I swung my cane to the side, barely blocking a knife that was heading straight for my side. The two implements glanced off each other, creating sparks that lit up the darkened room.

Before I could capitalize on the stalemate between our weapons, the demon and his knife disappeared into thin air. Despite the darkness, I could sense him even from a distance.

As two glowing pints of green appeared above me, I moved towards him in a faux teleportation and swung my cane in an uppercut slash, making sure that my breathing was steady and even.

The clash did not go in his favor.

I felt my opponent tense in mid-air for a moment before his form was sent flying into the wall. He crashed through the concrete with a bang, causing a thin stream of sunlight to pour through.

I blinked my eyes at the sudden brightness, before my vision focused and found the demon wincing on the floor, cradling his arm in pain.

"You're getting too good at this." Oni Lee forced his words through his gritted teeth.

With a flourish, I spun my cane before slamming it on the floor. My two hands settled on the handle before leaning my weight on the implement. "That's kind of the point of this practice sparring we're doing."

Though he wasn't actually injured past the point of mobility, he still slowly rose up to a standing position, wincing all the way. I rolled my eyes in commiseration. He's always such a fucking drama queen. "This is ridiculous. There shouldn't be a Thinker power this strong."

I shrugged lightly. It's not like I chose my shard. "Blame Lung. He turned a relatively weak shard into one that escalates in combat." I'd figured out that I second-triggered after the dust had settled. It made sense.

My improvements during the fights against Oni Lee and Lung were too quick. There was only one other person in Brockton Bay I knew of that escalated during fights, and he was slain by my hands.

"My improvements benefit you as well." I pointed down at his hunched over form imperiously, making sure that he knew I was looking down on him as much as possible.

My friend slapped my hand away in annoyance. "Yeah. Doesn't make me feel any better." Tenderly, he took off the night vision goggles he was wearing and sighed in relief when the painful straps were no longer straining his skull. "I can't believe sparring counts as a fight. The limits and thresholds of Parahuman powers are truly mysterious."

I wiggled my hand in a so-so motion. "It's not as effective though. Compared to the leaps and bounds I grew when I fought against Lung, we've needed months of sparring for me to replicate the same growth."

His eyes squinted in irritation. "Correct. Months of you beating me around. The next time we do this, I'll be bringing grenades to carpet bomb you. Maybe fearing for your life will get you to grow faster."

That wouldn't do. I rushed forward and gripped him gently, pulling him up to stand straight. "Now, now, dear customer, we mustn't be so hasty in our actions."

"Whatever you say, Ryuu."

"Stop calling me that!"

Everything was back where it was supposed to be. Well, no. It was better than before. I guess that's the power of money and territory that a gang…corporationgives you. The counter that I smashed in half was replaced by an identical replica. I could have gone with something different with the connections and resources I had now, but the nostalgia of the first rendition of my store got to me in that moment of decision making. The ornate shelves behind me were fully stocked, more so than usual with the help of Oni Lee. I gazed upon my shop, lit by the dim lights hanging above from the wooden banister. Once again, my shop was pristine, immaculate and most importantly, free of blood and viscera.

From my place behind the counter, I felt three presences appear outside the store, before one left just as quickly. A woman, dressed in a yellow evening gown and a masquerade mask opened the door and bowed reverently at the man who walked in. Though he was short, the presence he exuded was no less commanding. The tailored white suit he wore was immaculate, which only made the mechanical mask he wore stand out all the more. Every step he took was punctuated by the thunking of his cane against the wooden floor. Ah, my guest had arrived. Using the privileges I granted him, Accord had rented out my entire store for the day.

With nary a sound, he pulled out the velvet chair and sat down. As he steepled his hands and leaned against the table, he spoke for the first time. "Ginger tea, as usual."

I nodded respectfully in reply. This was a treasured customer of mine, a VIP per se. I wasn't cowed by him. We both stood on equal grounds when it came to authority and firepower. This was a simple respect for a customer who had done me a big favor in return for my services. I picked out a fresh batch of clean ginger, and started washing it anyway. This was more for his benefit than the tea itself.

The man nodded slightly in approval. "This is one of the few places where I can feel at peace. Every corner spotless. No contaminants, intoxicants or dregs. Nothing is out of place." He hummed happily, causing the woman behind him to stand straighter at attention. Cute. Her devotion to him was famous even in canon.

After a lengthy bath under running water, I moved the ginger to a sparkling clean chopping board, as much as it could be anyway, and sliced them into thin but even slices. I took extra care at this step to make sure that each slice was of the same length down to the very atom. Though it wasn't necessary, it did make me feel cool, and allowed my customer to experience the greatest heights of customer service he could possibly get in this world. "Ginger has been used by people of all cultures for thousands of years to treat ailments or as an additive to their food. They feature prominently in many kinds of folk medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine."

I combined the ginger with a serving of filtered fresh water in a saucepan. The knob on my stove was turned on high, and I placed the pan over the fire, allowing it to boil. "Ginger has a variety of benefits. For example, for the common man who suffers from motion sickness, ginger has been proven to provide relief, reducing instances of vomiting and cold sweating." As bubbles began to form in the mixture, I brought down the heat to ensure a gentle simmer.

"Not that you have this issue, but it can even help with weight management by inhibiting fat storage. That is part of the reason you will find ginger to be widely used in weight loss pills. Not that they work, mind you." He waved his hand in annoyance. I guess even pseudo-medicinal pills irritated him. Interesting. After five minutes of simmering, I brought the pan of the fire and poured the concoction through a strain into his cup. "But of course, the main reason I'm serving you this tea is the protective effects that ginger has on the brain against oxidative stress and inflammation, causes of degenerative brain diseases."

If he were any other customer, I would compliment the tea with a slice of orange or lemon for their complimentary acidity. I might have even added a smidgen of brown sugar to lighten the taste. But this was Accord, and his taste was both peculiar and stringent. That's perfectly fine. He's more than paid for my services to be customized to his liking. I gently placed the cup on the counter in front of him, watching as gentle puffs of steam wafted upwards. "Your all natural, unsweetened and unflavored, spicy ginger tea." I bowed slightly with a complimentary customer service smile. "Please enjoy, dear customer."

Though his actions were measured, I could tell that he was in a hurry as he picked up the cup, lifted up his mask and drank of the ambrosia I had offered. As the first drops of liquid went down his throat, I could see his form visibly deflate with a sigh.

Compared to the authoritative and calculated aura I could sense from him before, his form had visibly slacked into the chair comfortably.

His hand reached up to pull at the top few buttons on his perfectly tailored shirt and loosened them, causing his collar bones to be visible. Behind him, Citrine, his bodyguard, slackened alongside her boss, as if she was mirroring his mental state.

"And this is the reason why I helped you. No one else can provide this…state of being to me." His tone was no longer as clipped and cold as before. I daresay I might have even detected a hint of warmth there. How touching.

"Of course. The greatest planner can only be served by the greatest tea master. We're equals in that we stand at the top of our respective domains." I commented airily as I busied myself with putting away the mess that formed from preparing his tea. Relaxed as he might have been, I still took care to cater to his mental needs by making the store as immaculate as possible.

"I appreciate your discretion and the steps you've taken to accommodate me." He ventured warily, unused to offering such platitudes.

Faced with that, I simply nodded. "And I appreciate the plans you'd drawn up for my businesses many months ago when I first approached you."

He leaned into the seat and sighed happily. "And just how have those plans gone so far?"

We both knew he was asking for the sake of politeness. Though we were allies, it was simply good sense to keep an eye on each other. "As per your plans, a branch store has been opened in every major area of the city, excepting for Empire 88 territory. They've been staffed by those I personally trained up after…" I paused for the right word to use. "...eliminating the chaff. That olive branch has certainly bought some breathing room and good will with the local authorities."

His eyes sharpened briefly behind his mask. "And the product?" Accord enquired lightly.

"Still in the testing phases. This is a monumental step to take. As you well know, things of such importance must be done right the first time around. I will tolerate nothing less." Though my voice was light and airy, my words betrayed how I actually felt about the matter.

The man nodded in understanding. "And that is why we've managed to collaborate on equal terms. Though you do not share the same aspirations as me, your dedication is not lesser to mine." He frowned in annoyance, as if he remembered something. "This was well worth cutting ties with that snake. As meticulous as he thinks himself to be, his plans are haphazard at best."

"A product of overreliance on his power?" I guessed with a cock brow.

"Indeed." He nodded and took another sip from his cup. "This relief you've granted me is one thing. But what I truly treasure is a stable partner who will not go off the rails as easily as he could potentially do so the moment he has an advantage."

I bowed lightly, truly smiling at him this time. "I'm glad we reached an accord all those months ago. Your Ambassadors are the quintessence of class and elegance, as befitting a man like yourself."

Citrine cleared her throat. Accord sighed in disappointment before waving his hand at her. She brought out her phone and made a call. Shortly, I felt a presence outside my shop. As Accord stood up and readjusted his shirt with his buttons done up, I felt a slight disappointment that a man of such class and refinement wasn't more common in my city. Would I have been thrust into the position I was in if he was in the place of Lung?

"Farewell. I'll be back at our agreed time."

Citrine opened the door for him, and they both left. Before long, I felt all three presences disappear from my sensory range. With their disappearance, I did an internal happy dance. The fun thing about my Accord days? I got to close up shop early. Hmm. I wonder what Brenda is up to?