SONS OF WARS HQ - DREAM CITY - DISTRICT I
John entered the quiet office, where Imagawa was feeding a single pet fish — a tiny golden thing darting lazily in a tank by the window.
How the delicate creature had survived under Imagawa's brutal watch was a mystery to many.
"Take a seat," Imagawa said without looking up.
John obeyed, settling into the chair.
Imagawa then turned to the air and spoke calmly:
"Feline — lock down the room. Silence all comms. No disturbances."
A soft hum answered.
From the center of the room, a shimmering, catlike humanoid hologram appeared — Feline, the building's AI.
"Acknowledged," she said in a purring voice, before vanishing into the ether.
Imagawa took his seat across from John.
For a moment, he simply stared at him.
There was a heaviness in the air.
"We are alone now," Imagawa finally said. "And I have something to tell you, boy."
He paused, the words thick in his throat.
"I've done a lot of swiny things for this..." he gestured vaguely around them. "All of this. Forty-two years of blood, sweat, and Bineths."
He stopped again, as though choking on the memories.
A shadow crossed his face.
"Some things I want to remember. Some I'm not proud of. And some... need burying forever." He rubbed his scar softly.
"Johnny boy... you know that?"
John said nothing.
He knew better than to interrupt.
He knew Imagawa more deeply than most ever would.
He remembered —
The moon station.
The transport that should have gone homebound.
The incident that changed his life forever.
And the one hand that had pulled him from the wreckage: Imagawa's.
They hadn't always been like this — mentor and student, old man and heir.
Once upon a time, John had been just a promising kid, and Imagawa one of the fiercest Retributors of his era.
John had saved Imagawa's life by chance during a legendary showdown.
In return, Imagawa had paid in full — with loyalty, with training, with everything.
Now the old man sat back, looking older than John had ever seen him.
"John," Imagawa said, voice rough, "I'm done. Your old man is finally washed up.
There's nothing left I can do here."
He smiled — but it wasn't a happy smile.
There was grief in it.
Regret.
"I wish I could have done some things differently, I let those moon dwellers kick too much at this old ball," Imagawa admitted.
"So many things. But one thing I don't regret..." — he pointed at John's chest —
"Is giving you that."
John felt the weight behind those words.
Felt the hidden meaning beneath his chest.
Felt the history.
"Cox," Imagawa continued, moving toward the wide glass window, "she's always been a straight ace.
Bossy. Troublesome sometimes.
But you need her, boy.
She'll always be on your side, even if you two don't agree on everything."
The rain pelted down harder against the glass, the sky outside dark and turbulent.
"It's been all over the city more than normal, They say it's because of the off world lunar base but there's something in the rain, John. It's nothing to do with the base nor the acid I speak of, something else, it is still taking a shape, I see it every time, this cursed rain is trouble.
I can feel it.
You're gonna need people you trust when the time comes."
He turned slightly, voice low and solemn:
"Remember this — John, when the rain comes, find shelter!"
Just then, Feline reappeared without warning, her form blinking urgently.
"Previous command override - Incoming: Bineth Globals... Mr. Harry Spade requesting priority access."
Imagawa's face darkened.
"Leave us," he ordered John with a wave of his hand.
John stood.
As he reached the door, Imagawa's voice rang out once more:
"Don't forget, John.
Find shelter."
John didn't fully understand what he meant.
Not yet.
But maybe — just maybe — it was Imagawa's way.
The door closed behind him.
The storm raged on.