The volus looked Alex up and down, seemingly unsure of what to make of a scruffy-looking teenager at a high-class jewelry store. Before he could say anything, though, a second volus in a black and gold pressure suit shooed the first man away. Alex relaxed as she recognized the second volus: Ranak Tor, the shop owner. He was the one to whom she had introduced herself originally placed her order.
Unlike the first volus, Ranak Tor seemed happy to see her. "fsss Alex, so good to see you again fsss I assume you are here to pick up your order fsss."
It was moments like this when Alex was glad she had spent the money on a sub-dermal implant translator. "Yes, I am. I was called a week ago and told it was ready. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, it's just difficult to get away from work."
Ranak nodded sagely. "Yes, I completely understand. fsss I hope it is to your liking. I crafted it myself." He made his way down the counter, searching for her order. "fsss I do not believe I have ever gotten an order for a ring like this before. fsss It was relatively simple, yet interesting to make." He found the ring box and returned to Alex. With a flourish, he set it upon a display mat before her and opened the box. Inside was a simple platinum claddagh ring, the Celtic symbol reflecting the light of the room. Alex admired the the workmanship of the two small hands holding a heart between them, a crown resting on top. Smiling like a madwoman. Alex gently removed the ring from its box. "Ranak Tor, you have outdone yourself. It's perfect." It truly was.
"Excellent. fsss Now, there is just the matter of the bill."
Thankfully, Alex had made sure, before placing the order, that the shop accepted American dollars as well as credits. Ranak had gently pointed out that it would have been bad business for him not to accept dollars, and he had a point. In fact, to her surprise, Ranak actually gave her a discount on the ring. Apparently, he had used it as a display piece while waiting for Alex to pick it up, and several other customers had ordered one. With the extra savings, Alex bought herself a Figaro style silver chain as an early birthday present to herself. Their business concluded, Alex shook Ranak's hand, placed the box into her shoulder bag, and waited for the first volus to buzz her out. While she waited for the door to open, Alex played with the chain around her neck absentmindedly, lost in thought about how she would present the ring to Janet. The door finally opened, so Alex walked out, rounded the corner, and ran smack into Moira.
"Oww, what the fuck? Moira? How did you find me?" Quickly checking her omni-tool, Alex noticed that she had only been gone fifteen minutes.
"Please, boss. You really think you can slip away from me that easy?" Moira's tone was a mix of playful and condensing. She rolled her eyes. "Who do you think you're dealing with?"
It was then that Alex noticed the group of kids behind Moira, bags full of their thrift store purchases placed on the ground. Alex couldn't help but notice Emily looking sheepish, her eyes looking everywhere except at her boss.
"Apparently, all of these kids need more training in situational awareness and espionage." All of the kids looked embarrassed Alex's comment.
As she glared at the kids, Moira snapped her fingers right in front of her friend's nose. "Hey, you gonna tell me why you snuck off?"
"Okay, first of all, don't snap at me again. Secondly," Quick, Alex! Think of a decent excuse. It was then that she remembered the new necklace she was currently wearing. Perfect! "I left to come get a necklace for myself as an early birthday present."
One of Moira's eyebrows went up. "Sure you did."
Alex stayed perfectly still as her friend made a quick circle around her, seemingly examining the necklace. She reached up to make sure the short collar of her jacket hid the clasp of the necklace from her nimble fingered friend. She knew that Moira wouldn't steal it for keeps, but she just might for a short time in order to taunt Alex.
After Moira finished her circuit and returned to her starting position, Alex let out a sigh of relief. That moment of relief vanished in a flash of panic as Moira held up the ring box, a smug look on her face. "I think it has something to do with whatever's in here."
"Moira, give that back. Now." Alex voice came out as a growl, her hand extended. She couldn't believe she had fallen for the misdirection of Moira "examining" her necklace. Right now, though, she didn't care how that fucking ninja had gotten into her closed bag without her noticing; she just needed the ring back.
"I'll give it back once you tell me what was so damn important that you slipped away from your lieutenant and security detail! You seem to forget that we are here to protect you just, as much as you are here to protect us. For fuck's sake, Alex! What if you had snuck away when I wasn't here, and something had happened?!"
"If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have had to sneak away. At least these kids respect me enough not to meddle in my fucking business!"
Alex watched Moira take a step back after that comment, a shocked look on her face as if she had been physically slapped. All of the righteous anger left Alex, like air leaving a balloon. It didn't matter what Moira had done, she was right: Alex shouldn't have left. She should have trusted her oldest and dearest friend, and she sure as hell shouldn't have talked to her like that. "Moira, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."
Running her free hand through her hair, Moira sighed. "I'm sorry too. You're right, I do always stick my nose in your business. I promised Esteban that I'd watch out for you. I guess I just take it a little too far sometimes." Then she reached out and put the ring box into Alex's hand. "You don't have to tell me what's in there if you don't want to."
Opening the ring box, Alex turned it so Moira could see its contents. "It's a claddagh ring, for Janet."
There was an audible gasp from the small group, but it was Moira who spoke. "Holy shit, Alex. That's a ring. Are you going to propose?"
"No, I'm not going to propose. Claddagh rings stand for loyalty, friendship, and love. They can also symbolize all relationship statuses, from single to married, depending on how you wear it. This one, though," Alex turned the box back around to gently finger the heart in the center of the ring, "this one I plan on giving her as a promise ring." Her eyes swept back up to Moira, holding her gaze, fingers still on the ring. "You all have been telling me that I should go join the Alliance once I turn eighteen, but honestly, I don't know what I want to do anymore. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to be with Janet. We haven't been together long enough, and are too young to get married, but I want to give her this ring as a promise. One that means no matter what happens, and as long as she will have me, I will always come back. Whether from a job across town or a mission to another planet, this will be a symbol of my friendship, my loyalty, and my love. A promise that I will always come back, for her."
The little group just stood there in silence for a moment. Alex knew that this was a side of her they didn't usually see. On a daily basis, they saw her being silly, serious, weird, loving, and sometimes even acting like a mad genius. But this, this display of open and deep devotion, was rare. She even thought she saw Emily tearing up at the display. The girl hadn't even cried the night Alex had taken her in.
Slowly, Moira reached across to her friend's hand, moving Alex's fingers out of the way of the open box and closing the lid. "Alex, that's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I'm sure Janet will love…"
Quickly, Alex raised a hand to silence her friend. She paused, listening. In the distance, she heard another fire truck approaching. After a few moments, it came peeling around the corner and up the block. First, the fire truck on the way into the store and now this one? What's going on? The whole group watched its progress. Don't turn left, don't turn left. For the love of everything, don't turn left. At the next block, the truck turned left. Panic began to set in.
"Moira, have you had any contact with Janet or Thomas since we left?"
Alex could see Moira follow her train of thought, eyes going wide. "No, I haven't. It shouldn't have taken this long, anyway. All they were doing was setting up a surprise party for you. They figured you wouldn't expect one so far away from your birthday." Moira took several steps away from the group and opened up her omni-tool, trying to reach either of their friends back at home.
As Moira was frantically trying to get in touch with the others, Alex shoved the ring box back in her bag and turned to the kids. "You three, it could be nothing, but I need you all to take the stuff you just bought and head over to the Castro Theatre. It's only a few blocks away and Juan should be there. Tell him we have a possible emergency and to inform John. Now, go. Hurry."
The group of three teenagers all looked at each other. Then, it was the quiet Julio who spoke up, "No, boss. We want to come with you. There could be trouble and we want to be there to help."
"I know you do, Julio, but my job is to keep you safe. That has always been my main job. Like I said, this could be nothing, or it could be as bad as it seems." Her eyes followed where the truck had gone and slowly tracked her eyes upward. Even though the buildings blocked out much of the sky, she could see a line of thick black smoke peeking through. Panic started clawing at her then, her brain hamster scurrying as fast as it could to keep up with her rapidly spinning mind. She had to get the kids safe, now. But she couldn't look as terrified as she felt, or they would never leave. She took a moment to look back over her shoulder at Moira. It looked like her friend still couldn't reach anyone.
Taking a deep calming breath, Alex turned back to the three kids. "You need to get to the theatre. I know you want to help, and informing Juan and John are the best ways to do that. There are only three of you, but there are dozens of Reds. Moira or I will call you the second we know anything. Consider this an order. Go to the theatre, and if anything happens to you, I will bring you back from the dead just to kill you again myself. Go!" After one last commiserating glance between them, the trio picked up all of the bags between them and left at a jog toward the theatre.
Watching until the trio rounded the corner, Alex buried her face in her hands for a few moments, trying to catch her breath. It can't be as bad as it seems. It just can't be. As she pulled her hands away, she felt Moira step up beside her. She didn't even look at her old friend, eyes fixated at the corner where the truck had turned left. "I sent the kids away to the theater for safety and to inform John and the Reds that we could have a possible issue at hand."
"Good idea." Moira's customarily upbeat demeanor had become still and stoic, Alex immediately knew that something was very wrong. Her friend only got this way in times of business or crisis, and they weren't working now. "I couldn't reach anyone at the house. I tried everyone, even Donovan on the phone you gave him."
That did it. Alex didn't even wait for Moira as she started off at a dead run toward home.
The smaller girl caught up to Alex quickly. It was yet another reason why she was the best in the City at what she did. Unfortunately for the pair, it was about five forty-five in the evening, which meant that all the people who worked normal jobs were clogging the streets and sidewalks with traffic on their way home. A sickening thought crossed Alex's mind then: it also meant that more of the kids would be home. Misha, Emily, Julio, and most of the younger kids always came right home after school, but most of the others had after-school activities like clubs or sports, and would have gotten home about an hour and a half after the shopping group had left the house. Already breaking out into a sweat, Alex ratcheted her speed up another notch, knocking civilians out of the way, ignoring their indignant cries in a desperate bid to get home. When she finally rounded the corner onto her street, all she could see were the flames.
"No!" For several moments, Alex wasn't sure where that anguished sound had come from, but from the soreness now throbbing in her throat, she guessed it must have been her. She could see the fire trucks and the ambulances crowding in front of her house, and the crowd of bystanders that was blocking her way, milling about in confusion. Reaching inside her jacket, she turned on her newest prototype, her own version of a combination tech armor and shield. Still somehow sprinting at top speed, Alex crashed into the crowd, bowling people over in her haste. Whenever she met physical resistance, the shields helped her push through. The crowd was at least half a block thick, and even with her momentum and shields, the crowd took its toll. By the time she reached the front of the crowd, toppled spectators in her wake, she was going barely faster than a jog. It was slow enough that when she hurtled the barricade, a fireman was able to grab her and hold her back.
"Easy, kid! Don't you see what's going on?!"
"That's my home!" Alex screamed, "My family!"
The fire was almost under control, from what Alex could see, but she could also see the small group of body bags that were lined up across the street from her home. Another ear-splitting scream came from her throat and wrenched the air.
Her scream was piercing enough that the fireman flinched and loosened his grip, allowing Alex to break free. Moira had only just made it to the barricade when Alex dropped her bag and reached to her regular shield generator, the one that still had full power. She turned it onto full strength as she ran once more toward the burning building. More hands reached toward her, but Alex could not and would not be stopped. She had seen that bodies had already been pulled out, and if those fucking people had left anyone inside, she would get them out herself.
While her shields helped to protect against gunfire and physical attacks, it did nothing to help Alex against the heat inside. Her home, once a safe haven for those in need, was burning down in chunks around her. "Janet! Thomas! Anybody?!" The heat was unbearable, masses of flaming debris falling down around her, and she had only burst her way into the living room. No one answered her, and the flames only kept coming closer. Still, she pushed farther into the home, centimeter by centimeter. If she had to die here in order to save only one of her kids, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
"Janet! Thomas!" She bellowed, the hot air burning her lungs. The smoke that filled her lungs every time she took a breath caused her to start coughing violently. Fire continued to lick up the walls around her as the firemen kept on with the hoses and chemicals they were using to put out the fire. The staircase in front of Alex had collapsed, but she could still make her way into the kitchen, where Janet had cooked for them so often. As she pushed forward, she could hear heavy boots thundering up behind her. As an arm reached around her waist and wrenched her back, she caught a frenzied glimpse of a pair of legs on the kitchen floor. Alex recognized Janet's favorite skirt and tennis shoes, they were wreathed in flames. Where the fabric had been eaten away by the fire, she could see patches of black and burning flesh. Another blood-curdling scream came then, as the person holding her through her shields pulled her kicking and screaming out of the building and back onto the street.
Outside, Moira was standing next to the body bags across the street. Once the firefighter set Alex down on her feet, she attempted to run inside again, but this time the firefighters were able to stop her before she got inside. This happened three more times until Alex finally had no more fight left in her. Dazedly, she slogged over to her longtime friend and stood beside her, eyes fixed on their crumbling home. "Do you recognize anyone?" she asked, knowing Moira would understand exactly what she meant.
"Thomas and Donovan are here." Moira's eyes, like Alex's, were fixed on the burning structure. "Everyone else I could get a look at were too burnt for me to tell." When Alex said nothing, Moira continued, "If you're asking if I saw Janet among them, I couldn't tell you."
"No." Alex's voice was soft, almost lost amongst clamor of the rescue crew around them. "I found Janet. She's inside." The pair didn't speak for several minutes after that, as they stood and watched their home burn.
Once Alex's brain was functioning enough for her to move again, she trudged over to where she had dropped her bag on the ground. Picking it up and slinging it back over her shoulder on top of her now singed jacket, she made her way coolly but surely back toward the crowd of onlookers.
"Alex?" Moira called after her. "Where are you going?"
Stopping before she passed through the barricade, Alex looked over her shoulder to meet Moira's questioning eyes. "Nowhere I want you to follow."
Quickly, Moira made her way to Alex's side. "No, I'm coming with you."
"Moira…"
"Alex, we've just lost everything we have, everything we've worked for. Our family is dead and you're just leaving?" The look in Moira's eyes was a swirling mess of pain, sorrow, and anger.
"Just like you said, Moira, we have nothing left. Our home is ashes, the woman I love and many of the kids I was supposed to protect are dead. So now, I'm going to do the one thing you all wanted from me. I'm going to Vancouver to join the Alliance." Alex glanced away from her friend and back to the building once more. The image of Janet's body, burning, in their kitchen, was etched at the foreground of her mind. She shook her head to try to clear the image away, then turned back to Moira. Alex placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, and managed the weakest of smiles. "You're my sister, and I love you. Watch over the kids we have left, for me."
Looking up, Alex could see Juan, the Red who managed the movie theatre, craning his neck to see over the crowd. They made eye contact for a brief moment before he motioned with his head for her to follow, then disappeared, making his way back through the crowd.
"I should go." With that, Alex turned and made her way, slowly this time, back through the crowd, following Juan. Alex could tell without turning that Moira wasn't following her.
This time, the crowd parted for Alex, her shields still powered up around her, were unneeded. Everything inside Alex felt cold and still. The vibrant light inside of her, the lively energy that made her Alex, was currently gone. She followed Juan on autopilot as they made their way down Market Street, making sure to keep a half block of distance between them. Alex hadn't been lying to Moira when she had said she would be leaving for Vancouver. She was, in fact, going to head up there soon, but not yet. She had one thing to do first, and for that she needed help. So now she was headed toward the only ally she could depend on for vengeance: John. While she knew Moira would have helped her, she needed Moira back at the house to help whoever still remained of their family. For what she intended to do, she needed to do it alone, but she did need John for supplies and a little intel. And honestly, even if John didn't want to help, she would just take what she needed anyway.
Only one person could have been behind the attack on her home, on her people. And even if she had to die in the process, Vincent Chang was going to pay.