As they get back into their airship
Major: "Colonel, what are you planning?"
Lieutenant Colonel: "Not much. But that rookie? Promising. He spoke up to those stronger and way out of his league. Also, he gave me a reason to go after the captain of this city. This city's Air Force is corrupted. Got two reports but one contradicts the other two sources."
Major: "Who's the other source?"
Colonel: "Wait and see how this goes."
Meanwhile, at night eating with the Twins again.
David: "So that's what happened. In two weeks, I have to fight the captain. I'm way too weak."
Xuelong: "You need increased training. No you need a new way to train."
Fuzanglong: "And we just finished our huge project. Just you now. We can focus all on you. But for now promotion. We celebrate with dessert."
David: "But I'm stuffed."
Xuelong: "Too bad. You must eat, skinny."
David: "Yes, masters. I'll make room."
Following Day
Training starts immediately.
Xuelong: "This is what we change, based on our info on your fish captain. The Swordfish he's got speed in the air and he's sharp. So you're done for. You lose."
Fuzanglong: "That's correct. You're double dead. Wiped out."
David: "But you said there was"
Fuzanglong: "A way. For the strong-willed. You will drown yourself no protection. And let's cut back on the work days. You still do them, but that small tree? You get an upgrade to bigger ones. Must cut five down in a day. You've got two weeks."
Xuelong: "While you're underwater, you will be beaten up. No offense you should be beaten up. And try to play tag with one of us. Good luck."
David: "No fair. This'll be the hardest training yet."
Xuelong: "Only for the weak. You've got to train like a fish for a week."
They begin training. The pool is ready, water in.
David: "That pool's deep enough to drown. Good thing I know how to swim and not breathe in water."
The Twins join him. David follows them to the middle.
Xuelong uses his hand to signal: Chase me.
David swims close. Xuelong moves slower on purpose. David almost touches him then he dodges like it was instant.
Then Fuzanglong, from above, heats up the water. David gets hot. Then a punch from above the water pressure sends him flying down.
Xuelong follows up with a punch to David's gut. The wind gets knocked out of him. His eyes go white. On instinct, he reaches out with his last oxygen, trying to grab hold.
About to touch then, in a blur, his arm disappears.
David passes out. Xuelong throws him out of the water.
The Twins get out.
David lands.
Xuelong: "Good job, David. Almost. But work on that stamina. For now push-ups underwater."
Fuzanglong: "Almost got a tag in there at the last second. Let's see if it's luck or improvement."
After a week of training...
David is at the Guildmaster's office, preparing a plan to expose the Air Force captain.
Guildmaster: "I have an idea. There's a place you can go to gather info. Just take photos of the base and him working inside. Send them my way. I'll have them play the day of your fight so he'll be surprised."
David: "Wait what?"
Guildmaster: "You're surprised I know about your big fight? I know a lot of things going on in this city. Info is everywhere. That's how I got this. Now go. We have a lot of work to do."
David goes scouting from base to base. He confirms the location and whether the captain goes there. He finds the one the captain regularly visits. He takes photos of him making deals, trucks moving in and out. But he needs more proof what's inside the trucks.
David: "I need to get closer."
He flies past the guards, knocks out a few, then reaches the last one—the dealer—taking a smoke break. The man coughs between drags, hand trembling slightly.
David: "I can't afford to fight right now. If they see me, the job's over."
He activates his invisibility, then throws a rock at a drum to get the dealer to move.
It works. The dealer opens the truck.
Inside: rows of cyberware. Army-grade. Stolen or lost in delivery. A sticker on the side reads: DO NOT LET INTO CITY.
David: "Time to let the captain see me. Then I'm out. This'll be fun."
He slips into the captain's office, sits down, and kills the cloak.
"Hi, Captain. What a pleasure seeing you here this fine night."
The captain's eyes go wide. "How dare you spy on me?"
His arm transforms into a sharp swordfish blade slices through the air, cutting the chair in half. Alarms blare across the factory.
David is already at the window.
"Good try. See you at the fight. I'll put the first one right in your face."
He drops backward into the night, wings catching air, already gone.
He goes back to the Guildmaster and delivers all the info.
Guildmaster: "Very nice, rookie. Very nice. This is enough to get him."
Next day—training at the Dome.
Xuelong: "You'll be going against me. Learn the parry. You need it now. I'll punch you every day, and you must parry with a punch. Now punch me."
David punches him.
Then Xuelong responds with an open palm strike then the same palm toward his face, not touching.
Wind.
Swoosh.
The wind blows through David's hair, pushing him back.
David: "Ouch. I felt that and it didn't even touch me."
Xuelong: "Now do that, but actually touch me. I'll go at average speed. You must do the same."
He goes for a surprise punch.
David isn't ready hands up, but the punch lands on his face.
David: "I wasn't ready."
Xuelong: "Tell that to your enemy."
The arena is an open area for all Air Force personnel and some high-ranking bounty hunters to watch. It's daytime the sun is out. The Twins watch.
They chose a location outside the city: an old arena.
Lieutenant Colonel: "After this fight, if you, David, lose, you're fired. But if the captain loses, he loses his position entirely and the bad part? He'll have to work under David. Everybody got that?"
The Major steps forward. "Here are the rules: no killing. The winner must knock the other out or force a surrender. Now fight."