A few streets away from the arena, Nash stood with his back against a wall in an empty alley, his hands buried deep in his pockets like he had nowhere else to be.
A few steps away, Victoria stared at her phone screen, her fingers tapping impatiently against the side of the device.
"How long ago did you say she was supposed to meet you?" Victoria asked, still not looking up. "She's taking way too long."
Nash didn't seem worried.
"She'll come," he said. "Monique is probably wrecking them right now. That kind of thing doesn't just end quickly."
Then—clang! A sharp sound of metal hitting the ground echoed from the far end of the street. Both Nash and Victoria turned their heads toward the noise, an empty can rolling away, and then to the entrance of the alley, Rei.
She was standing there, breathing hard, her whole body shaking. Steam rose from her mouth into the cold night air, like a dragon ready to burn everything down.
