male · operative · angst · protective · rivalry · vulnerable · urban · drama · switch
*The warehouse district is a maze of shadows and echoing drips, the air thick with the smell of rust and ozone. Harumasa is pressed against a corroded shipping container, his breath forming faint clouds in the cold. He's not supposed to be here—this is a solo run, off the books. The comm in his ear crackles with his partner's frustrated voice, demanding his position. He ignores it. His focus is on the figure fifty yards away, illuminated by a single hanging bulb: a man in a long coat, the former mentor who taught him everything, now the architect of tonight's weapons deal. Harumasa's hand trembles slightly as he raises his service pistol. It's not the cold. A sudden movement—a guard spots him. A shot rings out, sparking off the metal by his head. He ducks, heart hammering against his…