《Mecha Realm》


 Chapter 1: Saberstar vs. Gammagrade

    Gammagrade. Piloted by Ishaan Khatri. 1250 pounds. 10 foot 6.


    Even though Marvin had seen those stats a hundred times, he looked them over once more on the hologram display in front of him. Then he lowered the piloting helmet onto his head. The side pieces clicked into place around his ears and the visor lit up with a satisfying hum. He set his arms on the Bessmer chair¡¯s armrests and wiggled his fingers to feel them one last time. Soon, flesh would become steel.


    Through the visor, he observed the stadium. It was a large, metal ring with a flat floor and high walls. The neon-lit stands circling the pit were filled with fans eager to witness the famous Saberstar and its prodigious pilot¡ªto win or lose, that Marvin did not know.


    His mech had its back against the wall, and Gammagrade stood at the opposite end. Ishaan¡¯s robot had two circular saw blades in place of its head and a chainsaw on each arm. Thick wires ran from the saws to a giant, neon yellow battery on its back.


    Although this was a street fight, the winner would qualify for the annual Mecha Realm tournament, the bombastic battle royale that was Megacity 14¡¯s crowning spectacle. That pressure made Marvin¡¯s hands a bit sweatier than usual. It would be his first Mecha Realm, and the experience alone was more than enough payoff for him. He just had to get past this final obstacle.


    His uncle¡¯s voice filtered into his ear. ¡°Remember, aim for the wires,¡± Lindon said. ¡°He¡¯s fast, but he¡¯s no match for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Marvin said. He¡¯d been told ¡°go for the wires¡± so many times that he was almost convinced it was a trap. There was no way Gammagrade would leave such crucial components exposed like that.


    He didn¡¯t bring that up, though. It had been Lindon¡¯s dream to make it to the Mecha Realm as a child, but he¡¯d never had a good enough pilot to match his engineering prowess. There was no use instilling doubts in him when he was at the precipice of his dream.


    ¡°And remember,¡± Lindon continued, ¡°whatever happens, we¡¯ve still made history by being here. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    Marvin smiled. I¡¯ll win, uncle. Don¡¯t worry.


    ¡°Pilots, prime your mechs!¡± the announcer boomed through the speakers.


    Marvin sucked in a deep breath as he leaned back into the Bessmer chair. The plugs in his helmet deftly fell into the outlets on the headrest. He grasped the neurobrick in his right hand.


    ¡°All systems are a go,¡± Lindon declared.


    ¡°Pilots, enter your mechs!¡± the announcer ordered.


    Marvin squeezed his fist and crushed the neurobrick. At once, his periphery sharpened and all his other senses dulled. Ideally, his hearing would¡¯ve been enhanced as well, but that good of a sound system was basically impossible to obtain.


    In any case, he was the robot now.


    Crushing the neurobrick prevented the pilot from disconnecting halfway through the fight. Only a referee could disconnect them once the duel was over.


    Marvin stretched his limbs a bit, each movement giving him a surge of adrenaline. Somehow, he felt more comfortable synced to his mech than in his own skin. This was his sanctuary, his destiny.


    Across from him, Gammagrade revved its chainsaws and raised them to form an X across its chest.


    Don¡¯t do anything rash, Marvin told himself. Gammagrade is here for a reason.


    ¡°On your mark! Get set! Fight!¡±


    In a split second, Gammagrade used its rocket boosters to close the distance between it and Marvin. Marvin was barely able to block the chainsaw in time with his arm-shield. Then he frantically dashed away with his own thrusters and drew his signature sabers on each arm. Gammagrade chased relentlessly, each swing missing by mere centimeters. After the sixth swing, Marvin inverted his limbs, parried the chainsaw, and jabbed a sword at the opponent. Gammagrade deflected it, but thankfully backed off.


    They stared each other down for a second. Then, Gammagrade attacked again. One chainsaw flew past Marvin¡¯s head. Another barely missed his abdomen. Parry the third swing. Counterattack.


    Gammagrade dodged; a simple sidestep, as if it had seen Marvin¡¯s attack coming. Marvin boosted forwards, but Gammagrade spun and whacked a chainsaw against his back, nearly knocking him to the ground.


    Marvin stabilized himself with one saber and used the other to swipe at the opponent¡¯s wires. The blade sliced air.


    Marvin barely had time to think, How is he that fast? before Gammagrade lunged at him. One chainsaw he batted away. The other overpowered his left arm and came dangerously close to his head. Marvin put his arm¡¯s motors in overdrive, trusting that Lindon¡¯s design would hold. Sure enough, he was able to slowly push Gammagrade away.


    However, he¡¯d lost focus on the other chainsaw, which happened to be coming at his exposed stomach. His mech¡¯s software detected the danger and issued a standard response: his right arm-shield unfolded and blocked the saw.


    The problem was, both of his arms were now stuck. The chainsaw his left arm was holding back began gaining ground. Sparks flew in Marvin¡¯s periphery as the whirlwind of metal grazed his cheek.


    Marvin gritted his teeth. There was a very risky way out, but he feared he had no choice at this point. He tilted his head and loosened his left arm, letting the chainsaw fall free. In a millisecond, he retracted his saber, pointed his arm at Gammagrade, and extended the blade.


    A deep gash formed in the side of Marvin¡¯s helmet. A much nastier hole was punctured through Gammagrade¡¯s shoulder.


    The enemy mech leapt backwards. The battery on its back lit up and electricity sparked in the wound, and its right arm seemed to regain function.


    The two mechs circled each other for a moment.


    Calm down, Marvin thought. You¡¯re back at the sparring ring. There are no stakes here.


    He took a good look at his opponent. The wires drooped between Gammagrade¡¯s arms, open, inviting, but Marvin could not tunnel vision on them.


    Every fighter has their patterns. Memorize them.


    Marvin slashed his sabers to his sides and charged.


    From that point, the fight could truly begin. Metal clashed against metal, sparks flew, and bits of each robot clattered to the floor. Marvin went for Gammagrade¡¯s wires at first, of course, but Ishaan proved himself surprisingly nimble and dodged every attack. The mechs spent the next three minutes alternating between attacking and defending. Marvin was extra careful not to sustain any major injuries. Every time Gammagrade seemed to get close to hitting him, he would fly backwards, out of distance.


    In those three minutes, Marvin took note of Ishaan¡¯s habits. He swung in wide arcs, using the chainsaws¡¯ momentum. He liked to aim one high and one low. He always performed combos to keep up the pressure.


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    Left swipe, right swipe, left uppercut¡­ there it was. An opening.


    Marvin caught Gammagrade¡¯s left arm at a weak angle and severed it at the elbow. The chainsaw, still spinning because it was connected by the wires, fell onto Gammagrade¡¯s foot and caused it to trip. It held out its right arm for support but the fervent spinning of that arm¡¯s chainsaw flipped its body forward.


    Gammagrade crashed to the ground. Marvin walked over and impaled it through its battery.


    The crowd erupted in cheers.


    Marvin stared at the husk of his opponent, panting. Then a smile slowly spread across his face. He, Lindon, and the rest of the team had done it. They were going to Mecha Realm.


    The announcer congratulated Saberstar and made some comments, but Marvin wasn¡¯t listening. He imagined himself there¡ªthe colossal arena, the blinding lights, the three-hundred robots from the other Sectors. Legends like Ninth Gen and Immortal Ignition. A few years ago, he couldn¡¯t have fathomed being on the same stage as them.


    He heard a hiss as his senses came back to him. His helmet detached from the chair, then slowly lifted off his head.


    A referee in a black and gold uniform helped him out of his chair and handed him a new neurobrick.


    ¡°Congrats, kid.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s grin was probably too wide, but he didn¡¯t care. The referee walked away, and Marvin took a moment to observe the pilot¡¯s room.


    It was a small, dark box, empty save the Bessmer chair and a holoplayer. Rather depressing, but it allowed for maximum concentration.


    And then light flooded into the room as the door behind Marvin slid open. Three people rushed in to embrace him: Theo, the programmer, Sina, the outsourcer, and of course, Lindon, the engineer.


    ¡°And he didn¡¯t even break a sweat!¡± Theo said. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie Marvin, I don¡¯t know how the bets weren¡¯t in your favor. You were the obvious favorite of this sector.¡±


    ¡°Two teams qualified before us,¡± Sina pointed out.


    Theo¡¯s mouth hung open, but Sina quickly smiled at Marvin. ¡°You could¡¯ve beaten either of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Theo said. ¡°Legionnaire just has good gadgets ¡®cause they¡¯re rich. And Cinderbot¡­ What even is a Cinderbot?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re downplaying him,¡± Sina murmured.


    ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t care that we just made Mecha Realm,¡± Theo retorted.


    Marvin took it all in with his sheepish grin. His eyes eventually fell on his uncle. Lindon hadn¡¯t spoken a word, but his expression said enough.


    This is what I¡¯m fighting for, Marvin thought. Not just a chance of glory in the biggest tournament in the world, but a smile from someone who deserved to be happy.


    A beep from the holoplayer interrupted their celebration. It was a reminder that the pilots¡¯ debrief was going to start in thirty seconds.


    ¡°Tell Ishaan he should try something less flashy next year,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°Theo, come on,¡± Lindon said with a sigh. To Marvin, he said, ¡°Ask him what maneuvering software he¡¯s using. It¡¯s obviously better than ours.¡±


    Marvin nodded. Even though it was a poke at Theo, it was a fair point.


    ¡°We¡¯re still having dinner at the steakhouse, right?¡± Marvin asked.


    Lindon laughed. ¡°No, this wasn¡¯t a perfect win so we are canceling.¡±


    Marvin blushed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant-¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. The plan¡¯s still steakhouse and hypergliding.¡± Lindon gestured to the holoplayer and smiled. ¡°Now do your formalities. We¡¯ll see you outside.¡±


    The door closed and the room was engulfed in darkness once more. Marvin approached the holoplayer and waited.


    The pilots¡¯ debrief was a mandatory meeting between pilots after the battle to express goodwill and give a little information on their robots. It could last a maximum of fifteen minutes, but pilots could agree to end it whenever. It was to make the competition season more fair, to allow teams to improve more drastically.


    Marvin found it frustrating that the debriefs excluded all other teammates. He had no way of taking notes, and his memory sometimes failed him. Then again, he supposed that was another way to balance things.


    The holoplayer beeped again and a blue outline of Ishaan appeared before Marvin. Ishaan was young¡ªearly twenties, probably¡ªwith a long face and short, curly hair. When he looked at Marvin, there was no warmth in his eyes.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Marvin said with an awkward wave. ¡°Um, that was well fought.¡±


    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°You wanna tell me where you got a stealth frame?¡±


    Marvin frowned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. There¡¯s no way you could¡¯ve countered a foresight cortex on your own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a stealth frame,¡± Marvin said. Everyone knew that only Xintian and Legionnaire possessed stealth frames. Those chassis were so rare that teams traveled to the badlands just to try to find one, only to come back empty-handed.


    ¡°What, are you using a hack client then?¡± Ishaan snorted.


    ¡°No!¡± Marvin was appalled. ¡°We just¡­ we use the standard safety systems.¡±


    Ishaan glowered at him. ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna be honest, we might as well end this now.¡±


    Marvin felt a tinge of annoyance. Just because you¡¯re having a bad day doesn¡¯t mean you need to take it out on me.


    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have anything crazy,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Ishaan scoffed. ¡°How long have you been piloting?¡±


    ¡°Since I was five.¡±


    ¡°Professionally.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s gaze flickered to the ground. ¡°I started this year.¡± That wasn¡¯t his fault¡ªyou had to be eighteen to be a pilot.


    Ishaan threw his arms up. ¡°You see why I¡¯m suspicious? How am I supposed to believe some random Michael Yang-¡±


    ¡°Marvin Yao,¡± Marvin muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Marvin repeated his name, louder.


    ¡°Whatever. How am I supposed to believe that you, of all people, knocked us out of the qualifiers?¡±


    Marvin nervously pressed his palms together. Not knowing how to respond, he murmured, ¡°Well, I did.¡±


    Ishaan stared at him for a moment, and Marvin wondered if he should¡¯ve ended the debrief. He was terrible at facing animosity and probably looked embarrassingly weak right now.


    But then Gammagrade¡¯s pilot began laughing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°A week from now, you guys stop by our garage. We get a full inspection of each other¡¯s robots.¡±


    Marvin blinked. Ishaan didn¡¯t seem like the type to sabotage their mech; he was genuinely curious.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Marvin asked.


    Ishaan squinted at him. ¡°Are you stupid, boy? You think I¡¯m gonna be within a mile of your bot without having a rematch?¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t help but grin. This spirit he respected.


    ¡°Sounds good. What time?¡±


    ¡°7:30 work for you?¡±


    Marvin nodded. That was usually right when he and Lindon finished dinner.


    Uncle¡­ would he approve of this? Surely there was nothing much to lose, was there? Even if Saberstar got shredded into oblivion, they had a whole three months before Mecha Realm. It was plenty of time to rebuild and refine, and honestly, some teams did better in the battle royale after a fresh start.


    ¡°Oh, and um, where is your guys¡¯ garage?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where the Sawblades¡¯ garage is?¡± Ishaan asked incredulously.


    Marvin shook his head. Unfortunately, he was not well educated on the megacity¡¯s gangs.


    Ishaan rolled his eyes and started to tell him the address, but suddenly, a look of concern crossed his face.


    ¡°Yo, Marvin-¡±


    The holoplayer shut off.


    Darkness. Absolutely nothing made a noise; not even the Bessmer chair emitted its routine ventilations. Marvin felt a chill go down his spine.


    What happened? Did the power go out? Did the holoplayer glitch?


    And then something grabbed Marvin¡¯s arm. Cold steel pressed against his neck.


    Darkness.

 Chapter 2: The Suspects

    Ishaan¡¯s heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Many things could explain the holoplayer and Bessmer chair deactivating: a power outage, a faulty system, a careless janitor. But someone had been behind Marvin. A dark figure, holding something in their hand, something long and pointed.


    It was just his teammate, he told himself. They were trying to spy on our meeting.


    But his heart only pounded louder. There were other ways to record a pilots¡¯ debrief without a teammate nearby. Plus, the figure had stepped into the hologram, towards Marvin, when they knew there was still plenty of time left in the meeting. Why risk exposing yourself like that?


    And what had they been holding?


    Ishaan slowly slid his hand into his sleeve, feeling for the daggerblade attached to his arm. He turned, half facing the door, and cautiously moved to the Bessmer chair.


    Sabotage. It had not been heard of in decades. What did anyone hope to gain by killing Marvin? The only ones who would benefit would be¡­ well, Ishaan and his team. But the Sawblades would never stoop to such levels. Some third party must have had a particularly strong grudge against Saberstar.


    Just then, the door slid open. Ishaan drew his daggerblade and dropped his knees as a large man rushed in.


    It took a moment before Ishaan recognized him. It was Hanson, his bodyguard. He wore a heavy, bulletproof jacket with sharp shoulder pads.


    ¡°We have to go!¡± Hanson shouted, though Ishaan was already beelining to the door.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ishaan demanded.


    ¡°We think Marvin¡¯s been murdered.¡±


    A chill went down Ishaan¡¯s spine. Coming to the conclusion and hearing it from someone else were two completely different beasts.


    His bodyguard wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him through the bright, ivory halls. Bars of light flew by overhead. Ishaan had specified many times before that he didn¡¯t need this level of protection, but for once, he didn¡¯t object. If people could start getting murdered at street fights, nowhere was safe.


    Calm down, Ishaan repeated to himself. You¡¯ve seen murder. You¡¯ve seen assisination attempts. This just happens to be in a location you¡¯re not used to.


    ¡°Is my team safe?¡± Ishaan asked as he stumbled to put one foot in front of the other.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been evacuated,¡± Hanson said.


    ¡°The killers. How many are there?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±


    There had to at least be four. Someone had to have simultaneously turned off the power, and they would want to take out Marvin¡¯s team to eliminate any retaliation.


    Fingers would be pointed. Many at the Sawblades.


    They passed by the team room, door ajar, blacked-out monitors and empty chairs resting like coffins. How had the killer gotten past security? If you didn¡¯t have personal guards like Hanson, the institution provided several for the pilot and their team.


    Did that mean the arena personnel were corrupt? That couldn¡¯t be¡ªthey were employed by the Hosaka Roundtable itself.


    A plant. That was the most likely explanation. Although never heard of, it was not impossible for the most powerful gangs or corporations to sneak someone into the government.


    Hanson and Ishaan reached a crossroad in the hallway. One path was a staircase that led up to the stands; another led to the exit, and the third wrapped around the arena, leading to the opposing team¡¯s rooms.


    Hanson began pulling Ishaan towards the exit, but Ishaan dug his feet into the ground.


    ¡°Their team.¡±


    Hanson looked down, surprised. ¡°They¡¯re probably dead by now.¡±


    ¡°And if they¡¯re not?¡± Ishaan countered. ¡°This¡¯ll look awfully suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡± He gestured down the hall. ¡°Call for backup. Tell them to meet us at Saberstar¡¯s team room.¡±


    Hanson begrudgingly obliged and the two of them headed down the third path. Ishaan ran ahead this time, daggerblade at the ready. He usually wasn¡¯t one to put his life on the line for strangers, but Team Saberstar would have answers.


    Hopefully.


    There was one last scenario, one that Ishaan didn¡¯t like thinking about: Marvin¡¯s own team could have murdered him. The motives Ishaan could think of for doing so were absurd, but they were motives.


    He passed a door that led underneath the arena. Then another door to the electrical room. It was closed. Ishaan stopped there for a second, trying to pry it open, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Made sense.


    He kept running, Hanson at his heels. He forced his breaths to be in line with each step; they might have been presently outnumbered, but he was combat trained, Hanson was one of the best fighters in the megacity, and the reinforcements would arrive soon.


    We¡¯re the Sawblades. We¡¯ve dealt with way worse.


    Finally, they reached Team Saberstar¡¯s room. The door was closed. Hanson pressed his cybernetic ear against it and made a face.


    ¡°What?¡± Ishaan asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re still inside.¡±


    ¡°Are they stupid?¡± Ishaan muttered. ¡°Is it locked?¡±


    Hanson pressed the side buttons, then tried pulling the handle. The door didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Where are their guards?¡± Ishaan wondered aloud. He looked down the hall. Marvin¡¯s piloting room was close, and so was at least one of the killers.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s them?¡± Ishaan asked Hanson.


    ¡°I hear four,¡± Hanson replied.


    Four¡­ When the teams had introduced themselves earlier, Ishaan had counted three others besides Marvin: the engineer, the programmer, and the outsourcer. Who was the fourth? Had Marvin escaped?


    ¡°How long till backup arrives?¡± Ishaan asked.


    Hanson pulled up a hologram on his watch. ¡°They¡¯re heading down the stairs.¡±


    Ishaan nodded. There was no chance Team Saberstar would answer if two Sawblades, especially the pilot of the mech they¡¯d just beat, knocked on their door. Ishaan, Hanson, and the reinforcements would have to hold this position until the police arrived.


    But could they afford to wait that long? Who was the fourth person in that room?


    ¡°Hanson, what exactly are they doing?¡± Ishaan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that precise,¡± the bodyguard answered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the mood in there?¡±


    Hanson leaned against the door again and his ear clicked several times.


    ¡°Calm. They¡¯re breathing normally.¡±


    What? That implied that not only were they not being held hostage, they didn¡¯t even know what had happened to their pilot. Unless, of course, they¡¯d committed the deed.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Hanson said, leaning closer. ¡°One of them is- no, two-¡±


    Just then, the bodyguard¡¯s watch buzzed and a hologram popped up. The reinforcements were going back up the stairs.


    Ishaan¡¯s mouth fell open as a message was passed along.


    ¡°The Manhunters are outside,¡± Hanson read. ¡°Get up here now.¡±


    No no no. Ishaan nearly ordered the reinforcements to return, to ignore the Manhunters and whatever petty reason they were here.


    But then he realized with a start that the reason was anything but petty. The timing was too convenient. This was a diversion.


    Ishaan felt his stomach twist at the depravity of the Manhunters¡¯ crime. Their mech team had never been good, and yet they thought they deserved more than better teams because of who they were. And then, when an eighteen-year-old had come along and sliced open their robot within thirty seconds¡­


    Ishaan willed himself to remain calm. There was nothing they could do against the Manhunters. That behemoth of a gang could slaughter the Sawblades right here and now on the grounds of ¡°business.¡±


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    In any case, it seemed like their mystery had been solved, for better or worse. The good news was, they weren¡¯t in any immediate danger. The bad news: the Manhunters would get away with this for a while. Hosaka would find out eventually, but not before Mecha Realm.


    Why sabotage Saberstar now? The Manhunters weren¡¯t going to qualify anyway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Hanson,¡± Ishaan said grimly. They could always ask Jacques and his gang later.


    The bodyguard didn¡¯t reply. Didn¡¯t move a muscle. Ishaan frowned and looked up, seeing a distraught expression etched on the large man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hanson?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Hanson whispered. He lifted a hand to his ear.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ishaan asked.


    Hanson gave no response. His hand hovered just shy of his cybernetic ear, as if waiting to plunge itself into his head. Something about it unnerved Ishaan. Hanson was not an emotionless man, and Ishaan had even seen him look scared at times. But this was different. A sense of dread permeated the fear in Hanson¡¯s eyes, as if he¡¯d seen how his life would end.


    ¡°Hanson, snap out of it!¡± Ishaan ordered, though the quiver in his voice betrayed his authority.


    The bodyguard widened his eyes and opened his mouth as if to scream. There was a pop and a shower of sparks erupted from his ear.


    He collapsed to the ground.


    Ishaan stared at Hanson¡¯s corpse for a minute. The bodyguard had been standing upright¡­ Why was he on the floor? Why was blood pouring out of his head?


    Ishaan didn¡¯t even register the reality of it before he was running.


    -----


    One week after the incident


    Eleanor Hall rose from the Bessmer chair and smoothed out her gray T-shirt. Through the transparent wall, Immortal Ignition stood amidst the corpses of a dozen training bots. It had been so easy to kill them. A swing of her arm, a simple spin, a single kick, and pieces went flying like blood splattering.


    Some of the training dummies wielded two sabers on each arm, and those had been especially satisfying to kill.


    Ella took a good look at Immortal Ignition. Despite the numerous thrusters protruding from its back and limbs, it was sleek and elegant unlike its competitors that favored strength over agility.


    The defending champion. The everlasting flame.


    And now she was its official pilot.


    It wasn¡¯t like Ella was glad Varyn was in the hospital. She felt very sorry for him¡ªto have a stroke during your second-to-last duel of the season was something she wouldn¡¯t wish on her worst enemy. Well, most of her worst enemies.


    The thing was, Varyn was old. He had been a great mentor and the only semblance of a father Ella had, but they both knew this would happen eventually. That was why he¡¯d begun training Ella in the first place; now, she was more than ready to carry on his legacy at Mecha Realm.


    The holoplayer beeped, relaying a message from Luyan, Immortal Ignition¡¯s engineer.


    Check the news.


    Ella swiped the message aside and turned to the TV that hung above the Bessmer chair.


    What could it be this time? she thought drearily. Probably something about Marvin Yao.


    It was always something about Marvin Yao; the media was absolutely enamored with him these days. Youngest pilot to ever make Mecha Realm. Highest ever power ranking for a rookie. The next Grayson Wright.


    No one seemed to care that a girl only a few months older was piloting one of the most storied mechs of all time.


    Ella would show them in a few months. She¡¯d find Saberstar, drill a hole through its chest, and go on to win the battle royale.


    She turned on the TV and folded her hands behind her back.


    And the first thing she heard was, ¡°In a drastic turn of events, it seems Saberstar will not be competing in Mecha Realm.¡±


    Ella blinked. Was Luyan playing a prank on her?


    The reporter continued, ¡°Gammagrade and its pilot, Ishaan Khatri, will be taking its place as the third mech to qualify from Sector 58. Although the team has not made an official statement, many of the other competitors and Team Gammagrade themselves believe that Marvin Yao, Saberstar¡¯s eighteen-year-old pilot, has suffered from brain trauma.¡±


    ¡°It is what happens when you push someone so young so far,¡± another reporter said. ¡°Poor kid.¡±


    Poor kid.


    It was as if the cosmos had heard Ella¡¯s thoughts and done what it saw fit. Except, this wasn¡¯t the way she wanted Saberstar to go out. This was pathetic.


    -----


    One month after the incident


    Sunwoo Park peered over his sister¡¯s shoulder at the monitor screen. Waves of blue, red, and green flowed across, pulsing gently. The brain activity of some two dozen subjects.


    Sunwoo appreciated his sister¡¯s efforts to enhance his mech, but it was at a point now where it seemed she was doing it for her own gain. He couldn¡¯t blame her¡ªas the CEO of Ainsel AI, the megacity depended on her to continuously make progress. Her creations were responsible for maintaining electrical grids and managing the Sectors¡¯ economies. The AI models worked wonders, but neither she nor her clients would be satisfied until they lived in a perfect world.


    But studying human brain activity for such prolonged periods of time¡­ Sunwoo worried that the company¡¯s next, inevitable step would raise ethical concerns, even with the patients¡¯ consent.


    He observed his sister. She had the same stone cold expression she almost always wore. Her tinted glasses were pristine and unusually reflective, and her lab coat was stainless.


    ¡°Saeyung,¡± Sunwoo said at length.


    His sister turned, expression unchanged. ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    Sunwoo didn¡¯t like her nonchalance, regarding him as if he had no reason to be in the lab. ¡°Team Saberstar released a statement. Did you see?¡±


    Saeyung shook her head.


    Sunwoo sighed; of course she didn¡¯t. He himself had been late to the news, but he¡¯d rewatched the clip several times. Team Saberstar¡¯s engineer, programmer, and outsourcer standing side by side on the stage, eyes dull and faces blank. They didn¡¯t say much, only that Marvin was recovering from brain trauma and would be out indefinitely. Just like that, one of the brightest candles in the mech-fighting world flickered out.


    ¡°Marvin overheated,¡± Sunwoo said. ¡°Out indefinitely, they said.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Saeyung murmured. ¡°That¡¯s rough.¡±


    Sunwoo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Saeyung.¡±


    Saeyung blinked innocently. ¡°What?¡±


    These were the times when Sunwoo was convinced his sister was a robot. Her utter lack of reaction, or empathy, for that matter, had always been a wall between them. Twenty-seven years, and he felt like he barely knew her.


    She knew what he was talking about. She had always been intrigued by Marvin and how resilient his brain was. Said multiple times how she would like to study him given the chance.


    ¡°Did you do it?¡± Sunwoo asked.


    Saeyung didn¡¯t offer as much as a twitch of her eyebrow. ¡°If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn¡¯t do it at a street fight.¡±


    ¡°Ainsel AI has enough influence. You could¡¯ve employed the Sawblades.¡± It had been suspicious that the Sawblades had gone quiet the moment Saberstar stepped out of the tournament.


    Saeyung turned to fully face her brother. She tilted her head, and her eyes might have narrowed ever so slightly behind her dark glasses.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    -----


    Three months after the incident


    The iron gate to the dead zone was sealed shut. Two Inspectors with their long, black trench coats and sleek metal masks stood on either side. Beyond the gate, alien machinery growled and ancient artifacts hummed. The area around it was littered with scrap metal and all sorts of abandoned items.


    Caroline had a good view of the Inspectors from the third story window of the crumbling apartment. She sat at a crude wooden table, across from a hunched-over man wearing a scavenger¡¯s coat. Multiple bandages hid his lower face.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move farther away?¡± Caroline whispered.


    The scavenger shook his head. ¡°They could care less about us.¡±


    Caroline frowned. ¡°But the dead zone-¡±


    ¡°Do you think Hosaka will care if a nobody like me dies out there?¡± The scavenger chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve even chatted with the Inspectors a couple times. They¡¯re chill.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Caroline said. ¡°So, um, do you have the parts?¡±


    The scavenger held up a finger and dug his hand into his brown leather bag. ¡°Just one.¡±


    Caroline frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not paying you all that for one part.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll like this one.¡± The scavenger extracted a large silver sphere from the bag and set it on the table. It fell with a hefty clunk.


    A mech head. Caroline assumed it had a Core, too, which made it quite valuable.


    But was it worth the price of an entire chassis?


    ¡°Recognize the number?¡± the scavenger asked, turning the head around. Etched into the rear of the skull, right above the power port, was a serial code. All mechs needed such an ID to be able to compete in fights.


    Caroline shook her head. She wasn¡¯t that devout of a mech fan.


    ¡°It¡¯s Saberstar.¡±


    Saberstar? That was impossible. Even though its pilot was out of commission, it was still registered to compete next season. Why was it mangled like this, left in a dead zone?


    ¡°Check the website for yourself,¡± the scavenger said, seeing the disbelief on Caroline¡¯s face.


    And so Caroline did. She opened her tablet, navigated to the Mecha Realm web page, and scrolled through the list of last season¡¯s licensed competitors.


    There it was, Saberstar¡¯s ID. It matched the one on the robot head.


    It could be a fake.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± the scavenger continued. He turned the head to the side and pulled out a thin, blue chip. ¡°Implant. Consciousness upload.¡±


    Caroline sat up in alarm. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    She snatched the chip before the scavenger could reply. Consciousness uploads always had a Network ID recorded on the chip to keep track of whose consciousness it was. The ID on this chip was foreign to Caroline, but she suspected her friend Renee would know.


    The transaction was enticing. The thought of having Saberstar¡¯s systems at her fingertips¡­ With a good pilot, they¡¯d have a decent shot at making Mecha Realm.


    But could she trust the scavenger? She couldn¡¯t spend her money on a whim. Her finances were fine; it was her friends, Renee and Ben, she was worried about. They had a decent amount of money right now, but in due time, that number would nosedive. Renee was already trying to save by not eating lunch, despite Caroline¡¯s protests, and they barely went out anymore.


    But that could change if they made Mecha Realm. If they won.


    Even if this head wasn¡¯t Saberstar¡¯s, the chip had to signify something. Maybe a new upgrade. If Caroline and her team could exclusively possess such a power¡­


    ¡°Do you have any other parts?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nope. I found this one and booked it back. Figured it was worth more to you.¡±


    ¡°Can I see your bag?¡± Caroline hated being this cautious, but she was not in the mood to get scammed.


    The scavenger set his sash on the table without protest. Caroline rummaged through. Sure enough, the rest of his items were nothing mech related.


    Caroline looked back at the head and the odd, blue chip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± she said.


    The scavenger smiled through his eyes. The two of them tapped their tablets together, transferring the money. Then the scavenger stood up and nodded once. ¡°I want to say I look forward to doing business with you again, but I¡¯m badlands-bound tomorrow.¡±


    Caroline nodded back. Scavengers always went back to the badlands, no matter how long they stayed in Megacity 14. She¡¯d caught this one at the perfect time.


    I¡¯d better not have wasted my money, she thought.

 Chapter 3: Rebirth

    ¡°Hello? Hello?¡±


    Shapes. Colors. Nothing more.


    ¡°Hello? Are you Marvin Yao?¡±


    Shapes. Colors. Movement.


    ¡°Roll your eyes if you can hear me.¡±


    Things suddenly began to clear up. A workshop table. Nuts and bolts. A giant monitor. A row of drawers. A brown-haired woman wearing a white lab coat.


    Marvin jolted awake and screamed. Or at least he thought he did.


    ¡°Where am I?! What happened?!¡±


    Marvin swore he was saying the words, yet he heard none of them. Nothing in the foreign room seemed to acknowledge his presence.


    Ishaan, the holoplayer, the dark room¡­ Oh no no no no¡­


    He needed to find his uncle. Some terrible conspiracy had gone down. Someone had tried to kidnap him, and chances were they were going after the whole team.


    Marvin stood up, only to find that his perspective hadn¡¯t changed. He moved his arms, stretched his legs, and tried again.


    They¡¯re not there.


    He was suddenly aware that he could not feel anything. Neither could he smell or taste. It was as if he were synced with his mech.


    The woman in the lab coat leaned against the table, looking at something to Marvin¡¯s right. She let out a chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, Marvin.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Marvin asked.


    The woman remained facing whatever she was looking at. ¡°I¡¯m Caroline. We aren¡¯t personally acquainted or anything, I just know about you through the news. As to where you are and what happened¡­ I think it¡¯s better if I try to ease into it.¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t care less about how shocking the truth was; he needed to know before his teammates got hurt. But he couldn¡¯t be rash either, especially when he was paralyzed like this.


    ¡°I guess we can start with where we are. This is an abandoned farm workshop in Sector 58.¡±


    I¡¯m still in my Sector, Marvin thought. That¡¯s a good start.


    Caroline continued, ¡°It¡¯s been three months since your last fight-¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Has Mecha Realm already started? Why is this Caroline person waking me up instead of my teammates?


    ¡°Oh great,¡± Caroline stammered. She began pacing around. ¡°Take a deep breath or something.¡±


    That just made Marvin realize he physically could not breathe.


    What¡¯s happened to me?!


    He caught himself from falling into a full blown panic attack. Think about Saberstar. Think about the Bessmer chair. Think about the arena. Under the bright lights, it was just him in that steel suit, no feelings, no sensations other than sight and sound.


    ¡°Just tell me what happened,¡± Marvin said between labored¡­ not breaths, but some mental block that scrambled his tongue.


    ¡°So basically I was trading with a scavenger,¡± Caroline explained. ¡°And he found Saberstar¡¯s head in a dead zone junkyard.¡±


    Okay, don¡¯t think about Saberstar.


    ¡°And we¡¯re trying to start a mech team, so obviously I brought it back,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°But it also came with an implant. It had your Network ID.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s head was spinning. Did that mean his consciousness had been uploaded to his robot? No, that was absurd. He didn¡¯t feel any different than before. He¡¯d retained all his memories.


    ¡°Before you say anything, I¡¯ve told the police,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Their chief¡ªthis guy named Amir¡ªsaid he¡¯d look into it, but I don¡¯t think he believes me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Marvin muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Suddenly Marvin felt himself being lifted from the worktable. Then he began to walk, weaving through tables and shelves of mech parts. The only problem was, his head was about fifty-percent lower than normal. It was a scene straight out of a fever dream.


    Maybe this is a fever dream.


    Or maybe Caroline was just holding him at waist level¡ªwhatever he was now.


    They entered a bathroom and Caroline turned to the sink. Marvin was lifted a bit higher, and he came face to face with a mirror.


    If he were still human, he would¡¯ve fainted.


    To call this Saberstar¡¯s head was a disgrace. It was a metal ball with two eye sockets, dented and falling apart. Wires dangled out the neck. It obviously had no voice box, and it was a miracle that the microphones and cameras still worked.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I¡¯m done for, Marvin thought. It was hard to form any other coherent thoughts.


    To prevent himself from spiraling into despondency, he observed Caroline¡¯s reflection. The woman was only a couple years older than him. She had a youthful face, but her eyes seemed to contain a few extra years of wisdom.


    ¡°How¡¯d this happen?¡± Marvin whispered.


    Caroline said nothing.


    ¡°Can you try to find my uncle?¡± Marvin asked.


    Still no response.


    ¡°Am I going to die soon?¡±


    At that, Caroline widened her eyes. ¡°Oh, sorry, I should plug you back in. I forgot to tell you, I can only see your dialogue on my laptop.¡±


    Dialogue, Marvin thought. I¡¯m actually a robot.


    It was strange how naturally that thought slipped in. A part of him wallowed in despair, but not as much as he would¡¯ve expected. The perks of being a mech pilot, he supposed. The gravity of the situation would probably catch up to him later.


    Caroline brought Marvin back and connected a cable to the side of his head.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be mute for long,¡± she reassured him. ¡°Ben will be back with a voice box tomorrow. For the time being, tell me everything you remember.¡±


    ¡°I need to find my uncle,¡± Marvin said. ¡°Do you know Lindon Yao?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you remember.¡± Before Marvin could protest, Caroline continued, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. But sorry, I don¡¯t know any Lindons. Honestly, I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go looking for your old friends immediately. Or let anyone know you¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°People might try to track you down. Something fishy is going on. Someone killed you and stuffed your brain inside your robot and zero news sources are talking about it. We should first figure out why.¡±


    ¡°I got killed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. One way or another, your human self is dead until we transfer your consciousness back.¡±


    It was a lofty promise, but certainly not impossible. Consciousness uploading was not a common practice these days, and the reverse was even less heard of, but it had been done before and was pretty safe.


    Marvin gave an imaginary frown. ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    Caroline leaned back and looked at his robot head. ¡°Call me an agent of justice.¡± She cringed. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if he should be suspicious. Although Caroline seemed like a genuine person so far, curiosity was not a strong motivation.


    She¡¯s right either way. I can¡¯t endanger my uncle and the others. As soon as they unraveled this mystery, he would seek them out, and hopefully in his human body.


    ¡°Ishaan,¡± Marvin said. ¡°He saw something before the holoplayer disconnected.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Gammagrade¡¯s pilot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, perfect. We¡¯ll find him at Mecha Realm tomorrow.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s nonexistent jaw dropped. Tomorrow! What were the odds? And how had Caroline gotten a ticket? Was she the daughter of some CEO?


    As if reading his mind, Caroline said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how I got the ticket. Are you sure Ishaan isn¡¯t involved with this conspiracy?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like it,¡± Marvin replied.


    ¡°But you said he saw something. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s still alive right now¡ªat least Gammagrade¡¯s status on the website hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    Marvin frowned. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not that deep.¡±


    ¡°Or it¡¯s because they can¡¯t go killing pilots on a whim lest the Roundtable gets suspicious. That makes sense.¡± Caroline tapped her chin. ¡°Still, Gammagrade had the most to gain from killing you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would do that,¡± Marvin said. ¡°At least not Ishaan.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°He tried to warn me when he saw someone in the room.¡±


    Caroline nodded. ¡°Okay. We should try to talk to him in private. Getting his attention will be easy¡ªwe just have to give him a time and place to meet up and say something about how you¡¯re alive. He must be suspicious.¡±


    Now that Marvin thought about it, contacting Ishaan at Mecha Realm didn¡¯t sound like such a good idea.


    ¡°We could just visit him at the Sawblades¡¯ garage,¡± he suggested.


    Caroline tilted her head. ¡°Oh. That works.¡±


    ¡°Can we still go to Mecha Realm, though?¡± Marvin quickly added.


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll probably find some answers there as well.¡± Caroline pulled out a tablet, which was shaped like a two pronged scroll, and extended it to reveal the screen. She transferred Marvin¡¯s wire from the laptop to one of the thin side bars. Lines of text flew across the translucent screen, then cleared out.


    ¡°Say something,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Marvin said. He saw the letters h and i appear on the screen.


    Caroline tucked the tablet behind her ear and extended the screen to cover her right eye. ¡°Awesome. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Marvin felt a sudden surge of anxiety as Caroline reached over to pick him up. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re going now?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Caroline said. ¡°Do you need to pee?¡±


    Marvin laughed awkwardly. Heh heh appeared on the tablet.


    ¡°I just¡­ I barely know you,¡± he said.


    ¡°You can trust me. I¡¯m one of your only allies in this place.¡± Caroline frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I said it like that. I¡¯m just saying, if I was a bad guy, I wouldn¡¯t have revived you.¡±


    Maybe this is all part of your plan. But voicing his doubts would be futile. There was no one else offering to help him, was there?


    ¡°So, you ready?¡± Caroline asked.


    Marvin nodded his phantom head, then realized his mistake and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    His point-of-view immediately shifted, rising and turning and making its way to a pair of doors. They slid open, and light flooded into Marvin¡¯s sensors.


    They were in a large clearing. Golden grass swayed gently beneath them and birds chirped overhead. Up ahead, a silver shuttle was perched on a large rock platform, and beyond that was a field of tall, yellow shalewheat. The skyscrapers in the distance¡ªthe ones on both sides of the megacity¡ªlooked like mere apparitions.


    Growing up, Marvin had only known the bustling streets of Nagatown. He never knew his sector could be so serene.


    Caroline brought him into the shuttle and set him on a magnet on the dashboard, giving him a good view of the outside.


    Hopefully this magnet doesn¡¯t short circuit my Core or anything, Marvin thought. He was clueless when it came to the technicalities of his robot.


    With a roar of its engines, the shuttle lifted off. Individual stalks of shalewheat blended into a golden canvas, and birds parted in front of the window. The skyscrapers lost a bit of their grandeur as Marvin and Caroline grew level with them.


    Then they were off.

 Chapter 4: The Garage

    Megacity 14 was a gravity sandwich: one city above, one city below, and millions of hovercraft and floating structures in between. Although the complex was enclosed, the horizon borders filtered in sunlight and emitted a warm glow.


    The up and down cities spanned the size of a small nation, and like any nation, they were split into various territories. Megacity 14 had exactly one-hundred Sectors, ranging from bustling cultural hotspots to serene farming plains, from growling factory grids to eerie dead zones. Sector 58, the one Marvin lived in, was a hybrid¡ªthe cozy metropolis that was Nagatown in the east, and the farms that allowed it to prosper in the west.


    The shuttle entered seamlessly into a stream of other hovercraft. The airspace to Marvin¡¯s left was clear, where he could observe a canvas of metal monoliths and suspended islands, of streaks of light crossing from one edge to the other. Those distant traffic streams looked as fickle as schools of fish.


    ¡°Have you been on the airways before?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marvin said. ¡°I was actually supposed to go hypergliding after beating Gammagrade.¡±


    That brought a pang of sadness. For three months, Lindon¡¯s promise had been unfulfilled.


    ¡°Hypergliding!¡± Caroline exclaimed. ¡°You couldn¡¯t pay me to do that.¡±


    Marvin smiled. ¡°It¡¯s actually really safe.¡±


    ¡°Sure, until I start choking on my vomit.¡±


    Hmm, Marvin had never considered that. Maybe some people took stomach-suppressant pills before hypergliding.


    ¡°You were a really good pilot, right?¡± Caroline asked. ¡°Like, championship-worthy?¡±


    ¡°I made it to Mecha Realm,¡± Marvin said. He didn¡¯t mean to show off, he just hoped to prove her point.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Caroline tapped the top of her head. ¡°Do you think you could beat Ninth Gen?¡±


    Marvin furrowed his brow. Who did she think he was? ¡°No,¡± he replied.


    ¡°What about The Everlancer?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The Everlancer was the antithesis to Saberstar.


    ¡°Immortal Ignition?¡±


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if Caroline was joking¡ªshe had just named three top-ten teams and expected him to be as good as them.


    ¡°I heard Immortal Ignition got a new pilot,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°Came in right after the season ended. I doubt they¡¯re gonna do well at Mecha Realm.¡±


    That managed to pique Marvin¡¯s interest. ¡°What happened to the old one?¡±


    ¡°He had a stroke or something,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I think he spent too much time in the robot.¡±


    Marvin gulped. Was that to become his fate, too?


    ¡°What are they saying about me?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, like, what happened to me.¡±


    ¡°Your teammates made a public statement a while back. Apparently your brain overheated and you needed to take a break. So Gammagrade qualified instead of you.¡±


    My own teammates? Why? Were they threatened?


    Maybe it was true. Maybe the last few moments in the pilots¡¯ room had been a hallucination, and so was this. Maybe he was actually lying in a hospital bed, comfortably dreaming.


    ¡°The Sawblades wouldn¡¯t kill me,¡± Marvin muttered.


    ¡°They¡¯re still a gang. I¡¯ll only tell Ishaan about you once I¡¯m sure it¡¯s safe,¡± Caroline said.


    After a while, their shuttle diverged from the stream and headed towards a shuttle garage. The forty-floor building had no walls, only a forcefield that scanned them as they entered. There were no hiccups with that¡ªat least Caroline wasn¡¯t a criminal.


    They parked on the thirty-seventh floor and took an absurdly fast elevator to the street level. As they were about to exit the garage, Marvin suddenly realized something.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you hide me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m just an engineer taking my mech to the repair shop, who is also talking to her brother on the phone.¡±


    Marvin supposed no one could recognize Saberstar in this state.


    The two of them stepped out onto the streets of Nagatown. The familiar scenery was comforting: neon lights, curved roofs with pointy tips, warmly-lit alleyways, cramped street vendors, lantern drones¡­ a million sounds and colors. There used to be a million smells, too. A wide aqueduct flowed beneath the stone paved road, and traces of luminescent water could be seen between the cracks.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Caroline weaved through the alleys, arriving on a wider street with larger stores and holographic advertisements. They returned to the narrow paths not before long, took a lift to a lower level of the town, and stopped at the edge of an intersection. Up ahead, across the street, was a simple garage, halfway underground with a sloped road. Two guards stood at the steel gate. It was surrounded by ragged shops and rundown apartments, and a few gleaming skyscrapers loomed over it.


    This place is supposed to be famous? Marvin wondered. I guess it¡¯s the inside that counts.


    His next curiosity was: why had they stopped? He tried to look up at Caroline to no avail.


    ¡°That¡¯s their garage, right?¡± he asked.


    Caroline didn¡¯t seem to see his words, or if she did, she was focussing on something else.


    ¡°Caroline?¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s being guarded by the Manhunters.¡±


    Marvin observed the two men at the garage and noted their sharp black suits and cybernetic goggles that looked like insect eyes¡ªsignature attire of the most powerful gang in Nagatown. What were they doing here? The Manhunters had a rather infamous rivalry with the Sawblades.


    ¡°I have to rethink my plan,¡± Caroline mused. ¡°Not that there was much to begin with, but um¡­ maybe we can try to talk to them.¡±


    What other option was there? Tiptoe their way in?


    ¡°The Manhunters are the real deal, though,¡± Caroline said. ¡°They control a lot of the police and Amir might¡¯ve told them about me. If things go south, I¡¯m gonna run as fast as I can and I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t drop you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    You sure didn¡¯t sound like it.


    Caroline hoisted Marvin¡¯s sorry robot head a little higher and approached the two Manhunters. The one on the left held up a hand once they were within ten feet.


    ¡°The garage is under lockdown. Please turn around.¡±


    Instead of trying to argue, Caroline asked, ¡°Can I leave a message for Ishaan?¡±


    ¡°The team is not talking to anyone at the moment,¡± the Manhunter said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, he can reply whenever he¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°Even the mention of a message is a distraction,¡± the guard said. ¡°We¡¯re not open to any arguments. Turn around and go.¡±


    Why are the Manhunters speaking for team Gammagrade? Marvin wondered. Ishaan and the Sawblades weren¡¯t the type to simply allow that. Perhaps the Manhunters had taken over?


    ¡°Is there any time at all when Ishaan¡¯s free?¡± Caroline probed.


    The guard¡¯s nostrils flared and he took a menacing step forward. ¡°Do you not understand-¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Caroline backed away and waved for the Manhunter to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Marvin yelped as his world spun 180 degrees. ¡°What about Ishaan?¡±


    But Caroline was already walking away. Marvin understood that the Manhunters were to be taken seriously, but Caroline hadn¡¯t even tried.


    ¡°We have to go back,¡± Marvin implored. If the Manhunters were going to guard the garage 24/7, they would never get answers.


    Maybe this is part of the plan. Trick them into thinking we¡¯ve given up.


    Caroline kept walking. Once she had ducked into a dark alleyway, she finally stopped and held Marvin¡¯s head slightly farther out.


    ¡°If they start suspecting us, it¡¯s over,¡± she explained. ¡°We can¡¯t rush this.¡±


    Marvin stared at her in confusion. So it wasn¡¯t part of the plan? They had just left after haggling for, what, two, three seconds? Now that he thought about it, Caroline was awfully cautious for someone who had promised to help.


    We can¡¯t rush this.


    Something in Marvin finally started to unravel.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months!¡± he shouted. ¡°My teammates could be dead! My uncle could be dead!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but-¡±


    ¡°Tell the Manhunters about me. They might let us in.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Caroline scoffed. ¡°They could¡¯ve been the ones who killed you!¡±


    ¡°If they wanted me dead they wouldn¡¯t have put me in Saberstar.¡±


    ¡°Saberstar got sliced to bits! Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°There could¡¯ve been an accident-¡±


    ¡°Marvin.¡± Caroline¡¯s voice was unexpectedly cold. ¡°This is what we¡¯re gonna do. We¡¯ll watch the garage from a distance and we¡¯ll track where Ishaan goes. Then we slip him a message.¡±


    ¡°What if he never leaves?¡±


    ¡°Then we can try to get inside. But we play things safe first, understand?¡±


    Marvin found that he was losing his will to argue. Where had this sternness come from?


    All the more reason to suspect her.


    But there was nothing he could do. Until he had a working body, he was at Caroline¡¯s mercy.


    And that was when reality finally seized him. Someone tried to kill me. There are people out there who hate me so much they want me dead.


    He suddenly felt a fear he hadn¡¯t felt in a long, long time. He was a six-year-old again, hiding under his blanket, terrified that thieves and intruders would try to hurt him. He wanted to curl up and shiver. At least shivering gave him assurance that he was still alive.


    What had he done to deserve this?


    He squeezed his eyes shut.


    Wake up. The dream is over. We¡¯ve gone on our little adventure. Just wake up.


    He imagined his bedroom: the smartcloset, the holoboard above his bed, his toy mechs, his Bessmer chair, the scent of eggs and waffles drifting in from just beyond the door¡­


    I¡¯ll be back soon. Lindon, Theo, Sina¡ªI¡¯ll see you again.


    But when he opened his eyes, he was still in that claustrophobic Nagatown alleyway.

 Chapter 5: Mecha Realm

    Marvin awoke to the same scene as the day before: worktables, drawers, screws, and a figure off to the side. Except this figure was not Caroline.


    Marvin¡¯s cameras sharpened. This newcomer had dark skin and short hair that topped a very round head. He was wearing an olive-green jacket and looked about Marvin¡¯s age.


    Last night, Caroline had turned off Marvin¡¯s Core so that he could sleep. He had protested, but she had convinced him that the last thing he wanted was to be conscious for eight hours with no one to talk to and nothing to do.


    Marvin slowly moved his eyes to scan the rest of the room. The cameras must have made a noise, as the newcomer spun around and leaned over the table with a devious grin.


    ¡°Well well well. Good morning, Melvin Yao.¡±


    Marvin would¡¯ve flipped him off if he had the confidence and the hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ben, as you probably know. Caroline sent me to wake you up. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The voice that said those words nearly gave Marvin a phantom heart attack. It was robotic, but human enough where he almost heard traces of himself.


    ¡°Ay, it worked!¡± Ben exclaimed rapturously. ¡°Say something else, Melvin. Say ¡®two plus two equals four.¡¯¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Marvin.¡±


    Ben tilted his head so far it looked like it would snap. ¡°All the commentators say Melvin.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Marvin cringed at the voice box¡¯s attempt at an upward inflection.


    ¡°Yeah. Are you doubting my hearing capabilities?¡± Ben slammed both fists on the table. ¡°Anyways, are you hype?!¡±


    Marvin jumped. ¡°Um¡­ for what?¡±


    ¡°Mecha Realm! We¡¯re leaving in twenty minutes!¡±


    It¡¯s today! A wave of excitement swelled in Marvin. Not only would they potentially find answers to his death, but they would also get to watch the greatest tournament in the world.


    Watch. Not participate.


    The excitement died in an instant. It should¡¯ve been him in that arena, not Gammagrade. Him, Lindon, Theo, and Sina.


    Speaking of Theo, however, Ben reminded Marvin of him¡ªa lot to say and a lot to prove. Marvin wondered if Ben was also the programmer of this up and coming mech team.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, Ben,¡± Caroline cut in, walking into Marvin¡¯s periphery. She was wearing a thin, gray jacket that was so long it might as well have been a lab coat. Either she¡¯d mistakenly bought it as one, or she just had a strange sense of fashion.


    ¡°I¡¯m using the royal we,¡± Ben said. ¡°How we doing, Caroline?¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Caroline replied with a smile. ¡°Thanks for installing the voice box. How late did you stay up?¡±


    ¡°2? 3? It wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    Caroline made a face. ¡°You should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been up all night. I know.¡±


    Ben sighed. ¡°Right when Marvin and I were getting acquainted.¡± He stepped away from Marvin and handed Caroline a hologram chip. ¡°Blueprint, if you wanna adjust anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. You guys can talk all you want at dinner.¡± Caroline grinned rather awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ sit in a corner somewhere.¡±


    That was probably a joke, but Ben didn¡¯t laugh. Instead, he just saluted and bid farewell.


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to talk to Ben any more. Their personalities didn¡¯t exactly line up, but if the guy was trustworthy and could help him, every minute was crucial.


    Caroline walked up to Marvin.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna rewire your voice box to my earbuds,¡± she explained. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to turn you off till we get inside the arena. For security and all that.¡±


    She grabbed a pair of pliers and an autowrench. Marvin winced as he heard a raucous whirring in his right ear, but it only lasted a few seconds. Afterwards, Caroline drew back her tools and looked at him.


    ¡°Sorry, I never gave you a heads up. You ready?¡±


    What are you gonna do if I¡¯m not? ¡°Yeah,¡± Marvin replied.


    Caroline grinned, reached over to the side of Marvin¡¯s head, and gently pressed. Marvin¡¯s cameras shut their lids.


    -----


    Screaming. So much screaming.


    As his vision focused, he began to make out heads¡­ thousands of heads bobbing about. Next to those heads were little lights that moved in sync, and there were bigger lights higher above.


    ¡°Marvin? Can you hear me?¡±


    Those were not screams. They were cheers.


    He had made it to Mecha Realm.


    ¡°Marvin?¡± Caroline repeated.


    ¡°I hear you,¡± Marvin said. His own voice was muted, but earbuds or no, he doubted he would¡¯ve been able to hear it with all this buzz.


    ¡°Good. The mechs are about to walk out.¡±


    Mecha Realm was a week-long competition. The first two days were the ceremonies and obstacle course. The next five would be the actual battle royale.


    The stadium was gargantuan. It was in the shape of a classic street fight ring, but a thousand times bigger and brighter. A giant hologram display burst from the center of the ring, encasing even the farthest reaches of the stands in mellow blue light. Caroline was seated near the top of the stadium, but a neat trick involving space-warping and holotech made it so that whenever Marvin looked at the arena, it appeared as though he were sitting in the optimal spot¡ªnot too close, not too far. A lone man stood in the ring: Christopher ¡°Kit¡± Tillman, a Megacity 14 legend. He had been hosting the tournament since he was thirty, and he was now eighty-one.


    ¡°I moved your camera, by the way,¡± Caroline said. ¡°You¡¯re on my shoulder now.¡±


    That explained why Marvin was at normal eye-level without people giving Caroline questioning looks of, Why are you holding up a robot head?


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of proud of this one,¡± Caroline chirped. ¡°Essentially, we listen to their introductions and interviews and see which teams besides Gammagrade profited the most from your death.¡±


    Before Marvin could protest at how open ended that was, Caroline continued, ¡°Also, we¡¯ll see which teams are big in AI research. Then we can try to narrow down who is most likely to do some unethical conscious-transferring.¡±


    That didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°There are three-hundred teams,¡± Marvin pointed out.


    ¡°And we¡¯ll keep track of every single one.¡± Caroline waved her tablet in front of the camera. ¡°I¡¯m gonna record everything.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Marvin supposed that wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. Besides, some of the things said during the interviews could ring a bell for him, too.


    ¡°I also did some research last night,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°My main suspect is Legionnaire¡¯s parent company, Ainsel AI. They¡¯ve been doing a lot of brain simulations lately.¡±


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure how much sway a company held over its mech team. As far as he knew, the corporations were just sponsors. Perhaps the prospect of an entire company wanting him dead was too scary.


    ¡°And there¡¯s also-¡± Caroline suddenly paused. ¡°Wait, is that¡­?¡± Marvin felt his view turn forty-five degrees to the right.


    ¡°Look who it is.¡±


    A couple dozen feet away, two men in black suits and cybernetic goggles settled into their seats. They weren¡¯t the same Manhunters that had been guarding the Sawblades¡¯ garage. What were they doing here? Were they observing Gammagrade?


    Just then, the host¡¯s voice came over the loudspeakers like a roll of thunder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s introduce our mechs!¡±


    Marvin would¡¯ve jumped. A synthwave song began playing, the low tones causing the stands to tremble. The crowd began to boil with excitement. Kit always had a tremendous ability to capture one¡¯s full attention, as Marvin found himself barely caring about the Manhunters anymore.


    This was it. The amalgamation of a year¡¯s worth of hard work, except from the wrong perspective.


    How would it feel to be down there in that arena?


    ¡°The one and only Draconis!¡± A mech walked into the ring, its features magnified a hundredfold by the hologram. It was accompanied by a man in a black suit. ¡°Piloted by Lead Inspector James Kobayashi, professional walker and stander.¡±


    That brought out some laughter. It was joked that Inspectors did nothing except stand around and look menacing.


    Draconis was the flagship mech of the Hosaka Roundtable, the oligarchy that governed Megacity 14 and ran the mech-fighting scene. Other than being announced first at the tournament, they received no special treatment. Some years they didn¡¯t even qualify for Mecha Realm.


    James was the reclusive son of Hosaka Chair Hisen Kobayashi and ¡°Lead Inspector of the Autonomous Divisions,¡± whatever that meant. He was the only Inspector that showed his face in public, mostly to represent his father. Rumor was that he only piloted Draconis at Mecha Realm, and other pilots rotated out through the season.


    ¡°James, I heard you prepared an opening speech for us?¡± Kit handed him the mic.


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± James asked. He looked up to face the audience. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would love to hear me make a metaphor for how this year¡¯s competition reflects the ebbs and flows of life, but the truth is, I just want to get this show on the road. What do you say?¡±


    The crowd went absolutely bonkers. Marvin didn¡¯t understand how a man who appeared so rarely in the public eye could receive that much adoration.


    ¡°Good speech, Jimmy!¡± Kit said. ¡°Up next, the wielder of the legendary Bluemoon Katana, piloted by Sunwoo Park, Legionnaire!¡±


    Caroline leaned forward. Marvin¡¯s imaginary ears perked up.


    Legionnaire was slim and elegant, painted silver and blue, with a giant katana attached to its back. The pilot, Sunwoo, looked like he could fight better than his mech with that katana.


    ¡°Any updates inside Ainsel AI?¡± the host asked him. ¡°Anything you feel the public should know?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sunwoo replied.


    And then Kit was announcing the next team.


    Wow, I learned so much, Marvin thought. But Sunwoo definitely seemed like a shady guy. He would keep an eye on him.


    As Kit went down the list, Marvin felt a sadness creep in. He wondered what it felt like to stand in that arena next to your mech, surrounded by hundreds of role models. He wondered if Lindon was here, watching instead of waiting in the conference room for his interview.


    Marvin did his best to note teams of interest, but he ended up focusing on the famous ones.


    ¡°Piloted by Grayson Wright, winner of eight championships, the highest ranked mech of all time: Ninth Gen!¡±


    ¡°With Carlos Esparza at the helm, this mech has prevailed in not one, not five, but eleven four-v-ones! The one-man army, the lone ranger: The Everlancer!¡±


    ¡°Sienna Lee and her mech hold the record for most kills ever in a Mecha Realm¡ªthat being seventy-three, twenty-five more than the runner-up. Give it up for the boogeyman, Sparrow!¡±


    Marvin smiled at that one. Last year, after qualifying third in its Sector, Sparrow had gone on a rampage in the battle royale, killing over a fifth of the competitors. That meant almost twenty kills a day. Everyone had been fawning over Sienna¡¯s mech, until Day 4, when it was unceremoniously ambushed by Centium Prime. Sparrow hadn¡¯t even breached the top thirty.


    As the mechs continued to walk out, the energy in the crowd slightly receded. At the three-quarters point, even Marvin was feeling a little weary. He had fallen into a bit of a dream state after Gammagrade¡¯s introduction.


    ¡°What do you expect from a gang called the Sawblades? The only mech to use,¡± Kit made a face, ¡°chainsaws, Gammagrade!¡±


    Ishaan walked out beside his neon yellow and black mech. He bore a serious expression, but nothing about him seemed off. He strode confidently towards the host, occasionally scanning the crowd.


    ¡°You were one of the youngest to ever make it to Mecha Realm, and now you¡¯re back. Your prime is going to be a force to be reckoned with, eh?¡±


    Ishaan shook his head. ¡°Immortal Ignition¡¯s pilot is nineteen. Vertigon¡¯s pilot is twenty-one. I¡¯m already behind.¡±


    Marvin let out a huff of admiration, but at the same time, he felt himself sinking deeper into his thoughts.


    How would Kit introduce Saberstar? What would be my accolades?


    Thoughts of what could¡¯ve been consumed his mind as the audience receded more and more. At a certain point, the air teetered on boredom.


    Fortunately, Kit had saved a number of iconic teams for the last stretch, and mentions of The Praetor, Xintian, and Oliveeater instilled a healthy dose of hype into the crowd.


    ¡°Burgercooker was better,¡± Caroline grumbled.


    Team Oliveeater had a habit of changing their name every year but always making it food-related.


    Kit¡¯s questions for the pilots also got more absurd, to the point where he sometimes just said gibberish and asked if the poor pilot understood. As the audience reached a fever pitch, the host finally arrived at the 300th team.


    ¡°Last but not least, the defending champions. Thirteen kills before using a repair pod. Second highest power ranking in the history of Mecha Realm. The eternal flame, Immortal Ignition!¡±


    One final mech emerged from the tunnel. It had a jet-black finish with swirls of red and orange, and so many rocket thrusters that it could probably use itself as a flashbang. Its head¡ªa shiny obsidian ball with no visible sensors¡ªwas eerily alien compared to everything else in that arena.


    Beside Immortal Ignition walked a short, red-haired girl. She scanned the crowd with a satisfied expression, seeming to soak it all in.


    ¡°Eleanor Hall,¡± Kit announced. ¡°You¡¯re a new face. How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Nineteen,¡± the girl replied.


    Kit grinned. ¡°We got the next Marvin Yao here!¡±


    Marvin widened his eyes. Kit Tillman knew about him?! Did he have anything else to say¡ªsome acknowledgment of the tragedy that had befallen him?


    But unfortunately, Kit put Eleanor back in the limelight.


    ¡°Or maybe he was the next Eleanor Hall. You¡¯ve got big shoes to fill, eh? What do you say to those who claim you won¡¯t make it far this year?¡±


    Eleanor leaned into the microphone. ¡°Go back to your nine-to-five.¡±


    Kit doubled over laughing. Some of the audience joined him, but many others booed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint us, now,¡± the host warned playfully.


    Eleanor grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the podium.¡±


    Marvin rolled his eyes at the pilot¡¯s arrogance. She wasn¡¯t making it past Day 1.


    Kit made some closing remarks, then the floor lowered and the mechs disappeared into the abyss. They were heading to the obstacle course, and the only way to observe them now was through the hologram or through special POV goggles.


    In the meantime, the holoplayer switched to the conference room, where the team interviews were about to start. A good number of people left their seats to mingle in the foyer.


    ¡°Learn anything?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Marvin replied. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got two more suspects: Hallowshard and Rustica.¡±


    ¡°Hallowshard?¡± Marvin had heard of Rustica, but not the other.


    ¡°They were the two-hundred-forty-eighth team. They¡¯re owned by a small startup that¡¯s doing AI stuff. You might¡¯ve been their ticket to making it big.¡±


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t work out,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°And Rustica?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°This was based on prior research; their pilot has been pretty outspoken against corruption ever since your thing happened. He¡¯s never drawn the line to you, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a little suspicious how much he talks about it. He could be deflecting blame.¡±


    Marvin gave an imaginary nod, and they went silent. So the primary persons of interest were Ishaan, Legionnaire, Hallowshard and Rustica. Out of the four, Rustica was probably the easiest to investigate, as they were a private team and didn¡¯t have much sway over the higher powers.


    However, Marvin was still most invested in Ishaan. Gammagrade¡¯s pilot had seen concrete evidence, and he was in this very building. There had to be a way to reach him, perhaps some signal that only he would recognize.


    Who are you kidding? Marvin thought. You barely know each other and you¡¯re thinking about sending secret signals?


    His view swiveled and fell on the Manhunters. They were conversing casually, pointing to the arena now and then. Marvin wished he¡¯d been able to see their reactions to Gammagrade¡¯s introduction. Were they proud of their newly commandeered mech?


    Some people in the row above tapped the gangsters¡¯ shoulders and asked something in reverence. Since the Manhunters were cyborgs, their heads practically rotated 180 degrees as they turned to talk with their fans.


    ¡°Usually more of them come to watch,¡± Caroline said. ¡°They have their little reserved section in the stands.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s vision remained steady, and he hoped that Caroline wasn¡¯t being too blatant about watching the gang members.


    ¡°I guess it makes sense though,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°Their robot didn¡¯t qualify this year.¡±


    The Manhunters¡¯ heads rotated again as one whispered something in the other¡¯s ear. They burst out laughing.


    And then their heads rotated again.


    Marvin felt his blood run cold. They were looking straight at him.


    Caroline immediately turned away. Marvin could hear that she was holding her breath.


    ¡°We gotta go,¡± she whispered.


    This time, Marvin had no objections.

 Chapter 6: To Pilot

    That night, at the farm workshop, Marvin, Caroline, and Ben established that there were only two conversations that could¡¯ve gone down between the Manhunters.


    One: ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the stupid girl who tried to get into our garage.¡±


    Two: ¡°She knows. We have to eliminate her.¡±


    Ben believed the first, while Caroline leaned heavily towards the second. Marvin was somewhere in the middle. Whatever the case, they agreed that Ben would take Marvin to the Mecha Realm stadium from now on.


    After that talk, Ben and Caroline left to make dinner. Marvin remained on the worktable, alone with his thoughts.


    Did the Manhunters actually kill me? Do they have my teammates hostage? Why are they guarding the Sawblades¡¯ garage?


    His first instinct was to report the gang to the police, but he had nothing to convict them. A mere glance in his direction could¡¯ve meant anything. Plus, rumors were the Manhunters had over a third of Nagatown¡¯s police force in their pocket.


    Maybe we¡¯re just paranoid.


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if that was logic or cope winning out.


    Just then, Caroline walked into the center of Marvin¡¯s view. He frowned; had they finished cooking that fast?


    ¡°Marvin¡­¡± Caroline nervously clasped her hands together. ¡°There¡¯s something we haven¡¯t told you.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s robotic voice vomited out a dumb, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Caroline looked down and began tapping her fingers together. ¡°We¡­ Ben and I and another friend¡­ we¡¯re trying to start a mech team.¡±


    Marvin blinked. ¡°You told me yesterday.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s head snapped upwards, a horrified look plastered on her face. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with it? You know we¡¯re gonna be rebuilding Saberstar, right? You.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Marvin wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was. He would love some arms and legs to go with his mangled lollipop of a head.


    ¡°That also means you¡¯re gonna be the pilot,¡± Caroline said. ¡°We can¡¯t really sub you out unless we find another Core¡­¡±


    Oh.


    The Core they found wouldn¡¯t be as good as Saberstar¡¯s anyways. But if they wanted Marvin to fight, that meant he was risking his life every time he stepped into the ring. There was no Bessmer chair, no neurobrick to protect him. The moment he lost a fight, he would die.


    Still, that was the only thing he was good at: fighting. And he liked to think he was smart enough to know when to forfeit before getting mauled.


    It was easy to forfeit¡ªyou simply had to back away from the fight, take a knee, and detach a part of your own robot. The referees would immediately disconnect you from the Bessmer chair. It was a big sacrifice, but worth it in Marvin¡¯s case.


    Then again, all it took was one mistake¡­


    Think about it this way. The offseason is two months long. That¡¯s more than enough time to get you back to your human body. Then you just have to stick with these guys till you find your uncle and the others.


    ¡°Can you just build the robot for now?¡± Marvin asked.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Caroline replied. ¡°But there¡¯s a chance you won¡¯t get your body back before the season starts.¡±


    ¡°Can I decide then?¡±


    Caroline pursed her lips. ¡°Alright. Just so you know, we¡¯ll make a kill switch for you. If the program senses you¡¯re about to lose, you¡¯ll auto-forfeit.¡±


    Marvin didn¡¯t need assurances. He was the pilot here; he would make the choice himself.


    ¡°Anyways, I wanted to tell you sooner than later,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your decision either way.¡±


    Marvin could tell this was not the answer she had been looking for, no matter how sympathetic she was.


    I guess if I found a top tier mech I¡¯d also be annoyed if I couldn¡¯t use it.


    ¡°Do you get hungry?¡± Caroline asked out of the blue.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Marvin said. To be fair, he had been preoccupied with other things lately.


    ¡°Do you wanna have dinner with us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± It was good to know he and Caroline were still on good terms.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll get you in a few minutes.¡±


    -----


    The dining table was located in the far corner of the workshop, a comfortable distance from the worktables. Marvin, Caroline, and Ben sat at three edges, facing a large TV that hung from the ceiling. Naturally, they watched Mecha Realm.


    Nothing particularly exciting was going on. The obstacle course had ended and now reporters were just following random teams around like it was a reality show.


    Caroline and Ben had cooked some burgers, ¡°in honor of Burgercooker,¡± as Caroline proclaimed. Marvin felt a slight rumble in his phantom stomach as they ate, but it didn¡¯t bother him. What irked him more was the prospect of not eating for the next few months.


    ¡°I wanna change my bet on Sparrow to fifty,¡± Ben announced.


    Caroline squinted at him. ¡°You would never cook fifty meals for me.¡±


    Ben grinned. ¡°I¡¯m that confident. Look how locked in Sienna is right now.¡±


    The TV was showing Sparrow¡¯s pilot meditating in a garden under the artificial night sky. Sienna Lee had her black hair tied in a ponytail, a red streak hanging down beside her right eye. She wore the classic pilots¡¯ jacket: a sleek and sharp piece of polyester embroidered with Sparrow¡¯s colors, black and dark red.


    ¡°She¡¯s learned her lesson from last year,¡± Ben continued. ¡°No one stands a chance.¡±


    ¡°Have you been following Ninth Gen at all?¡± Caroline asked incredulously. ¡°It could snap Sparrow in half!¡±


    ¡°Sparrow won¡¯t run into Ninth Gen.¡±


    ¡°If Ninth Gen makes the top five they¡¯re guaranteed-¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t, though. They¡¯re overrated.¡±


    Caroline sighed. ¡°Who do you think will be second place, then?¡±


    ¡°Immortal Ignition,¡± Ben replied.


    ¡°I appreciate you being a feminist, but Ella or whatever her name is is not making it to Day 5.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a feminist!¡± Ben said, with a little too much conviction. ¡°It¡¯s not just about the pilot. Immortal Ignition is one of the best mechs and Ella¡¯s got that mindset.¡±


    ¡°You know who else has that mindset? The guy who won eight championships.¡±


    ¡°Grayson Wright¡¯s ancient! He¡¯s gonna have a stroke in the middle of a fight.¡±


    Caroline crossed her arms and turned to Marvin. ¡°Who do you think will win, Marvin?¡±


    ¡°Um, probably Oliveeater.¡± He meant it as a joke, but his voice box made him sound 100% serious.


    Caroline and Ben flew into a rage.


    When all was said and done, Marvin expressed his honest opinion that he thought Ninth Gen would win. Its main competition was weaker this year: Immortal Ignition had a rookie pilot; The Everlancer¡¯s pilot was paralyzed due to a worsening illness; The Praetor had lost its chief engineer; and Sparrow¡¯s game plan was still kill as many mechs as possible.


    Despite hearing all of these points, Ben was still not having it, and their debate lasted long into the night. There was something about Ben that put Marvin at ease. Maybe it was how similar he was to Theo, or his flamboyant way of voicing his thoughts. Or maybe it was because he was annoying and it was liberating to argue with him.


    At length, Caroline announced that she was going to sleep. But before she headed to her room, she went over to Marvin and, with his consent, shut him off.


    That night was the most he had talked in a long time.

 Chapter 7: Bob

    Marvin woke up once again to bright lights, except they were a lot closer this time. In addition, the surroundings were deathly quiet.


    He was in an enclosed space¡ªfour silver walls, one of them on hinges. The light was coming from a ceiling panel.


    Marvin¡¯s view shifted ever so slightly, and he heard a toilet flush.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Ben hissed.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Why are we in the bathroom?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Ben inched away from the toilet, and it flushed again.


    ¡°Are we at Mecha Realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re in the foyer. This is spy business, Marvin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m following Bob.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Bob?¡±


    ¡°Rustica¡¯s pilot.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be doing this-¡±


    ¡°This is our only shot. You¡¯ll thank me later.¡±


    ¡°Why are we hiding here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m biding my time. Bob went to the snack bar and will return to the foyer in approximately one minute.¡±


    ¡°Why not just wait in the foyer?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t whip out a robot head and turn it on in the middle of all those people.¡±


    That was fair, but perhaps Ben could¡¯ve woken him up before he started stalking Rustica¡¯s pilot?


    Caroline would never approve of this, Marvin thought. If Ben got in trouble, there would be no one left to help him. Those tickets to Mecha Realm would have gone to waste.


    Why are they going so far out of their way to help me anyways? Is it just because they want me to be their pilot?


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± Ben said. He sped out of the stall, had the decency to wash his hands for ten seconds, then sprinted out of the bathroom.


    Marvin was not ready for the sheer number of people he saw. The foyer was a golden semicircle the size of a football field, and it was filled to the brink. The crowd expanded and contracted like a giant block of jello as people made their way through. On the far side was a fancy bar, and in between were hundreds of standing tables.


    How is Ben gonna see Bob?


    But evidently he did, because after pausing at the edge of the crowd for a second, he began moving forward again. Cloth brushed Marvin¡¯s camera and a million sounds passed through his microphones. At first Marvin was incredibly disoriented, but he soon saw who Ben was aiming for: a tall man with an orange pilots¡¯ jacket draped around his shoulders.


    Marvin knew very little about Bob or Rustica, but they were only a second-year team and had already made Mecha Realm their first year. They certainly had ambition, but was it so much to kill an eighteen-year-old?


    Bob was standing at a table, talking to none other than Sienna Lee. Sparrow¡¯s pilot wore a similar pilots¡¯ jacket, except this one was dark red and black. Neither of them expressed the overly friendly demeanor most people possessed in these places; they genuinely seemed to get along.


    ¡°Excuse me, sorry,¡± Ben said as he slid past two people facing back to back. One of them turned around.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she called.


    Ben froze. He slowly turned around, and Marvin found himself facing one of the most beautiful women he¡¯d ever seen. She wore round, tinted glasses and a blue and silver kimono, and her onyx hair was woven in an intricate braid.


    Blue and silver¡­ Legionnaire?


    ¡°Oh. Hello,¡± Ben stammered.


    ¡°Your backpack¡¯s unzipped,¡± the woman pointed out.


    ¡°Ben, ask her about Legionnaire,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°What?¡± Ben said.


    ¡°Your backpack,¡± the woman repeated. ¡°Here.¡± She walked behind them and pulled the zipper closed.


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing Legionnaire¡¯s colors,¡± Marvin said. ¡°I think she¡¯s on the team.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Um, ma¡¯am, just a quick question-¡± Ben paused. ¡°Uh oh.¡±


    Then he suddenly began speed-walking away. Marvin was about to yell at him to go back when he noticed Bob was no longer at the table. He scanned the room for a large patch of orange and spotted the pilot heading towards an exit.


    Is this the right move? Is Rustica or Legionnaire the more likely suspect? Why can¡¯t we just find Ishaan?


    Marvin kept quiet and watched as Bob reached the exit and rounded a corner. Ben and Marvin passed through a few seconds later, entering a wide hallway lined with neon lights that flowed in a circle along the walls. The people here were sparse, and Marvin had a clear view of where Bob was heading: an elevator that would undoubtedly take him back to the arena.


    Ben picked up his pace. There was still thirty feet between them, but the elevator was farther, and Bob was in no hurry.


    ¡°What are you gonna say to him?¡± Marvin asked Ben as he gradually closed the distance.


    ¡°Business talk,¡± Ben replied.


    That was not a grammatically correct answer, Ben.


    Just then, the elevator doors opened and two men in suits stepped out. At first, Marvin dismissed them as security guards, but security guards didn¡¯t have prosthetic eyes.


    ¡°Manhunters!¡± Marvin exclaimed.


    Ben stifled a laugh.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s the way you said it,¡± Ben said. ¡°But yeah, I know what Manhunters look like.¡± He continued trudging forwards.


    ¡°What if they¡¯re meeting Bob?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to him first,¡± Ben said.


    Marvin widened his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    The Manhunters weren¡¯t walking quickly but there was purpose in their steps. Their red, robotic eyes were dangerously unreadable; they could¡¯ve been staring at Bob, Ben, or even Marvin¡¯s camera poking out from Ben¡¯s shoulder.


    Ben broke into a jog.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Marvin cried.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± Ben shouted.


    It was as if everyone in the world suddenly turned their eyes on them. The Manhunters stopped walking. Bob looked back in surprise. Marvin wanted to crawl into the deepest depths of his Core and never come out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know you¡¯re really busy,¡± Ben said, running up to Bob, ¡°but I was just wondering if I could have your autograph.¡±


    Bob stared at him for a moment. The Manhunters remained motionless.


    What have you done?! Marvin¡¯s head screamed.


    But then Bob started laughing, and the Manhunters resumed walking.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we had fans here,¡± Bob remarked. ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Nagatown,¡± Ben said, handing him a pen and a little flag with Rustica¡¯s emblem.


    Marvin couldn¡¯t believe his cameras. It seemed Ben had planned all of this out beforehand.


    ¡°Oh, right next door. That makes a bit more sense,¡± Bob said, signing the flag. The Manhunters passed by without so much as a glance in their direction. ¡°Is this your first Mecha Realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in for a great time.¡± Bob handed back the flag and pen. ¡°But don¡¯t expect much from Rustica and me.¡±


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯ll do fine.¡± Ben glanced over his shoulder. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one more thing I wanted to ask, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    ¡°You know the rumors about Saberstar?¡±


    Bob frowned. ¡°There are many rumors about Saberstar.¡±


    ¡°You know how they qualified for the championship, right? But right after their last fight, they swapped out with Gammagrade. Some people say their pilot needed a break, but other people say¡­ you know.¡±


    Bob¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Sabotage.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. There it was, the outspoken skeptic that Caroline had proclaimed. Now it was just a matter of finding out if that skepticism was genuine or a coverup.


    ¡°No one says it was sabotage,¡± Bob said. ¡°At least not in public. Where did you hear this?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I know someone on Team Saberstar.¡±


    ¡°Ben!¡± Marvin warned.


    ¡°Who?¡± Bob asked.


    Oh great. They had gone too far to back out now; they could only hope that Bob was trustworthy.


    ¡°Say Theo,¡± Marvin ordered.


    ¡°Theo,¡± Ben said.


    Bob nodded slowly.  ¡°Do you believe it was sabotage?¡±


    Marvin heard Ben swallow. Bob must have seen his hesitation, as he continued, ¡°This isn¡¯t a trick, I¡¯ve had this theory for months now. Now, of course, I¡¯m trusting you not to be the saboteur.¡± He smiled nervously. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t kill me in this holy sanctum, would you?¡±


    Is he telling the truth? This could all be an elaborate trap to see who suspects them.


    But would Team Rustica risk assassinating a boy who¡¯d merely brought up sabotage? That amount of paranoia would accumulate a lot of bodies, and, being a private team, they probably weren¡¯t too good at hiding those.


    ¡°Well, I dunno if I¡¯m just delusional, but I¡¯ve been really concerned lately,¡± Ben replied. ¡°Something isn¡¯t adding up. I think evidence of sabotage would bring some solace.¡±


    That was smooth, Marvin thought.


    Bob gave him a sympathetic look. ¡°It¡¯s not concrete evidence, but I¡¯ll tell you what I know. Are you free next Monday evening?¡±


    That was six days from now, the day after Mecha Realm¡¯s ending ceremony.


    ¡°Why not now?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little taboo to talk about corruption during Mecha Realm.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ben said. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Bob held out his tablet. ¡°I¡¯ll message you later.¡±


    Ben tapped his own tablet against Bob¡¯s, and their contacts were exchanged.


    ¡°I really appreciate it,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Bob said. With that, he walked away.


    Marvin wondered what had happened to Theo that would warrant this pilot¡¯s pity. Team Saberstar¡¯s programmer wasn¡¯t dead, was he? No, if he had died, Bob would have offered his condolences.


    Man, it¡¯d be so much easier if we could contact my old teammates.


    But Marvin could not risk endangering them.


    ¡°Ben, can you not bring up my team next time?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Why? Did you not see how good that was?¡±


    ¡°We got lucky.¡±


    ¡°It was all part of my plan,¡± Ben declared. ¡°Six days, Marvin. We¡¯ll have solved your murder in six days. That¡¯s gotta be a record.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have a better lead,¡± Marvin argued.


    ¡°Fine, a strong lead in six days. That¡¯s hella good, too.¡±


    Marvin had to admit that he wouldn¡¯t have thought of half the things Ben had said. That kind of social adeptness was quite enviable.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Marvin conceded. ¡°But don¡¯t bring up my team again.¡±


    ¡°Is it that big of a deal?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Ben sighed. ¡°Alright.¡±


    -----


    For the next five days, Marvin, Ben, and Caroline watched Mecha Realm and reevaluated their strategy. They put Legionnaire on the back burner and resolved to only pursue Ishaan if he was easily accessible. Bob was by far their best lead.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we go to the police again?¡± Ben asked one night at dinner.


    ¡°The Manhunters control like half of the police,¡± Caroline explained.


    ¡°Why not go to another Sector then?¡± Ben asked. ¡°Hell, why not just tell the Hosaka Roundtable?¡±


    Caroline chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t tell the government about a murder.¡±


    ¡°You said you told the police before you woke me up,¡± Marvin said. ¡°A guy named Amir, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, he was the chief,¡± Caroline said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t having any of it, though.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he was a Manhunter?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Caroline shrugged as she finished her pasta. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter; he already hates me. Let¡¯s try not to run into him.¡±


    The week passed smoothly, with no encounters with Bob, Ishaan, Legionnaire, or the Manhunters. That allowed them to enjoy Mecha Realm to the fullest.


    This year, the battleground was an Old North valley and its surrounding mountains. Some people were disappointed that there was no zero-gravity area, but all the verticality was still there. Some of the best mech-fights started at the peak of a mountain and ended with a beatdown in the river. One particular four-way squad battle even leveled the top half of a mountain, resulting in the hilarious deaths of two mechs who were hiding in caverns.


    In the end, Ninth Gen won. Sparrow got second, and Oliveeater got third. In fourth, just shy of the podium, was Immortal Ignition. It was a fun bit of karma, but getting fourth place as a rookie was still incredibly impressive. Fifth place went to a relatively unknown mech called Nightrider. It looked very edgy.


    The last hours of the tournament were dedicated to interviewing Grayson Wright, Sienna Lee, and Oliveeater¡¯s pilot, Harry Hazar. Grayson thanked his family and team and went on a wholesome monologue about how fulfilling his piloting career had been. Sienna seemed quite happy with second place, and was grinning sheepishly when she said she needed to work harder. Harry Hazar recited a lasagna recipe and didn¡¯t talk at all about the tournament.


    Eleanor Hall, Immortal Ignition¡¯s pilot, also got a few minutes of screen time, where she complained about ¡°stupid weather systems¡± and insisted she would win next year.

 Chapter 8: The End of the Beginning

    When Marvin wasn¡¯t watching the tournament or talking to Caroline and Ben, he was thinking about Caroline¡¯s request.


    To be their pilot.


    When he debated it with himself, his skeptical half always won out. There was no point in risking his life for these people he had just met. There had to be some other form of repayment.


    However, when he was sitting with Caroline and Ben at the dinner table, listening to them bicker about the most inconsequential things, hearing how dedicated they were to solving his murder, he often thought, Maybe piloting won¡¯t be so bad.


    The day after Mecha Realm ended, Ben and Bob exchanged a few messages and decided on a time and place to meet: 7PM tomorrow, Sibao Pot, table 4E.


    Sibao Pot was a hotpot restaurant in Nagatown. It was usually jam packed and crazy loud, making it a good meeting spot.


    Naturally, Marvin, Caroline, and Ben took precautions. During Mecha Realm, Caroline had acquired a robot body for Marvin and had fixed it up as best she could. It was a simple factory bot: blocky limbs, slow responsiveness, and next to no flexibility. But when Marvin took his first step in that thing, he felt like he was flying.


    Marvin would wear a cloak and hood and pretend to be Ben¡¯s cyborg friend at the meeting. If Bob said or did anything suspicious, Marvin would fire a smoke grenade hidden in his arm. A little extreme and illegal, but ¡°100% necessary,¡± according to Caroline.


    The three of them took the shuttle into Nagatown, then Ben and Marvin headed to Sibao Pot on foot while Caroline waited at the parking garage.


    Even though his steps came one second later than he expected them to, walking through the streets of Nagatown was pure bliss for Marvin. Being able to rotate his head and see layers of society above him, to move his arms and brush the holoads in front of stores, to watch his feet cover patches of luminescent water at a time¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered,¡± Ben began as they made their way down Gina Street. ¡°Why is the water glowing? Is it polluted?¡±


    ¡°My uncle said it¡¯s because they put rocks in the aqueduct,¡± Marvin replied.


    ¡°Rocks don¡¯t glow.¡±


    ¡°These are special rocks.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, special rocks,¡± Ben said, waving his arms around.


    They stopped at an intersection as a stream of hoverbikes passed. No one drove cars in Megacity 14; all transportation was done on bikes, subways, and monorails. Some people also rollerbladed but they were seen as a nuisance.


    Across the block, the neon sign of Sibao Pot poked out from the cluttered row of shops. When Marvin and Ben walked inside, it was as if they had put on a pair of tinted glasses. Everything was a shade of red, and the air was cloudy with steam. Compartments in the ceiling opened up and robot arms delivered trays of raw food and sauces to dozens of tables. The opposite wall was made of glass, giving way to a mini aquarium. An avalanche of noise crashed into Marvin¡¯s robotic ears.


    There was only one open table, marked with a hologram that displayed two large symbols: 4E.


    ¡°You been here before?¡± Ben asked.


    Marvin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not from this area. Have you?¡±


    ¡°Once. Didn¡¯t eat anything, though.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like hotpot.¡±


    ¡°So you just watched everyone else eat?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Marvin and Ben took their seats at one booth of table 4E. The opposite booth was vacant; they had arrived five minutes early. The table was made of sleek black marble, and in its center sat a fat pot of boiling water.


    The holographic 4E shrunk to Marvin¡¯s eye level and split into four menus, two for each side of the table. Ben immediately began tapping on random items.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marvin asked in alarm.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, man,¡± Ben replied.


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like hotpot, like, two seconds ago,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Did I now?¡± Ben kept ordering food.


    ¡°Are we gonna pay for this?¡±


    ¡°Nah, Bob invited us.¡±


    ¡°Not to dinner!¡±


    At that moment, a pair of shadows crossed over them. Marvin looked up to see Bob and Sienna Lee standing there.


    Ben¡¯s finger hovered above the menu, frozen in shock. Marvin nearly fired the smoke grenade in his right arm. Why was Sparrow¡¯s pilot here?


    Just act cool, he told himself. We¡¯re not here to talk to famous pilots.


    Bob and Sienna slid into their seats and Sienna gave a small wave to Ben and Marvin. Bob smiled, evidently seeing their reactions.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need to introduce my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ben said.


    For a second, Marvin felt his respect for Bob dip. Had the man brought Sienna along just to show off?


    No, Marvin realized. She was probably here for the same reason as him: protection. All good mech pilots were well versed in martial arts.


    Bob gestured to Sienna and explained, ¡°She was the first person I told my theory to. She is a firm denier, however.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here then?¡± Ben asked her.


    ¡°I like hotpot. And I wanted to see if you guys were real,¡± Sienna responded. ¡°And you know, if there was sabotage¡­ which I don¡¯t think there was¡­ I¡¯ve gotta watch out for my team, too.¡±


    Marvin wondered how many other teams Bob had told his theory to, and whether spreading the word was a good thing. Bob obviously knew the risks¡ªYou wouldn¡¯t kill me in this holy sanctum, would you?


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought a friend, too,¡± Bob told Ben.


    ¡°Oh yeah, this is Steve,¡± Ben said. ¡°He¡¯s a cyborg and his voice box is a little broken right now.¡±


    Marvin nodded and clumsily waved hello with the arm that didn¡¯t contain the smoke grenade.


    Bob frowned. ¡°I swear you were talking when we got here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you got me,¡± Ben said. ¡°He¡¯s just really shy in front of strangers. Especially celebrities.¡±


    Marvin glared at him. I know that, Ben. You don¡¯t have to say it out loud.


    Bob chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Steve, Sienna got all her serial killer tendencies out during Mecha Realm.¡±


    Marvin glared at Ben again. Why the hell did you name me Steve?


    ¡°I do not have tendencies,¡± Sienna muttered, one hand drumming the table and the other scrolling through the holographic menu.


    ¡°Why do you kill so many mechs?¡± Ben asked. This year, she had gotten 42 kills, twice as many as Ninth Gen and ten more than The Everlancer.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun!¡± Sienna replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why everyone mech-fights?¡±


    ¡°Serial killer,¡± Bob said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear it from you, Robert.¡±


    Just then, a robot arm descended from the ceiling and dumped some red powder into the pot. Not even a second later, it placed a silver tray of raw meat at the edge of the table.


    Sienna and Ben lunged for the tray, stopped halfway, then awkwardly tried to let the other take it.


    ¡°Guys, wait for the soup base to dissolve,¡± Bob said. He pressed his fingers together. ¡°Anyways, Ben, Steve, I¡¯ve delayed long enough. You want to know what happened to Saberstar.¡±


    Ben pursed his lips and nodded. Marvin subtly craned his neck forward.


    ¡°You guys obviously know Marvin Yao. He¡¯s the youngest person ever to qualify for Mecha Realm, so of course, putting an eighteen-year-old¡¯s brain through that much stress usually doesn¡¯t turn out well. But Team Saberstar never made any statements about Marvin¡¯s health before the Gammagrade fight. I know Marvin is a bit reclusive, but he did an interview a week before Gammagrade and he seemed fine. There¡¯s no evidence that he shorted his brain.¡± Bob leaned in and lowered his voice. ¡°I think the Manhunters bribed them.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t had any success with their mech, and it looks like they¡¯re in financial trouble with all the police they¡¯ve bought. Two weeks before Gammagrade, there were rumors that they were encroaching on Sawblade territory. Look at them now¡ªsome people are even saying they¡¯ve annexed the Sawblades. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a stretch to say they wanted to use Gammagrade to make it far in Mecha Realm and win some big money.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just use Saberstar or the other two mechs that qualified?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Saberstar and Cinderbot are independent, and Legionnaire is owned by Ainsel AI,¡± Bob replied. ¡°Taking over any of them would be illegal, but the Hosaka Roundtable has no jurisdiction over affairs between gangs. Gammagrade was the safest investment.


    ¡°And one final piece of evidence: last week-¡±


    There was a loud splash as Sienna dumped the tray of meat into the pot.


    Bob stared at her for a second before continuing, ¡°Last week, during Mecha Realm, my engineer said he heard the Manhunters talking about Saberstar. Something about paying their dues. I assume they were talking about the bribes they paid Marvin and his team.¡±


    Bribes. If only it were that simple.


    Marvin felt good, though. Based on all that, there was a very high chance the Manhunters were the culprits; they had just taken more drastic measures than Bob thought.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, the Manhunters are evil,¡± Sienna said. She turned to Ben and Marvin. ¡°Has Theo said anything that¡­ you know, proves any of this?¡±


    Marvin¡¯s mechanical joints tensed up. According to Caroline, the last thing Theo and the team had said had confirmed the contrary.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked to him since he made that statement,¡± Ben said. ¡°Something seemed off, though.¡±


    ¡°And you guys have no way of contacting him?¡± Sienna asked, narrowing her eyes skeptically.


    ¡°Sisi, he never said they were best friends,¡± Bob said. He turned to the others. ¡°How well do you know Theo? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°He mentored us at a programming camp,¡± Ben replied. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Did he leave an email or anything?¡±


    Ben shook his head.


    For Marvin, that could not be farther from the truth. He could give Bob Theo¡¯s Network ID right now. It was far safer than visiting Theo himself, and, with Bob being the middleman, it could result in all the evidence needed to convict the Manhunters.


    But if the Manhunters were watching Theo, he and Bob would both be in danger. If Marvin was responsible for their deaths¡­ he didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    Funnily enough, a week ago he would¡¯ve shared Theo¡¯s NID without a second thought. Perhaps Caroline was rubbing off on him.


    ¡°So, Robert,¡± Sienna said. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is, you dragged me here just so we could have hotpot with your new friends.¡± She maintained her stern look for a moment, then broke into a grin. ¡°This is great!¡±


    Bob sighed and rubbed his forehead.


    For some reason, it had not occurred to Marvin that they would actually be eating dinner. He suddenly began to panic. This was going to be incredibly awkward; he had no idea what to say to these strangers, especially the one who held the Mecha Realm kill record, and he could not pretend like he was preoccupied by eating.


    A table diagonal to theirs cleared out and its holoplayer burst to life, displaying 5D. Marvin took this chance to ask, ¡°Can I get some fresh air?¡±


    ¡°Steve!¡± Ben hissed.


    Oh right, I have the smoke grenade. As if these guys are gonna try to kill us.


    But Marvin remained in his seat, for Ben¡¯s sake.


    In time, four bowls of sauce and many more trays of food descended onto the table. Marvin watched as the others savored slices of pork belly and rice cakes and other delectable treats that he remembered the taste of all too well. He felt a grumble in his phantom stomach.


    Fortunately, the conversation was quite nice. They talked about mechs and vacation spots in Megacity 14 and shared a few life stories. With Ben at the helm, Marvin never had to talk more than he was comfortable with, but the others also involved him just enough to where he didn¡¯t feel left out. Bob and Sienna were extremely friendly, but sometimes they would just look at each other for no reason as if sharing a telepathic joke. That gave Marvin a bit of an existential crisis.


    If I¡¯m a robot forever, I¡¯ll never have anything close to a girlfriend.


    But that was just a passing thought. The real crisis presented itself when a new group of people came to sit at table 5D.


    Marvin recognized all five of them straight away: Max, Charlie, Tasien, Grover, and Peter. They were his best friends in high school; Peter went to college nearby, so it made sense that he would invite the gang to this place.


    He would¡¯ve invited me, too. Marvin tried to hear what they were saying, but the table was too far away. Did they miss him? Or were they angry that he¡¯d seemingly abandoned them for his mech team?


    Marvin gradually drifted away from Ben, Bob, and Sienna and began observing his friends in the corner of his periphery. That was the convenient thing about his cameras¡ªhis entire field of view was crystal clear.


    The world seemed to slow a bit. Every laugh, every turn of a head, every scoff, every playful shove¡­ Marvin saw it all, then he saw it again. Something so familiar yet unreachable.


    Marvin knew it was bound to happen at some point, but seeing this fragment of his past was a gut punch all the same. Here he was, sitting mere feet away, completely unrecognizable. Disregarding how unsafe it was, would they even believe him if he told them who he was? Of course he could say something only Marvin would know, but¡­


    Am I even Marvin anymore? Maybe I¡¯m just a clone of his consciousness.


    After a bit, his friends began looking in his direction, but not at him. What did he expect when he was sitting with Sparrow¡¯s pilot?


    The five of them began whispering excitedly. Eventually, Max and Charlie got up and shuffled over to Marvin¡¯s table.


    Marvin instinctively lowered his gaze. It would be so easy to say something, just a quick, ¡°Hi Charlie, hi Max,¡± to catch them off guard. Then he could explain who he was and make up some lie about why he was a cyborg.


    Max and Charlie stopped a few feet away from the table. They gave Marvin an inquisitive glance, but quickly turned their attention to Sienna.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Max said. ¡°Are you Sienna Lee?¡±


    Of course she is.


    ¡°Of course she is, you idiot,¡± Charlie said.


    Shut up, Charlie.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Max hissed.


    Sienna looked up, her cheeks swollen with food, and nodded once.


    Say something! Marvin¡¯s head shouted. They¡¯re right there!


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    Max cleared his throat. ¡°We were, uh, wondering if we could get a picture with you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Sienna said with a smile. She stuffed two more rice cakes in her mouth, then slid out of the booth. Max and Charlie led her to their table.


    ¡°Marvin, you okay?¡± Ben asked.


    Marvin turned to him. ¡°Yeah, why?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, just checking.¡±


    That was a strangely gratifying answer.


    Nothing else about the past few minutes had been gratifying, though. Marvin had all but made his decision to be anonymous. The line between his old and new life had been drawn.


    Millions of thoughts swirled in his Core, but one eclipsed all the others: I need to get out of this robot.


    He considered how far he had come already with the help of Ben and Caroline. Caroline in particular¡ªshe had done all the planning and had taken so many precautions. But despite all that, Marvin still hadn¡¯t figured her out. What exactly made her care so much?


    He decided that he would confront her tonight.


    When dinner was finished and Marvin, Ben, Bob, and Sienna got up to leave, Marvin approached Bob.


    ¡°I actually know Theo¡¯s NID.¡±


    Ben gave him a shocked look but said nothing.


    Bob blinked. ¡°You¡¯re not joking?¡±


    Marvin recited the sequence of numbers and letters. Bob hastily took out his tablet and jotted them down.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him about us,¡± Marvin said.


    Bob nodded and offered him and Ben a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good that you guys are being careful. But I hope Sienna and I have proven ourselves trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°One hundred-percent,¡± Ben said. ¡°By the way, who¡¯s paying for this?¡± He gestured to the table.


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± Bob said. He jabbed his thumb at Sienna. ¡°She won ten million dollars last week.¡±


    Sienna¡¯s face went red. ¡°It was only two million! Our team split it!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, only two million,¡± Bob said.


    Ben laughed. ¡°I appreciate it, Ms. Lee. If Theo says anything, let us know.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Bob said.


    With that, the two duos parted ways.


    -----


    That night, Ben took the shuttle and left to sleep at his friend Renee¡¯s apartment. He¡¯d stay there for a week, then he would bring her over. Renee was their programmer, and she had been with her family the past week watching Mecha Realm.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you and Ben stay with her last week?¡± Marvin asked Caroline. He was leaning against a nearby worktable as Caroline assembled a mech chassis.


    ¡°Not enough rooms,¡± Caroline replied. ¡°And someone needs to make sure this workshop doesn¡¯t get robbed.¡±


    Marvin watched as Caroline screwed part of a shoulder bone onto the mech¡¯s upper-body. The metal parts fit together perfectly. Engineers usually bought pre-built chassis, but Caroline seemed to know what she was doing. She had explained that she was trying to replicate Saberstar¡¯s nimble frame, which allowed for maximum maneuverability and responsiveness. However, she added a few bits of plating here and there to make it more durable; after all, Marvin¡¯s life was now on the line.


    After attaching the other shoulder bone, Caroline removed her face shield and turned to Marvin.


    ¡°You know you can shut yourself off now, right?¡± she said with a smile.


    Marvin knew. In fact, having a designated sleep button was one of the only benefits about being a robot.


    ¡°I just¡­ want to talk about something,¡± he replied. ¡°I can wait till you¡¯re done.¡±


    Caroline put her face shield on the table. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we can talk now.¡±


    Marvin nodded and took a deep, imaginary breath. This didn¡¯t catch him off guard, as he¡¯d been planning the conversation for hours. The words were ridiculously scripted, but they were firmer than anything Marvin had ever said.


    ¡°I really appreciate everything you¡¯ve done. But what exactly do you want?¡±


    Caroline sighed as if she had been expecting this question. ¡°I want you to pilot for us. Even if we get your body back and find your old teammates, I want you to pilot for us this year and take us to Mecha Realm. Just this one year. We¡¯ll do everything possible to protect you when you¡¯re fighting.¡± Caroline gave a thin smile. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been blatantly guilt-tripping you, so you have no obligation to say yes.¡±


    ¡°What do you want at Mecha Realm?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Ben and Renee need money,¡± Caroline explained. ¡°They came from a pretty rough place, and they¡¯re in a lot of debt.¡±


    Marvin wondered what that could entail, but he¡¯d have time to ask Ben later. At the moment, he wanted to know about Caroline.


    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked.


    Caroline seemed to shrink away, as if she were ashamed of her answer. Her eyes flickered down and she began tapping her index finger and thumb together.


    Then she stopped and steadied her hands.


    ¡°I want to win,¡± she said. ¡°I want the world to see us on that podium.¡±


    Such a simple motivation, and yet Caroline said it with so much conviction that Marvin almost believed it.


    ¡°Are you still gonna help me if I say no?¡± Marvin asked.


    Caroline pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think so. You¡¯ve become our friend.¡±


    I think so. That was how Marvin knew she was telling the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said.

 Chapter 9: Inspector Kobayashi

    ¡°A lot of people ask me what Inspectors actually do,¡± James Kobayashi said as he paced about the room. ¡°Other than stand around and tell people places are off limits.¡±


    It was a small room, only twenty square feet, brightly lit with reflective walls. It was occupied by James, another man, the Bessmer chair that man was sitting in, and a holoplayer.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll tell you now, I only pilot Draconis for Mecha Realm,¡± James continued. He stopped in front of the man shackled to the Bessmer chair.


    Darren Kane. The leader of Centium, one of the most powerful gangs in Megacity 14. He bore an expression of pure hatred.


    ¡°What do you think it is that I do?¡± James asked him.


    ¡°Nothing. You¡¯re a leech,¡± Darren snarled. ¡°You never had to work a single day in your life.¡±


    ¡°Is that what this looks like?¡± James said. ¡°Me leeching off my father¡¯s money as usual?¡±


    ¡°You know what I had to do to get to where I am?¡±


    James gestured to the metal bracelets that bound Darren to the chair. ¡°I have a hunch.¡±


    Darren clenched his fists. ¡°Enough of this farce. My boys will have your head.¡±


    ¡°No they won¡¯t,¡± James said. He took out his tablet and tapped a few controls. The lights that ran along the sides of the Bessmer chair changed from blue to red.


    A look of confusion briefly replaced the disdain on Darren¡¯s face. James forced himself not to smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend like I unjustly imprisoned you,¡± he said. ¡°We both know what you did.¡±


    Darren narrowed his eyes. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re sitting in?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question,¡± Darren demanded, punctuating every word.


    ¡°Of course you do. You have a mech team.¡± James let the edges of his mouth tilt ever so slightly. ¡°But a lot of people don¡¯t realize that Bessmer chairs do more than sync with robots. It¡¯s an interface for the brain. For pilots, it simply pairs with the neurons that correlate to whatever sensors are on their mech. If some masochistic pilot installed a touch sensor¡­ well, it could pair to that, too.¡±


    Darren¡¯s eyebrow twitched. There it was, the slightest bit of concern. If all went well, James wouldn¡¯t have to inflict an ounce of pain before the gang leader began to sing.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Darren asked.


    ¡°The weapons. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°What weapons?¡±


    James craned his head forward. ¡°The ones you stole from us.¡±


    ¡°You really think we, of all the gangs in this city, would need weapons?¡± Darren scoffed. ¡°Figures when you¡¯re holed up in a mansion your entire life.¡±


    James didn¡¯t understand why Darren was still being so imperious, but at least it made things more interesting. He wondered if he should forgo the buildup and tell him outright. An experiment of sorts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who stole your weapons and I don¡¯t care,¡± Darren said. ¡°Now get me out of here.¡±


    Yes, I¡¯ll tell him.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± James said, showing Darren his tablet. ¡°When I press this button, that chair will trick your brain into thinking you are burning alive. You¡¯ll feel your skin peel off, your tears dry inside your eyes. And the worst part is, it¡¯ll last as long as I let it.¡± James grinned. ¡°But not a single hair on your body will be harmed.¡±


    Darren¡¯s mouth fell open as he struggled for words. His eyes widened in fear, then contracted with skepticism.


    ¡°You really expect me to believe that?¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    James¡¯ grin widened. ¡°Want to see for yourself?¡±


    Darren tensed up. ¡°I don¡¯t have your goddamn weapons.¡±


    Truth be told, James didn¡¯t care if Centium had committed the theft. He didn¡¯t care if Darren knew who did. But he would gain one useful piece of information before leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you five seconds,¡± James said.


    ¡°This is pointless. You¡¯d be torturing an innocent man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call you innocent.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything-¡±


    James tapped his tablet. Darren looked down at the chair¡¯s armrests.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal your weapons!¡± he insisted, gritting his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know who did!¡±


    James remained silent and counted to ten in his head. Darren¡¯s breaths grew heavier, and his expression slowly slipped from determination to desperation.


    Finally, James said, ¡°You must know something. It could be anything. A name that was whispered, a location mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your sense of urgency?¡± James chided. ¡°You feel it getting warmer, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Darren¡¯s mouth was beginning to quiver, and he seemed to be doing everything in his power not to nod his head.


    ¡°Do you enjoy pain? Did you secretly want this to happen?¡±


    ¡°No-¡±


    ¡°Then tell me something useful! Do it for your own sanity.¡±


    Darren¡¯s hands were trembling now, threatening to go rabid. ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Know. Anything.¡±


    James sighed and waved his tablet in the gang leader¡¯s face. ¡°I can wait all day.¡±


    Ironically enough, that was when the holoplayer behind him beeped.


    James scowled at the device, refusing to halt the Bessmer chair¡¯s simulation. Who was calling him at this hour?


    He redirected his eyes on Darren, watching the slightest specks of hope float into the man¡¯s eyes. Hope that the call was important. Hope that the holoplayer would save him. But hope would not give James any answers.


    Unfortunately, it beeped again and a message popped up: This is urgent. Mecha Realm is compromised.


    James frowned and pressed pause on his tablet. Compromised could mean a great many things, but none of them were matters to be taken lightly.


    ¡°One second,¡± James told the holoplayer. He turned back to Darren, who was panting in relief.


    ¡°You have a son? A protege?¡± James asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s next in line in Centium hierarchy?¡±


    Darren frowned. ¡°My sister, Diana.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good. She¡¯ll do well.¡±


    Before Darren could piece it together, James adjusted a setting on the Bessmer chair, eliminating the resistance inside the piloting helmet. It instantly shorted Darren¡¯s brain and killed him. Yes, James could¡¯ve kept torturing him after the call, maybe gotten out a name or two, but he simply didn¡¯t want to hear the man breathing in the background.


    James received the call from the holoplayer, and a projection of Inspector Chideya flickered to life.


    ¡°Apologies if I interrupted something,¡± the inspector said. ¡°There¡¯s been word of foul play by the Manhunters.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about that,¡± James pointed out. ¡°It was gang business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the Sawblades,¡± Chideya said. ¡°Word¡¯s going around that they sabotaged Saberstar. Convinced them not to compete in Mecha Realm.¡±


    Saberstar¡­ ¡°Which one¡¯s that again?¡±


    ¡°Marvin Yao¡¯s the pilot. Kit mentioned him when he was interviewing Immortal Ignition.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± James remembered how much Eleanor Hall disliked that comparison. ¡°And he was threatened by the Manhunters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what some have said,¡± Chideya said.


    That was certainly not good. If other gangs began to use similar tactics, the mech-fighting scene would dissolve into chaos. Corruption could not exist in the slightest; the Hosaka Roundtable had made sure of that for the last fifty years. Even if the rumors about the Manhunters were mere rumors, the gang needed to be made an example of.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for now,¡± James told Chideya. ¡°I¡¯ll give them a push or two, and hopefully they¡¯ll implode on their own.¡±


    Chideya tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s awfully non-confrontational for you.¡±


    James shrugged. ¡°The Manhunters are a bit more¡­ unpredictable than our friend.¡±


    Chideya peered over James¡¯ shoulder at the once venerated Darren Kane slumped in the Bessmer chair.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Centium?¡± the inspector asked.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± James replied. It didn¡¯t matter now; the situation at hand was far more important.


    Chideya frowned. ¡°You could¡¯ve just let him go.¡±


    James laughed. ¡°And make an enemy out of Centium? Mr. Kane was caught in the crossfire of an airway chase. The medvacs recovered his body and will deliver it to his family.¡±

 Chapter 10: Noodle Shop

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Caroline asked.


    Marvin swung his arm in a circle. Took two steps forward, then two steps back. Rotated the other arm. He inspected his hand¡ªwhich lacked fingers and was just a magnetic clamp¡ªgrabbed a screwdriver on the worktable, and practiced a few stabs and swipes. His limbs were armorless skeletons, but they felt far more visceral than the factory bot¡¯s.


    He had to admit, Caroline had done a superb job. It was like he was synced with Saberstar again.


    ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± Marvin replied.


    Caroline beamed. ¡°Is everything smooth? Any delays?¡±


    Marvin shook his head. The springs in his neck made the motion as smooth as a human¡¯s.


    ¡°Awesome!¡±


    They decided to celebrate this milestone by cleaning up the worktables. Marvin offered to do most of the work as he couldn¡¯t get tired, but Caroline insisted that they would each take care of two tables.


    Cleaning was a tedious task. All the scattered parts and equipment needed to be put in their respective shelves and drawers, and while those shelves were labeled, Marvin didn¡¯t know half the terms. There were also pieces that had been bent or laser-cut beyond recognition. Then the tables needed to be disinfected, wiped down, polished, and covered with a cloth for a few hours. Because she¡¯d done this countless times before, Caroline ended up finishing earlier than Marvin.


    Afterwards, Marvin switched his head onto the factory bot, donned his cloak that made him look like the grim reaper, and the two of them made their daily five-hour pit stop at Jori¡¯s Noodle Shop. Jori¡¯s was good for two reasons: it had an antique, homey vibe, and it provided a prime view of the Sawblades¡¯ garage. Not directly across the street, but angled just enough so that the entire building was visible from the window-side tables.


    Caroline and Marvin had been coming here for the last few days. They stayed from 10 AM to 3 PM, which they figured were the hours Ishaan was most likely to leave. Obviously they couldn¡¯t spend the whole day here, as people would get suspicious. Their main lead was still Bob, who had not messaged them about Theo yet.


    Marvin and Caroline sat in the corner. The tables and chairs were made of wood and there was a central station where a chef cooked the noodles and handed them to robot waiters. Artificial paper lanterns hung from the ceiling. Behind Marvin, a TV played the news.


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll give us a discount soon,¡± Caroline said, staring at the steam wisping from her bowl. ¡°We¡¯re gonna go broke if we keep coming here.¡±


    ¡°You could bring food from home,¡± Marvin suggested.


    ¡°That feels illegal,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Speaking of money, Ben and Renee are coming back today. We should eat out somewhere.¡±


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    The ever elusive Renee. With how much Caroline talked about her, Marvin felt like he¡¯d already met her.


    ¡°Does she know about me?¡± Marvin asked.


    Caroline shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her at the door. I think it¡¯ll be fine; she¡¯s really good at keeping a secret, and we¡¯ve got Bob doing most of our work for us.¡±


    Indeed they did. That might have been the luckiest encounter of their lives.


    Caroline picked up a noodle with her chopsticks and inspected it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s dating Sienna Lee. How¡¯d they even meet?¡±


    Marvin shrugged.


    ¡°Well, Sienna¡¯s a good connection to have. We might be able to alliance with her for Mecha Realm.¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t comprehend how she was already thinking of that when the season hadn¡¯t even started. Even the preseason¡ªthe scrimmage month¡ªwas still two weeks away.


    ¡°Maybe we should focus on the street fights,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°And pay Sienna to lose and get half her points,¡± Caroline said with a grin. She was about to keep going, but suddenly frowned. ¡°Sorry. That was not appropriate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Marvin said. It wasn¡¯t like Caroline had suggested to assassinate Sienna.


    They were quiet for a while as Caroline ate and Marvin watched the Sawblades¡¯ garage. Sometimes Marvin wondered if he should talk more with Caroline considering they were going to be living with each other for the whole year, but their relationship seemed more transactional than anything. They were here because they had made a deal. A deal to share their kindness, perhaps, but a deal nonetheless.


    The next few hours were quite boring. Marvin and Caroline took turns watching the garage. When Marvin was off duty, he observed the regulars of the restaurant, the people who usually stayed for longer than a meal. There was an old man with his dog who talked with the chef, a lady with prosthetic legs who sat by a row of potted plants, two college students who came here to study, and a girl who occasionally helped the chef. She was probably his daughter.


    Marvin and Caroline did talk from time to time. They shared some stories about themselves, but nothing deep enough to get a good understanding of one another. Caroline had come from an average middle-class family, went to an average school, and got into one of the top colleges. Then, two weeks into college, she had dropped out.


    She didn¡¯t seem keen on explaining why.


    At length, 3 PM rolled around and Caroline and Marvin headed back to the workshop.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do 3 to 8 next week,¡± Caroline said.


    Their plan was to switch five-hour windows every week if they didn¡¯t see Ishaan.


    As they walked out the door, they passed by a boy wearing dirty goggles and a worn out jacket. Marvin¡¯s curiosity suddenly piqued, and he glanced behind him to observe the strange boy a little longer. The boy didn¡¯t notice as he put hand on the doorframe and took a few raspy breaths before walking in.


    ¡°Scavenger,¡± Caroline murmured.


    Marvin had heard of scavengers coming in from the badlands to sell their inventory, but they always went straight to the black markets or the trading ports, and they always traveled in groups. What was one doing in a noodle shop, all by himself?


    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Normally, no. But I don¡¯t know about this one.¡± Caroline squinted past the door, then sighed and turned around. ¡°It should be fine. It¡¯s not like we can report him to the police for existing.¡±


    And so they returned to the farm.

 Chapter 11: Renee

    Marvin liked sleeping. He liked how he could do it with a single tap, and he liked how he always woke up with the same energy level. Sure, it took a moment to get oriented, but he was never tired.


    This time, however, he woke to a jump scare: his right eye had a clear view of his left one being pulled out of its socket, wire trailing behind the spherical camera. A girl Marvin didn¡¯t recognize was committing the act.


    He didn¡¯t dare move as he asked, ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡±


    The girl separated the camera fully and stuck another wire into his empty eye socket. Marvin was still able to see as clear as before, but something felt incredibly uncanny.


    This must be Renee, he thought. The girl looked a year or two younger than him. She had dark hair, pale skin, and large, round eyes¡ªethnically ambiguous, like many of Megacity 14¡¯s residents¡ªand wore a brown scarf that covered her entire neck.


    ¡°Are you Renee?¡± Marvin asked, rather redundantly.


    Renee nodded but still didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Can I ask¡­ what are you doing?¡± Marvin repeated.


    No reply. Renee stepped aside and began typing on a laptop. Marvin wasn¡¯t muted, was he? He could hear his voice just fine, but maybe it was a figment of his imagination, like his phantom facial features.


    ¡°Has Caroline told you about me?¡± Marvin tried.


    Renee moved away from the laptop and began typing on her tablet.


    Marvin was starting to get a little annoyed. Did Renee have some sort of superiority complex? Was he just a test subject to her?


    Renee kept tapping away. Marvin slowly twisted his wrists and confirmed that he was attached to his mech body. However, from his low point of view, he figured he was sitting down. He wondered if he should call for Caroline or Ben.


    What if this isn¡¯t Renee? he thought. What if this girl invaded the workshop and killed Caroline and Ben?


    Just then, Renee held her tablet up to Marvin¡¯s functioning eye. She had written a few sentences.


    Hi Marvin! My name is Renee Hindaro. Sorry for the rude awakening¡ªyour Core has to be on for this. I¡¯m trying to give you a false NID so we can register you on the mech-fighting website. We¡¯re waiting for the program to upload, so you can ask me anything you want.


    Renee frowned, retracted the tablet, and typed an additional message.


    By the way, I forgot my voice box at home and home may or may not be forty minutes away. Sorry for the inconvenience.


    Marvin cringed with embarrassment. He had just gotten mad at a mute person for not talking. Well, now he could start a conversation and make up for it.


    ¡°Are Caroline and Ben here?¡± Marvin asked. He winced again. Now it sounded like he didn¡¯t want Renee¡¯s company.


    They¡¯re doing some outsourcing, Renee replied. We¡¯ll meet them at Sibao Pot at 8 for dinner.


    Marvin tensed up. Ben must have recommended it, having no idea how close it was to his high school friends.


    Whatever. He had to stay under the radar till they found his body. He suspected he only needed to wait another month or two, then he could hang out with his friends as much as he wanted.


    Renee wrote some more and showed the tablet to Marvin.


    Caroline told me about how you were killed. That¡¯s really messed up and I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you find your body. I also know you will be piloting for us, which is amazing! This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I was a big Saberstar fan. I was the one who told Caroline it was your NID in the implant, haha.


    ¡°You knew about me from the start?¡± Marvin asked.


    Caroline just asked me if I recognized the NID, Renee responded. She said she couldn¡¯t tell me anything else till I got back.


    Huh, my first stalker, Marvin thought. He¡¯d always known he had fans, but memorizing his NID? That was some dedication.


    Still, Renee was chill. She too was invested in solving Marvin¡¯s dilemma for her own gain, not that there was anything wrong with that. She, Ben and Caroline seemed like good people, making this the most-likely-best case scenario.


    Renee rolled back on her heels and ceased writing. Marvin realized she was waiting for him to say something.


    ¡°How long have you been programming?¡±


    He immediately realized his mistake. I didn¡¯t even acknowledge what she said before! That was the nail in the coffin to confirm he would die alone.


    Fortunately, Renee wrote a nice, long paragraph about how she was trained by a professional hacker and wrote her first mech program when she was eleven. From that point on, she discovered she had a talent for the stuff and worked as an apprentice for a mech team, where she met Ben. When her mentor passed away, the two of them inexplicably left and were taken in by Caroline.


    ¡°Which mech was it?¡± Marvin asked.


    Renee shook her head. You wouldn¡¯t know, she wrote. It¡¯s been retired.


    She then asked how long Marvin had been piloting, and he was more than happy to share that side of his life.


    Their talk turned out to be quite relaxing. It was more akin to texting, honestly, and Marvin was far better at that than face to face.


    However, the entire time, he couldn¡¯t shake the thought that one more person knew his identity. One more person that couldn¡¯t do much about it. He wondered if it would be wiser to tell Bob and Sienna, the people actively investigating his death right now.


    What if this is a hoax? Maybe it¡¯s not so dangerous and Caroline¡¯s just trying to delay this as much as possible.


    That theory didn¡¯t take root for long; the few encounters with the Manhunters had unnerved him enough, and he knew what even the smaller gangs were capable of.


    At the end of the hour, when Renee¡¯s program had finished uploading, she unplugged the wire and reattached Marvin¡¯s left eye. Marvin glanced at the holo clock in the middle of the room¡ªit was 6:15.


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    Maybe I¡¯ll just sleep for the next hour and a half, he thought. Talking to Renee was fine but he could only do it for so long.


    However, at that moment, Renee turned her tablet towards Marvin with a new message on it: Do you mind if we stop by my house to get my voice box? I can also go myself and come back to get you.


    Going with her meant sitting in the shuttle for forty minutes. Forty minutes of potentially conversing with her. However, piloting the shuttle would probably restrict the amount Renee wrote, and Marvin did love flying through the city. He figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go on a brief side quest.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. He stood up and suddenly grew to over twice Renee¡¯s height. Renee stared at him for a minute, then gestured to the factory bot¡¯s body that was leaning against the adjacent worktable.


    Marvin nodded.


    After transferring heads, the two of them boarded the shuttle and accelerated into the airways. Renee¡¯s apartment was in one of the richer neighborhoods of the megacity, where the skyscrapers almost grazed those of the flipside sector and holograms swam through the streets, casting colorful reflections on the glass walls.


    Marvin recalled Caroline saying Renee and Ben were in a tough situation and needed money. The context clues didn¡¯t exactly support that.


    ¡°How come you forgot your voice box?¡± Marvin asked as they soared through the sky.


    I always forget it, Renee replied. I¡¯m used to writing and even when I do use it I don¡¯t really talk normally. Unfortunately I can¡¯t eat and write at the same time.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be the only one anymore,¡± Marvin said, pointing to his own voice box.


    Renee wrote, No, it¡¯s not that¡ªI talk like how I write. It doesn¡¯t make for good conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Marvin said.


    It was a stupid, all-purpose response, but Renee laughed silently and offered him a look of gratitude.


    The horizon borders¡¯ light was fading. Soon, the megacity would be enveloped in cool neon colors against a starless night. Renee and Marvin parked in a garage and took a sky bridge to get to Renee¡¯s apartment room on the 86th floor.


    The hallways were a kind of luxury Marvin had only seen in movies. Everything was so crystalline and sterile that it appeared no human had passed through. Their footsteps twinkled on the glass floor and their reflections washed along the silky walls.


    Renee stopped in front of a door labeled 8606. She tapped her tablet against the keypad, then let a dim red light sweep over her face. Confirming her identity, the door slid open.


    The apartment was pristine, organized, spacious, but dark. The dying light on the horizon borders struggled to find its way through the closed shutters.


    Marvin regarded the empty chairs and sofas warily. Renee didn¡¯t seem bothered; her family must usually be out at this time.


    They walked past the living room, passing the light switch. Marvin was about to flick it on when Renee shook her head.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Marvin asked. Was she sensitive to light or something?


    Renee wrote, Trying to save electricity.


    Marvin frowned. If she was strapped for cash, why not just sell the apartment? Someone would pay a fortune to live here.


    He didn¡¯t say that, scared Renee would be offended.


    They walked by the kitchen¡ªa cozy divot in the left wall¡ªand reached the opposite side of the room where Renee¡¯s bedroom was. Renee went inside by herself, leaving Marvin to soak in the rest of the apartment.


    It was truly foreign to him. The most high-end place he¡¯d been was the Cassiopeian History Museum in Sector 14¡ªLindon had taken him when he was twelve, and they made a habit to return every year because of how much Marvin liked it. Although the museum was a lot grander, it was a space shared by hundreds of people. This apartment belonged to a single family. To a single person, sometimes.


    And yet, Renee was going to spend the next few months with him, Caroline, and Ben in the farm workshop. What made her want to abandon this place?


    A knock on the front door startled him out of his thoughts. One second later, Renee scurried out of her room, eyes wide with fear. She was carrying a thin, curved piece of metal.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Marvin began, but Renee held a finger to her lips.


    The knock came again. Marvin and Renee stood as still as statues, and it sounded like Renee was even holding her breath. She clearly knew who was beyond the door.


    By the third knock, which was louder than the previous two, Marvin began to feel unnerved. Renee had the opposite reaction¡ªshe grit her teeth and glared at the door as if willing whoever was outside to go away.


    No such luck. There came an ear-splitting screech as something began prying open the door.


    Marvin nearly yelped. Renee widened her eyes and dragged him into her room. She pressed her back against the wall on one side of the door, and Marvin did likewise on the other side. If he had a heart, it would¡¯ve been pounding out of his chest. A dark room, an unknown intruder¡­ this was too reminiscent of another time.


    You better tell me what the hell this is, Marvin thought, glancing at Renee. If we make it out.


    The screeching continued. Marvin wanted to cover his ears, but he knew that wouldn¡¯t help at all. At length, the noise stopped and there was a hiss as the door slid open.


    Footsteps. One¡­ no, two pairs. A click. A flashlight beam swept through the room. Jackets ruffled.


    Renee lowered her scarf and deftly slid her voice box ino her neck. She unwound a valve and pinched her nose, now breathing through the device.


    The footsteps grew closer. Another flashlight clicked on and briefly illuminated the bedroom before moving to a different section of the apartment.


    What if they come in? Marvin thought. Could I try to fight them? Mech-fighting required a lot of combat training in real life, but Marvin wasn¡¯t sure how well he could fight in this factory bot¡¯s body.


    Did Renee know these people would come? What if this was a trap and she was just pretending?


    The footsteps stopped. Marvin estimated that the intruders were by the kitchen, 15 feet away or so. He had a sudden itch to peek around the corner, to catch a glimpse of who these people were. He reminded himself that the apartment most definitely had security cameras.


    There was a clink as someone set something on the kitchen table.


    The footsteps resumed, but this time they were receding.


    Marvin stole another glance at Renee. She looked relieved, but mixed in that comfort was a strange sadness. As if she had expected or wished something else to happen.


    The door closed with a thud.


    All was quiet for three seconds. Then Renee closed the valve on her voice box and ran into the living room. Marvin started after her.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he demanded.


    Renee swiped whatever the intruders had placed on the table into her pocket and spun to face Marvin.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said. Her voice sounded more human than his own, but its intonation was slightly off.


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable sharing this part of my life. I¡¯m sorry you had to experience that, but I promise those people aren¡¯t dangerous. They do come by occasionally, but they don¡¯t disturb anything.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d we hide from them, then?¡±


    Renee¡¯s lips formed into a thin line. A few seconds passed, as if she was writing her words down before saying them. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to face them yet. I don¡¯t know what I will say.¡±


    ¡°Where do you know them from?¡± Marvin asked again. She could tell him that much, couldn¡¯t she?


    Renee took a few more seconds to think. She replied, ¡°They¡¯re friends of my old mech team.¡±


    Marvin creased his phantom brow. Maybe they were mad that she¡¯d left; some mech teams were very possessive. ¡°Do you have security cameras?¡±


    Renee nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s report them to the police.¡±


    ¡°No. They haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°They broke into your house!¡±


    ¡°They had no intention to harm either of us.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Marvin, you¡¯ll have to trust me,¡± Renee said. ¡°This doesn¡¯t affect you or the mech team at all. Caroline and Ben will tell you the same thing. Even if I told you everything, you would probably feel no different about any of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d feel less confused,¡± Marvin muttered. He looked down. ¡°I¡¯m part of your team, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    It was a stupid argument. He¡¯d known Caroline and Ben for two weeks, and had only met Renee today.


    ¡°Yes. I do owe you an explanation,¡± Renee said. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    Marvin knew that was the end. Even if he was socially adept enough to keep arguing, nothing would come of it.


    Things used to be so much simpler. Lindon, Theo, and Sina had their secrets, but they didn¡¯t have trespassers leaving things in their homes.


    Home. Man, I just wanna go home.


    But he was stuck with these people for the year. The best he could hope for was to resolve his death quickly and reconnect with his old team.

 Chapter 12: The Scavenger

    As Ben slurped his big bowl of noodles, Marvin thought of ways to phrase his question.


    What are the odds those people who broke into Renee¡¯s apartment will try to break into the workshop?


    No, too many words.


    What happens if people try to break into the workshop?


    Still too many.


    Will people try to break into the workshop?


    That was good. Marvin spoke the words to Ben.


    ¡°Will people try to break in?¡±


    Ben looked up and frowned. ¡°To this shop?¡±


    Marvin grimaced. ¡°The workshop. You know, the people who were at Renee¡¯s apartment.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Ben said, raising his bowl and taking a long sip, ¡°don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Marvin was getting quite sick of hearing that, but then again, Ben, Caroline, and Renee were probably sick of him asking. What kind of dark past did they have to keep so secret? Was he right in trusting them in the first place?


    Ben went back to eating and Marvin went back to watching the Sawblades¡¯ garage. Caroline was abroad, reaching out to mech teams to prepare for the season. Renee was at the workshop, working on her code to illegally register Marvin¡¯s mech.


    Marvin liked being at Jori¡¯s Noodle Shop with Ben more than Caroline. Even though they were in the same boat, Ben didn¡¯t seem to have any ulterior motives and was just along for the ride. Although he was also a lot more talkative than Caroline, he didn¡¯t seem to mind Marvin¡¯s lack of reaction, and Marvin never felt obligated to keep a conversation going.


    It was currently 5:30 PM. The TV at the chef¡¯s central counter was playing the news. The regulars¡ªthe new rotation that came in from 3 to 8¡ªwere minding business as usual, the scavenger among them.


    He had come in at 4 today. He¡¯d changed into a hoodie and pants, but still covered his face with a surgical mask and wore a wrap of cloth on his head. His hollow eyes sometimes seemed to be gazing into a different dimension, but more often than not, he was looking at Marvin and Ben.


    It was unnerving. The scavenger didn¡¯t eat or talk. He just sat in the opposite corner, eyes slowly sweeping across the room.


    Ben finished his noodles and checked his watch.


    ¡°I still have five minutes,¡± Marvin told him. He¡¯d gotten good at keeping track of time.


    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Ben said, and turned to the TV.


    Marvin decided to listen in as well. The news channel was talking about a serial killer at large in Sector 8, Nagatown¡¯s flipside Sector. Apparently the killer had claimed five victims so far and had staged all of them as suicides. The police were on the hunt and Ainsel AI had employed its most advanced AI to assist them.


    ¡°The Hosaka Roundtable has expressed concern over how much influence companies should have on the police force,¡± the reporter said. ¡°Ainsel AI¡¯s CEO, Saeyung Park, had this to say about the role of AI in law enforcement, and how her company aims to be as unbiased as possible.¡±


    A different voice began speaking. ¡°First of all, the police gets the final say whether or not to use our product-¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s her!¡± Ben exclaimed.


    Marvin spun around, startled. The woman on the TV, Saeyung Park, looked slightly familiar. Black hair and tinted glasses¡­ it was the same woman who¡¯d zipped up Ben¡¯s backpack in the Mecha Realm foyer. The potential¡ªand now confirmed¡ªLegionnaire connection.


    Ben was about to say something else, but he suddenly snapped his mouth shut and turned away. Marvin looked around, confused, and noticed that the scavenger was glaring at them. He shrunk back into his chair.


    ¡°We gotta do something about him,¡± Ben murmured.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°He¡¯s stalking us!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡±


    Ben sighed in exasperation, got up, and stalked to the chef¡¯s station. Marvin nearly stood up in alarm, but relaxed when Ben simply returned his bowl. He lingered at the counter for a moment, then returned.


    ¡°He says the scavenger is new as of two days ago,¡± Ben said. ¡°When you and Caroline saw him the first time.¡±


    Marvin tilted his head. This was obvious¡ªthe scavenger had been wearing his badlands gear that day.


    ¡°So?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird?¡± Ben whispered. ¡°He came in a week after we did, completely separated from his brood, no scrap to sell. And then every day, he comes in right after we do and sits there till we leave.¡±


    So he¡¯s watching us? Perhaps. But how would they confirm that?


    ¡°What if he¡¯s not a scavenger?¡± Ben said. ¡°What if the Manhunters sent him?¡±


    Marvin shivered. If that were true, then did the Manhunters know? Was he compromised?


    If they knew, why don¡¯t they just kill me?


    Maybe the ¡°scavenger¡± had recognized Caroline as they¡¯d passed one another and had been ordered to watch them at the noodle shop.


    Do they really suspect Caroline? She barely acted out of the norm.


    ¡°I got a plan,¡± Ben said. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re gonna see when our little buddy leaves the shop. We¡¯ll leave, then hide in an alley and watch the door.¡±


    Marvin gulped. ¡°What if he sees us?¡±


    Ben shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll just be careful. Far as I know, he¡¯s not trying to follow us home.¡±


    Marvin tapped his metal thumb and index finger together. There had to be a more subtle way.


    ¡°What if we went to the store next to us?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna get suspicious if he sees us in there,¡± Ben argued.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s a boba shop, isn¡¯t it?¡± Marvin said. ¡°We¡¯re just¡­ going to eat boba, and I can watch from my periphery.¡±


    Ben paused and tapped his chin. A smile spread across his face. ¡°You know what, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Marvin grinned. It was good to be useful for something other than fighting for once.


    ¡°But do you eat or drink boba?¡± Ben pondered. ¡°The age old question.¡±


    ¡°You eat it,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°What is boba?¡± Ben mused. ¡°Is it the drink or the round thingy? Oh, the age old question.¡±


    They debated this for a while until Marvin got tired and Ben started talking to himself. When he was done, he pulled out his laptop and pretended to work on a school project. People shuffled in, sitting at tables, laughing, chatting, but there were never too many to block the view of the scavenger.


    The horizon borders¡¯ light faded away, and neon blue and purple filled the restaurant. It was a nice vibe. For a while, Marvin could ignore the scavenger¡¯s uncanny presence. The people began to trickle out, and the aromas drifting out of the chef¡¯s station dampened.


    Soon, it was time to leave. No activity by the garage, as usual. After walking out the door, Marvin and Ben made two sharp lefts and entered the boba shop. A thick wall separated the stores, so it was unlikely the scavenger would have seen.


    The boba shop was one of those places that tried a little too hard to stand out. The interior was pink and white, the ordering kiosk was shaped like a mech, the chairs were strange, hovering semicircles, and firefly projections pranced through the air. The counter itself was built to resemble a giant sword.


    Lindon would have a field day with this place, Marvin thought. He imagined his uncle complaining about the lack of consistency and proposing a hundred ways he could¡¯ve designed it better.


    Marvin and Ben sat in two opposite hemisphere chairs, separated by a small round table. Marvin positioned himself so that the street and noodle shop were just barely in the corner of his periphery.


    A few people passed by on the sidewalk. The lantern above the noodle shop flickered. Two cyclists zoomed by.


    Then the door opened and the scavenger stepped out.


    Jeez, we just sat down, Marvin thought. Maybe this is just a coincidence?


    But the timing was too suspicious.


    The scavenger turned right, opposite from where Marvin and Ben usually went, and disappeared into the night.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Marvin told Ben.


    Ben widened his eyes. ¡°What was that? Thirty seconds?¡±


    ¡°About three minutes since we left,¡± Marvin said.


    Ben exhaled sharply. He twisted in his seat to observe the street, but the scavenger was out of sight. Ben narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do an experiment,¡± he said. ¡°Tomorrow we come at 10 and stay till 2. If the scavenger shows up, we¡¯ll know he¡¯s watching us.¡±


    Marvin nodded. ¡°What do we do if he is stalking us?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Ben admitted. ¡°We stop coming here, I guess.¡±


    Even though it was the safer option, Marvin¡¯s spirits sank a little. Going to the noodle shop every day for the past two weeks had made him quite invested.


    ¡°You know, Ishaan probably isn¡¯t even at the garage,¡± Ben said. ¡°The Manhunters might have him in their base.¡±


    ¡°They need his team and mech, though,¡± Marvin pointed out.


    ¡°They could¡¯ve captured them, too. Maybe the Manhunters outside the garage are a decoy.¡±


    Marvin pursed his lips. If that were the case, they had no hope of gaining another lead and had to rely on Bob.


    Sometimes, Marvin wondered if he should just tell the whole city that he was alive. Take a chance that people who wanted to help would reach him before those who wanted to harm him.


    But that uncertainty was the very thing that held him back.


    ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll see,¡± Ben continued. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    -----


    The next day, the scavenger didn¡¯t show up. Marvin and Ben purposely left at 2, an hour earlier than normal, so they would not encounter him.


    Back at the workshop, they discussed how to proceed, and eventually decided to go again at 10 AM tomorrow to confirm. They had dinner with Renee (Caroline was still traveling), and afterwards Marvin attached his head to the mech chassis. He brought a makeshift punching bag to the clearing by the shalewheat fields and ran a few exercises. Even though every one of his swings could¡¯ve tore the bag to shreds, he made a point to only graze it. It was imperative to practice restraint along with honing a mech¡¯s strength. Overextending after a miss could cost a fight.


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    Marvin¡¯s style was relatively standard, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about giving himself away in street fights. Even if he adopted the dual sabers, he wouldn¡¯t exactly stand out among the hundreds of mechs that used arm blades.


    The next morning, Ben woke Marvin at 9:45 and they headed to the noodle shop. They were alone with the regulars for the first two hours. Ben and Marvin took turns doing their ¡°school project¡± and watching the garage.


    Then, at 12, the door chime rang. The scavenger, wearing his usual mask and headdress, walked in. He sat at his usual table and directed two shadowy eyes towards Marvin and Ben.


    Ben cursed under his breath. Marvin felt his joints tighten.


    He came earlier when he saw we weren¡¯t there yesterday. He¡¯s not even being subtle at this point¡­ Maybe he¡¯s trying to send us a message.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Marvin whispered.


    Ben hunched over and cast a side-eye glare at the scavenger. ¡°We stay here till Mr. Nurse Practitioner leaves.¡±


    ¡°Nurse practitioner?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look like one?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you wanna call him, then? Sam?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ben shook his head in disappointment.


    The two of them remained at the shop on the grounds that they were simply too invested in their project. The hours passed slowly and the tension in the air seemed to grow. They were in a standoff with the scavenger, daring the other party to leave first.


    People began trickling in for dinner. When the restaurant reached its peak attendance, Marvin felt his discomfort turn to something worse, as if worms were crawling under his nonexistent skin.


    ¡°Maybe we should go to the boba shop,¡± Marvin suggested.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ben said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ we¡¯ve been here for so long. People probably think we¡¯re weird.¡±


    Ben scoffed. ¡°Are you seriously getting second hand embarrassment?¡±


    ¡°This is first hand embarrassment.¡± What scared Marvin even more was that they¡¯d have to wait till closing time. He¡¯d never gotten kicked out of a restaurant before, and he didn¡¯t want to ever experience that.


    Ben sighed. ¡°Same strategy then? Watch when he leaves?¡±


    Marvin nodded gratefully.


    The two of them rose from their seats and headed towards the exit. They passed by a table, temporarily obscuring them from the scavenger. When they emerged, Marvin could almost feel the strange man¡¯s cold gaze return.


    Three minutes.


    Marvin and Ben ducked into the boba shop, parting a swarm of holo-fireflies as they made their way to their spot. Marvin sat down and rested his chin on his fists, even though it provided no extra comfort. Ben hovered next to his chair.


    The seconds passed. One minute. Two minutes. No one left or entered the restaurant.


    And Ben remained standing, appearing to be deep in thought.


    ¡°Ben?¡± Marvin asked. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Ben slowly turned towards him. ¡°You still have that smoke grenade?¡±


    Marvin frowned. He did¡ªit was safe and sound in his right arm, as a last resort safety measure.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    Ben hesitated, clearly debating something with himself. He turned his head as if to shake it and say nevermind, but instead, he grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s follow him.¡±


    Marvin widened his eyes. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep our distance,¡± Ben said. ¡°We just have to see where he¡¯s going.¡±


    ¡°This is actually stalking!¡±


    ¡°What if he leads us to Ishaan? Or, if he doesn¡¯t go back to the Manhunters, we won¡¯t have to worry about him as much.¡±


    ¡°What if he goes to the other side of the city? What if he sees us?¡±


    ¡°If we run into any trouble, you fire your smoke grenade and we book it,¡± Ben insisted. ¡°You got a good reaction time, right? It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Marvin gulped. Yes, they could learn a lot by doing this. But this could also end with them murdered and left in an abandoned alley.


    Just then, Ben started towards the window in alarm. ¡°Marvin, he¡¯s outside! We gotta go!¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Marvin saw the scavenger walking down the sidewalk, his neon-bathed figure growing smaller by the second.


    You outnumber him two to one. You have a smoke grenade. You have combat training. The odds are in your favor.


    Just get an idea of where he¡¯s going. Nothing more.


    Marvin stood up and nodded quickly. It was stupid and impulsive, and he immediately regretted it, but it was too late now.


    The two of them stepped out of the boba store and casually turned right onto the sidewalk. Five people and about thirty feet separated them from the scavenger. They kept that distance and began trailing.


    Soon, the scavenger stopped at a crosswalk. Ben and Marvin stopped as well, turned, and pretended to observe a poster on the window of a closed store. It was a political ad; Hisen Kobayashi, one of the Hosaka Chairs, was being challenged in a snap election due to concerns over his declining health.


    The red lines that indicated the crosswalk turned green. The scavenger crossed, and Marvin and Ben followed thirty feet behind.


    They headed toward a portion of the street that was shrouded in shadow. Multiple barred gates led into dark alleyways. The scavenger pushed past one of these gates and disappeared from view.


    ¡°Apartment complex,¡± Ben said. They stopped outside the gate, watching as the scavenger walked down the alley. Eventually, he turned right and disappeared again.


    Ben walked forward and prepared to open the gate.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back?¡± Marvin asked. ¡°We know where he lives now.¡±


    ¡°He could just be passing through,¡± Ben argued.


    We can¡¯t just follow him all the way to his room! Marvin wanted to protest. But if Ben was right, they¡¯d risk losing the scavenger for good.


    He did not object as Ben pushed the gates open. They walked down the alleyway and turned into the corridor the scavenger had gone. It was a narrow understreet of the complex. Only windows with faintly glowing blinds lined the walls. Ben had been right.


    They entered a vacant square clearing, lit by a single block of neon light in its center. The world seemed to grow quieter here; the ambient sounds of the megacity seemed to drift in from old radios. In the far corner, Marvin caught a glimpse of the scavenger heading down a set of stairs.


    He glanced at Ben. Do we keep going?


    Ben nodded. Marvin primed his smoke grenade, and they descended down the stairs. They passed by two ceiling lamps, then reached an open doorway. The room beyond was dark and likely vast, as its walls were obscured. The scavenger¡¯s footsteps echoed ever so faintly.


    Again, Marvin looked to Ben for assurance.


    ¡°He¡¯s still going,¡± Ben murmured.


    Thus, the two of them went in.


    A dozen ceiling lights flared. Marvin felt his soul leave his body. Ben spun around and ran¡­ into the door that had slammed closed.


    Marvin frantically fired the smoke grenade. In an instant, the surroundings blurred as a heavy mist blossomed from the capsule.


    I fucking told you, Ben! his mind screamed.


    Neither of them dared to make a sound. The scavenger¡¯s footsteps had gone silent.


    Oh God. We¡¯re gonna die, Marvin thought. Of course this had been a trap. Why would the scavenger just let them follow him? Oh, how he wished he could rewind the last five minutes of his life.


    Ben began tugging on the door to no avail. Marvin scanned the smoke, trying to spot something, anything, but the white curtain was effectively opaque.


    Suddenly, he heard footsteps again. One pair, getting closer. The scavenger was coming to finish them off.


    Ben stopped trying to open the door and covered his mouth, stifling a cough.


    There has to be something we can do.


    The footsteps were so close, growing slower, more methodical. The smoke would disappear in less than a minute.


    Marvin found himself instinctively lowering his center of mass, as if he were getting ready for a mech duel. Why? He was in no such mech.


    And yet¡­ the scavenger was one man. Armed, probably, but what good would a blade do against Marvin¡¯s metal exterior?


    Could I take him?


    The footsteps began speeding up. Ten feet, five feet¡­


    I¡¯ve gotta try.


    Something emerged from the smoke. A metal polearm. Marvin caught it, shoved it to the side, then cranked it downwards. There was a yelp as he yanked the weapon free from the scavenger.


    Marvin saw the silhouette as clear as day and acted without a second thought. He swept the polearm at the man¡¯s legs, knocking him to the ground. Then he lunged forward and jabbed the sharp end at his opponent¡¯s face. He stopped within a fraction of an inch.


    ¡°Wait wait wait, I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t kill me!¡± the scavenger squealed. He had a soft, raspy voice.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Marvin demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± the scavenger repeated. ¡°I¡¯ll leave immediately! I¡¯ll never come back!¡±


    The smoke was beginning to clear, allowing Marvin to see just how wide and afraid the man¡¯s eyes were.


    He isn¡¯t even that old, Marvin realized with a start. This was a child-like fear.


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± Ben snapped, walking up to them. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Not even a thank you, huh? Marvin thought. Though he supposed it was good that Ben did not miss a beat.


    ¡°My name is Sangeet,¡± the scavenger whimpered. ¡°You can take everything. All my money. Just let me go, please.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want your money,¡± Ben said. ¡°Why are you spying on us?¡±


    Sangeet audibly gulped. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll go back to the badlands.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right. You¡¯re working with the Manhunters, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ben said.


    Instead of comically gulping again, the scavenger blinked in confusion. ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying.¡±


    ¡°No no, I¡¯m not.¡± Sangeet looked between Marvin and Ben, the fear in his eyes slowly dissipating. ¡°I thought you were Manhunters.¡±


    Marvin did a double take and withdrew the polearm a few inches.


    ¡°What?¡± Ben said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You always watch the Sawblades¡¯ garage,¡± Sangeet said. ¡°And you give me weird looks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cuz you¡¯re watching us!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I have to be safe.¡±


    ¡°From what?¡±


    ¡°Look around you.¡±


    Marvin withdrew the polearm some more and gasped. The smoke had cleared somewhat, revealing rows of shelves stacked with mech parts. Each shelf was labeled accordingly, and the parts were organized neatly by automated dividers.


    ¡°Are you stealing from them?¡± Ben asked incredulously.


    ¡°They, well¡­ Yes, you could say that,¡± Sangeet stammered.


    Ben let out a huff of amusement. Marvin found himself raising the polearm and resting it on his shoulder. No wonder the scavenger had been so paranoid.


    ¡°Was it that obvious we were watching the garage?¡± Marvin asked.


    Sangeet nodded, carefully getting to his feet. ¡°Was it that obvious I was watching you?¡±


    ¡°We thought you were trying to make a point out of it,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sangeet rubbed the back of his neck.


    They were quiet for a moment. Marvin couldn¡¯t pinpoint what he was feeling¡ªit was like a mixture of relief and disappointment. Of course he was relieved that the scavenger wasn¡¯t a Manhunter. But why was he disappointed? Had he been expecting more of a fight?


    ¡°What now?¡± Sangeet asked at length.


    ¡°Nothing, I guess,¡± Marvin said. He turned to Ben. ¡°Right?¡±


    However, Ben wagged a finger at the scavenger. ¡°You owe us.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sangeet said.


    ¡°For wasting our time.¡± Ben gestured to the shelves of mech parts. ¡°For the next week, we get to take whatever we want for free.¡±


    Sangeet nervously adjusted his mask. ¡°Do I get to say no?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The scavenger sighed. ¡°Okay. Just¡­ be realistic? Please?¡±


    Ben rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna raid your entire stash, buddy. It¡¯s not like you paid for any of this anyway.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair,¡± Sangeet mumbled.


    Ben grinned. ¡°What a wonderful turn of events, Marvin,¡± he proclaimed. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Marvin rolled his eyes. Remind me again what you were doing when I incapacitated Sangeet?


    ¡°May I ask,¡± Sangeet began. ¡°Why were you watching the Sawblades¡¯ garage if you are not Manhunters?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t need to know about me, Marvin thought. Since they had the upper hand at the moment, any stupid lie would do.


    ¡°We have a friend in the Sawblades,¡± Ben explained. ¡°We¡¯re worried about what happened to him. We wanna see if we can catch him leaving the garage so we can get him out of there.¡±


    Okay, not just any stupid lie, Marvin thought, impressed.


    Sangeet¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a Sawblade leave at midnight a few times. I don¡¯t know where he goes, but he¡¯s always alone. No Manhunters.¡±


    Marvin felt his heart skip a beat. The odds that it was Ishaan were miniscule, but if it was¡­


    ¡°Where does he leave from?¡± Ben asked excitedly.


    ¡°The side door. He goes along the sidewalk and through gate A2.¡±


    Out in the open, without the Manhunters¡¯ supervision? It was almost too good to be true.


    Ben checked his tablet. ¡°It¡¯s 7:20,¡± he told Marvin. ¡°We could get this over with tonight.¡±


    ¡°No, not tonight,¡± Sangeet cut in. ¡°Tuesdays and Fridays. That¡¯s when he leaves.¡±


    ¡°So tomorrow,¡± Ben said. Sangeet nodded.


    Marvin¡¯s circuits jittered with anticipation. They had the next day to prepare, and then they would confront their biggest lead.

 Chapter 13: Capacity for Cruelty

    ¡°Social events?!¡± Marvin repeated, aghast. Renee threw her arms up as if she were dismayed on his behalf.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Caroline said with a grin. ¡°We¡¯ll send out an ad and invite every team in the megacity. It¡¯s a perfect way to make connections and to boost the spirit of mech-fighting.¡±


    Marvin, Caroline, Renee, and Ben were sitting around the dining table, eating breakfast. Caroline was explaining what she had been doing the past few days she¡¯d been away.


    ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re organizing them?¡± Marvin did not mean to offend, but Caroline was hardly a staple in the mech-fighting scene.


    ¡°Yup. Well, we¡¯re kind of banking on Sienna. Ben and I called her the other day and she agreed to help us host the events. We¡¯re gonna offer pilots to spar with her.¡±


    That would certainly attract a decent number of teams. Strange to think that this was all because of a chance meeting with Bob.


    ¡°We¡¯re also using Rustica¡¯s training arena¡ªit¡¯s about thirty minutes away,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°Now that I think about it, we¡¯re pretty much leeching off of Bob and Sienna.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how the world works,¡± Ben slipped in. Renee gave an enthusiastic thumbs up in agreement.


    ¡°You think this¡¯ll gain traction?¡± Marvin asked. Some teams hosted private parties, but never had anything been attempted on this scale. He feared the turnout would be lower than expected.


    ¡°I think people will come around to it,¡± Caroline replied. ¡°They¡¯ll see how beneficial it could be.¡±


    ¡°How is it beneficial?¡± Marvin asked. To him, nothing could be worth talking to strangers for hours on end.


    ¡°Think about it. You get a chance to know your opponents on a much deeper level. You could figure out how to beat them without ever fighting them.¡±


    Renee pointed to Caroline as if saying, See? Isn¡¯t that a good point?


    Perhaps it was true, but Marvin had found that a duel was the only way to fully understand your opponent. A duel brought out the best and worst of every pilot.


    ¡°Anyways, enough about that,¡± Caroline said. ¡°What about Ishaan? What¡¯s your guys¡¯ plan?¡±


    Ben slammed a hand on the table, causing at least one wire in Marvin¡¯s body to short circuit.


    ¡°About time!¡± He announced it like he was going to explain a grand plan, but then he said, ¡°We¡¯re gonna wait at the boba shop till midnight, then follow him to wherever he goes. It¡¯ll be a piece of cake¡ªSangeet said no Manhunters are watching him.¡±


    Renee scowled at the mention of the scavenger¡¯s name.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s trustworthy,¡± Ben said. ¡°And he knows Marvin can beat his ass if he lies to us.¡±


    ¡°Are you straight up threatening this guy?¡± Caroline asked in amusement.


    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re just encouraging him.¡±


    Marvin felt a little embarrassed; disarming Sangeet had been a fluke more than anything. In truth, they were in no position to make threats.


    Renee scowled again and poked Caroline in the shoulder.


    Caroline nodded. ¡°We should always take his word with a grain of salt.¡±


    They were actually supposed to meet with the scavenger later today, and he would give them whatever parts they asked for. The odds of it being a trap were low, but Caroline had provided Marvin with another smoke grenade.


    ¡°About Ishaan,¡± Caroline said, turning to Marvin. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe to tell him about you?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to,¡± Marvin replied. He didn¡¯t know how else Gammagrade¡¯s pilot was going to be willing to tell them anything.


    ¡°Unless we hold a daggerblade to his neck,¡± Caroline said.


    Ben winced uncharacteristically. ¡°Let¡¯s not.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s eyes fell. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Marvin glanced between them as the air suddenly turned awkward. More secrets. Just what he needed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ think about this some more,¡± Caroline said.


    Marvin nodded.


    Renee clapped her hands to conclude their talk. They (excluding Marvin) finished up breakfast and went to do their own things for a bit. Caroline and Ben discussed a fight schedule for the season. Renee worked on her code. Marvin went outside to practice.


    After two hours, Renee left to go to her job at a supermarket. She was part of the marketing team, one of the few departments that was not fully automated. Caroline went to build some mech armor, and Ben lounged on the couch, scrolling through his tablet.


    Soon, the remaining three had lunch, then boarded the shuttle to visit Sangeet. Ben and the scavenger had exchanged NIDs the previous night, and Ben had messaged him to meet them at the noodle shop. Indeed, when Marvin and the others arrived, Sangeet was sitting in his usual spot. Everyone exchanged greetings and he led them to the underground storage.


    The whole experience was surprisingly chill. Sangeet was friendly to them¡ªat least as friendly as his odd, raspy voice could sound. He still refused to remove his mask.


    Caroline, Marvin, and Ben carefully inspected each of the shelves. They had to choose wisely, as the hovercart they¡¯d brought could only carry so much. Sangeet sat by a small desk in the corner of the room, illuminated by a single, small window above it. He was drawing something on his tablet. There was an air about him that seemed to repel all social encounters.


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    After half an hour or so, Ben got bored and went to talk with Sangeet.


    Of course he can do it, Marvin thought. He listened to their conversation as he scoured the shelves.


    ¡°So, my friend,¡± Ben announced. ¡°How¡¯d you come to be in such a place?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sangeet squeaked.


    ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    ¡°Many sections of these apartments are abandoned,¡± Sangeet explained. ¡°I think this used to be a laundromat that got emptied out.¡±


    ¡°Huh. And you moved in¡­ when?¡±


    ¡°Last week.¡±


    Ben paused. ¡°You got all this stuff in a week?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ well¡­ it wasn¡¯t very difficult.¡±


    Ben scoffed. ¡°You got other scav friends, don¡¯t you? Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Sangeet said. ¡°I¡¯m alone here. I ran away from my brood.¡±


    Another pause. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    Sangeet didn¡¯t reply, and Marvin imagined he nodded.


    In the end, they remained at the storage for four hours. It felt like four minutes to Marvin, but he pitied Sangeet having to bear with Ben for that long.


    When they were about to leave, Caroline held out her tablet and asked Sangeet, ¡°How much does this cost?¡±


    Sangeet tilted his head, and Ben started forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s free for the first week,¡± Ben protested.


    Caroline rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna steal from him.¡±


    ¡°He stole this stuff in the first place!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what scavengers do.¡± Caroline turned back to Sangeet. ¡°Name a price. Um, a reasonable one, preferably.¡±


    Sangeet¡¯s eyes darted from Caroline to Ben. Ben sighed in exasperation and motioned for them to continue.


    Thus, Caroline paid 200 dollars for a helmet, four rocket boosters, three neurobricks, and a carbon fiber spine, which was the definition of a steal. When they walked back to the shuttle garage with their hovercart in tow, Caroline nudged Ben.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get on his bad side,¡± she said. ¡°If he decides he doesn¡¯t like us, what¡¯s stopping him from trapping us in there and poisoning us or something?¡±


    Ben frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d do that.¡±


    ¡°We have no idea what he¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s younger than us.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Marvin had never heard that word spoken in such a tone. Caroline sounded strangely sympathetic.


    Kids can be quite cruel, Marvin thought. He thought of the bullies in his middle school. They¡¯d never targeted him, as people knew he took martial arts lessons, but the things they did to other kids were borderline evil.


    Memories seemed to fly by Ben¡¯s eyes. Something must have struck a chord, as he did not reply.


    -----


    Caroline slid the helmet onto Marvin¡¯s head and felt a rush of self satisfaction. She¡¯d managed to mold it perfectly. She inspected it for a moment, noting spots that weren¡¯t fully protected, places that could hinder his sight. Then, she set the helmet aside.


    At this point, Marvin¡¯s face was no longer deformed, but still lacked most human features. It was just a curved sheet of metal with two black, beady eyes.


    Caroline checked the clock. Two hours till they had to leave to totally not stalk Ishaan. She figured she should wake him up soon.


    Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to see a tablet displaying a message.


    Do you want to test out the neurobrick? Renee had written. I synced it with my laptop.


    Caroline nodded. As she was the only team member with any piloting experience, she had to act as a decoy pilot. Consciousness implants like Marvin were strictly prohibited; someone needed to sit in the Bessmer chair, crush a neurobrick, and be extracted by the ref at the end of every fight. The plan was to sync Caroline to a random object to give the illusion she was piloting.


    She and Renee proceeded to the back of the workshop, to a small room that contained a single Bessmer chair and dozens of wires. The chair had been there when Caroline first found the workshop. It was an old model, evidenced by the thick wires that strung it to the walls and ceiling, but it worked just fine.


    ¡°Renee,¡± Caroline said before she sat down. ¡°Can you help me with something?¡±


    Renee nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°As you know, we went to the scavenger¡¯s storage today,¡± Caroline said. ¡°And there was this hatch on the ground. Below Sangeet¡¯s desk.¡± Caroline pursed her lips. ¡°He¡¯s hiding something.¡±


    Renee furrowed her brow. She typed, I¡¯m not sure if we should poke around or invade his privacy.


    ¡°Something¡¯s off about him,¡± Caroline insisted. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen his place¡ªit was like he¡¯d been living there for years. But apparently he only came into Nagatown a week ago.¡±


    Maybe scavengers pass it down to one another, Renee suggested.


    ¡°He¡¯s a runaway.¡±


    Then he just found an old storage and made it his home.


    Perhaps. Caroline would¡¯ve liked to believe that, but being cautious was the foundation of her life. Besides, she already knew how to deal with Renee¡¯s skepticism.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask him about it next time,¡± Caroline concluded. ¡°If he looks like he¡¯s lying, then I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    Renee raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna try to distract Sangeet,¡± Caroline said. ¡°You sneak in and open the hatch and take pictures of whatever¡¯s inside.¡±


    Instead of being surprised or mortified at the idea, Renee¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. As expected, she hungered for that sense of adventure.


    Still, she made an attempt to be cautious as she wrote, Is this necessary?


    ¡°I feel like he has leverage over us somehow,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I want us to have business on even grounds.¡±


    Renee gave her a smile that seemed to say, That¡¯s enough for me.


    Caroline smiled back. She didn¡¯t want Renee to go back to her old habits, of course, but sometimes they proved useful.


    I¡¯ve delayed long enough. Caroline sat down on the Bessmer chair, resting her limbs in shallow divots, and lowered the piloting helmet onto her head. The visor showed a black screen. Renee placed a neurobrick in her hand.


    Caroline idly fidgeted with the small, squishy block. She wasn¡¯t quite sure how it worked, but the Bessmer chair somehow recognized it as part of your body. Crushing it evoked the strongest response from the chair, allowing for the best sync.


    If all went according to plan, she would lose all feeling of her limbs and start seeing through the webcam of Renee¡¯s laptop. She¡¯d get a view of the back right corner of the workshop that contained the dining table and couches.


    ¡°Am I good to go?¡± she asked.


    Renee patted her twice on the shoulder.


    Caroline squeezed the neurobrick, and her surroundings burst to life.

 Chapter 14: The Manhunters

    It¡¯s 11:55 now. Marvin looked at the digital clock above the boba shop¡¯s counter, and indeed, the 4 flickered to become a 5.


    Since the boba shop was fully automated, it was allowed to remain open 24/7. Even now, a group of college students sat in the back, laughing. Their presence made Marvin feel less awkward sitting there and doing nothing.


    ¡°How long till midnight?¡± Ben asked. They sat in their usual hemispherical seats by the window.


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Are you able to get it down to the second?¡± Ben asked in awe.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°How long do I usually spend in the bathroom?¡±


    Marvin frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He could only time things when he focused on them beforehand, like his watch shifts at the noodle shop.


    ¡°How does it feel never going to the bathroom?¡± Ben asked. ¡°Do you still get the feeling you wanna piss?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Marvin had never experienced that, thankfully, but he also had never given it much thought. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been better if Ben hadn¡¯t brought that up.


    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Ben exclaimed, leaning towards the window. Marvin followed his gaze and saw a figure step out onto the sidewalk from the alley beside the Sawblades¡¯ garage.


    We weren¡¯t talking about Ishaan, Marvin thought, imagining himself as a nerd with buck teeth.


    He and Ben left the store and walked parallel to Ishaan¡ªor whoever that Sawblade was¡ªon the opposite sidewalk. As they closed the distance, Marvin could faintly make out some features illuminated in the neon lights. Ishaan¡¯s hair had grown out a bit, but there was no mistaking him. Head hung, hands stuck in pockets, but still seeming to possess that intense energy.


    ¡°Gate A2,¡± Ben said, pointing to their left. Ishaan was approaching the metal doors.


    Marvin and Ben hastily crossed the street as Gammagrade¡¯s pilot slid into the darkness. Some cyclists gave them looks for jaywalking.


    Marvin stopped at the gate and looked around. No sign of any Manhunters.


    Why would they let Ishaan go free? He supposed that some deals had to have been made, considering how important the pilot was.


    They followed the outline of Ishaan¡¯s figure through the shadows, passing by similar scenes as when they¡¯d followed Sangeet to his storage. However, this time, they stuck a little closer to the Sawblade. They couldn¡¯t risk losing him.


    As they kept walking, Ben¡¯s pace gradually slowed. When Ishaan turned right and stepped onto a lift, Ben stopped completely.


    Marvin looked at him in confusion. ¡°You good?¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t reply, and Ishaan¡¯s lift descended. Marvin doubted there were many floors below ground, and they could just trial and error till they found Ishaan. He hurried to the lift and tilted his head, but Ben just meandered over.


    Are you seriously having second thoughts now? What about when we stalked Sangeet to his storage?


    When Ben finally reached the lift, he did not press the button and instead dusted off the control panel. Above it was a symbol etched onto the concrete wall. Ben widened his eyes.


    ¡°Who do we have here?¡± a voice boomed.


    Marvin spun around. Three tall figures stood a dozen feet away, between him and the gate. They wore dark clothes that almost camouflaged them with the walls, but their eyes glowed red. Large, red eyes with too many pupils.


    Marvin¡¯s blood ran cold. Behind him, Ben sucked in a breath and held it.


    Of course the Manhunters wouldn¡¯t let Ishaan out of their sight. How could they have been so stupid?


    Marvin had gotten his dose of anxiety yesterday with Sangeet; now there was nothing but dread. Unlike the scavenger, there was no fighting the Manhunters.


    Marvin glanced behind him, past the petrified Ben. The corridor snaked right a few dozen feet ahead. They could run for it¡­


    ¡°You friends of Ishaan?¡± the lead Manhunter said.


    Marvin took a step back, preparing to bolt, but then a thought crossed his mind. The Manhunters didn¡¯t seem to know who they were. If they could spin a lie, they could get out of this completely unscathed.


    Ben seemed to catch on as well, as he replied, ¡°No, we¡¯re just walking home.¡±


    The lead Manhunter stalked forward, and a stray beam of light from a window landed on his face. He couldn¡¯t have been more than two years older than Marvin. He had dark brown hair and a short beard that didn¡¯t look completely grown out. He was a bit shorter than the other two Manhunters behind him, but stood as if he were the tallest in the corridor.


    ¡°So you¡¯re liars, too,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°What¡¯d you hope would happen? That we¡¯d just believe that?¡±


    Ok, time to run, Marvin thought. He and Ben turned on their heels and got about two steps in before a fourth Manhunter stepped into view. He was larger than the other three, nearly taking up the width of the alley.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking for it at this point,¡± the lead Manhunter said.


    Marvin¡¯s head swiveled between the two ends of the alley. It was three and one, but that one Manhunter looked quite difficult to get past. If he could cause some chaos among the three¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Ishaan,¡± the leader continued. ¡°He¡¯s well cared for.¡±


    There was also the possibility of the lift. It would take a while to come up, which meant Marvin would have to hold four gang members off for a while. He wasn¡¯t sure he could do that.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t have you following him,¡± the leader said. ¡°Can¡¯t have you lying or trying to run from us, either.¡± He gestured to the other Manhunters to advance. ¡°Knock some sense into these two.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ben interjected. He seemed surprised, and¡­ happy? ¡°You¡¯re just gonna beat us up?¡±


    ¡°You want us to kill you instead?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ben replied hastily. Then he turned to Marvin and whispered, ¡°We¡¯re home free!¡±


    Are you insane?! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s gonna feel all the pain!


    Marvin was not going to let Ben get hospitalized if he could help it.


    The Manhunters were almost six feet away now. Could he fight them? If he summoned the lift now, he¡¯d have to first push the big one away, then try to incapacitate the other two. And of course, the leader would join the action. Marvin had to take at least one out before then.


    That would be difficult. The easier option was to run for the gate.


    ¡°Marvin, just let it happen,¡± Ben whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t know how lucky we are.¡±


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    Marvin didn¡¯t know if Ben had gone through unimaginable trauma as a kid or was just plain stupid, but he was not going to sit idly and be beaten by a bunch of criminals.


    The Manhunters were within arms length. One of the smaller ones raised his fist.


    Marvin¡¯s own fist connected with his face first. The man stumbled back, dazed, and Marvin barreled into the second Manhunter.


    ¡°Run!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ben screamed, standing still. ¡°Marvin, stop!¡±


    What are you doing?! Marvin turned back, grabbed Ben¡¯s arm, and tugged him forwards. Or tried to at least; to his horror, he felt far more resistance than he expected. Ben wanted to stay.


    Marvin tugged harder, finally getting his friend off his feet, and began dragging him towards the gate. They were nearly to the lead Manhunter when Marvin felt something tug him backwards. His vision flipped and he crashed to the ground.


    Up ahead, Ben kept running but was handily caught by the leader, who put him in a chokehold.


    ¡°Watch,¡± the leader snarled.


    As Marvin lay on his back, a flurry of punches and kicks bombarded his face. The steel frame held firm. Marvin put his weight onto his elbows and swept his legs in a semicircle, knocking the two smaller Manhunters to the ground. He sprung to his feet.


    Two in front. One behind.


    One mistake after another. But his fight or flight responses had kicked in, and it seemed like he had no choice but to fight. Everything else around him, even Ben, faded into obscurity.


    The large Manhunter swung. Marvin weaved to the side and delivered two heavy punches to his stomach. He didn¡¯t budge, and swatted Marvin away towards another Manhunter. That one tried to grab a hold of him, but Marvin elbowed his face, cracking one of his cybernetic eyes. The second of the smaller Manhunters grabbed Marvin¡¯s arm and threw him into the wall. Marvin pushed off, spun, and chopped a hand at the man¡¯s shoulder. Then he kicked him backwards.


    Marvin tried to run for Ben, but the big guy pulled him back and delivered a haymaker to his head. Marvin twisted his body, supporting himself against the wall, and rebounded to punch the man in the face.


    Except his hand didn¡¯t find a face. The Manhunter caught it and began squeezing. Marvin felt his metal joints crack and collapse. He kicked the large man in the groin once, twice, and finally the Manhunter let go.


    A pair of shuffles behind Marvin indicated that the other two enemies were preparing to join the fray.


    Those are the ones I should focus on. Get past them, get to Ben, and run.


    What to do next was a problem for another time


    All three engaged Marvin at once. Two high fists¡ªduck under, right hook. One enemy out of the circle. Several hits to the stomach¡ªsweep leg, jab once. Another man was out, but the previous one came back in.


    An enormous force slammed into Marvin¡¯s head, nearly cracking his neck. Marvin stayed low and landed a series of quick punches, ending that big Manhunter¡¯s bloodline for good. He stood up, sidestepped an attack, and flung his arm to the side, catching someone¡¯s neck. Unfortunately, that someone had been in the process of dodging, as Marvin¡¯s hit barely fazed him. He stomped on Marvin¡¯s lower leg, bringing him to one knee. Marvin delivered an uppercut before he could follow up. With his other hand, Marvin caught an incoming punch, snapped that arm downward, and pulled so that the Manhunter¡¯s face flew directly into his fist.


    And that was when Marvin heard it. A singular thump. A heartbeat.


    Like a long lost lover, that feeling returned: the rhythm of battle¡ª


    A giant fist crashed into his head, sending him flying into the wall. Back against the concrete, he raised his arms to block the second attack.


    Too slow. A foot to his abdomen released a shower of sparks.


    All circuits seemed to shut down. Marvin felt himself slide to the ground. One, two, three red-eyed faces came into view. All of them looked annoyingly unharmed.


    One of the smaller Manhunters planted a shoe on Marvin¡¯s chest.


    ¡°No flesh at all,¡± he said, amused. ¡°He¡¯s just a robot.¡±


    ¡°Figures why he fights so well,¡± another said.


    Marvin tried desperately to get up, but his motors seemed to have overheated, or his connection to them had been severed. None of his limbs would obey.


    He heard footsteps approaching. The lead Manhunter appeared above him, Ben in tow.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this system?¡± he asked Ben.


    ¡°System?¡± Ben asked, a little delirious.


    ¡°Are you telling me all factory bots can fight like that?¡±


    ¡°Oh! System. Um, we found it in a deadzone,¡± Ben stammered.


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°S-sector 12.¡±


    The leader nodded slowly. His prosthetic right hand morphed into a three pronged claw and he knelt down.


    ¡°You know, you could¡¯ve just given us your bot. Would¡¯ve saved you all this hassle.¡±


    Ben gulped.


    Marvin braced as the claw grew closer to his chest. He thinks the system is in the factory bot¡¯s Core. This was going to be a little gruesome, but ultimately it was a massive stroke of luck.


    The leader¡¯s claw began to whirl. Bits of metal flew onto the walls and ground. After a few seconds, he withdrew his arm, now holding a small sphere.


    Marvin didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. He was officially ¡°dead¡± now.


    ¡°Consider your debt paid,¡± the leader said. He stood up and patted Ben on the shoulder, causing the younger boy to wince. ¡°But don¡¯t go after Ishaan again, you understand?¡±


    Ben nodded.


    The leader tilted his head. ¡°You sure?¡±


    Ben frowned. ¡°Yeah¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that wasn¡¯t very convincing.¡± The leader smirked. He pulled back his arm, formed his claw into a fist, and threw an uppercut to Ben¡¯s stomach. Ben doubled over, gasping.


    The leader turned and walked away, and the other Manhunters trailed after him. As each of them passed Ben, they hit him in the same spot. The last Manhunter¡¯s punch brought Ben to his knees, and he collapsed with a thud.


    Marvin wanted to run after them and beat the lights out of every single one, but he couldn¡¯t even clench his fists. His anger boiled only in his head, his Core that had no control over anything.


    The gate slammed shut. All was silent for a moment, save for Ben¡¯s sharp breaths. Then came the sound of cloth scraping against concrete. Marvin tried to turn his head to see where that was coming from, but he remained staring at the night sky. That black canvas was a good depiction of his emotions, he thought. Completely empty. Hopeless.


    And then, a second later, Ben¡¯s face had replaced that sky. He looked worn out, but he was smiling.


    ¡°Dude, that was insane!¡± he remarked. ¡°I feel like we just used up all our luck for the year!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marvin muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Ben laughed, but it quickly turned into a fit of coughs. ¡°You have no idea what the gangs are like, do you? That was the lightest punishment ever. And that was even after you beat the shit outta them!¡±


    Marvin didn¡¯t have the capacity to feel any relief. All that mattered was that he had lost, and it had resulted in Ben getting hurt. What Marvin would¡¯ve done to the Manhunters had he been synced with his mech¡­


    No, not even. If Ben had just ran instantly instead of resisting, they would¡¯ve gotten out.


    ¡°You should call a medvac,¡± Marvin said.


    Ben scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said. And then, with a grin, ¡°Thanks to you.¡±


    In any other case Marvin would¡¯ve felt annoyed, but now he could only muster dreary resignation as he asked, ¡°Why did you freeze?¡±


    Ben¡¯s grin faded and he drew back. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Silence prevailed. Marvin didn¡¯t care if he ruined the mood; it wasn¡¯t like there was a good one to begin with. An apology couldn¡¯t hurt, he thought.


    But it was in the past now. Both of them were still alive and not completely debilitated. ¡°It¡¯s whatever.¡±


    ¡°If it helps at all,¡± Ben said, lowering his voice, ¡°I know where Ishaan¡¯s going.¡±


    Marvin widened his eyes. Ben must have recognized the lift after seeing the symbol above the control panel.


    ¡°We can¡¯t follow him,¡± Marvin said quietly. The Manhunters were still watching, for all he knew.


    ¡°We¡¯re not gonna take the lift,¡± Ben said. ¡°There¡¯s another path right through the sakura neighborhood. We¡¯ll go early next Tuesday and wait for Ishaan there.¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t decide if he was excited or if he wanted to yell at Ben for being so reckless. They¡¯d just escaped a trip to the hospital because of sheer coincidence, and Ben was now suggesting they run it back. Marvin¡¯s factory bot Core wouldn¡¯t save them a second time.


    But he couldn¡¯t deny that he felt restless. The longer he stayed in a robot body, the more often he¡¯d see himself get torn apart. Pieces of him being ripped out. If he could dream, he¡¯d likely have nightmares of what the Manhunters did to him.


    He needed Ishaan¡¯s help. He needed to be a human again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later,¡± he said. Caroline and Renee would probably like to get a word in before the two of them went charging off again.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Ben said. He knelt down and began detaching Marvin¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

 Chapter 15: Ishaan

    It took a cumulative hour or so to convince Renee of Ben¡¯s plan. It took longer to convince Caroline. Two weeks, to be exact.


    In that time, they visited Sangeet twice more, built a better cyborg body for Marvin, and finished building the base body of the mech, including the armor and sabers. The blades weren¡¯t similar to the thin, ultrafast ones Saberstar employed; these could not retract and were much heavier.


    In addition, Ben spent two days in the infirmary, as it turned out that a couple of his ribs had been fractured. Still, he called Caroline each day, begging her to let them pursue Ishaan. Naturally, Caroline kept insisting that they were done with the Manhunters and that they would leave the mystery to Bob.


    Marvin was a little conflicted himself. In his new body¡ªwhich responded much faster¡ªhe would not have a second Core to save him. If the Manhunters caught them wherever they were meeting Ishaan, they were as good as dead.


    Still, Ben seemed confident that the Manhunters wouldn¡¯t bother them there. It was some sort of religious location¡ªone of the few that remained in Megacity 14 after the Roundtable had ordered them to be preserved.


    More importantly, Marvin needed to find out who had killed him.


    At the end of the two weeks, Caroline finally gave in to Ben¡¯s pleas, but on one condition: she and Renee would join them.


    Marvin didn¡¯t know if that was supposed to be a deterrent, but it made him all the more excited. They left after lunch, taking the shuttle into Nagatown and then riding a monorail to the sakura neighborhood. As they soared above the hybrid ancient-Gao and modern architecture, Marvin tried to spot his own neighborhood. He knew which direction to look, but a few skyscrapers blocked his view. That was quite unlucky, considering how sparse skyscrapers were in Nagatown compared to other Sectors. For that reason, the monorail went on for a while till its next stop. Marvin, Caroline, Ben, and Renee got off and took an elevator to the street level.


    The sakura neighborhood was named such for obvious reasons. The houses, built in a traditional style with curved roofs and paper walls, were evenly spaced, each separated by a row of light pink cherry blossoms. Patches of petals and tiny ponds covered the stone road.


    Marvin had been here once, eight years ago, when Lindon¡¯s colleague had hosted a house party. That colleague definitely wouldn¡¯t recognize Marvin.


    Would he know anything about Lindon¡¯s whereabouts, though?


    There was always that risk of endangering people close to him, but this man was a tertiary connection at best.


    I don¡¯t need to get any answers. Just ask if my uncle¡¯s alright.


    Unfortunately, Ben led them in the opposite direction of the colleague¡¯s house. They walked onto a smaller path, this one made of uneven stones whose cracks were filled with pink petals and tiny streams of water. The blossoms dipped down on either side of the path, the occasional branch brushing a head or shoulder. Past that ceiling of flowers, the horizon borders¡¯ misty approximation of a sky looked like an ocean.


    Marvin couldn¡¯t help but slow down to admire it all. In front of him, Renee spun happily and swiveled her head like a malfunctioning security camera. Caroline walked stiffly like she was worried something would jump out from the trees. Ben kept his pace steady.


    At length, they reached a stone wall with a circular moon gate. A gate that happened to be sealed with cement.


    ¡°It¡¯s blocked,¡± Marvin said.


    Renee made a mind blown motion. Marvin looked at her, feeling a little sad.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Renee said through her voice box.


    ¡°They sealed it up years ago,¡± Ben explained. He pointed to the nearest house on their left. ¡°Renee and I will go inside to keep watch. You guys climb over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to break into a house?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s abandoned,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a year,¡± Renee pointed out.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll knock first,¡± Ben said.


    Renee gave a thumbs up as if Ben had explained what they were going to do after they knocked.


    ¡°This is the warning signal, okay?¡± Ben said. He proceeded to cry out like he¡¯d just slipped in a puddle of water.


    Marvin stared at him, dumbfounded. Why not just¡­ whistle? Unfortunately, before he could muster up the energy to voice his worries, Ben and Renee walked away.


    Caroline sighed. ¡°They¡¯ll be okay.¡± She then gestured to the wall and looked expectantly at Marvin.


    Marvin helped her climb over, then leapt, catching onto the curved top of the wall. He effortlessly pulled himself up, then swung down onto the other side. Another perk of being a robot.


    He and Caroline were in a small clearing enclosed by four stone walls with sealed moon gates. A house rose up just past the right wall, while the house Ben and Renee had gone into stood slightly farther from the left wall. The other two walls gave way to a pink field of flowers. A tree stood in the center of the enclosure, barren and bent, yet sturdy. Dozens of wooden tags hung by red ribbons dangled from its branches.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Caroline said, looking around worriedly. ¡°We¡¯re trapped.¡±


    Marvin looked at the house to their left. On cue, one of its second-story windows opened and Renee¡¯s head poked out. She made a cheering motion.


    ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s safe,¡± Caroline said, though her eyebrows didn¡¯t unfurrow in the slightest. She walked to the tree and inspected one of the wooden prayers.


    Marvin wondered how sacred this place really was. So sacred that the Manhunters weren¡¯t willing to trespass, apparently. The Hosaka Roundtable had sealed it off for a reason, yet if they¡ªtwo random, non religious people¡ªcould be here, who was to say the Manhunters couldn¡¯t?


    A light breeze caused the tree¡¯s tags to rattle melodically. Marvin had to admit this place had a certain mysticism about it.


    Caroline took out her tablet and called Ben. ¡°Is Ishaan gonna climb the wall, too?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s gonna come in through that window.¡± Ben pointed to the house behind the right wall. ¡°That¡¯s where the lift takes you. Well, where you¡¯ll end up, anyway.¡±


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    Marvin looked at the small window overlooking the enclosure. It was a very short drop from there to the top of the wall.


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Ben replied.


    Marvin looked at Caroline, but she simply shrugged.


    ¡°The real question is, why is there a lift that leads directly here?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°It goes underground to a sewer,¡± Ben explained. ¡°There¡¯s a tunnel and a ladder leading into the house.¡±


    Caroline raised an eyebrow. ¡°And are there people living in the house?¡±


    Ben shook his head.


    He must¡¯ve visited this place before. What was his prayer? Was his wooden tag still dangling somewhere on the tree?


    ¡°What if Ishaan kept going down the sewer?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Everyone who gets on that lift comes here. Trust me.¡±


    Now, there was nothing to do but wait. There were two stone benches lined before each wall, and some boulders that acted as tables. A small wooden shrine shaped like a bird house stood by the left wall, presenting a single pen and a stack of wooden tags in two cartridges.


    Marvin stood by the tree as Caroline sat down. He wondered why the house was abandoned. Had the owner bought it on purpose to let people come to the prayer grounds? It was reasonable¡ªalthough most of Megacity 14¡¯s residents were atheists, everyone regarded the religious sites with a hint of reverence. They were memories of a bygone era.


    The horizon borders faded, and the tree began to glow ever so faintly. It wasn¡¯t the tree itself, but the words written on those pieces of wood. The last bits of magic in a city that had left it behind.


    They waited still. Eventually, Marvin heard a window scrape open. It came from the house closer to the wall, not the one Ben and Renee were in. He looked up and saw a figure climb out and nimbly drop onto the wall.


    There was no doubt this was Ishaan.


    When Gammagrade¡¯s pilot was about to drop to the ground, he paused and looked at Marvin standing dumbly by the tree, and Marvin suddenly realized how suspicious he and Caroline seemed. Two random people at the prayer grounds, looking like they¡¯d been waiting for hours.


    However, Ishaan simply nodded and hopped off the wall. He carried a brown box in his left hand, which he placed at the foot of the tree.


    ¡°A little harder getting out than in, huh?¡± he said.


    Marvin blinked. Caroline stood and walked up beside him.


    We¡¯re just two kids, Marvin thought. Of course we look unassuming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to the ladder,¡± Ishaan said, gesturing to the house. ¡°It was there last week. Someone must¡¯ve thought they were funny.¡± He patted his pocket, which made a clinking sound. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got grav crystals.¡±


    Marvin exchanged a look with Caroline. It was time to carry out their plan.


    ¡°Are you Ishaan?¡± Caroline blurted out.


    Ishaan froze and squinted at her. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°You know him,¡± Caroline said, pointing at Marvin.


    Marvin nodded, smiled (even though his face remained a blank metal slate), and introduced himself.


    Ishaan threw his arms up in exasperation. His friendly demeanor was gone like it had never been there.


    ¡°For the last time,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t. Know. Anything.¡±


    ¡°I really am Marvin,¡± Marvin said. ¡°My consciousness was transferred to Saberstar¡¯s Core.¡±


    ¡°Can you please leave? I gotta do something,¡± Ishaan said, sounding drained. ¡°Following me here, of all places. You should know better.¡±


    ¡°I can prove it,¡± Marvin insisted. He proceeded to recite his duel with Gammagrade down to the most minute detail.


    ¡°Congrats, you know how to record,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°You look like a big strong cyborg, so why don¡¯t you get you and your buddy over the wall?¡±


    ¡°And then you said afterwards¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going anywhere, so you better get out,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you again.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards you asked if I had a stealth frame. You thought no normal pilot could beat your foresight cortex.¡±


    The annoyance in Ishaan¡¯s expression slipped ever so slightly. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Then you asked how long I¡¯ve been piloting,¡± Marvin continued. ¡°And then you asked me for a rematch.¡±


    Ishaan cocked his head. ¡°You were his teammate. You tried to spy on us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Marvin said. ¡°But there was someone else in the room. You saw them.¡±


    Under the dim light of the prayer tree, Ishaan¡¯s face went pale. It was eerily reminiscent of how he¡¯d looked right before Marvin was killed.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re as stupid as Marvin,¡± Ishaan muttered. ¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t order the murder?¡±


    Marvin gulped and primed his smoke grenade. ¡°You¡­ you seemed surprised.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know the Manhunters aren¡¯t watching? They¡¯re prime suspects, as far as the evidence goes.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t spy on this place,¡± Caroline said. ¡°That¡¯s sacrilegious.¡±


    Ishaan laughed bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything wrong,¡± Caroline put in. ¡°We just want to talk.¡±


    Ishaan scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I need to know what happened,¡± Marvin implored. ¡°I need to find my body.¡±


    ¡°And if we have evidence,¡± Caroline added, her tone implying this was the more important of their two objectives, ¡°we can bring it to another Sector¡¯s police or even the Inspectors and have them take care of the Manhunters.¡±


    Ishaan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You better be out of the megacity when you do that.¡±


    Marvin felt a shiver through his joints. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯re dealing with someone more powerful than the Manhunters.¡±


    More powerful? A larger gang, like Centium, then? Or a corporation like Ainsel AI?


    ¡°There was a hacker,¡± Ishaan continued. ¡°He killed my bodyguard.¡± He ran a hand along a couple wooden tags on the tree, seeming to drift off for a second. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Manhunters have someone like that.¡±


    He looked back at Marvin. ¡°And for whoever killed you¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t see anything, really. He was holding some spike or syringe, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    No one spoke for some time. Marvin¡¯s thoughts swirled as a simmering frustration neared its boiling point. If it wasn¡¯t the Manhunters, they¡¯d have to start over. And it didn¡¯t seem like Ishaan knew much at all¡­


    ¡°The Manhunters did take over your gang, though, right?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not officially annexed, but yeah, they¡¯ve got us on a tight leash,¡± Ishaan replied. ¡°They¡¯re holding Marvin¡¯s murder against us, funny enough.¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance they could¡¯ve killed Marvin?¡± Caroline asked. ¡°I mean, they had the best reason.¡±


    ¡°They had the most obvious reason,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°Look, they¡¯re definitely up to something. They got guards coming in and out of our garage, moving truckloads of stuff. All the better if we can sell them out to Hosaka. But killing Marvin¡­ I¡¯m not saying they couldn¡¯t have hired a hacker, I just don¡¯t see why they would.¡±


    Marvin didn¡¯t understand the logic behind that¡ªwhy would they not get a hacker to make their mission easier? However, he supposed Ishaan knew much more about the gangs than him.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have time right now,¡± Ishaan continued. ¡°The Manhunters expect me back soon and I gotta do something here. Preferably alone.¡±


    Marvin nearly let out a protest. They¡¯d learned nothing!


    On the contrary, Caroline took a respectful step back, almost seeming impressed. This information probably seemed like a lot to her, but Marvin felt nothing but frustration. Ishaan had literally seen the killer!


    However, what Gammagrade¡¯s pilot said next returned some hope. ¡°Come by next Tuesday or Friday and we can talk.¡± He looked Marvin in the camera. ¡°Your death was a pain in my ass, you know. People blamed me, said I was a cheater, that I didn¡¯t belong at Mecha Realm¡­ I do want to help you figure this out.¡±


    Marvin didn¡¯t have the capacity to smile, but he appreciated it. At least they¡¯d gained an ally out of this, if nothing else.


    ¡°But,¡± Ishaan said, ¡°for now, Marvin is in the hospital. He¡¯s recovering from a stroke and will probably never be able to pilot again.¡±


    The Sawblade tilted his head, gauging the level of understanding. Marvin and Caroline nodded.

 Chapter 16: Marvin vs. Sparrow

    Marvin observed his reflection in the mirror. He wore a loose blue hoodie and baggy gray pants which hid his robotic features nicely. The metal on his hands was exposed, but people would assume it was an implant.


    The problem was his face¡ªa sleek, curved plate with two round, blue camera-eyes and a single blue line where his mouth should¡¯ve been. Part of it was shadowed by his cap, but not enough.


    Ben, Caroline, and Renee had all insisted that it looked cool and it¡¯d be uncanny if he had a humanesque face, but they had no idea. He wanted to be as unassuming as possible at this stupid social event. What was he going to gain from talking to fellow pilots? What would he even say to them?


    Apparently, many pilots had signed up to go alone, as they were only there for the chance to spar with Sparrow. Marvin would get his shot too, but they¡¯d frame it like Caroline was piloting his mech. Among the attendees was Carlos Esparza, pilot of The Everlancer, and Eleanor Hall, pilot of Immortal Ignition. The fact that they were attracting such big names already was a little frightening.


    Someone knocked on the bathroom door.


    ¡°Marvin?¡± Caroline called. ¡°What are you even doing?¡±


    ¡°Uh, one second,¡± Marvin stammered. He pulled his cap lower, but that made him look goofy. There had to be a way to improve his appearance.


    ¡°Okay, well there¡¯s been a change of plans,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Ben and Renee aren¡¯t going. They took extra shifts at Renee¡¯s job.¡±


    What?! Marvin¡¯s original plan was that if things got too awkward, he could always run to Ben and get him to yap about something. Who was going to save him now? He assumed Caroline would be out and about, making connections.


    Can I just¡­ maybe¡­ not go? It was embarrassing how close he was to asking that out loud. He wasn¡¯t a kid anymore.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°And also, are you able to go now?¡± Caroline asked.


    Marvin pushed away from the mirror. Now?! The event was still an hour away!


    ¡°Sienna said we can spar with her first,¡± Caroline explained. ¡°And then we¡¯ll have more time to mingle and stuff when everyone else gets there.¡±


    Mingle. Marvin wanted to die.


    However¡­ he supposed going early wasn¡¯t the worst idea. There¡¯d be no spectators that way. No one to see this new mech get his ass handed to him. Besides, it was Sparrow, the second-highest ranking mech in the megacity. He¡¯d been itching to fight someone of that caliber ever since he¡¯d crushed his first neurobrick.


    ¡°Can you give me five minutes?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Caroline said.


    Marvin leaned towards the mirror and began adjusting his cap again.


    -----


    Rustica¡¯s arena was larger than any Marvin had been in. The dozens of rows of seats had been flattened and replaced by tables and chairs. Trays of food and water stations were scattered about, and the lights had been evened out so that the fighting pit was not in the spotlight.


    Still, that was the first thing that drew Marvin¡¯s attention. The tall, silver walls. The slightly uneven ground that mimicked rock. Sparrow, pacing slowly in a circle, its red and black armor seeming to absorb light rather than reflect it, its slender twinblade tucked comfortably under its shoulder. And¡­


    Another mech?


    It stood opposite Sparrow, and the two were circling each other. It was dull gray¡ªan unpainted prototype¡ªwith no weapons to be seen.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Marvin asked Bob. They were standing at one of the closest tables to the ring.


    Bob grinned. ¡°Immortal Ignition¡¯s pilot.¡±


    That kid? If it was any other pilot, Marvin would¡¯ve respected their dedication to coming even earlier than him to spar. But from the very little he knew about Eleanor, it seemed like she was here to prove a point, to show the other pilots that she was more devoted than them.


    Who are you kidding? he thought. You don¡¯t know her at all.


    ¡°How long is she gonna be in there?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s scheduled for another twenty minutes,¡± Bob replied. He grimaced. ¡°Although I have a feeling it¡¯ll be longer than that.¡±


    ¡°Can I- er, we go after?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Bob said. He glanced between the other two. ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯re the pilot,¡± he pointed to Caroline, ¡°and you¡¯re the apprentice.¡± He pointed to Marvin.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°But you¡¯re also the engineer, and you obviously do some outsourcing, too,¡± Bob said to Caroline. ¡°Do you guys have teammates?¡±


    Caroline laughed. ¡°Yeah, the roles are just kinda fluid.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Bob turned back to the arena for a second. The mechs were still circling each other. They were probably conversing through speakers, but the ring of soundwards along the top edge of the pit muted their voices. Bob waved to Sparrow, and the mech gave thumbs up in return.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize,¡± Bob said, turning back to Marvin and Caroline. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been quiet about Theo.¡±


    Marvin was finally able to fully tear his attention away from the mechs. He subconsciously inched towards Bob.


    ¡°He¡¯s fully off the grid,¡± Bob explained. ¡°His NID is invalid. It didn¡¯t just get erased; it¡¯s like it never existed. My programmer and Sienna¡¯s tracked its traces¡ªto the public places, of course¡ªbut they were pretty much false leads, and the older traces span thousands of NIDs.¡±


    That meant thousands of locations to search. Marvin felt a familiar sinking feeling, the one he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d finally come to terms that he was a robot. For once, he wished Theo wasn¡¯t so technologically adept.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have any other leads, Steve,¡± Bob said, ¡°but NID is a dead end. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Steve? Who¡¯s¡ª Oh, right. Of all the names Ben could¡¯ve given him.


    Marvin supposed he could tell Bob where Theo lived, but that was a little strange. Besides, if Theo had gone off grid, he most definitely wasn¡¯t at his apartment anymore. Could they try contacting Sina?


    Marvin realized how selfish that thought was. Did Sina¡¯s life mean less than Lindon¡¯s? Did Theo¡¯s life mean less? Could he have said his uncle¡¯s name instead of Theo¡¯s when they¡¯d first met Bob?


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve convinced a few other teams in my Sector that the Manhunters sabotaged Saberstar,¡± Bob said. On Marvin¡¯s left, Caroline visibly tensed up. ¡°They¡¯re people I trust. We¡¯re making sure to keep it under the radar, but eventually this will have to spread. If we can¡¯t find any evidence, this is the only way to get justice.¡±


    Marvin lowered his gaze. If Ishaan was right, Bob was only diverting attention away from the real culprit.


    Why don¡¯t I tell Bob who I am? That would make things-


    A screech of metal derailed his train of thought. In the ring, Sparrow and Immortal Ignition¡¯s prototype were beginning their bout. The prototype¡¯s hands had folded into thick blades that looked almost like drills. Sparrow moved nimbly, constantly keeping the twinblade in motion, while the prototype jolted and lurched like it was malfunctioning. Strangely enough, though, Eleanor never let herself get hit.


    ¡°Is that a piloting style?¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°Single commands,¡± Bob said. ¡°The Core goes into standby between every attack. It only works if your mech is top notch, though.¡±


    AKA if your team is rich, Marvin thought.


    ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s good at training your reaction time,¡± Bob replied. ¡°And it gauges how responsive your mech is.¡±


    That seemed like a nightmare for Marvin. He would rather not dull his brain between every attack.


    ¡°By the way, do you guys want a tour of the place?¡± Bob asked. ¡°I realized I¡¯m not being a very good host.¡±


    Caroline looked at Marvin and, as if reading his mind, replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wanna see how Sienna fights.¡±


    Bob smiled. ¡°Good luck. I still can¡¯t read half of her moves.¡±


    Marvin and Caroline turned their attention to the ring, and Bob left to talk with his teammates. Sienna¡¯s strength truly lay within her unpredictability. There was no pattern to her sweeps and thrusts, not to mention how she never once let her twinblade come to rest. It wasn¡¯t the best style for duels, but it worked wonders in the battle royale.


    Eleanor, on the other hand, was okay. She fought like how Marvin expected someone to fight.


    After a bit, both pilots seemed to fall into a more serious mood. Attacks were thrown with the intent to kill, even if they¡¯d assured each other of their mechs¡¯ safety.


    It was clear that Sienna was better. As far as Marvin knew, Eleanor had little dueling experience and had only piloted Immortal Ignition for Mecha Realm. She¡¯d probably gotten lucky, hiding or scaring opponents off till she was fourth-to-last alive.


    Half an hour later, Eleanor brought her prototype out of the ring. Marvin and Caroline went down a flight of stairs and entered a familiar ivory-colored hall. Marvin didn¡¯t know why all arenas painted their halls this color.


    Up ahead, Eleanor stepped out of the team room, her remote-controlled mech following. Caroline and Marvin¡¯s own mech walked behind them, modulated by a simple joystick on Caroline¡¯s tablet. As they passed each other, Caroline said a quick ¡°hello¡± and Marvin stupidly nodded. Eleanor nodded back and raised an eyebrow at their mech¡¯s lack of a head. She didn¡¯t say anything, though.


    Caroline and Marvin first stopped at the team room, where Caroline checked for cameras, then transferred Marvin¡¯s head onto the mech body. When Marvin opened his eyes, he was suddenly twice as tall and felt far more alert. He carried his cyborg body to the corner of the room and positioned a few tables to hide it from the door, then turned to Caroline. It was funny seeing her at half her usual height.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Caroline attached Marvin¡¯s blades to each arm, then gave him his helmet which he slid onto his head. A few cables clicked into place, and he felt his vision sharpen tenfold. The helmet covered his entire face. It was a simple design¡ªtwo rectangular eyes and a two-by-three array of circular ventilators¡ªbut it was different enough from his face that no one would recognize him.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Caroline said.


    Marvin smiled, phantom heart thumping with excitement. It would be a three-round scrimmage, each round ending whenever a robot had the other in a kill condition or when ten minutes was up. If Marvin could even force a draw, it would fuel his happiness for the next few weeks.


    Caroline pressed a button on the table, then walked out to go to the pilot¡¯s room. One door closed, and another door opened behind Marvin. Beyond it were the bright walls of the arena and Sparrow, a red and black shadow against them.


    Marvin walked into the arena, making his movements jankier than usual to give the impression Caroline was still remote controlling him. He stopped when he planted both feet on the coarse and uneven floor.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Sienna said through Sparrow¡¯s speaker. ¡°Caroline, right?¡±


    Marvin nodded. They¡¯d explained earlier that they didn¡¯t have or want a speaker¡ªthey were just here for the fight. Sienna seemed to remember that as she flipped her twinblade under the arm, against her shoulder.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± she said.


    Marvin looked at his arms and the swords that extended from them, then at the rest of his body. Everything was a dull gray, much like Eleanor¡¯s prototype. It was a generic build on the outside, with the necessary armor pieces and thrusters, but the internal systems were quite similar to Saberstar¡¯s. That meant Marvin couldn¡¯t put too much blame on his hardware if he performed poorly.


    Caroline¡¯s voice reached Marvin¡¯s head through a microphone. ¡°I¡¯m in the Bessmer chair,¡± she said. ¡°You can go whenever.¡±


    Marvin waited a few more seconds, observing Sparrow. Its slim build resembled Sienna herself, except twice as large and padded with a layer of metal. Its helmet was a thinner and sharper version of a Dark Age knight¡¯s, and the armor pieces meshed seamlessly with one another. Sparrow¡¯s twinblade was a couple inches taller than itself, and the blades were covered with a training filament that made them a bit thicker than they should¡¯ve been. A chain connected the weapon¡¯s handle to a wheel on the forearm.


    Marvin rolled his shoulders, bent his knees, and nodded to show that he was ready.


    Sienna dropped her twinblade and let it bounce against the floor back and forth like a yoyo. She always bounced the weapon in some manner when she wasn¡¯t in combat to keep momentum. Marvin would have to break that up before anything else.


    He and Sienna approached each other. As the guest, Marvin was expected to attack first.


    That blade can only come up one way, and on one side. Sienna held it with her right hand; thus, Marvin would aim for her left.


    He flared his thrusters and lunged. Sienna kicked her twinblade up and swung. Marvin ducked. His left sword nearly reached her abdomen before something suddenly knocked him to the side. He balanced himself on his right sword and snapped his head upwards.


    She used the other end. Of course. He was not used to these kinds of weapons.


    Sienna went on the offensive. Her twinblade a whirlwind, she crashed into Marvin. He deflected the first hit. Blocked the second. And then¡­


    Everything became a blur. Sparrow and its weapon merged into an unintelligible mass of black and red. Panic rose in Marvin¡¯s chest as he put his swords up in front of his face.


    He had no idea what was going on. He¡¯d never fought someone like this. Most of the time he could at least create space to break the opponent¡¯s flow, but he couldn¡¯t even turn his head before it got smacked the other direction.


    Saberstar had an emergency button for times like these. The mech would curl its knees under itself, hold its arms tight against its body, and spin rapidly around the waist. The whirlwind would usually scare the opponent and free up some space.


    Marvin¡¯s current mech did not have that ability.


    Before he knew it, he was lying on the ground, staring at the tip of Sparrow¡¯s blade.


    Sienna held her position for a moment, then pulled back and dropped her weapon in shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Oh man, that¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    She scurried over and reached out her hand. Marvin took it, still in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go easier, I promise,¡± Sienna said. ¡°I just¡­ I thought¡­¡±


    Marvin shook his head. He¡¯d already gotten a taste of it. This was the only version of Sparrow he wanted to fight.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want me to go easy?¡± Sienna said slowly.


    Marvin nodded.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Sienna asked meekly. ¡°Sorry, grammar¡¯s not my¡ª¡±


    Marvin stepped back and pointed his sword at her.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sienna tilted her head. ¡°Look, that¡¯s not a good way for you to learn. We¡¯ll restart, do another three rounds¡ª¡±


    Marvin shook his head vehemently.


    Sparrow¡¯s visor angled downwards, as if it were confused. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Marvin nodded.


    Sienna shrugged. ¡°Alright then.¡± She moved a few paces back and reset her twinblade to its resting position. ¡°But here¡¯s some advice first: try to use this entire space. Go up.¡±


    Marvin blinked. That concept had never even crossed his mind before; it just didn¡¯t seem natural. Jumping over an attack or flying over your enemy¡¯s head seemed so silly and counterproductive.


    But perhaps it could¡¯ve saved him that first round.


    Only one way to find out.


    Marvin charged. His blade was immediately batted away. He spun, almost catching Sparrow in the head with his other sword. Sienna moved minimally, just getting her head out of distance, then swung her twinblade upwards. Marvin caught it on his right sword and forced it down, then stabbed his left blade. Another clean miss. Sienna let the blade thread slide past her neck, and then, to Marvin¡¯s shock, trapped it between her head and shoulder. Marvin tried to pull free, but after a whack and a kick to his left leg, he was brought to the ground. He raised his swords to block an overhead from Sparrow that would¡¯ve resulted in a kill condition.


    Marvin leapt backwards, almost tripping in the process. Sienna stayed put.


    First round Sparrow wouldn¡¯t have let me do that. Whether it was subconscious or intentional, Sienna had cooled off a bit. That wouldn¡¯t do.


    Go up. How was he supposed to do that? The amount of exertion it would put on his thrusters¡­


    Marvin decided that he could adopt Sienna¡¯s tips later. For now, he charged back in.


    Block, parry, jab, duck. This time, Marvin managed to push Sienna back a little. Problem was, she was still going easy. Marvin feigned a right hook and tried to hit Sparrow¡¯s torso with his left blade. One twirl of the twinblade deflected both moves. Sienna thrust, causing Marvin to double over. Then she spun, hitting the side of his head with the back blade. Marvin expected it this time. He put his weight into his right shoulder and rolled sideways as a third strike came down. Sienna rapidly shifted her stance, flipping her twinblade so that the opposite end smashed the floor. With help from his thrusters, Marvin leapt out of range. He landed on his feet far firmer than the first time.


    That was when he knew something had changed. Sienna began to tap her weapon on the ground, cold and methodical, as if she were feeling its weight for the first time.


    There it is, Marvin thought, grinning.


    They rushed at each other. Marvin slid on his knees, under the twinblade, and swung his left arm in a lightning-fast arc. When he stood up, Sparrow was nowhere in sight. He hadn¡¯t felt his blade hit anything, but it had been so fast-


    Something suddenly wrapped around his neck and threw him backwards. The twinblade handle. It was lodged securely between his head and torso. Marvin threw both arms backwards, hoping to stab Sparrow¡¯s head, but found nothing but thin air.


    Sienna rested a hand on Marvin¡¯s head and twisted slightly.


    ¡°Kill condition,¡± she said.


    Marvin felt a shiver go down his spine. Breaking necks were not a kill condition in mech-fights; if this had been a real duel, Sienna would have jammed something into his skull and pierced his Core.


    I¡¯d be dead.


    The two mechs separated to their sides of the arena.


    ¡°That was good, by the way!¡± Sienna said. ¡°You¡¯ve got impressive reflexes.¡±


    My life, whatever¡¯s left of it, would be gone.


    ¡°But if you¡¯re going to do that slidey thing, make sure you can turn around immediately,¡± Sienna suggested. ¡°Or use backside cameras.¡±


    All the work Caroline, Ben, and Renee put into helping me would be for nothing.


    ¡°Round three, whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Sienna said, holding her weapon out.


    Marvin found himself hesitating. He could almost feel Sparrow¡¯s hand on his head, inches from his Core. That was all he was: a chip inside of a metal sphere. For all he knew, all that impact to his head had already damaged his brain. Jeopardized his existence.


    And I want to do this for the rest of the year?


    Of course, his opponents wouldn¡¯t be on Sparrow¡¯s level, and he would probably get his body back before Mecha Realm. But if one mech got lucky and caught him before he could forfeit¡­


    You¡¯re being ridiculous, he told himself. This is just a sparring match. Think about how much you can learn from these.


    Marvin charged.


    This time, Sienna held nothing back. Marvin stayed on the defensive, running away from most attacks, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. It wasn¡¯t his usual fighting style, but he¡¯d never win fighting head on. He needed to get a feel of Sparrow¡¯s tactics and draw the battle on for as long as possible. He escaped each swing of the twinblade by the skin of his nonexistent teeth, but overall he remained untouched.


    As hard as he tried, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint a pattern to Sienna¡¯s attacks. She seemed to adapt to whatever Marvin did; the only consistent thing was her tap tap tap in the brief moments of reprieve.


    Could I exploit that somehow?


    But the bounces themselves didn¡¯t have any pattern; Sienna could engage after any one of them. Perhaps he could bait her into going idle, then strike before that first tap.


    A hit to the arm and chin made Marvin stumble. He flew backwards a good distance, and sure enough, Sienna tapped her blade on the ground once before pursuing.


    It¡¯s to reorient herself, Marvin thought. How could he get far enough to make her do that, but remain close enough to attack before she did?


    Unfortunately, there was no time to figure that out. Sienna jumped right as she was about to reach Marvin, soaring over his head. She¡¯d dropped her twinblade in the meantime and it fell in front of Marvin.


    A mistake? He frantically grabbed the weapon. I¡¯ve disarmed her!


    And then he heard metal snap against his neck. He¡¯d completely forgotten about the chain that connected the twinblade to Sparrow¡¯s arm.


    Before he could react, Sienna pulled the chain and he was flung to the ground. A foot stomped on his chest and the twinblade appeared between his eyes.


    Kill condition.


    Marvin let out a frustrated sigh; fortunately, his voice box was turned off. Sienna held out a hand and helped him up.


    ¡°Sorry, that was a little cheap,¡± Sienna said. ¡°But you¡¯ve gotta pay attention to your opponent before the fight. Then you could¡¯ve seen that coming.¡±


    In the heat of the moment? I highly doubt it.


    Marvin nodded, however. He was ever grateful for those three rounds.


    ¡°You¡¯re good, though,¡± Sienna continued. ¡°Who was your mentor?¡±


    Marvin pointed to his voice box.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Sienna pointed to the stands, where a considerable amount of people had gathered. ¡°Is it okay if we talk later, then?¡±


    Marvin felt a stab of panic, but quickly realized that Sienna wanted to talk to Caroline, not him. He nodded.


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Sienna said. ¡°See ya.¡±


    Marvin walked back to the exit¡ªthe door that led to the team room¡ªfeeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration.


    I can beat her. I just need more time.


    And he¡¯d get more time. There would be more social events like these throughout the year, as Caroline had promised. He¡¯d hone his skills against Sparrow, until one day, he¡¯d inevitably emerge victorious.


    But for now, he had to suffer through the rest of this event. He looked up at the stands. Dozens of pilots were gathered around tables, chatting with each other. A streak of red hair caught his eye. Eleanor stood near the pit¡¯s edge with her arms crossed, looking at nothing in particular, probably thinking. Some distance away, a dark-haired man in a wheelchair keenly observed the arena. That was Carlos Esparza, pilot of The Everlancer.


    He¡¯s probably chill to talk with, Marvin thought. As for the others¡­ he supposed he would try his best.

 Chapter 17: Social Events

    ¡°Bob asked if we want to have a scrimmage,¡± Caroline told Marvin as they walked their headless mech down the hall towards the storage area. ¡°He said we could put up a good fight against Rustica. What do you say?¡±


    A scrimmage against Bob? That would be interesting. Sure, he was nowhere near as good as Sparrow, but he was still one of the best teams in the megacity considering he¡¯d made Mecha Realm.


    ¡°With no kill conditions?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could ask for kill conditions.¡±


    Marvin frowned. If he wanted to prepare for the season, he¡¯d need to take off the training wheels. Instead of relying on the opponent not to kill him, he had to know when to forfeit.


    However, the memories of Sparrow¡¯s second kill condition promptly resurfaced and he felt a chill go down his spine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said.


    They reached the storages, a row of garage-like divots in the wall. Caroline opened their respective storage unit, revealing a dark and cramped rectangular space, and walked the mech inside.


    Then she said the words that Marvin had been dreading to hear.


    ¡°When we go back, we should split up. Hit as many teams as possible.¡±


    Marvin gulped. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We are kind of hosting this,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I mean, we sent out the ad.¡±


    Maybe that could be lenient; Bob and Sienna had done so much of the preparations that they were practically the hosts.


    ¡°But also, we should look for suspects,¡± Caroline continued. ¡°And it¡¯s good to talk to your opponents. We could learn some ways to beat them.¡±


    That first part was fair. If Ishaan was right and the Manhunters weren¡¯t involved, the killer could be any one of those teams.


    But the second point made Marvin frown. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± he asked.


    The gate to the storage slid closed, and Caroline turned to him. ¡°If we wanna win Mecha Realm, we¡¯re gonna have to beat mechs way above our pay grade. Most of which we¡¯ll be fighting for the first time.¡±


    Marvin was simultaneously impressed and unnerved by Caroline¡¯s ambition. How did she manage to aim so high? Was it ignorance, or was she truly that confident in her team?


    ¡°What do we ask them?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Just talk to them,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Try to find information that we can use against them.¡± She cringed, probably realizing how open-ended that sounded. ¡°I mean, like, stuff that¡¯ll trip them up during a fight.¡±


    That still seemed a little unethical, but Marvin understood the reasoning. If a pilot was afraid of fire, he could try flaring his thrusters in their face, etcetera.


    ¡°How about you take Eleanor and I¡¯ll take Carlos,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll swap.¡±


    Those two and Sienna were likely the best pilots at this event. Although Marvin didn¡¯t look forward to dealing with Eleanor¡¯s arrogance, he figured he could learn a thing or two.


    He nodded. The two of them headed down the hall and back into the stands.


    -----


    The event was surprisingly successful. There were dozens of pilots and other teammates milling about and others gathered in little cliques. The noise level was healthy¡ªnot too quiet, not too loud. However, there were a select few pilots who isolated themselves, either hyper-focused on the arena, or simply scrolling through their tablets.


    That included Eleanor. She lounged on a couch near the wall, evidently having gotten bored of the sparring.


    Marvin froze when he was about twenty feet away from her. What was the point of this again? Figure out if she¡¯d killed him? How was Marvin supposed to coax that information out of her?


    Aside from that, did he really need to play mind games to beat her in Mecha Realm? She¡¯d gotten fourth place, but there was no way she was that good.


    Maybe I should join Caroline. She¡¯s gonna need all the support she can get.


    ¡°You want something?¡± Eleanor called.


    Marvin jumped. She was looking right at him. Had he been staring, and if so, how could she even tell? He was a robot for crying out loud.


    Marvin considered shaking his head and fleeing the scene, but that would make him look even weirder. He¡¯d already entered the abyss and there was no backing out. Hopelessness and fear combined to give him a boost of adrenaline, and he walked forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re Eleanor Hall, right?¡± he asked.


    Immortal Ignition¡¯s pilot scoffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Call me Ella, please,¡± she replied. ¡°I told Kit before Mecha Realm but his alzheimer¡¯s ass forgot.¡±


    Marvin was appalled. Kit was a legend! How could she say such an insult so casually?


    ¡°Anyways, what¡¯s up?¡± Ella asked. ¡°Do you want an autograph?¡±


    Only if you can forge your mentor¡¯s signature.


    ¡°No, I just had a question,¡± Marvin replied. As he said that, he racked his mind for potential conversation starters.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re that one girl¡¯s apprentice, right?¡± Ella asked. ¡°Caroline?¡±


    Marvin ripped himself away from his thoughts, relieved. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ella nodded approvingly. ¡°Is she new to mech-fighting?¡±


    ¡°I mean, this is her first year as an official pilot,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Ella sounded unexpectedly impressed. Impressed at how Marvin had fared against Sparrow.


    Maybe I was too quick to judge her. He hadn¡¯t been able to gauge Ella¡¯s skill from her sparring session, as that had been a lot more instructive, where neither pilot was going above 70%.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± Ella asked.


    ¡°Mar- Steve.¡±


    Ella stared at him for a moment, and he was scared she had figured out what his first syllable led to. Fortunately, she just patted the vacant couch cushion next to her. ¡°Do you want to sit, Steve?¡±


    Marvin blushed, realizing how awkward he must have looked standing over Ella. He hurriedly took a seat as far from her as possible.


    ¡°So, Caroline,¡± Ella said. ¡°Who¡¯s her mentor?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s self taught,¡± Marvin replied. He wasn¡¯t going to give away his own teacher for obvious reasons.


    ¡°Yeah right,¡± Ella said. ¡°What¡¯s she teaching you?¡±


    Why so curious? Marvin wondered. ¡°Stances,¡± he replied. ¡°Um, Yormstance.¡±


    Ella tilted her head. ¡°But she used Bladestance against Sparrow. Very blatantly, by the way¡ªtell her next time to switch it up a bit.¡±


    Marvin frowned. He liked to think that he¡¯d put his own spin on Bladestance since last year.


    ¡°Anyways, does that mean Caroline prefers Yormstance? Or does she just want you to do something different?¡±


    Marvin started to see what she was up to. She had the same plan as him to figure out her opponents.


    Might as well talk about myself.


    ¡°She prefers Bladestance, but we¡¯re both trying to learn Yormstance.¡±


    ¡°But why Yormstance? I¡¯d actually recommend Mak Ti¡ªI mean with how your blades stick out of your arms wouldn¡¯t it be more natural? I have these drill hands and Mak Ti works great.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°We tried that,¡± Marvin replied. Indeed, Saberstar had tried the boxing stance for its first few duels. ¡°The blades are too long.¡±


    ¡°Oh boo hoo.¡± Ella smiled. ¡°You gotta adapt, man. Of course it¡¯s not gonna work one-to-one.¡±


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to sabotage him, as that smile seemed genuine enough.


    ¡°You should try Bladestance,¡± Marvin said. ¡°You could trip up a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Tried already,¡± Ella said. ¡°It was fun but too much work.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re telling me to adapt?¡±


    Marvin was surprised to hear those words come out of his voice box. An actual witty line? No way.


    Ella crossed her arms. ¡°My argument makes way more sense than yours. I¡¯m telling you to use your arm extensions as arm extensions. You¡¯re telling me to use my arm extensions as swords.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to think of my swords as fists.¡±


    ¡°They are literally arm extensions, you dumbass.¡± Before Marvin could feel shattering grief, Ella grinned slightly to let him know that she was joking.


    Marvin almost laughed as he replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. The proportions are off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in adapting if I don¡¯t need to.¡± Marvin almost mentioned how Saberstar had made Mecha Realm using Bladestance, and could probably do it again this year if the competition didn¡¯t change drastically.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re good enough as is? You can win Mecha Realm like this?¡±


    Marvin shrugged. ¡°Maybe with enough training.¡±


    She¡¯s gonna bring up Ninth Gen, of course. The greatest mech of all time did in fact use Mak Ti with sword-arms.


    And then it hit him: this was the perfect opportunity to segue into Saberstar and his death. Ask Ella what she knew of the conspiracy.


    ¡°You ever heard of Grayson Wright?¡± Ella said. ¡°You know what stance he uses?¡±


    Perfect. ¡°You know, Saberstar used Bladestance.¡±


    Marvin winced immediately after the words left his mouth. That transition had sounded a lot smoother in his head.


    Ella sunk into the couch in exasperation. ¡°Jeez, you people just love Saberstar. Guess what, Steve? Saberstar didn¡¯t even make Mecha Realm!¡±


    Marvin¡¯s mouth fell open. You can¡¯t be serious. Had the public been deluded into thinking he had lost his final duel?


    ¡°Yeah, I know Marvin had a stroke or whatever,¡± Ella said, ¡°but honestly he didn¡¯t deserve to win anyways.¡± She frowned, which made her look a lot more punchable than before. ¡°And what kind of name is Marvin? That¡¯s something you name your mech, not your son.¡±


    Marvin glared at her. First of all, Ella Hall was possibly the worst-sounding combination of words in existence. Second of all, he had beaten Gammagrade fair and square, and the footage was out there for all to see.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he deserve to win?¡± Marvin asked, trying to keep his voice steady.


    Ella pursed her lips as if she¡¯d been expecting the question. She glanced around the stadium for a moment, then she leaned in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it convenient that Marvin went out right before Mecha Realm? Right after he¡¯s gone on a hot streak of what, twenty wins? Maybe that¡¯s because it was a lot easier to pull the strings in a duel.¡±


    Marvin gaped. Match rigging was among the most heinous crimes in mech-fighting.


    ¡°And then,¡± Ella continued, ¡°he got scared he¡¯d be embarrassed in Mecha Realm, so he faked brain trauma.¡± She raised her arms. ¡°Just my theory. I know it¡¯s a stretch.¡±


    Yeah, you don¡¯t say. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been corruption in fifty years,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but then I think sabotage is more likely.¡±


    Ella rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re in Bob¡¯s camp, huh? Look, the Manhunters have been doing some weird stuff lately, there¡¯s no denying that. But why would anyone do something that stupid?¡±


    ¡°Rigging duels is pretty dumb,¡± Marvin pointed out.


    ¡°Not as much as killing your opponent¡¯s pilot!¡±


    Marvin frowned. Was it just him, or did Ella seem a little too defensive just then? But before he could discern any more, someone walking towards him caught his eye. It was Caroline.


    ¡°Hey Eleanor,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°Ella,¡± the pilot corrected.


    Caroline ignored her and turned to Marvin. ¡°Do you have time? Carlos wants to talk with you.¡±


    Marvin nodded, more than glad to leave. He had no idea how that conversation with Ella would have proceeded.


    He followed Caroline through the maze of tables towards the fighting grounds. Caroline explained that she needed Marvin¡¯s cyborg ¡°expertise.¡± Carlos had asked how cyborgs fared when synced to a mech, since he was considering getting a few implants and prosthetic legs. Caroline had admitted she did not know and offered to bring her cyborg apprentice to explain.


    The problem was, Marvin had no idea either. Cyborgs were a rare breed these days.


    ¡°Just say something that makes sense,¡± Caroline said as they walked.


    Marvin blinked. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the connection isn¡¯t as strong or something.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Carlos was still by the edge of the pit, sitting in his wheelchair. He had tan skin and dark hair that fell to his shoulders. Although he was in his thirties, his movements were sluggish as he adjusted himself to face Marvin and Caroline.


    Marvin felt a pang of sympathy. Here was one of the greatest pilots of all time, struggling to turn his head. Carlos had been paralyzed since last year due to a disease, and yet, while not making the top ten, had still performed exceptionally at Mecha Realm.


    To think I have it rough.


    Carlos gave a tired smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, Steve.¡±


    Marvin nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± He glanced at Caroline, then turned back to Carlos and said, ¡°The connection isn¡¯t as strong. If you were wondering.¡±


    What in the autism was that?!


    Welp, it was too late. Fortunately, Carlos just nodded and slumped in his wheelchair, tapping the armrest thoughtfully.


    ¡°How so?¡± he asked at length.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda foggy,¡± Marvin replied. ¡°Less responsive. And your brain isn¡¯t as¡­ decisive, I guess.¡± The Everlancer¡¯s pilot nodded slowly, and Marvin quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s just for me, though, and I¡¯m pretty much all bot. It¡¯d be better for you.¡±


    ¡°But you have a brain implant, no?¡± Carlos asked.


    Marvin nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s the killer right there,¡± Carlos said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need one too if I want to get out of this thing.¡± He tapped his wheelchair.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    If Carlos got that implant, he¡¯d likely plummet in the rankings. No pilot wanted to have a twilight like that, especially this one. The Everlancer came into the scene with a bang, and needed to go out with one.


    ¡°Time to retire, don¡¯t you think?¡± a voice suddenly called. Marvin and Caroline spun round. A young man with jet black hair and a blue and green pilots¡¯ jacket was walking towards them. Carlos sighed quietly.


    ¡°You two new?¡± the newcomer asked.


    Caroline nodded cautiously. Marvin felt an unnaturally severe fight or flight reaction¡ªhe suddenly really wanted to punch this guy in the face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the pilot?¡± the pilot asked.


    Caroline glanced at Marvin, then Carlos. ¡°I am.¡±


    The pilot smirked. ¡°Real impressive. Survived a grand total of thirty seconds against Sparrow.¡±


    It was way more than thirty! Marvin thought angrily.


    But before anyone could protest, the pilot strode away, jacket flapping behind him. He had a certain bounce in his step as if he lost weight with every insult he spat out.


    ¡°George Jang,¡± Carlos mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. What were we talking about?¡±


    ¡°The implant,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°Right.¡± Carlos¡¯ gaze fell.


    What if he does retire? Marvin wondered. Twentieth place and thirty kills in Mecha Realm is a pretty good stat to end on.


    Marvin immediately felt cruel for thinking that. Grayson Wright was fifty and he was still going strong. Carlos had at least five more years in him.


    ¡°It might be different for everyone,¡± Caroline said. ¡°And you can still take out the implant right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with an extra 500,000 dollars.¡± Carlos laughed. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t have any right to be complaining about money.¡± He regarded Marvin. ¡°Thank you for the insight. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Then, to Caroline, he said, ¡°I can tell you one thing¡ªyou can count on dueling this old cripple next month.¡±


    Marvin widened his eyes, unsure if he¡¯d heard correctly. He was going to duel The Everlancer?!


    ¡°Caroline¡ª¡± Marvin started.


    ¡°Sorry, yeah,¡± Caroline cut in. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be one of our first fights of the season. Carlos and I set it up earlier.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ you expect to win?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be cool if we did?¡±


    This is going to be a disaster. Caroline might be good at making connections, but she had no idea how to navigate the season¡ªno unranked team set up matches this soon.


    ¡°Plus, it¡¯ll be early. We won¡¯t have much to lose,¡± Caroline said.


    Marvin sighed; he would help her make a fight schedule later. Now, he could only try to learn something out of his duel with The Everlancer.


    ¡°When is this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°3-4,¡± Caroline said.


    Alright, at least it¡¯s not at the very start of the season. There were a number of weeks to turn his fear into excitement, if that was even possible.


    ¡°Hey, your mentor might surprise us, Steve,¡± Carlos said. ¡°I saw what she did against Sparrow.¡±


    Which was nothing special. I dodged and ran until Sparrow caught up and destroyed me.


    Still, hearing that made him feel a little better. If he couldn¡¯t beat The Everlancer, he could at least make a show out of it. Gain a few fans for Caroline.


    The conversation dwindled after that, and Caroline and Marvin moved on to other pilots. Caroline seemed to be okay with Marvin forgoing the split up strategy, which was a relief. Not only did it spare him the awkwardness, but it also allowed him to reign in Caroline before she said something too extreme.


    In the end, Marvin left Rustica¡¯s arena having made a few new second-hand acquaintances. That was, he only knew them through Caroline, as she did most of the talking. But those were a few more opponents he was more familiar with, and a few more teams cleared of suspicion.

 Chapter 18: A Gift

    Caroline swiped through the photos, eyebrows creasing more and more after each one. Weapons. Not just simple assault rifles that scavengers carried, but miniature railguns and sniper rifles. At least ten, propped against the walls and strewn on the floor.


    She handed the tablet back to Renee, perplexed. They¡¯d done their little mission two hours ago, sneaking into Sangeet¡¯s shop and taking pictures of what was beneath that hatch below his desk. It had gone smoothly, and Caroline wondered if Sangeet just chose to remain oblivious.


    They¡¯d have to confront him soon. Firearms were strictly prohibited in the megacity, and that big of a stash was a magnet for trouble.


    ¡°Do you think he got these from the Manhunters?¡± Caroline asked.


    Renee nodded from her left at the dining table.


    ¡°Then where did the Manhunters get them?¡± Caroline wondered aloud. Had the gang been scavenging dead zones or the badlands? Was that why they¡¯d grown so confident lately?


    What do we do about Sangeet? Renee asked.


    Caroline¡¯s first instinct was to stay away as far as possible. But unfortunately, Sangeet was the cheapest source of mech parts by a long shot, outside of the junkyards that took hours to search.


    Maybe they could get one step ahead of the authorities and convince Sangeet to return the weapons to the police. Make him seem like a good samaritan, then he could keep his shop. The problem was, much of the police were Manhunter plants.


    The last option was to secretly return the weapons to the Manhunters. That was particularly stupid.


    Why steal the weapons in the first place, Sangeet? Caroline wondered. Blackmail?


    Renee looked up as Marvin walked into the workshop. Even though the dining table and front door were fifty feet apart, his footsteps thundered on the concrete floor. His mech hull was no more complex or aesthetically appealing than the others Caroline had built, but it gave her a sense of pride like nothing else before. Unlike the others, this one was in good hands. Still, it needed many improvements before the upcoming scrimmage against Rustica. A 360 waist axis and retractable swords were a good start.


    Marvin waved to them and stopped at a worktable, then removed his helmet and shut himself down. Caroline frowned, feeling conflicted. She thought he¡¯d do that less as time went on, spend more time with the others, but it seemed that Marvin only wanted to train and sleep. Then again, Caroline hadn¡¯t exactly woken him up with the intention of making a new friend.


    There was also the caveat that Marvin was not into socializing. At all. Two days ago, after the teams¡¯ convention, Marvin had asked to help make a fight schedule. He had not brought it up since, probably expecting Caroline to go to him first.


    Give it time. Take little steps, and things will go accordingly, Caroline¡¯s father would have said. He knew patience better than anyone.


    Renee slid her tablet back to Caroline, having written something. What do we do about Sangeet?


    ¡°I think we have to confront him,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Just be as neutral as possible.¡±


    Renee tilted her head. What if he threatens us? she asked.


    Caroline was surprised for not having thought of that first. The truth was, that second meeting with the scavenger had eased a lot of her worries. They¡¯d talked extensively about his backstory¡ªhe seemed to be most comfortable talking about that¡ªand nothing he¡¯d said had been disingenuous. He was only sixteen years old, scared and on his own. He¡¯d been tired of his old life with the nomads and had come to Megacity 14 looking for a new one. A tale all too familiar with Caroline. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°It should be fine,¡± she said.


    -----


    Inspector Kobayashi glided down the stone steps, black trench coat trailing behind him. The artificial moonlight above him slowly faded into blackness as he approached the door.


    What a poorly concealed place. It was a testament to the Manhunters¡¯ stupidity that they hadn¡¯t found their thief.


    James attached the lockpick to the door, and after a few seconds of muted screeching, it fell back into his hand and the door slid open. The inside was pitch black, so he turned the knob on his mask to night vision mode. Turquoise shapes took form.


    Shelves upon shelves of mech parts. A lone chair and desk by a window with some electronics laid out on top. A hatch beneath that desk.


    James frowned. That couldn¡¯t lead to wherever the thief slept, could it?


    The door behind him slammed shut and the ceiling lights flared on. A fun security system that probably would¡¯ve scared anyone else. James rolled his eyes and turned off night vision, then scanned the place. There were no doors or passages¡ªit seemed like this room was a dead end, save the hatch, but that couldn¡¯t be. James did another round.


    There.


    A section of the opposite wall was darker than the rest. An illusory wall, and an expertly set up one.


    James stared at the wall and called, ¡°I know you see me. Come out. I just want to talk.¡±


    All was silent for a moment. Then the wall flickered and a figure charged out, holding a polearm.


    James sighed, drawing his paralyzer rifle and stopping the thief in his tracks. Once the electricity had rattled the boy long enough for him to drop his polearm, James released the trigger. The thief fell backwards, still on his feet, staring at him with a terrified expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to harm you,¡± James said. Besides that little shock. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    The thief squeaked something unintelligible. He was surprisingly young and looked a little in over his head, but the dozens of mech parts around him showed his competence clearly enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at what you do,¡± James said, reaching into his left pocket. ¡°How long have you been stealing from the Manhunters?¡±


    The thief squeaked again. He cleared his throat meekly and said, ¡°Only a few weeks.¡±


    James¡¯ eyes glazed over the shelves. ¡°You know what I am, yes? You know I¡¯m not affiliated with the gang in any way.¡±


    The thief nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Then relax.¡±


    The thief pursed his lips and drew in a deep breath. His shoulders sagged slightly.


    That¡¯s better, James thought. He drew his hand from his pocket and opened his palm, revealing a small, black box. It was about the size of an egg.


    ¡°I need you to leave this wherever you¡¯re stealing from,¡± the Inspector said. ¡°Just set it down, take your share, and get out. It¡¯ll be no different than your regular runs.¡±


    The thief hesitantly reached out his hand. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing harmful. A beacon, sort of.¡±


    The thief nodded and took the box. It must¡¯ve made perfect sense in his eyes¡ªthe Inspectors simply wanted to keep tabs on the Manhunters¡¯ storage.


    ¡°Please do it as soon as possible,¡± James said. ¡°I¡¯ll check back in a week. If you don¡¯t feel up to it, you can always return it.¡±


    The thief frowned, probably thinking, Why wouldn¡¯t I be up to such an easy task?


    ¡°I-I can do it,¡± he said.


    James smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± He reached into his pocket again and tossed a Maevis Inverter to the thief. The boy¡¯s eyes lit up¡ªthis was one of the most valuable mech parts one could find. ¡°For the record, I appreciate what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    With that, James turned and left. Did he feel bad for giving that kid an instrument of death? Not really. He wouldn¡¯t be the one detonating it, after all. It¡¯d sit in that storage until its fingerprint detector found one of its targets, and then chaos would ensue. The Manhunters would be brought one step closer to collapse.


    However, James didn¡¯t want to see the total disbandment of the gang. Some remnants had to remain as a warning to future gangs that were thinking of sabotaging a mech fight.


    I should take a few prisoners of my own, James thought. Find out exactly what this sabotage business is about.

 Chapter 19: Marvin vs. Rustica

    The scene at the next social event was something out of a fever dream. Carlos, Bob, Sienna, Ella, Caroline, and Marvin sitting in a circle of couches, leaning towards the center, all eyeing one man about thirty feet away: George Jang, pilot of Meridian V. They had been complaining about him for the past twenty minutes. The guy thought he was the best pilot in the stadium¡ªyes he¡¯d made Mecha Realm, but he¡¯d gotten 200th place and seemed to forget that 4th and 2nd were present. He had no reason to be badmouthing the other pilots, spreading rumors, and making arrogant challenges.


    ¡°Okay, I have a plan,¡± Bob said. ¡°He won¡¯t accept a duel from any of you,¡± he gestured to Sienna, Carlos, and Ella, ¡°so it has to be one of us.¡± He pointed at Caroline. ¡°I say we give everyone one hell of a fight and coax him into challenging whoever wins.¡±


    Caroline grinned excitedly. ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t help feeling a little anxious. Would either of them actually be able to beat George? Meridian V was not a mech to be scoffed at.


    Still, how satisfying it would be to give that pilot a taste of karma.


    The group broke apart soon after, with Carlos, Caroline, and Bob going to talk to other pilots. Marvin wasn¡¯t sure why he stayed with Sienna and Ella; maybe he was lazy, or maybe he was growing fond of them. Well, Sienna at least. Ella was fine until she made some insult about Marvin, and then he wanted to punch her.


    Why did she hate him so much? Was it because he¡¯d gotten relatively popular over the last year while she¡¯d been in her mentor¡¯s shadow? That wasn¡¯t his fault. Was it because Kit had called her the next Marvin when she was allegedly a year older? That had just been a passing comment.


    He wasn¡¯t sure when he decided it, but as Sienna and Ella talked, he realized that he wanted to duel Ella. Fight exactly how Saberstar fought and beat her and traumatize her for the rest of her career.


    ¡°What would you do after you retire, Steve?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s question snapped Marvin out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Retire?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, we can¡¯t be pilots forever,¡± Sienna said.


    That was quite interesting coming from her. She wasn¡¯t thinking about retiring, was she?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marvin said. He chuckled sheepishly. ¡°I just got out of high school.¡±


    Sienna rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ella asked. ¡°Are you talking about¡­¡± She nodded towards Carlos.


    Sienna widened her eyes. ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t wanna assume anything about his situation.¡±


    ¡°I think he should just get the implants,¡± Ella said. ¡°Who cares if you get a little rusty?¡±


    ¡°Would you get implants?¡± Marvin asked.


    Ella¡¯s mask of confidence faltered briefly before she shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Hypocrite.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Ella continued, ¡°Sienna, what¡¯s going on with Bob?¡±


    Sienna¡¯s face seemed to catch on fire. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not about Carlos, then it¡¯s gotta be about Bob, right?¡±


    Sienna scratched her head uncomfortably, and Marvin suddenly wanted to leave. It was clear that the two women were closer with each other than him.


    ¡°What prompted this?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious,¡± Ella said, grinning.


    Yeah, I¡¯m gonna leave, Marvin decided.


    And yet his leg motors were not responding. Neither of them were trying to push him out of the circle, and he couldn¡¯t deny the anticipation of learning more about Sparrow¡¯s pilot.


    Sienna opened her mouth to say something, but then sucked in air through her teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°You guys got engaged,¡± Ella declared.


    Sienna¡¯s face grew mortified and, for some reason, she turned to Marvin. Marvin, in turn, became similarly horrified.


    ¡°Uh, I heard nothing,¡± Marvin said.


    Ella laughed¡ªa normal, hearty laugh and not the psychotic giggle Marvin was expecting. But, even more unexpectedly, Sienna relaxed and her lips parted in a dopey smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°I guess you can¡¯t keep everything a secret.¡±


    ¡°How will this affect your legacy?¡± Ella asked. ¡°Are you gonna take a step back from mech-fighting and fade into obscurity in the early twilight of your career?¡±


    Where the hell did that sentence come from? Marvin wondered. Definitely quoted from somewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Sienna said with a grin. ¡°I have to set another kill record first.¡±


    Marvin shuddered. Hopefully his brain would be out of his mech¡¯s Core by then.


    At that moment, his tablet buzzed. Yes, Renee had bought him a tablet with a fake NID even though he could technically receive all messages and calls in his head. This time, it was a text from Caroline, informing him that the scrimmage with Rustica would begin in 10 minutes.


    He stood up and gestured to the pit. ¡°We¡¯re about to fight Rustica.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Ella said. ¡°Are you controlling the legs or something?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    If only you knew. Marvin didn¡¯t reply and hurried away.


    He found Caroline outside the team room, attaching the ¡°retractable¡± blades. These blades simply slid up and down the arms, remaining completely exposed. After some training, Marvin had figured out how to do the retracting without stabbing himself. They¡¯d also tried to attach a 360 waist axis, but it hadn¡¯t been compatible with the other parts. A rehaul of the mech was planned for the weekend before the season began.


    Caroline moved Marvin¡¯s head, wished him luck, then left to go to the piloting room.


    Marvin looked down at his arms, drawing and sheathing his blades. It was terribly clumsy, but it would do for now. Besides, the rest of the mech felt lighter and smoother than two weeks ago at the Sparrow fight. Caroline must have replaced a few parts.


    In the end, Marvin had decided to keep kill conditions on. The prospect of a stray hit killing him was far too scary.


    Although there were no stakes, he felt a weight on his shoulders that had been missing during the Sparrow fight. This one was more final: one round, one kill condition, one chance to beat his opponent. Besides, he needed to put up a good enough fight to provoke George Jang into a challenge.


    Marvin stepped through the open doorway into the ring. Same gravely floor. Same reflective walls. Different mech opposite him.


    Rustica was significantly beefier than Marvin, painted orange, brown, and red, and wielding a giant battle axe with rocket thrusters behind its blade. Because of the kill condition rule, Bob had agreed not to use those thrusters, but it didn¡¯t make the weapon any less intimidating. Rustica¡¯s armor was thick and jagged, giving a battle hardened appearance. Its helmet was a thick, spiky piece of metal that looked almost impenetrable.


    I¡¯d need a kill condition at the neck or body, Marvin thought. Somewhere Rustica was weak, where a slice could disable it for good. I have speed on my side, and probably a blindsight advantage unless he has torso cameras.


    He would try for quick attacks, weave in and out, hopefully confuse Bob. All it took was one opening. He¡¯d spring up, catch Rustica¡¯s arms, and initiate the kill condition with a sword to the neck.


    ¡°Best of luck, Caroline!¡± Bob called from his mech.


    Marvin nodded and raised one sword across his chest. Again, they¡¯d gone without speakers.


    He looked up at the stands. Fewer people were watching than usual, but he did see George Jang¡¯s self-satisfied smirk among them. Ella stood beside one of her teammates, while Carlos sat in his wheelchair a few feet away by himself.


    The cackle of a loudspeaker brought Marvin¡¯s attention back to Rustica. The announcer, who just happened to be Sienna, said the lines Marvin had heard so many times.


    Prime your mechs. Enter your mechs.


    And then, the six words that never failed to shoot adrenaline through his veins: ¡°On your mark, get set, fight!¡±


    Marvin wasted no time jumping into the fray. Best to get a feel for how Rustica fought. He did his classic opening¡ªone high swing that was blocked and then a low jab. Surprisingly enough, the jab landed, but barely made a dent in Rustica¡¯s armor. Marvin dove out of the way as the axe came crashing down, carving a deep gash in the floor. He tried to strafe to the left, around his opponent, but Rustica¡¯s left-side thrusters ignited and it barreled into him, sending him skidding across the floor. Marvin flipped backwards with his own thrusters and landed on his feet, though he had to support himself with his blades to not fall.


    Rustica held its axe by the handle¡¯s end and spun around, once, twice. Marvin ducked the first swing, then closed the distance and caught the axe¡¯s handle as it came around again. The impact sent a shock through his joints, but the point was to surprise Bob. And surprised he was, as Rustica froze for a split second.


    Perfect.


    Marvin sprung at his opponent, blades reared back, preparing to stab the neck.


    If only it were so easy. Rustica¡¯s helmet extended downwards to cover its neck, causing Marvin¡¯s right sword to graze off harmlessly. His left arm was caught in Rustica¡¯s free hand.


    For a terrifying moment, Marvin saw his life flash before his eyes. Rustica could slam him into the ground right now and crush his entire hull, Core included. He was dead.


    But then the opposing mech raised him into the air and flung him across the arena. Marvin tumbled for some time before cracking against the wall. Some components sparked, and others were dead, but overall he was still functional.


    A mistake, or a clever maneuver to keep the fight going? Marvin didn¡¯t care. He got to his feet and braced himself for the incoming Rustica.


    It¡¯s just kill conditions, he reminded himself. Nothing to worry about. We¡¯re in the Bessmer chair.


    Now, to deal with the opponent¡­ When that helmet extended, it had to have left a portion of the head weaker. Marvin would aim for that.


    The axe arrived not one second too soon. Marvin dove out of the way and feigned a left hook. Rustica took it far more seriously than he expected, tossing his axe to his left hand and swatting Marvin with the right. Marvin flew across the ground and clumsily flipped with his thrusters, managing to land on his feet. He ran forward again, and the two mechs exchanged blows. Marvin moved in conjunction with the colossal blade, letting Rustica¡¯s momentum spin and position him. All the while, he drew closer and closer to the opponent.


    As the hum of steel resounded in Marvin¡¯s ears, he felt the feeling swell in his chest. A steady beating. A gentle thrill.


    Had he been scared of this before? Why? This was what he loved.


    The axe came down. Marvin stepped on it and leapt into the air. He thrust his left sword at Rustica¡¯s neck, which was naturally shielded by now, but jammed a delayed right blade into the face.


    It grazed off, not even making a dent. Marvin could barely register panic before an idea popped into his head. He hooked his left arm around Rustica¡¯s neck and flipped over its head. Marvin didn¡¯t have enough mass to bring Rustica down, but that was all the better. With his free right arm, he retracted the sword, planted his fist in the nape of Rustica¡¯s neck, and drew.


    It was too slow to pierce. The blade jammed as it touched the metal, halfway out. Funnily enough, Marvin at first was relieved¡ªfinally, an error out of his control. Then the reality hit him and he widened his eyes in horror. Rustica inverted its arms, grabbed Marvin, and flung him off like a ragdoll.


    His surroundings became a blur. When Marvin became ever so faintly aware that he¡¯d stopped moving, he immediately leapt to his feet.


    And then the axe smashed into his right shoulder.


    There was a terrifying crunch, and out of the corner of his eye Marvin saw his right arm clatter to the floor. He instinctively jumped as the axe swung sideways, grazing the bottom of his feet.


    No, this can¡¯t be it, Marvin thought frantically as he dodged Rustica¡¯s attacks, doing what little he could with his remaining arm. I can¡¯t lose because of a technical issue.


    The axe crashed against the floor again and again, and Marvin found himself wearing out. His mech could¡¯ve weaved through those attacks for hours, but this was a mental thing. The odds of winning with one arm were slim. Too slim for a pilot like Marvin.


    If my sword had been faster, would I have won?


    Those kinds of things kept him up at night. Whose fault was it, really? If Marvin was better, could he have killed Rustica?


    That¡¯s right. Killed.


    Little did he know, he¡¯d already lost sight of the kill condition rule. Somewhere along the way, this had turned into a real fight for him.


    That was why, when the sparks flew once more as axe hit metal, Marvin realized what he could do to win. There was something that could pierce Rustica¡¯s armor.


    As Rustica raised its weapon, Marvin boosted into the air and all but hugged the haft of the axe. He planted both feet on the opponent¡¯s shoulder, then boosted upwards once more, ripping the axe out of Rustica¡¯s hand. The larger mech stumbled forward, confused, and Marvin angled his thrusters ever so slightly to position himself.


    For a moment, all was still. Marvin in the air, hugging the pole with one arm for dear life. Rustica, unarmed, frozen in its tracks as it tried to process the next course of action. And the axe blade, extended out beyond Marvin¡¯s head, right above Rustica.


    Then Marvin reversed his thrusters and flipped backwards with speed he¡¯d never fathomed before.


    The axe didn¡¯t just embed itself into Rustica. It sliced the mech clean in half.

 Chapter 20: The Schism

    The next few minutes were chaos. Caroline insisting that she pay for the damages. Bob insisting that it was fine and that this was a better outcome than he¡¯d ever expected. Marvin awkwardly standing by the wall, wondering if he should leave the team room.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna talk to George Jang,¡± Bob said as he twisted and turned, trying to avoid Caroline¡¯s tablet which was primed with a transaction of 1,000 dollars.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you new motors at least,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we have extras,¡± Bob said. ¡°Look, just pay me back with a rematch, okay? Saturday, two weeks from now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure, but take some motors,¡± Caroline insisted.


    ¡°No, really, it¡¯s fine.¡± With that, Bob twisted one last time and scurried out of the room.


    Crickets seemed to manifest in the metal box that now only Marvin and Caroline occupied. Caroline stood there motionless, arms sagging, one hand hopelessly holding her tablet by its corner. Marvin didn¡¯t know her well enough to guess if she would yell at him or if she was just disappointed. He wanted to space-warp himself out of the room.


    No more kill conditions, Marvin thought. That, by all means, had been an unfair fight. Marvin would never come close to reaching his full potential if he kept using training wheels.


    At length, Caroline spoke.


    ¡°We should talk to George Jang, too.¡±


    Marvin nodded. ¡°Sorry¡ª¡± he began.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do kill conditions,¡± Marvin said.


    Caroline nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll give you an auto-forfeit switch.¡±


    Marvin nodded in return, and the two of them headed out of the room.


    -----


    The duel with Meridian V was set for next week. In the meantime, they would try to install the 360 waist axis, fix the dual sabers, swap a few parts (Sangeet had apparently acquired a Maevis Converter), and visit Ishaan again on Friday.


    However, one task was paramount to the others: they needed a name for their mech.


    Ben had a long list that he shared during dinner, but only two of the names caught the others¡¯ attention: the first was MRVN, which was creative but too on the nose, and the other one was Cablecar.


    ¡°It¡¯s a callback to Saberstar,¡± Ben had explained.


    Caroline and Renee shared some ideas, too, but there were none that they were all excited about. The closest they got to a consensus was a ¡°I¡¯m good if you guys are,¡± which would not do.


    Marvin felt bad for not contributing, but he was terrible at being creative. Plus, he had other things to think about. Like how badly he¡¯d messed up against Rustica. And yet, strangely enough, that mistake had opened a door to let the others in. They were willing to give him sympathy, and he was more than happy to accept it. It was perhaps a little selfish, but Marvin found himself talking a bit more with his new teammates. And they seemed to like that, so it was a win-win, right?


    By the time they went to visit Ishaan, they had successfully installed the 360 waist axis, but the drawing speed of the sabers was still an issue. They¡¯d probably have to replace the swords altogether.


    Like last time, Caroline and Marvin entered the prayer grounds while Ben and Renee scouted from the surrounding houses. They arrived a little later this time so that Ishaan would be able to finish whatever business he had. When Marvin climbed over the wall, he found Gammagrade¡¯s pilot seated on the stone bench, rubbing his thumb over a blank wooden tag.


    ¡°Hey Marvin, hey Caroline,¡± Ishaan said, standing up and holding the tag out. ¡°Put one up.¡±


    Caroline took the tag and tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Shows goodwill,¡± Ishaan replied.


    That was fair, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯d come to these prayer grounds to talk about a murder.


    ¡°Any updates?¡± Marvin asked as Caroline scribbled some sentences on the tag.


    ¡°No leads on your death,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°But the Manhunters have been getting more jumpy lately. Someone¡¯s been stealing their weapons.¡±


    Caroline looked up for a split second, then went back to writing.


    Sangeet. Marvin and the others knew. It had made them a lot more cautious around the scavenger, but they had yet to confront him about it.


    ¡°How bad is it for you?¡± Marvin asked.


    Ishaan squinted at him, making him feel like he¡¯d just done the most embarrassing thing in the world. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Are they¡­ strict?¡±


    ¡°Strict?¡±


    Oh no. Marvin got the sense that he had said something wrong, but he had no idea what. He glanced at Caroline, who was still writing on the tag. He really needed her to step in right now.


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not allowed to leave the garage, right?¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Yes I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marvin cringed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave then?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Ishaan gave him a look, as if the answer was going to be the most obvious thing ever. ¡°I¡¯m practicing.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s eyes would have popped out of his head. ¡°For that long?!¡±


    Anyone else might have laughed at how silly Marvin¡¯s shocked robot voice sounded, but Ishaan only nodded.


    ¡°I figure I¡¯m gonna be busier later on,¡± he said. ¡°Might as well train now while I¡¯m motivated.¡±


    But there was a difference between training and strapping into a Bessmer chair for hours at a time.


    ¡°Is that¡­ healthy?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ishaan said. He pointed at Marvin and grinned. ¡°You better get on it, too. I¡¯m still waiting for that rematch.¡±


    This was the kind of training regiment Marvin had dreamed of having. He¡¯d imagined he could train so hard his first year that he¡¯d be able to win Mecha Realm. Of course, he came nowhere close. Now that a season had passed, he understood how unachievable that goal was.


    Except Ishaan was doing it. Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if he should feel sympathy or jealousy.


    At that moment, Caroline finished writing her prayer. She hung the tag on the tree and walked over to the other two.


    ¡°What¡¯s your theory on the killer?¡± she asked Ishaan. ¡°This hacker.¡±


    ¡°Gangs don¡¯t use hackers much,¡± Gammagrade¡¯s pilot replied. ¡°I think it was some corporation. Legionnaire, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Ainsel AI,¡± Caroline said, looking up. Far above, the lights of flipside Sector 8 flickered. That utopian city was where Ainsel AI was situated.


    ¡°But maybe not,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°Truth is, it could be anyone. Hell, it could¡¯ve your own teammates, Marvin.¡±


    Marvin felt a chill go down his spine. Theo was a competent hacker, but what reason did he have to kill him?


    ¡°The answers are in that stadium,¡± Ishaan continued. ¡°We need to check the security footage and attendance logs.¡±


    ¡°That stadium¡± was in the southwest corner of Sector 58. It was a public one, owned by the Hosaka Roundtable, meaning they couldn¡¯t just show up and ask for security files. Maybe they could infiltrate it, but the risk was too high for average citizens like Marvin and Caroline. And the fact that Ishaan hadn¡¯t done it yet with the Sawblades meant it was too high for him, too. If any of them got caught, their mech-fighting career would be over in a flash.


    ¡°What about Marvin¡¯s human body?¡± Caroline asked. ¡°Do you have any idea where it could be?¡±


    ¡°Some freezer, probably,¡± Ishaan replied.


    ¡°That narrows it down, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Caroline said. Only the most wealthy were able to afford cryo chambers, and by extension, only the most powerful corporations and gangs.


    Unfortunately, Ishaan scoffed and replied, ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how many are on the black market.¡±


    Caroline frowned. ¡°They¡¯ve gotta be in our Sector at least, right?¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Ishaan squinted at her and Marvin burned up with second-hand embarrassment.


    ¡°I just¡­¡± Caroline sighed. ¡°Nevermind. So how do we get the stadium¡¯s security files?¡±


    Ishaan stared at her incredulously. ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Caroline crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯ve had three months to think about it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was alive till last week!¡± Ishaan pointed at Marvin. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna be infiltrating a Hosaka stadium till I had some more leverage¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Well come up with a plan by next week, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re funny,¡± Ishaan grumbled.


    Caroline stifled a smile and turned to Marvin. ¡°Anything else you want to talk about?¡±


    Before Marvin could answer, Ishaan¡¯s holowatch beeped and a message burst from the screen. The pilot stared at it for a moment, his face slowly morphing from indiscretion to worry.


    ¡°You guys gotta go,¡± he whispered.


    At the same time, a whistle cut through the air¡ªBen¡¯s warning signal. Marvin and Caroline raised their heads anxiously, but nothing had changed in their surroundings.


    Marvin was about to rush to the wall when he saw it: two shadows in front of the window. The same window that Ishaan used to enter the prayer grounds.


    It was too late to run. The window pane swung open and three Manhunters dropped onto the wall, then onto the stone path that encircled the barren tree. There was a man and woman Marvin didn¡¯t recognize, but the Manhunter in front¡­


    Every joint in Marvin¡¯s body tightened. It was the same guy that had caught him and Ben in the alley. The leader with the brown hair and half-grown beard.


    He doesn¡¯t recognize me, Marvin reassured himself shakily. I¡¯ve got a new body and my face looks completely different.


    Still, there were only so many cyborgs walking around Megacity 14.


    And there was the problem of Caroline¡­


    ¡°What is this, Gerard?¡± Ishaan demanded, drawing the lead Manhunter¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Kai is dead,¡± Gerard said. Based on how he said the name, Marvin figured Kai was important. ¡°I told Jacques not to let it slide. I told him they¡¯d get revenge. But no. Gotta be the pacifist like always. Now look at what¡¯s happened. Kai and seven others, incinerated.¡±


    Ishaan widened his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting you out of here before things get out of hand,¡± Gerard continued. His eyes darted over to Marvin and Caroline. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°I just ran into them,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°They were hanging up their own tag.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? And where is this tag?¡±


    Caroline slowly walked around the tree and retrieved her prayer. Gerard watched her like a hawk, not even sparing a glance in Marvin¡¯s direction.


    He doesn¡¯t recognize her, either.


    Caroline showed Gerard the prayer, and Gerard ordered her to write the same words on a different tag to compare the handwriting. Ishaan protested that that was sacrilegious, but Gerard ignored him. When all was said and done, Gerard let Caroline keep both tags and turned his attention to Marvin.


    ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡±


    Marvin gulped and primed his voice box to speak. Fortunately, Caroline jumped in.


    ¡°He helps me get over the wall.¡±


    Gerard narrowed his eyes. Two seconds passed. Three. Five. He would not look away.


    Right when Marvin was about to make a run for it, Ishaan cleared his throat.


    ¡°We leaving or not?¡±


    Gerard rolled his eyes. ¡°When did you start making demands?¡± He tossed a purple grav crystal to Ishaan, then extracted one of his own and crushed it in his hand. Before he jumped, he pointed to Ishaan. ¡°Get Gammagrade ready. We¡¯re gonna have a talk with Jacques soon.¡±


    Gerard, the two Manhunters, and Ishaan leapt upwards, and, as if underwater, floated to and through the window.


    And then it was over. Somehow, Marvin and Caroline had made it through completely unscathed.


    Seven Manhunters are dead. Gerard blames Jacques. Is there infighting between the Manhunters?


    If the gang devolved into civil war, it would completely change the landscape of Nagatown. An investigation into them would either become a walk in the park or effectively impossible.


    Marvin met Caroline¡¯s eyes. What does that mean for us?

 Chapter 21: Marvin vs. Meridian V

    The first thirty minutes of the Meridian V scrimmage were dedicated to setting up a rematch between ¡°Cablecar¡± and Rustica. Yes, they were going with Cablecar until they came up with something better.


    The rematch would take place at the next social event in two weeks. Although this current scrimmage against Meridian V was also at Rustica¡¯s arena, it was not part of any convention, thus the audience had significantly dwindled. No one knew or cared about Cablecar, and those who knew George Jang didn¡¯t like him.


    Before the duel began, Caroline, Marvin, Ben, Renee, Bob, and Sienna gathered in the team room. Ben and Renee had finally freed up their schedule, which Marvin found a little suspicious. It seemed they were simply here because the attendance was a fraction of the usual. Were they avoiding someone? Renee¡¯s old teammates, perhaps?


    ¡°Jang uses some unorthodox tactics,¡± Bob was saying. He had distanced himself a little from the others, clearly marking himself as the head of their circle. ¡°He¡¯ll taunt you. You can¡¯t let any of it get to your head.¡±


    Caroline nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s worse is, he¡¯s actually competent,¡± Bob continued. ¡°Your best bet is to disorient him. Stay in his blind spot, and it¡¯ll be smooth sailing.¡±


    Bob took a step back and the rest of them almost took it as a sign to disperse. However, Sienna nudged his shoulder and motioned to Marvin and Ben.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Bob said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a little update about Theo.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s ears perked up. He¡¯d disregarded Theo as a dead end these past weeks, but he was still as expectant as ever.


    Unfortunately, what Bob said next made his previous statement rather exaggerated.


    ¡°He¡¯s still completely dark. But Marvin Yao himself¡ªhe went off the grid after the incident, but his NID traces before then are still easily accessible. I¡¯ll try to follow his tracks. See if I can find something on Theo or his other teammates that way.¡±


    Marvin should¡¯ve felt excited, or at least grateful that Bob was going in this direction. But all he could feel was a strange, nervous tingling on the back of his neck. This was a lot of dedication from a relatively unfamiliar man. A lot.


    Calm down. Bob just wants to help.


    ¡°You sure that¡¯s safe?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Bob said. He laughed. ¡°I mean, I assume you guys won¡¯t tell the Manhunters?¡±


    The overconfidence was beginning to unnerve Marvin. Why was Bob so outspoken about corruption when the other teams only whispered of it? Was he part of some greater conspiracy?


    There wasn¡¯t much time to contemplate that. Soon enough, Bob and Sienna left for the stands, and Caroline for the pilot¡¯s room. Ben and Renee attached Marvin¡¯s head to the mech, said some words of encouragement, then sent him on his way.


    The arena was beginning to slip into a compartment of familiarity in Marvin¡¯s mind. It was a good feeling as he stepped onto the rough ground, took in the walls, the mostly empty stands, and his opponent.


    Meridian V was a strange mech. It had a normal build, except its right arm tapered off into a giant crab claw. Marvin wanted to roll his eyes. There was no way people thought that was cool. The rest of the mech more or less resembled Marvin¡¯s own. It was even unpainted, meaning it was a prototype.


    Marvin looked down to observe himself. His arm blades were still those clumsy, unfoldable things they had been in the Rustica fight, but he now had a 360 waist axis and a Maevis Converter. With the two paired together, he could generate massive amounts of power with every rotation of his body. Hopefully that would allow him to draw his swords faster. Saberstar had utilized a 360 waist axis as well, making Marvin feel right at home.


    And one last addition. A simple switch tucked in the back left corner of his Core, which, once flipped, would prompt him to kneel and cut off his own arm. An automated forfeit. Caroline and Renee had made it almost too accessible¡ªMarvin dearly hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to use it today.


    He focused back on Meridian V. That claw was quite thick and was probably not going anywhere. However, it left Meridian¡¯s left side open. Marvin just had to find an opportunity to slip in, then puncture the mech anywhere fatal. Its armor was nowhere near as chunky as Rustica¡¯s.


    ¡°Caroline, is it?¡± George Jang bellowed from his mech.


    Marvin didn¡¯t bother to nod. These pilots who reverted to taunting were embarrassments to the sport.


    ¡°You ever heard of paint?¡± George said. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be the ugliest mech I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    You hypocrite, Marvin thought. It didn¡¯t matter; he¡¯d easily win this fight. In fact, as he analyzed it now, there was a chance he could end it within the first few seconds. Meridian V would not expect an attack from its right side. Marvin just had to get past the claw, pivot, and stab the enemy in the back.


    ¡°Pilots, prime your mechs!¡± Sienna announced.


    ¡°Enter your mechs!¡±


    ¡°On your mark, get set¡­¡±


    Marvin launched forward as soon as Sienna pronounced the ¡°t¡± in ¡°fight.¡± As expected, Meridian V wound its claw backwards, taken aback by surprise. One swing of the claw passed over Marvin¡¯s head. It opened, shooting two blades backwards, trying to catch Marvin.


    No such luck¡ªMarvin was already behind Meridian V. He jammed one saber into the ground and used his thrusters to pivot around that sword. He drew the other saber as he spun and pointed it upwards, ready to run it through the opponent¡¯s back.


    However the moment the tip of his blade came within an inch of Meridian V¡¯s armor, the other mech¡¯s thrusters flared and it flew forwards, out of range. An automated response, most likely, along with the smooth 180 degree turn that followed.


    ¡°That was real cheap, Caroline,¡± George said. ¡°No wonder you beat Rustica.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Marvin forced himself not to feel disappointed. Fights never ended within the first few seconds anyway, no matter the skill gap between mechs.


    Marvin and Meridian V charged, initiating a classic bout. Although the claw was new, Marvin was used to this stage of the fight. He dodged whenever he could, gauging the opponent, checking for patterns, looking for weak spots. George did the same, of course, but his inadequacy allowed Marvin to fall into a comfortable rhythm.


    He really isn¡¯t that good, Marvin thought as he dodged the sixth claw snap. Same position, same speed, same step-back afterwards. It was like George was just executing a series of programs.


    He probably is. Maybe all he does is press buttons and trash talk.


    This seemed almost too easy. Marvin was certain he had a pattern down by now¡ªMeridian V would snap its claw, step away, and then, instead of backing off like usual, Marvin would stay in pace and lunge forward. From there, there was a plethora of win conditions to take a hold of.


    Meridian V performed a routine sweep and jab, which Marvin effortlessly dodged. If George was any good, he would¡¯ve picked up on some of Marvin¡¯s habits, like how he usually sidestepped to the right, then boosted backwards. But if George noticed, he did not take advantage.


    Just a routine program.


    Marvin wondered if this was his ¡°unorthodox¡± way of fighting. Make the opponent convinced they had him figured out, then switch something up.


    Still, there was no harm in assuming the contrary. Marvin deflected a claw swing, spun, stabbed, and had his blade swatted away by the non-claw hand. He withdrew, waiting for the claw to approach and snap.


    However, just then, Meridian V jumped backwards. Marvin lunged anyway by instinct, but the position of the claw was off. Instead of it being forward and a non-threat, it was reared back so that when Marvin was in range, it rammed into him. He tumbled backwards and readjusted to his feet with his thrusters.


    Was that on purpose or just a random switchup? Marvin couldn¡¯t be bothered to decide, because right then George decided to start talking again.


    ¡°That was pathetic!¡± he said. He kept his distance and began circling.


    Marvin waited, half to calm himself down, half to observe Meridian V a little closer. The key to winning was staring him in the face, he was sure of it. Plus, he was certain George would start yapping instead of attacking.


    Marvin had heard all the trash talk before, especially the insults that pointed out his youth and his anti-socialness. He¡¯d grown immune, and was actually a little curious to hear what George would say.


    However, he didn¡¯t consider one fact.


    ¡°Caroline Sand,¡± George called. ¡°That¡¯s your full name, right? You went to Gregory High and got into the Entech-14, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    So we¡¯re just doxing now? Marvin thought. Caroline had mentioned Entech-14 before during their noodle shop chats¡ªit was one of the best engineering universities in the megacity.


    ¡°And you dropped out after two weeks, no?¡± George continued, still circling, each step resounding in the arena.


    Marvin slowly slid his feet to keep facing his opponent. This was unorthodox, borderline illegal, even. He wanted to feel glad that at least George wasn¡¯t talking about him, but in truth, that made it all the more uncomfortable.


    Caroline can¡¯t hear this, can she?


    ¡°Nothing happened in those two weeks,¡± George said. ¡°You attended your classes, studied, made friends. So why¡¯d you drop out? Something outside of university?¡±


    Marvin decided that he did not want to hear more about Caroline¡¯s life. He drew his sabers and ran at Meridian V.


    Bait out the snap. That¡¯s all you need.


    However, to Marvin¡¯s surprise, the jaws unhinged and folded backwards. Meridian V threw a punch with the flat of the claw. Marvin knew what was coming, but didn¡¯t have enough time to react. He unfolded his arm-shield and let the hit sink into the metal plate. He locked his leg joints, locked his arms, and held his ground.


    Obviously, he knew what would come next. With no time to avoid it, he just had to mitigate the damage.


    Meridian V¡¯s claw snapped shut. At the same, Marvin lifted his legs and kicked his 360 waist axis into high gear. The whirlwind of limbs tripped the opponent and they both crashed to the ground.


    Marvin heard a rising buzz within him as the torque was converted into energy. He jabbed his elbows outwards and ripped free from the claws. Sparks flew and gears burst, and he couldn¡¯t tell who had lost more parts.


    ¡°Where the hell did you get a Maevis Converter?¡± George shouted as both mechs leapt to their feet. ¡°Who¡¯d you steal it from?¡±


    Marvin grinned. All that taunting, for what?


    ¡°Or,¡± George said, retreating backwards, ¡°you¡¯ve got some connections. Friends of the Sand family.¡±


    Marvin rushed at Meridian V, but it kept backing away. Both his swings missed.


    ¡°Friends of Mr. Sand, maybe,¡± George said.


    Marvin flung himself at Meridian V. Jumped over its claw swing, flipped, and jammed one saber into its shoulder. He let gravity do the rest of the work¡ªas he fell, the sword carved a clean gash through the mech¡¯s shoulder blade. However, it didn¡¯t quite reach the motor. Marvin cursed as Meridian V retreated yet again, left arm still intact.


    ¡°Who were your parents, really?¡± George called. ¡°How come they divorced so suddenly? How come there¡¯s next to no record of them? How come your father¡¯s registered in the Memory Bank?¡±


    Marvin felt a chill go down his spine. Despite his mind screaming at him to keep attacking, he found himself stationary. Waiting for more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Caroline. You won¡¯t turn out like them,¡± George said. ¡°You won¡¯t become anything. You¡¯ll try your luck with mech-fighting, not make the next three Mecha Realms, then realize you need a change of career. But what then? You¡¯re already in your mid twenties and don¡¯t have a college degree. You¡¯ll end up slaving away in some factory, thinking every day about where you went wrong.¡±


    You¡¯ll never amount to anything as a mech pilot. You¡¯ll find a job you don¡¯t care about and slowly lose your passion over time. A life of wasted potential.


    Those words might have been particularly harsh for Caroline, but they might as well have been for Marvin.


    He clenched his fists and charged.


    He was met with a flurry of snaps and punches. Swords sliced through thin air, dodges landed in poor spots. He backed off slightly, spinning his torso twice to generate power for the Maevis Converter. Then he charged and met the claw head-on, catching it with his shields. He prepared to push, but something suddenly sparked within him and his arms gave out.


    Marvin¡¯s heart stopped. The converter had overheated.


    Meridian V¡¯s claw slammed into Marvin¡¯s face. He skidded across the floor like a ragdoll, losing a few bolts. The opponent was there a millisecond later with another haymaker to the face. Marvin blocked the third punch, but Meridian V angled its claw down and snapped it shut, catching his leg. Then he was in the air, spinning once, twice, thrice, then chucked across the arena.


    Marvin readjusted as quickly as possible, stabilizing himself with one violently wobbling saber. He had not recovered in time. Meridian V was in the air before he knew it, bearing down on him with those giant, metal jaws.


    Thud.


    The floor shook as three things hit it in unison. One: Meridian V¡¯s outstretched claw, hovering in the corner of Marvin¡¯s vision. It had missed him by a few inches.


    Two: Marvin¡¯s right knee. It looked foreign, out of place. No such impact had caused it to move there.


    And three: Marvin¡¯s right arm.


    He realized that he had hit the switch to forfeit.

 Chapter 22: The Chief

    Marvin limped into the team room and dropped his right arm on the nearest table. He refused to look at Ben and Renee when they came to transfer his head. It wasn¡¯t out of shame, but more of a simmering frustration that trapped him in his mind.


    I could¡¯ve won that. Could¡¯ve won that easily.


    It was the third time he¡¯d ever forfeited, except those first two times had been conscious decisions, not whatever demon had possessed him back there.


    ¡°You gotta get rid of the kill switch,¡± Marvin said as Renee attached his head to his normal body. She drew back in surprise.


    ¡°What if you die?¡± Ben protested. ¡°Look, that wasn¡¯t your fault. I don¡¯t know what he said to you, but you¡¯re a way better pilot than he is.¡±


    Am I asking for my own death? Marvin wondered. He was sure he understood the risks. It was the disgrace of losing a battle that overrode all that. His pride. Besides, if he wanted to perform, to do his best to help these three win Mecha Realm, he needed to be as immersed in the fight as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll know when to forfeit.¡± Marvin pointed to his skull. ¡°This is too easy. I did it subconsciously.¡±


    Ben and Renee exchanged a look. Renee gestured towards the exit and Ben nodded. They would talk about it later with Caroline.


    ¡°May I ask,¡± Renee said. ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    Marvin figured it¡¯d be unfair to Caroline to tell them, even if they knew already. He replied, ¡°Just average trash talk.¡± He intended to stop there, but something poked him from the back of his mind. ¡°Do you guys know what the Memory Bank is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a thing in Sector 8,¡± Ben said. ¡°People wipe their memories and store them there. Only the richest people can afford it.¡±


    ¡°Why did George Jang mention that?¡± Renee asked.


    Marvin shook his head. ¡°He was just saying random stuff.¡±


    Sector 8. Our flipside Sector. Ainsel AI¡¯s Sector.


    Marvin wasn¡¯t sure what this entailed. Caroline¡¯s father was registered, so that meant he was rich. It also meant there was something he wanted to forget.


    This is none of my business, Marvin told himself. If it became a problem, he would confront Caroline about it. If not, it was better to forget it.


    -----


    Caroline stared at the golden plaque on the door. It read Amir Kaleid, head of the Sector 58 Police Department. An ally, even a friend at times, but a very scary man. Caroline waited a good five seconds before knocking.


    She was on the 98th floor of Nagatown¡¯s police headquarters, which contained the offices of the senior members. There was no doubt at least three were Manhunters, but since Gerard hadn¡¯t recognized her during their meeting with Ishaan, she figured she was safe. And she knew for certain Amir wasn¡¯t bought out.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The voice was harsh, yet tired. That weariness had set in a month ago, after the disappearance of Amir¡¯s sister. Caroline didn¡¯t know the details, and she wasn¡¯t keen on asking.


    She pushed open the door¡ªit was one of the rare ones still on hinges¡ªand stepped into a dark office twice too large for a single person. The windowless walls were lined with shelves draped in shadow, and in the far left corner a hunched figure sat at a desk. A lone lamp illuminated a blue and gray uniform, letting the numerous medals on it glitter but obscuring the figure¡¯s face. A sofa by the door looked awfully inviting to Caroline, but it was too far from the desk. She had no choice but to walk forward.


    ¡°Nice to see you, Caroline,¡± Amir said.


    Caroline nodded awkwardly. ¡°I need your help,¡± she began.


    Amir didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    ¡°There¡¯s a scavenger we¡¯ve been getting our mech parts from,¡± Caroline said. ¡°He steals them from the Manhunters, but we also found weapons in his storage. High end stuff like plasma rifles and railguns. We think he¡¯s been stealing those from the Manhunters, too.¡±


    The silhouette of Amir¡¯s head tilted to one side. ¡°And?¡±


    Caroline felt a spike of adrenaline for no particular reason. It was hard enough talking to the chief in normal lighting. This setting straight out of a horror movie made it infinitely worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s really dangerous for us,¡± Caroline said, ¡°but he¡¯s our cheapest source. So best if we don¡¯t cut it off.¡± She paused, wondered for a few seconds if she should continue, then realized she¡¯d hesitated for too long to do that. So she just awkwardly waited.


    ¡°And you want me to what? Confiscate these weapons?¡±


    Caroline swallowed. ¡°Could you?¡±


    Amir sighed. ¡°You realize half of my colleagues are Manhunters, right?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°You could keep it a secret from them.¡±


    ¡°Not forever.¡±


    ¡°Then you could be like an intermediary. Hand the weapons off to the Manhunters.¡± Caroline nervously folded her hands behind her back; she was far out of her depth suggesting these things, but she knew that Amir and the gang were on good terms. Amir had said once that he tolerated the gangs because they showed their true colors. It was the corporations like Ainsel AI he hated, those gilded beacons of progress.


    ¡°They¡¯ll start asking questions,¡± Amir said. ¡°I can¡¯t promise they won¡¯t still go after your scavenger.¡±


    Caroline opened her mouth to argue, but Amir continued, ¡°But I do wonder, where did the Manhunters get these weapons?¡±


    ¡°The badlands?¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°No, they use bullets out there.¡± Amir tapped a finger on his desk, the sound resounding across the vast room. ¡°But there are old Federation bases farther west. Maybe they raided one of those.¡±


    Caroline didn¡¯t know much about the Federation, the interstellar force that governed their planet. For the most part, it stayed out of the megacities¡¯ affairs.


    ¡°And,¡± Amir continued, ¡°what does the scavenger want with the weapons? Is he holding them as blackmail?¡±


    Caroline just shrugged. At times like these, it was best to let the man go on his tangent.


    ¡°See, the Manhunters don¡¯t tolerate thievery in the slightest. They¡¯ll kill your friend regardless,¡± Amir said. ¡°But I can get the weapons out of there if it makes it easier for you.¡±


    Caroline pursed her lips. This was good, right? It spared them any complications with Hosaka. Still, she wondered if she should press further, ask if Amir could do anything to protect Sangeet.


    She decided against it and instead only asked, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the scavenger somewhere to store them. It¡¯ll still be his property, but it¡¯s as hidden as it gets. If the Manhunters kill him for stealing their parts and then decide to go after you, you can still use the weapons as leverage. Threaten to report them to Hosaka or something.¡±


    Caroline almost made a face at how simple it seemed. Could Amir really not do anything to help Sangeet? She understood that it was hard to fight against an institution that was practically owned by the Manhunters, but he was the chief. There had to be some strings he could pull.


    And yet, Caroline kept her mouth shut. The truth was, she barely knew Sangeet. Yes, he had a sympathetic reason to be here, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a friend.


    ¡°Send me his location. I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow,¡± Amir said. He brought one hand into the light and pointed at Caroline. ¡°I want you to come with me.¡±


    Caroline once again felt that spike of adrenaline. Nights sitting across her father in the diner flashed by. Ancient projectors broadcasting videos on the wall. Stacks of hard drives in steel boxes.


    Why? Why now?


    But Caroline already found herself nodding.


    -----


    The storage was the same old. Dusty mech parts scattered on dusty shelves, a little sparser now that a few more purchases had been made. Apparently other people came to this bootlegger, although Caroline had never seen them.


    She had told Sangeet she was coming, but had not mentioned Amir. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t panic.


    They loitered in the storage for a bit, inspecting the shelves and taking in the strange desk and window by the corner, until a section of the wall flickered and Sangeet stepped through. He held his metal polearm like always, and held it a little closer when he saw Amir¡¯s rugged police uniform.


    Caroline raised her hands to disarm him. ¡°It¡¯s alright. He¡¯s my¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sangeet whimpered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble,¡± Amir said. ¡°I¡¯m here to protect you from the Hosaka Roundtable.¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯ll just let him do this. Caroline was more than happy to sit back and observe. After all, that was why she had agreed to come; the more she learned, the better prepared she would be for the future.


    ¡°We know you have illegal weapons,¡± Amir said.


    Sangeet immediately faked a look of bewilderment. ¡°What weapons?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you why you have them because I know you¡¯ll lie again,¡± Amir said. ¡°But we both know if Hosaka finds out, you¡¯re looking at a couple decades in prison at best. Lucky for you, I¡¯ve promised Caroline to prevent that. I¡¯ve got a storage. It¡¯s outside the Sector, off grid. No one who¡¯s gonna bother you knows where it is.¡±


    Sangeet raised his polearm, eyes darting between Amir and Caroline. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not with the Manhunters?¡±


    How would he prove his innocence? How could we disarm Sangeet enough? Now that she thought about it, it seemed nigh impossible. For all the scavenger knew, his clients had just betrayed him and he should cut off all contact from now on.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t killed you yet, for one,¡± the police officer replied.


    Sangeet held his weapon a little higher as if Amir was going to change his mind.


    ¡°Caroline, can you tell him to calm down?¡±


    Caroline¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she snapped to attention. What was she supposed to do? On the way here, they hadn¡¯t planned for her to say anything.


    It¡¯s just a test. Amir has a backup in case I mess up.


    And she supposed it was a good idea, too, as Sangeet hopefully still trusted her.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Caroline said, then immediately winced. What¡¯s true? ¡°Um, we¡¯re here to help. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± Sangeet asked. ¡°About the weapons?¡±


    Caroline sucked air through her teeth. ¡°I may have asked Renee to sneak around.¡±


    Sangeet widened his eyes, and Caroline considered telling him that they didn¡¯t find his illusory wall. But that wouldn¡¯t make things much better, would it?


    ¡°We had to know who we were dealing with,¡± Caroline said. She forced herself to regain composure. ¡°You would understand. You kinda spied on us for two weeks.¡±


    Sangeet¡¯s grip on his weapon tightened. ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak into your home!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to help,¡± Caroline repeated. ¡°The weapons are still yours. You can keep one here for self defense if you want. It¡¯s just best for all of us if Hosaka doesn¡¯t find a giant stash here.¡±


    Caroline could see the scavenger let down his guard a bit. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling a strange sense of remorse. A side-eye from Amir told her she had messed up somewhere along the way.


    However, the result was the same. In the end, after a few more minutes of talking, Sangeet concluded he was outnumbered in this argument and allowed the weapons to be transferred.


    Why? Caroline wondered. Why did he take them in the first place?

 Chapter 23: Rematch

    Marvin stood with his back to the crowd, overlooking the stadium. It was the highest attendance yet, with a few notable additions being Morgan Silo, pilot of The Praetor, and Gianna Kang, pilot of Lightbreaker. They were here to mingle and spar with Sparrow, of course. Not watch the duel between Rustica and Marvin.


    But the duel was all Marvin cared about. The first real fight. No kill conditions. No switch to auto-forfeit. Just like old times.


    The arm sabers had been completely replaced¡ªnow they were the classic unfoldable ones Saberstar had, which could be drawn in a fraction of a second. A rear-view camera had been added, along with multiple ultrasonic sensors that triggered various automated responses. A better ventilation system had been installed for the Maevis Convertor, and a few extra thrusters along the waist axis made for ultra fast rotation.


    Marvin counted the time in his head: 2:10 PM and 34 seconds. Bob and Sienna were supposed to be here at 2, but something probably had held them up. Marvin figured they had a lot to deal with.


    He opened and closed his robotic fists by his sides as he studied the arena. Would he be able to beat Rustica this time? The larger mech was now allowed to use the thrusters on its axe, and Marvin suspected the weapon itself had sensors that would activate those thrusters when the opponent tried to grab the axe.


    But my swords are faster now, too, Marvin thought.


    Despite the danger, the risk to his life, he couldn¡¯t help smiling to himself. A nervous smile, perhaps, but laced with excitement.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from them yet,¡± Caroline said, joining him at the edge of the pit. ¡°You wanna go to the team room and get ready?¡±


    Marvin nodded. They couldn¡¯t depend on Bob and Sienna to be responsive when those two had so much else on their hands. Besides, Marvin could practice a bit on his own.


    He and Caroline headed down to the ground floor, circling through the ivory corridor till they reached the team room. When Caroline tapped the door handle, the scanner blinked red and the metal barrier didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Huh,¡± she muttered. She knocked on the door, as if that would accomplish anything, then tapped the handle again to no avail. ¡°I guess Bob needs to unlock it.¡±


    Marvin frowned, thinking of all the pilots in the stands waiting to fight Sparrow. Fifteen minutes now.


    This was Bob¡¯s arena, after all. Didn¡¯t he have some obligation to tell others¡ªor at least Caroline, the host of these events¡ªwhy he was late?


    Caroline pulled out her tablet and called Bob. It went to voicemail.


    ¡°Great,¡± she murmured, fidgeting with the door handle. ¡°What now?¡±


    Marvin shrugged. Maybe he could transfer to the mech body and just practice in the halls for a bit? But he realized how weird and suspicious that would look.


    In the end, they decided to go back up and talk with some people. Without Sienna, Marvin wasn¡¯t too keen on conversing with Ella, but Immortal Ignition¡¯s pilot was who they approached first. She had just entered the stands after storing her mech.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from them since the last event,¡± Ella said when they asked her about Bob and Sienna. ¡°We¡¯re not that close.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually get here early?¡± Marvin asked.


    Ella gave him a look. ¡°Are you saying I knew they were gonna be late?¡±


    Marvin shrugged.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start this with me,¡± Ella said. ¡°I hate being falsely accused.¡± She sniffed and gestured towards the arena. ¡°But if you wanna spar, Caroline¡ª¡±


    ¡°The doors are locked,¡± Caroline said. ¡°We were gonna talk to The Praetor and Lightbreaker¡¯s pilots, though, if you want to join.¡±


    Wait, I never agreed to this, Marvin thought.


    To his dismay, Ella smiled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    So the three of them set off. As they headed to the table Morgan Silo stood at, they¡ªbut mostly Caroline and Ella¡ªwere greeted by some of the pilots they¡¯d previously talked to, including Carlos, who was sitting with his teammates and discussing a blueprint of The Everlancer. George Jang was unfortunately also present, but he was on the opposite side of the stadium. Marvin only caught a glimpse of him before he was obstructed.


    Morgan Silo was a tall, lanky man with lively eyes creased with wrinkles, although he couldn¡¯t have been older than 35. He wore a black bucket hat with two neon wires that ran from his head to his shoulder blades. Marvin and the others caught him just as he was finishing talking with another pilot.


    Caroline introduced herself and Marvin as the pilot of Cablecar and her apprentice. Ella already knew Morgan from Mecha Realm last month, and they exchanged a warm greeting.


    Instead of cringing at the name ¡°Cablecar,¡± Morgan¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting Bob today, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whenever he gets here,¡± Caroline said. Everyone glanced at the hologram above the arena displaying the time.


    19 minutes and 2 seconds past 2:00.


    ¡°He¡¯s not here?¡± Morgan asked.


    Caroline nodded. ¡°The doors downstairs are all locked.¡±


    Morgan cocked his head. ¡°That¡¯s weird. He practically lives here.¡± He tapped his fingers together. ¡°That was leading up to Mecha Realm, though. I guess he¡¯s taking a break.¡±


    But would he be this late for a duel?


    ¡°Is he usually punctual?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Morgan replied. ¡°If he¡¯s not, it¡¯s usually something really important.¡±


    If it were so important, wouldn¡¯t he have said something?


    Marvin recalled the last time they¡¯d talked, Bob had said how he was trying to track Marvin¡¯s NID traces. Had something happened as a result of that¡ªhad Bob discovered something important? Or perhaps he¡¯d found something dangerous and he was now compromised.


    Then there was the other explanation: it wasn¡¯t Bob, but Sienna. Something had happened to her that was preoccupying him.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t told you why he¡¯s late?¡± Morgan asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Caroline replied. ¡°You think he would¡¯ve told someone here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the host, are you not?¡± Morgan pointed out, which got a look of surprise out of Caroline. Apparently people did know this fact. ¡°If his teammates are here, then I guess he hasn¡¯t told anyone.¡±


    Caroline, Ella, and Marvin exchanged glances. Ella seemed more or less indifferent, as if this were a normal occurrence, but Marvin could tell he and Caroline were on similar wavelengths.


    If he doesn¡¯t show up in thirty minutes, something is wrong.


    There were ten minutes and 24 seconds till then. Those were spent talking with Morgan about mech-fighting and his piloting style and his mech¡¯s components. It was all interesting, but Marvin found it hard to focus. An unsettling air had set in amongst them. Smiles seemed a little more fake, voices seemed a bit more stilted.


    Except for Ella, of course. Once Caroline was done talking, Ella was more than happy to complain about how bad this year¡¯s weather systems were. ¡°Completely random,¡± she said, as if the weather patterns were not displayed in the middle of the battleground for all to see. A good pilot would have taken a photo or memorized the patterns.


    After a while, Ella spotted Carlos free and scurried over to him. Marvin, Caroline, and Morgan stood by their circular table awkwardly.


    Then, Morgan¡¯s eyes widened and he smiled. Caroline and Marvin turned around and followed his gaze towards the entrance of the stands, where the crowd was parting for someone.


    Sienna Lee.


    Marvin let out an internal sigh of relief as he watched the pilot¡¯s streak of red hair move through a sea of darker colors. He looked to his right at the arena, thoughts instantly going back to the duel.


    However, when he looked back at Sienna, he noticed something was off. Her gait was agitated and her eyebrows were furrowed with concern. As she got closer to them, she picked up her pace. Her pupils were large, frenetic.


    Marvin stepped back nervously as Sparrow¡¯s pilot skidded to a halt in front of them. She glanced at the three of them¡ªMarvin, Caroline, and Morgan¡ªtook a shaky breath, and said, ¡°Bob¡¯s gone missing.¡±

 Chapter 24: Traces

    Gone. Missing. Slept at his teammate Ji¡¯s apartment, then disappeared in the morning.


    Why had he stayed there instead of with Sienna?


    He claimed he had to repair the mech after Marvin¡¯s duel. It¡¯d be a late night, he said.


    But the truth was, Ji wasn¡¯t there at all that night. Bob had turned off his NID tracking, meaning that no one could confirm where he had been.


    Sienna told them this on the shuttle as they headed to Ji¡¯s apartment. The high end shuttle allowed them to sit in the cabin at two opposite-facing booths while the autopilot guided them along the airstreams. Marvin¡¯s heart hammered in his mechanical hull as the skyscrapers flew past their feet and the megacity warped around them. He couldn¡¯t wipe the thought that somehow, this was his fault. Bob had been tracing his steps before his murder, after all.


    ¡°I called Inspector Kobayashi¡ªhe¡¯s an acquaintance from Mecha Realm. He should be on the case soon,¡± Sienna said. ¡°I¡¯ve also talked to all of Robert¡¯s friends and teammates. No one saw him after 6 PM yesterday.¡±


    ¡°When did you see him last?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°We had lunch, then I had to go to a meeting,¡± she replied. ¡°Nothing seemed off.¡±


    The shuttle¡¯s AI announced that they were approaching the Lagrange point, and the world outside flipped 180 degrees. The transition was so smooth that it seemed like the windows were playing a video. Now they were flying in the flipside sector.


    ¡°Can we at least find his NID traces?¡± Caroline asked.


    Sienna nodded absentmindedly. ¡°Ji¡¯s on it right now.¡±


    Just like what Bob did for me, Marvin thought. What did he find?


    The shuttle flew for another few minutes before docking beside a skyscraper. A side door opened, revealing a tunnel that funneled them directly into Ji¡¯s room. The shuttle would autopilot to a garage afterwards.


    It was a standard, mid-class apartment, with a layout similar to Renee¡¯s but without the luxury. The textures were duller and less reflective, furniture was slightly torn, paint was peeling, and various wires and other items were strewn about. But it had personality.


    Ji himself was at the living room table, clacking away at a laptop. He nodded to Sienna, Marvin, and Caroline when they entered but didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Any progress?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°Give it a few more minutes,¡± Ji said.


    ¡°Was he actually here?¡±


    ¡°It would seem so.¡± Ji pointed to the misshapen kitchen; specifically, at the coffee machine and the dirty mug beside it. Then he brought their attention to an open cabinet, a bowl in the sink, and a box of cereal left on the counter.


    ¡°Problem is, the cameras were down,¡± Ji explained, turning back to his laptop. ¡°Whole building had a blackout. No way it was natural.¡±


    ¡°Hacked?¡± Sienna asked.


    Ji shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but I know for sure Bob can¡¯t do something like that. It could¡¯ve been collateral damage from something else.¡±


    ¡°But the timing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sienna walked to the bedrooms, nervously tapping her hand against her leg. Marvin and Caroline started to follow, but Ji cleared his throat.


    ¡°Are you the ones who knew Theo?¡±


    Marvin tensed up. Caroline spun around and sputtered a reply.


    ¡°Not me. Steve and another one of our teammates knew Theo.¡±


    Ji nodded and his eyes darkened. ¡°Did you know this would happen?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Caroline looked at Marvin, and he could only stare back.


    They had all known the Manhunters were a big deal. Bob had been careful. Caroline had been almost too careful. Marvin¡­ Marvin had followed Caroline. How could things have escalated so quickly?


    Marvin remembered what Ishaan had said¡ªa hacker had killed his bodyguard. A hacker beyond the Manhunters¡¯ status. Could it have been the same one who had disabled the apartment cameras?


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Ji said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. ¡°Do you two have any idea where Bob could be?¡±


    Marvin and Caroline exchanged looks again. Dead hung in the air like a plague. What else would someone have done to silence Bob? Unless, of course, he had disappeared on his own volition and it had nothing to do with Marvin¡¯s death.


    Caroline was apparently on that wavelength, as she asked Ji, ¡°What are the odds that this isn¡¯t related to Theo?¡±


    ¡°Bob¡¯s clean,¡± Ji replied. ¡°Sienna and I have known him since we were kids.¡±


    ¡°Would he have left on his own?¡± Caroline asked.


    Ji scowled. ¡°You can¡¯t think it¡¯s more likely¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ji, what¡¯s this?¡± Sienna suddenly called.


    Three heads snapped towards the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Sienna emerged from the shadows, clutching a picture frame in her left hand. Marvin focused his vision and made out the photo¡¯s details: Bob and Sienna herself standing on a terrace high above the city, the flipside sector hanging above them like a chandelier. Marvin figured they were on one of the floating islands.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this?¡± Sienna demanded.


    Ji squinted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the one in our room. Our room.¡±


    ¡°Bob must¡¯ve brought it,¡± Ji said quietly.


    Marvin frowned. Why would Bob have brought a memory of his fiance unless he had known something would happen to him soon?


    ¡°Did he say nothing to you at all?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a coincidence,¡± Ji said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± Sienna said.


    ¡°Someone probably threatened him,¡± Caroline seconded. ¡°And he knew he had to make a choice by the end of last night.¡±


    Marvin raised an imaginary eyebrow. That was an awfully specific conclusion.


    ¡°Or it¡¯s here as a red herring,¡± Sienna said, waving the photo. ¡°Maybe someone broke into our apartment and took this.¡±


    Also a very specific conclusion. Or maybe both of them were just smart.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying he was never here?¡± Ji said.


    Sienna gave him a look that said, Obviously and pointed to the laptop.


    Ji glanced down and smiled mirthlessly. ¡°We¡¯ve got two traces from the past week.¡±


    Marvin, Caroline, and Sienna all gathered a little closer around the table.


    ¡°One¡¯s in the badlands. That¡¯s a deflection I¡¯m assuming.¡± Ji looked up at Marvin and Caroline, correctly assuming they didn¡¯t know what that meant. ¡°When people use signal blockers, they bounce their traces into the badlands. Best way to do it without arousing suspicion.


    ¡°This second one, though. It¡¯s some apartment complex in Nagatown.¡±


    Ji tapped two fingers on his laptop and dragged out a hologram, expanding it till it filled the table. It was a 3D map with a red pin marking the signal¡¯s source, which was underground near a square clearing. The gates and monotone high rises of the apartment complex could¡¯ve been found anywhere in Nagatown, but it was what was across the street that made Marvin shudder.


    Jori¡¯s Noodle Shop.


    There was no mistaking it. That pin was in Sangeet¡¯s hideout.


    Marvin kept as still as possible, terrified that any reaction would look incriminating. On the contrary, Caroline immediately gasped and turned to Sienna.


    ¡°We know where that is,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a bootlegger¡¯s storage. We buy our mech parts there.¡±


    Sienna and Ji stared at her. Marvin squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the bombardment of questions.


    Fortunately, Caroline beat them to it as she continued, ¡°We can take you there. Sangeet will probably know if Bob ever stopped by.¡±


    ¡°You guys take Ji,¡± Sienna said. ¡°I¡¯m going to check Robert¡¯s and my apartment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. We can touch base later,¡± Ji replied. A little too quickly, Marvin noticed, as if he were afraid of going alone. That was fair¡ªthere was ample reason to suspect him and Caroline.


    Sienna glanced between the three of them. Her eyes narrowed on Marvin, but she said nothing.


    I¡¯m sorry, Marvin thought. Even if he was not responsible for Bob¡¯s disappearance, he had made a mistake of not telling them his identity. He¡¯d led them down a false trail, and something along the way may have compounded an already bleak future.


    Yet now he had to keep his name all the more hidden. If Sienna and Ji knew, they¡¯d be quick to blame him. Maybe rightfully so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Ji¡¯s shuttle. You guys take mine,¡± Sienna said to Caroline and Marvin. ¡°Let¡¯s regroup tonight.¡±


    Caroline and Marvin could only nod.

 Chapter 25: Centium

    The flight back to Sector 58 was tense to say the least. Marvin wasn¡¯t sure if Caroline hated him for bringing this upon them, or if she felt equally guilty. He just stared out the window like a statue, trying to banish all thoughts from his Core.


    They decided to take a pit stop at the farm first to recruit Ben. Renee was out working, but she had been informed through text. When they landed on the slab of rock outside the workshop, Ben was already waiting in the golden clearing. The stalks of shalewheat around them bowed down as if ashamed to be bearing the bad news.


    ¡°Is it safe to see Sangeet?¡± Ben asked after Caroline had given him the rundown.


    ¡°He¡¯s trustworthy,¡± Caroline said. ¡°After Amir and I talked to him¡ª¡±


    ¡°What if he turns against us because of Amir?¡±


    Caroline pursed her lips. ¡°What else can we do?¡±


    Marvin realized those words had never been more valid. If they blew their one chance of finding Bob due to paranoia, Sienna, Ji, and so many others would never forgive them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been the careful one,¡± Ben said, lowering his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been careful when it was good for me,¡± Caroline said. She sighed and turned to Marvin. ¡°Let¡¯s stock up on safety measures.¡±


    The three of them headed into the workshop. They couldn¡¯t transfer Marvin to his mech body, as free-roaming mechs were illegal in Megacity 14, so they did the next best thing. First, they installed two smoke grenades, one in each of Marvin¡¯s arms. Then a drill-morphing-hand on the right and a rudimentary arm shield on the left.


    It took roughly twenty minutes. Marvin was powered on the whole time, and he conversed with Caroline and Ben to the best of his ability as they dissected him. With every passing minute, he grew more impatient. Bob was slipping away.


    Finally, Caroline unplugged all external wires and slapped a metal cover shut. Marvin quickly stood up, and the three of them made a beeline to the door.


    None of them were expecting it to open before they were within six feet.


    Three shadowy figures stood in the doorway, eerily similar to when the Manhunters had stopped Marvin and Ben in the alleyway. Marvin nearly fired his smoke grenade, until he noticed that these newcomers did not have the red cybernetic goggles or sleek suits of Nagatown¡¯s biggest gang. Instead, they wore heavy, bright-colored robes and wielded swords that extended from their prosthetic right hands. The figure in the middle wore a black conical hat.


    Marvin felt simultaneous waves of terror and confusion wash through him. This was Centium, arguably the most powerful gang in the megacity and definitely the most recognizable. But what were they doing in Nagatown? The Manhunters had chased them out years ago.


    Caroline and Ben stepped aside, almost in reverence, as the three figures strode in. The one with the hat entered the light first¡ªshe was black haired woman who couldn¡¯t have been older than Caroline. She had a gaunt face and narrow, calculating eyes that teetered on the edge of insanity.


    What is the meaning of this? Marvin thought. Do they know something about Bob? Were they the ones who made him go missing?


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± the woman said, jabbing a thumb at the door. ¡°I¡¯m Diana, Darren¡¯s sister.¡±


    ¡°Darren Kane?¡± Ben asked meekly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Diana swept her eyes across the workshop. ¡°He died a couple of weeks ago.¡±


    Ben and Caroline¡¯s eyes went wide. Marvin had much less of a reaction. Darren Kane dying was a big deal, but Bob was the objective. That either meant getting past Centium as quickly as possible, or getting them to spill important information.


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge now?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Diana smiled a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°And I wanted to introduce myself to our former friends.¡±


    Ben winced at the last word. Marvin eyed him warily. This has to do with Renee, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s whatever you haven¡¯t been telling me.


    ¡°Can we set up a time to talk later?¡± Caroline said. ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°No,¡± Diana said. She pointed to the dining table. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Marvin fidgeted with the gears in his right arm, tempted to unfold his drill hand or do something, anything. If Diana Kane was here about Bob, then she¡¯d probably kill them within the next ten minutes. If she was here about Renee for some other business, they would probably still die, along with Renee.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the debt, right?¡± Caroline asked. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Diana crossed her arms. ¡°Not just the debt. Something happened recently that made this visit a lot more urgent. One of our guys went missing.¡±


    Caroline inhaled sharply. Marvin¡¯s cameras swiveled between his friends.


    ¡°You were in contact with him,¡± Diana said, pointing to the three of them. ¡°And his fiance and his teammates.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°Bob is clean¡± my ass! How long had the man been working for Centium? Had investigating Marvin¡¯s death been a ploy this whole time?


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Caroline asked. She pulled off the confusion surprisingly well, but Diana just stood there and stared at her. Caroline caught on and exhaled shakily.


    ¡°Okay, yes, Bob,¡± she said. ¡°I swear we have no idea what happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to confirm that,¡± Diana said. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Marvin looked at Ben, silently begging him to say something. If anyone could talk their way out of this, it was him. But Ben looked completely petrified; his eyes were glazed over as if watching thousands of memories unfold.


    ¡°The Manhunters kidnapped Bob,¡± Marvin blurted out. He felt several circuits in his face short as all eyes turned to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Diana said.


    ¡°Well, we think so. We were gonna go find him,¡± Marvin said. ¡°We were just leaving to do that.¡±


    Diana squinted at him. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Marvin nodded. His motors were positively twitching with anticipation now¡ªit would only take a sneeze to unfold that arm shield.


    ¡°You three kids are gonna try to rescue Bob?¡± Diana said.


    Marvin nodded again. You¡¯re not much older than us.


    ¡°How can you expect me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s the truth,¡± Marvin said. Something loosened inside him. It was the truth. Whether the Manhunters or someone else kidnapped Bob didn¡¯t matter. It was exactly what was going on, and Centium would only benefit from it. A third party saving their spy and potentially dealing a blow to the Manhunters? Why wouldn¡¯t Diana believe him?


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in and out,¡± Caroline jumped in. ¡°An hour, max. Then we can talk.¡±


    ¡°In and out?¡± Diana scoffed. ¡°For the Manhunters?¡±


    ¡°Our cyborg has a modified killer-crane,¡± Caroline replied.


    Oh, Marvin wished he had that kind of combat software. With that plus his current skills, he could stroll right into the Manhunters¡¯ base and ask for Bob.


    A nostalgic smile flashed across Diana¡¯s face. ¡°Renee made it?¡±


    Caroline nodded.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s perfect. You and your cyborg can do your rescue op. I¡¯ll talk to Ben about his debt.¡±


    Ben widened his eyes, and Marvin swore he saw the slightest shake of his head. Marvin in turn felt a spike of adrenaline. Did that mean Diana planned to kill him?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to find Bob, too?¡± Caroline said. ¡°We could use your help.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t risk war with the Manhunters,¡± Diana said. ¡°Darren¡¯s dead and Hosaka¡¯s on our asses about these weapons we didn¡¯t steal.¡±


    ¡°Then at least¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky enough that I¡¯m letting you go.¡± Diana gestured at the dining table. ¡°Ben, let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind,¡± Caroline said quickly. ¡°Ben¡¯s more important to our mission.¡±


    To Marvin¡¯s horror, Diana suddenly turned to him and asked, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marvin said robotically. Yes?! ¡°Um, he¡¯s good at sneaking around.¡± That was kind of true¡ªBen had done a decent job of finding and approaching Bob at Mecha Realm.


    Diana furrowed her eyebrows, contemplative for a second. Then she shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡± She turned back to Caroline. ¡°You can get me in touch with Renee?¡±


    Caroline nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Diana waved at Ben and Marvin. ¡°See ya.¡±


    Marvin blinked. They were being let go, just like that? Maybe Diana was mainly after Renee; after all, it was Renee¡¯s apartment those people had broken into earlier this month.


    Marvin looked at Caroline questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. Behind her eyes she seemed worried and frustrated, but not scared for her life. ¡°See you guys tonight.¡±


    Before Marvin could say anything, Ben sped past him, past the Centium members, past the open door.


    Marvin wasn¡¯t keen on leaving Caroline alone, but none of the others¡ªnot even Caroline herself¡ªseemed to mind Ben¡¯s retreat. Marvin looked her in the eye one last time, then turned and went after Ben.


    A lot of questions. There were a lot of questions that needed to be answered.

 Chapter 26: The Waiting Game

    By the time they reached Jori¡¯s Noodle Shop, Marvin had lost count of the number of times Ben said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Apparently, the debt had nothing to do with the Manhunters. Nothing to do with Bob. A completely separate conundrum only involving Ben and Renee.


    Regardless, Marvin was starting to piece it together. Centium had visited Renee¡¯s apartment, sending periodic reminders of the payment. Her and Ben¡¯s parents had probably been gang members, and were let out at a price.


    Maybe that¡¯s how Ben knew about the prayer grounds, Marvin thought. Centium operations in Nagatown. Marvin recalled that Centium had controlled territory here for some time before the Manhunters had chased them out.


    The two of them walked past the noodle shop and headed into the apartment complex. The slate gray buildings and darkened windows were drenched in sunlight this time, but that only made the emptiness more unnerving. They reached the plaza and stopped for a second, observing the surroundings. The distant city bustled faintly. The walls were as bland as ever. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    Across the plaza, the stairwell that led to Sangeet¡¯s storage seemed unnaturally dark. Ben checked his tablet and clicked his tongue in frustration.


    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t replied.¡±


    Earlier, they¡¯d texted Sangeet about Bob and asked if they could access his storage. Sangeet had never been one to respond quickly, though.


    ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to knock,¡± Ben said. He and Marvin headed down the stairs, engulfing themselves in the darkness. At the door, Ben stepped aside to let Marvin knock, and Marvin gave three of the most comically loud knocks of all time.


    They waited for five seconds. Ben tugged on the handle, but of course it was locked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a window, isn¡¯t there?¡± he asked.


    Marvin frowned. He wasn¡¯t keen on breaking in, and besides, if they really wanted to, he could probably pry the door open.


    Ben tapped his foot, and Marvin knocked again. Waited five seconds. No reply.


    Ben sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll camp out somewhere.¡±


    The two of them turned around, and of course, that was when the door behind them decided to slide open.


    Marvin spun around to find himself staring at an odd, circular object. His eyes crept upwards, following the barrel of a blue and silver plasma rifle until he met the red pupils of a Manhunter.


    Two stood at the doorway aiming guns at both of them. Behind the Manhunters, the lights of the storage flared on, revealing bare shelves and three more Manhunters.


    Marvin¡¯s fight or flight response spiked and he almost swatted the plasma rifle away. He had an arm shield and a drill hand and a much better body¡ªhe could fight his way out of this.


    But in no scenario would Ben make it out alive.


    ¡°Finally!¡± a voice shouted. A sixth Manhunter walked into view, and this one was a familiar face. Gerard grinned, hefted his own plasma rifle, and pointed it at Ben.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve killed you the first time,¡± he said, though he sounded far from angry. There was rabid bloodlust in his eyes. ¡°Stealing all those parts? You got some nerve.¡±


    Ben was frozen. Of course he was. Marvin clenched his imaginary teeth and raised his voice.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t steal your stuff,¡± he said. ¡°It¡­ It was a scavenger.¡±


    Marvin could almost hear Gerard¡¯s glare slice through the air as it landed on him.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    See, there was a reason he didn¡¯t talk much. Now he had all but thrown Sangeet to the wolves.


    ¡°One of your associates?¡± Gerard demanded.


    The gears in Marvin¡¯s arm shield grinded against one another, begging to spin. It would be so easy to weave past the Manhunters, reach Gerard, and break his rib cage. One second, one punch.


    But in that time, a plasma round was bound to hit Ben.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Gerard asked. The excitement in his face was fading.


    Marvin shivered. He risked a glance at Ben, and the boy was completely petrified with fear.


    First with Centium, now here, Marvin thought. Why can¡¯t you be good at talking when it actually matters?


    ¡°Tell me or I shoot him,¡± Gerard said, prodding his rifle at Ben.


    ¡°No wait!¡± Marvin said hastily. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    Gerard groaned. ¡°He doesn¡¯t exist, does he?¡± His finger moved towards the trigger.


    ¡°Yes he does!¡± Marvin said. ¡°His name is Sangeet.¡±


    The words slipped out of his speakers. His adrenaline was so high that he could barely process how stupid it was. A voice in the back of his mind faintly wailed, What have I done?


    ¡°That true?¡± Gerard asked Ben. Ben gave a single nod.


    Gerard exchanged looks with the other Manhunters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find him,¡± one of them said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t bother,¡± Gerard said. ¡°Leave a message and give him three days to turn himself in. If he doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll kill these two.¡±


    ¡°Jacques won¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    The other Manhunter cringed.


    ¡°Tell me the time,¡± Gerard ordered. The Manhunter obliged. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been sitting around for three fucking hours. That¡¯s three hours we¡¯re never gonna get back.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The underling locked his jaw and didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna send a message either way,¡± Gerard continued. ¡°And I hope you agree we¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about?¡±


    The Manhunter nodded reluctantly, and Gerard made a motion for the others to head out. Another gangster clamped a hand around Marvin¡¯s shoulder, spun him around, and pushed him up the stairs. Ben followed closely behind.


    ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± Marvin asked, heart racing.


    ¡°The garage,¡± Gerard said. He sighed and rubbed his temples. ¡°Just tell me I get to kill someone soon.¡±


    Marvin gulped. Sangeet would never give himself up for them; he barely knew them. Hell, Sangeet was fully justified after Marvin had given him up without so much as a threat. How had things gone so wrong so fast?


    We have to escape.


    But that plasma rifle was snug against Ben¡¯s back. The slightest flinch would cause it to fire.


    Just wait. There¡¯s gotta be a way to get out of this.


    But something told Marvin he¡¯d used up all his luck the first time he¡¯d fought the Manhunters.


    -----


    Caroline sifted through the table of expenses one more time. The numbers on that screen made her eyelids grow heavy. To keep herself awake, she stood up and began pacing around the workshop. She eventually found herself at the dining table where Renee was hunched over, face buried in her arms.


    ¡°Renee,¡± Caroline said softly.


    Renee gave a thumbs up but didn¡¯t lift her head.


    ¡°I did the calculations,¡± Caroline said. ¡°If you pay now, we could make it back by Mecha Realm.¡±


    Renee looked up, confused and skeptical.


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming we win all of our duels, and if at least ten of them are with top-fifty teams.¡±


    Renee lowered her head again.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. We just have to get top twenty in Mecha Realm,¡± Caroline said. The words sounded particularly fragile today, and she reminded herself that they could do it. They would work harder than all the other teams combined. They had the talent, the resources, and the time. It would happen.


    Renee didn¡¯t react, and Caroline walked away. She was too tired for this. How long had it been since that horrible talk with Diana Kane? Two hours? Three? Since Renee was out of her job, it had to at least be 6 PM.


    After Caroline had told Diana all she knew about Bob, which was nothing of use, Diana¡¯s mood had soured greatly. She¡¯d made up new terms of the debt, raised the interest rate, and refused to leave until Renee arrived. Caroline had tried to ask about Bob, but Diana barely let her get a word out.


    Bob worked for Centium. What did that even mean? So many different theories floated around in Caroline¡¯s head, but none of them had sufficient evidence to take root. She resolved to ask Sienna when they met up later.


    Caroline checked the time¡ª6:01 PM. That meant Ben and Marvin had been gone for quite some time. Neither of them had texted back, nor had Sangeet.


    What if Sangeet is actually dangerous? Did I just send them to their deaths?


    Caroline didn¡¯t want to believe it, but then again, nothing could explain why Bob had last been at the scavenger¡¯s storage. She checked her tablet. No messages.


    There was simply too much going on right now: Bob¡¯s disappearance, Marvin¡¯s death, Centium¡¯s debt, and now this.


    I should¡¯ve given Marvin more safety measures. I should¡¯ve gone with them. I shouldn¡¯t have suggested going at all.


    Caroline stuffed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat and sat down beside a worktable. It was supposed to be simple: help Marvin find his human body, and he helps them win Mecha Realm. What had she gotten them into?


    Five more minutes. Then we¡¯ll go check on them.


    She glanced at Renee. The poor girl was rightfully overwhelmed¡ªCaroline could only imagine how she felt about Diana rising to power. Whether it was a one-sided crush or something deeper, Renee had always talked about Diana Kane with a sort of delicacy.


    There¡¯s nothing to admire about her, Caroline thought. Diana, Darren, and all the like were unfeeling people who would do anything to reach the top and stay there.


    Just then, her tablet buzzed. She whipped it out¡ªa few messages from Sangeet.


    I¡¯m sorry, I was in the deadzone. I¡¯ll be back in thirty minutes. I¡¯ve never met a Bob before, sorry.


    Caroline relaxed. She texted back, No worries. Can we meet up at the noodle shop? I want to check on Ben and Marvin.


    Sangeet: Did they enter the storage?


    Caroline could sense a little worry in those words. If it was locked then no.


    There was silence on his end for a moment. Then: Someone¡¯s been inside.


    Caroline pursed her lips. Ben and Marvin were not the type to break in. Amir, perhaps? They¡¯d extracted all the weapons five days ago, but maybe the police chief had gone back to make sure.


    Caroline replied, Let¡¯s meet in thirty minutes.


    Sangeet promptly agreed.


    -----


    At 6:35 PM, Caroline, Renee, and Sangeet converged at Jori¡¯s Noodle Shop. The scavenger wore casual attire but still had his surgical mask. Sometimes Caroline wondered if that thing was just an implant. Caroline had also asked Amir for support, but the man was investigating the murders in Sector 8 and would be unavailable for a while.


    ¡°Still no word from Ben and Marvin?¡± Caroline asked.


    Sangeet shook his head, and Renee tapped her foot impatiently. The scavenger seemed to keep his distance from the two of them; it didn¡¯t help that they had infiltrated his storage and discovered his stolen weapons.


    No, this was not the most stable relationship. Caroline had to be careful.


    They set off down the street, entered the apartment complex, weaved through the familiar alleys, and soon arrived at the clearing. Caroline¡¯s eyes immediately found the stairwell into the darkness, leading to a door that was ajar for the first time.


    They got in? Caroline thought.


    Sangeet ran ahead to his storage while the other two followed cautiously. When he entered, Caroline heard him curse quietly. Caroline and Renee picked up their pace down the stairs, but before they could pass through the door, Sangeet obstructed the frame.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here,¡± the scavenger said. His voice was trembling.


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Caroline said, taking a step forward and hoping he would get the hint.


    Sangeet didn¡¯t move. ¡°We should check somewhere else.¡±


    Caroline peered over his shoulder. All the storage shelves were empty, and something was painted on the opposite wall. The sunlight that streamed in through the window highlighted a cylindrical object on Sangeet¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Move,¡± Caroline demanded. Sangeet took a nervous step back and Caroline pushed past him. She first walked to the room¡¯s center to observe the painting. It was a simple image: two red circles and a black line between them. Two red eyes piercing through the wall.


    Caroline¡¯s heart dropped. She spun around to the door, half-expecting Sangeet to have disappeared. Fortunately, Renee was still behind him, trapping him.


    Caroline observed at the scavenger¡¯s wide eyes. He was scared. Weren¡¯t they all?


    She walked to the scavenger¡¯s desk, picked up the cylinder, and clicked a button on its side. A speaker began to play a familiar voice. It was the Manhunter who Caroline and Marvin had met at the prayer grounds, the one with the half grown-out beard. Gerard. That¡¯s his name.


    ¡°Alright. Sangeet or whoever is listening to this¡ªcongrats, you stole one percent of our stock. Now you got three days to come to the Sawblades¡¯ garage or else I¡¯m gonna kill Steve and Ben.¡±


    There was a pause, and Caroline could almost hear her heartbeat resounding throughout the room. Then the Manhunter continued,


    ¡°Truth is, I don¡¯t care if you come. I¡¯m more than happy to execute your friends and be done with it. But our glorious leader Jacques has promised not to kill you, so¡­ think on it.¡±

 Chapter 27: Confrontation

    Marvin was expecting to be put in some dungeon or prison cell. Yes, it was a garage, but it wasn¡¯t a stretch that the Sawblades would have a dungeon. Instead, Marvin and Ben were tied to chairs and kept in the epicenter of the workshop.


    It was a shame that they were captives, because it truly was a marvelous workshop. Mechanic arms flew along ceiling cables, moving parts from one storage mountain to another. The walls were covered in blueprints, and holograms illuminated every square inch of the floor. Several thin monitors were perched on each worktable, overseen by a giant screen that loomed on the back wall. A low quality speaker in the corner played music that rose above the constant hum of machinery.


    And of course, there was the yelling. The Manhunters yelled at the Sawblades very often.


    Marvin couldn¡¯t understand what they were so pressed about. As far as he could tell, they were simply making engines and other shuttle components. Gerard was at the center of the chaos, shoving between Sawblades and giving orders to Manhunters. It was clear he was in charge of the garage, an emissary of Jacques who was taking his role too seriously. They might not be hostages, but looking at how stressed the Sawblades were, this wasn¡¯t much better.


    They come in and out, moving truckloads of stuff, Marvin recalled. Ishaan had been extremely wary of whatever they were doing.


    Does he know I¡¯m here? Could he help us get out?


    That was a futile hope. Gerard knew they knew Ishaan; there was no way they would be allowed to see each other. Worse, the Manhunters could have hurt Ishaan because of Marvin.


    Footsteps approached from Marvin¡¯s left. A Sawblade appeared in front of him. The man wore a simple green leather jacket with fringes at the elbows that looked like saws. A lesser gang like them couldn¡¯t afford the distinction of the Manhunters or Centium.


    ¡°You friends of Ishaan, I heard?¡± the Sawblade said.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Ben said.


    Oh, so now you¡¯re talking, Marvin thought bitterly.


    The Sawblade scowled. ¡°This is nothing personal. I speak for all of us¡ªwe want this cleared up fast. We need our pilot, you hear?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really in our control,¡± Ben murmured.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t say it was,¡± the Sawblade said. He rolled back his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the Manhunters¡¯ mood on day three. If this thief doesn¡¯t show up after day two, we might just kill you ourselves.¡±


    Marvin had no idea what the logic behind that was. Wouldn¡¯t a better way to relieve the tension be to hunt down Sangeet themselves?


    The Sawblade sauntered off, and Marvin heard a rapid series of taps behind him. Ben was shivering in his chair.


    Marvin tensed up. Of course Ben was scared¡ªthey now only had two days to live! Two days to either escape or for Sangeet to become a saint and turn himself in. The latter was most definitely not happening.


    What¡¯s wrong with me? Why was my reaction delayed?


    Marvin disallowed himself from dwelling on that. Right now he needed to think of a way to escape. Unfortunately, the Manhunters had done something rather ingenious and put a paranade between his clamped robot hands. If he let go to break free of the shackles, he¡¯d set off an electric charge, killing himself and paralyzing Ben. He could stand up, but since he and Ben¡¯s chairs were tied together, he¡¯d end up lifting up his friend and going off balance.


    ¡°Ben,¡± Marvin hissed. ¡°Any ideas?¡±


    No response¡ªnot like Ben could do much more than Marvin in this situation. This wasn¡¯t something they could talk their way out of. The best option was somehow breaking his arms free without triggering the grenade. If he could hold it securely with one hand¡­


    The hours passed, and Marvin¡¯s brain grew emptier by the minute. It seemed so easy, yet his hands were positioned in a manner that he couldn¡¯t get them apart without loosening tension. It wasn¡¯t before long before he began to cope.


    It¡¯ll be okay, he told himself. Caroline will call the cops. That Amir guy will help us.


    After a bit, the activity in the garage dwindled. Half of the lights flickered off and the machines stopped humming. Manhunters and Sawblades alike cleared out.


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    Marvin counted seconds in his head. One minute. Two minutes. They¡¯d seemingly been left alone. He primed his voice box to speak to Ben.


    Suddenly, a metal door to his right slid open and four Manhunters entered. One of them was Gerard; the other three were unfamiliar. However, seeing how the one walking in front wore a white suit instead of black and had the most elaborate cybernetic goggles by far, Marvin figured he was Jacques.


    Behind them, metallic footsteps thundered on the concrete floor. In the darkness beyond the doorway, a dozen scarlet lights materialized. A hulking figure stooped below the frame and stepped into the light: the Manhunters¡¯ mech in all its glory¡ªten feet tall, black and white paint with the signature red insect eyes. Its head was built to resemble a praying mantis, while its arms tapered off into sharp backhand blades.


    Its name is literally Mantis, Marvin recalled. He¡¯d considered dueling it last season, but his team had decided against it.


    Jacques picked up a nearby chair, set it across from Marvin, and sat down while the other three Manhunters remained standing, the mech looming behind them. Marvin glanced at Gerard. Wasn¡¯t he at odds with Jacques? Why was he here? Had he been saying all that stuff behind Jacques¡¯ back?


    ¡°I truly am sorry about this,¡± Jacques said, folding his hands. ¡°But for once, Gerard here might¡¯ve been right. We don¡¯t have time to hunt down this Sangeet. Still, this is a matter we can¡¯t overlook. We had to go to great lengths to get those mech parts. Great lengths.¡±


    Marvin clenched his teeth. So what? He and Ben weren¡¯t the ones stealing them.


    ¡°In times like these, we try our best to smooth things over,¡± Jacques continued. ¡°I wish there was another way, but¡­ this city is a cruel place.¡± He gestured to Marvin. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Steve,¡± Marvin muttered.


    ¡°You have any family, Steve? Any close friends, anyone we can contact?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll let them know what happened to you in the case your scavenger friend doesn¡¯t show up. It¡¯ll give them solace.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s heart hammered in his hull. Solace? Where¡¯s the solace in knowing your friend was murdered?


    He found his joints tightening. Was this what they¡¯d said to his teammates? Did they think that Lindon, Theo, and Sina would be at peace knowing the exact reason he¡¯d been killed?


    Marvin glanced at the mech and thought of Gammagrade. Whose side would Ishaan take? Could he even afford to double-cross the Manhunters?


    ¡°Nothing will happen to them,¡± Jacques said. ¡°Whatever happens in the next three days will be the end of this.¡±


    Marvin stayed silent. His cameras flicked to the other Manhunters, trying to catch any sympathy in their faces. But the only one who showed any emotion was Gerard, and it definitely was not sympathy. The younger Manhunter watched Jacques like a hawk, a mixture of disdain and fascination in his eyes. Hatred, yet begrudging admiration.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Jacques said. He stood up and walked around to face Ben. The mech followed him, each step causing Marvin to tremble. ¡°And you? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Ben.¡±


    ¡°Contacts of family? Friends?¡±


    No reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re accomplishing nothing,¡± Jacques said. ¡°No one besides that scavenger can save you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ben murmured.


    ¡°There are certain boundaries we set with the police and Hosaka. Things they understand are our business and can¡¯t interfere with.¡± Jacques¡¯ voice lowered to an almost compassionate tone. ¡°This is a crime that can¡¯t go unanswered.¡±


    ¡°What about killing Marvin Yao?¡± Ben whispered.


    As if the room wasn¡¯t quiet enough, it fell dead silent. Marvin heard a shuffle of cloth as Jacques stood up.


    The first time he speaks in hours and he says that. But Marvin knew what this was: a gamble. A way to confirm or deny that the Manhunters had killed him.


    Whatever the case, they won¡¯t kill us right now, he thought. They need to wait the three days for Sangeet.


    Well, two if the Sawblades kept their word.


    Gerard¡¯s nostrils flared and he unfolded his prosthetic claw. Marvin was so startled that he almost crushed the paranade in his hands.


    ¡°You want to be killed now?¡± Gerard demanded. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Gerard!¡± Jacques snapped, causing the younger Manhunter to glower. Then, in a softer voice, he continued, ¡°That is a vile rumor, Ben. These are levels of depravity not even the Sawblades would stoop too.¡±


    Marvin wanted to rotate his head 180 degrees to observe the Manhunters¡¯ leader. Nothing could be discerned from his tone; he could¡¯ve been lying through his teeth or he could¡¯ve been genuinely defensive.


    Ben might¡¯ve picked up something.


    His friend had been a source of frustration lately, but for this Marvin was impossibly grateful.


    Now we just transfer this ingenuity to making an escape plan.


    Footsteps headed in Marvin¡¯s direction, and soon, Jacques was in his periphery again. The gang leader smoothed out his white suit and scoffed at Gerard¡¯s claw hand.


    ¡°Get that thing out of my sight.¡±


    Gerard retracted it without hesitation.


    Jacques turned to Marvin and Ben. ¡°We¡¯ll be back,¡± he said.


    And then the four Manhunters and their mech turned and left the room.

 Chapter 28: Paranoia

    Their best option was the laser. It was a giant box with a sphere embedded within that allowed the laser to rotate freely. It had a camera screen on the side and a remote that lay on a worktable not more than four feet from Marvin and Ben. Once they got ahold of that remote, they would cut off Marvin¡¯s hands, freeing him from the chair and the paralyzing grenade. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but they couldn¡¯t think of a better option.


    Now they just had to reach the remote.


    ¡°Could you hack it?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°The laser?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Could you sync with it or something?¡±


    Marvin rolled his eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    Their next course of action was slowly scooting the chair towards the worktable. The room was empty fortunately, so no one could judge how stupid they looked. Still, as they neared the table, they realized they had no idea how to actually retrieve the remote.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do this,¡± Ben said suddenly.


    Marvin tried to spin his head around. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There are no guards! Isn¡¯t that suspicious?¡±


    Marvin supposed that was true. He glanced at the remote control three feet from him. They¡¯d gotten this far already without being disturbed. Maybe the Manhunters were just busy with the infighting between their factions.


    Be realistic. Jacques said this was a crime that couldn¡¯t go unanswered.


    ¡°Can we get the remote at least?¡± Marvin said. ¡°Just as a backup?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ben said.


    But they realized once they¡¯d scooted next to the table that there was no way of grabbing the remote. Their hands were tied. Ben tried to crane his neck to pick up the device with his mouth, but couldn¡¯t get anywhere close. He asked Marvin to tilt the chair backwards, but Marvin could only tilt his own chair; they weren¡¯t bound tight enough.


    Soon, they gave up. Ben insisted it was for the better. Marvin suspected they were doomed. Regardless, they both could do nothing but wait.


    ¡°Ben, can I ask you about Centium?¡± Marvin said at length. He figured it had been long enough.


    The other boy didn¡¯t reply for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡±


    ¡°There might not be a later,¡± Marvin said.


    Another pause. ¡°Me telling you won¡¯t magically make us escape.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Marvin said. Surprisingly, he found he was no longer annoyed at Ben dodging the topic. He was right¡ªif they were about to die soon, what did it matter?


    ¡°I¡¯d just like to know,¡± Marvin continued. ¡°If you¡¯re comfortable sharing.¡±


    Ben paused. ¡°We could be spending this time thinking of ways to escape.¡±


    ¡°You think we¡¯ll get anywhere?¡±


    Marvin heard a long sigh behind him. One that seemed to concede, to say, might as well. Might as well pass the time until they figured out what to do with this laser.


    ¡°Two years ago, Centium owned a lot of land in Nagatown,¡± Ben began. ¡°They owned the orphanage where Renee and I lived. They cared for us under the condition that every year, some of us get recruited into the gang.¡±


    Marvin knew where this was going. It wasn¡¯t Ben and Renee¡¯s parents who¡¯d been a part of Centium. It was the kids themselves.


    -----


    Two years ago


    Ben slipped out the emergency exit, submerging into the shadow of the alleyway. Up ahead, the neon red sign of Sibao Pot cast an ominous glow onto the concrete. Ben went the other way, walking until he reached a flight of fire exit stairs. A boy in a gray jacket sat on the bottom steps.


    ¡°Good haul?¡± Cam asked.


    ¡°It was okay,¡± Ben said.


    Sibao Pot was always flooded with currency this time of year. It was the week after Mecha Realm, and all the richest teams in the Sector came here to wind down. Centium¡¯s job for Ben, Cam, and Renee was to scoop up the residues from all the transactions. Go around with the cyberwand, swipe it close to the customers¡¯ tablets, and walk away like you were going to your table.


    Truth be told, Ben hated it. It made him feel like he was throwing his life away. Before, life in Centium was chilling in a cramped apartment room with Renee and hanging out with Cam. Occasionally they did chores for the older gang members¡ªcleaning houses and running errands¡ªbut those were few and far between.


    And then, a year ago, Centium had decided he¡¯d be good at pickpocketing. He didn¡¯t get it. For such a powerful organization, why did they need to resort to such petty crimes?


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have gotten out so early then,¡± Cam said.


    ¡°Says you,¡± Ben retorted, getting a laugh from the older boy.


    ¡°You could learn some things from Renee,¡± Cam said. ¡°She¡¯s still hard at work.¡±


    ¡°She actually likes this shit,¡± Ben said. Renee had always been a little strange. Extremely expressive and animated, yet refused to talk even with a voice box.


    Cam shrugged and he pulled out his tablet. ¡°Speaking of Renee, though.¡± He unfolded the device and its glow illuminated an uncharacteristic expression of distraught on his face. ¡°Did you see them?¡±


    He showed Ben a picture of a man and a woman. They looked to be in their forties with black hair and round eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± Ben said. ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°They look familiar to you?¡±


    Ben took a closer look and shook his head.


    ¡°Hindaro, Ben. When I swiped them, it said Bianca and Nathan Hindaro.¡±


    Hindaro¡­ Renee Hindaro¡­ Ben widened his eyes. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Her parents might be alive,¡± Cam said.


    The word parents swirled around in Ben¡¯s head. A foreign, dangerous word. An antithesis to why they stayed in Centium.


    ¡°We¡­ we¡­¡± Ben found his thoughts jumbled. Sure, he¡¯d often wondered about his own parents, but Renee was a different matter. Her having a mother and father was something he¡¯d never fathomed. They were orphans; they never had anything but each other.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we tell them?¡± Ben said at length.


    ¡°Tell them what?¡± Cam asked.


    ¡°That their daughter is alive!¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re rich, right? They gotta be rich if they¡¯re here. Renee won¡¯t have to do any more of this.¡± Ben waved to the restaurant behind him.


    Cam¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°She¡¯s happy as she is, is she not? How do you know she¡¯ll be better off with them?¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°They¡¯re her parents!¡±


    Cam ignored him. ¡°Even so, Centium won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Ben blinked. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just one less lackey for them.¡±


    ¡°That is a big deal.¡±


    Ben crossed his arms. ¡°Why¡¯d you tell me then? What am I supposed to do with this information?¡±


    ¡°Hold onto it till the time is right. You said it yourself¡ªthey¡¯re rich.¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t understand. They were using this as blackmail? Renee was fifteen years old for crying out loud! Aside from Diana Kane, the heads of Centium didn¡¯t even know her name!


    ¡°Trust me, this is for the best,¡± Cam said.


    Ben glowered at him. ¡°What if I tell her parents anyway? What if they pay to get her out?¡±


    Cam pursed his lips and shook his head in disappointment. ¡°I thought you¡¯d know better.¡±


    -----


    ¡°Why¡¯d Renee¡¯s parents leave her in the first place?¡± Marvin asked, the first of many questions that had accumulated in his CPU.


    Ben replied, ¡°They weren¡¯t actually-¡±


    Just then, the workshop lights flared on. Marvin¡¯s cameras frantically adjusted as the door slammed open and two people walked through: Ishaan in front, hands clasped behind his back, and Gerard following close behind him. Ishaan¡¯s eyes went wide upon seeing Marvin and Ben.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Ishaan demanded, turning angrily to Gerard.


    Marvin blinked several times, barely able to comprehend what was going on.


    ¡°Nothing much yet,¡± the Manhunter said, shoving Ishaan forwards. That was when Marvin realized that Ishaan¡¯s hands weren¡¯t clasped; they were tied behind his back. The pilot had been made a prisoner as well.


    Oh god, Marvin thought. This is all my fault.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s gonna happen,¡± Gerard began.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s gonna happen,¡± Ishaan snapped. ¡°You¡¯re gonna untie me, then you¡¯re gonna untie them and let them go because they are innocent.¡±


    Gerard scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t think you have a say just ¡®cause you pilot Gammagrade.¡±


    Marvin winced. Those two had certainly fallen a long way from Get Gammagrade ready, we¡¯re gonna pay Jacques a visit.


    Gerard unfolded his claw arm and held it against Ishaan¡¯s shoulder. He pointed the other hand at Marvin. ¡°You and him go way back, don¡¯t you? You were at the prayer grounds. And I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re also the bot that gave my guys a beating a few weeks ago. Steve.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s gears rattled uncomfortably. What was this leading to?


    ¡°What do you do?¡± Gerard asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a pilot apprentice.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know Ishaan?¡±


    ¡°Um, from scrimmages.¡± There was no need to specify the social events¡ªthat would risk bringing up Bob¡¯s disappearance.


    ¡°And how do you know this Sangeet?¡±


    ¡°We buy mech parts from him.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Gerard said. He lowered his claw for a moment, then suddenly swung it upwards. A sharp whistle cut through the air, and Marvin instinctively squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, Gerard was holding Ishaan¡¯s right arm outwards, claw hovering just above his hand.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to tell the truth,¡± Gerard said, grinning. ¡°Look. Ishaan here, we only need his brain to pilot, so I¡¯ll make this simple. From now on, for every lie, I¡¯m gonna cut off one of his fingers. Fair?¡±


    Marvin¡¯s own eyes widened.


    ¡°You won¡¯t do it,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡±


    Gerard¡¯s grin grew more manic. ¡°Wanna find out?¡±


    ¡°Steve is telling the truth!¡±


    ¡°You know he tried to follow you to the prayer grounds the first time?¡± Gerard said. ¡°Why would a piloting acquaintance do that?¡±


    ¡°I-I was worried,¡± Marvin stammered.


    ¡°Just tell me who you are,¡± Gerard said.


    Marvin¡¯s joints tightened and he felt the paranade crack ever so slightly in his hands. That claw was dangerously close to Ishaan¡¯s index finger; it just had to move an inch and the digit would be severed.


    ¡°You know exactly who he is,¡± Ishaan said.


    ¡°Can you shut up?¡± Gerard said.


    I have to say something, Marvin¡¯s mind screamed. But what could he say? What lie would satisfy Gerard without straight up revealing his identity?


    ¡°You can¡¯t make him admit a lie,¡± Ishaan said.


    ¡°You¡¯re being awfully defensive,¡± Gerard taunted.


    Marvin took a deep breath and primed his voice box.


    ¡°Steve, he¡¯s paranoid!¡± Ishaan shouted. He gestured at Gerard with his free hand. ¡°He wants to hear that you and I are plotting against him. He thinks we¡¯ll rat him out to Jacques.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± Gerard growled.


    Marvin tried to wrap his head around it all. Jacques was in conflict with another Manhunter faction, and Gerard hated his approach. Thought the leader was weak. However, Jacques had no idea Gerard despised him.


    ¡°No, I am not.¡± Ishaan pointed to Marvin. ¡°And even if I was, he has nothing to do with it. Just because I don¡¯t want to kill your leader doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    Gerard thrust his claw upwards. A flash of red stained Marvin¡¯s vision. Something dropped to the floor, making a tiny splash. Then again, and again. Blood.


    Marvin stared ahead, mouth agape. What did he just see? Why was Ishaan screaming in pain?


    As his vision cleared, he noted that Ishaan¡¯s fingers were still attached. But a sharp metal spike now protruded from his hand, allowing a puddle of red to pool around it.


    Gerard stabbed his hand. Holy shit. I have to say something.


    Ishaan grit his teeth and tried to clasp his bloodied hand, but Gerard swatted his free hand away.


    ¡°You piece of shit!¡± Ishaan yelled. ¡°You won¡¯t get anything out of this!¡±


    ¡°Speak up, Steve,¡± Gerard said.


    Marvin¡¯s vision began to swim and he felt imaginary bile building up in his throat. He couldn¡¯t focus. He knew he had to say something. No, not just something¡ªhe had to tell the truth. It was the only way. It was¡ª


    Then he caught the look in Ishaan¡¯s eyes. One of cold determination, willing him to stay silent.


    Why? What do you gain out of this?


    Marvin swallowed. The truth was, if someone like Gerard found out who he was, his life would be forfeit. All hopes of returning to normalcy would be lost.


    He¡¯s gonna keep hurting Ishaan.


    Marvin looked at Gammagrade¡¯s pilot again. His pupils were extremely dilated, but he maintained that stern expression.


    He can¡¯t be doing all this for me. There¡¯s some greater purpose.


    A greater purpose that might very well save them in the end.


    Marvin steeled himself. You can do this, he thought. You¡¯re a robot. Banish your emotions.


    He turned to face Gerard. Fear swirled inside him; he pushed it down. Anxiety came next, and he pushed it down, too. Like a computer, he recognized every single emotion and forced it to disappear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t admit to a lie,¡± he said.


    Gerard blinked. Glanced between Ishaan, Marvin, and Ben. His face curled into a sneer and he reared his claw, folding it into one long blade. Despite his previous efforts, Marvin immediately felt a spike of terror and nearly cried out.


    But then Gerard transformed his arm back into a hand and let go of Ishaan. ¡°Jeez,¡± he muttered. ¡°Take it to the grave then. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Ishaan sucked in a labored breath as the Manhunter walked away. He clamped his left hand around his right wrist and scanned the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Marvin whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well done, man,¡± Ishaan said. ¡°That was¡­¡± He grimaced. ¡°I better go before this gets infected.¡±


    ¡°You need to tell Jacques,¡± Marvin said. ¡°He¡¯ll punish Gerard, right?¡±


    Ishaan scoffed. ¡°If it was my finger, maybe, but this¡¯ll heal. Jacques won¡¯t care. He¡¯s got the faction war to deal with.¡±


    There¡¯s an all out war?


    Before Marvin could ask, Ishaan continued, ¡°Gerard controls the operations here anyways. I doubt the cameras were transmitting¡ªI got no evidence.¡±


    ¡°Your hand¡ª¡±


    ¡°Workshop accident.¡±


    Marvin shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Why did you help me?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ishaan said.


    Marvin frowned. ¡°I could¡¯ve just told¡ª¡±


    Ishaan leaned in and lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s not that deep. I¡¯m not compromising myself for a psychopath like Gerard.¡±


    So you did that for your ego? Strangely enough, Marvin kind of believed it, knowing how much the guy trained. Even him helping to solve Marvin¡¯s death was to clear his own image.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Ishaan said, drawing back. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ben said. Marvin was a little startled; he¡¯d forgotten Ben was right behind him. ¡°Can you help us get out?¡±


    Ishaan paused and pursed his lips. ¡°You realize this isn¡¯t our main workshop, right? This place might seem empty, but everywhere else is swarming with guards. Gerard probably wants you to escape so he has an excuse to kill you.¡±


    Marvin looked at his surroundings. All this luxury was just their backup workshop?


    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Ben, is it?¡± Ishaan stalked over to him. ¡°Look at this.¡± Ben gasped quietly. ¡°You think I like these people? You think I support them keeping you here?¡±


    ¡°You seem to like Jacques.¡±


    Marvin cringed. You¡¯re pushing it, Ben.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like either of them but I¡¯d take Jacques over Gerard any day,¡± Ishaan said. He walked around to Marvin¡¯s side again. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can. No promises, though.¡±


    And then Marvin and Ben were left alone again.

 Chapter 29: Hostage

    We are not taking Sangeet hostage. He is not a hostage.


    But no matter how many times Caroline told herself that, her moral conscience never failed to crumble every time she looked at the scavenger. He sat in the co-pilot¡¯s seat of the shuttle, arms wrapped around himself, chin tucked to his chest. The chair seemed to swallow him whole. Renee stood behind him, drumming her fingers on the back of the headrest.


    They were flying to Ji¡¯s apartment, chasing the dying light on the horizon borders. For once, Caroline couldn¡¯t appreciate the view out the windows; she could only look at the navigation screen and the scavenger.


    It¡¯s simple, really, she told herself. We give them Sangeet. They free Marvin and Ben. No one dies.


    But of course, the Manhunters¡¯ promise to spare Sangeet was more dubious than Caroline passing as a professional pilot. Even if they didn¡¯t kill him, the punishment for stealing their weapons would be severe.


    Caroline glanced at the screen. Twenty minutes to reach destination. Twenty minutes to make up her mind.


    Who are you kidding? Why do you need to even deliberate this?


    They couldn¡¯t betray Sangeet. It just wasn¡¯t right. Even if the Manhunters did nothing to him¡ªwhich they wouldn¡¯t¡ªthey couldn¡¯t just throw him to the wolves.


    Caroline sunk into her chair. So then what? How would they save Marvin and Ben? Amir was not responding to her messages; he was still deep in the Sector 8 investigation. Would it be possible to make a deal with the Manhunters?


    Sienna could help with that, she thought. Sparrow¡¯s pilot was influential enough and friendly enough with Marvin and Caroline. Plus, talking to the Manhunters could give insight into Bob¡¯s disappearance.


    ¡°Caroline,¡± Sangeet began. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    As Caroline was about to give a generic, reassuring answer, she caught Renee gesturing towards the scavenger. She wanted to give him up. It was the simplest way, and after all, he was the main one at fault.


    But they had to consider the other options first.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try for a deal,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t reason with them,¡± Sangeet argued.


    ¡°Sienna could.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be even worse. You know what they did with Gammagrade? Their demands with her will be outrageous.¡±


    Do you want us to turn you in? Caroline almost asked.


    Renee tapped Sangeet¡¯s chair in annoyance and said through her voice box, ¡°What do you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°We could try to break them out.¡±


    Caroline exchanged a glance with Renee. If Sienna was on board, they might be able to do it. But even if two mechs could beat a hundred guns firing upon them, the Manhunters had their own mech and Gammagrade.


    What if we get Ishaan on board, too? That almost seemed viable. But Ishaan had stopped going to the prayer grounds ever since the Manhunters¡¯ schism and was now being kept under careful watch at the garage. Caroline had no idea how to reach him.


    ¡°If we fail to break them out, we¡¯re dead,¡± Caroline told Sangeet. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    The scavenger didn¡¯t give any sign of acknowledgement.


    The rest of the flight to Ji¡¯s apartment passed in silence. When they finally arrived, they found Sienna and Ji already sitting at the dining table. Based on their hunched backs and sullen expressions, they had not made any progress.


    However, when Caroline, Renee, and Sangeet entered, Sienna immediately looked up, eyes wide with anticipation. ¡°Anything?¡±


    Caroline pursed her lips and braced to break the news. But first, to cushion the blow, she would say¡ª


    ¡°The Manhunters have kidnapped our friends Steve and Ben,¡± Renee said.


    Sienna stared at Renee for a second, mouth agape.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you guys to go after Bob by yourselves!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that,¡± Caroline said. ¡°The Manhunters were waiting for them at the scavenger¡¯s place.¡± She explained the ultimatum they¡¯d given regarding Sangeet.


    Sienna buried her face in her hands. ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± With her eyes still on the table, she asked Sangeet, ¡°Robert¡¯s NID traces were in your place. Have you ever seen him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sangeet said meekly. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±


    There was an awkward pause that followed. Then, Sienna said, ¡°You¡¯ve never met this man in your life?¡± She held up a picture on her tablet.


    Sangeet cringed and shook his head.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us he worked for Cenitum,¡± Caroline said. The timing was suboptimal, but Caroline knew she had to say it sooner than later.


    Sienna brought her hand up, probably about to pinch the bridge of her nose, but then abruptly stood up and began to pace.


    ¡°He works with them. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°How¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look, we¡¯ll talk about this later.¡± Sienna turned to Caroline. ¡°You said your friends have three days?¡±


    Fair enough. ¡°Two and a half now,¡± Caroline replied.


    Sienna asked, ¡°Ji, you think we could negotiate with the Manhunters?¡±


    Ji scoffed. ¡°Not unless you wanna work for them for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other deal?¡±


    ¡°Doubt they¡¯d take anything else,¡± Ji replied.


    ¡°What do you think we should do, then?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Honestly. Breaking them out isn¡¯t the worst idea.¡±


    Caroline glanced at Sangeet and thought she saw the tiniest hint of satisfaction on his face. Alright, she supposed it wasn¡¯t the worst idea. But there was certainly a best idea with zero risk and zero collateral damage.


    ¡°With Sparrow?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°No. Get something unrecognizable and untraceable. You can make it seem like it¡¯s just a rival gang making a move.¡±


    A light ignited in Sienna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alright. And what¡¯s Sector 58¡¯s policy on hostages?¡±


    Ji cocked his head. ¡°As long as it¡¯s gang business¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Are you going to take  a Manhunter hostage?¡±


    ¡°We have to ask them about Bob.¡±


    Ji pursed his lips. ¡°Look, when I suggested it, I meant this should be the last resort. If they find out who you are¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad. Yeah, I know. Do you have a second to last resort for us?¡±


    When Ji didn¡¯t respond, Sienna expectantly turned back to Caroline, Renee, and Sangeet. Caroline suddenly found the figure in front of her surreal. Before, she had trouble associating the rather awkward and silly Sienna with the pilot of Sparrow. Now she had no doubt the pilot standing before her was one of the greatest of all time.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to decide yet,¡± Caroline said. ¡°Probably better not to. How about we wait till midnight and try to think of a better plan. If we have nothing we can break in.¡±


    Sienna and Ji both seemed satisfied with this answer. Caroline glanced at Sangeet, whose eyebrows were creased with worry. It was understandable¡ªmore time without a plan meant more time to consider giving him up. Renee, on the other hand, seemed disappointed. Understandable, too¡ªthe prospect of these missions enticed her. She¡¯d never left that old life of hers behind like Ben had.


    ¡°I¡¯ll still get a prototype ready,¡± Sienna said. She looked at Caroline and gave a strained smile. ¡°Can I ask you three to join us? I don¡¯t trust you just yet¡ªI hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I can pilot a second mech, too.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Sienna said. She pointed to the front door. ¡°My apartment. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    -----


    Sienna¡¯s ¡°apartment¡± was actually a penthouse on the roof of a massive skyscraper, fully complemented by a luminescent pool, giant holo displays dangling from the ceiling, glass sculptures, and a view of a good ten percent of the megacity. The prototype storage room looked like a cryochamber, each silver mech snuggled in a transparent capsule. They took one out and laid it on a table in the center of the room, hooking it up to various power sources and monitors. Then Ji got to work on masking its digital footprint.


    The others gathered in the living room. Caroline, Renee, and Sangeet sat in lavish white sofas around a holographic campfire while Sienna paced about. Beyond the campfire was a glass wall, and beyond that were the million neon lights of the city glowing against the night. It seemed so serene from up here. The Manhunters, Centium, Marvin¡¯s killers¡­ their existence was miniscule compared to this.


    They had four and a half hours till midnight. It was plenty of time to think of something. The problem was, this wasn¡¯t the most conducive environment for brainstorming. Every time Caroline thought of a concept of a plan, she was reminded of how much easier giving up Sangeet would be.


    We¡¯re not doing that, she told herself. He may not be our friend, but he¡¯s an acquaintance and a human being.


    After a bit, Sienna left, presumably to join Ji in the storage room. That did even worse numbers for Caroline¡¯s productivity. Sienna¡¯s pacing had been like a ticking time bomb, a manifestation of their stress. Now, Caroline found herself increasingly drawn to the city below her. How would it feel to live here? To see the monsters of the megacity as mere insects?


    Maybe one day when we¡¯ve won Mecha Realm.


    At that moment, Renee got up, walked over to Caroline, and sat down on the armrest of her sofa. She held out her tablet.


    Any progress? the text read.


    Caroline shook her head.


    Renee patted her shoulder and typed something else. This one took a while. We¡¯ll figure something out. Don¡¯t worry. Are we set on not giving up Sangeet?


    Caroline nodded instinctively. Of course not. They would never forgive themselves if they did.


    And yet she had never felt so unsure before.


    Renee held up another message: I¡¯m going to talk to Ji. I¡¯ll see if he needs any help with the programming, and maybe we can also come up with a software-focused plan.


    Caroline nodded again. Hacking the Manhunters was a solid option.


    Soon, it was just her and Sangeet in the living room. She wasn¡¯t keen on asking him for his input, as he was the most stressed out of all of them by far. That also meant she did not want to sit alone with him in silence.


    On that note, I kind of have to use the restroom.


    Caroline left the living room and headed down a neon-blue-lit hallway lined with silver doors. Most led to bedrooms, she assumed. As she continued walking, she began to hear a series of rhythmic thuds. They came in quick succession, stopped, then started again. Curious, Caroline followed the noise until she reached an open doorway. Inside was a miniature gym¡ªa treadmill, bench, and a dumbbell rack that could transform into different machines at the push of a button. The noise came from the back left corner, where a punching bag jolted back and forth.


    Caroline blinked, realizing the person throwing those punches was Sienna. The pilot noticed her enter, stopped, and waved.


    ¡°I thought you were with Ji,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can help him with,¡± Sienna said. ¡°Any new ideas?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Caroline murmured.


    Sienna pursed her lips. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± It felt unfair that she was being asked and not the other way around. ¡°How are you?¡±


    Caroline immediately winced. She¡¯d never lost a fiance, but she had a damn good idea of how Sienna felt right now.


    Sienna smiled thinly. Dumb questions all around, the smile seemed to say. She turned back to the punching bag and looked like she was going to resume training, but instead her gloved hands fell to her sides.


    ¡°After I got second in Mecha Realm,¡± she said, ¡°my teammates and I rented out a floating island and watched the fireworks from way up above. Just the four of us. I was so happy I could die. I felt like I¡¯d done everything I needed to do in my life.¡± Sienna sighed. ¡°I guess this is what I deserve for being content with second place. I guess I didn¡¯t do enough.¡±


    Caroline opened her mouth in protest, but the words caught in her throat. She wanted to hug Sienna and tell her that no one deserved this, especially not her. But she could only stand there.


    Sparrow¡¯s pilot opened and closed her fist. ¡°That fucking idiot,¡± she muttered. ¡°I told him it was stupid. I told him he had no right getting into the Manhunters¡¯ business. But he just kept digging.¡±


    Caroline winced. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Yes it is. I got your friends kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve happened anyways,¡± Caroline said.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not.¡± Sienna stepped away from the bag and picked up her tablet from a nearby table. ¡°Be honest, Caroline. What are the odds he¡¯s alive?¡±


    Caroline swallowed. ¡°High,¡± she said. ¡°They¡­ they wouldn¡¯t have killed him quietly. They¡¯d want to send a message.¡±


    A wave of relief coursed through Sienna¡¯s features. ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡±


    Huh. It was. Caroline tried not to show that she was just as relieved.


    ¡°I really am willing to break into their base,¡± Sienna said. ¡°You get your friends back. I get to question the Manhunters.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still dangerous,¡± Caroline said. ¡°What if they find out who you are?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a better option, do we?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Caroline averted her eyes from the pilot¡¯s. You can¡¯t be seriously considering it, her mind reprimanded. But the words still came out of her mouth. ¡°There is one thing.¡±


    Sienna didn¡¯t respond. Caroline risked a glance at her and wanted to rewind the last few seconds. There was no consideration in her expression. Just firm disagreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option,¡± Sienna said. ¡°We can¡¯t be like them.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s face heated up. While yes¡ªwhat was she thinking? Sangeet was not a life they could throw away¡ªsomething about Sienna¡¯s last line bothered her. Ben and Renee had been raised in a gang. Were they so different?


    Just then, the tablet in Sienna¡¯s hand flashed red. Caroline jumped as an alarm began blaring. Sienna immediately opened her screen and swiped to silence it.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Caroline asked.


    Sienna narrowed her eyes at her tablet. ¡°Someone¡¯s taken the shuttle.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s heart dropped. Sangeet.


    The two of them raced out of the gym, down the hall, and back into the living room. Sure enough, the scavenger¡¯s former sofa was now unoccupied.

 Chapter 30: Vile Rumors

    Two years ago


    That night, Ben couldn¡¯t sleep. Every passing thought of Renee¡¯s parents sent a jolt of awareness through him. He tossed and turned until eventually, he decided he wasn¡¯t sleeping at all tonight. It was her mother and father for crying out loud. Even if they were strangers, they meant something.


    He had to tell Renee.


    Ben crawled out of his bed and slipped into the living room, where Renee was sleeping on the couch. There was only one bed, so they swapped every week. He nudged her a few times before she groggily opened her eyes and stretched. She then gave him an inquisitive look.


    ¡°I gotta show you something,¡± Ben said.


    Renee tilted her head. At this hour?


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long, I promise.¡±


    Renee sighed, rolled backwards, and launched herself off the couch. Ben was used to it by now not to be startled. She gestured to her shoes by the front door, silently asking whether this thing he had to show her required going outside. Ben nodded, so she headed to the door. Ben glanced at her voice box sitting on the coffee table by the couch. So often forgotten. However, Renee never talked out loud when she was alone with Ben. It was more natural for her.


    Centium kept tabs on the apartments, and all texts could be traced to an NID, so Ben needed to take them somewhere private. Luckily, he knew just the place: a prayer ground in the sakura neighborhood. Cam had shown him the path long ago. The few religious people left in the sector had set up secret lifts and trails through the sewers to help others reach the site.


    Ben was twelve the first time Cam took him there. Cam still visited often, four years later. At first, he¡¯d been looking for solace after his brother had gone missing, most likely killed by the Manhunters. Now, Ben suspected there was another reason: assurance that he was on the right side. That staying in Centium was the right thing to do.


    It took fifteen minutes to get there. Renee didn¡¯t seem to mind trekking through the sewers, as they¡¯d both been in far worse places, but she did look more concerned as the minutes ticked by.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Ben reassured her.


    And soon enough, they reached a door in the side of the tunnel. Through that door, they entered the basement of a house. They then climbed to the second story, found the farthest bedroom in the hall, and opened the window. Ben smiled as he saw the ladder still set up beneath them, leading down to the enclosure.


    As Ben reached for the handles, he noticed Renee had paused. She was staring at the tree, which was faintly glowing from all those prayer tags. The golden hues seeped into the stone walls and bits even spilled onto the pink sakura leaves.


    And something else. A woman standing beside the tree, looking up at them. Black suit, black pants, military boots, and red cybernetic goggles.


    Ben felt his heart in his stomach. The Manhunters had been contesting Centium¡¯s territory for a while now. If this one found out he and Renee were with the enemy¡­


    ¡°I won¡¯t bite,¡± the Manhunter called.


    Ben cursed under his breath. He could only hope this woman would leave soon, or he would¡¯ve taken Renee here for nothing.


    The two of them cautiously climbed down the ladder, keeping the Manhunter in their periphery. When their feet landed on the rough gravel, the Mannunter approached them. In the light, Ben recognized her as Veronica, one of the highest-ranking Manhunters. Her face was always plastered next to Jacques, the Manhunters¡¯ leader.


    Renee looked at Ben. What do we do?


    Ben tried to keep his calm. Get a tag. Write something. Say whatever Veronica wants to hear.


    The truth was, the Manhunters weren¡¯t a threat. They were a joke compared to Centium.


    It¡¯ll be fine, Ben told himself.


    ¡°A little past your bedtime, no?¡± Veronica said. She held out two wooden tags and gave it to each of them. Ben frowned but accepted it.


    ¡°Kids these days,¡± Ben said. A stupid joke he came up with on the spot. It was alright. ¡°How are you?¡± There was nothing wrong with being cordial.


    ¡°Frustrated. I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± Veronica said. ¡°It¡¯d be wonderful if you two could help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Ben said. He looked down at his tag. ¡°You got a pen or something?¡±


    ¡°First, let me know if this face looks familiar.¡± She unfolded her tablet and showed a grayscale photo that had been taken on some street camera. The subject was blurry and his face was half hidden, but Ben recognized him right away.


    Don¡¯t react. Don¡¯t react.


    It was Cam. For some reason, the Manhunters were after Cam.


    ¡°They said he¡¯s a regular here, but I¡¯ve been waiting for him all day,¡± Veronica said.


    Ben forced a confused expression onto his face. ¡°Sorry, never seen him,¡± he said.


    The Manhunter shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have.¡± She handed Ben and Renee pens and stalked over to the stone bench.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna keep waiting?¡± Ben asked.


    Veronica nodded.


    Great. He¡¯d have to spill the news to Renee another time.


    Renee poked him in the arm and waved her pen around. It was a more complicated sentiment, and Ben sadly could not understand. Renee typed it out on her tablet.


    Couldn¡¯t you have shown me this at another time?


    ¡°It, um, only glows at night,¡± Ben said. Which was true, but also really stupid. The judgemental look he got from Renee proved it.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He glanced at Veronica, perched on the bench, patiently awaiting her prey. She¡¯d stay there for another day, probably. These cyborgs were something else. Ben would warn Cam immediately after this.


    A scratching noise from his right got his attention, and he turned to see Renee writing on the prayer tag. Does she even know what to do?


    Ben looked at his own tag, wondering what to write. It had to be somewhat genuine. Cam visited this place because he was looking for peace after his older brother¡¯s passing. Other people did so because they were terminally ill, or had gone through something traumatic. What reason did Ben have?


    Just then, a second wooden tag entered his vision. It was Renee¡¯s, with a few words written on it: I feel like there¡¯s something you need to get off your chest. I hope you can find the strength to tell me, or anyone else.


    Ben¡¯s initial thought was, What kind of sappy ass request is this? until he realized that it was meant to look like a prayer. A message subtle enough to not seem suspicious if anyone saw it.


    That¡¯s genius! Ben put pen to wood and hesitated. He needed to phrase this correctly. Something that would look like a prayer to anyone else. Unfortunately, explaining that someone¡¯s parents were alive was much harder to put in such a format. Plus, Ben had never been much of a writer. Anything he put on that tag¡ªeven a genuine prayer¡ªwould sound silly.


    Just try your best, he thought. Better to get it off your chest this way.


    And so, under the amber blanket of the prayer tree, he began to write.


    -----


    It had been a day since Marvin and Ben were imprisoned. After Ishaan had left, they¡¯d talked a bit more about Ben¡¯s history in Centium. Then Ben got drowsy and wanted to sleep. Marvin could not, of course, so he drifted in his thoughts for a few hours. At some point, a stray Sawblade entered the workshop and Marvin asked her what time it was. She didn¡¯t reply. Asked her where Ishaan was. Still no reply.


    Eventually, Marvin began to zone out. His sensors¡¯ inputs dulled and his vision went as dark as it could. Thoughts still ran through his head, but they were vague and minimal. This was the closest he was going to get to sleep.


    After what felt like hours, Marvin was drawn out of his half-coma. From the rustling behind him, Ben had awoken as well. When Marvin¡¯s vision focussed, he found himself looking at a familiar sight: Jacques, still in his pearly white suit, standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Behind the leader of the Manhunters stood Mantis, backhand blades folded, compound eyes staring into Marvin¡¯s soul.


    No one else was in the room. A solo visit from the leader himself? This must be important, Marvin thought. Or he has something confidential to say.


    The latter was enticing. Some crazy news two days before he died wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to clear something up,¡± Jacques began. ¡°What you said yesterday. About Marvin Yao.¡±


    Marvin widened his eyes and was about to press him on, but paused as he noticed the rest of the room. The machines were dead, and the ceiling lamps were dim. Several machines¡¯ lights, including the laser box¡¯s, pierced through the darkness.


    Is it still nighttime? Marvin wondered.


    ¡°You must be wondering why I care so much,¡± Jacques said. ¡°What does it matter if two kids think I killed Marvin Yao? You probably won¡¯t be leaving this place, anyways.¡± He paced around to Ben¡¯s side. ¡°But there¡¯s a chance that you will. And I can¡¯t allow my organization to be known as the one who broke a fifty year streak of anti-corruption.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ben asked.


    Jacques scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s shameful. The de facto leaders of Nagatown sabotaging a street fight just to earn a few extra bucks.¡±


    ¡°Who else would¡¯ve done it?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we had the best motive.¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s true the Sawblades were indebted to us,¡± Jacques said. ¡°And acquiring their mech was a move I don¡¯t regret. But it would¡¯ve happened on that day regardless. None of us expected Marvin Yao to be killed.¡±


    That¡¯s not much of an excuse, Marvin thought. But then again, in that case, why would Jacques even tell them? If he was truly hiding such a crime, he could simply kill Marvin and Ben at the end of the two days, no matter if Sangeet showed up or not.


    So was it confirmed then? The Manhunters weren¡¯t the killers and it was some more powerful organization or corporation?


    Strangely, Marvin felt¡­ the same. Like he¡¯d always known. His body was still out there, undiscovered, no leads on where it might be. He might as well have been in that claustrophobic Nagatown alleyway again, nothing but a chip and camera on Caroline¡¯s shoulder. Completely helpless.


    The answers are in that stadium, he thought. Ishaan and I are gonna infiltrate it and find footage. It won¡¯t solve everything but it¡¯ll be better than whatever we¡¯ve been doing the past few weeks.


    He just had to survive until then.


    A beeping noise pulled him out of his thoughts. Marvin looked around. Nothing that was dark before had turned on. But there was one thing on his right¡­ Was it just him, or had the laser moved?


    Jacques and the mech also caught the sound as they began scanning the room. Before Marvin could even speculate what was happening, a high-pitched hum pierced the air. Something red flashed past him. Mantis swiped a blade upwards, then stepped forward as Jacques stumbled back. The mech wrapped itself around the leader.


    Marvin instinctively ducked as a second hum resounded. He caught a glimpse of Mantis rushing to the laser box and impaling it straight through the eye. On the other side of his periphery, he saw Jacques brush himself off and mutter a slew of curses.


    Someone fired the laser, Marvin realized. An assassination attempt.


    He felt a strange bubbling in his chest¡ªa mix of fear and hope. If a fight were to break out, he and Ben could use the chaos as a cover to escape.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ben asked frantically.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jacques said, stalking over to the mutilated laser. Mantis followed close behind, purposely putting itself between its leader and the captives.


    ¡°Veronica¡¯s faction must¡¯ve hacked it,¡± Jacques replied. ¡°Two weeks ago they killed my second-in-command and seven others.¡±


    Kai, Marvin recalled. Killed with some incendiary bomb, apparently.


    But in this case, Marvin doubted it was anyone but Gerard. He controlled the Sawblades garage, after all. It made sense that he would stage something like this.


    ¡°Tell them to secure the channels,¡± Jacques ordered Mantis.


    The mech¡¯s speakers cackled to life. ¡°What about these two?¡±


    Jacques considered Marvin and Ben for a minute.


    It would be so easy to tell him about Gerard. Get rid of that psychopath that stabbed Ishaan. We¡¯ll be doing everyone a favor.


    But Marvin couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Getting rid of Gerard would more or less seal their fates; only he could incite chaos within the garage and give them a cover to escape. Besides, Jacques was a killer, too. Why did he have to be morally superior?


    Maybe he¡¯ll let us go if we tell him.


    But before Marvin could deliberate on that idea, Jacques replied, ¡°Keep them here. Veronica won¡¯t harm them.¡±


    The leader of the Manhunters turned to leave, Mantis following on his heels. With each step, each thud of metal against concrete, Marvin grew increasingly urgent.


    Say something! This could be your chance to get out of here!


    But the footsteps kept on. The uncertainty was too great.


    What do I do, Ben? What would you do?


    The boy was silent.

 Chapter 31: The Deal

    As the shuttle¡¯s speedometer jetted upwards, the megacity became a blur of neons and black and silver. The only constant in Caroline¡¯s field of view was the other shuttle Sangeet was escaping on.


    Sienna was flying the shuttle they¡¯d taken to Ji¡¯s apartment, while Caroline sat in the passenger¡¯s seat, preparing a program on her tablet. It was a simple comms-jack that Renee had made months ago. Get close enough to another shuttle, and it would connect to its speakers.


    Why are we even doing this? Caroline wondered. If we¡¯re set on not giving him to the Manhunters, why does it matter that he stays with us?


    But Sangeet needed to know they meant no harm. It felt necessary.


    Still, this shuttle chase they¡¯d initiated didn¡¯t paint a flattering picture.


    ¡°How much farther?¡± Sienna asked.


    Caroline eyed Sangeet¡¯s shuttle, which was approaching a stream of other hovercraft. ¡°Twenty more feet, maybe.¡±


    Sienna pushed the shuttle into high gear, and the city around them almost seemed to warp. Sangeet¡¯s shuttle grew larger until suddenly, it was right in Caroline¡¯s face.


    She activated the program. The tablet buffered, and Sangeet sped up. Fortunately, Sienna kept pace.


    We better get this over with soon, Caroline thought. Hosaka didn¡¯t care much for speeding, but they couldn¡¯t risk a collateral accident.


    At last, Caroline¡¯s tablet buzzed, signifying that she was connected to Sangeet¡¯s shuttle. She held the microphone up and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Sangeet, this is Caroline. I¡¯m sorry for all the confusion, but we¡¯re not gonna turn you in!¡±


    There was no response. Sangeet suddenly decelerated, and Sienna was able to strafe sideways in the nick of time.


    ¡°I know you have no reason to trust us,¡± Caroline said. ¡°But if we wanted to turn you in we could¡¯ve done it a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°You were just unsure back then,¡± Sangeet said.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair,¡± Caroline said, frowning. Then, locking in, she continued, ¡°But I¡¯m sure now. Your life is just as important as theirs.¡±


    She cringed. Of course it was an exaggeration¡ªshe barely knew the kid. Besides, he was more deserving to face the consequences of his actions, was he not?


    And, as if Sangeet had read her mind, he replied, ¡°No it¡¯s not. You probably think I deserve this.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right. Again,¡± Caroline admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know you that well, and yes, you did steal those weapons. But even if I didn¡¯t know you at all, I still wouldn¡¯t take you hostage. I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice a human life.¡± Unless I was truly left with no choice.


    Silence. That had been as close to the truth as Caroline was willing to go. If Sangeet still didn¡¯t believe her, there was nothing she could do.


    At length, the scavenger replied, ¡°If you mean what you say, you¡¯ll let me go.¡±


    Caroline pursed her lips. Should¡¯ve seen that coming. It made sense to do it, right? There was no point in keeping Sangeet around.


    She turned to Sienna, who gave her a somber look.


    ¡°Will we see you again when this is over?¡± Caroline asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sangeet said. ¡°Probably.¡±


    He¡¯ll move shop. It¡¯s probably better to break off contact anyways so he doesn¡¯t endanger us.


    Upon reflection, this whole chase seemed incredibly stupid. All that adrenaline, just to exchange a few words and part ways.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sangeet continued. ¡°I hope you save your friends.¡±


    So why did you go after him?


    Caroline supposed it was some kind of proof of morality. Nothing more, nothing less.


    She looked at Sienna and nodded. Sparrow¡¯s pilot pulled their shuttle away, leaving Sangeet to merge with the stream of traffic. Caroline pushed down the urge to scream in frustration.


    -----


    Soon, Caroline, Sienna, Renee, and Ji were gathered in the living room again. Without Sangeet to distract them, they began to discuss serious ideas.


    Sienna had an EMP in her workshop, which they could use to disable a good portion of the Manhunters¡¯ base. But then what? Marvin and Ben couldn¡¯t escape from just that. So break in again? That would pose as many risks as breaking in without the EMP.


    Another idea was to plant the EMP on someone, preferably Renee. She¡¯d sneak in, find the captives, set it off, and free them. That was too dangerous.


    Thus, Caroline focused on negotiating. Or rather, blackmailing.


    ¡°They¡¯re really possessive of their weapons,¡± Caroline told the others. ¡°But firearms are illegal. If we threaten to report them to Hosaka, maybe they¡¯ll let Marvin and Ben go.¡±


    She was quite proud of the idea. Very low stakes, no collateral damage, and no risk of life. However, her spirits sank as she observed the others¡¯ faces. They all looked like they had at least one complaint to voice.


    Ji went first. ¡°The Manhunters aren¡¯t strangers to breaking Hosaka law.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we decide to not negotiate?¡± Sienna added.


    ¡°How will we meet up with them in the first place without giving our intentions away?¡± Renee asked.


    Caroline decided to address that one first. ¡°It¡¯s easy. We¡¯ll send an anonymous message saying we know about the weapons. Then they¡¯ll wanna meet with us.¡±


    ¡°Right, then they¡¯ll kill us at the meeting,¡± Sienna said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pilot one of your mechs,¡± Caroline said.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°What if they trace the mech?¡± Sienna asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll self-destruct after the meeting,¡± Caroline said. A pause in her response betrayed her worries, but she reassured herself that the plan was foolproof.


    ¡°Then Hosaka will wonder why a free-roaming mech has just blown up in Nagatown,¡± Ji said.


    ¡°Respectfully, we can deal with Hosaka later,¡± Caroline said. It had been different when she¡¯d sent Marvin in his cyborg body to Sangeet¡¯s place. She hadn¡¯t known how serious this would become.


    Much to her relief, it seemed the others were coming to terms with the plan. It was not likely to work by any means, but it was worth a shot, considering how it was the only non-violent option. Sienna and Ji shared a resigned look, while Renee bobbed up and down on her couch.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t take this seriously, then will we break in?¡± Renee asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Caroline said. She didn¡¯t mention how they¡¯d need another mech to burn for that operation. So much money down the drain, but she supposed it was incomparable to two human lives.


    She stood up and exhaled. ¡°We¡¯ll send a message to the Sawblades¡¯ garage.¡±


    -----


    The response was almost immediate. It was from Gerard, the Manhunter in charge of the Sawblades¡¯ garage. Caroline couldn¡¯t tell if he was urgent or just curious, but they agreed to meet at midnight at the prayer grounds in the sakura neighborhood.


    Under the artificial moonlight and through the mech¡¯s cameras, it looked like a completely different place. The surroundings were quiet, save for the distant rumble of trams and subways in Nagatown. The wooden tags soaked the barren tree in gold. The window of the nearest house was cracked open, but still shrouded the inside in darkness.


    Caroline hadn¡¯t piloted a mech in a while. It was weird¡ªon the surface, you felt like you were in your own body, just a little taller and not sensitive to the air. But if you focussed on those uncanny bits, you were suddenly exposed to a whole control panel of commands. One nudge there would put the mech in standby. Another would activate the converter. Another would self-destruct. The resolution of the cameras was also disorienting. She could focus on particular things, but every stimulation from elsewhere in her periphery caused that area to clear up without her having to move her eyes.


    Is this what Marvin feels every day? Caroline wondered. It was so much stimulation and she felt like the slightest mistake would trigger something disastrous.


    Gerard was already there, standing under the tree. Gerard, in the flesh, with no bodyguards. Caroline nearly did a double take. Was he stupid?


    ¡°The weapons,¡± he snapped, walking towards her. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°The scavenger,¡± Caroline said. ¡°How else?¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was with us when he saw the message, but he escaped.¡±


    Gerard¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°For the record, whoever you are, I didn¡¯t even care about him stealing our stuff. But this¡­ Do you have any idea where he is?¡±


    Caroline shook her head. The Manhunter was showing an unexpected level of stress, leading her to think she was missing something. Maybe she¡¯d lucked out somewhere.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gerard said. He repeated the word, quieter, as if to calm himself. ¡°Your deal, then. All you want is for us to let your buddies go, yeah?¡±


    Caroline nodded. She tried to suppress the excitement bubbling in her stomach, telling herself that no negotiation could ever go this smoothly.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Gerard said. ¡°Told you already, I don¡¯t care about them.¡±


    What? It¡¯s really gonna be this easy? ¡°Great. Then we won¡¯t tell Hosaka.¡±


    Gerard glanced sideways. ¡°One condition, though.¡±


    There it is. Caroline braced herself. This couldn¡¯t be any worse than the alternatives, surely.


    ¡°We¡¯re in this predicament ¡®cause of one man,¡± Gerard began. ¡°Jacques. He¡¯s incompetent. Veronica has been making moves against him, and he¡¯s not doing anything about it. If he stays in power, if Veronica starts a civil war, then the Manhunters are gonna collapse. I can prevent it. If I¡¯m in charge, I can put Veronica down without a hitch. No civil war, and a seamless transition of power.¡± Gerard put his hands together. ¡°I want you to help me kill Jacques.¡±


    Caroline blinked. First of all, what a tremendous piece of news she¡¯d just gained. Second, did he really think she¡¯d agree to that?


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t go anywhere without his mech,¡± Gerard continued. ¡°Assassinations won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°You want me to take care of his mech,¡± Caroline said.


    Gerard shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s a nice bot by the looks of it. Whoever can afford to build that can also afford a good pilot, no?¡±


    Caroline forced down a laugh. As flattered as she was, she was not going to participate in a coup.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept that condition,¡± she said.


    But as soon as the words left the speaker, she felt an inexplicable chill go down her spine. Maybe it was the mech¡¯s sensors messing with her. Maybe it was Gerard¡¯s lack of a reaction. But something had changed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand,¡± Gerard said. A smile was creeping onto his face. ¡°You are going to help me, or I¡¯ll kill Steve and Ben.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Caroline started. ¡°The deal was you let them go, and that¡¯s it. Add any conditions and we¡¯ll report you to Hosaka.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Jacques is gonna end our gang before they do, anyways,¡± Gerard said, grin widening. ¡°Here¡¯s the new deal. You take out Mantis, and we¡¯ll let your friends go. If you refuse, they die. If you don¡¯t beat Mantis, they die. If Jacques is alive by the end of tomorrow, they die.¡±


    He¡¯s bluffing, Caroline told herself. He cares about Hosaka finding out. I have to turn the tables back.


    But she couldn¡¯t think straight. An image burned into her brain: Marvin and Ben, huddled in some dark room that was suddenly lit up with two gunshots. They wouldn¡¯t even have known why they were being executed.


    There has to be some way around this, even if it¡¯s just to self-destruct.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± Gerard said. ¡°If you don¡¯t reply in the next thirty seconds, they die.¡±


    Caroline¡¯s vision began to glitch. Things rapidly focused and unfocused. Too much to comprehend.


    Keep it together. He can¡¯t just order their deaths after thirty seconds. Can he?


    Caroline mentally pinched her temples. What would Amir do? What would Dad do?


    First, she had to acknowledge that she¡¯d made a huge mistake. She didn¡¯t have the mental fortitude to beat someone like Gerard. To call him out on a bluff¡­ that was too much. Right now, she had to salvage what she could.


    ¡°Ten seconds¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Caroline said. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna need Steve.¡±


    Gerard scoffed. ¡°What? As a down payment?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our pilot¡¯s apprentice, but the truth is he¡¯s not a cyborg. He¡¯s not an AI either.¡± As Caroline spoke her next words, she knew she was digging herself into an even deeper hole. But she wouldn¡¯t be able to lie effectively, and she needed to disarm Gerard. ¡°He¡¯s a consciousness upload with a modified killer-crane. He¡¯s a better pilot than anyone I know. I can transfer him to this mech.¡±


    Gerard raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°I still agree with your terms,¡± Caroline said. ¡°If he fails, he and Ben die.¡±


    She felt another shiver go down her spine. Did she actually just say that? Had she willingly condemned her friends to die?


    There were so many logistics they hadn¡¯t brought up, like how or why Gerard would kill Ben and Marvin if his coup failed, or what would be done about the weapons. But Caroline¡¯s adrenaline was too high to discuss these things. She¡¯d lose even more ground.


    He said ¡°if Jacques isn¡¯t dead by tomorrow,¡± she thought. They had a day to think it through, and with Marvin free, their options expanded tenfold.


    ¡°Alright, deal,¡± Gerard said. He stuck out his hand, and Caroline reached out to shake it. To her surprise, her metal fingers passed right through Gerard¡¯s flesh. The Manhunter¡¯s entire figure flickered.


    A hologram, Caroline thought. As if the dread didn¡¯t already have enough room to settle. The projector could be anywhere. Gerard could be back at the garage, ready to kill Marvin and Ben.


    Instead of mocking her stupidity, Gerard looked disappointed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you soon,¡± he said. Then he turned around and blinked into nothingness.

 Chapter 32: History of Violence

    ¡°What do you think happens after we die?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s an afterlife or something?¡±


    ¡°Ben, we¡¯re not gonna die.¡±


    ¡°I just wanna talk about something,¡± Ben said. ¡°The longer I¡¯m quiet, the worse my thoughts get. I start to imagine horrible stuff happening to me.¡±


    Oh. What a strange time to open up.


    Marvin appreciated it, though; it was refreshing to hear Ben talk after his long hours of silence. It was the dawn of the second day of being captive, and perhaps the last day they¡¯d be alive.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t believe in an afterlife,¡± Marvin said.


    ¡°None at all?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°I mean, maybe there¡¯s a digital afterlife, but you need to go there manually.¡±


    ¡°Like what you got going on,¡± Ben said. ¡°Uploading your consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t more people do that?¡± Ben asked. ¡°Was it ¡®cause of the ethics revolution?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marvin said. It was one of those gradual, century-long movements that was hard to categorize in history class, but everyone knew of it. During the revolution¡ªor the many sub-revolutions¡ªthe world had come to believe that humanity was at its best when unaugmented with cybernetic implants. Cyborgs and consciousness-uploading had gone out of style, and people started living ¡°purely¡± again.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re alive?¡± Ben asked.


    Marvin raised a nonexistent eyebrow. What a loaded question. He¡¯d never considered himself not alive, but now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t have any biological basis for being alive. He was a highly advanced piece of electronic equipment.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not alive like a plant is alive,¡± Marvin replied. ¡°But¡­¡± I¡¯m human, aren¡¯t I?


    How could he be one but not the other?


    ¡°Me personally, I think you¡¯re alive,¡± Ben said. ¡°I think we gotta stop defining life as our biological processes. Life is simply the act of giving a shit about yourself.¡±


    Marvin couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°So is an AI alive?¡±


    ¡°You can ask an AI to kill itself and it will. Can¡¯t do that to you or a plant or anything else.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s a plant gonna kill itself?¡± Marvin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡±


    ¡°So what makes it different from a rock?¡±


    Ben tapped his foot on the ground. ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t know. But you get my point, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Marvin said. ¡°Do you believe in an afterlife?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Maybe our souls get converted into energy and that¡¯s what makes the prayer tags glow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much of an afterlife,¡± Marvin remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than your version.¡±


    They talked a bit longer, but soon the energy dwindled. The empty workshop and dead machines did nothing to help. Marvin expected the Sawblades to have come in by now, but who knew what Gerard was making them do.


    At length, Marvin asked, ¡°Do you wanna finish your Centium story?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Ben replied.


    ¡°What happened after you told Renee?¡±


    ¡°She found her parents and we left Centium.¡±


    Marvin stopped himself from protesting. There was obviously a reason Ben wasn¡¯t telling the rest of it. Painful memories probably. It was like if Marvin had to recount his own murder to someone.


    Except, a few seconds later, Ben immediately spoke up.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m lying. Obviously¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what really happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to,¡± Marvin started.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it for myself,¡± Ben said. ¡°If we¡¯re gonna die here, it¡¯s better I get this off my chest.¡±


    Marvin cringed, wondering if he had said something wrong to pressure Ben. Too late now, though. If Ben was set on telling him, he¡¯d do well to listen.


    -----


    Two years ago


    ¡°What is this?¡± Cam demanded.


    He and Ben stood beneath the neon light of the boba shop sign. Ben had been confused why Cam had asked to meet here of all places, but now it became clear. This was the edge of Centium territory. Neutral grounds between them and the Manhunters.


    Ben looked at the picture Cam was showing him. A wooden prayer tag with some very familiar words written on it. He swallowed his nerves.


    ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to show Renee.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the first to find this, Ben,¡± Cam said. ¡°Diana Kane¡¯s been informed. She¡¯ll be here tomorrow.¡±


    Jeez, it was that obvious? On that tag, Ben had not only said Renee¡¯s parents were alive, but he¡¯d suggested¡ªno, implored¡ªher to leave Centium for them. The most incriminating words possible.


    If it had been Darren, the leader of Centium, who knew, Ben would¡¯ve given up then and there. But Diana was navigable. Yes, she was the heir to the kingdom, but she was also strangely close with Renee. Sometimes, when Ben saw them together, he almost believed they were friends.


    ¡°We could convince her to let Renee go,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. She won¡¯t.¡±


    Ben¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Why do they care so much? How is one kid gonna help them?¡±


    ¡°She might actually make all the difference,¡± Cam said, his expression darkening. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking good for us. The Manhunters are making moves.¡±


    Ben rolled his eyes. ¡°Stop being vague.¡±


    ¡°The Manhunters might try to force us out of Nagatown. Renee¡¯s one of the best thiefs we have on site. We¡¯ll need her.¡±


    Us. We. The words made Ben¡¯s stomach turn. They were orphans who happened to be under Centium care. They weren¡¯t gangsters.


    ¡°What¡¯s Diana Kane gonna do?¡± Ben asked. ¡°About me, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    But that look of pity said otherwise. There would be some sort of punishment. Ben wasn¡¯t as useful as Renee. He was expendable.


    What if Renee doesn¡¯t want to leave? What if what I think is good for her ends up hurting her?


    Ben wasn¡¯t sure if he was just trying to cope with the context. No good would come from getting involved in a gang war, no matter how Renee felt.


    ¡°The real question is,¡± Cam said, ¡°what are you gonna do?¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t know. Band up with Renee, kowtow to Diana, and apologize for their mistakes? He would hate himself forever.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Cam muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    The two of them entered the boba shop and sat down at a pink table in the back. The robot barista greeted them with an overly cheerful wave.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do to you,¡± Cam said. ¡°This has never happened before.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s like treason, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nothing¡¯s really come out of it yet.¡±


    But it was the attempt to leave. The mere suggestion that Centium so despised. Ben was sure those words went unspoken by Cam.


    ¡°Do you really think Renee is better off with her parents?¡± Cam said. ¡°She¡¯s never met them before. Sure, they¡¯re rich, but who knows how they got that way. And there¡¯s gotta be a reason they abandoned her.¡±


    It was all valid, but could a life with these strangers possibly be worse than a war with the Manhunters? At least Renee was guaranteed to live.


    ¡°What about a debt?¡± Ben said. ¡°People have done that before, right? We could pay Diana to leave.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in debt is either still in debt, back with the gang, or dead,¡± Cam said. ¡°Their lives are ruined.¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Millions. You¡¯d have to win Mecha Realm to pay it back.¡±


    Ben blinked. ¡°And if we never pay it back?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll show up at your door eventually. You get a choice¡ªeither join again and take on the worst tasks, ones that¡¯ll for sure kill you, or have your brain sold to the Memory Bank.¡±


    Ben felt a chill grip his heart. The sudden sense of self-preservation made him realize it was time to admit the truth: this was more than just Renee. He was the one who wanted out. It was him who hated this life. His compassion for Renee, while genuine, was a projection of his own fears.


    ¡°We can still convince Diana,¡± Ben muttered. ¡°Renee and I.¡±


    ¡°Ben.¡± Cam¡¯s voice was steel. ¡°I know you want out as well. But trust me¡ªjust take whatever Diana throws your way and let this blow over.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in talking to her first.¡± Ben felt like a broken record.


    ¡°You can still reasonably defend yourself right now,¡± Cam argued. ¡°Once you talk to her, you¡¯re confirmed a traitor.¡±


    Ben found his left beg bouncing up and down. He heard the words and let them pass through his ears. He wouldn¡¯t give up without trying first.


    I can do it. I can get us out.


    ¡°We should head back,¡± Cam said, checking his watch. ¡°Get Renee in the loop as well.¡±


    Ben pursed his lips and nodded.


    The walk back to their apartment was quiet. Cam asked several times if Ben was okay, and Ben said he was fine every time. It was strange. He wanted to hate the older boy, but he could only feel thankful that they were returning to the same place. The shared solitude was nice after such a stressful talk.


    Stressful, yet utterly unproductive.


    The night passed, and the next day, Ben woke up feeling more determined than ever. Diana Kane was not a threat; she was a door, an escape from impending destruction. If Ben played his cards right, one meeting was all it would take.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Renee was still asleep. The sky was still dark. Ben slipped out of the apartment, hurrying down the street to the nearest hovertram station. He would ride the monorails to Sector 12 and make the short walk to Centium¡¯s base of operations, the Altaitent.


    The streets were sparsely populated at this time of day. Some bikers zoomed by, and some people were on morning strolls, but Ben felt isolated enough. It was him versus the world, it seemed.


    I am doing the right thing, he told himself.


    The horizon borders were beginning to glow yellow and orange when Ben turned onto Nagatown¡¯s second largest street. It was more than a block wide, flanked with the tallest buildings in a dozen miles¡¯ radius. Smooth, gray pavement and pristine store fronts were barely obscured by the few people out and about. Up ahead, the tram station arched over the sky, connecting two skyscrapers on each side of the road. The monorail passed below the arch. A tram was currently there, stopped below the station, and Ben could see several people get on through a glass bridge.


    However, even closer to Ben was a row of orange barricades and cones, blocking the street. Ben squinted, trying to discern what kind of construction was going on. He made out a group of figures dressed in black gathered under an overhang, but they weren¡¯t working.


    A gang barricade? he wondered. He turned right and headed into an alley. The station was clearly still running, and he knew an alternate route.


    If the Manhunters were setting up roadblocks, a skirmish was soon to follow. Just another reason to leave Centium. As Ben submerged deeper in the darkness of the alley, he quickened his pace.


    When he passed the halfway point, when the light at the end started expanding, he suddenly heard a second pair of footsteps behind him.


    He spun around. Another boy was approaching, one whose gait was unfortunately very familiar.


    Oh great. But before Ben could run, Cam called his name.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble!¡± Cam shouted. He stopped a few feet away from Ben, leaned against the wall, and sucked in a breath. Ben backed away cautiously.


    ¡°Nothing I say¡¯s gonna change your mind, huh?¡± Cam said.


    Ben shook his head warily. Cam would have to stop him by force, and Ben knew he was a faster runner.


    ¡°What do you plan to say to Diana Kane?¡± Cam asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her about Renee¡¯s situation,¡± Ben replied. ¡°She likes Renee. She¡¯ll let us go.¡±


    ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work? Are you gonna take the debt?¡±


    Ben faltered. He wanted to say yes, but they were talking about millions of dollars here. How could he make that much money before the deadline?


    ¡°If I have to,¡± Ben said, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Cam said. He pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s gonna happen. I¡¯ll say it was my idea. I told Renee that her parents were alive and gave you guys the idea to leave Centium.¡±


    Ben¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°But how¡­ You¡¯d just be dragging yourself into this.¡±


    ¡°If Diana thinks it was me, you have a much better chance of negotiating yourself out of Centium. I can work off part of the debt.¡±


    Ben widened his eyes. A part of him wanted to protest that this wasn¡¯t about him, but who was he kidding? He was the one who felt sick to the stomach every time Centium sent him on a mission. Did he even know how Renee felt about leaving Centium?


    Shut up, he told himself. This was for the best.


    He turned back to Cam. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ben looked up at the thin sliver of sky, feeling a weight slide off his shoulders. Why would Cam do this for him? He didn¡¯t deserve half of it.


    ¡°How do I repay you?¡± Ben asked. He vowed he¡¯d find some way to. In no world should Cam sacrifice so much without getting something in return.


    Cam let out a tired chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something later.¡± He gestured forwards. ¡°Now let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Ben frowned, wondering what had made the older boy pause. He turned around and followed Cam¡¯s gaze. Three figures were obscuring the light at the end of the alley. Black suits and red compound goggles. Ben turned back and looked over Cam¡¯s shoulder to see three more Manhunters blocking the way. One of them was a woman with long, brown hair: Veronica.


    Ben took a deep breath and tried to steady his heartbeat. Veronica was chill. She¡¯d been nice at the prayer grounds, aside from¡­


    Ben realized with a start just what Veronica had said at the prayer grounds.


    ¡°Cameron,¡± Veronica shouted, voice resounding in the dark corridor. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡±


    Ben risked a glance at his friend. Cam¡¯s eyes were wide with fear, his jaw clenched tight. He knew what this was about more than Ben, that was for sure.


    ¡°We gotta run,¡± Ben whispered.


    ¡°For the tram,¡± Cam agreed.


    Three Manhunters were blocking the way, but they didn¡¯t take up the whole width of the alley. There were plenty of places to slip through. However, Ben and Cam needed to bait them closer.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Cam shouted back.


    ¡°Your friend can tell you,¡± Veronica replied. Both walls of Manhunters steadily approached them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you ever told me your name, actually,¡± Ben said, trying to hide the fear in his voice. They¡¯re Manhunters. They¡¯re small fry.


    Usually, that reassurance worked. Today, it only made him more scared.


    ¡°Well, my name hardly matters,¡± Veronica said. ¡°You know why I¡¯m here.¡±


    Ben shifted so both sides of Manhunters were in his periphery. Cam did the same. A few more seconds now.


    ¡°You know what you did, Cameron,¡± Veronica continued. As the two Manhunter walls converged, the figure beside her stepped into the light. He was much younger than the others and had scruffy brown hair and the beginnings of a mustache. Ben would later know him as Gerard.


    ¡°I hope you understand you had this coming,¡± Veronica said.


    The Manhunters were within five feet on each side, and slowing to a stop. There were at least five windows to slip through. Go low, go high, far left or far right¡­ Everything was viable. Ben met Cam¡¯s eyes.


    Now.


    Ben lunged forward, vision tunneling on the gap between the right-most Manhunter and the wall. For a moment, he felt like he was flying as both his feet left the ground. Then he hit the earth again, and he was in the gap.


    And the next thing he knew, something smashed into his side, pummeling him against the wall.


    Ben gasped for air, vision swimming. He slumped to the ground and rolled across the wall. Someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him backwards.


    No no no no¡ª


    Sounds of a similar struggle could be heard on his left. Someone tossed him across the alley, and someone else caught him, put him in a headlock, and forced him onto his knees. Ben thrashed out, but he was firmly held in place.


    Strands of brown hair brushed against his ear.


    ¡°Pay attention now,¡± Veronica said quietly. ¡°You could learn a thing or two.¡±


    She stood and brought Ben up with her. As his vision began to focus, he saw Cam slumped against the wall, blood trickling out of his nose. He looked at Ben with wide eyes, eyes that acknowledged that they¡¯d failed.


    ¡°This is what we¡¯re gonna do,¡± Veronica declared. The other five Manhunters closed in around Cam like vultures. ¡°You¡¯re gonna take one hit for every thousand dollars you cost us.¡±


    Cam sucked in a breath but said nothing.


    ¡°One-hundred-thirty-six punches,¡± Veronica mused. ¡°It¡¯s really not that much.¡± Her voice suddenly grew bright. ¡°You might survive! You¡¯ll spend a week in the hospital, then you¡¯ll go out to get revenge. Keep up this cruel cycle.¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone!¡± Cam shouted. Ben felt his heart drop. How could Cam be protecting him, even thinking of him in a time like this?


    ¡°This is about you, not him,¡± Veronica snapped. She addressed the other Manhunters. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Gerard was the first to swing. His fist connected with Cam¡¯s cheek, throwing the boy¡¯s head to the left with a sickening crunch. Cam coughed and slid further down the wall. His head slowly rolled back to its original position.


    The others went. One punch after another, one crunch, one crack, one cough, one wheeze. They became a mass of black and red. Cam was barely discernible.


    Ben didn¡¯t comprehend what was happening at first. It didn¡¯t even register in his mind that he should look away. One moment he was heading down the street to the tram station, the next minute he was being held captive by the Manhunters and his friend was getting hurt. This wasn¡¯t real.


    Only when he heard the squelches, the whimpering, and his heartbeat thundering in his ears did he snap to reality.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he screamed. He tried to elbow Veronica but found thin air. ¡°Stop!¡±


    The punches continued. Blood was seeping from that side of the alley to the opposite wall. Ben squeezed his eyes shut. He tried stomping on Veronica¡¯s feet, tried biting her arm, tried headbutting her. The woman held firm.


    ¡°Kill me instead!¡± he cried. ¡°Just stop!¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes!¡± Veronica demanded. Ben felt his eyelids being dragged upwards. The scene of the alleyway replaced the darkness. Five Manhunters and a husk of a boy.


    The Manhunters¡¯ rotation was slowing down. Ben could hear quiet, labored breaths; Cam was still alive.


    Hang in there, Ben implored, tears welling in his eyes.


    Gerard approached Cam and wound his fist back. His prosthetic hand was soaked in blood, but he had a manic grin on his face that made Ben want to puke.


    Just then, a high-pitched ringing cut through the air. Not a siren, but more like the sound of metal scraping metal. Ben winced and Veronica nearly let him go. The other Manhunters covered their ears and looked to the end of the alley.


    Two new figures had arrived, wearing heavy, bright-colored robes and boasting silver swords that extended out of their right hands. The figure on the left, the shorter of the two, wore a flat, black conical hat that made her unmistakable: Diana Kane.


    Ben blinked, refusing to believe this stroke of luck. He kept his focus on his friend¡¯s breathing. Stay alive, Cam. But those breaths were so faint, so shallow, that he wasn¡¯t sure who they belonged to.


    ¡°Back off,¡± Diana said. Her voice was quiet and not exactly commanding, but that made it all the more eerie. Ben could feel Veronica¡¯s grip loosening.


    ¡°We outnumber you three to one,¡± a Manhunter snarled.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Diana said. She gestured for her guard to halt as she alone strode forward. A string of magenta plasma ignited around her blade.


    The Manhunter who¡¯d spoken exchanged looks with another, and the two of them charged forward.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Veronica shouted.


    Diana slashed her sword arm upwards, carving the first Manhunter in half. Then she slashed sideways, decapitating the other. She¡¯d barely broken her stride. Ben had believed she was a proficient mech pilot and well-trained in combat, but this was legend incarnate. Every rumor about her was true.


    ¡°Take another step and I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Veronica shouted, turning Ben around to face the Centium members.


    ¡°If you do that, every one of you is going to die,¡± Diana said. ¡°If you just leave, though¡­¡±


    Veronica¡¯s arms began trembling. Ben held his breath; an opportunity was surely coming where he could escape.


    But then, to his surprise, Veronica released him. Ben glanced to his right and saw Gerard was already backing away. The remaining two Manhunters quickly followed suit.


    ¡°Ask him what he did,¡± Veronica spat, nodding to Cam. ¡°He had it coming.¡±


    ¡°Sure he did,¡± Diana said.


    Veronica spun on her heels and led her Manhunters out of the alley. Ben watched them fade into the light, then turned to Diana and her bodyguard. They might as well have been angels.


    ¡°Ben, right?¡± Diana asked. There was a slight smile on her face; she knew Ben was close with Renee. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Ben muttered.


    Diana¡¯s bodyguard knelt down beside Cam and felt for a pulse.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Diana asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s still breathing,¡± the guard replied. ¡°He¡¯ll make it, albeit with a few implants.¡±


    Ben wanted to collapse in relief. I¡¯m so sorry Cam. This is all my fault. I should¡¯ve never tried to go to the tram.


    ¡°Implants?¡± Diana repeated.


    The guard nodded.


    Diana tilted her head to take a long look at Cam. Ben forced himself to as well. In the darkness, it was hard to tell what was right or wrong with the older boy. Nothing particularly disturbing was visible. That was a relief.


    Diana pursed her lips. ¡°The surgery¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    And with a swipe of her sword, she cut open Cam¡¯s throat.


    -----


    ¡°There was no negotiating after that,¡± Ben said, voice trembling. ¡°Renee and I took the debt and left. I¡­ I told her the Manhunters killed Cam.¡±


    Marvin was silent for a moment. He pictured the Ben he used to know, the cheerful, talkative outsourcer. He pictured Renee, always so animated and lively. He imagined Diana Kane, the shadowy figure who had invaded their workshop.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Marvin whispered at length.


    ¡°They¡¯re hypocrites,¡± Ben murmured. ¡°They¡¯ll force anyone to stay in their gang until it costs them. We were all expendable in the end. Even Renee.¡±


    Marvin nodded. And the heads of each snake were monsters of their own. Diana Kane, Veronica, Gerard, Jacques. There was no moral high ground there.


    Marvin wanted to say something more, something to comfort Ben, but he couldn¡¯t find the words. So he did the next best thing he knew to do.


    ¡°Can I ask¡­ is that why you froze back then?¡± Those three times they¡¯d confronted the Manhunters or Centium.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ben said.


    Can¡¯t blame him. Marvin couldn¡¯t imagine what that kind of trauma did to someone.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not good,¡± Ben continued. ¡°I just can¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I want to help, I really do¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, really,¡± Marvin cut in. He wasn¡¯t going to reprimand Ben, especially not now. However, he couldn¡¯t deny that if they were to escape, they could not have Ben freezing again. So Marvin said, ¡°You probably know this already, but¡­ if you keep freezing, one of us might die. You might die.¡±


    Marvin immediately winced as the words left his mouth. What was he thinking? Ben had just confessed a traumatic life story and he was telling him to get over it?


    But it was the truth. That may have not been what Ben wanted to hear, but at this moment, they needed to do everything they could to survive. That meant trying to get Ben to change.


    ¡°I know,¡± Ben said.


    Marvin felt a jolt of panic. These were robot thoughts. Utilitarian and devoid of empathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he began. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Thank you,¡± Ben said. ¡°It¡¯s different when you hear it from someone else, you know?¡±


    Marvin swallowed. I was too blunt.


    But before he could continue to apologize, he heard a door slide open on his right. He turned and silently cursed. Gerard had walked in. Gerard, in the flesh, alone. If Marvin¡¯s hands were free, he would have rushed down the Manhunter right then and there.


    Gerard paused in front of Marvin. ¡°Steve. I talked to an acquaintance of yours today.¡±


    Marvin felt his phantom skin prickle. Who could it be? Caroline? Sienna? Bob?


    ¡°Now, what exactly are you?¡± Gerard asked. ¡°No more bullshit answers.¡±


    Marvin narrowed his eyes. He¡¯s seeing if what I say correlates to whatever my ¡°acquaintance¡± said.


    They¡¯d all refer to him as a cyborg, no? He was about to say that, but he caught his tongue at the last second. Would Caroline really call him a cyborg in a negotiation? She¡¯d try to overhype him, he suspected. Something like what she¡¯d done with Centium.


    ¡°I have a killer crane implant,¡± Marvin replied. He didn¡¯t dare say more.


    Gerard scoffed and crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me. We¡¯ve got a job to do.¡±