Rise of the Phoenix King (Shadowrun/Exalted)

AN:

Special thanks to Cerilian for the concept behind this story and for running the tabletop game that inspired it. This story bears little resemblance to that game, but this story wouldn't exist without it.

While this story is a crossover, getting into the crossover elements will take some time. Exalted fans may recognize this as a "mortal prologue" which it absolutely is.

Further, I'm not the world's greatest expert on Shadowrun lore, but I've done my best. Please consider any errors to be intentional divergences from canon for...you know...story purposes....or something.

Now on to the show!

(This is not going to go the way you think)

---

My name is Miho Tanaka-McWellan and this is my story. Of course, when you really think about it, there's no such thing. We all share our stories with those closest to us and I'm certainly no exception. The thing is, in the last 300 years my husband's life has already been dissected a thousand times and in a thousand different ways. I'm sure everyone reading this is quite aware of my husband's great rivalry with Lofwyr, his subjugation of the Yama Kings, and - of course - his victory over the Horrors. There are endless depictions of these stories, as trideos, books, and even a few plays.

And to be honest, I can't complain about how I was treated in those works. Really, if anything, my flaws and shortcomings were overlooked to an excessive degree. I may no longer be truly mortal, but I am anything but infallible. Nor was I always as supportive of my husband as I should have been, but we met when we were both very young and we both made exactly the kinds of mistakes you might expect. So here, I will set the record straight about a great many things. And one of those things is that I will do what no one in the last 200 years has dared to do.

I will lay bare the mistakes of the Great Miho Tanaka.

To begin, you will have to understand the world as it was 300 years ago. It was not the kind and gentle place we live in today. No, the world of the mid-21st century was a dark and brutal place. It was a place ruled by corporations rather than nations. Everyone was a number back then, and I mean literally. If you didn't have a System Identification Number, you had no protections under the law. A "real" person could gun you down in the street and be guilty of nothing more than littering. The wealthy had all the power and those without wanted nothing more than to climb to the top of that ladder and be one of the important people, though first, they'd have to figure out how to survive the day and from where their next meal was coming.

As above, so below. What was true for the individual was just as true for groups and areas. If you grew up in a wealthy area life was relatively peaceful. Almost idyllic. The vast majority, however, lived in corporate housing toiling away at jobs working excessively long hours and were paid barely enough to survive. And then there were the really unlucky ones. People who lived in places like Redmond, Seattle where both governments and corporations had given up. These were the places of total anarchy. You had to protect yourself or cozy up to someone who could and be their sycophant. Little wonder that gangs ruled unopposed.

I was born in Redmond. Oh, it wasn't all bad. Like anywhere else there were good people and bad. There were certainly people trying to make things better. Trying to help. My father had been such a man. He never joined any gangs directly. Even the least oppressive and avaricious of the gangs had to make compromises and the Code of Bushido (at least as my father interpreted it) just wasn't compatible with that. But he helped. He was even on good terms with the most powerful gang where we lived due to having trained a number of their members. That's also how he died.

I think I'll have to come back to that story later, but suffice it to say he and my little brother were caught in the crossfire of some pretty major gang violence. It wasn't the first time our family dojo had been attacked. It wasn't even the first time that anyone died in the process. But it was the time I lost my family. It was a dark time for me, but I wasn't alone. My friends and my father's friends and so many of the people he'd helped came together for me and helped me figure out how to keep going.

I even drew the attention of the most mysterious Fixer in Redmond. A 'fixer' for those of you who don't know, is a person with connections. Someone who can get things done, even if they aren't legal. Not just a drug dealer or an arms dealer, but a person who knew dozens those kinds of people and could get you whatever you needed for a price. This particular fixer went by the name of "Gnostic Lucifer" though most people just called him "Lucifer". He never showed his face. He never appeared anywhere in person. And to the people of Redmond, it seemed like he could literally do anything. It wasn't just weapons or drugs that he could make appear out of nowhere - pretty much any fixer could do that. No, he was the one you went to when you didn't even know what you needed. For most, you just described your problem to him and a military-grade prototype found its way to your doorstep. And that's when he felt like being boring. More often, your problem just went away and you didn't even know how.

Lucifer never took money for his favors. He did a favor for you? Now you're doing a favor for him. It was completely unlike the way a fixer normally did business and there was no end to the theories about who he was and why he operated that way. And as time went on, things got even more mysterious. Because Lucifer wouldn't work with just anyone, though he'd never say why. It became more apparent when people started talking about the favors they'd done for him. Guard duty for Hollywood Hospital, courier work to bring meds for the kids in Rat's Nest, massacring Tamanous organ thieves...it was all what people back then called "Hooding". Doing good deeds.

Oh, Lucifer had made people disappear all right. People had inevitably crossed him because that always happens eventually. And when he took them out, it was downright theatrical. They never found any bodies, but at least one person who'd bragged about crossing him - Frankie Tripod - had his safehouse filled with about 80 liters of blood. It was a positive match for Frankie, who was nowhere to be found. On the flip side, Lucifer was never known to break a promise. And he took a dim view of people saying that he had.

So when my father and little brother died and after all the family friends and well-wishers had finally said their goodbyes, I found myself alone. Not two seconds later my comlink started ringing. Not everyone who lived in Redmond even had a commlink, but due to my father's work, we were doing better than most. I was. I was alone now. So I answered.

"Who is this?" I demanded. The commlink's display had been blank. Not a difficult feat to pull off, but it left me in the dark.

"My name is Gnostic Lucifer," the computer-generated voice replied, "And I have heard about your situation. I'm willing to help if you like."

I froze. The idea of being on the radar of someone like Lucifer had never crossed my mind. I knew his reputation, but I wasn't naive. Everything comes with a price.

"What are you offering, and what do you want?" My negotiation tactics weren't great back then. But then, I was 14 at the time.

"What I am offering depends on what you need. Perhaps you'd like to continue your father's work? Or perhaps you'd like to move on to something else? Whatever it is, I'm sure I can help you along your way."

The computer voice was light and airy. Almost angelic. But he'd skipped the part I was most interested in.

"And what will it cost me?" I demanded.

"You know how this works. A favor for a favor. And before you say it, I promise not to ask anything of you that would force you to violate the Code of Bushido. If you want a more specific answer, then I'm sorry but I can't help you. I don't have any particular needs at the moment. Nor do I expect to have need of your services any time in the next several months. Now that I have answered your question, I'd like you to answer mine. What do you desire?"

It was suspicious as hell, but I was all on my own now. And it was a better offer than most fixers would give. Still, I wanted to stand my ground.

"First, I want you to make it known that you promised you wouldn't ask me to violate the Code."

"So let it be written. So let it be done. What else?"

"I...." I hesitated. "I do want to continue my father's work. But even as a Physical Adept I..."

Unlike my father, I wasn't just a Samurai. My soul had awakened at a young age to the magic of the Sixth World. My father had been so proud of me. My little brother had looked up to me like some kind of a god. But even as my magic had made me more than a match for my father at the tender age of twelve, it hadn't let me save their lives. I hadn't even been there at the time. And it sure as drek didn't help me run a dojo on my own.

Okay, I should unpack that a little. I did know how to run it mostly. I'd been helping run the place since I was six years old. But there was more to running that kind of enterprise than just running people through kata, moderating sparring matches, and cleaning up after. My father maintained a complex network of relationships that kept most of the nastier elements off our backs. And on top of that, I'd be living alone now. If I'd wanted to join a gang I had multiple offers already- and several of them were of the 'offer you can't refuse' variety. But the thing I wanted most was to continue my father's work and for that I needed protection. Even if all Lucifer did was to tell people I was off-limits, it would be a tremendous help.

"I understand your situation, Tanaka-san. That is why I called. So, I will see that you are protected. And further, you will have whatever supplies you need. Anything necessary to run your business with some niceties for yourself thrown in from time to time. And for all this, I ask only that you do me the occasional favor. Is this acceptable to you?"

I froze. Again. This was dangerous territory, but at the same time, safety wasn't an option when you lived in Redmond Barrens. This was the closest I was going to get to what I wanted. What else could I do?

"Alright. I'm in. But this agreement doesn't begin until people know you promised I wouldn't have to violate the Code of Bushido."

I could almost hear his smile, "By your command."

Two years passed, and they were two of the best years of my life. Lucifer had been true to his word. For the most part, he only asked me to do things that seemed relatively minor. I'd train someone who was obviously not from Redmond Barrens, sit on a package for a few days without looking at it, he even had me take care of a few kids for a few weeks. And as his star continued to rise in the Barrens, so did mine. I was one of the vaunted "Agents of Lucifer" which frankly seemed ridiculous to me. I hardly did anything for him. But I was connected to him. And people would occasionally ask me to intercede with him on their behalf. I declined at first. Not because I had any particular dislike for them, but because I didn't think that would go over very well with The Man Downstairs.

Eventually, though, I did tell him about those requests and he encouraged me to take them up on it. Further, he told me I should be charging for the service. (And of course, he suggested I ask to be paid in favors)

And my dojo became a rather prestigious institution, if such a thing could be said about anything in the Barrens. I was almost making a decent living. My students were highly sought after - even if the people doing the seeking were gangs. But Lucifer had begun to have an impact even on some of the gangs. One, in particular, Crimson Crush, which had always been a bit easier to deal with than most gangs had started to turn into something resembling a reasonable government. At least as much as they could given the circumstances. I didn't know how Lucifer had done it, but they were actually starting to be respectable.

But getting more famous had downsides. Now I was starting to get tourists. My dojo was getting to be almost as well known outside the Barrens as The Seamstresses Union. Usually, it was harmless, but every once in a while I'd get some stupid kid who thought he was clever and wanted to "challenge my dojo" It always ended the same way of course. I'd embarrass them without hurting them too badly and it wouldn't be worth it to anyone to come this deep into Redmond to make an issue out of it. The day that changed, I didn't even know it had happened. Not until a few days later.

An expensive-looking drone descended out of the sky near my home, all chrome and glitter. I had already gone for cover but the fact that it hadn't already opened up on me was a good sign.

"Ms Tanaka? I would speak with you." the voice was as erudite as it was commanding. A woman's voice with a commanding tone that might have made God snap to.

I ducked my head out from cover. The drone had lowered an oddly proportioned vid-screen. Two meters tall and maybe 60 centimeters wide, like some kind of old-fashioned mirror. And she was the evil spirit standing on the other side. It was strange that she wasn't using a hologram projector. It had to have been a deliberate decision, but for the life of me, I couldn't guess what the reasoning behind it was.

It was hard to judge her age. She could have been anywhere from 35 to a well-kept 50. She was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and had cheekbones that could have cut glass. And she wore only white. I literally noticed the color before it even registered as a business suit. She held her hands together in front of her and her chin just slightly higher than was natural, waiting in a mock imitation of patience.

"And you are?" my diplomacy skills had improved in the last two years, but not by much.

"My name is Tabitha McWellan. And I regret to inform you that you have made a powerful enemy. You perhaps remember a young Mr. Lawrence who attempted to humiliate you in front of your students just three days ago?"

I stepped more completely out of cover and approached the 'magic mirror' folding my arms and scowling.

"Yeah? What about him?"

Tabitha winced almost imperceptibly, but I caught it. There was no small amount of disgust behind those eyes but I wasn't sure if it was meant for me or not.

"Mr. Lawrence ran afoul of some debt collectors not long after his defeat at your hands and was rather severely injured. However, since the nature of that debt was...not something he was inclined to admit to, he has blamed you for his injuries. And, as you might imagine, his parents are rather wealthy."

That was an understatement. The dumb kid had walked into my dojo with what could only have been half-a-million nuyen in cyberware at least. I hadn't hurt him too bad. At least, I was pretty sure the tears were just a matter of wounded pride. Okay, I admit it. Putting the rich asshole in his place felt really good at the time. And I wasn't particularly sorry he'd gotten his ass handed to him afterward either. But if he was gonna blame that one me...that could be something I wasn't immune to. Still, these were just words out of the mouth of a stranger. And I had to be careful.

"How do you know any of this?"

"His mother is a friend of mine. She told me about the incident and I found the matter curious. Certainly, someone in a position such as yours would have had the sense not to do such a foolish thing. It was little surprise when young Johnathan turned out to be lying."

"And...what? She didn't believe you?"

Tabitha smiled, "I neglected to tell her. Though I could be convinced to do so eventually. You see, I have a particular need. One that can only be met by a person in your position."

I glared at her, but it wasn't like I could do anything to her. And this kind of behavior was hardly unexpected from her kind. (And something about the way she'd phrased that reminded me of something I couldn't place)

"You see," she continued, placing her hands behind her back. And as she did so the drone started to drift as if she were pacing, "while young Johnathan has the freedom to gallavant about Redmond, my own son's situation is rather more dire. There have been three attempts on his life in the last six months alone. And I have been unable to track the source of these threats."

That softened my expression. A little at least. She was still screwing me over for her own purposes, but at least she was being honest enough to admit it. And she had some fairly decent reasons - assuming any of this was true.

"You need someone you know for a fact no-one has gotten to. Someone you're sure you can trust." it was a summary on my part not a question.

"Quite right, Ms Tanaka. And since my son's life is at stake and trustworthiness is the most precious of qualifications, you will be compensated quite handomly."

Something about this still felt off, but since she wasn't here in person, I couldn't use my adept powers to smell the truth of her words. Oh, I haven't gotten to that part yet, have I? Physical Adepts have many potential powers beyond better punching. And the very first power I developed was the power to smell lies. No use to me here though.

"I have a life here. An actual career. Do you know how much your asking me to give up?"

"If this is a negotiation tactic, I did say that you would be well compensated. If you're concerned about those you are leaving behind, I can do something for them as well. Either name your price or deal with the Lawrences with your own resources."

And there I was. Haggling over my soul with what I would soon discover was one of the top 50 richest people in the world. Tabitha McWellan was not only a the CFO of Horizon, but a major shareholder and a member of the Horizon's Board of Directors. But it was more than that. She had a major stake in all of the Big Ten with a portfolio that competed with the likes of the Shiawases and the Villiers.

I didn't know any of that at the time. All I knew was this rich lady thought she could get anything she wanted and I intended to make her pay through the nose.

"So...in summary," she began, "Sixty thousand nuyen a year plus expenses, all medical expenses, room and board, and one hundred thousand nuyen to be distributed to such persons and institutions within Redmond to be determined by you. Is that correct?"

Hey, leave me alone! I was sixteen and grew up in the Barrens. I didn't even know what a hundred thousands nuyen looked like back then. But yeah. I was dumb.

"And tell your son to keep his paws off me. And make sure he knows he has to do what I tell him."

Tabitha sighed and I could see the tiredness in her eyes.

"Theodore is quite aware of the necessity of complying with his security detail. And you will find him to be quite a gentleman."

That caught my attention.

"Security detail? Am I working for someone? Or are they working for me?"

"Not directly. Oh little Theo had a security detail. They've all been fired. There will be a new one eventually, but you won't be part of that particular chain of command. It'll just be the two of you."

Something about the twinkle in her eye made me wonder if she was trying to buy her son a girlfriend. I considered asking for more money just then, but she beat me to the punch.

"A car will arrive for you outside the Seamstresses Union tomorrow at 6:00 am. If you have such possession as are worth bringing then bring them, but you will have ample opportunities to purchases superior replacements."

She looked me up and down one final time.

"And maybe take a shower. If such things exist in your world."

I responded to her sneer with a sneer of my own. She cut the feed and the drone flew back up into the sky. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing, because of course I did. Some of you will think I gave up on my life a bit too quickly, but the truth was there was never any negotiating with her kind. They always got what they wanted and if you got anything out of the deal you were lucky. I didn't know yet just how poorly I'd negotiated or how much more I could have gotten, but I knew saying 'no' wasn't on the table.

At least she'd given me enough time to say goodbye.

 

Standing under the stars beneath the veil of the night sky I could tell immediately that something was off. When I looked around, there were no buildings or lights. Actually there was no Earth. Oh, I was standing on something alright. The grass felt alive and moist beneath my bare feet (where had my shoes gone?) but the edge of the world was only a meter away or so, and I could see still more stars below where the horizon should have been. And yet somehow I felt safe. Even warm.

"I think your world has better stars," an effeminate male voice came from behind me.

I turned and saw what I normally would have assumed was an elf were it not for the round ears, sitting just a couple of meters behind me. His clothes seemed archaic and strange and his shirt didn't even close to cover his chest. Instead there was a giant V-shaped gap of flesh that went down to his stomach. His hair - the color hard to gauge in the starlight - went down past his neck and his eyes....his eyes seemed to have stars in them as well.

"I like how the stars here are actual things you know? Giant and impossibly far away. Back when my world used to exist they were just a...what do you kids call it? A read out? A Display? They were useful but they weren't interesting. Do sit down my dear."

His gesture was somehow both flamboyant and graceful at the same time. His hand swept in the direction of the other chair - and old fashion wooden one - on the other side of the small table, also wooden, that he was sitting next to. When I sat down, however, I suddenly realized that the person sitting across the table from me was an old woman, barely more than a meter tall. She had round spectacles but the same eyes underneath.

"Well..." she began, her voice creaking, "let's get the obvious out of the way."

She seemed to want me to ask something, but I didn't know what to say. This was obviously a dream, but it didn't feel like one. I knew enough about magic and spirits to know this was probably some kind of visitation, but from the texts I'd managed to get my hands on, those were usually a bit more abstract.

"I...I don't know where to begin." I said.

"Sure you do, honey." the old woman replied, "your problem is that you've got too many expectations - stupid ideas people pretending to be smarter than you have put in your head. Ignore all that. Go with your gut, that's what I always say."

It sounded like good advice, so I took a second to center myself and pretended this was any other conversation.

"So...who are you, where are we, and what the frag is this all about?" I listed out my questions trying to sound neutral. She'd told me to put my preconception aside, but being rude still seemed stupid. Also, was this a 'she'? I wasn't sure I wanted to ask.

"Hehehehe, that's better!" the little girl now sitting across from me replied, she couldn't have been older than six, "And for the question you didn't ask: I am He and She and all things both between and beyond. You literally can't misgender me, so don't worry about it."

Aaaaand she was reading my thoughts too. Great. The little girl took a sip of tea from a teaset that was now sitting on the table in front of us. It hadn't just magically appeared. It had just magically always been there. Freaky

"As for the rest. Where we are is a more complicated question than is worth answering. I could spend weeks or months giving you the arcane details and in the end you would be no wiser. But now to the real question..."

I was now sitting across from what might have been the most beautiful woman imaginable. She sat back in her chair and I couldn't help but marvel over features. She had all the austere grace of and older woman but with all the classical beauty of a younger one. Indeed it might not be possible for a mortal to ever approach this kind of majesty. She placed a golden ring in the table.

"This is all that remains of my husband." she explained.

The ring was thick like a college class ring but with no stone. And somehow, part of me instinctively knew that what I had assumed was gold was in fact, something Greater. Perhaps Orichalcum. Perhaps something greater still. And something about it still felt allive...and yet not.

"These are his remains?" I had absolutely no idea of what to say, but I didn't want to sound stupid so I tried to keep the conversation going at least.

She smiled, "More or less, yes. You see, once upon a time in a far away land, my husband and I - and a few others - liked to grant divine powers to mortals. To uplift them as champions to better their world and maintain it. And, I'm loath to admit, for our own greater glory. For you see...I am no mere spirit."

Her last words struck hard, but I couldn't tell you if it was merely a matter of the realization, or if she'd put some kind of occult force behind them. I suppose it didn't matter. Whoever this...changing lady was, she was a literal god and I knew at once it was true. I just didn't know what she wanted me to do about it. How she wanted me to respond.

"My husband is dead. But this world of yours certainly seems like it could use one of his champions. That's not you, I'm afraid. But for all that I've been around since what you would call the First World and long before, I can't say that I understand this place very well. And if I'm being honest, my husband and I never did a perfect job of choosing in the first place. Maybe if it we had, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Who knows? So I give you this task: find someone. Find someone worthy to bear this mantle. Find someone who can be trusted with phenomenal cosmic power. Find someone who will make the world a better place. And then place my husbands remains on that persons finger."

I reach out for the ring but stopped midway. I looked up at the changing lady who merely nodded her assent. So I took it. I could feel the power of the ring heatlessly burning my hand, through skin, deeper than bone, down to the core of my soul. Or I guess the part of my soul that was in my hand? But I didn't flinch and drop the thing. Something about it was...good and right and almost friendly.

"Will you do this thing for me, Miho Tanaka? Will you find a Champion and upon him, bestow greatness and glory, receiving none for yourself?"

I nodded.

"Say the words, girl"

"I will do this thing for you." I replied.

She smiled and leaned in towards me with an aching slowness.

"There's a question you forgot to ask." she teased.

And then I was awake.

My commlink was blaring as the alarm clock app I'd set to be as annoying as possible kept trying to wake me up. I had slept in, but fortunately I'd gone the extra kilometer and given myself an extra hour. An extra hour I'd almost entirely used up, but how was I to know I'd have an encounter with an ancient god and....

I checked my pockets. It took me a second, but there it was in my right pants pocket. As I held the ring in my hand, I couldn't feel it's divine power penetrating my soul, but perhaps that was because we were back on the mortal plane. Or whatever. I took a quick peek at the ring with my astral senses, but nothing. Well, no. Not quite nothing. The ring was definitely a little more visible than other non-magical items when viewed through the lens of assensing, but it didn't rise to the level of a focus or a alchemical preparation. I was tempted to put it on. Not to claim the power for myself, but just to see what would happen. Still, I didn't want my actions to be misinterpreted as trying to do the very thing I promised I wouldn't. And there was no point in being stupid.

I put the ring back in my pocket.

It didnt' take long to get to the Seamstresses Union from my dojo. And as I'd already said all the goodbyes I cared to the night before, I set out immediately. It wasn't quite 6:00 am but there was already a limousine parked out front. Only now that I was here, I suddenly realized that Tabitha hadn't given me any means of identifying which car was supposed to pick me up. It flashed its headlights at me, so I walked up to the drivers side window. The window rolled down and behind it I saw a red-headed gnome in a seat adjusted for his size. His clothes seemed relatively casual - not a suit or anything but they were certainly cleaner than mine.

"Hey! You Miho? I'm Bruce." he reached his right hand out the window, stretching to accomplish the feat.

I shook his hand.

"Uh...yeah. Look this is all a little bit new to me."

He waved me off, "Nah, no need to worry about that. You got everything you need? Wanna make any stops before we go see the Big Man?"

"I uh...don't really know my options." I replied.

He gesturded behind him with an over-the-should thumb point, "Hop in then. We can talk about it on the way."

The back of the limo was not, in fact, empty. Oh, I was the only person there, but sitting conspicously on the seat when I opend the door was an old fashioned paper envelope. (I think it was called, "manilla" or something?)
Inside was a commlink. I didn't recognize the model but it said "Fairlight Caliban" on the side. Looked pretty expensive actually. There was a set of trodes as well - an external brain-computer interface designed for those unwilling or unable to get the necessary hole drilled into our skulls for a standard interface. This set was your basic headband. Subtle. Unabstrusive. I put them aside for the moment.

There was a also a credstick. Which was a little odd, because if I was getting a real SIN then what did I need one of those for? I could just have a regular bank account. I put them aside and turned on the commlink.

"Congrats!" Bruce shouted from up front, "you're a solid citizen now!"

His words didn't smell like deception - or even irony for that matter. For all that I could tell, he was actually happy about the whole thing. I didn't know how to take that, so I ignored him.

And as I went through the irritating-but-familiar process of setting up a new commlink, I snuck a peak at the credstick.

250,000 nuyen.

What the drek? This wasn't part of the deal. Was it a test? A trap?

Bruce must have seen my expression.

"Oh yeah, little sign on bonus from the Big Man." Bruce told me, "Don't worry, it's all yours. No strings. Hey, you had breakfast yet?"

I didn't smell any lies coming from him, but that only meant he thought it was true. Anyone who knew about my ability could counter it fairly easily by lying to someone else and then having them repeat the lie to me. Or by talking to me via a drone. Or commlink. My ability was far from an infallible defense, but I understood it better than others and I wasn't about to fall for the obvious. Still, Bruce seemed like a nice guy.

"Nope. You have any suggestions?" I replied.

While growing up in the Barrens does in fact mean not having much of an education - usually - it does not mean being unfamiliar with electricity or running water. And in my case, I actually did have a decent education. My father had spent an absurd - for the Barrens - amount of money on tutorsofts for me and my little brother. Automated software programs designed for teaching weren't exactly the best form of education, but they weren't exactly bad either. And for that matter, we also had Matrix access. Not much, but enough to watch trideos, play games, and generally be almost normal. I knew as much about the outside world as the average person, but I didn't know what my options were, so I was relying on Bruce.

And likewise, he didn't know me that well either, so after we left the Barrens we drove around in circles for a while and talked. It took me a while to be sure of it, but Bruce was a nice guy. He had a wife and 3 kids and job he actually liked. Which made him one of the luckier people in the world even if he wasn't exactly super-rich. Eventually we found a fast-food place that served sushi and sashimi. I'd always wanted to try those. Father had said they were his favorites.

"So tell me about this quote-unquote Big Man. What am I in for?" I said, finally turning the conversation back around to business.

We had opted to go inside and grab a table. Bruce had grabbed a booster seat and was managing to use chop-sticks better than I ever could.

"Hmm....nah. You'd never believe me." he said, smirking.

"Oh, come on! You're not gonna let me walk in their blind are you?"

"Alright, alright. But I warned you okay? Theo's a good kid. Like a really good kid. Like, I wish my kids were half as good as him."

"Wait, how old are we talking here?" I'd assumed he was my age. Older and Tabitha probably wouldn't have picked me. I mean, maybe a year or two older if she was, in fact, buying him a girlfriend. Something seemed odd.

"He's twelve...uh...as of today actually." Bruce tried to keep the wince off his face but only mostly succeeded.

Great. I was a birthday present. But twelve? Something felt off.

"But seriously. He's the best kid I've ever had the pleasure to be around. He put all the staff's kids through college, or at least all the ones who wanted to go. He got Meela's son out of Crimson Crush. He helped Vincient's wife get off BTLs. Kid's the real thing. You'll see."

BTL's were bad news. Computer chips designed to get you higher than any drug, and eventually burned out your ability to feel whatever it was they made you feel. Rehab for that was expensive.

"But why? Why do any of that?"

"Like I said. He's a good kid. It's a shame what's been happening. He really doesn't deserve it."

"Are people really trying to kill him? Wouldn't it make more sense to kidnap him and hold him for ransom?" I asked.

Bruce shrugged, "It's a difficult question to answer. People do weird drek for all kinds of weird reasons. All I can say is, whoever is behind it is a real psycho."

The whole line of questioning was probably a waste. Surely Tabitha was putting more money into the investigation than everyone in Redmond had combined. Something about his answer seemed strange but I couldn't place it, so I decided to drop the whole thing.

"So when do we need to get there?" I changed the subject.

"No big hurry." Bruce replied, "If you want, we could do some shopping so you could get some new clothes. Maybe stop by a gym or a coffin hotel, let you get a shower. Whatever you want."

I glared at him, but I knew he was right.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever."

I got my shopping done via my new commlink and trodes. I didn't exactly know what was appropriate, but Bruce was kind enough to point me in the direction of business-casual. I decided to go with something that looked vaguely like what Tabitha had worn, but black rather than white (or whatever "charcoal gray" was supposed to mean). I got that shower that everyone seemed to think I needed and finally we made it to Bellevue.

It was ridiculous. I'd seen gated neighborboods in trideos but this whole place was llike another planet. Kids playing in small patches of grass that seemed to be in front of every house. Drones for every conceivable convenience. But the real difference was that no one seemed particularly stressed. They weren't looking over their shoulders. They weren't wearing body armor or carrying side-arms. Part of me hated them for how easy their lives seemed to be. But mostly that was because I was envious. Then again, wasn't I one of them now? Or would I ever be.

I knew we'd arrived when Bruce started playing this silly music over the limo's sound system.

The place wasn't like the others I'd seen. It was a gated community inside a gated community. Sitting on the border that Bellevue shared with Redmond, the place was a palace. Three stories tall any maybe a hundred meters wide, though I couldn't tell how far back it went. If Bruce had told me that it was a museum or a government building I would have believed him. The outside was all marble with greek pillars - so maybe temple would have been a more appropriate term.

I couldn't put off dealing with this in my mind anymore. It was time to enter the dungeon and confront the dragon.

I was ready.

 

If I had thought the outside looked opulent, the inside put that to shame, although it continued the 'museum' aesthetic. There were austere-looking paintings on the wall, stands holding odd-looking sculptures or vases that, to my eye, didn't look like much but probably were worth more than I would make in a year. I didn't see anyone but the cleaning staff though, and something about the atmosphere felt like this wasn't a place where anyone actually lived.

"I guess Tabitha's at work, right?" I asked Bruce, who had come in just behind me.

"Nah, she doesn't live here. She's in LA where the action is. Sorry can't stay but I have other work to do. James here can show you around. And you'll probably want to talk to Meela. Theo probably is working though. Poor kid barely ever gets a break. I'll see you around though."

Bruce turned to go just as a dwarf in a suit whom I assumed was 'James' approached me.

"Ms. Tanaka? If you'll allow I'll take your luggage to your room. And Mrs. Jenkins would like a word."

I didn't exactly have luggage. Just my katana and a single suitcase. And I'd bought the suitcase on the way over and filled it with the barest of essentials. Not that I didn't think I'd be provided with any, but it seemed silly not to show up with anything. As for my katana, well I wish I could say it was my father's but he wasn't a physical adept, so having a weapon focus like mine wouldn't have been worth the massive expense that it must have been. I still don't know how he got his hands on it. Nevertheless, I handed them over and followed James through the maze of hallways until finally coming to an office. I would call it a small office today, but I didn't have any concept of such things at that age.

James opened the door for me and I saw a severe-looking orc woman who, if she had been human, I would have assumed was in her late 60s. But she was an orc, so that probably meant early 40s at the latest.

"Please sit down, Miss Tanaka." the elderly orc woman gestured to the seat across from her desk.

I did as I was bid.

"My name is Meela Jenkins. I'm the team lead for the cleaning staff. I'm not your boss, but I am the employee with the most seniority. You're from Redmond, so I won't beat around the bush. I need to know whose side you're on."

I blinked. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Come again?" I replied.

She took a deep breath, but it did nothing to relieve her tension, "Maybe you mean that. Maybe you don't. If you're hiding something, I will find out about it. If you're not...well, you're going to have to pick a side eventually. And you better do it soon."

"What are you talking about? Tabitha hired me to protect her son and that's what I'm here to do. Doesn't that put us all on the same side?"

She smirked, "I wish it did. Well, if you're lying you already know all of this. If not, for your own safety you need to understand a few things. Here, there's two sides. Team Tabitha and Team Theodore. You're going to need to sort out your loyalties and quickly."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Because among other things, there were a lot of different things that that could mean.

"Look...I'm here because Tabitha McWellan told me her son's life was in danger. Did she lie to me?" I wasn't going to make any decisions without having some idea of what was going on. I didn't smell the slightest deception coming from Meela, but I wasn't about to get complacent.

Meela's cynical harrumph was not exactly comforting, "Oh I'm sure she did at some point. But the only danger here is Tabitha McWellan herself. I don't know if little Theo's life has ever been in real jeopardy, but if it was then it would be from her. She's an absolute monster and you can't trust anything she says. Especially if it's the truth."

Not long after I first Awakened, I asked my father why the world smelled so incredibly true every morning. It took us a while to investigate but eventually, we discovered that it was the smell of morning dew at dawn. Normal, everyday truths didn't smell like anything to me, but the deepest, most absolute inner truth, apparently did have a special smell to them. That's what I was smelling now.

Morning dew at dawn.

Meela's hatred for Tabitha, her belief that Theo's only real danger came from his mother, and her belief that Tabitha was an irredeemable monster weren't just her real opinions. They were some of her most closely held beliefs. Which said a lot about her relationship to Theo. He mattered to her. Maybe it was because he'd gotten her son out of the grip of a gang. Maybe it was more than that. But she cared about him. And it was no small thing.

"So why am I really here?" I asked after a moment.

She shifted uncomfortably, "I'm not sure. Maybe you're a spy. A young, pretty girl whose job is to get close to Theo, get him wrapped around your little finger and then push him to become what his mother wants him to become."

"What does she want him to become?"

"Her" Meela replied, flatly.

I took a breath. That was reasonable-sounding enough.

"What if I'm not a spy?" I asked.

Meela got noticeably more uncomfortable.

"We'll talk about that once I'm sure you're not. For your sake, I almost hope you are."

"And why is that?" I pressed. All her words had been true, but none of this had been making much sense.

"Because if you are what you appear to be, just an innocent bystander who got caught up in all of this...then I'm sorry to say that it's permanent. You're never getting away from this. Not with your life intact. If you don't have a special side deal going with Tabitha McWellan, that means she owns you. Just like she owns all of us, Theo included...Theo most of all."

It wasn't a huge surprise. The uber-megaelites were famous for treating people like pawns at best. I never felt I had a choice to begin with, but now it was a lot more real. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare me. Really at this point I didn't know what to do or say. And it seemed Meela didn't either.

"James, please take Miss Tanaka to her room." Meela turned back to me, "Theo will see you shortly. Please don't bother him while he's working."

James took me to the center of what I was now realizing was the biggest building I'd ever been in, if you didn't count Squatters Mall. He didn't have a lot to say, but his facial expressions said a lot. He wasn't sure about any of this. Was I a spy? Was I an innocent bystander to be pitied? He did that smart thing when you aren't sure what's going on. He kept his mouth shut.

"Here you are, ma'am" he said as we stopped, gesturing towards a door.

"So...I guess I don't get to pick?" I didn't have a lot to say at this point, but I'd be damned if I was gonna let that stop me.

"Theo's room is adjacent to yours. And his has to be in the center in case of a missle attack. That's why we're on the second floor and not the third. I'm sure you'll find it acceptable." the droll, annoyed tone spoke volumes. I was a Barrens Rat and I'd just moved to Heaven-on-Earth. I should be grateful for whatever I got. As least in his eyes.

Although, if I was his only security at the moment - was that even true? - then it made sense for our rooms to be adjacent. I opened the door and found not a bedroom, but an entire apartment. The dining room table had my one suitcase and my katana sitting neatly on top. I had a kitchen, a bedroom, a...I think it was called a 'den'? The place had to be 100 square meters at least.

"Oh...." I said, feeling more than a little sheepish.

"Yes, quite." James replied, rolling his eyes.

"If you need anything, " he continued, "please refer to the estate's app on your comlink. It has an integrated mapsoft, a spreadsheet for the various employees and their roles, as well as access information for the estates Host. If there's nothing else, I'll return to my other duties."

He had a mapsoft for his house? Okay, this place was pretty big but wasn't that a security risk? Maybe I should talk to him about that. But what did he need a Host for? Virtual reality environments made sense for a business, but what exactly did he get out of having one connected to his home? Was his porn stash so freaky he couldn't risk it being on a rented server? Or was it just another flex? Hard to say.

"Thank you for your help." I replied trying to keep my tone even and formal.

James took off and I tried to settle in. Not that I had much settling to do. I realized pretty quickly I was going to need more stuff, especially clothes. Turns out, the estate's app had it's own integrated shopsoft as well...and I had an expense account! I tried not to go too crazy, but before the hour was up I'd ordered a sword stand - not that I had a wakizashi or tanto to go with my katana, but you know early days - a wardrobe worth of clothes, some security armor - not the milspec stuff, but still worth more money then I'd ever seen in my life - and a few other bits and bobs that looked like they'd be fun to have.

I hadn't even made a dent in the account either. In fact, I was thinking of remedying the whole wakizashi and tanto situation sooner rather than later when I heard shouting coming from the other room. Was it Theo? And how stupid of an idea would it be to evesdrop? I was about to find out.

I crept up to the wall were the sound was coming from and focused my ki on my ears. Enhanced hearing could be a lifesaver in Redmond so I'd made sure to train it up as one of earliest Adept Powers.

"Robin, no!" I heard a young boys voice, "No one wants you to go back. I said that I was here to help you and I am. Please don't do anything drastic."

He must have been on a comlink because I didn't hear anyone else.

"Then I'll protect you. You know I'm capable of doing that. If the Yakuza want to make an issue of that, they'll have to deal with me."

Okay, I knew he was super-rich and everything, but that was an awfully big promise to be making for a twelve-year-old. But it seemed he certainly believed he could. Hubris? Or was he as dangerous as his mother?

"I could certainly use someone like you in my operation. It'll be an investment on my part, but nothing is more valuable than loyalty"

The first part was a total lie. The second was true though. So he was trying to recruit someone...that he didn't have any use for? Why would he do that?

"There's no rush. I understand what you've been through and that you'll need training and equipment before you can be of use to me. I'm also willing to find you a therapist if you have any use for such a thing."

Oddly formal for a child, but I suppose it shouldn't come as any surprise given his upbringing.

He let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Robin. I'll have some initial supplies and funds sent to your location shortly. And Robin...thank you for not hurting yourself."

I heard the clank of something - probably a headset come to think of it - hitting the wood of a desk, followed by some heavy breathing. His reprieve didn't last long.

"Yes? No, I just finished. What? She's here? But...nevermind. Where is she? No, I'll go to her. Thank you, Jeremy."

That was my cue. I disengaged my enhanced hearing just seconds before the knock came at my door. I walked up to it but took a second to keep from seeming like I was rushing.

The boy really did look like his mother. Blonde hair, blue eyes, although softer cheekbones. He was tall for his age, but still shorter than me. And he apparently wore a business suit around the house. And maybe it was just all the hype, but something in his eyes really did seem kind.

He bowed a full 60-degrees.

"Hajimemashite, Tanaka-sensei." he rose, "I'm Theodore McWellan. I hope you had a pleasant journey."

I bowed in turn, not as low but if he was going to observe protocol to that degree I couldn't just...not bow. I mean, I could be pretty formal in the dojo, but in everyday life? Not so much. Not to this extent anyway.

"I...yes, yes I did." what else was I supposed to say?

"May I come in?" he asked.

I waved him in, "Of course. I mean it's your house."

He was about to enter but then stopped, "Oh no. This..." he gestured to my apartment, "this is your home. I'd like you to feel secure in that."

That took me back. As much as he looked like his mother, his behavior couldn't have been further from hers.

"Oh...well um...thank you. But please come in."

He entered.

"I have to say, I'm surprised you took the job. I know Redmond isn't the safest place to live, but I heard you were quite well connected there."

He knew about Lucifer? No, of course he did. Before I could say anything though, he continued.

"Did you get the package I left for you?"

"Oh...yes. Yes I did. It was very generous. Frankly, I was surprised to see you'd set up an expense account for me on top of that."

His brow wrinkled and his eyes darted back and forth. Something about my answer had confused him.

"I hope everything was there. Five items, correct?"

I flinched. Someone had intercepted something he'd intended for me. And I didn't know why.

"Uh...no. Three. A comlink, a set of trodes and a credstick."

He clenched his teeth and balled his fists, but quickly put his hands behind his back to hide the gesture. He was angry, but not at me.

"Oh, well no matter. Have you seen the dojo? When I heard Mother had hired you I had one of the multipurpose rooms converted."

"I...I don't see how I can continue being a sensei living here. Unless you want me to train you." I really did want to continue that part of my life, but it's not like my former students could come here.

"That's what I was hoping for, yes." he replied.

And his words smelled strange. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Half-truths had their own particular sent as well and I could usually distinguish them. This was more like a complete lie and a complete truth told at the same time. I didn't know what to make of that, so I let it pass.

"Well...I suppose making you a harder target would make my job easier. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. About the dojo I mean."

He held out a hand, gesturing for the door, "Right this - "

His comlink started beeping a shrill tone. He sighed and checked the display.

"I'm sorry, Tanaka-sensei. I have to take this. The estate mapsoft has it listed though. I'll be down when I can."

He didn't wait for me to respond. In fact, he left in a bit of a rush for someone wearing a business suit.

"Huh...." I said to the empty air.

It took me five minutes to find the dojo, even with the mapsofts help. Did I mention this place was huge? And what I found made me more than a bit nervous. Oh, I was familiar with the equipment...most of it. But, well how do I put this? When I was a little girl, I used to stay up at night on my comlink sometimes, looking up all the crazy drek that I wanted to one day have in our family dojo. I never bothered looking at the prices because it was all just a silly dream.

This dojo put my dream dojo to shame. I now understood what people meant by the phrase, "Beyond the dreams of avarice"

Part of me knew I shouldn't, but frankly I was a little scared. Meela's speech about picking a side was more unsettling now than it had been when she'd made it. I found Tabitha's number in the estate app.

"Ms. Tanaka." well didn't she seem upbeat, "How are you settling in? Theo every bit the gentleman that I promised?"

"Uh...yes ma'am. That's not why I'm calling. Um, well...Theo seems to have set up a dojo for me and has asked me to train him. Which I don't mind, but uh...it looks like he's gone a little overboard with the purchases and...well to be honest, I didn't want you thinking I was responsible for that."

"Oh, that's no problem dear. I tell you what. Let me connect you to someone who can do a little oversight. Just give him a description of everything in Theo's new little playroom and we'll make sure everything's above board, shall we?"

She was...not this cheery the last time we spoke. It gave me hives. But I didn't know what else to do. The man she transferred me to had a voice deep enough to be a troll, but was probably just an orc. I gave him a detailed list of everything in the dojo. He made me go over the list three times to make sure I hadn't left anything out. Once I was done, he thanked me and ended the call.

Less than two minutes later, every light in the place turned red and an alarm klaxon went off.

That....that couldn't be because of me....could it?

Oh frag.

 

For several seconds I was frozen like a prey animal under the eyes of a predator. I didn’t know that I had done...whatever this was, but I had a strong suspicion. And like a child who had just broken something valuable, I wanted very much for this to all go away.

Except nothing was really happening. Oh yeah, there was an alarm going off and the lights had all turned red, but no one was around to blame me for it. So after a few seconds, I went from panicked to confused. I didn’t really know what I should be doing at this point. There was no one to ask. Then it hit me.

I checked the app.

[Security Compromised. CODE BLACK. Employee MIHO TANAKA please report to the following coordinates:]

Beneath the warning message, the integrated mapsoft displayed a location. I wouldn’t have recognized it, were it not for the helpful labeling.

Theo’s room.

It may have taken me a few minutes to get here from there, but that’s because I was distracted and trying to be careful. (And I may have taken an elevator ride for the sheer novelty of it) Now I took the hallways at full speed and ran up and across the walls at corners. Stairs were nice, but handrails were faster. And if I destroyed any priceless works of art I didn’t have time to notice it. My new surroundings had made me hesitate because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. Now, with an objective, everything felt more natural. For the moment, I knew what I was doing. I was responding to danger.

Must be Tuesday.

Around thirty seconds later I was at Theo’s door. It hung wide open, so without giving it a moment’s thought I barreled through it. The inner appartment didn’t actually look much different than mine really. Except for the giant portion of wall slid back to reveal a hidden vault of some kind. There were five shelves along the walls, floor to ceiling all filled with black duffle bags and each with a tag on it. Most people wouldn’t have been able to parse what those tags were in an instant, and it wasn’t any adept power that let me do that. Growing up in Redmond, you develop quite a number of skills necessary for survival there and being able to keep your head and process information in a crisis is near the top. So, in the fraction of a second since I’d entered, I’d already read several of the tags.

They were the names of staff. And as many of those bags as were there, I immediately developed the suspicion that there was one for each of us.

“Miho! You’re here! Thank God!” Theo shouted.

He tried to toss me one of the duffle bags, but his arms strength couldn’t get it even halfway.

“Take that to Vincent. Hurry!” He added.

“Where?” I practically shouted. Unmistakable and fast communication was also a survival skill.

“Updating now! The app!” he replied while typing furiously on his commlink.

I dove for the bag, rolled as I grabbed it and came back to my feet, package in hand but now facing back the way I came. I grabbed Theo by the arm.

“Leave me! Just GO!” he shouted, but I wasn’t having any of it. It wasn’t that I was being paid to protect him. It was that I was Samurai and I had accepted the duty of protecting him. But I knew the whole reason he wanted me to go instead of him was that I’d be far faster without him. So I heaved him up into the air and caught him on my back. I’d be slower that way, of course, but still faster than he would be on his own, so it was a net positive.

Catching on quickly, he put his arms around me, keeping his weight on my shoulders as I bolted down the hallways.

“No, wait!” he shouted as I passed one of the elevators. I turned to look at where he was pointing and saw that the doors had opened, but with no elevator inside. Clever boy.

I dove inside, sliding down one wall until I lost enough sideways momentum that friction wasn’t slowing me down much anymore. Then I kicked off to the opposing wall and slid down that one, having to repeat the trick a few times before we made it to the basement.

I would have checked the app but there was no need. I could hear the voices around the corner and darted around only to find two people – one of them Meela – pointing guns at me that they clearly didn’t know how to use. I raised my hands and let Theo down off my back slowly and carefully. They lowered their guns when they saw him.

“You brought her?” Meela asked, “This is her first day. You don’t know where her loyalties lie!”

“It’s fine.” he replied, grabbing the duffle bag from me and handing it over to an older-looking human who, by his clothes, seemed like he was probably the cook. I presumed he was Vincent and he didn’t look too certain about taking it.

“Your kids have already been picked up at school and your wife is with them. Bruce turned so I had to get a new contractor. I vetted him. Come on, the coyote’s waiting.”

Meela spoke for him, “She had her hands on it. She could have planted a tracker or God knows what else. Really, Theo, I thought you were beyond these kinds of mistakes.”

“I’ve known her for two years! We’re trusting her! Now take the package and run!” he shouted.

It was all true. How the frag could that be true? No, time for that later. I didn’t understand the nature of this emergency, but I was starting to get the impression that it wasn’t my fault after all. Bruce, the gnome driver, he had to be the one behind this. Apparently, he’d intercepted something Theo had meant for me. Maybe if he hadn’t I’d know what was going on.

Vincent took what I was now realizing was a bug-out bag and pulled a portion of the wall open revealing a hidden tunnel. And it was also dawning on me what sort of life I was in for that all the employees had pre-made bug-out bags and the house had an escape tunnel. Actually, when I thought about it, the escape tunnel might not be so uncommon, but everyone down to the cook having a bug-out bag? Well, I wasn’t going to push yet. But I sure as drek wasn’t going to let this stay a mystery for long.

“I hope you’re right about her,” Meela said when it was all over.

Except it wasn’t over.

A man in heavy milspec armor rounded the corner and I could see the dawning horror coming over Theo. My body went on automatic. I’d already landed over half-a-dozen blows before I realized I’d attacked. He staggered back in a vain attempt to maintain his balance but I pressed the attack and before anyone there knew what was happening he was already on the ground. He tried to raise his gun, but it was mine before he could pull the trigger. Even in that state of frenzy though, I knew better than to try to shoot him with it. Milspec gear came with all sorts of precautions against just such a thing.

But it made an excellent club.

“Miho stop!” Theo screamed, but he wasn’t in the same place as before. Now he was standing between me and several other similarly armored men who I now understood to be a Lone Star SWAT team. Theo's arms were stretched out like some kind of old-fashioned anime character protecting someone.

“She’s my bodyguard, but she’s new.” Theo explained to them.

Fortunately, they didn’t shoot. I raised my hands immediately and backed away slowly. The Lone Star officer I’d brought down wasn’t getting up any time soon, but at least I was no longer giving them an excuse to shoot me.

“Sir, we’ve had a credible threat against your life.” the officer in front spoke.

“I know, it was Vincent. He’s already escaped. I think we’re safe here.” Theo replied.

Vincent? The guy we just helped escape? I had expected something fishy to be going on, but I couldn’t quite see where this was going. Although naming him was probably an attempt by Theo to start catching me up. Or at least make sure I didn’t frag anything up by spilling the beans. I stayed quiet.

“That may very well be, sir, but I have instructions from your mother to escort you to the panic room.” the officer replied.

Theo flinched and I could see the terror in his eyes.

“Now you listen here, young man.” Meela started, her gun having seemingly disappeared, but the officer wasn’t having any of it.

“Ma’am you are not part of this conversation.” he replied.

“I’ll go with him.” I interjected, “I’m his bodyguard. Wherever he’s going he’ll be safer if I’m there.”

I could hear the officer sigh behind his mask, “One moment”

He started typing onto what was apparently an integrated commlink on his suit's left forearm. It didn’t take long for him to get a response.

“Ms. McWellan has authorized this action. Please come with me.”

It turned out the panic room was also in the basement and we only had to round a few corners. The panic room wasn’t just another room in the house. It looked like a walk-in vault, similar to the one in Theo’s room, only maybe smaller. It was maybe two and a half meters by three meters, the exact proportions of a jail cell.

And it was literally labeled, The “Panic” Room. Scare quotes included.

It took me a second to get the pun. Dear God, what kind of monster was Tabitha McWellan, and what horrors had she been subjecting her son to in there? Whatever it was, I knew I’d had to protect Theo. Whatever Bruce may have done, he had been right about one thing. Theo was a good kid.

And he was shaking. So I took his hand and that seemed to help. He let out a breath I hadn’t known he was holding and his shaking died down a little. The officers escorted us inside and sealed us in.

Everything in the room was what I was suddenly realizing was Tabitha’s favorite color. Gleaming white. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the cot...even the bottles of what I could only guess was some kind of soy-based liquid meal replacement...all made worse under the hard glare of fluorescent lights.

“So...how long are we gonna be in here?” I asked after a second.

“We don’t get to know.” he replied, immediately, “Sometimes it’s days”

I took a deep breath and let it out. Deciding to settle in, I sat down on the cot and faced him.

“Well, I guess that means you have plenty of time to explain all this drek. I’m ready any time you are.” I told him.

The tension returned to him and he started to pace. At least as much as he could in the confined space. Eventually, he spoke.

“Look first I need you to understand that I tried to keep you out of this.” he began.

“The two things Bruce stole from the package you left for me?” I asked.

He nodded, “One was a fake SIN of the highest caliber, with an associated passport.”

“And the other?” I asked.

“A note that said RUN.” he answered.

Damn. Although that did explain the credstick. Well, no it didn’t. But it put it in context.

“Look, I wasn’t gonna blame you for any of this anyway. You’re mom’s the type that always gets what she wants. Even if I had run, I don’t know how far I would have gotten. So what’s all this about? What’s really happening here?”

He sighed, “I wouldn’t normally say, but Mother’s plans for you are pretty clear at this point. Especially considering that she let you come in here with me. I’ll try to make it up to you, but this is your life now. Forever. Or at least until she dies.”

“Just tell me.” I was getting tired of the foreplay.

“Okay, look. I know you have a lot of questions, but if you really want all the answers I’m gonna have to start at the beginning. When I was six years old Mother made me the estate manager here. I sign all the paychecks, manage acquisitions, oversee maintenance, and generally handle all the day-to-day stuff.”

He took a breath, “But that’s not all. After my first week, Mother introduced me to The Game. I have a quota of nuyen I have to ‘embezzle’ every month while a team of forensic accountants watches me like a hawk.”

It was certainly the truth as he understood it but that wasn’t clearing up much.

“Uh...maybe you didn’t go back far enough...’cause that doesn’t make any goddamn sense”

He lowered his head, “Oh...yeah. Right.”

He looked pretty dejected actually, staring down at the floor like that. He pulled over a plastic chair – can you guess what color it was? - and sat down and faced me.

“I’m not...exactly human,” he explained.

I didn’t really have anything to say to that so I just gave him my best go on look.

“Do you know what a Prototype Transhuman is?” he asked.

I sat up straight. There were stories about those. Some were more believable than others, but they were all told in whispers rather than out loud. Human beings – usually not other metatypes – grown in a vat with perfected DNA and bioware integrated all the way down to the genome itself. Generally, these stories were about super-soldier killing machines, but Theo didn’t seem the type.

“I see that you do.” he continued, “but Mother wasn’t trying to create a perfect killing machine when she made me. She wanted the perfect heir.”

“Oh….” I felt stupid saying it, but honestly what else could I have said in that moment?

“But, of course, giving me expanded potential wouldn’t have meant anything if I wasn’t pushed to develop it. I think that’s the real reason behind The Game. I mean, how could I really need to embezzle anything given my family’s wealth? And even if I’m supposed to learn how to catch people who are embezzling from me how often can she really expect me to be doing that as an adult? My only guess is that the point is for me to develop general skills, and she's using this as a frame.”

“How is that related to what happened?” I asked.

“What do you think the penalty is for getting caught?” he replied.

It took me a second, “Wait...she burns one of the staff?”

“At least. But she’s done worse. I…” he trailed off and I could see the look of shame and disgust on his face, “I’d really rather not get into it now. But yes. When you reported my purchases for the dojo and they didn’t match my expense reports, well….Vincent was next on the list.”

I hung my head. Part of me knew I shouldn’t have done that, but I was afraid of getting in trouble.

“It’s not your fault. It’s my fault,” he replied, “I should have predicted that you’d see the dojo and worry about a stupid rich kid spending too much and then getting blamed for it.”

“There’s no way you could have seen that coming!” I protested.

He gave me a withering look, “How do you think I know about it now? The moment I saw Mother’s text message saying Vincent was burned I knew immediately what had happened! If I could think of it then then I could have thought of it when we were talking!”

“Listen. Kid. You can’t blame yourself for your mom being a monster. And it looks like you’ve handled the situation pretty well. Escape routes, bug-out bags. Not bad for kid your age. But where are you getting all the fake SINs?”

He took a deep breath, obviously building up to something.

“After the first time I lost someone, I realized I didn’t have any way to respond. So I started getting involved in the Shadows. I knew I needed to know how to get fake SINs but I also knew that there were plenty of things I probably didn’t know. So I started reading. I started paying people for interviews. Oh, I forgot to mention, anything I embezzle I get to keep. I have my own Black Funds. So I used them. And then I realized all the possibilities in the Shadows.”

He stopped for a moment and broke eye contact looking instead at the floor once again, “That’s how we know each other. You see, when I got started, I eventually reached the point where I wanted to participate. I started with stuff that was easy, at least for someone in my position. Mostly black-market currency exchange, since I could just run it through my accounts and the banks go the extra mile when looking the other way for someone like me. Then I started doing favors for people.”

Something about that sounded familiar.

“But I was doing it all completely anonymously. I’d even managed to get myself a blank user name for when I posted online. Then one day someone asked me what they should call me…”

He looked at me, searching for recognition in my eyes, but there was none to be found.

He sighed.

“Mother named me Theodore. It literally means ‘Gift of God’ which, I suppose for most parents, means that they think of their child as a gift from God to them. But you’ve met Mother. Clearly, she thinks of herself as the one doing the giving.”

I shook my head, “Look you’re going to have to spell this out for me, kid”

He swallowed. I’d assumed originally that he was being dramatic, but I could see now that he was nervous.

“Well, if Mother is God, then I decided I’d be Lucifer. I’m Gnostic Lucifer. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

I couldn’t stop staring.

 

Now I was the one who was pacing. And the close quarters weren’t helping. Theo, for his part, was being patient with me. Finally, I spoke.

“Are you sure you’re not just...funding Lucifer?” I pleaded with him.

"No...well I mean, technically it is my money, but no. Not in the sense you mean. There is no one else with a greater claim to the name 'Gnostic Lucifer' than me."

From the way he spoke, it sounded like he knew about my lie-detection abilities. Which made me a little suspicious, but I'd talked to Lucifer about them many times.

I paced back and forth a few times more before working up the courage to ask another question.

"And you're doing this all by yourself?" I asked.

"Oh, heavens no. I have executive assistants, advisors, outside contractors, and of course, agents. You were one of them. But it's nothing more than a typical executive would have.

I folded my arms. Even now I can't tell you why I didn't believe him, aside from the fact that he would have been ten years old when we first spoke and the thought of having been so unnerved by a ten-year-old wounded my pride pretty severely.

"Alright, tell me about the assignments you gave me." I challenged him.

He sighed, "You think I found a way to defeat your lie-detection power but couldn't get a list of your activities? Especially when, in the counterfactual world where I'm not Lucifer, the most likely case - one that you yourself brought up - was that I'm funding him? Or at least working with him?"

Fragging transhumans.

But this was just too much. I knew it was obvious, but I just couldn't let it be unsaid.

"YOU'RE TWELVE!"

He smirked, "From what I've heard, you were my age when you first bested your own father in martial arts."

"I'm a physical adept..." my expression soured, "and you're about to say, 'and I'm a transhuman'" I added the last part in a mocking, childlike tone.

"I am a transhuman. But that's not all of it. I've had the best education money can buy, and I've had gene therapies and nanite injections to improve my learning speed. I literally understood the English language at one week old, not that I personally remember. I'm told, I couldn't talk very well, but I knew how. At least at about a 4th-grade level. Meela said I was a very convenient baby to look after. "

"You've had people killed." I said, as if I was just now realizing it. Because in a way, I was.

He looked away, "Not...not as many as you think. I mean, aside from Tamanous, Yakuzas running Bunraku parlors, and Mafiosos running child brothels, most of the people I 'disappeared' are actually people who came to me asking for my help disappearing."

"Frankie Tripod?" I asked.

"Gambling debts. The blood was his idea," he replied.

"Johnny Falcon?"

"Accidentally slept with an Oyabun's daughter."

"Cherry Bomb?"

That got his attention, "What? Did something happen to Cherry? Last I heard she was doing an excellent job of running the Seamstresses Union. Is she okay?"

I smirked, "Just testing you."

He groaned. I smirked, but inside I felt a tension building up. There was a question I was afraid to ask. But my father's voice rang out in my head. If there was something I feared, I had to face that fear. That didn't mean I needed to jump off a building with no parachute. But, for this, there was really no reason not to ask except fear.

I swallowed it down and went for it, "What...what are your mother's plans for me."

Theo withdrew into himself. Physically. He pulled his arms around his stomach, drew in his legs, and pulled his neck to his chest. Part of me felt so bad I wanted to withdraw the question, but this was my life we were talking about. Finally, he answered.

"You're Meela's replacement."

"Uh...unpack that for me a little? Cause I know you don't mean as a maid."

He shook his head but didn't lift his gaze or leave his partial-fetal position.

"As...her nuclear option." I didn't press, but I needed more than that. So I just waited.

"Meela is...." his breathing was ragged and part of me longed to relieve him of whatever pain he was experiencing, but I needed this

"She's the closest thing I have to a mom. As long as she's been around, there was one thing Mother knew she could use against me if I went completely off the rails. One thing I couldn't bear to lose. But...she's getting old."

Oh. Oh wow.

"That's why she let you in here." he said, finally looking at me again, "she...she intends for us to be close."

My eyes flickered to the single cot in the room.

"NO! I mean, I don't think...I mean, she knows about what happened to Sarutobi." he explained.

I hadn't heard my little brother's name in a very long time. I hadn't even thought it. It hurt that much.

And this bitch wanted to manipulate my feelings using that pain? But I knew. I understood that there were some people in this world, and not just Social Adepts, who could look you in the eye and say, 'I'm about to manipulate you. Ready?' and still pull it off. If the person was good. If they really knew what they were doing and what your levers were, they could do it. And looking at this boy, and remembering my brother...and realizing just how much this woman was torturing her son, just to squeeze more productivity out of him?

Yeah. Team Theodore all the way.

I sat back down on the cot. Part of me desperately wanted to fill the silence, but the weight of all these shocks was starting to be a little too much. Even for me. So we sat there, enduring the silence together for what felt like an eternity. I couldn't think of anymore important questions at the moment. Or maybe I didn't want to. But then something came to mind. Something fairly trivial, but something I was still kinda curious about.

"So...I sort of overheard your conversation with someone named Robin. Or at least the tail end of it. And before you get mad, it's your fault for not properly soundproofing your own room."

Another withering look, "Put soundproofing between my room and my bodyguard's room? So the person responsible for protecting me can't hear me getting kidnapped?"

Oh....

"But to answer your question, I have a special team of agents...I mean they're basically shadowrunners at this point, but full time Hoods and I fund everything they do...but anyway, I recently had them liberating another Bunraku parlor. S.O.P is for them to return the victims to their homes - at least the ones who have homes to go back to - and deliver the rest to one of my safehouses while I figure out how to help them. Robin was one of the puppets with no place to go. According to the Yakuza's records, she'd been there since she was six. That was ten years ago. Little wonder she assumed that wherever she was going, it was going to be worse. When my team caught up to her, she was about to jump off the tallest building she could find. I'm just lucky I was able to talk her out of it. There's a reason I put so much effort into protecting Lucifer's reputation - and yes, that means my reputation."

I started rubbing my arms. It was getting a bit cold in here.

"But, " I began, "I heard you offer her a job. And I could tell you were lying when you said you could use someone like her. Why offer a job to someone you can't use?"

He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Sometimes people tell you how to lie to them. I guess you didn't hear Robin's side of the conversation, but she made it clear that the only reasons she thought someone would do anything for her is if she was useful to them. So I went with it. I don't know if I'll ever have any real use for her, but it got her off that ledge. And I've been wrong before."

Theo started rubbing his own arms. It really was getting chilly in here.

"Do you do that a lot? Disguised charity?"

Something about the question made him nervous. Wait.

"Wait! You mean when you recruited me...?" I asked, and it was indeed an accusation.

He looked away, "It's...one of the main reasons I trade in favors to begin with."

I jumped to my feet "You fragging bastard! I can pull my own weight! I don't need your fragging charity!"

He looked back at me, and his gaze was both stern and sad, "My choosing to he-...to contact you had the direct result of putting you on Mother's radar. She's reminding me I have no secrets from her. So you are paying for that help. For two years of independence, you are paying with your freedom for the rest of your life. That's not charity. That's price gouging."

I was angry enough to be panting, but that rage shut off instantly when I noticed I could see my breath.

"Why is it so cold in here?" I couldn't keep the anxiety out of my voice.

Theo's eyes widened. He started looking around as if searching for attackers even though it was utterly absurd in this context, but I understood the instinct.

"Oh god." he said, "That's new. New is bad."

Instinct born of surviving sixteen winters in Redmond gripped me in my gut. All the psychic exhaustion, wounded pride, and confusion melted away as I landed back in familiar territory. Responding to danger.

"How do you pee in this thing?" It was as much and order to respond as it was question, and Theo, while confused, caught my tone and didn't question me.

"Uh...there's a button over there. You press it and the toilet comes up out of the floor." he answered.

We were about to be in a very bad situation. Tabitha was turning the temperature down on us. If Theo was right about her wanting us to be close, and I had no reason to doubt him at this point, then she wanted us to survive a near-death experience together. And there was not a single goddamn thing about that woman that made you want to play chicken with her, so just not responding was right out. So, huddling for warmth is was. All night. On a cot with only a single thin bedsheet. Having to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of that could, quite literally, be life threatening. And just pissing on each other wasn't any less dangerous. Wet clothing can kill you in that kind of a situation.

So we took care of all that as quickly as we could, Theo literally covering his eyes with his hand even while sitting in a chair facing away from me when it was my turn. And as we did, the intensity of the cold ramped up even faster. Quickly enough though, we were in the tiny cot together. All our clothes were on, of course, because that's how huddling for warmth actually works. For prevention anyway. When one person has hypothermia and the other one doesn't and your in a position where transferring body heat can be done safely, that's where the clothes come off. I had no intention of letting things get that far, though.

Theo had put his back to me. Trying to be the little spoon? Strange, but I didn't bother bringing it up. I held on to him, but the cold didn't abate. It just got worse and worse.

"Ugh...okay, " I broke the silence, "I have an adept power for this. I guess your mom knows about it. Gimme a second."

I focused my ki through my whole body, finding various chakra points one at a time. As I did, my body got warmer and warmer. During training, I'd managed to get my body up to 45 degrees, just for a personal record. I wasn't going that high here and now, because I was a little afraid of cooking the kid. But I got it high enough that he stopped shivering. It wasn't the first time I'd used this power to save my own life or someone else's for that matter. It was basically a must have for living in the Barrens full time.

The silence was back. It was hard to know what to say in that moment. We'd been forced into an intimate position with each other and not by random chance. Maybe speaking would have felt like accepting it. Like going along with it. Like letting her win. I mean, really, what kind of person does this? Not just an evil person, but like...one of those villains from a spy-themed flatvid. The really over the top, ridiculous ones. No, Mister Dinklage. I expect you to die! I couldn't help myself. I started laughing.

"What's funny?" Theo sounded amused, but also hopeful. Having anything to laugh about in this situation was a mercy.

"You're mom is. God, she's such a hack! The 'huddle together for warmth' trope? Really? I would have thought she'd come up with something more sophisticated. This is so dumb."

It wasn't. She wasn't just playing out a scene from a flatvid or cheesy romance novel. She was pulling on primal animal instincts. Life and Death. Surviving the Environment. Trauma Bonding. But I sure as drek wasn't going to admit it.

Theo laughed too.

And that lead into us sharing silly stories instead of sad ones. And we talked about our perspectives on the Barrens and the better things we'd found there. Stories about people we'd found who were helping. Times when things had gone right for a change. We spent the rest of the night lifting each other's spirits up. Telling jokes. Even making plans for the future. It turned out, a lot of what Theo-as-Lucifer had been doing was laying the groundwork for some pretty ambitious changes to Redmond. I didn't know anything about business or economics, but they sounded good. And it made him happy and excited to tell me about them. Apparently even Meela didn't know about his identity as Redmond's most mysterious fixer. Outside this intimate little hell that we were dutifully ignoring, Tabitha was the only other person who knew. I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me feel a little special. And then I noticed that Theo was falling asleep. I decided to let him, except there was one last thing I wanted to make sure I told him before the day was over.

"Hey kid," I said, with the first smile I'd felt on my face in a long time.

"Happy birthday,"

 

AN: So here we are at the time-skip. I've managed to eyeball how much longer it will take for the crossover elements to come into full swing. It's looking like somewhere between chapters 10-12. There are just two critical things that need to happen before anyone can get their 'Second Breath' and they can't be rushed. Then I intend to slow the plot down a little.
​

---

My first five years at the McWellan estate were nothing like I would have imagined before coming here. Oh, there were certainly aspects, bits and pieces that I would have gotten right. We certainly lived in luxury there. And by 'we' I mean Theo and the entire staff. Which isn't to say that most of the staff lived on-site, most didn't. He treated them all like family and in a way, they were the only family he had. Apparently, Tabitha was the last living McWellan, other than Theo, and they'd spent less than an hour in the same room with one another over the course of his entire life. I think Tabitha liked it that way. It made him more attached to her hostages. So he doted on them - and me - at every opportunity. That...had caused some friction between us at first. It wasn't really about suspicion at that point. But I had my pride. If Theo had opted to treat me as Lord treated his Retainer, I would have been fine with that. It would have made me feel proud, in fact. Being a part of something like that. Having a place I understood.

He literally couldn't treat me like that. And it took me years to understand it. Prototype Transhuman or not, he wasn't immune to emotional scars or psychological damage. And as much as Meela and the others had been there for him, there was just no way he could trust a therapist. How could he possibly find one that Mother hadn't already gotten to? (Or would get to very quickly) But, as it turned out, he already had some psychographic profiling software for use in his Redmond Operations. He just hadn't dared to use it on himself, at least not until I'd been there to hold his hand and be the first to look at the results. That's when I found out what Codependence was. The boy had a messiah complex 10 kilometers tall. And no wonder. Mother had put the lives of dozens of adults on his shoulders from the time he was six years old. And, I later discovered, forced him to keep an ordered list to decide who would get burned when he failed, just - in my estimation - to make him feel more responsible when he inevitably did.

He was decently high-functioning. It's just that he understood the agency of others the way I understood math. Which is to say, he grasped it on a theoretical level but not at all in his gut. He could adjust for it. Remind himself to take it into account. But deep in his soul, the people around him were nothing but ants. We just happened to be ants he really cared about. That took me longer to understand. A lot longer. Looking back on it, I think my fundamental disconnect came from the fact that, in the Barrens, Power made you Valuable. You used it to survive, and you used it as leverage to get the things you wanted. To me, though, my Power had made me Sacred. That's why I never joined a gang. That's why I continued my father's work. I had done it in the pursuit of something Higher and I'd come to see my power as a holy thing because of that.

Theo didn't see himself as sacred. Theo saw himself as a function. He was A-Thing-That-Helped-People. And it was an addiction every bit as real as an addiction to chips or chems.

And it was irritating and confusing, but mostly just for me. When I first realized I was going to be rubbing shoulders with the uber-elites, I knew I was in for being patronized and condescended to. And part of me was looking forward to it. I wanted to show those arrogant frags that I wasn't to be stepped on. I wanted to strike a blow and validate my father's and brother's beliefs in me. I wanted to validate my pride. And there was a degree to which Theo absolutely embodied everything I hated about those with power. But it was all tinged deeply with the neuroses of a mental illness I knew for a fact affected him deeply. Where those like Tabitha saw me as a tool or implement - a means to an end - Theo saw me as a child to be cared for and doted on. Where those like Tabitha would try to manipulate me for their own ends, regardless of the damage it did me, Theo tried "steering" me in directions he legitimately thought was best for me. I had to establish boundaries rather quickly and defend them vociferously - which I had expected - but I'd been unprepared for the nature in which my boundaries would be attacked. And it was more than a little annoying how often he was right.

It wasn't as if Theo didn't know he had a problem, but I didn't know if he actually wanted to get better for himself, or just because he thought it would make me and Meela happy. And for that matter, it wasn't as if helping people was any kind of bad thing. Lucifer had had a very positive impact on Redmond just as much as Theo had had a positive impact on the lives of the estate staff and their families. And he was, in fact, learning to respect people's boundaries, although it was the one thing he wasn't an instant genius at. At first, he'd responded to my drawing in lines in the sand as an optimization problem. How do you improve Miho's life without offending her? He'd do things like ordering me to take security training courses to get my qualifications up to par with others who had my position, and then triple my salary when I did. It's not as if there was anything wrong with that, but in a way, that was the problem. He was really good at finding ways to indulge himself like that, no matter how many roadblocks or ethical injunctions I threw at him.

So eventually Meela and I sat him down and explained that he was missing the point of what we were trying to do. We changed strategies that day. Instead of trying to limit what Theo was allowed to do for others any further, we decided that he needed to actively do things for himself. We stayed away from the idea of a 'quota' but Meela had the idea to set up rewards for him for meeting certain benchmarks. The two of us wrote up a list of things we'd be okay with him doing for us as long as he was making progress. And it started to work. It felt like he was starting to make real progress.

That's what made this situation so disappointing.

After five years of training under the Great Miho Tanaka and with his own brand of omni-polymathery he'd come far further as a martial artist than I'd ever predicted. So I enrolled him in the All-Seattle Under-18 Mixed Martial Arts Tournament (non-Awakened division). There was a scholarship prize for the winner, but I was already prepared to make a compromise on that. I talked to the judges and they were adamant about the scholarship being nontransferable, but really it was just money, after all, and Theo had a trust fund that even Lofwyr would have found respectable. So Meela and I promised him that he could give his own scholarship to anyone he wanted in the tournament, even if they never made it to the final round. He didn't even have to win. He just had to do his absolute best.

He made it all the way to the finals. I didn't care if he won or lost. I only cared if he tried to win or tried to lose. And when I saw who his opponent would be, I knew it was going to be a struggle.

Becky Cartwright from Everette. I didn't know much about her, but she was obviously incredibly talented. And it was equally obvious that she was poor. And then things got worse still, when I received an alert on my commlink that Theo had used some of our resources as Lucifer to get further information on her. I was Lucifer's strong right hand now and had access to everything on that side of his life. Including the report on Becky. Her father had suffered a work-related injury and couldn't do his construction job anymore and had been forced to work over the Matrix in a job he didn't have much talent for. Her mother had lost her license to practice medicine around the same time, likely due to false accusations from an employer angry she wouldn't sleep with him. They'd been doing quite well once. They even had their own house. Now they were underwater on their mortgage, unable to send any of their kids to college, and were probably going to starve when they were too old to work.

And I think, in that moment, I would have given Theo my blessing to drop all the money and favors on them that he wanted if only he could muster the intestinal fortitude to put all of that aside for one moment and bring his otherwise rather intense killer instinct down on her. I wanted him to want to win, even against her.

But he couldn't.

He hadn't even done it on purpose. That was the real tragedy. If he'd intentionally dropped his guard at a critical moment I could have at least been angry at him. The truth was more subtle. His heart just wasn't in it. Because it wasn't just about the money. Becky's story of rising from nothing to be the hero her family needed her to be would be entirely ruined if he came in and not only beat her in the tournament, but then proceeded to fix all her family's problems for her. He had tried to try, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to give it his all against her.

And he looked so goddamn relieved when she beat him.

We walked back to our Mitsubishi Nightsky in silence, under the watchful eyes of more than a dozen hidden members of his security detail. And one that was literally invisible. I wasn't exactly mad at him. Part of me wondered if I'd pushed him too hard. It was a strange experience, walking next to him now. Over the last five years, he'd caught up to and passed my height. Though even at 1.9 meters, he hadn't lost his boyish grin or those penetrating eyes. He had half-a-dozen centimeters on me now, but even as he towered over me, he felt small. Like he was still the little boy I'd met years ago. Awaiting punishment.

"Why?" a deep but obviously feminine voice called out, before either of us had worked up the courage to speak to each other.

It was Becky. She'd waited for a moment she could catch us in private, and I could see the suspicion on her face. Looking at her was like looking at myself from five years ago, if I were an ork. She clearly thought Theo had thrown the match intentionally. He was very obviously better than her and she probably thought he was trying to squeeze something out of her.

"Are you sure you're ready hear it?" Theo was on automatic. Playing into other people's suspicions had become second nature for him, although I think it still got to him deep down, what other people thought about him. What they thought he was.

Becky folded her arms, "What do you want from me? I know you could have taken me back there. Why didn't you?"

Theo pulled out his commlink and unslotted a data chip. He held it out to her in his palm. She glared at it for a moment but finally took it. Much like my first encounter with Tabitha, deep down she didn't think she had a choice.

"What's on it?" Becky asked, trying to sound brave.

"The reason you won the fight. And also, everything I want from you." the second part was Theo-speak. There were, in fact, no demands on that datachip. Not that I'd ever laid eyes on it before. But I knew Theo. He'd said it that way for emphasis, even if it made things more confusing. As for the first part, well you couldn't put nuyen on a datachip - unless Theo had gotten an R&D team to make him one while I wasn't looking. And since Theo had been learning to manage his condition better and better over the years, I doubted it was something the Cartwrights could have handled on their own with sufficient effort. Which only left one thing. He'd just given her the evidence necessary to get her mother's medical license back. And probably the number of a few lawyers and journalists.

"What makes you think I'll do anything for you?" Becky demanded. But it was hollow. I'd lived where she was standing. I knew.

Theo, however, was just done. He didn't have the emotional energy for this, and frankly neither did I. So he just climbed into the Nightsky with no more comment other than, "Just read the damn thing."

I wanted to say something to her to explain, but I didn't have the words. Even after all this time, for people like Becky and me, Theo had to be seen to be believed. I climbed in after him and we sat in silence for a moment.

The inside of the Nightsky was luxurious as always. Top of the line armored limousines always were, although Theo hadn't stocked the thing with alcohol. There was plenty of space to stretch out and Theo and I took our customary places opposite of one another, though we weren't looking each other in the eye yet.

"Didn't go so well, huh?" Bruce asked. It had turned out that Bruce hadn't betrayed us. Mother had sent a mage with various mind-control spells to intercept him and make sure Bruce told me what Tabitha had wanted me to hear. Almost everything had been the actual truth, though. Everything except the part about the sign-on bonus. It had taken quite some time to verify his story, but that was far in the past now.

Now we were here. In the muck. Dealing with a very different kind of failure than an outside observer would have been able to understand.

"Just take us home, Bruce," Theo replied.

"Sure thing, boss. But uh...your Mother called. She told me to tell you to call her immediately."

From bad to worse.

"What time did she call?" Theo asked, his tone now anxious and hurried. Disappointing me wasn't an 'active shooter' level of danger the way disappointing Mother was.

"9:57 pm. Just three minutes ago." Bruce replied. Three minutes ago we were already halfway to the Nightsky. Theo had already changed back from his gi and gotten his commlink back by then. Why had she called Bruce?

I put a hand on Theo's shoulder and he took a moment to steel himself.

"Eliza, " he said, addressing the Nightsky's voice controls, "Call Tabitha McWellan."

A large vidscreen flipped down from the roof of the Nightsky with an agonizing mechanical grace. And the moment Tabitha McWellan - always in white - appeared on the screen we were suddenly in her domain, and we were he subjects. Her face and shoulders filled the screen.

"Hello there, little one. I heard you accorded yourself well in the tournament. Congratulations." there wasn't a hint of irony in her voice. I didn't think she'd care about Theo only taking second place, and she knew well enough that a tyrant who didn't make their demands clear ahead of time was an ineffective tyrant at best. She'd literally told us that once. And this was the first evidence we had that she even knew about the tournament.

"I suppose I did rather well. Though I think next year I can do better." Theo was pleading with her in his standard roundabout way.

Tabitha smirked, "Displeased you couldn't take first place on your first try? Well, perhaps I can brighten your day"

We both glared at the screen in naked fear.

"Oh don't look at me like that you two!" she said, smiling, "Your failure in the tournament brings me no great displeasure. It does, however, demonstrate that you've reached the limits of your current training. Therefore, it is time to move on to bigger and better things. More difficult, perhaps, but then that's life, is it not? And I don't believe you'll be displeased with what I have decided for you next. You see...I've filed the necessary paperwork to have you declared a legal adult."

For those of you that don't know, the megacorps were essentially nations in their own right. Long ago, they'd lobbied the failing governments of the time to extend to them the same legal protections as embassies: Extraterritoriality. So when you were in a building owned by, say, Horizon you were literally in a different country. Theo and I weren't citizens of the United Canadian and American States. We were citizens of Horizon. Well, Theo was more than me. My limited SIN meant there was a hard cap on how far I could rise in the company. I was less of a "citizen" than a "civilian". I was in the door, but I wasn't part of the in-crowd. All that said, Tabitha could, with the stroke of a pen - so to speak - just decide things that would normally have been considered matters of law. And she just did.

We just stared at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"And furthermore, " she began again, "I have decided to approve your 'Squatters Mall Refurbishment Pilot Project' and made you the Project Director. You will have the funds requested in your prospectus and access to the Horizon general labor pool. If you can show profitability within a year, I will allow the project to continue and may even, at some point, allow you to expand it into your Redmond Economic Restoration Program that you've been working on so long."

I saw Theo clench his teeth. He was angry, but he wasn't as angry as he was afraid.

"I never submitted those plans to you, Mother. They were drafts. I was still working on them!"

"And yet I found them to be quite sufficient. There's no need to quibble over such minor details. This is a day of celebration. My little boy has become a man."

I could see Theo squirming as he wracked his brain, trying to find the screw job.

"And The Game?" he asked.

"You're an adult now!" she said as if stating the obvious, "The Game is over. You have won. Congratulations on that as well."

Theodore drummed his fingers on his knee several times as he built up the courage to ask the obvious.

"Why am I being rewarded for failure?" he said, finally.

Tabitha made of show of her annoyance with an exaggerated sigh, "I told you, little one, I care nothing for trophies or any such artificial victories. My concerns for you are how you operate in the real world. I did however notice that you were unable to put forth your best efforts against that girl from Everette, and it showed me a weakness in you that needs to be remediated with prejudice. Miho will understand what I mean. Because, as part of your little pilot project, you will be living in Redmond."

This time it was my turn to freak the frag out, "WHAT?" I shouted.

Her gaze turned hard, and yet I could see that she was more amused than ever, "Our little Theo seems to have a soft spot for the economically disadvantaged. It comes as no surprise, of course, but that he has an inability to bring his full power to bear against them is unacceptable. I imagine nearly losing his life to them a few dozen times should be a sufficient cure. Don't you think, Ms. Tanaka?"

The Squatter's Mall project was bait. And it was such powerful bait, that she didn't even need to disguise the hook. She had just straight up told us what the hook was to our faces. And I knew there was no talking Theo out of it. We'd discussed that particular project dozens of times over the past five years. It was his baby.

"We...we need time to prepare," I said. Because stalling was all I had left at that point.

"Certainly. But the two of you must be in Redmond full-time by the end of the week. And once you are there, you will not leave its borders without my permission. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mother," Theo responded immediately. I could see how excited he was, even knowing as we both did she wasn't just going to leave us to our work in peace. She'd be fragging with us the whole time.

"That is all," Tabitha said with finality, "Congratulations once again, my boy. You're a man now. Go...throw yourself a party or something. "

The screen blacked out, and immediately I could see Theo's eyes light up like stars.

"It's happening!" he practically shouted, "It's finally happening!"

And as Theo typed furiously on his commlink, horror and joy fought for dominance inside me. Theo knew more about Redmond than anyone who didn't live there. In fact, he knew more about it than a lot of people who did. But he'd never been there before. And I was terrified to find out how that place would treat him, no matter how heavily he leaned on his Lucifer persona.

And part of me knew that I would have to bear witness to the death of what little remained of his innocence.

But I knew he would get out of it alive because I would kill absolutely anyone and everyone that it took to make sure that happened.
​

---

More AN:

An earlier draft of this story (in notebooks scattered all over my house) had enough plot details for the Squatters Mall Arc to last a dozen chapters. I've trimmed that significantly. Part of me regrets this, but I think a lot of people are very curious about how I'm going to implement Exalted into the Sixth World and may be worried I will fuck it up royally. And it's certainly the case that Exalted is a hard thing to handle. At a macro level, the story will continue much as it has thus far. Only with larger stakes.​

 

Theo had taken Mother's advice. He'd thrown himself a party. Actually, he'd thrown himself a concert. The estate contained a ballroom that hadn't been used since before Theo was born. He'd had it cleared out and set up in record time. Theo would probably have preferred it to have been a more exclusive party, just the estate staff, but he had plans. He always had plans. I mean, why accomplish one objective with an action when you could accomplish three or four or seven? So he'd invited a number of his wealthy friends as well and turned his "graduation" party into a fundraiser and simulcast it on the Matrix as well. And who was the entertainment for this little shindig you might ask? What famous band or singer had he snapped up for this occasion?

Why, the omni-talented Theodore McWellan, of course. And he was more than up to the task.

It...honestly made me kind of happy. For someone else, it would have been narcissistic self-indulgence. For Theo, being willing to grab the spotlight and be the center of attention was actually a critical step in the right direction. It was healthy, and I was proud of him. Even if I knew he was going to be doing his Santa Clause thing a little extra hard today at some point. Meela and I had decided that special occasions were times when it was appropriate for him to be a little extra giving and this occasion was more than a little special. Not only was he now a legal adult now, but he'd become a Project Director on a project that was near and dear to his heart. So I was gearing up for something extreme. As long as he didn't just...give me the entire estate or something, I thought I could handle it.

Theo's taste in music was a little old-fashioned for my tastes, but I could see where he was going with this one. And it was sure as drek bringing in the donations. Really, it shouldn't have been surprising how many people were attending online. The Persona 2.0 social network, or Pito as people called it back then, was still a little new at the time, but already extremely influential. Especially if you were near the top of it like Theo was. You see, Pito had several metrics to go by. There were the ones you might expect, like the M-Score, which basically just counted how many mutual friends you had. Then there was the subscriber count, which had previously been zero for him, but that was one of the things this graduation party had been designed to fix. I didn't know what his plan for that was at the time, but it apparently did factor into the Squatter's Mall project somehow. But anyway, the real metric for Pito, the one that mattered most, was your Centrality score. Done up as a joke, based on a silly game for the cinephiles of the 20th century, your C-Score was effectively your social caste, at least if you were a Horizon employee. It measured how far removed you were in the network from Gary Cline, Horizon's CEO and Chairman of the Board. Tabitha worked with Cline personally and on a daily basis, which gave her a C-Score of 1. Now that Theo was an adult, his C-Score of 2 meant he could make or break people's careers by adding or removing them from his friends list. Metaphorically speaking, a C-Score of 3 wasn't a King or Queen, but it was a Duke. Or so Theo had described it to me.

So, of course, people were trying to curry favor with him.

Donations were still pouring in like offerings to a pagan god. Everyone wanted to be in Theo's good graces, apparently. His subscriber count was going up by thousands per minute too.

The music scratched to a halt.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" Theo called out to the crowd, and I could hear genuine surprise under all that pandering to the crowd he was doing, "We have a surprise guest! I...I didn't really expect this to happen, but uh...Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. Gary Cline!"

A hologram of the world's most famous ork appeared on the stage and the crowd went wild. Cline smiled and waved. He'd started his career as an actor, so playing to a crowd was probably pretty automatic for him. Eventually, he motioned for the crowd to quiet down and turned to address Theo directly.

"Hey, Theo. Thanks for inviting me to your party. I don't have long, but I just wanted to drop by say a few words. When your mother told me about your new project I have to say, I was curious. It sounded...well a little crazy. But the more I looked at it, the more impressed I was. You've really internalized the Horizon Principles. Social Consciousness, Workplace Synergy, and most of all Philanthropic Profitability are all critical elements of everything we do here at Horizon, and the fact that your very first project exemplifies such a deep understanding of these principles makes me proud. So from now on, call me Uncle Gary."

Everyone laughed, but I could see the hunger in Theo's eyes. Cline continued.

"And so, to support you in your efforts, I am donating half-a-million nuyen of my own money to help support your project, and in addition, I'm going to make certain experts and other resources available to you should you need them. The people of Redmond deserve our best efforts and I'm glad to see someone finally stepping up. Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it."

People chuckled at that, but I couldn't. I was too busy being annoyed. The money was chump-change. The "experts and other resources" could be anything from extremely helpful to empty promises and I strongly expected it to be the latter. But even at this distance, I could see the scheming going on behind Theo's eyes, and I couldn't wait to see how Theo would twist this to his advantage.

"Gosh, Uncle Gary," Theo began, "That's incredibly generous of you, and I promise to put every drop of those resources to good use. But, if it's not too much to ask, there's one thing that would mean the world to me and would do a lot to help the people of Redmond and push my project forward. I hope it's not asking too much but uh..."

Theo waved a hand, and an Augmented Reality Icon appeared in it. It wasn't a hologram, so I wouldn't have been able to see it without my trodes. He floated it over to Cline, who immediately started laughing.

"Hahahahaha, oh man. Kid....your good." Cline replied.

It was a friend request. Cline could have absolutely have denied it. He could have said something about Theo needing to prove himself or it being a lot of responsibility for a newly minted adult. He wouldn't have even looked like a hypocrite. But he would have been a spoil-sport. He would have brought the party down. And he could always unfriend Theo later if it became necessary.

Cline's hologram tapped the icon, which turned green and said, "accepted" and the crowd went wild again.

"Careful with that thing though, kid. It's loaded." Cline's hologram winked and saluted before disappearing altogether.

The concert went on for a while longer, but I could tell Theo was getting tired. But as long as the donations were coming in, he pushed himself to keep going. Eventually, though things dropped off and Theo called it quits. The after-party, however, was only for family. And that meant estate staff and their families. The children had been banned by Tabitha since before I'd been onboarded. Some incident or another with one of them breaking a 500-year-old Chinese vase or something. That, it turned out, was the reason for him having his own Host - at least initially. He'd set it up for them. A private virtual playground so he could stay connected to them. Of course, once his Lucifer operations got going in earnest, he'd cordoned off a private section of it for that in a vain attempt to keep Mother from learning his secrets.

The after-party went well. His failure at the tournament notwithstanding, he had made a lot of progress over the years. And it was nice to see him happy. For once, he was just spending time socializing and talking. He wasn't trying to dump hundreds of thousands of nuyen on anyone or offering them anything other than his commcode. He was just...being part of the community. Loving and being loved in return. It was the calm before the storm, but I was enjoying it as much as he was. Finally, though, everyone had gone home. It was just the three of us now. Theo, Meela, and myself. And we all knew what was coming next.

Theo led us into the dining hall, where two fantastically ornate boxes sat on the enormous and rarely used table. Everything about them was gold, down to the ribbons which I think might have actually been actual gold foil. One had my name on it, the other had Meela's. Theo trembled visibly, but before I could reach out to place a comforting hand on my shoulder he stepped forward and grabbed the box with my name on it and handed it to me.

"I um...I got you this. I hope you'll like it." he said, although was he really meant was I hope you'll accept it.

I slid the top off and found a datapad. People rarely used them anymore these days. They were basically just commlinks with larger screens. There were only a few documents, but before I could read any of it Theo jumped in.

"I called in a few favors and got your SIN upgraded to full corporate status. And uh...transferred 10,000 Horizon voting shares to it. It'll give you access to certain executive perks...free flights on Horizon commuter transports, free room and board at any Horizon burbclave, and um...I sent you an invite and friend request on Pito."

It took me a second to realize what he was really giving me. I could go anywhere, do anything. And with a Pito C-Score of 3...wait 2 now...people would be falling all over themselves to get in my good graces. I could have any job at Horizon I could reasonably do and probably several I couldn't.

He was giving me my freedom. It had been so long, I'd forgotten I'd lost it.

"Theo, I..." I started, but he wasn't ready to hear me.

"I know it's a lot," he jumped in, "It's just...you and Meela are the most important people in my life. I don't know how I could have survived the last five years without you. And...really, I'm just giving you back what Mother took from you. You could open up your own dojo again if you want. We might even be able to find some of your old students..."

"Theo! It's okay." I stopped him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I accept. You didn't have to go this far, but I understand what you're trying to do. But you're not getting rid of me any time soon. Especially not with you getting shipped off to Redmond. You need me now more than ever."

He threw his arms around me in a bear hug and I could hear him sniffing back the tears.

"Oh, Theo. " Meela said, after her turn finally came, "I...I don't know about this."

I glanced at Theo who was clearly straining to not go into full Sales-Pitch-Mode.

"I know, " he replied, "but your husband is human. You should talk it over with him."

I glanced back and forth between them, not really sure what was going on. Meela's box had also contained a datapad, but apparently, she'd gotten something entirely different from me. Seeing my confusion, Meela turned the pad around and showed me.

"What's Leónization?" I asked.

Theo explained, "It's a complex process of nanite-based genetic therapies and other forms of cellular repair. The process takes months and there are outpatient treatments after that for several years, but...in the end, it returns someone to the prime of their youth. For a human, it makes them biologically 18 again."

"That exists?" I asked, not trying to hide my shock, "Why isn't everyone doing it?"

"Because, " Meela explained, "It has a negative impact on a person's essence, much like cyberware or other upgrades. And it costs millions. Theo and I have talked about it before. I thought I'd talked him out of it."

Theo shook his head, "It's just...just an offer. You don't have to take it. But your husband is a human and the same chronological age as you. He'll outlive you by decades."

Meela sighed, "We knew that when we got married, Theo. But I'll take this to him and we'll talk about it. But even if we decide not to, it means the world to me that you would do this,"

It was Meela's turn for a bear-hug, and this one lasted noticeably longer than mine. After that, we said our goodbyes and Theo and I headed outside to find Bruce waiting for us in the Nightsky. It was well into the afternoon by now, but there was still plenty of time for what we needed to do. Theo still seemed giddy, despite Meela's decision being up in the air. And yet, somehow relaxed as well.

"I got it right this time, didn't I?" he asked, but there was confidence in his tone.

"Yeah, kid," I replied, "You got it right."

Bruce decided to chime in from the front, "So, what are the rest of us gonna be doing when you're camping out in a post-apocalyptic wasteland?"

"Any goddamn thing you want, buddy. Any goddamn thing. Oh and Bruce? Play my song." Theo answered.

"You got it, boss," he replied, and the Nightsky's sound system immediately erupted into another song older than my grandfather as we drove off into the sunset.

The next several days were pretty hectic, and we had to do a lot of our work separately. Theo had to handle the above-board portions of our little endeavor mostly by himself. Most of that consisted of meetings with the vestiges of the Redmond City Council and the Mayor, Sonya Scholl. Theo had been a major donor to Mayor Scholl's "campaign fund" since before I came to Bellevue as well as almost all the city councilmen. I doubt they had any idea what he wanted in all that time. Despite their titles, these were not people with the kind of power that attracted much in the way of bribes. Frankly, I didn't know exactly why they even bothered, except maybe for the salary. No governments operated police forces anymore, and none of the private police corps would go anywhere near Redmond, except maybe into the Touristville. They had no real authority to get anything done which meant they got neither bribes nor threats from any of the gangs or syndicates. Still, if Theo was going to get official legitimacy in his ownership of Squatter's Mall, he had to go through them. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with any of that.

Meanwhile, I was dealing with the Shadows end of the operation. Squatter's Mall was deep inside Crimson Crush territory, which had been the main reason Theo had been cultivating a relationship with them, and some of the members still remembered me. They weren't too keen on the idea of letting it go, though. The people who lived there weren't any better off than anyone else in Redmond, but there were about 5,000 of them, which meant the protection money Crimson Crush collected was still pretty significant. Although, unlike other gangs, they did provide actual protection for their services. Negotiations got pretty intense there for a minute, but in the end we came to an arrangement. "Lucifer" agreed to give Crimson Crush a 20% stake in the project in return for acknowledging "his" ownership of the building and a two-kilometer area around it. On top of that, they'd get a holding company for those funds and help moving the entire operation into legitimate areas. Theo's plans had always involved bringing the less recalcitrant and more redeemable gangs into the fold as his own little version of Lone Star. Apparently, there was a long tradition of recruiting brigands and highwaymen into legitimate service back in medieval times. Though we weren't telling Crimson Crush about that just yet.

Now I just had to recruit an entirely new security detail. Theo's security had, quite predictably, all quit immediately rather than set foot that deep in Redmond. But we'd been planning this for years, and we knew exactly who we wanted.

So here I was, at the Seamstresses Union, the most popular and well-known hotspot in Touristville, at least with those not from Redmond. Touristville was the portion of Redmond outsiders liked to visit when they wanted to feel like they were doing something dangerous. On the surface, the Seamstress Union was a bar, precisely to cater to that impulse, but there was quite a thriving black market in the basement. The current owner, Cherry Bomb, had apparently worked there as a waitress for quite a long time and got the favor of the previous owner. Cherry Bomb had had pretensions of getting an education and getting out of Redmond, but the Barrens don't release their grip on you quite so easily. Still, Cherry Bomb was an elf, and she was taking to job quite well. She'd even had the excellent idea of installing high-security privacy in some of the unused rooms in the back, like more expensive and respectable places like the 77 Club. That's where I was setting up in anticipation of our new friends.

Robin and her group walked in the door before I was quite ready, but I wasn't about to show weakness by complaining. Yes, it was the same Robin that Theo had talked down from a literal ledge five year before. And she was now the leader of the very group of Lucifer's agents that had rescued her. Once she'd realized that someone out there had actually wanted to help her rather than use her, she had devoted herself to Lucifer's service with all the fanatical zeal of a religious cult member. She threw herself into any and every kind of training she thought would make herself useful and didn't stop pushing herself. In five years, she'd gone from a sex-slave meat puppet owned by the Yakuza, to someone who could compete favorably with some of the best shadowrunners in Seattle. She wasn't quite what you'd call a Street Samurai. She didn't even pretend to follow the Code of Bushido. But with the cyberware and training Lucifer had provided for her over the years, she could break the average Street Samurai in half. Even I wasn't sure I could take her.

The previous leader of the team, Gregor, was a ghoul mage. Apparently, his codename was based on some old piece of literature but honestly, those kinds of references were above my paygrade. At least back then. In any case, Gregor had stepped aside pretty gracefully when it became apparent that Robin had developed a rather keen mind for the kinds of tactics their team needed. But he had no intention of leaving the team. They were all in Lucifer's debt in one way or another and not in the sense of nuyen. Theo had developed a keen insight over the years of what people really needed, deep down, to feel like a decent person again. To feel whole. And his generosity had touched many over the years. But these people, these were the ones most devoted to him. And maybe, just maybe, if it could be done safely, they'd get to learn his name one day.

It was a pretty well-balanced group too. There were Gregor and Robin, of course, but also Opticon, the male dwarf decker/rigger who specialized in masses of drones and surveillance. Then there was Fabio, the elven Social Adept who was the group's Face and specialized in seduction. And finally, there was Thug, a male troll who wasn't anywhere near as stupid as he pretended to be. He and Fabio liked to play off each other since an out-of-control troll was something most people wanted to avoid, and Fabio had gotten his foot in a lot of doors by "talking the angry troll down" in conflicts they'd prearranged. Which, in a way, made Thug the backup Face.

Robin waited for the door to close, but not a second longer, "Look, I know you've got this whole presentation thing or whatever, but lemme skip to the end for a second. We're in."

It wasn't really any kind of surprise. Theo had always treated these people honorably, and Robin wasn't the only one who owed her life to him, and then some.

I tried not to smile. I wanted to be professional. But in a world where people routinely got stabbed in the back by those they thought were their friends, Theo - and I to an extent - had built this. I was proud.

"I appreciate that. Lucifer does too. But if you'll take a seat for a few minutes, I'll explain what you just agreed to." I replied.

I put my commlink down on the table and engaged the holographic display. A 50-centimeter tall image of Theo materialized just above it.

"This is Theodore McWellan. For the past five years, Lucifer has had me in deep cover as his bodyguard. In that time, I've been assessing Mr, McWellan's suitability as an ally to Lucifer's operation."

"Wait," Gregor interrupted, "the Theodore McWellan? The Corporate Prince? Didn't Gary Cline show up to his birthday party a few days ago?"

"It wasn't a birthday party. It was a celebration of his early emancipation. But yes. Mr McWellan is incredibly well connected and wealthy. That's why we're treating him like an ally rather than an agent." I replied.

Robin wolf-whistled "What's he like in bed?"

It wasn't her fault, really. As a bunraku puppet, she'd been loaded up with personafix chips to please her customers. They were chips that changed her overall personality to whatever template the chip had on it. But p-fix chips were only the most common means of 'customer service'. BTLs were a close second. And Robin's fate had been worse than most. Not only had she managed to survive far far longer than most people in that unfortunate position, but the BTLs most commonly used on her were shame and fear. She'd been overexposed to those emotions so often and so intensely that she literally couldn't feel them anymore. In fact, Theo had had to custom order a few skillsofts, just to route around the problem and give her the ability to understand how to act in society, even to a small degree.

"I wouldn't know, " I replied and moved on quickly, "Getting back to the topic at hand, Mr. McWellan and Lucifer have been working closely on a project that may be able to revitalize Redmond Barrens beyond any of our wildest dreams. However, due to certain circumstances with his Mother, he's been forced to live in Redmond full time while the project is underway. We believe this is a tactic to get him to give up on the project, especially since his security detail has refused to go with him."

Really, the cover story just wrote itself.

"You want use to be his security?" Robin asked.

I nodded.

"What part of Redmond?" Gregor asked.

"Squatter's Mall. The idea behind the project is to divert funds from outside into Redmond and create a path to legitimacy and SINs for the residents, and do so profitably."

Fabio laughed, "Are you kidding? Do you know how many times the corps have tried to gentrify Redmond? It's never worked and it never will."

I turned a heavy gaze in his direction, "We're not just trying to gentrify the area. We're going to gentrify the people as well."

"Uh..." Opticon decided it was his turn, "What exactly does that mean?"

I took a sharp breath, "Normally gentrification refers to buying a distressed property or properties, doing some development, then kicking out the existing residents and bringing in ones who can pay more. We're not doing that. We're going to be doing job training and other forms of upskilling on the existing residents while making physical improvements to the building itself. "

"Yeah...okay, sure," Fabio replied, "But how are you gonna manage the gangs? Has Crimson Crush signed off on this?"

"In fact, they have," I smirked, "And as for the other gangs..we are anticipating friction, but Lucifer is prepared to use the full force of all his resources and connections into this project. He's been building up to this for years. Everything he's had you doing, everything he's had me doing, all of it has been leading to this project. People will eventually move against us, and we'll have to make examples of them."

"You're talking about full-scale war," Gregor explained.

"Maybe," I replied, "But hopefully it won't come to that. Lucifer is working on means to cut the legs out from under his enemies before they can act. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep them on the backfoot and away from Squatter's Mall itself,"

"You're talking about full-scale war," came Fabio.

I sighed and nodded, "Yeah...yeah probably."

They all looked around at each other for a surprisingly short time before Robin locked eyes with me.

"We're in."

 

Theo and I had had to get rooms at the Seamstresses Union. Not that it was any kind of Hotel, but our deadline to be in Remond full-time had come before we could really get things going on Squatter's Mall. And, like anyone else running a business in the Barrens, Cherry Bomb didn't worry about silly things like convention when there was money to be made. It wasn't cheap, and not just by the standards of the Barrens either, but we weren't exactly low on money, even here. There were two main things holding us up. First, getting legally recognized as the owners of Squatter's Mall had run into some hiccups. There was already an existing legal battle between multiple entities over who should be recognized as its existing owner, only it was going in reverse from a typical legal battle of that kind. No one wanted to be saddled with it, because not only was it worthless in most people's eyes, but it came with decades of "back taxes". So it was like a race, where the first person across the line loses. Everyone involved was doing their best to put forward the case that it was someone else's problem.

You'd think that would have made it easy, but no. Because the moment it became clear that someone actually wanted it, things would have changed drastically and immediately. Everyone would have been trying to hold Theo up with their hand out looking for their cut. So Theo had had to arrange things very carefully. And he'd found a way to do it, alright. Robin's team had infiltrated Redmond's government servers and placed data there that proved quite definitively that none of the parties involved in the current legal battle were the rightful owners, instead, placing the burden of ownership on a dead man. He'd even gotten them all to owe him a few favors in the process. There was just one snag.

And it was the reason I was currently yelling at him.

"YOU INVOLVED MY FATHER'S NAME IN THIS?!?!" I shouted.

He raised his hands in a placative gesture, "Look, Miho - "

NO. I was not about to let him try to smooth this over.

"Do you have any idea how many compromises I've already made for you!? How many lies I've told? How many times I've put aside the principles of Bushido? For you! " my heart was pounding in my ears.

His eyes went to the floor and he whispered, "Yes...I do."

"Then why?" I growled.

He said nothing, which was wise. Instead, he took out his commlink and sent me an email. What I saw on the screen made me groan, but Theo beat me to the punch.

"This isn't just about you. Or us. We talked about this. You don't go outside the circle of trust for anything you don't have to. And for this, I didn't have to."

The email was a sales contract. Because of course if my father had been the legal owner, then it had passed to me on his death. And now, Theo was going to buy Squatter's Mall from me. For 5 million nuyen.

I wouldn't even be able to pretend to be a Barrens Rat anymore. And if I was being honest, I probably should have stopped trying years ago. But it would be decades before I understood the Identity Crisis that this was inducing in me. A full corporate SIN was nice to have, but it didn't mean much to me on a visceral level. Voting shares even less so, although the perks were certainly nice. The Pito stuff...well what little my gut was able to grasp about that didn't feel any different than just having the relationship with Theo that I already had. But this? This was a lot more real. I couldn't see it though, not back then. All I could focus on was my family's honor and my suspicion that Theo had done this for himself more than for me.

"Tell me there wasn't another reason. Look at me and tell me that, deep down, you weren't just trying to dump money on me to make yourself feel like a hero," I commanded.

Theo turned a surprisingly hard gaze in my direction, "You don't know all my secrets yet, Miho Tanaka. But you will. One day, when the time comes, you'll know why I did this. And you'll realize it wasn't for the reasons you think."

That set me on the backfoot. It was all true. And I wasn't sure what shocked me more, that he apparently hadn't done this to quell his codependent urges, or that he still had secrets from me.

I folded my arms, "Fine. But I need your word you won't involve my family's legacy in anything else, ever."

He folded his arms in return, "I promise only to ask your permission first. And that I'll abide by your decision."

"Fine. Whatever."

We sat down facing away from each other. I knew I had overreacted, but I was too proud to apologize. It wasn't that being the owner of Squatter's Mall on paper was any kind of dishonor to my family. Even my father, whose interpretation of Bushido was - at least in practice - much stricter than my own, would have shrugged at it. Though if he had known the larger deception around the issue, it probably would have bothered him. No, my real issue - at least the one I was aware of at the time - was what had slipped out while I was yelling at him. I'd compromised a lot over the years. I'd spent a lot of nights staring up at the ceiling in my luxurious bedroom in Bellevue, wondering what my father would think of me now. On the one hand, I had a Lord who it was my duty as a Samurai to protect. And he was a good and just Lord, but he wasn't exactly honest. I didn't have any problem with Theo having a fake identity. The principle of Makoto didn't preclude you from having secrets any more than not backing down from fear meant you had to go base-jumping without a parachute.

And I was...sort of okay with lying to Mother, even if that never really seemed to work for very long. And, in a crisis, I had no problem lying to save someone's life. My father had been flat-out wrong about that one. But...Theo didn't just lie as a last resort. In fact, sometimes it seemed like he had given up on the truth. He had accepted that people saw him a certain way and rather than try to disabuse them of that notion, he played into it. Every time. Lying was just...another tool in his toolbox. And sometimes it seemed like it was his favorite one.

Father wouldn't have liked that. Especially considering how much I'd got wrapped up in his schemes and had been lying for him. Even lying to Robin and her team. And that was probably what had been the most confusing. If Robin and her team knew the truth, they wouldn't have been offended. It was just basic information security. I'd studied that in the security courses I'd taken over the years. I knew the importance of information control, why it was necessary, and how to implement it. But a lot of that clashed with the values I'd been raised with. And that left me floundering. Wondering what was really true.

Theo's commlink beeped and he sighed.

"Robin's team is here. They have Chief Delucca," he said.

That had been the second thing holding us up. For things to get started, we needed more than a security team. Robin's team and I could manage Theo's personal safety, but we needed someone with law enforcement experience to train Lucifer's other Agents - and some of the residents - into an effective police force. We'd done our research, obviously, and there were people there doing something approximating that job, but they weren't exactly doing the whole protect and serve thing. Some were. There were always good people around but they didn't have much power.

If only the wicked seek power then only the wicked will have power. Theo had once told me.

So, Theo had had some of Lucifer's lieutenants do some digging, and eventually, they'd found Simon Delucca. A Lone Star Sergeant stuck on desk duty. He'd been on the fast track to Lieutenant until he'd pursued a sexual assault investigation just a little too far. Even after it became clear that the perpetrator was the son of someone wealthy and powerful, Delucca had pursued the case until it had destroyed his career. He was exactly the kind of man we were looking for. One of the ones who hadn't given up. And he wasn't afraid to dive deep into the black heart of Redmond if it meant he'd have people to help. But even voluntary extractions weren't always easy. Still, Robin's team had been up to the job.

So now we had our own Chief of Police for Squatter's Mall. Things were in motion now. Taking shape. I couldn't deny the excitement I was feeling. This was going to work.

We made our way outside to find six armored vans. All filled with Agents of Lucifer. Honestly, we were still a little light on manpower, but Theo didn't want to overplay his hand just yet. We hopped into the van with Chief Delucca and Robin's team in it. I took the opportunity to check on our forward agents while Theo gave Delucca a last minute briefing on his new job and our expectations for him. The community leaders knew we were on our way, and that we wanted to meet with them immediately. And that meant we needed to be on high alert for our approach. Inevitably some of them wouldn't want us to ever arrive and some of those would be stupid enough to do something drastic to make that happen. But even a stupid attack could be dangerous.

"Missile inbound!" Optitron shouted from the drivers seat, "acoutistic sensors only! Not on radar!"

"I'm on it!" Gregor called out.

Gregor, who was seated next to the van's optical periscope, pulled the viewfinder up to his face and started whirling his chair around. It had to be optical because line of sight spells couldn't translate through a digital medium. And if someone had, say, cast an Improved Invisibility spell on a missle, he'd still be able see its astral aura. Of course, there were other ways to defeat radar, but it was generally impossible to combine radar absorbant material and optical camouflage. Unless, you know, someone had figured out how to do that and not told anyone...which happened from time to time back then. I knew that if that was the case, we were dead.

An explosion range out in the distance.

"Got it!" Gregor exclaimed in victory.

"Let's hope they could only afford to do that once," Theo said, pulling his collar away from his neck.

"Not seeing anything, " Gregor replied, still spinning in his seat, "and Daisey say's we're clear."

"Daisey?" Delucca asked. The shock in is gravelly voice made me smirk. He was every bit the overweight, world-weary police officer the trideos had trained me to believe all cops were.

"Gregor's ally spirit," I explained, "She's actually quite formidable. Force 8, I believe?"

"Nine, " Gregor corrected.

"Jesus. If she's that powerful, how'd she miss the first one then?" Delucca asked.

"Don't fragging jinx us!" Thug complained. I imagine he was feeling pretty uncomfortable, squeezed into the corner like that. Not to mention powerless. He wasn't actually superstitious, but implying another missile might be coming wasn't doing anything for his disposition.

"Nah, Daisey's great!" Optitron ignored him, and I could hear the smirk in his voice, "I'm just better."

We made it the rest of the way without incident. Standing in front of the entrance to Squatter's Mall reminded me, in no small way, of the time five years ago, when I was standing in front of the McWellan estate about to embark on a new journey. But where, in that situation, I'd been...concerned...about going into the unknown and all the dangers I'd face that I had never dealt with before, this situation was quite the opposite. I'd lived in Redmond most of my life and I knew its horrors intimately. And I had escaped. I may not have been free in Bellevue, but I'd certainly been comfortable. And safe, to a degree. I had been almost all the way down at the bottom of the list Tabitha had forced Theo to make. The one that determined who got their SIN burned. (Or who got fed to the Tamanos or given to the Yakuza to be a Bunraku, or other even worse fates. Tabitha had quite an imagination). Only Meela had been below me on that list. Oh I'd never seen the list myself, but I knew where I stood.

In this moment, though, part of me wanted Theo to call the whole thing off and decide that a vacation to Hawai'i was a better use of our time. And that maybe - just maybe - lounging around in a bikini feeding him grapes wasn't as degrading as I'd thought.

It was an unworthy thought. This was a fear I could face and the cause was just. I'd see it through.

(We could always do Hawai'i later. Probably without the bikini and grapes thing. Maybe if he was a good boy)

Where the frag did that thought come from?

The Agents of Lucifer had all gathered now and we were getting ready to make our grand entrance. And all in shiny new hardened milspec armor with Lucifer's Sigil on their left pectoral. Even Robin's team changed into theirs while I was lost in my musings. I of course had to maintain my maneuverability, not to mention demonstrate air of authority. Officially I was no longer Theo's bodyguard, but his executive assistant (although having a dual role like that wasn't entirely uncommon). So Theo had gotten me an armored women's business suit. It managed to provide surprisingly good protection while still looking like something you'd wear to a board meeting. Elegant and tasteful. Frankly, I was a little surprised. It's not that Theo was the type to force me to dress in something tasteless and slutty, but...I mean, he was still a teenage boy. Maybe he had Robin for that. She'd long ago decided that retreating into prudish celibacy was "letting them win" and had instead chosen to distinguish her new life from her old one by becoming a sex godess rather than a sex slave. Her armor still covered everything armor was supposed to - she wasn't an idiot - but it accentuated every curve to the point where she looked a bit like a sex robot. We had managed, thank God, to talk her out of adding artificial nipples and a camel toe to the armor's aesthetics. Theo himself also worse armored clothing, but in the understated and subtle style of Old Money rather than the Corporate Executive style he'd chosen for me.

It was nearly time.

Theo had very mixed feelings about this, but I'd been adamant. We'd run through as many alternatives as we could think of, but the simple truth was that we had to make a show of strength in the beginning. We could show kindness and mercy later, but only from a position of power. Theo didn't even know what it was like for people to not know he was powerful. It had been so ubiquitous throughout his life, he wasn't even aware that he was unaware of it. And sure, the people here would know that he was rich and powerful out there but bringing that to bear here was another matter entirely. I'd comforted him by reminding him that every single person we'd brought with us was a known Agent of Lucifer, and that would not be missed by anyone.

The outside of Squatter's Mall would have held no surprises for anyone. Just a big blocky building, worn down by time. But at five stories tall, it loomed over us like a mountain ready to fall. It was certainly old enough for that. The glass doors had been shattered long ago and replaced with steel plates by the mall's residents. Really, if you looked, you could see talent and ingenuity everywhere here, only hampered by a lack of resources. Finally, we embarked. Our entrance, thankfully, proceeded uneventfully. People got out of our way with a quickness. Part of me expected something dramatic to happen. Maybe a child would trip into our path and Theo would get to show people his true colors by being kind and gentle. No such luck. We'd have to rely on our own choices here, not the vicissitudes of fate.

The stores of Squatter's Mall had, without exception, all been converted into something. Mostly sleeping areas. There were shops occasionally, but a lot of those were out in the main thoroughfare. Someone actually had the guts to try to hawk some goods to us, so much to my annoyance Theo stopped and did a little shopping. Would you believe that someone had the balls to try to sell clothes to Theodore McWellan in that place? And they succeeded. He bought a Hawaiian shirt of all things and didn't bother to haggle. Maybe he did it just to reward the shopkeeper's bravery, but I think he did it to make a connection. To start getting it out there that he was approachable and friendly - or at least could be.

Finally, we made it to our destination. On the third floor, in what used to be one of the larger department stores, the community leaders had set up a sort of council where they figured out how to...well govern to be honest. This was effectively a town and they were the elders. Though many of them weren't what you'd call old. And half of them were gang leaders, although the definition of "gang" could get a little loose out here. Imam Ibrahim and Father Forthill sat next to each other whispering between themselves. Colm O'brien, with his bushy hair and grease stained clothes stood out as well. He ran a team of people who maintained the mall's systems as best they could. There was little in the way of Matrix access, but there was just enough heat to keep people alive in the winter without having to burn trash indoors and some of the lights and toilets even worked. Annu Wu, a petite asian woman - barely over 1.5 meters - ran the local brothel, although we had surprisingly little information about her. She'd just showed up one day, apparently, and practically overnight gained control over all the sex work in Squatter's Mall. It had been a massive improvement too. One of the only things we knew about her was that she protected her girls (and boys) quite fiercly. She got them off drugs and BTLs, made sure they got proper medical care, and made damn sure that everyone knew what happened to people who mistreated them.

I knew their names, and everyone else's here, because Lucifer had files on all of them. You don't spend years planning a project like this without doing your research.

That's how I knew one of these people was about to die.