《WHAT YØU LEFT BEHIND》


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    Plash! Plish! Plack!


    Water sprang up in little irregular crowns around her ankles, prodding her shins with its tiny, frigid fingertips. The roar of rain and wind dragged over her ears. Plash! Plash! Her bare feet shattered the rippling surface of another puddle, scattering dozens of glittering pearls over the pavement. Dull pain climbed up the bones in her legs as her heels struck ragged concrete again and again. The thin paper bag in her arms rattled in the breeze of her flight. Plish! Plash! Plack! Her lungs pressed into her aching ribs in a demand for more space than their boney cage would allow. Her mouth and throat were dry¡ªthe air clung to them as it poured down in heavy gulps. Raindrops slashed over her cheeks and the wind tugged at the hem of her dirty gown. She leapt over another puddle.


    A hitch in the road caught her toes¡ªit drove pain through her foot like a hot iron rod. She yelped and staggered into a headlong pitch towards the pavement. Her eyes squeezed shut. Her arms flew up to shield her face. Time-ravaged concrete bit into her arms and shins; the ragged teeth of friction peeled flesh away as she skidded to a stop.


    She laid there for a moment, shuddering and swallowing air. Water soaked into the last few dry patches of her clothes. Burning pain seeped into her shredded skin. Her fingers curled into a fist and she grit her teeth. Warm tears slipped between her tight eyelids. The girl opened her eyes and pulled herself to her knees. She winced as she lifted a few tangles of wet, tar-black hair from her face. The skin on her arms and knees was peeled back to reveal smooth, pale blue light underneath. Tiny flower petals of transparent sapphire floated from the wounds and vanished in the air. Water crawled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin.


    >>>  ||| <<<


    Hot water leaks down the sides of Natalie¡¯s head, pooling at her chin and falling away in a dense stream. Water strikes the floor tiles and gives percussion to the shower head¡¯s hiss. She cranks the faucet handle and leans against the icy steel wall. The stream of searing water shifts from her scalp to her back¡ªshe tenses and flinches away, then commits to the position. Her eyes slip open and she draws a long breath. The humid air is rich with the chemical perfume of shampoo.


    That memory¡­again¡­


    She reaches out through the recesses of her mind¡ªinto every darkened corner and dim crevice¡ªto draw more of the vague scene out into the light. It shrinks away from her touch like smoke, warping and vanishing through her fingers.


    I was late¡­late for¡­what? She shuts her eyes again and shakes her head¡ªher hair whips about her head and flings water in every direction. Perhaps it¡¯s time for a long-overdue checkup with medical¡­ She twists the shower faucet in the opposite direction and, with a pitched squeal, the steaming downpour from above halts. Tap! Tap-tap! Tatap! Tap! She lingers for a moment longer, water falling from her body and striking the ground without rhythm. Tap! Tatap! Tap! Tap! Tap-Tap! The shower door squeaks and grinds as it slides open. The air of the cramped bathroom is thick with steam¡ªit clings to the bare metal walls and swirls around her as she steps out of the tiny shower cubicle.


    Natalie tugs a navy-blue towel from a hook on the wall. The coarse fabric claws at her skin as she dries herself off. She lifts her hair and bundles the towel around it, before stepping over to the stainless steel sink mounted to the wall. She leans against it with one hand while using the other to wipe condensation from the small mirror hanging above. Through the slice of clarity carved from the foggy surface, a pair of glazed, bloodshot emerald eyes lock with her own. They¡¯re underlined by lead-colored half-rings that pull her upper eyelids down. Her fingers find the handle of the sink faucet¡ªthe nozzle comes to life with a shrill hiss, and Natalie lifts leaky handfuls of water to her face. The frigid puddles shatter against her skin and stream down her neck, stirring chills across her body. She stands with cold hands against her cheeks, and stares into the eyes of her reflection.


    A bright chirp from the bedroom makes her jolt. The nest of towel and hair comes loose, falling to her shoulders in a soggy heap. Her lungs ache with held breath¡ªshe sighs.


    The bathroom door rattles as she slides it open. Steam pours from the top of the doorway and eddies on the ceiling in ghostly, vanishing currents.


    The bedroom is small and undecorated. She smiles and runs her hand over the plain, barren wall as she walks across the room. Pale light filters through the gray blinds of a wide window in the far wall. It spills over the piles of thin blankets and starchy sheets on the bed below. Crammed between the foot of the bed and the wall is a short, sparse metal desk and a tattered, black bean bag.


    The star pad on the desk chirps again. She wanders past a shallow closet with no doors and lifts the thin tablet. The screen lights up, displaying a navy background and a spinning, holographic, white logo¡ªa hexagon with a sword piercing down the center, lined at the bottom with narrow wings and the letters P.U.S. She swipes her finger across the screen; the logo is swept away and replaced with a large yellow banner that displays a flashing red message:


    URGENT BRIEF - P.U.S HEADQUARTERS - 1 HOUR


    Her heart flutters like a flame on a wick. She slides the tablet back onto the desk and smiles. About time¡­though you could¡¯ve at least given me time to dry my hair first¡­


    >>>  ||| <<<


    The girl lifted the thin paper bag from the wet concrete and checked the contents. It crinkled as she pressed it against her chest. She stood and limped forward¡ªa hot pain tightened around the bones of her legs. The wind shifted. It pulled her soaked gown tighter against her skin and drove the rain into her back. She shivered. Another step forward. The concrete gnawed the bottoms of her feet.


    Almost there¡­almost¡­there¡­almost there...almost¡­home¡­


    Home. She lifted her gaze. Windowless factories and concrete warehouses lined the street. Thick metal rails and bridges raced a wide latticework across the sky, feeding through massive, numbered towers that rose into the steel-colored clouds. Smoke stacks choked the atmosphere with unending streams of black smog. Ramshackle huts crawled up support beams and the sides of buildings; they spilled into the roads and clogged alleyways. The higher ones were either tethered to the ground by staircases of trash and scrap, or tied to one another by networks of slack wooden bridges. Makeshift windows, cut from sheet metal or particleboard, flickered from within with golden lamp-light. The air rumbled as a train roared overhead. The huddled shapes of people wrapped in rags dotted the sidewalks¡ªthey moaned and muttered to one another in slurred strings. Glass shattered somewhere in the distance; metal crashed in the opposite direction. A small, orange cat leapt into the road, lingering for a moment to stare at the girl, before darting behind a trash can in pursuit of some rodent. Graffiti covered every exposed wall¡ªvibrant, ghoulish faces; glittering cities and open fields; gang tags and cartoons; vulgar words and scrawled messages that tried to shift the blame for the state of the world around her. She turned down an alley, next to a wall branded with the phrase ¡°WeLCoME tO THe SEwErS¡± in thick, green and orange letters. A shack clogged the entryway. A man yelled from within, the walls muting his words. A woman shouted back over a baby¡¯s cries.


    She squeezed past, keeping an eye on the ground as she navigated her bare feet between glittering piles of broken glass. Bam! She whirled. Behind her, the makeshift door dropped from its misshapen frame, and a mound of rags spilled into the narrow street. It clutched a bottle in one hand and muttered obscenities as it stumbled around the corner. A thin woman with pale skin and tangled, brown hair stepped out, cradling a small whimpering bundle. She cried after the mound, but it was gone. She sank to her knees, sobbing, and buried her face against the baby in her arms.


    The girl glanced down at the bag in her own arms, then back up at the disheveled woman. Something tightened around her chest and pulled her forward. As she took her first step, the figure of a new man came running around the corner. He fell to the woman¡¯s side and threw his arms around her and her child. The girl backed away.


    I¡­hope you¡¯ll be alright¡­ She slipped away, careful not to disturb any loose trash as hot liquid began to pool in the corners of her eyes. In just a few more steps, the man, the woman, and the child had vanished from sight and mind.


    She exited the alley. Out here, more shacks spilled off the street corners¡ªsome were stacked on each other, forming precarious towers that rose higher than the industrial buildings they hijacked for support. Thick, rusting pipes rose from the centers of most of these towers¡ªthey bent and twisted through the air in geometric webs that slipped into large steel tanks and concrete vats. Hot steam spewed from bulging seams in the pipes with a choir of soft, high-pitched whistles.


    The road curved ahead, and as she rounded the bend, blazing orange hands of warmth reached out through the rain to cup her chin. Fire rose from a large, rust-eaten chemical barrel. It rested against the rusted out husk of what used to be a car. Rag-swaddled silhouettes huddled around the roaring bonfire¡ªthey pulled their coverings tighter and spoke to one another in hushed, indecipherable mutters. Another freight hauler roared across the rails overhead; it shook the ground beneath her feet and rocked her bones.


    CRAAAA-ACK! The girl flinched and whirled.


    On the corner behind her, one of the shack-towers gave up the last of its strength in the violent passage of the train. It leaned forward with a groan, peeling away from the side of a factory before folding on itself. As it met the ground, it exploded under its own weight with a deafening crash. Debris and refuse sprayed everywhere. When the commotion settled, faces emerged from doorways and windows. A few people came running out into the street. They dove into the wreckage, calling out names. The girl turned and pressed on.


    Black garbage bags spilled from an alley just ahead. The overwhelming scent of rotting food and human waste stung her nose. Some of the bags were torn open, spilling their contents and stench into the air. She froze. A thin man paced in front of the heap. His bones pressed into his tight skin and his hands covered his face. He twitched and jerked, mumbling and crying out. Sections of him were disintegrating¡ªpatches of his shoulders, arms, legs, and other parts of his body bore a jagged sapphire edge that leaked glowing petals. Blue strands of light twisted from his head like fluid lightning.


    Tang! Metal clattered in a decrepit warehouse behind the girl. Her heart punched her chest and she suppressed a gasp. The man didn¡¯t move, now silent. One of the girl¡¯s hands flew over her mouth. She held her breath.


    The man whirled in her direction and let out a grating, metallic screech. He was low on all fours, his back arched like a stalking predator. His thin muscles were stiff and wound tight. His face was black and featureless, like a dead screen that bore a bright, flickering V-shaped symbol. His head turned, scanning the world with eyes he didn¡¯t have. He spoke¡ªhis voice was thin and hoarse; more digital than human.


    ¡°Melinda? Is¡­is that¡­you?¡± he said.


    More metal clattered behind the girl. She jerked and pressed her hand tighter over her mouth. The man¡¯s head snapped in her direction. Her heart hammered beneath her ears.


    ¡°Melinda¡­? M-Melinda¡­?¡± His voice broke and looped on itself. ¡°MELINDAAAA!!¡± The man leapt forward. The girl screamed and tumbled backwards, but the man sailed past her, trailing digital dust in his wake. He tore into the darkness of the warehouse. Metal crashed and the man¡¯s broken shrieks poured out from shadows. ¡°Melinda! Melinda don¡¯t leave me! W-where¡­where are you-you?¡±


    The girl rose to her feet. She tested each step as she backed away, not daring to take her eyes off the warehouse door. Junk and scrap flew out into the street as the man continued to scream and growl. When the fog of rain had swallowed the warehouse, she turned and broke into a run.


    The man¡¯s cries faded. She kept running¡ªaround another bend, between piles of shacks and garbage, past huddled figures who cried and twitched and mumbled. Before long, she stumbled to a halt, doubled over and gasping. She stood at the foot of a long, makeshift staircase that spiraled up a tower of huts. It curved over and around piled rooftops, lit by strings of decorative lights that coiled around its railing of rusty, bent pipe. Black snarls of wires and extension cords hung off the structure like thin strands of hair. She started climbing. Splinters and jagged bits of plastic bit her bruised heels. The rain fell harder. Halfway up, where the tower thinned to just one shack per layer, she crawled under the handrail and walked across a corrugated sheet-metal roof until she came to a tarp-covered doorway. The plastic crinkled as she brushed it aside.


    Heat rushed to swaddle her, pushing the burden of cold air off her shoulders. It radiated from an exposed pipe that dominated the curved, far-left corner of the room from floor to ceiling. The cramped, barren space was bathed in the dim yellow light of a naked lightbulb, dangling in the center of the room. Walls of filthy plastic and rotting metal were bolted to a bare skeleton of soggy wood beams. Two beat-up beanbags rested at the foot of the pipe¡ªone black, the other a filthy white. Tick! Tick! Tap! A leaking spigot jutted from the floor in the opposite corner, poised over a rusty metal tub. Between these two corners, pillows and blankets were piled over and under broken chairs and discarded table-legs, forming a shoddy pillow-fort that leaned against the back wall. The girl stepped further into the space, looking around. She opened her mouth and drew in a short breath.


    ¡°...Kayce?¡± she said. Her voice soaked into the walls.


    ¡°Nattie!!¡± She was jolted by a small body colliding with hers from behind. Thin arms wrapped around her waist and a face buried itself into the small of her back. The child rocked with laughter. Warmth crept through her skin¡ªit relaxed her muscles and pooled in her chest. Her mouth stirred into a smile. She dropped the bundle in her arms and spun around, seizing the little boy under his shoulders.


    ¡°Gotcha!!¡± She hoisted him into the air with a mock roar. He screamed and laughed and flailed. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you how to say my name, huh?¡± She lowered him back to the ground and knelt in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s Na-ta-lie! Natalie!¡± She ruffled his short, white hair as she said this. He squirmed and giggled through a grin, gazing at her through wide, sparkling, ruby-red eyes.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Nat-tie!¡± He chirped. ¡°Nattie!¡± Natalie straightened his oversized, ragged wolf-print t-shirt, before wiping away some of the soot and grime on his glowing, pale face.


    ¡°You should be in bed, Kayce¡­¡±


    Kacye shook his head. ¡°I wanna wait for you!!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m home now, and I¡¯m glad you did¡­¡± Natalie turned and lifted the paper bag from the floor. ¡°I got you something.¡± In a flash of movement, Kayce had darted past her, snatched the bag and pitched himself onto the white beanbag. Swish! The plush mound billowed and folded around him. He peered into the dirty bag. His eyes widened and he drew in a short, sharp breath. He tipped the bag¡ªa small, stuffed wolf toy and a little loaf of sweet bread came tumbling out into his lap. The plush¡¯s gray fur was a little ragged and wet, and the sweet bun was soggy along the bottom edge.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Kayce.¡± Natalie smiled. Kayce leapt from the beanbag, a gift in each hand, and hurled himself against her once more. She caught him this time.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± He said. He started hopping in place. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡±


    She tightened her embrace around him. Anything for you¡­ ¡°Have as much as you want, okay? Then it¡¯s time for bed.¡± Kayce nodded and skipped back over to the beanbag. Natalie stood and walked to the tub in the corner. The stiff handle of the water spigot shrieked. A ragged jet of water shot out of the faucet and crashed into the bottom of the tub. She cupped her hands and lifted some up to her chin. She sipped some¡ªthe sour taste of iron and rust bit her tongue¡ªand swept the rest across her face. She checked her arms and legs¡ªthe wounds there had sealed, but the pain still lurked beneath her skin. She drew a couple handfuls of water over each limb then shut the faucet off. I¡¯ll empty the tub in the morning¡­


    She pulled a small, dirty mirror from behind the tub¡ªit was cracked and chipped. She turned her head at her reflection, studying her green eyes and black hair. Reaching behind the tub again, she put the mirror back and her fingers closed around the angular shape of a small, folding knife. She retrieved it and turned it over in her palm. The handle was carved with the simple, crude shapes of a wolf and its pup. She flicked the short blade open and pressed it to one of the nearby wooden beams. The wood was scored along one corner¡ªfive notches in total. She dug a sixth and flipped the blade shut, dropping the knife back behind the tub. She ran her fingers over the notches. I won¡¯t forget¡­I promise I won¡¯t forget¡­


    Kayce sputtered something out through a mouthful of sweet bread. She turned to find him holding a portion of the treat out to her, his new wolf toy tucked under his arm. She smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Kayce.¡± She took the portion and patted his head. ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full, though, okay? It¡¯s rude.¡±


    He said something else indecipherable through the wad of food between his teeth, then skipped back over to his plush throne and began trying to feed portions of sweet bread to the wolf plush. Natalie took a small bite of the bread¡ªthe fragrance of sugar and earthy grain washed over her tongue and clung to her cheeks. She shut her eyes, drawing in a long breath through her nose. She allowed the flavor to linger in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. Then, she wandered over and flopped down onto the black beanbag next to her brother. Kayce pressed in close, snuggling up under her arm and using her stomach as a pillow. She leaned into him. They ate in silence, staring up at the ceiling of the shack and counting the leaks. Before long, Kayce¡¯s chewing turned to slow, even breathing. Natalie glanced down. His eyes were closed, soft features settled into the calm, detached expression of sleep. His new wolf toy was snug beneath his chin. She brushed a few strands of hair from his face. He shifted a little, then resettled.


    Sleep well, little brother¡­


    >>>  ||| <<<


    Shishh!! The silver door slides open, spilling the faint fragrance of green-tea into the sterile hallway. Natalie steps into the office. The door hisses shut behind her and silences the clutter of hushed conversation and shoes striking laminate. The office is a long, narrow room with a vaulted ceiling. The walls to either side are lined with tall bookshelves, each packed with a peculiar care that suggests that their contents have never been touched. An intimidating rectangular desk dominates the center of the space. The body of the desk is metal¡ªthe front face is stamped with the hexagonal logo of the P.U.S¡ªwhile the top is some kind of glossy, pale marble. Natalie shivers¡ªthe air is cold in here. Books and boxes are piled throughout the office. A potted plant wilts in the far left corner of the room, beside a massive window that radiates harsh light throughout the room.


    Through the parted curtains, the Elmond District glitters in the light of the midday sun. Thin clouds drift overhead like splotches of white watercolor paint on a bright blue canvas. Highrises eject holographic ribbons of advertisements into the atmosphere. Komos Tower stands above it all¡ªa white pillar that flourishes into an anchor¡¯s curve at the top. A thin stream of light jets from its blooming peak, piercing the sky.


    ¡°Natalie! Welcome!¡± The smooth voice washes over her like the currents of a warm river in summer. She jerks back to awareness and peels her eyes from the window. A young man is seated behind the desk, imprisoned by the messy towers of paper on either side of him. Loose white hair falls over his eyes. He wears a rumpled ocean-blue dress shirt beneath a white vest, and a pastel-blue tie hangs loose from his neck. He doesn¡¯t look up from the stack of forms in front of him, tracing each line with his finger. He gestures to one of the two ornate chairs positioned in front of the desk. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain¡­¡± Natalie says. The man raises a gloved hand.


    ¡°I told you, ¡®Nobunaga¡¯ is fine. I have more than enough formality in my life already.¡±


    ¡°Apologies.¡±


    ¡°No need. Get comfortable, we¡¯ll start the briefing soon. We¡¯re just waiting on¡ª¡±


    Shishh!! ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry, Captain!¡± A younger girl floods in through the door, dragging a large, orange gym bag behind her. The contents of the bag clank and rattle as she heaves it into the room.


    ¡°¡ªKokona¡­¡± Nobunaga finishes his sentence, restacking a collection of papers that the newcomer had disturbed in her frantic arrival.


    Without waiting for any kind of invitation, Kokona plops down into the chair next to Natalie. She slouches with a sigh, draping her head over the back of the chair while she props her feet onto Nobunaga¡¯s desk. Her long, messy hair plummets to the floor like a tangled waterfall. It¡¯s more gray than brown, and Natalie still can¡¯t decide if she dyes it that way or if ash is just its natural color. She wears a pair of mismatched bunny slippers, blue gym shorts, a white tank-top, and a cream-colored hoodie. Two hair clips¡ªone orange, the other blue¡ªbattle to keep her hair from falling into her face. She rubs her eyes and groans.


    ¡°Ya really gotta stop sendin¡¯ out these urgent notices so late, Nobunaga, I was in the middle of a new project,¡± she says with a stretch. ¡°Fastest shower I¡¯ve ever had to take in my life¡­¡± Her honey-colored eyes drift over to Natalie and her face brightens. She grins, throwing a wink and a small, three-finger wave in her direction. Natalie puts on a thin smile and offers back a small wave of her own.


    Nobunaga looks up from his papers. For a moment, his cold lapis eyes cast frost over Kokona¡¯s slippered feet, before he closes them and sighs. ¡°I apologize for any inconvenience, Kokona¡­¡± With a swift stroke, he sweeps her feet off the desk. Kokona half-stifles a cry as she falls from her chair. She sits up, moaning and rubbing the back of her head. Nobunaga smiles a little. ¡°The situation at hand called for it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever ya say, Captain,¡± Kokona says, climbing back into her chair and crossing her legs this time. ¡°What¡¯s the mission?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Nobunaga stands and turns, pulling thick violet curtains over the windows. The fabric suffocates the light, dimming the room. He retrieves a thin white puck from the drawer of his desk and slides it over the granite top. The puck whines and bursts into light, casting a holographic projection of a smooth, three-dimensional map. Natalie¡¯s heart seizes at the sight of narrow streets and 3D rendered shantytowns. ¡°This¡­is District 43. Though the locals of Preton have labeled it¡ª¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Sewer District¡¯...¡± Natalie says.


    ¡°A place you are quite familiar with,¡± Nobunaga says. Natalie nods. ¡°For those in the room who do need a refresher, District 43 is a small slice of one of Preton¡¯s many industrial sectors, pushed as far to the Southwestern border as they can manage. It clocks the highest poverty and homelessness rates of any of Strinova¡¯s dimensional cities.¡± The map zooms out to display all of Preton and highlights District 43. ¡°Due to its small size and¡­less-than-ideal position within Preton, the location holds no tactical value. Outside of the occasional charity outreach and shelter program, it¡¯s usually overlooked by High Command.¡±


    Kokona leans in to study the map. The carefree smile has drifted from her face. ¡°So why the sudden interest now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve received an anonymous tip,¡± Nobunaga says. The map zooms in and a number of streets and alleys are highlighted red, forming a thick crimson wire that snakes between buildings. ¡°The intel we received suggests that the Scissors will be transporting a large shipment of Bablo crystals along this route. We¡¯ve been hearing whispers of them making plans to move something big for some time now, we just didn¡¯t know where or what.¡±


    ¡°Fay says there¡¯s an 83.6% chance that it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    Natalie jumps in her seat. She twists to see a young girl step out from the shadows by the door. A gray stuffed bear rests in her arms. She wears a layered white and navy skirt, with an attached hood pulled halfway over her head. A pair of little ears crown the lip of the hood¡ªthey wiggle as she looks to the floor and kicks at nothing with her boot. Smooth, chocolate hair cascades out from beneath the hood, falling over her shoulders. Natalie angles her head to get a better view of the girl¡¯s small face. She can¡¯t be older than fifteen or sixteen.


    ¡°We¡­we should collect more data first¡­¡± The girl¡¯s voice drifts into the air again, thin and weak.


    ¡°I agree with Yvette,¡± Kokona says. ¡°This feels too easy¡­the terrain definitely favors them¡ªlots of places to hide, lots of escape routes¡ªbut¡±¡ªshe gestures to several of the sections of the map where the shacks press into the street¡ª¡°choke points like these would make moving any kind of shipment slow, creating plenty of opportunity for attack. Even the Scissors must know this. Besides, if the tip is correct¡­don¡¯t you think that moving that many crystals at once is reckless, even for them?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Something¡¯s off, here. The terrain, the shipment¡­it doesn¡¯t add up.¡±


    Nobunaga sits on the corner of the desk and studies the wall. ¡°I hear your concerns and I understand the hesitancy, but this is out of my hands. Command says this is an opportunity we can¡¯t miss. It¡¯s a chance to not only seize a large amount of crystals for our own research, but to deliver a devastating blow to their supply as well. I¡¯m inclined to agree with them on this: the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks.¡±


    Kokona sighs. ¡°It¡¯s head-first into the dragon¡¯s den, then, and hoping we find gold. That new girl would love this.¡±


    ¡°She would, but unfortunately, Michele is away on a different assignment. So are most of the rest of our squad. I¡¯d go with you, but the higher-ups have my hands tied with¡±¡ªhe gestures to the mess of papers on the desk¡ª¡°all of this. Cases of Collapse Syndrome are spreading faster than we can keep up, the Scissors keep growing in number and getting bolder every day, and on top of that, there¡¯s whispers that they¡¯re developing a new weapon¡­¡± He drags his hand over his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. ¡°We¡¯re stretched too thin.¡±


    For a moment, the only sound in the room is the gentle hum of the hologram projector. The loose folds of Kokona¡¯s hoodie whisper as she hops to her feet. She leans against the desk and rests a hand on Nobunaga¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Captain. We can handle this. What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    At first, Nobunaga doesn¡¯t move. Then, he breaks from his own trance with a heavy breath and straightens up. He turns back to the hologram and points to a spot along the route, marking it with a flashing yellow flag.


    ¡°We set an ambush here,¡± he says. ¡°The three of you will be joined by two Enforcer squads, and will split into three teams. Kokona will set up overwatch on this building here. Yvette, you will take the first Enforcer squad and run ground interference here. Natalie, you¡¯ll take the second squad and will guard the flank here.¡± He points to an alley about a block and a half away from the ambush point. The words punch Natalie in the chest, sparking a small fire around her heart. She leaps from her chair.


    ¡°What?! Sir, I can help¡ª¡± The P.U.S Captain silences her with a raised hand and a frigid gaze.


    ¡°Natalie, please take a seat.¡±


    Natalie lowers herself back into her chair. Her brow is pitched into a glare and she fidgets in place. ¡°All due respect, Captain, but I¡¯m perfectly capable of supporting the main force. I know the area¡ªprobably better than anyone in this room! I don¡¯t need to be¡­benched like this! This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Natalie, no one here is doubting your skill set. We¡¯ve all seen the records of your previous missions,¡± Nobunaga says. ¡°But you¡¯re the newcomer to this squad. We do things differently here¡ªtake on more dangerous missions than what you¡¯re accustomed to. If it were up to me, I wouldn¡¯t have you undertaking a mission like this so soon, but we don¡¯t have any other options.¡± He gestures to the map. ¡°A flank from this position, no matter how unlikely you think it is, could dismantle our formation within seconds. We can¡¯t afford a loss here.¡± He pauses and stares at the desk. ¡°P.U.S has had too many casualties lately¡­lost too many good people¡­¡± His gaze falls back on her and his eyes harden. ¡°I will not lose anyone from this squad. Am I clear on that?¡±


    The flame in her heart flickers out, leaving a vacant pit. Natalie glares at the floor. ¡°Yes sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± His face softens again, and he steps over to her and places his hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance, Natalie, I promise. Just not today.¡± He paces back behind the desk and faces the three of them once more. ¡°One last thing you should know¡­¡± He taps the puck. It chirps and the map shrinks away, replaced by a blurry still from a security camera. A cloaked figure stands in the frame. Their tattered hood casts a veil of darkness over their features, but from that shadow blazes a snarling set of glowing, crimson fangs and glittering, blood-red eyes. Something inside of Natalie withers and curls away as those eyes pierce her own.


    ¡°Creepy,¡± Kokona says.


    ¡°The last of our intel says that the Scissors have recently employed this assassin,¡± Nobunaga says. ¡°The timing implies that he¡¯ll be aiding in the transport of this shipment.¡±


    ¡°Never seen ¡®em before. What do we know?¡±


    Nobunaga shakes his head. ¡°Nothing. Guy¡¯s a ghost. The only thing I could get out of our contact in Urbino is that he goes by ¡®Feng¡¯. We couldn¡¯t find anyone with that name in our records, so we have no idea who he actually is. Other than that, all we were able to dig up on our own was that Urbino hires him out for some of their most dangerous contracts¡ªand not for cheap, either. Whoever he is, he¡¯s one of their most precious assets, and they¡¯ve gone to great lengths to protect him. If he¡¯s there, do not engage him directly. We don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of, and I¡¯m not interested in finding out today. Are there any further questions?¡± No one speaks. The hologram projector chirps one final time and the image dissolves, plunging the room back into darkness. ¡°Good.¡± Nobunaga yanks the shades back. Light crashes back in and slams into Natalie¡¯s open eyes, driving deep roots of black pain into her skull. She winces. ¡°Gear up. You ship out in forty-five.¡±

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    >   II   <


    The winter breeze swept across her body, stirring ripples through the canvas folds of her coat. Natalie shivered and drove her hands deeper into her pockets. Her fingers closed around a small deck of plastic cards¡ªDream Tokens. She pulled them out and looked them over. The thin, blue-and-white rectangles were glossy in the pallid afternoon light. She sighed and shoved them back into her pocket. Still not enough¡­maybe I should pick up another gig¡­work nights, too. Kayce¡¯s tenth birthday was in a couple weeks. She looked to the sky¡ªa sheet of pale blue loomed through the tears in the veil of puffy gray cotton. The wind stirred her hair from her shoulders and ran invisible, icy fingertips across her neck. She pulled a black hair-tie from her pocket, scooped her hair into a bundle, and fastened it in place.


    The Cauchy Street district was always quiet this time of year¡ªit was too cold for an afternoon stroll. Squat shops and housing stacks rose up on either side of the pavement. Smoke drifted from little chimneys, and reinforced windows fogged with warmth from within. Steel beams and loose wires lanced between buildings like bones and veins burrowing into concrete flesh. A cargo train thundered nearby¡ªnot even the suburban districts of Preton could escape the rugged, filthy touch of industry. In the near distance, factories clotted the flow of small businesses and dormitory buildings. The air was rich with the metallic, floral aroma of artificial freshener that did little to mask the acrid stench of burning oil and slag. The echo of a man¡¯s shouting voice floated over the rooftops, and metal rang against metal. People strode past her in the opposite direction¡ªan older man in a pressed suit that was more white than gray; two young women, huddled together and wrapped in so many coats and hats and scarves that their rosy faces couldn¡¯t be seen beneath; a group of factory workers, their faces smeared with grime and soot, laughing at some crude joke. None paid her any mind, and she wandered through the sparse crowd like a dry leaf between their shoes.


    She caught her reflection in the display window of a gift shop and paused. Her orange and black factory coat hung off her like a gown. It was at least three sizes too big, but they couldn¡¯t find anything smaller for her to wear. Her pants weren¡¯t much better¡ªthey were baggy and loose and riddled with as many rips as they had pockets. The softer features of her dirty face were beginning to show signs of hardening, and her mouth was frozen in the ghostly shape of a frown. Dark rings gathered under her eyes. Her messy, lopsided black hair was scored with a streak of crisp white dye. Some kind of poster was taped to the window, depicting a cute, young girl with long pastel-pink hair. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open¡ªthe poster froze her face in a perpetual look of awe. Bold lettering on the edges of the poster read ¡°THE NEXT RISING STAR?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered between the poster and her reflection. She scrubbed at the dirt on her face with her sleeves, but only succeeded in smearing it more. Her arms dropped back to her sides. She stared at herself for what felt like an hour, before turning away. As she carried on, she threw one last frown at her reflection before it vanished into the metal window frame.


    She passed a couple more shops¡ªmost of them for clothes of varying degrees and flavors of fashion¡ªand stopped at an alley. It was cleaner than the alleys she was used to. There were no piles of rotting black bags; no burning barrels or skeletal husks of cars. There were a couple loose pieces of trash¡ªa crumpled food wrapper; a discarded magazine, and an old bicycle missing both its wheels. A clean, empty dumpster sat open at the far end of the alley, and in the corner between its side and the concrete wall was a small huddled mass of dirty rags and tangled hair. The shape pinned scraped knees to its chest with filthy hands. The sight dug a pit in Natalie¡¯s chest. You too, huh¡­? She looked around at the empty sidewalks and emptier streets. A young couple hurried by, quickening their pace as they passed the alley. They didn¡¯t give her, the alley, or its contents a glance. Her eyes narrowed and she lobbed a glare over her shoulder after them. Yeah, keep walking. Pretend it doesn¡¯t exist. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes. A long breath of cold air extinguished the flames in her lungs. She turned and started walking down the alley. Don¡¯t worry. I can see you¡­even if they won¡¯t.


    The huddled figure took no notice of her as she approached. She pulled off her coat, leaving herself with nothing more than a stained, white tank top. The winter air pounced on her and began siphoning heat from her flesh. She knelt down next to the figure and pulled her coat over its shoulders like a blanket. Its head jerked up to look at her, revealing the dirty face of a little girl. Her small hands grabbed at the edges of the coat and pulled it tighter. She stared up at Natalie through wide, blood-shot eyes. They were dim blue, like a tarnished sky. Natalie smiled at her. Tears began to crawl from the corners of the girl¡¯s eyes. They painted clean trails through the grime staining her cheeks. She grit her teeth and her face contorted into a pained grimace. Squeaks and strained groans slipped from her throat.


    Natalie rested a hand on the girl¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay now¡­¡± The girl threw herself against Natalie¡¯s legs and wailed into her pants, staining them with tears and snot. Natalie¡¯s smile trembled as she fought back the pressure building behind her own eyes. She began to stroke the girl¡¯s greasy hair, combing it with her fingertips. She hummed some tune she¡¯d heard somewhere that she didn¡¯t know the name of.


    After a while, the girl¡¯s cries turned to small whimpers that drifted out into silence. She shifted and squirmed, and Natalie looked down to find her staring across the street. She followed the trail of the girl¡¯s gaze to a little cafe across the street, crammed between two residential stacks. She looked back to the little girl¡ªher hands had released the edges of the coat and now grasped her stomach.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Natalie asked.


    The little girl flew upright. Her hands found the edges of the coat once more and pulled it tight. She shook her head and scrambled back. Her eyes flicked between Natalie¡¯s face, the ground, and the cafe.


    ¡°Hey¡ªhey!! It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Natalie said. She leaned forward a little and reached out. The girl flattened herself against the wall. Her breathing grew fast, ragged, and shallow. Her eyes flew around¡ªfrom the ground, to the dumpster, to Natalie¡¯s hand, to the cafe, to Natalie¡¯s face, back to the ground, back to the cafe¡­ Her hands jerked the coat up over her face.


    Her suffocated voice pressed through the thick canvas. ¡°M-Mom-my¡­says¡­not t-to t-take¡­too much¡­fr-om¡­strangers¡­¡± She curled deeper into the coat. ¡°Says it¡¯s¡­s-stealing¡­ Says¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m a¡­b-bad girl¡­¡± Her voice cracked over the words like glass against gravel. ¡°Bad¡­girl¡­bad girl¡­bad¡­¡± She muttered the last two words to herself over and over while she trembled and rocked in place. Natalie moved a little closer. A blue flicker above the girl¡¯s head ensnared her gaze¡ªher breath hitched in her throat.


    Her chest tightened with building pressure. Her pulse beat against her ears. A chill crawled up the back of her neck. Three little threads of weak blue light were twisting and writhing over the girl¡¯s head. They pulsed with each repetition of the words ¡°bad¡± and ¡°girl¡±. Natalie threw herself backwards. Her muscles tensed. Her body was hot despite the frigid air.


    You¡­you¡­you have it too¡­


    ¡°Collapse Syndrome¡±¡ªshe¡¯d heard the word tossed around by other workers on the jobs she picked up. A terrible disease of unknown origin that was tearing through the world. It started with memory loss and emotional instability, which became psychosis, and then¡­reverstring¡ªthe complete unraveling of mind and soul as the body wasted away into dust. She pushed herself a little further away. The girl¡¯s muttered words slurred into nonsense, and she started sobbing again. Natalie ripped her gaze from the strands and back to the girl¡¯s huddled figure. Every crease in the coat trembled with each sob that rocked her little body. Her thin arms were raised to her face, wiping at streams of endless tears and smearing more soot over her skin. She fell forward and wailed into the concrete.


    Natalie pinched her tongue between her teeth and drew in a sharp breath. This isn¡¯t like the others, Nat¡­ Heat was building behind her eyes¡ªtears began to crawl from their corners. She wiped them away on the back of her hand. She¡¯s just a little girl¡­she doesn¡¯t¡­she doesn¡¯t deserve this¡­ Her hand trembled as she reached out and set it on the girl¡¯s back. Something in her chest released, and the tension disappeared from her muscles.


    ¡°H-hey! Hey! It¡¯s okay¡­¡± She lifted the girl¡¯s face from the ground and brushed the hair from it. ¡°You aren¡¯t stealing from me. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m offering, okay? I¡¯m offering. You aren¡¯t a bad girl.¡±


    The girl flinched as she swallowed another sob. ¡°A-are¡­are y-you¡­s-sure?¡± The glowing strings above her head started to flicker and fade.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie said, laying her hand on the girl¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± She glanced toward the cafe. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get you something to eat, okay? Wait here, I¡¯ll be right back. I promise. Just wai¡ª¡±


    The girl buried her face into Natalie¡¯s stomach. Her little arms tightened around her waist. She kept muttering something¡ªsomething about ¡°mommy¡± and ¡°thank you¡±.


    Natalie smiled and allowed her arms to fold around the girl¡¯s tiny frame. This isn¡¯t like the others at all¡­


    >>>   |||   <<<


    A stiff, feminine voice buzzes from the little keypad by the door. ¡°Armory. One. One. Three. Access. Granted.¡± The segmented metal door groans and crawls up with the coarse grind of motors. The small room behind it is well-lit and reeks of steel, porcelain and pungent chlorine. A sink, a wide locker, and a tall mirror are the only things inside.


    As Natalie takes her first step inside, she¡¯s stopped by a shout from down the hall. ¡°Miss Natalie!! Miss Natalie, please wait!!¡±


    She looks back. A short girl with a black bob cut ducks and weaves through the crowded hallway. She clutches a Star Pad to her chest with one hand and pins a set of thick, round glasses to her face with the other. She trips over her own feet, stopping right in front of Natalie, then snaps into a rigid salute.


    ¡°Forgive me, ma¡¯am,¡± she says. She¡¯s panting, but her voice is sunny and bold. ¡°Tanya. P.U.S R&D. We¡¯ve made some alterations to your kit that we¡¯d like to go over with you before you deploy.¡± Natalie stares at her. Her uniform is rumpled, her hair is a mess, but her bright hazel eyes cast a warm glow across her features. She drops the salute. The soft corners of her face are cemented into an expression of diligence one would find in a recruitment poster.


    ¡°Uh¡­sure, I guess,¡± Natalie says. She glances around the hall. ¡°Come on¡ª¡± Tanya hurries past her. ¡°¡ªin¡­¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Your kit¡¯s in your locker, as usual!¡±


    Clunk! Schreek! Tanya throws the locker open. She leans in, disappearing down to her waist for a moment, then emerges hauling a large crate out with her. THUD! She drops it with a grunt. The crate is matte white and marked with warning labels and blinking yellow lights. Tanya pats the lid and grins.


    ¡°Please get changed! I won¡¯t look!¡± She turns away and begins assaulting her Star Pad with her fingertips.


    Natalie steps in, and the door grinds shut behind her. ¡°Can¡¯t you just wait outside or something¡­?¡± No answer. Great¡­ Natalie changes and steps over to the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­it¡¯s certainly different¡­¡± She turns and sways, plucking at the fabric. She¡¯s clad in a tight, navy-blue and black skirt with matching leggings¡ªthe fabric is traced with glimmering, blue lines. Silver plates of armor decorate her figure: they cover her lower legs, boots, chest, shoulders, and forearms.


    ¡°One moment.¡± Tanya turns back to the box and retrieves a helmet, passing it to Natalie. ¡°Here, please put this on.¡± Natalie slips the helmet on, taking a moment to feed a hasty ponytail through a slot in the back. ¡°Perfect! Hold still, testing faceguard¡­now.¡± Tanya stands on her toes and delivers two rapid taps to the right side of Natalie¡¯s head. Two metal plates hiss forward from either side of the helmet. They unite in the middle with a sharp crack!


    Natalie jerks back against the locker. ¡°Holy¡ª¡±


    At the same time, a smooth sheet of glass slips down from the helmet¡¯s brim to shield her eyes. She reaches up and runs her fingers over the curved metal plate that now covers the entire lower half of her face. Tanya leans out in front of her. She tilts her head to one side and narrows her eyes.


    ¡°Huh. Might wanna reduce the pressure of those pneumatics a little¡­¡± She returns to her tablet, muttering.


    Natalie frowns. She reaches up and taps the side of the helmet the same way Tanya did; the faceguard retracts. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She looks her reflection up and down. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too¡­medieval-looking?¡±


    Tanya adjusts her glasses, but doesn¡¯t look up. ¡°Hmm? Oh, I mean, I don¡¯t see the problem with that at all! Miss Yvette designed this armor herself!¡± She leans in again and begins plucking at the hem of Natalie¡¯s skirt. ¡°The idea is to offer better mobility than previous iterations without sacrificing too much protection,¡± she says. ¡°Plus, she says it¡¯s cuter this way. I agree.¡±


    Natalie grimaces. ¡°I don¡¯t think looking cute is a priority here¡­¡±


    Tanya shakes her head. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point, Miss Natalie.¡± She reaches up, deploys the faceguard again, squints into the mirror, then taps a few more things into her Star Pad. ¡°You need to think of the bigger picture.¡± As she says this, she tucks the tablet under her arm and gestures to a non-existent horizon. ¡°Just think: when you¡¯re out there¡ªfighting the Scissors, stopping a robbery, helping the needy¡ªpeople are seeing you. Our agents should look the part, whether that be professional or heroic.¡± She adjusts her glasses and her gaze drifts away. ¡°People need symbols, Miss Natalie, and what better symbol for all the children of Strinova than a heroic knight that comes to save them from the forces of evil?¡± Her eyes sparkle as she stares off into the corner of the ceiling. ¡°Isn¡¯t it genius? Miss Yvette is truly inspiring!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Natalie nods. Great. Total fangirl over here. She turns her arm over, revealing a small, puck-shaped device mounted to her forearm. Its curved, white shell is divided into four segments, revealing black metal and thick wires in the gaps. The center is dominated by a dark lens that devours most of the shape. ¡°What¡¯s this thing for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot!¡± Tanya crashes back into reality and begins assailing her tablet again. ¡°There¡¯s a pressure sensor in your glove. Should be active¡­now. When you¡¯re ready, please squeeze your fist as tight as you can!¡±


    ¡°Why, what does it do?¡±


    Tanya rolls her eyes. ¡°Just squeeze the sensor, please. Oh, and try to angle your arm away from your face when you do.¡±


    ¡°I¡­alright then¡­¡± Natalie clenches her fist. BREEE!! A pitched whine floods her ears and a transparent, curved rectangle of brilliant blue light materializes off the disk. She jerks back. ¡°What the hell?!¡± She twists and shakes her arm and the weightless shape follows, mounted there by some invisible force. Her heart hammering, she presses her free hand against it to try and force it off, but it doesn¡¯t budge. It¡¯s firm against her hand, like cold glass. ¡°What the hell is this thing?¡±


    ¡°Hardlight shield.¡±


    ¡°Hard¡­light¡­what?¡±


    ¡°New tech R&D has been cooking up. Programmable matter from energy.¡± Tanya begins talking faster. ¡°The projector on your wrist condenses and compresses string energy into a pre-programmed shape. Think of it like a 3D printer of sorts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­amazing¡­¡± Natalie traces the tiny hexagons that knit the shield¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Tanya is glimmering now. ¡°The potential applications of this tech are endless! Just think: shields that never break, swords that never go dull, buildings that never crumble!¡± She reaches out and taps the shield. ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re limited to small scale stuff right now. Larger projectors tend to overheat and explode when too much stress is applied to the construct¡­oh, but don¡¯t worry, it''s usually only the big ones that do that.¡±


    Natalie runs her hand over the P.U.S sigil engraved in the shield¡¯s outer face. ¡°You guys really put your logo on everything, huh?¡±


    Tanya¡¯s face goes blank. ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Natalie releases her grip, and the shield flickers out of existence. ¡°Oh, wait!!¡± Tanya dives back into the box and throws something. ¡°Every knight needs a sword!¡±


    Natalie catches it. The handle is wrapped in black grip-tape and there¡¯s a small trigger just beneath the crossguard. In the place of a blade is a familiar sculpture of white and black metal. Natalie¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°That¡­kind of looks like¡­¡±


    ¡°Komos Tower, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Tanya smirks. ¡°That little piece was designed by¡±¡ªshe twirls and gestures to herself with a flourish¡ª¡±yours truly! Poetic, isn¡¯t it? The Great Anchor of Strinova, wielded by the Chosen Knight to enforce the will of its Protectors, the P.U.S! What do you think?!¡±


    Natalie stares at Tanya for a moment. I think you and Yvette really need to put down the fantasy books¡­ ¡°Yeah¡­very poetic¡­¡± She squeezes the trigger. SKREE!!! A blade of crystal-blue light materializes from the tower-shaped projector in an instant. She twirls the weapon. There¡¯s no weight or resistance. As it cuts the air, it emits a sound between a low hum and a high whistle. ¡°Woah¡­¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Hardlight sword! Weightless, unbreakable, and sharper than any blade the Scissors¡ªor anyone for that matter¡ªcould throw at you.¡± Natalie releases the trigger. The blade vanishes. ¡°And that¡¯s it!! Your new kit, courtesy of R&D! If you have any further questions, please direct them to¡ª¡±


    BAM! BAM! The armory door rattles and begins to slide open. Kokona ducks under it and into the room, clad in a bluish-gray poncho with a massive rifle slung across her back. ¡°Natalie, you ready yet? We¡¯re deploying in ten¡ª¡± Her sentence stretches out into a squeal as her eyes land on Tanya. ¡°Tanyaaaaaaa!!!¡± She leaps across the room. Tanya starts to back away, but not before Kokona latches her in a tight hug. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in forever!! Where have you been, what have you been working on and¡ª¡± Her eyes slip open and land on Natalie. She tugs in a gasp. ¡°Wouldja look at you!¡± She darts over and begins circling Natalie, pressing in close to take in every little detail. ¡°So heroic! It¡¯s adorable!!¡± She steps back. ¡°People are gonna love you! Tanya, why don¡¯t you ever bring me anything this nice? Tanya¡­?¡± She looks around. Tanya has slipped to the door and is already halfway around the corner.


    She points at Natalie. ¡°Don¡¯t break anything!¡± Then, she¡¯s gone.


    ¡°Tan-yaaaaaa!!¡± Kokona rushes to the door and shouts down the hall. ¡°At least talk to me, wouldja?! I¡¯m sorry I blew up your lab! It won¡¯t happen again! Tanya!!¡± She presses her back against the door frame and rests her face against her palm. ¡°She¡¯s never gonna forgive me for that, is she¡­?¡±


    Natalie turns back to the mirror one more time. Something like a dark cloud stirs at the back of her mind. She glares at her reflection as she turns and studies herself.


    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Kokona says. ¡°Nat, you in there?¡± She snaps her fingers in front of Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Natalie lowers her head toward the floor.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like nothing,¡± Kokona says. She leans against the wall and tilts her head to get a better look at Natalie¡¯s face. Her eyes widen. ¡°You look like you haven¡¯t slept in weeks. I told you, you don¡¯t need to stay at those barracks anymore. We have plenty of comfortable accommodations for Investigators, if you need them. Hell, you could even crash at my place¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie turns away.


    ¡°Natalie¡­¡± A gentle hand closes around her arm. ¡°C¡¯mon. Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­what¡¯s the point?¡± Natalie throws her arms out to her sides and turns back toward Kokona. ¡°The new gear, new equipment? Sure, it¡¯s nice and all, but what¡¯s the point if I¡¯m not going to have a chance to use it?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡­¡±


    ¡°Three missions, Kokona. The last three missions I¡¯ve been benched. And now I¡¯m on flank duty?!¡± She swings her fist and it connects with the locker door. BAM!! Kokona flinches. ¡°I want to help people. That¡¯s why I joined, why I left¡ª¡± The face of a little boy with white hair flickers through her head. Her words catch in her throat and dissipate like smoke over her tongue. ¡°Why I left¡­¡± There¡¯s a name¡ªghostly and formless, like mist in her lungs. ¡°...I left¡­¡±


    ¡°Left¡­what?¡±


    Natalie shakes her head, clearing the fog away. ¡°Nothing, nevermind.¡±


    They stand in silence for a moment. The loose straps on Kokona¡¯s poncho click. Her hand falls on Natalie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Listen, I¡­I get it. I really do. We all went through this when we joined this squad. Hell, I know I sure did. You gotta understand, Nobunaga cares about you¡ªI care about you. But we¡¯ve both seen too many of our juniors get hurt because we threw them into situations they weren¡¯t ready for¡­ The things we deal with here are on a different level than what you¡¯re used to¡ª¡±


    ¡°How would you know? You haven¡¯t even given me a chance to prove myself yet!¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t need to prove yourself, Natalie. You don¡¯t need to prove anything to anyone.¡±


    ¡°I joined to make the world a better place.¡±


    ¡°And you are doing that. I¡¯m glad to have you on our team, and I¡¯m sorry we¡¯re having to¡­baby you like this, but like the Captain said, we¡¯re stretched too thin lately and we can¡¯t afford any losses, especially not from our squad.¡± Natalie glares at the floor. Kokona sighs. ¡°Look¡­I¡¯ll talk to Nobunaga when we get back, okay? I¡¯ll make sure you get your chance, if that¡¯s what you really want. Just¡­promise me something, okay? Look at me and promise me something.¡±


    Natalie lifts her eyes to Kokona¡¯s. ¡°What?¡±


    Kokona¡¯s voice grows firm. ¡°While we¡¯re out there¡­if you see that assassin¡­you run. This goes for Yvette too. High Command may care about this shipment, but I care about my juniors more. If you see Feng, just run. Promise me that¡­please.¡±


    Natalie looks away and squirms. ¡°...fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Kokona punches her arm. ¡°Now c¡¯mon, Miss Righteous Paladin. Let¡¯s go stop a truck.¡±


    >>>   |||   <<<


    A bell on the door sang as she pushed it open. Warmth spilled out, rushing over her skin and eddying around her legs like an undertow. It pulled her in, where it drew the door shut behind her and held her in its invisible arms. The room was bathed in cedar-colored light. Sweet aromas of warm bread and cold cream sifted through the nutty fragrance of coffee. Muffled shouts and distant machinery pressed against the closed door, held out by the soothing ripple of soft jazz. It drifted from the speakers of a small radio on the counter across the room. Two young men sat in the far corner. One, with long silver hair tied back in a tight bun, sat with his back to her and muttered to the companion that his body blocked from view. Natalie began to wind her way between empty tables.


    ¡°Look out, missy!!¡± Sneakers hammered and squeaked against the floor. A child in a pressed skirt dashed across her path. Short, blazing ruby hair flickered from her head like a wildfire. Natalie watched as the girl tumbled beneath a table, then turned a corner and rushed up a flight of stairs.


    ¡°Hey!! What have I told you about running through¡ªugh!¡± A tall woman emerged from a door behind the shop counter. Her eyes were gray like steel and her hair was the same brilliant red as the child¡¯s. A dark green apron was tied around her waist. She groaned. When her eyes landed on Natalie, she put on a smile. ¡°Oh! Hello, dear! Please, forgive my daughter¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, really!¡± Natalie said, stepping to the counter. Her eyes fell on a small picture frame, bearing a photo of the woman sitting next to a man with trimmed white hair. The little girl that had swept through like a storm sat between them, beaming at the camera with a missing tooth. The inside of her hair was a snowy white color, and it bled through in a few thick streaks that Natalie hadn¡¯t seen as she darted past.


    ¡°You have a beautiful family,¡± she said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡± The woman¡¯s laugh turned to another sigh. She rested her chin in her hands and propped herself against the counter. ¡°Our daughter¡¯s just about to turn ten. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m gonna do with her¡­ I never imagined I¡¯d raise a child with so much¡­energy. Thankfully, father is good with her. I just¡­I wish I could do more for her¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Natalie said. She looked at the floor. ¡°Yeah, I know the feeling¡­¡± Silence lingered between them for a moment.


    ¡°Oh¡ªbut here I am, rambling about my problems to a customer.¡± The woman rose from the counter and straightened up. ¡°What can I get for you, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Um¡­¡± Natalie lifted her gaze to the wall of glass shelves behind the shopkeeper. They were packed with priced treats¡ªfrom simple breads to decorated confections. ¡°I¡¯ll just take¡­taiyaki.¡± She pointed to a row of fish shaped cakes in one of the lower shelves. The woman grinned.


    ¡°Ah, a great choice! Would you like custard or red bean paste?¡±


    ¡°Red bean¡­please¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    While the woman retrieved her order, Natalie glanced around the room.


    ¡°This is a very nice place¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, dear! We¡¯re hoping to expand from a cafe into more of a restaurant in the coming months, so feel free to come back any time!¡± The woman stepped over to the register, clutching a paper-wrapped taiyaki. ¡°Your total today comes to¡­five tokens!¡±


    ¡°Right, let me just¡ª¡± Natalie reached into her pocket and froze¡ªher pocket wasn¡¯t there. Oh no¡­ Her coat was still with the little girl across the street, meaning¡­ She began patting her pants pockets and muttering. ¡°No¡­no, no, no¡­damn it, no!¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, this is really awkward¡­I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for her.¡± The young voice was all at once gentle and firm. She looked up to see a boy with frigid white hair standing beside her. He slid some Dream Tokens onto the countertop and studied her through ocean-blue eyes.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s very kind of you,¡± the woman said. The boy smiled at Natalie and handed her the taiyaki. The heat of the bread passed into her fingers through the paper.


    ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± Natalie said.


    ¡°No problem. Happy to help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry, I need to go¡­but¡­thanks¡­again¡­¡± Natalie turned and hurried out. The cafe warmth slipped off her body as she flew out. She ran across the street and slowed to a walk in the alley. The little girl was still there, curled up in her coat. ¡°Hey,¡± Natalie said. She knelt down. ¡°I brought you something.¡± The little girl¡¯s wide eyes flitted between the taiyaki and Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Go on¡­take it¡­while it¡¯s still warm.¡±


    The girl plucked the fish-shaped treat from Natalie¡¯s hands and stared at it. She glanced one last time at Natalie, searching her expression. Without taking her eyes off Natalie¡¯s face, she lifted the taiyaki to her mouth and took a small bite. The bread crackled between her teeth. Her eyes lit up. Her face began to glow. She began taking larger and larger bites, spilling crumbs and bits of red bean paste over Natalie¡¯s coat.


    Natalie¡¯s chest swelled and she giggled. ¡°Hey, hey! Slow down!¡± She patted the child¡¯s head.


    A shoe scraped the pavement behind her.


    ¡°You know, if you were gonna buy her something, you could¡¯ve just brought her with you. It¡¯s much warmer in there than it is out here.¡± The gentle voice was familiar. Natalie turned.


    The boy from before stood in the entrance of the alley, leaning against the wall. Next to him was the other customer, who glared at her through mismatched eyes¡ªone a pale, icy blue, the other the color of lead. He looked a little older than the white haired boy. When their eyes met, he looked away, his sharp features pressed into a scowl. Both boys wore the same starchy, navy-blue uniform.


    Natalie turned back to the little girl, who had just finished eating. She took the edge of the coat and wiped the corners of the girl¡¯s mouth. ¡°Most places don¡¯t like people like us coming in,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh? And what kind of people are those?¡± The boy approached, closing the distance between them in a few casual strides.


    ¡°People not as fortunate as others,¡± she said. The boy chuckled. Natalie bristled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d agree with that. People are kinder than you think,¡± he said.


    The boy with silver hair spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± His voice was gruff and hard.


    The boy with white hair rolled his eyes. ¡°Forgive my brother. Reiichi isn¡¯t exactly a ¡®people person¡¯.¡± He extended his hand to her. ¡°I¡¯m Nobunaga. You ran out before I could get your name back there¡­¡±


    ¡°Natalie.¡± She didn¡¯t take his hand. It drifted back to his pocket.


    ¡°And who¡¯s this little one?¡± He gestured to the girl.


    Natalie stared at her for a moment. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Nobunaga stepped forward. Natalie clenched her fists and sprang to her feet, planting herself between him and the child. As she did this, the other boy, ¡°Reiichi¡±, took a single step into the alley. Even beneath his stiff uniform, the tension in his muscles was evident¡ªshe was sure he could close the distance in a single step and be at her throat.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Nobunaga said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her.¡± He glared over his shoulder at Reiichi. ¡°You relax too. I don¡¯t need you to protect me.¡± Reiichi huffed and leaned against the wall, but kept his eyes on Natalie.


    ¡°Look, just because you paid for me back there doesn¡¯t make us friends,¡± Natalie said.


    ¡°Sure, but I think it should¡¯ve earned me a bit of trust,¡± Nobunaga said. ¡°Like I said, the world is kinder than you give it credit for.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That hasn¡¯t been my experience.¡±


    ¡°And yet, here you are¡­¡± Nobunaga said. He lowered himself onto one knee. ¡°Acting like a mother to a kid you don¡¯t even know. I think that¡¯s evidence enough that there¡¯s still kindness in this world, don¡¯t you think?¡± His tone changed and he extended his hand to the girl. ¡°Hey there!¡±


    The girl''s eyes flickered with blue light and she withdrew, shielding herself with the coat.


    ¡°You¡¯re scaring her.¡± Natalie¡¯s fists tightened.


    ¡°Just give me a chance. Please.¡± He looked back at the child and withdrew his hand. ¡°I heard you like taiyaki. It¡¯s one of my favorites!¡± The girl began to reemerge from behind the coat. ¡°My name¡¯s Nobunga. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The girl looked away. The blue flickering in her eyes slowed and faded. ¡°E-El¡­Ellie¡­¡±


    Nobunaga smiled. ¡°What are you doing out here, Ellie? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± The girl said nothing. Then she nodded. ¡°I know a place that¡¯s really warm. There¡¯s lots of toys, lots of nice people, hot food¡ªeven more taiyaki, if that¡¯s what you want. Does that sound nice or what?¡± She was still for a moment, then nodded again.


    ¡°The hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Natalie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to take her to a shelter¡­¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t go with you. She¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Suffering from Collapse Syndrome? I know. I saw her episode with you earlier. That¡¯s what the shelter¡¯s for¡ªwe have people there who can treat her.¡± Nobunaga extended his hand toward Ellie again. She stared at it for a moment, then crawled forward between Natalie¡¯s legs. Nobunaga scooped her into his arms and stood. The coat fell from her shoulders and landed in a heap on the ground.


    Natalie glared at him. ¡°If you saw, then why didn¡¯t you help? Who the hell are you, anyways?¡±


    ¡°You were already helping.¡± He turned and passed the girl to Reiichi. ¡°Make sure she gets there. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± He turned back to Natalie. ¡°My brother and I are with P.U.S.¡± He pulled a silver badge from his pocket¡ªan embroidered hexagon with a sword down the middle. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°We¡¯re actually here to help establish that shelter and find new recruits.¡±


    Natalie snatched her coat from the ground and slung it over her shoulder. She started past him, but Nobunaga caught her arm. She tore herself free from his grip.


    ¡°Get the hell off me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Listen, you can trust me¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know who the P.U.S are. You don¡¯t have to explain it all to me.¡±


    ¡°I just want to talk¡­¡±


    ¡°About what? You did your job. Swept in at the last minute, flashing your badge and telling me to stand aside. Never there when you¡¯re needed, always there when it''s too late and someone else has done your job for you.¡± She turned away and started walking again. ¡°I have to get home, my brother¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re from District 43, right?¡± Nobunaga called after her. Natalie froze. ¡°So¡¯s that girl. I¡¯ve been there a few times. Seen enough people from there to recognize it when I see it.¡±


    Natalie gritted her teeth and glared at her shoes. ¡°The hell would you know about it¡­?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡­you¡¯re right about that¡­ But I want to help. P.U.S wants to help,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, really? Then where the hell are they?¡± Natalie whirled. A furious heat blazed behind her eyes and spread through her skull. ¡°Where the hell are they when people starve on the streets? Where are they when people are buried alive beneath their own homes?¡±


    Nobunaga glanced away. ¡°We¡¯re¡­trying our best. There¡¯s a lot of bureaucratic tape, you know¡­ It¡¯s always ¡®too short on funds¡¯ or ¡®too short on people¡¯. But we want to help.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing a damn poor job of it.¡±


    ¡°You could help us.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s mouth went dry. ¡°...what?¡±


    ¡°Join P.U.S. Help us build a better future for everyone,¡± Nobunaga said. He stepped up to her and pulled a small cream-colored card from his pocket. He held it out to her¡ªit was branded with the same sigil as his badge. Natalie just stared at it. ¡°Look, I saw you with that little girl. I can see the kind of person you are. You care about people, and we need that. I get that the world hasn¡¯t been kind to you¡­but this is your chance to make sure it is kind to other people¡ªlike that kid.¡±


    Natalie was silent. ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I have a brother. I have to take care of him.¡± She turned away again. ¡°Thanks for the offer. Good luck with that shelter¡­¡±


    ¡°Natalie, wait!¡± He caught her by the shoulder this time. ¡°Please, just¡­consider it. There¡¯s a recruitment office a few blocks from here. If you change your mind, show them that card and tell them Nobunaga sent you. I know you have other responsibilities, but¡­well, the way I see it is, you can keep living the way you are, helping one person at a time¡­or you can join us¡­help us build the future you want for that brother of yours¡­and for millions of other children out there just like him.¡± He pressed the card into her hand and let go of her shoulder. ¡°Just¡­think about it. Please. I¡¯d hate to see you waste your potential¡­¡±


    He walked past her, glancing over his shoulder one last time for disappearing around the corner. Natalie lingered there, staring at the little card clutched between her fingers.

 > I I I <

    > III <


    Home. The rain rolls over Natalie¡¯s armor and drips from the brim of her helmet. She lifts her head, tracing the scrawl of graffiti up a nearby smoke stack. Home.


    District 43 hasn¡¯t changed much: rain-soaked trash still litters every inch of pavement; dumpsters overflow and black trash bags writhe with maggots and rats; shacks and huts pile over one another to climb up buildings and clog streets; drains and sewer grates overflow, spilling black water over the roads; factories pollute the air, and warehouses dominate every street corner. Ankle-deep water sloshes around her boots, topped with a thin layer of floating trash and scum. The rain roars. A flash of light twists the shadows in the street¡ªthe sky grumbles and quakes. The wind shifts again and plays with the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°Awaiting orders.¡± The voice is garbled and monotone. Natalie turns. Five Enforcers hold formation behind her, raised weapons panning over every corner of the environment. They¡¯re human in shape, clad in tight black bodysuits and pristine white armor. Their helmets have no eyes, only a little blue light about where the mouth should be. The one that had spoken, however, is different from the rest¡ªits armor is bulkier, and more black than white. Its helmet features a more prominent red light in the shape of three vertical dashes along a horizontal curve. It stands motionless, staring at her. Natalie holds back a shudder.


    ¡°Take two and patrol the surrounding area. The other two will remain here with me,¡± she says. The black-armored Enforcer¡ªa squad leader¡ªnods. It emits a rapid series of chirps and tones. On cue, two of the other Enforcers step to its flank. The three walk away with unnatural fluidness and disappear down an alley. Now for the other two¡­ Nearby, thick steel girders hold a corrugated roof up over a warehouse loading dock. ¡°You two,¡± Natalie says, turning to the remaining Enforcers, ¡°hold position over there. Do not come out unless I tell you.¡± The Enforcers look at each other for a moment, then nod and take cover behind the steel pillars. Natalie sighs. A burst of static from her earpiece makes her jump.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, the whole point of bringing the Enforcers was to help you hold that position¡­¡± Kokona¡¯s voice pushes down the crackling.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t need them,¡± Natalie says.


    Yvette¡¯s voice comes over the comms channel next. ¡°Your chances of success increase by sixty-seven percent if you keep them with you.¡±


    Natalie ignores her. ¡°Am I the only one who¡¯s creeped out by those things? What even are they?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Kokona says. ¡°Maybe ask Tanya, next time you see her. All I know is that they¡¯re good at what they do, which is why we bring them. Yvette, you in position?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Yvette says. ¡°Fay and I are ready.¡±


    Natalie unslings a semi-automatic shotgun from her back and checks the chamber. Thunder rolls overhead again. The wind drives the rain into her face, so she deploys the faceguard on her helmet¡ªpearls of water begin to bead on the metal and the glass screen. Her eyes narrow as she scans over the darkened huts dominating the sidewalks.


    ¡°Where is everyone? It¡¯s quiet¡­I mean, it¡¯s usually quiet, but never this quiet,¡± she says.


    ¡°The Scissors likely evacuated the area prior to our arrival,¡± Yvette says, ¡°which would mean we are expected.¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°They may be terrorists, but the Scissors aren¡¯t monsters,¡± Kokona says, ¡°they care about the people of this world. I doubt they¡¯re really expecting us, but it makes sense that they would at least evacuate the area if they were preparing for the possibility of a firefight, to minimize collateral damage.¡±


    Natalie lifts her head to the clouds. ¡°Then I hope my brother got out safe¡­¡±


    ¡°You have a brother?¡± Kokona says.


    ¡°Yeah¡­he¡¯s eight years younger than me, so he¡¯d be¡­sixteen, now?¡± She chuckles. ¡°You would¡¯ve loved him. So bright, full of energy.¡± She looks down and kicks at the water. She traces the ripples that race away from her. ¡°He was such a mess¡­when I left. I promised myself I¡¯d come back for him, but I¡­never really got the chance. It¡¯s been six years¡­sometimes it feels like I can barely remember his name¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me more about him over lunch some time.¡± Kokona¡¯s voice hardens. ¡°Convoy just came into view. Get ready, everyone.¡±


    Natalie lowers her shotgun and lets it dangle at her side. She looks back up at the sky. I should¡¯ve come back for you¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­I wonder if you even remember me anymore¡­ The hollow clack of a gun ices over her veins.


    ¡°Drop the gun, P.U.S.¡±


    Natalie lets the shotgun fall into the water and lowers her gaze to the source of the voice. Standing a short distance away is a girl in a school uniform with a crimson skirt. The sleeves of her shirt have been retailored¡ªthey¡¯re baggy and black, with X-shaped vents bolted to the fabric that burn with orange light. Slim black gloves with orange palms cover her hands¡ªthey¡¯re adorned with little metal claws. She wears a black mask of smooth glass over her face. Curling horns sprout from the top of the mask and spew fire over her head. The forehead of the mask is branded with an unfamiliar, glowing orange sigil. Buckles and straps hang from a harness over her outfit and flutter like ribbons on the wind. She holds a black combat shotgun leveled at Natalie¡¯s head. Natalie narrows her eyes at the girl¡¯s messy shock of hair¡ªit¡¯s bright red with a layer of white dye beneath that breaks through in thick streaks.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    The girl lets out a small giggle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if ya¡¯ve heard of me!¡± She strikes a pose, keeping her gun pointed at Natalie. ¡°The name¡¯s Eika! Member of the Scissors¡­well, volunteering, anyways¡­ The Fire of Preton? The Invincible High School Student?¡±


    ¡°Not ringing a bell.¡±


    Eika wilts. ¡°Whatever. The hell are you supposed to be anyways? Did nobody tell you? Knights went outta fashion, like, four centuries ago.¡±


    Natalie looks down at her armor, then back up at the girl. ¡°You¡¯re saying this while calling yourself ¡®The Invincible High School Student¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me, P.U.S. You have no idea what I¡¯m capable of.¡± Eika grips the shotgun tighter and takes a step forward. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance¡ªrun away, or you¡¯ll regret it. Better decide quick.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± Natalie says, tightening her fist. ¡°I was gonna say something similar to you.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s arm flies up and she summons her shield. Eika fires. A chain of sharp reports break the air and a cloud of flaming pellets hammer the face of the shield. The impacts send shocks racing up Natalie¡¯s arm. She ducks toward a nearby wall, keeping her shield raised. Gotta get around her¡­


    She plants her hand against the wall and starts to stringify. A tingling rush of energy washes through her body. Her hand flattens like paper and adheres to the wall.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d try that¡­¡± Eika flicks her hand up into the air. A dome of fire surges from her fingertips and encages Natalie.


    Searing pain rips through Natalie¡¯s flattened hand and up her arm. She yelps and peels herself from the wall, her fire-engulfed hand returning to its natural shape. The cage of fire begins to shrink.


    Natalie grits her teeth and growls. ¡°Cheap tricks like that don¡¯t mean you¡¯ll win.¡±


    Eika laughs¡ªshe slings her shotgun over her back and rests a hand on her hip. ¡°Sure, whatever ya say.¡± She ignites a little flame over her index finger and studies it while the burning dome gets smaller. Then, in a flash of yellow light, both her hands are engulfed in little maelstroms of fire. ¡°Anyways, look, I need to wrap this up¡ªI got band practice in an hour and I really don¡¯t wanna be late, y¡¯know? Oh, and make sure to tell whoever made your armor that they really need to update their style.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Do you always talk this much?¡± Natalie braces and leaps forward. Blazing pain lights up her whole body as she passes through the flaming wall. She bites her tongue to keep from crying out. Once through, she ignites her sword and surges toward her opponent.


    Eika jerks. ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    Natalie closes the distance and swings.


    Eika leaps back. ¡°Back off!¡± She throws her flaming hands together in front of her. A swirling tornado of fire springs forth. The flames break over Natalie¡¯s raised shield, suffocating her with unbearable heat. She begins to slide back under the force of the impact, but she plants her feet. Eika shouts over the roar of the storm. ¡°I said back off!!¡± The force intensifies. Natalie throws her weight against her shield. Sweat pours down her face. She takes a single step. And then another. ¡°Ugh! Just¡­go¡­away!!¡± Eika says.


    The force grows stronger again. Natalie¡¯s arm screams. She grips her sword tighter. The shield projector whines and begins smoking. Just¡­just a little¡­further¡­ Another step. And another. Every fibrous muscle in her leg is about to snap. Her bones creak under the immense pressure. Her jaw tightens¡ªher teeth crack against one another. Just¡­a little¡­more¡­ Eika is only a few steps away now. The girl has almost backed herself against a wall. Her masked head snaps left and right, searching for an escape. Come on¡­COME ON!! Another step. Another. Another. Got you!


    With a roar, Natalie swings her shield. It swats away Eika¡¯s hands, ending the blazing torrent. Eika draws her shotgun. Natalie swings upward with her sword. The glowing blade connects with the gun¡¯s magazine and shears the weapon in half with a shriek. Eika¡¯s hands bloom with fire once more, but Natalie brings her sword back down. The tip of the blade lacerates deep into her opponent¡¯s right shoulder. Pale light and blue dust fly from the wound. Eika cries out, but her cry is cut short as Natalie¡¯s armored knee connects with her stomach and drives her into the wall. The flames engulfing her hands dissipate. She falls to her knees, clutching her wounded arm, panting, and groaning. Natalie levels the tip of the sword to Eika¡¯s face.


    ¡°Surrender. Now.¡±


    Eika snarls at her through the darkened glass of her mask. She growls between pained gasps. ¡°P.U.S¡­doesn¡¯t¡­belong¡­in Preton¡­¡± She balls her fist. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t your¡­home¡­¡±


    ¡°This is my home¡­and I¡¯m trying to make it better.¡±


    ¡°Make it better?!¡± Eika laughs then grunts, tightening her grip on her shoulder. ¡°We were just fine before you showed up. Typical P.U.S¡ªnever there when we do need you, only when we don¡¯t. You really think you¡¯re saving anyone here?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying.¡±


    ¡°Look around. Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re trying hard enough.¡±


    Natalie bites her tongue. ¡°You two!¡± she shouts. The two Enforcers emerge from cover and come running over. ¡°Secure her until transport arrives.¡± They step forward, aiming their guns at the wounded girl. As she turns away, Natalie glares at Eika over her shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t know a damn thing about me or how hard I¡¯m trying.¡± She walks a short distance. ¡°Kokona? Flank is secure. I have one hostile down, ready for transport.¡± Static. ¡°Kokona? Yvette? You guys there?¡±


    BANG! She flinches at the report. PLASH! She turns. One of the Enforcers collapses into the water, sparks and glowing blue petals fountaining from its head. Dozens of little black balls rain down around her. She opens her mouth to yell. The balls explode like firecrackers and erupt into black smoke with a deafening hiss. The smoke fills the street and pours down her throat. She chokes and collapses. Her body heaves with deep coughs that rend her throat raw. A shadow darts over her head. A blade rasps. Metal shrieks against metal. PRASH! The body of the second Enforcer hits the shallow water.


    Natalie begins to stand. A red glint streaks toward her through the dark fog, planting a knee into her gut. She falls back, retching and choking. The cloaked figure stands over her. They toss a green and white canister over their shoulder. Plish! It lands in the water at Eika¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Patch that wound, then get out of here.¡± Their voice is hollow and distorted.


    Eika takes the canister and limps away. The wind and rain beat the smoke down. Natalie looks up at her attacker. They¡¯re dressed in layers of tattered rags and filthy wrappings. Their beaten, armored boots grind against the pavement as they shift their stance. A bulky mask, displaying a snarling set of glowing red fangs, covers the lower half of their face. The wind tugs at their cloak and pulls the hood from their head. Natalie¡¯s heart trips and plummets into her stomach. Nausea presses into her chest and hot pressure builds behind her eyes.


    Beneath the hood is the dirty face of a young boy with glittering ruby eyes¡ªthey¡¯re bloodshot and wide, blazing with recognition and bloodlust. A familiar, thin streak of fading black dye weaves through his short, messy white hair. Natalie chokes on his name as it crawls up her throat like bile.


    ¡°Kayce¡­?¡±


    >>> ||| <<<


    BOOM! A flash of golden fire and smoke flowers out of the barrel. The young man screams and falls, clutching a wound that bleeds blue light. Kokona jerks the bolt on her rifle and pans the scope to the next target. She squeezes the trigger. BOOM! The report vibrates through her body. The rifle heaves backwards and punches her shoulder. Another enemy falls.


    The percussion of gunfire bounces off every building. People yell. About dozen nameless devotees of the Scissors remain, cowering behind shacks and stray boxes; around building corners and rusty dumpsters. A boxy yellow truck idles in the middle of the street, hovering above the cracked concrete. A woman with blonde hair shouts from cover. Another young man dives out from behind a shack. He rushes toward the mech truck. Kokona squeezes the trigger. BOOM! CRAKK! The pavement explodes just behind the man¡¯s heel. Smoke rises from the baseball-sized crater. He dives. Kokona rechambers, but the man is already behind the truck. Satisfied with the presence of its guardian, the autonomous vehicle resumes its forward crawl. The man peers out. BOOM! He jerks back into safety as another bullet rocks the truck.


    ¡°Swapping mag.¡± Kokona drops the magazine from her rifle without peeling her eye away from the scope. It clatters against the metal rooftop as she hammers a fresh one in its place.


    ¡°Two Enforcers down,¡± Yvette says. A gray, bipedal grizzly bear wearing a blue helmet and harness rushes up the street. It throws itself against the truck and explodes¡ªa sheet of ice blooms from the spot of the fallen bear¡¯s sacrifice and coats a large area. The young man behind the truck slips. He lands on his hands and knees, his head exposed from cover. BOOM! His scream is cut short as the bullet pierces his skull and he explodes into holographic, blue dust. Another rebel sprints from cover and slides behind the truck. BOOM! Another near miss. The truck advances again.


    Gunfire. Something shreds the air by Kokona¡¯s face and clips her bangs. KRAK! Something strikes the cinder block barricade in front of her. She flattens herself against the roof. KRAKK! KRAK-KRAK! Bullets streak overhead and hammer her cover. Her heart thrashes in her chest.


    That was too close¡­might be time to move¡­


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Yvette says over comms.


    ¡°Now¡¯s a really bad time for a problem, Yvette,¡± Kokona says.


    ¡°The payload appears to be deviating from its predicted course.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Kokona peers up over her little makeshift wall. Sure enough, the truck is mid-turn, inching around a corner and crawling up a different street. ¡°We need to reposition, then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Yvette says. ¡°There¡¯s nothing up that street. Fay says it¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    Another shower of return fire drives Kokona back into hiding. That can¡¯t be right¡­didn¡¯t they do any recon? They should know it¡¯s a dead end¡­unless¡­unless they¡­ She hoists her rifle over the barricade and peers through the scope. A pyramid of golden glass clatters onto the pavement. It rises from the ground and spins.


    Kokona¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°No, NO! Get in cov¡ª¡±


    FWOOSH!! In an instant, the downpour of rain turns to a hurricane of biting wind. The sandstorm shreds across her face and fills her eyes. Kokona drops her rifle and falls sideways. Pain erupts from her bruised shoulder as she hits the roof. No, no, no! Not her! Not here! Not now! She claws at her eyes and chokes. More gunfire presses through the roaring storm. Kokona crawls and tumbles. Her back meets cinder blocks. She pulls her poncho over her head and coughs up a mouthful of hot sand. ¡°Yvette¡­Yvette!! What¡¯s up that street?¡±


    Yvette¡¯s shout comes like a whisper through the crackle of static over the comms channel. ¡°I told you, there¡¯s nothing up there! It¡¯s just three warehouses and a factory!¡±


    ¡°Who owns the factory?¡±


    ¡°One moment, checking¡­Fay says the factory and the surrounding warehouses are currently under the ownership of Polaris Labs, a weapons manufacturer.¡± Kokona¡¯s stomach twists into an icy snarl. ¡°They currently have four open contracts with P.U.S. I don¡¯t understand, why is this relevant?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not moving a damn crystal shipment¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that¡ª¡±


    ¡°The truck¡¯s a bomb, Yvette, they¡¯re trying to hit us where it hurts. Natalie, can you read me?¡± Static. ¡°Natalie?!¡± BAM! Bright pain flares through her fist as she brings it down against the roof. ¡°Damn it, Natalie, answer!!¡±


    ¡°The sandstorm must be blocking long range comms. We¡¯re pinned down and cut off.¡±


    ¡°Keep trying to reach her! This won¡¯t last forever!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll last long enough for the truck to reach the factory!¡±


    Kokona grits her teeth. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of, damn it¡­

 > I V <

    >   IV   <


    ¡°Kayce? I¡¯m home!¡± Natalie brushed the tarp aside and stepped into the room.


    ¡°Natalie!¡± The blur of white hair and ragged clothes flew into her. Slender arms closed around her waist. Natalie smiled. Kayce looked up at her, and her smile dropped to the floor. The little boy¡¯s face was dirty and bruised; his left eye was swollen.


    ¡°Kayce!!¡± She fell to her knees and ran her fingers over the bruises. ¡°What happened to you?!¡±


    Kayce rolled his eyes and brushed her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m fine, sis¡­¡±


    Natalie¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°Have you been fighting again?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine! Look! Mrs. Charla brought¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, Kayce. Answer me: have you been fighting again?¡± She glares at him.


    Kayce stepped away, his ruby gaze falling to the floor. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Natalie stood. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± She walked past him and tossed her coat. It landed in a pile by the beanbags.


    ¡°Oh, come on! They started it!¡± Kayce said.


    Natalie spun. ¡°Oh, really? Just like how they ¡®started it¡¯ last time? Or the time before?¡±


    ¡°That was different¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kayce, one of these days you¡¯re gonna pick the wrong fight and either wind up dead or in prison somewhere! And then what, huh? What about me?!¡± Natalie paced the room. ¡°You think I can afford to bail you out? I barely make enough money to buy us food!¡±


    Kayce lolled his head to the side and groaned. ¡°Come on, Nat, they hit first¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re almost ten, Kayce, ten!¡± Natalie paused and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Kids your age should be going to school and learning to support themselves, not¡­fighting in the streets!¡±


    ¡°Well then maybe you should send me to school!¡± Kayce planted his feet. His eyes blazed. ¡°Maybe then I¡¯d have something to do besides sitting around here all day with you! Maybe then I could make actual friends instead of being picked on all the time! You ever think about that?¡±


    Natalie flinched as the words broke through her skin. Tears blurred her vision.


    ¡°Shut the hell up¡­do you have any idea what¡­what I¡¯m¡ª¡± She choked.


    Kayce¡¯s expression softened. His burning gaze cooled and fell. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Natalie fell into one of the beanbags, wiping tears on the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m trying Kayce,¡± she said, burying her face in her knees. ¡°I¡¯m trying, okay? You think I don¡¯t go out every day¡­walk to that stupid factory and look at all those other kids on their way to school¡­and just¡­wish you were one of them?¡±


    The beanbag next to her rustled as her little brother dropped into it. His small body leaned against hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sis, I¡­I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡± Natalie swallowed a sob. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­doing enough. It¡¯s not fair¡­not to you, not to anyone¡­I wish you didn¡¯t have to be born into a world like this¡­I wish you weren¡¯t¡­¡± Her fists tightened. ¡°...I wish you weren¡¯t stuck with me.¡± She pulled in a long breath and shuddered. ¡°But when I found you¡­when I found you, you were¡­I couldn¡¯t just leave you there¡­I¡­¡± Her eyes fell on her coat¡ªthe corner of the little card Nobunaga had given her peered out from the pocket. ¡°I wish I could give you¡­a brighter future¡­¡±


    Kayce snuggled closer to her. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying, sis. I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t mean it¡­ You¡¯re doing just fine.¡± He put his arms around her.


    Natalie chuckled and wiped her eyes. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± She stood. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­change the subject, okay? You said Mrs. Charla brought us something?¡± Kayce¡¯s face lit up. He sprang to his feet and dashed into the tent of blankets and pillows across from them. He reemerged, holding a dirty dish with half of a casserole in it. Natalie smiled.


    Mrs. Charla had moved into the shack below them about a month ago. She was a middle aged woman with graying hair and a manic demeanor. By all means, she didn¡¯t belong in District 43¡ªno woman with an electric camp stove or cookware or a fine sleeping bag really did, but she insisted this was where she would stay until her husband came to fetch her, that is, if he really loved her. He never turned up, but Natalie often wondered if the man even knew where she was¡­or if he even existed at all. Regardless, the woman had taken a liking to Kayce, comparing him to the son she¡¯d never had, and often brought them offerings of cold leftovers.


    Kayce paraded the casserole back to the beanbags, and the two of them ate in silence. Natalie finished first and drew the little card from her coat pocket. She wiped her thumb across the P.U.S sigil, then flipped it over and read the address on the back. A brighter future¡­huh? She glanced over at Kayce.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He was gazing at the card between her fingertips.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She slipped the card back into her pocket. ¡°Here, come here.¡± Natalie pulled a half-empty tube of tar black hair dye from behind the beanbags. Kayce sat in front of her. She lifted a few locks of his hair, where the previous coat of black dye was fading into a faint gray, and began combing fresh color into them. When she finished, she capped the dye and put it back.


    ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°you said they started it¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk about that anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m talking about it now. What did they do?¡±


    Kayce picked at the floorboards. ¡°They jumped out at me¡­pushed me down and said I wasn¡¯t allowed to walk on their street anymore.¡± His voice cracked. Natalie studied his bruised face¡ªit was dark and his eyes were glittering. ¡°They called me trash¡­said no one would ever love me and that I should just die¡­¡± A tear crawls down his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s not fair¡­it¡¯s not¡­they think that just because they go to school and dress nice they can push me around¡­ I hope they die¡­I mean¡­I hope¡­sorry¡­¡± His eyes dug gouges in the floor.


    Natalie sighed and stood. Kayce looked up at her.


    ¡°Come on. Stand up,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just stand up.¡±


    Kayce stood. Natalie swung her left leg out. Her shin met his ankles and swept his legs forward. He tumbled back onto the beanbags with a cry.


    ¡°What the hell?! What was that for?¡± he said, glaring.


    Natalie pulled him back up. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna fight kids bigger than you, then you need to stay on your feet.¡± Kayce studied her face for a moment, then his glare turned to a grin. ¡°Now come on,¡± she said, ¡°you¡¯re not gonna win any fights standing there like that. Put your arms up.¡±


    >>>   |||   <<<


    ¡°Kayce¡­?¡± Natalie retracts her face guard. ¡°Kayce, what are you doing here?¡±


    The boy¡¯s crimson eyes narrow. ¡°That¡¯s not my name¡­¡± His voice is hollow beneath the fanged mask. ¡°...not anymore, anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Kayce, don¡¯t be ridic¡ª¡± BANG! Natalie¡¯s head is thrown to the side as something glances off her helmet. The rapid beat of her heart emerges beneath the ringing in her ears. Kayce holds a smoking gun in his hand. When did he¡­? He pushes the gun into a holster at the small of his back.


    ¡°My name is Feng!¡± A faint light flickers in his glare. He sighs and relaxes a little. ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve dreamed of this moment¡­every day for the past six years, I¡¯ve dreamed of this exact moment. Every job, every contract¡­ I was just hoping you would be there¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I thought of a hundred ways to say how much I hate you¡­and none of them were good enough¡­so I thought of a hundred more.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s chest tightens. ¡°Kayce, listen¡­I¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s funny, you know?¡± He chuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t have any words for it now¡­I don¡¯t need any words for it now¡­ All I can think of is what I¡¯ve wanted every day since you left.¡± He looks down. One of the wounded Enforcers is clutching his ankle, sparks and blue dust pouring from a deep gash in its neck. He draws his pistol again and levels it at the Enforcer¡¯s head.


    Natalie hobbles to her feet, clutching her sword. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, I never meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology.¡± Kayce¡¯s gaze snaps back to her. His eyes burn.


    ¡°Then what do you want? It¡¯s been six years!! Six! Years! You think I didn¡¯t want to see you again? What do you want from me, Kayce?¡±


    He locks eyes with her¡ªhis gaze pushes into her skull like a blood-soaked blade. ¡°I want to kill you, Natalie.¡± BANG! The bullet drives the Enforcer¡¯s head into the ground. Kayce¡¯s figure begins to shimmer and fade from view. ¡°I want you dead.¡± He vanishes.


    Natalie¡¯s heart skips. She deploys her face guard and ignites her sword. Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Thoom! Her pulse rocks her body. She scans over the flooded, empty streets. A held breath burns her lungs. Plash! She whirls. Nothing.


    An armored boot collides with her spine. Air flees her body; stars waltz with black spots in her vision. She hits the ground¡ªwater floods through the gaps in her armor, soaking her uniform. The whisper of a blade cuts the air. She rolls onto her back and catches the edge of a large, curved knife on her sword. Hardlight screams as it contacts beaten crimson metal. The knife crackles, coated in threads of blood red lightning. The eyes behind the blade are bright with fury. Natalie thrusts Kayce off with her foot. She leaps to her feet, sword raised.


    KREEE!! A slash deflects off the edge of her blade. Then another, and another. Kayce¡¯s knife is a ruby blur. Left, down, up, right, left. Natalie¡¯s hand cramps. The hilt begins to slip from her fingers with each blocked blow. Kayce leaps back into a crouch and springs at her. Natalie summons her shield. Both his feet connect with the hardlight wall and drive her arm against her chest. She gasps from the force of the impact.


    Kayce backflips off the shield into another low, predatory crouch. A wildfire blazes in his eyes as he sneers at her through his mask.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it!¡± He draws a second, identical knife and lunges. Natalie spreads her stance and plants her feet.


    A chain of strikes hammers her shield¡ªKayce dances, spins and flourishes with ribbons of ruby light trailing off his weapons. Natalie braces against her back foot and shoves forward. She thrusts her sword. Kacye steps to the side. The edge of his knife shrieks over her faceguard. She winces and tumbles backward, off balance. Kayce leaps and stabs down with both blades. She catches the blow on her shield, but the impact throws her onto her back.


    He¡¯s fast¡­when did he get so fast? She swings her shield, throwing him off. He recovers before she can stand and delivers a kick to her stomach. Pain and nausea spring into her throat. She tumbles. The world spins to a stop.


    Natalie¡¯s head feels swollen. She chokes down air and begins to crawl to her feet. ¡°Stop¡­stop this¡ª¡± She coughs. Kayce¡¯s laugh floods around her.


    ¡°Aw, what¡¯s wrong, sis? Scared? Afraid of what I¡¯ve become? Of what you left behind?¡± Another kick drives into her gut. Natalie rolls through the shallow water and hits a wall. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re mad at yourself for letting it happen! You feel like a failure, don¡¯t you?¡± Natalie stands and raises her shield. ¡°Good!¡± Kayce¡¯s boot connects with the shield. The force drives her into the wall¡ªconcrete explodes from behind her with a krakk! Blinding pain paints colorful spots over the sky. The air slips from her throat. ¡°That¡¯s how you should feel!¡±


    Natalie falls to her knees, coughing. ¡°Kayce¡ªstop!¡± A hand drives her head into the ground. Bitter water pours into her helmet and fills her mouth before she can get a breath. She thrashes against the arm pinning her down.


    ¡°Freeze!¡± The garbled, monotone voice fills her chest with cotton. The other Enforcers have returned from patrol. Kayce releases his grip on her and stands, turning to face them.


    Now¡­while I have the chance¡­ Natalie grits her teeth and commands her aching body to stand. She crawls to her knees. Kayce laughs at the Enforcers and twirls his knives.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She plants one foot. ¡°Said¡­¡± Then the other. ¡°STOP!!¡± The muscles in her legs scream as Natalie hurls herself at him. She resummons her shield and collides with his back, throwing him down and pinning him under it. Tears roll down her face. She grits her teeth and screams. ¡°Why the hell are you doing all of this?! Helping the Scissors?! Do you have any idea what I¡¯ve gone through to give you a better future?!¡±


    Kayce pulls a small, black pebble from the wrappings around his wrist. ¡°You honestly think I care about the Scissors?¡± He crushes it¡ªit explodes into a cloud of the same black smoke from before, burning Natalie¡¯s eyes and throat. She falls back. ¡°I¡¯m here for you!!¡± He flies from the cloud and pins her down by the throat. A blade gleams over his head. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about anyone else! Not the Scissors! Not P.U.S! Not even Urbino!¡± He thrusts downward. Natalie catches his arm against her own. ¡°They can rip each other to pieces for all I care!¡± He presses down harder. The muscles in Natalie¡¯s arms bloom with blazing agony. The quivering tip of the knife inches closer to her face. ¡°In fact¡­I hope they do!¡± It presses against the glass visor of her helmet. Natalie¡¯s heart beats her eardrums. Cracks flower from the knife¡¯s point.


    ¡°Target is aggressive. Escalating force.¡± CRACK! A gunshot. Kayce yelps and falls forward, clutching a wounded shoulder. The Enforcers close in, keeping their weapons trained on him. ¡°Hostile Contact,¡± the squad leader drones, ¡°discard your weapons and place your hands on your head. Failure to surrender and comply will result in the authorized use of lethal force.¡±


    Panting, Natalie picks herself up and points her sword at the back of Kayce¡¯s head. Her arm trembles under the weight of the weapon.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kayce¡­¡± she says. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this. I don¡¯t understand it¡ªit didn¡¯t have to be like this¡­¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­make sure you get the fairest treatment possible¡­I¡¯ll pull every favor, make sure you get the best accommodations¡­¡±


    Kayce is silent for a moment. Then, he chuckles. A hum begins building in the air. Something flickers above his head. The hum grows louder. His whole body quakes with manic laughter. He glares over his shoulder.


    ¡°Burn in hell, sis.¡±


    The hum reaches a deafening peak and turns to a violent buzz. Natalie¡¯s skin tingles. The air crackles¡­


    Silence.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    BOOM!


    Thunder heaves the ground beneath her feet. Natalie turns. An explosion of sapphire light is crawling into the sky. Blue lightning arcs between the clouds. A surge of wind tears across her body¡ªshe stumbles. It rips the water up from the street and hurls it away. The rain turns to mist.


    The road trembles under her. CRA-AA-ACK!


    ¡°What did you do¡­¡± She turns back. ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡± Kayce is gone. ¡°No, no¡ª¡± A knife hisses and sings over the carnage. She turns to see him crouched on the shoulders of one of the Enforcers, his blade buried into its head. He glares at her as he shimmers and disappears. ¡°Dammit!¡± Natalie springs forward.


    CRAKK! THOOM! Pavement rears beneath her. She falls forward. A pained groan rips the air apart. The ground tilts. Armor plates grind over concrete as she slides. Behind her, the widening maw of a massive crater bellows out clouds of dust. The sinkhole drags her in like a singularity, threatening to rip her apart should it catch her in its jaws.


    No, no, no, no no nononono¡­ She claws at the crumbling ground. Something grabs her wrist in a painful grip. She looks up. The Enforcer commander is lying on its belly, holding her up.


    ¡°Please, remain calm¡ª¡± The ledge shatters beneath it with another deafening CRACK! Rubble spays and rattles against her helmet. The Enforcer topples forward and lets go.  Natalie falls.


    She can¡¯t hear her scream over the roar of destruction.


    She hits the avalanche of debris. Something catches the lower rim of her faceguard. It tears her helmet off. Dust blinds her and fills her mouth. Rocks pummel her exposed face. Rubble and boulders of concrete drown her. A spear of rebar slashes across her cheek. The back of her head connects with something solid.


    >>>   |||   <<<


    Natalie stuffed the last of her clothes into a navy duffle bag and zippled it shut. She hoisted it off the ground and shrugged her beanbag over her shoulder. As she started toward the door, Kayce flew in front of her.


    ¡°NO!!¡± He threw his arms out, blocking the door.


    Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Kayce, we¡¯re not doing this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving!¡± he said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the boss of me! You can¡¯t stop me!¡±


    His eyes narrowed. ¡°Then take me with you!¡±


    Natalie scoffed. ¡°Right, let me just bring a TEN-YEAR-OLD to bootcamp! Brilliant idea there!¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself!¡± Kayce said.


    ¡°Good. Then you can handle yourself here. I told you, you¡¯re staying with Mrs. Charla, end of discussion.¡± Natalie stepped toward him. ¡°Get out of the way, Kayce.¡±


    He glared at her and planted himself. ¡°Make me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna fight you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let you leave!!¡± Natalie let the beanbag slip from her shoulder and drop to the floor. She reached for him, but he swatted her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± A hot pressure was building in Natalie¡¯s chest. She pushed him aside. He shoved back.


    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± she said, clenching her fist. ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°So you can ditch me too?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start with that! That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing and you know it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re doing!¡±


    The taut feeling in Natalie¡¯s chest began to coil around her lungs. She shut her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Kayce. Move.¡±


    Kayce¡¯s voice broke. ¡°No.¡±


    The tension snapped. Words bubbled up from deep within and burned on their way out. Natalie began to shout. ¡°Would you stop being so selfish?! I need this!!¡±


    Tears streamed down Kayce¡¯s face¡ªhis voice trembled and cracked. ¡°...need what? ¡­to get rid of me? Dump me off on someone else like¡­like trash?¡±


    ¡°I told you, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m¡ªugh!!¡± Natalie¡¯s words stretched into a groan. A knot tightened in her throat and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do something with my life, Kayce! I¡¯m trying to make a difference! Why can¡¯t you understand that?¡± She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. The words continued to boil over. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be happy for me?¡± She dropped the bag and threw her arms out. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make a better future for you and everyone else out here!¡±


    Kayce looked at the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t care about everyone else¡­¡± He balled his fists. ¡°I just want you¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Natalie scraped the last few tears from her cheeks with her sleeve.


    Kayce sank to the floor in a ball, sobbing. ¡°If you really cared¡­you wouldn¡¯t leave¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She lifted her belongings from the floor. ¡°Now get out of my way.¡± Natalie stepped over him and through the doorway. The tarp crinkled as it settled back between them. She pressed back more tears and swallowed the knot in her throat. Her chest was burning. She tensed against it, squeezing her eyes shut.


    ¡°I hate you¡­¡± It was almost a whisper. She flinched.


    She sank to the ground and gnashed her teeth against a sob.


    ¡°...I know you don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± she said.


    The stairs were longer than usual on the descent. When she reached the bottom, she checked the address of the recruiting center one last time, and started up the road. I¡¯m sorry, Kayce¡­one day you¡¯ll understand¡­ She paused and turned, gazing up at the decaying tower. I¡¯ll come back for you, I promise¡­


    She watched the tarp covered doorway for any sign of life. Kayce never emerged.


    >>>   |||   <<<


    Pressure. Pressure bears down on her chest.


    Cold. She shivers. She curls and uncurls her fingers.


    Her right hand still clutches the hilt of her sword. Rocks tumble nearby. She pulls in a dust-filled breath.


    Natalie¡¯s eyes fly open and she coughs. She¡¯s pinned under a slab of concrete. Pale light filters through the clouds above and pours into the overextended jaws of the crater. The rain has stopped. Rising smoke stretches the light into wavering curtains. The lip of the chasm is high and jagged¡ªbroken water lines and sewer pipes jut from the wall, spewing their contents in heavy fountains that crash against the debris below. Bent road signs and street lights rise from the hills and valleys of rubble like twisted, metal bones. Battered cars lay half buried in the rocks. The air rumbles as the groaning wreckage shifts and settles. Fires snap and hiss nearby, flicking orange tongues from the husks of destroyed machinery.


    Natalie¡¯s arms are hollow and loose. She grunts and pushes up against the concrete. The bones in her arms ache and groan. Rocks tumble away. Her body trembles under the weight of effort. The slab slides away, pulling a mini-avalanche of debris in its wake. Natalie¡¯s arms fall limp back to her sides. She pants. The air is rancid with smoke and dirt. She sits up.


    Pain.


    Tendrils of pain coil around the bones in her shin like barbed wire, tightening with every little movement. Natalie screams and grips her leg. The pointed tip of a broken piece of rebar has punched through her leg, just below the knee, rending metal and cracking bone. Bright petals float off the glowing wound. Tears stream down her face and she chokes back sobs with ragged breaths. She drops her sword, grips her leg above and below the wound, and pulls. Sharp pain flies up her leg and stabs into her side. Another scream forces itself from her chest. She doubles over, whimpering.


    ¡°Help¡­¡± she says. ¡°Someone¡­please¡­please help¡­¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s coming to help you.¡± Kayce¡¯s voice falls on her like a second landslide. Her body goes cold.


    She jerks upright and yelps as another jolt of pain tears through her knee. Kayce is standing a few feet away. He clutches her lost helmet by the faceguard, turning and studying it. He glances up at her. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± He tosses the helmet away. It clatters over the wreckage and disappears. Kayce gestures to the destruction around them. ¡°All of this.¡± He chuckles. ¡°The Scissors¡¯ bomb really was impressive¡ªa modified Type P-4, big enough to demolish a small city block. Unfortunately, they failed to calculate for how¡­decayed¡­this trash heap was.¡± He kicks away a chunk of concrete and shakes his head. ¡°Perhaps if they¡¯d gotten insider knowledge from someone who lived here, this could¡¯ve been prevented. What a shame¡­¡±


    Natalie grits her teeth. Heat pours off her glare. ¡°Why?¡± Her voice is a hoarse rasp.


    ¡°Why? You still don¡¯t understand?¡± Kayce steps closer and kneels. ¡°I did it for you. I want you to suffer. I want you to know exactly what it feels like to have everything you love ripped away from you. To know exactly what you did to me.¡± He stands. ¡°I want you to die miserably, with nothing left for you in this world.¡±


    Natalie tries again to pull her leg off the rebar spike. Metal grinds against bone and shreds flesh. The fires of agony consume her leg once more¡ªshe chokes on another scream and gasps.


    ¡°This¡­this was your home¡­¡±


    Kayce laughs. ¡°Home? Home?! You think this¡­¡± He throws his arms out and turns. ¡°...was home?! This place was hell! I¡¯m glad it¡¯s gone. You should be, too!¡±


    ¡°People could¡¯ve died¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a tragedy that would¡¯ve been. Filth swept off the rotting face of this world.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t you¡­¡± Natalie continues pulling on her leg, whimpering as the metal tears from the wound.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± Kayce turns back to face her. ¡°This is what you made me, Natalie. I am the product of your hypocrisy, your self-righteous delusions.¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± The rebar is almost out.


    ¡°You preach about the ¡®needs of the many¡¯ and think you get to decide what the sacrifice of the few is worth. You trample on what you have, stand on the backs of those that love you so that you can feel better about yourself¡­oh but it¡¯s all alright, in the end, right? Because you¡¯re ¡®making a difference¡¯...¡±


    ¡°Shut¡­up¡­¡±


    ¡°Look around you, sis. Everything you see? All this pain? All this destruction? It¡¯s all your fault. You did this.¡±


    ¡°I said¡­¡± Natalie tears her leg off the rebar. In the same motion, she grabs and ignites her sword, throwing herself at Kayce. ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    Kayce catches her sword on crossed knives. His eyes are wide and gleaming. ¡°There you are¡­¡±


    He hooks her sword with one knife and pulls. She tumbles forward, and his heel strikes her wounded leg. Natalie screams and falls.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nat?!¡± Kayce yells. ¡°Do you feel ashamed of yourself?!¡± He grabs her hair and jerks her head up. ¡°Look at me! Look me in the eyes and face what your actions created!¡± He throws her back down. ¡°You can¡¯t run anymore, Nat! Consequence has finally caught up with you! There¡¯s nowhere left to go!¡± Natalie picks herself up. ¡°You¡¯re going to die here! It¡¯s what you deserve!¡±


    Natalie twists and swings her sword. Kayce backflips over it. His knives curve downward. A shriek rips through the air as the weapons connect. Natalie stumbles forward.


    The blade of her sword flickers and disappears. The projector is cleaved in half¡ªit hisses and spits sparks and smoke. She falls to her knees. Her stomach curls. The useless, broken weapon rolls from her trembling fingers and clatters against the ground.


    Kayce sheathes his knives. ¡°What a pathetic joke¡­and here I was holding back.¡±


    Tears roll down Natalie''s face. ¡°I-I¡­I can¡¯t let you do this¡­¡± Rubble shifts nearby. ¡°This isn¡¯t you¡­this isn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is me,¡± Kayce says. He draws his pistol and checks the magazine.


    ¡°Please stop¡­please¡­¡± The words slide off her tongue. ¡°Kayce¡­Kayce¡­th-this¡­this isn¡¯t what I wanted¡­for you¡­¡±


    Kayce goes stiff and silent. The clatter of nearby rubble gets louder.


    ¡°You¡­you think¡­¡± Something begins to shimmer over his head. His voice picks up a metallic echo. ¡°You think¡­you get to talk like that¡­after everything?¡±


    In a flash of movement, he¡¯s upon her again. He plants his foot onto her chest and drives her onto the ground. His gun is leveled at her head. A blue light is flickering in his wide eyes. He starts screaming. ¡°Just who the hell do you think you are to talk about what you wanted for me?! You have no right!!¡± He presses the heel of his boot against Natalie¡¯s throat. Her lungs catch fire. She claws at his foot as black spots swim through the air. In the darkness of her vision, dim blue threads dance over his head.


    ¡°Kayce¡­please¡­¡± She chokes and reaches for the edge of his cloak. He smacks her hand away with his gun. A small landslide rumbles close by. ¡°Please¡ª¡±


    ¡°YOU ABANDONED ME!! And you think you just get to sit there and talk about my future?! THIS IS ALL YOUR!! FAULT!!¡± He screams and swings his gun back toward her head. Rubble crashes. A black, armored fist connects with his mask. Natalie¡¯s heart seizes.


    The black-armored Enforcer commander tackles Kayce to the ground and pins him under its knees. ¡°Target noncompliant. Lethal force authorized,¡± it croaks. Sparks and smoke fly from its damaged body. It beats him down, hammering his face with blow after blow. Sparks glint off his mask. He sinks into the rubble under the onslaught.


    Natalie sits and watches. Her mouth is dry, her mind is a void, and her stomach churns.


    It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s going to kill him¡­ ¡°Stop it¡­¡± It¡¯s gonna kill him¡­it¡¯s gonna kill him, it¡¯s gonna kill him, no, no, NO, NO! NO!! ¡°STOP IT!!¡±


    The Enforcer freezes and looks at her, its arm cocked back for another blow. A distorted screech tears the air and echoes off the walls of the crater. Ice fills Natalie¡¯s gut. A hand flies up and closes around the Enforcer¡¯s face.


    ¡°GET¡­OFF!!¡± Kayce¡¯s voice sounds corrupted and hollow, like it¡¯s coming through a broken speaker. ¡°GET OFF! GET! OFF!¡± He throws the Enforcer off like a broken toy. It crashes into the debris. Kayce rises, hunched over and twitching. Cracks of blue light have bloomed across his skin and his eyes glow the same bright hue. Sapphire fibers weave and twist over his head. He arches his back and lets out another metallic screech. ¡°HATE¡­YOU¡­ HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!!!¡± He pounces on the Enforcer, screaming the words over and over again.


    The Enforcer shrieks. Sparking chunks of metal fly as he tears it apart with his hands. Glittering dust clouds the air. He tears off its head with a distorted scream and bashes it against a chunk of concrete until it crumbles to scrap and a cloud of glowing blue petals. Then, he screeches again and begins hammering his fists against the chest of its mangled, smoking corpse. ¡°KILL YOU! I¡¯LL¡ªI¡¯LL KILL YOU!! KILL¡­YOOUUU!!¡± BAM! He strikes it one more time and lays there, doubled over and panting.


    Natalie trembles. Her hand is clasped over her mouth¡ªshe holds her breath while tears pour down her face. No¡­this can¡¯t be happening¡­not you too¡­not you too¡­please¡­Kayce¡­


    Kayce jerks, reaching a shaking hand into a bag on his waist, and produces a syringe tipped with a long needle. Dark, forest green liquid glitters within the vial. He jabs it into his neck and presses the plunger. The cracks on his body recede and the strands over his head fade away.


    Kayce tosses the syringe away. The air settles again, laced with the sounds of distant, crashing water and his shallow breathing.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­sick¡­¡± Natalie says, standing.


    ¡°What do you care?¡± Kayce picks himself up.


    ¡°We¡­we can help you¡­P.U.S has the resources¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you.¡±


    ¡°Kayce¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said stop calling me that!!¡± He flies at her, knives drawn. Natalie summons her shield.


    SKREE-EETCH! Bright pain tears across her arm. The device on her forearm sparks and sputters, and the shield vanishes. A deep, smoking gash runs across the projector lens. Natalie squeezes her hand tighter. Nothing. No! Her heart pounds. Come on, not now, not¡ª


    A blade cuts the air. It screams as it shreds the armor on her shoulder and bites deep into her flesh, lacing her arm with sharp pain. Natalie yelps. A red glint streaks toward her. Another blade rips into her side. She grips at the wound, gasping.


    ¡°After I¡¯m done with you¡­¡± His voice comes from every direction at once. Another blow. A knife clips the back of her leg, cutting deep. She cries out. ¡°I¡¯m gonna crush every memory of you to dust!!¡± Another slash from the front. More pain. ¡°I¡¯m gonna destroy everything you love, kill everyone you know!¡± Another slash from above. Another from the front. A streak of red light lances through the air around her, too fast to track. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make it like you never existed!!¡±


    The hurricane of strikes quickens. Blades whistle around her. Natalie reels, juggled between blows. Pain soaks into every inch of flesh. Kayce continues.


    ¡°And then¡ªI¡¯m gonna burn this world to the ground!¡± Above. Behind. Back left. Front right. Shoulder, leg, face, side, arm. Natalie can¡¯t draw a breath. Pain fills every limb, every joint. ¡°Take everything!! So that when the ashes settle¡­¡± A fang drives through her back. Natalie gasps and chokes. The tip of a curved, crimson knife protrudes from her chest, scattering weightless flakes of sapphire glass into the air. Agony sprouts roots through her whole body. She coughs and claws at the blade. It slices deep into her fingers. Kayce leans close to her ear. ¡°...everyone will know what it¡¯s like to have nothing.¡± He jerks the knife up, rending through her chest, then tears it out.


    Natalie falls forward onto her face. Her head spins. Everything is coated in a blurry, red haze. Kayce steps around in front of her and crouches down. The cold barrel of a gun presses into her temple. Her whole body is on fire. Every limb is heavy, weighed down by her own flesh. She drags her arm up. Her fingers land on his wrist and slide off. Hot tears leak from her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The word drifts off her slack tongue.


    ¡°Goodbye, Natalie.¡±


    White.


    The world is white. Kayce is gone. The crater is gone. The pain is gone. Her body is light. She floats and drifts in nothingness. She can¡¯t feel herself. She can¡¯t feel anything. There¡¯s no sound. No smell. No taste. There¡¯s only white.


    ¡°Nattie!!¡±


    She blinks. There¡¯s a little boy, standing in front of her, gazing at her through eyes like shining garnet. His face is dirty, his skin is pale, his hair is white with a streak of black. He¡¯s smiling. She knows him. She doesn¡¯t know his name. She doesn¡¯t even know her own name. She reaches for him. She has no hand, but she reaches for him. He stands too far away. Muffled voices surround her. The void grows brighter. The light begins to consume him. The voices get louder and more clear, like she¡¯s lifting her head out of water. His smile is the last thing to go. The light blinds her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got her!¡± Natalie¡¯s feet meet solid ground. She falls forward into someone¡¯s arms. Her stomach tightens and bile flies up her throat. She vomits. ¡°Hey, hey! Easy! First time reconstruction is always rough¡­¡± A little white sphere with cyan fins drifts in front of her. It looks at her through a large, black lens and emits a bright, cheery chirp. Natalie lifts her head and looks into the honey-colored eyes of a girl with ash-colored hair.


    ¡°...K-...K-Kokona¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Natalie, you¡¯re okay.¡± Kokona smiles at her. Shiny lines trace down her cheeks¡ªshe¡¯s crying. ¡°Ya scared the hell outta me, you know that? You¡¯re lucky we were able to lock your code in time¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Memory kicks down the door to her skull and pours in. An explosion. Debris. A screech. A red glint. Pain. Pain. So much pain. Feng¡ªno¡­ Kayce. Tears form in her eyes and cling to her eyelids. They stretch and warp Kokona¡¯s face. Kokona catches her on her shoulder and holds her in a tight embrace.


    A scream flies from Natalie¡¯s chest and rakes its claws against her throat on the way out.

 > V <

    >   V   <


    Natalie¡¯s bloodshot emerald eyes stare back at her from the mirror. Her chest burns. The towel slips from her head and her hair falls into her face. She glares at the streak of white dye. A resolution begins taking shape at her fingertips¡ªthey find their way into the drawer beneath the sink and re-emerge clutching a pair of scissors. She plucks the lock of white hair, pulls it taut and presses the scissors to where it meets her scalp. Her heart races. She grits her teeth.


    She groans, expelling a held breath, and pitches the scissors across the bathroom. They clatter against the floor of the shower. She sinks against the wall and buries her face in her hands. Her body is heavy and sluggish. A weight pours from the back of her mind and drapes over her shoulders. Why did it have to be you¡­? She sighs.


    Ding! Ding! A bell tone pulls her out of her own thoughts. She stands. ¡°Coming!¡±


    She pulls on a loose pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then approaches the door. She taps a panel and the smooth, silver sheet slides up into the top of the door frame with a hiss. Kokona spills into the room, clutching a plastic bag full of takeout containers.


    ¡°Heya! You weren¡¯t answering my messages about lunch, so I figured I¡¯d drop in!¡± She pauses. ¡°Damn, you look like hell¡­¡±


    Natalie looks away. ¡°Kokona¡­look, now¡¯s not a good time¡­¡±


    Kokona smiles at her and holds up the bag. ¡°Nothin¡¯ a few barbeque skewers can¡¯t fix! Come on!¡± She sets the bag on the desk and plops down into the beanbag. She sighs. ¡°I really oughta get myself one of these¡­¡± She glances around. ¡°And you really need to come shopping with me some time. If you¡¯re gonna insist on staying here, you really oughta at least make it look nice.¡± Natalie shuts the door and drifts over to the bed. She sits down, crossing her arms and staring at the floor. Kokona is silent for a moment. ¡°Still eatin¡¯ at ya, huh?¡±


    It¡¯s been three weeks since the explosion. The resulting sinkhole had wiped out most of District 43, displacing thousands of people. The Scissors denied any responsibility for the attack. The assassin called ¡°Feng¡± was nowhere to be found in the aftermath. The only trace he had left was a small pocket knife with a carved handle depicting a wolf and its pup. The mother wolf had been clawed out and the blade was scored several times with one word: HATE.


    Natalie shifts further onto the bed and pulls her legs to her chest. She buries her face into her knees. ¡°He was right. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, that¡¯s not true¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. None of this would¡¯ve happened if I¡¯d¡­¡± Natalie¡¯s voice trails off. ¡°Just forget it.¡± She leans against the wall and looks out the window past her shoulder. Neutroville is shining in the summer sun. ¡°Have you guys found anything yet?¡±


    Kokona shakes her head. ¡°Like Nobunaga said, your brother¡¯s a ghost. Now Urbino is denying ever having him on their payroll. Our contact said they¡¯ve completely erased him from their records.¡± She leans back in the beanbag. ¡°Well, we did find one thing. That¡¯s¡­actually part of why I came here.¡± She reaches into the takeout bag, produces a neat folder of papers labeled ¡°CONFIDENTIAL¡±, and tosses it onto the desk. Natalie stares at it.


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    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Lab report,¡± Kokona says, ¡°on the syringe you mentioned your brother stuck himself with in your debrief. It took some digging, but we actually recovered it. Turns out it was an old experimental medicine used to treat Collapse Syndrome. It was banned before it could leave the testing phase.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Well, at first they thought it was a miracle drug. It showed great results when it came to suppressing, or even reverting the effects of Collapse Syndrome. That was in the short term.¡± Kokona leans forward and rests her chin on her hands. ¡°In the long term, it actually made the condition way worse. Patients became volatile and violent, their condition worsened faster, making them reliant on the drug. Out of forty test subjects, none survived.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s gaze falls. ¡°And my brother¡¯s been using it¡­¡±


    Kokona nods. ¡°Working theory is that Urbino was supplying it to him, as part of his contract. But, without any kind of evidence linking them to it, and without the records of him ever working for him, it¡¯s all just empty conjecture.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s head hangs. ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop blaming yourself¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who else is there to blame?! Him?! He was right! I abandoned him. I turned him into that monster.¡± Natalie hammers the sides of her head with her fists. ¡°I¡¯m a failure¡ªa pathetic excuse for a sister.¡±


    The bed squeaks as Kokona settles herself at the end of it. ¡°Not in my eyes. You left to make a better future for him, Natalie. You made a difficult decision for his sake. That sounds like something a good sister would do. You can¡¯t control how he chose to handle it. His crimes are his own, not yours, so stop beating yourself up.¡±


    Natalie sighs. The tension and weight in her chest slips out on the breath. She looks back out the window, a new feeling forming in the corner of her heart. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Nobunaga¡¯s been deployed on some secret mission¡­something not even I¡¯m allowed to know about. So I¡¯m trainin¡¯ the new girl¡ªMichele. You should join us, some time. I think you¡¯d get along with her.¡± Natalie says nothing. Kokona plucks at the coarse blanket, then stands. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­leave you to your thoughts. Just wanted to drop by, check in on ya. I¡¯m here if you ever need me, okay? Just shoot me a message.¡± She starts for the door.


    ¡°Kokona.¡± She stops. ¡°Can he be cured?¡±


    ¡°Natalie¡­your brother¡¯s been labeled a terrorist by P.U.S¡­I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can he be cured?¡±


    Kokona sighs. ¡°It¡¯s¡­hard to say, really. That drug is really bad, Nat. Like, really bad. I¡¯m not sure any of our treatments would be effective.¡± She¡¯s silent for a moment, then turns. ¡°There¡¯s¡­one option, though. I know this girl¡­former P.U.S¡­she runs this place called the ¡®Astral Sanctuary¡¯, where she treats people with Collapse Syndrome. I¡¯ve seen this girl work some real miracles. I haven¡¯t heard from her in forever, but¡­look, if anyone could treat your brother, it¡¯s her. I¡¯ll send you her contact info.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Kokona¡­¡±


    The panel chirps. The door hisses open. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± The door shuts behind her.


    Natalie sets her eyes on the crest of Komos Tower, hardening her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll find you, Kayce¡­¡± she whispers. ¡°I¡¯ll save you¡­¡±