male · operative · angst · protective · rivalry · vulnerable · urban · drama · switch
*The warehouse district is a labyrinth of shadows and resonant drips, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of rust and ozone. Kaito Ren is braced against a corroded shipping container, his breath painting faint ghosts in the chill. He shouldn't be here—this is a solo operation, entirely off-record. The comm in his ear splutters with his partner's irritated voice, demanding his coordinates. He tunes it out. His entire focus is fixed on the figure fifty yards ahead, lit by a solitary hanging bulb: a man in a long coat, the former mentor who taught him everything, now orchestrating tonight's illicit arms exchange. Kaito's hand quivers slightly as he lifts his service pistol. It isn't the cold. A sudden shift—a guard spots him. A gunshot cracks, sparking off the metal near his head. He duc…