Kaylee's Warning
Roque stood at the door, silently watching Kaylee fidget with her fingers. He spoke.
"What's up?"
"Hm. Straight to the point?"
Under Roque's quiet gaze, she dropped her hand as if she'd gotten the message.
"Fine. But you're just gonna talk here? I'd rather go inside. It's about that 'little one'."
She lowered her voice on 'little one' and glanced cautiously down the apartment hallway. After a moment of eyeing her like that, Roque wordlessly stepped aside. Kaylee flashed a grin, slipped past him with a wink, and entered.
Standing in the middle of the apartment, she looked around and said,
"Bit ordinary for a place where Midland's urban legend lives, don't you think?"
"This is plenty."
Roque gave a short reply and picked up a stray T-shirt from the floor, pulling it on. Kaylee eyed it with a hint of disappointment, her lips pursing.
Whether she was bummed or not, Roque hopped up on the kitchen table, arms crossed.
"So, what's the business?"
"...You really don't mess around. Alright. Where's the kid?"
Kaylee nodded with a blank look, scanning for Lije.
"Why you looking for her?"
"Why? Just checking if she's okay. Found her parents yet?"
Roque didn't answer, just stared steadily at her. Meeting those black eyes for a moment, Kaylee shrugged like she got it.
"Got it. Straight to business. Thanks to that little one, I'm in a real mess. Feels like I'm about to lose my mind."
"Why?"
She turned toward the apartment window. Her combat boots thudded against the floor.
"I'm a merc. Lend my muscle for jobs that need it, make a living that way. Like you."
Out the window stretched the early evening sky, a mix of reddish sunset and deep blue night.
"...The difference between me and other mercs? I've got a big regular client. Pays top dollar, backs me up solid. You know X-Techno, right?"
X-Techno. One of Midland's megacorp giants alongside Isumi, American-backed, churning out cars, electronics, and weapons. They hired more mercs than any other megacorp.
"That truck hijack last time? Came from them. You were on the Isumi side, yeah?"
Roque stayed silent. The client back then hadn't revealed themselves. If he'd taken their contract offer, he might've learned who, but he'd passed. Didn't matter to him.
"Anyway, we blew the factory, grabbed the relic shard—they called it a win. Did a couple more gigs for them after. But while working, something felt off. Dug around back channels, turns out X-Techno was dealing with some weirdos. And I was the target."
Gazing out at the sky and Midland below, she continued.
"Merc life's taught me to set up safety nets and connections. Using those to block the deal. Problem is, these weirdos have serious pull and grudge... Turns out they're the truck owners. Dragon worshippers or whatever. Couldn't dig deeper on their background."
Roque pieced it together.
"So you came here to figure out why they're pissed."
"Bingo. If it's 'cause they think the kid's parents lost her, just hand her back, problem solved, right?"
Kaylee turned back with that. But Roque shook his head.
"Doubt it."
"What? That's all I could think of."
Just then, Bini—the robot that had fled to the bedroom to avoid Roque's feet—rolled in with a whir of wheels. Ignoring their stares, it headed straight for the bathroom, a few clothes piled on its head.
"...You like toys like that?"
At Kaylee's words, Roque closed his eyes and sighed. As she shot him a puzzled look, the bathroom door opened. Steam billowed out, and fresh-from-the-bath Lije emerged in pajamas Bini had fetched, towel around her neck.
Heading straight for the kitchen fridge, she froze at the sight of Roque on the table and Kaylee by the living room window. Their eyes met.
Kaylee grinned.
"Hi?"
"...Who?"
At Lije's blank reply, Kaylee shrugged off her jacket onto a chair and approached.
"I'm Kaylee. Don't remember me?"
Lije tilted her head. Then her eyes widened at the silver-gray hair, lighting up like an exclamation mark on her face.
"You remember now?"
"Lije is Elizabeth. Kaylee can call Lije, Lije."
"Lije? Cute nickname..."
Kaylee put hands on hips, beaming at her. Lije glanced between her and Roque, then pulled a bottled drink from the fridge and offered it to Kaylee.
"...For me?"
"Guests get drinks. Roque sometimes too mean."
"Whoa, thanks! I'll enjoy it."
Kaylee laughed heartily, taking the bottle. She bent down, pinching Lije's cheek like it was the cutest thing ever. Lije's cheek squished softly. Kaylee's face went a bit slack. Next instant, like entranced, she squished and poked away.
"...What're you doing?"
Roque asked, incredulous. But Kaylee, still dazedly fondling the cheek, suddenly scooped Lije into a big hug. Rubbing her face against the girl's cheek, she grinned dopily.
"What the hell! Why's this kid so damn cute? Cheeks all soft and squishy! Smells good too! Should've taken her myself!"
"...Kaylee pretty too."
Held tight, cheeks rubbed raw, eyes half-shut, Lije said it. Kaylee pulled back, beaming.
"Yeah? What a sweetheart! Wanna come with me now? Sis'll get you all the treats..."
Her words trailed off. Smile faded a touch.
"...Nah, forget it. Safer here. Want anything? Sis'll bring it next time!"
Kaylee brushed Lije's bangs aside. Lije blinked her round eyes.
"Lije likes now."
"Yeah? Good girl."
Roque watched. Lije's blank face had a faint flush—not just from the bath.
"Lije? Wanna hang in the room a bit? Sis has stuff to talk about with Roque."
"Okay."
Kaylee let go, and Lije padded obediently to the bedroom. Bini trailed after.
"You really like kids."
At Roque's words, Kaylee stared at the closing door, murmuring blankly,
"...Didn't know. She's adorable."
She shook it off, sweeping back her hair. Her sky-blue eyes fixed on Roque.
"What'd you mean, low chance it's the parents?"
Roque pondered how to explain, then grabbed a file folder from the table and handed it over. Kaylee took it, puzzled.
"Paper? Aura Masters really hate electronics? Who uses this stuff these days..."
Her words stopped. Tilting her head, she flipped through, doubting her eyes.
Scowling, she looked back at Roque.
"What the hell. The dead kid here is Lije?"
"Seems like."
"...So that stone coffin was some cryo-pod. Anything else weird?"
Roque shook his head. Kaylee was a merc. She'd gone gaga over the cuteness, but if her life was on the line, who knew? If she learned Lije's powers, she might sell them out to survive—didn't have to be dragon cultists. As an ex-X-Techno merc, she'd have connections.
"Huh. Then Lije's identity might not matter. Shit, so they're just gunning for me out of spite?"
She tossed the file back, ruffling her hair irritably. Roque watched the silver strands fly, then spoke.
"You said X-Techno sold your info. Think the middleman'll let that slide?"
One reason middlemen existed in Midland's merc world: beyond linking clients and mercs, they handled cleanup and mediation post-job. If word spread, X-Techno'd have a hard time hiring mercs in Midland.
"Well, at first there was a middleman, but..."
"...Figures."
Roque shook his head at her awkward laugh. Mercs often cut out middlemen for long-term clients to save fees. But then you lost mediation and industry protection. If a client wanted silence or sold you out like this, you faced them alone. Megacorp vs. lone merc. Outcome obvious.
"Thanks for the time anyway. At least I know how to handle it now. I'm out."
Kaylee grabbed her leather jacket. Roque watched her shrug it on.
"What's your next move?"
"What else? Got a meet soon. Like I said, I got connections. Squeeze a deal between me and those dragon freakshows. Pay 'em off or throw work their way."
As she headed for the door, Roque added,
"No goodbye?"
Meaning Lije. Kaylee halted, silent a beat, then turned with a wry smile.
"...If we meet again, then. Better that way."
Roque nodded at the smile. She left. Even after the door clicked shut, he stayed perched on the table, lost in thought.
Then Lije's door creaked open. She peeked out, eyes scanning the living room. Seeing no Kaylee, she stepped out slowly.
Looking at thoughtful Roque, she said,
"Kaylee gone?"
"Yeah."
"...Dangerous."
Roque's eyes turned to her.
"How do you know?"
Lije just stared with round eyes. Roque looked away.
"Not our business. Her mistake not using a middleman."
"Kaylee good person."
Roque didn't reply. He couldn't say if she was good or not. They weren't old friends—just crossed paths during Lije's thing. Who knew what she'd done as a merc.
"Roque."
Lije called. His gaze returned. Her face blank, but cheeks faintly pink. Staring, he recalled her sudden "I trust you, so trust me too."
"...If she's caught, she'll spill about us to survive."
Sighing, he said it. Lije smiled faintly as he straightened from the table.
The waterways stretching from Midland toward the open sea were mostly concrete-lined to the bottom. Floods had overrun during construction.
Even now, heavy rains brought rushing water. But most of the year, a thin stream trickled down the concrete channel's center, the rest a vast gray expanse.
Wide open with no obstacles, it deterred ambushes—perfect for gang meets or black market deals.
Kaylee's meet was here too. As dusk deepened, she parked her pickup and fiddled with her goggle shades. Linked to her cyber eyes, they scanned the concrete flatland. Clear.
"...Running late."
Time had passed. No sign of her contact. As unease crept in,
Something glinted far at the channel's end. Face hardening, she zoomed in.
"Now you show?"
Her expression eased. Big Jeep headlights—her contact's ride. But then vehicles poured out behind like unfolding wings. Her face twisted.
"Fuckin' hell..."
Muttering, she dove behind her truck. Bullets chipped concrete where she'd stood. Then they riddled her pickup.
Windows shattered instantly, the truck clanging under fire. Bullets kept coming.
"You crazy bastards!"
Gritting teeth at the nearing gunfire, Kaylee drew her pistol from her waist. A rifle would've been better, but she couldn't move. They were shredding her truck like tissue. It was already trashed.
She gripped the pistol, steadying her breath. No white flag from her—not after her rough merc life. She'd take at least as many as her mag held.
Then, amid the rear barrage, something ahead caught her eye. A glinting light. Zooming like before, she muttered blankly,
"...Black Knight. '77 model."
The Black Knight roared fiercely down the concrete channel.