The neon sign sputtered and hummed above the bar, painting the rain-soaked pavement in a ghoulish pink glow. Bursting out from the back door, Zeph Vane wore a grin that bordered on insanity. Cradled under his arm was a bottle of high-priced wine, with a lipstick stain smeared across his cheek.
"She's single, I told you!" Zeph declared over his shoulder, "Her ring was on the right hand!"
Hot on his heels, three burly men barreled through the door. Their faces twisted in fury and their hands gripped metal pipes. "Get him!" their leader bellowed.
Without hesitation, Zeph took off sprinting down the alley, puddles splashing under his boots. Fear was absent from his face, replaced instead by laughter. Just another Tuesday for him.
"What's the matter, fellas?" Zeph taunted, vaulting over a mound of discarded trash bags. "Can't we discuss this civilly? I'm quite charming, you know!"
His cheeky retort was met with a pipe smashing into the brick wall beside him, showering him with dust. "Alright, no discussion. Understood."
Zeph took a sharp turn, only to be met by a dead end. A towering chain-link fence barred his way. As he whirled around, the three men slowed their pursuit, fanning out to corner him. Their smirks grew.
"You boys are in deep trouble," Zeph sighed, glancing at his watch.
The leader stepped forward, his palm drumming against the pipe. "No escape now, pretty boy."
"I wasn't referring to me," Zeph retorted, pointing upwards.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure descended from the fire escape above, landing silently between Zeph and his pursuers. Kaelen Thorne rose to his feet, donning a dark jacket and an expression of bored calmness. He glanced at the men, then at Zeph.
"Again, Zeph?" Kaelen queried.
"Pure misunderstanding, Kae!" Zeph defended, popping open the wine bottle. "For the record, her boyfriend is overly possessive."
Kaelen just shook his head. "You owe me dinner."
Ignoring the new arrival, the leader swung his pipe at Kaelen. Unfazed, Kaelen sidestepped the attack with ease, seized the man's wrist, and gave it a swift twist. A sharp crack echoed down the alley, followed by a scream. With a swift kick, Kaelen sent the man reeling back into his comrades.
Zeph took a hearty gulp of wine. "Good technique, but a bit rigid in the hips. 7 out of 10."
"Shut up," Kaelen grumbled, dodging a swing from the second man and countering with a swift knee to his face. The man crumpled like a paper doll.
The third man took one look at his fallen comrades, then at Kaelen's icy gaze, and opted for retreat.
Kaelen brushed off his jacket and turned to Zeph, his face stern. "That's the third time this week, Zeph. We have an important job tomorrow. We need to keep a low profile."
"I am low profile!" Zeph protested, wiping off the lipstick. "I'm practically a ghost."
Kaelen snatched the wine bottle from Zeph's grip, eyeing the label. "This cost four hundred credits. You stole it?"
"Borrowing implies a plan to return," Zeph smirked. "I consider it a gift for my emotional trauma."
Kaelen just stared at him, then sighed in resignation, taking a swig from the bottle.
"Is it good?" Zeph inquired.
"It's horrendous," Kaelen lied, passing the bottle back. "Let's go. If we're late tomorrow, I'm leaving you behind."
"You'd never abandon me," Zeph bantered, draping an arm around Kaelen's shoulder as they strolled towards the city lights. "Without me, you'd die of sheer boredom."
Kaelen shrugged off his arm, but a faint smirk touched his lips. "Without you, I'd live longer."
"Boring," Zeph sang out. "That's just boring."
They disappeared into the night, their shoulders brushing together. Two brothers against the world.
What neither of them knew was that in three years, one would become a god, the other a monster. And they were equally oblivious to the hatred lurking in the shadows, a force far stronger than their brotherhood could ever be.