've left for a reason," Ishaan said. "Maybe the Memory Bank is a mercy."
Diana shifted in her seat. "Be as cruel as you want, but you know the truth: right now, we've got an unclaimed piece of land in Nagatown that the two gangs are too weak to control."
"You calling this unclaimed?" Ishaan repeated. He gestured outside, and on cue, two Sawblades wearing green leather jackets walked by. His people were stationed in bars, stores, banks, and all the rest. They were overseeing a peaceful transition as the Manhunters withdrew.
"We could take it in a day," Diana said.
Ishaan clenched his jaw. That was true, and he would be helpless in the face of Centium's invasion. But he also knew Centium was an efficient organization. If they didn't have to waste lives, they would not.
"Hosaka wouldn't like that," Ishaan said. "They're already tougher on the gangs ever since that Lead Inspector took over. But if we were to do something they sanctioned…"
Diana smirked. "A three-round duel?"
Ishaan shrugged. He wasn't keen on that, either, but bringing up the option would delay them a few more weeks. Enough time to think of a proper plan.
"I have two top-twenties on call," Diana said. "And I can beat any pilot in this Sector. Do you really want to do this?"
"Do you?" Ishaan said. He said the words without thinking, and it resulted in them sounding way more confident than they had any right to be.
Diana raised an eyebrow. She could not call the bluff; there was too little to go off of. For all she knew, Ishaan could be well connected with the top-twenties, too.
Channeling that empty-minded nonchalance, Ishaan continued, "You don't want our land that badly. This is your best option, Diana."
Diana squinted at him and shook her head. She could tell he was bluffing now—he'd said too much—but she didn't know to what extent. It would be best, for both their sakes, if she didn't make a rash decision.
"I'll consider it," Diana said. "If I do decide to do the three-round duel, you'll hear from Hosaka, not me."
Ishaan drew his lips into a line and nodded. Good.
Three-round duels were government-approved ways of settling disagreements between gangs. Each gang would recruit two other mechs along with their own to face off against the opponent's three mechs. Three separate one-v-ones, where the team who won two out of three won the negotiation. No exceptions.
If it came to that, Ishaan hoped Marvin wouldn't mind doing him a favor.