Chapter 1: The Blind Phoenix

Aaron sits in the waiting room of the President of this branch of Tesla. The waiting room has a miasma of depression and a strange ominous energy penetrating it. He's used his diplomatic clout to get this deep into the building, and it was easy, but now the real test is is on. Inwardly the adrenaline rises in him, but he tries to keep a calm outward expression.

He wants to try to talk the president to get a tour of the lab. Maybe he will be able to case the labs and figure out a route. Or perhaps he'll be able to find someone to steal it for him. An opportunity may even present itself for him to do it now. He'd just have to cultivate his luck, capitalize on his opportunities, and be bold. This is what he lives for.

The president walks into the office.

"Welcome, Mr. Charles."

Shinjou Minamoto, a pallid man in his 50s. With thin shoulders, and an even thinner business smile, his shrewdness is immediately obvious to the casual viewer. He holds out his icy cold hand.

"And to what circumstances do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The office is extremely neat, to the point it was almost surreal. Looking at a stack of documents on Shinjou's desk, Aaron notices that all the edges are lined up with each other perfectly. Looking at the floor, the rug was somehow combed so that all the fibers were pointing in one direction. The pencils in his cup were all sharpened by hand to the exact same length and shape. The work of someone good at being inhumanely meticulous.

Shinjou speaks, interupting Aaron's investigation of the room. He walks to the door behind Aaron.

"So, you already know about the phoenix being stolen."

Shinjou laughs without humor as he locks the door with a click.

"Any reason why I should let you leave this room alive?"

To the casual viewer, it would seem like a death sentence. But to Aaron's keen mind, it was a clear start to negotiations. Shinjou has let his needs be known, and all Aaron had to do was to convince him that he was the man for the job.

Shinjou harumphs a bit as he unlocks the door.

"At least you have guts."

He accepts the handshake. His palm is cold and dry, almost as if blood didn't run through his veins.

"You're a medical officer, correct? I suppose that the phoenix would need a detailed checkup once in a while. As long as it stays in one piece."

Shinjou peels off a page from the top of one of the neatly organized stack of papers on his desk. He hands it to Aaron. Looking at it, it seems to be a list of various names, each with a percentage next to their name.

"These are the people who we suspect to have stolen the phoenix, sorted by likelihood."

At the top of the list, Shinmen Takezo's name is present, with a 73.513% printed next to his name.

"Start at the top, and go down the list."

Aaron thinks back to his preliminary investigations into the case. Of those, only one person matched the stranger's characteristics. Was this the least eligible heir of the Minamoto family, by any chance?

Taizo interrupts Aaron's thoughts with a short laugh.

"Loose lips, old man."

He then sighs overdramatically.

"I see. He chose you because you're pretty easy to control. You know, make it feel like you're holding the reins?"

He sits up for the first time in the conversation, and leans in slightly as he speaks quietly.

"I mean, have you seen his office? There's no way that a freak like that would allow some random person to lead him by the nose."

A hectic day for all involved. The facility has been broken into, and those vying for the prize are getting a feel for each other's capabilities. Although the phoenix has been successfully stolen, the game is not over until its rebirth. The competition will be fierce, and the major players have made themselves known.

The second Cycle starts.