From inside the helicopter Lillian watched the expanse of the marshes below, and also her battered ex sitting across from her.

-Nice staples in the face, Joel. You had a fall?-

-Keep playing dumb…-

-You begged for it.-

Joel didn't understand why Lillian was defending the guy who had ousted her: sure, she was fucking him.

When they announced Group 1, Lillian had grunted in frustration.

They were mostly colleagues with whom she never interacted, ladies and gentlemen twice her age; but there was Albane from high school, who had been hired at the RNP at the same time as her; Joel was there too.

The only good thing was that she would get rid of the thought of the challenge and soon resume her normal routine.

-Yes, all this is beautiful, but how are we going to do it when nature calls?-

Lillian and Albane looked at Joel condescendingly, -As if you didn't know that sanitary measures have been taken.-

Sure, hanging out in the marshes to earn the right to sit in plastic cubicles wasn't exciting, but it was better than nothing.

Lillian and the others would spend the week of February 9th trying to get out of that huge pool of rotten water, now graciously screened by winter.

Like two years before, the helicopter landed on an islet in the middle of that territory, leaving a footprint in the ever-fresh snow.

-Ok troopers. You have the ocean to the north side, the North City district to the west, the RNP to the east and the south. Good luck and watch the eagles.-

Once John's copter whirred away, the rangers could decide to group up or split. There were no rules, it was enough that they knew how to get out of there.

Everyone carried a shotgun and a backpack loaded with essentials: first aid kit, tent and sleeping bag, a saucepan, lighters, knives, ropes, water bottles, instant noodles. All provided by John, so that no one started at disadvantage.

The five swamps were totally uninhabited, used for years by the governor as an area for the rewilding of the North; there was no network, compasses and maps and walkie-talkies would be used. Like in the olden days.

/

After learning that Joel had needed five stitches for the blow to the head, John decided that scolding Seventeen wouldn't be enough.

He had summoned other executives and directors on purpose to discuss him.

-You must shove the pecking order in his face, strike the iron until it bends. Because he knows we can't let him go.-

Leni had figured out Seventeen's character since his recruitment. Only now did John realise that he had turned a blind eye to him too many times.

-We're too soft here, Dubochet!- began the director of public relations, -just feed him to Klintsov-Samuels; see how she keeps him in line.-

It had obviously been said as a joke, the SANP better not know anything; they just needed not that bird of prey of a Malina to set her sights also on the current top ranger.

However, if there was one thing the MIR excelled at it was discipline.

They were military.

And that kind of discipline was what John needed. He had always treated his rangers like one big family, an approach fair but not without flaws. The benefits that Seventeen brought far exceeded the trouble of his bratty attitude, yet that was no excuse for him to enjoy impunity.

John was certain that the challenge of the five swamps would be a delight for him: excellent, he would be among the last to undertake it.

/

On the morning of March 8th, the twins strolled through their leafy suburb in Central City.

Eighteen, Krillin and Marron would stop at Kate's for a few days: their birthday party would soon happen and Krillin was fighting in that area.

He had started enrolling in tournaments again and his wife and daughter were following him.

Eighteen hadn't told anyone at the Kame House that February 13th was her birthday: with the psycho-physical pressure she felt subjected to, between the androids and Marron, she lacked the will to keep up with strangers.

Seventeen and Carly had postponed the party with their friends as Lillian, and Brent later, would be busy with that swamp shit. If John intended to punish him, he might as well; Seventeen was still entitled to his days off.

He had decided to use a few to please his mother and let her organize that blessed birthday party.

He had to get away from his boss for a few days.

Like his sister, he too had celebrated with a romantic dinner; Carly had simply given him a note.

We'll get your present on the 8th, in Central City.

It was past their birth date, but it was the only day on which all three (mother and children) had managed to agree.

-So mum is still with Frogman?- Seventeen inquired, eyeing his sister.

-They never broke up!-

On the contrary: Ronan had accepted Kate's idea of living together.

The male twin was quivering with curiosity, Carly didn't give him any clue about that phantom gift. She just told him it was something special to celebrate their reunion, a year later.

He was looking forward to Carly getting on the plane and landing in Central City Highwick. Seventeen was looking forward to seeing his girlfriend again, regardless of the surprise; between crazy studying and new avalanche warnings they hadn't seen much of each other in the last ten days.

Carly was probably still sitting in her classroom at university now, having the penultimate test of her entire career as a student.

Eighteen was also shaking: that conversation with Hacchan had prodded the memories of Doctor Gero. The hatred she felt for him, the most important reason she wanted to kill him.

-Alright, if a Gero 2.0 shows up I'll let you take him out.-

Eighteen felt annoyed by Seventeen's listless tone; it was as if he found her drive comic.

They were sitting in a small garden not far from Kate's house. Eighteen had found time for Seventeen before he left for Highwick; she really wanted to talk to him about Gero.

She waited for some passers-by to leave them alone again, -Why, right? Because the whole time he operated on us, he touched me, Seventeen. He placed tampons with his own hands.-

The girl shivered at her own words, at the mere awareness.

He wasn't even listening to her, -What about me? Did he put anything on me?-

Eighteen hadn't thought of her brother as a fool lately, but at that moment it was happening again, -I can put a tampon in you; in your mouth.-

At least he would have stopped babbling.

-No seriously, did he let me pee myself?- Seventeen stared at her with a resentful look. Other people in the park turned to look at them.

-...he must have placed a catheter.-

Seventeen gave her a shocked look, -Then it means he touched my...shit, that's disgusting.-

Did he just realise? Eighteen was still there wondering why Gero hadn't given her a hysterectomy: she was meant to be just a weapon. Of course, even in the 21th century men knew little or nothing about periods; if she had been a mad scientist, she would have removed that flaw in her creation.

But she was glad that Gero didn't.

-Instead he left me everything. He left me Marron…-

-He left me my balls.-

Just to prove the veracity of his words, Seventeen gave himself an indiscreet scratch. -And maybe they work too.-

Eighteen wanted the ground to swallow her. They were still around other people, other passers-by had turned to look at them. Did she really share DNA with him?

-How vulgar! This is what happens, being around yokels.-

-Do my friends look like yokels to you?-

In fact, the poor Northerners had nothing to do with it, her brother just had horrid manners.

-You're as classy as a docker.-

-Ha! They already told me.-

Great. -Who? I hope not a gi- -

-A girl.-

/

Later that day, sitting in the arena restaurant, Kate watched Lazuli have a snack.

-Not to rush you, but we have to go home as soon as possible. Lapis will have already arrived, Ron will not be late.-

Lazuli, in the middle of demolishing a 1-kg beef fillet, assured her that she would be done before Krillin left the locker room.

All tied up in the stroller, Marron whimpered: maybe she was hungry too.

Eighteen patiently shredded a piece of fillet for her.

-She's eating that already?- asked grandmother.

Eighteen shrugged, -I don't know. Let's try.-

Marron lost all her enthusiasm. As soon as mum put a full spoon in her mouth, she started whimpering louder than before, spitting all over the place.

-Okay then, eat whatever you like!-

Since she had started to wean her, Eighteen was often frustrated with Marron: the seven-month-old would throw tantrums every time she or Krillin tried to give her food that wasn't breast milk.

-Just eat, Lazuli. I'll take care of her.-

Kate took it upon herself to calm her favourite (and only) granddaughter.

Eighteen felt sick at the thought of that effort, squared. -How did you manage with two?-

-Don't tell me. You threw everything to the ground.-

-And my brother?-

-From him, I had to hide the food. He was fat.-

There weren't many people who could make Eighteen laugh; however, the simplicity with which mum revealed detail made her laugh out loud.

Was Seventeen really fat?

Kate saw Lazuli grimace and massage her temple.

-Arenas are always so noisy ... they make me dizzy.-

Kate, who also hated noise and razzle, was just thinking that inside the restaurant one could spend a moment of peace with her daughter and granddaughter.

But how Lazuli had already explained, her sensitivity was augmented.

-For you it might be quiet but I hear everything echo, mum. -

For her there was never absolute silence, absolute darkness. Her senses created a single super stimulus that never stopped. Kate wondered what the world her children perceived was like, a world that accelerated or slowed down, lived to the full or ignored in its speed.

It was precisely those augmented senses that gave Lapis and Lazuli that need to sleep every now and then: every sound, every color could turn to sensory overload for them.

And every pain was probably only a scratch.

Kate saw her daughter curl her upper lip.

-What are you feeling, Lazuli, that I can't?-

-Perfect timing, a small earthquake. Nothing special, low magnitude, I would say around 1.-

So low that even the seismographs never picked it up.

Kate's cell phone rang and she read the text message with Marron still sitting on her lap, -It's Ron, he'll be home and start making the birthday dinner soon.-

That was good news for Eighteen: Mum wouldn't be cooking!

/

-Tell me what it is!-

Seventeen turned hopefully to Carly, pulling the handbrake in front of Kate's house. He couldn't resist: when he had landed in Highwick he had seen a rental service, had paid out of his own pocket, and had left with Carly in a van that could fit at least ten people. A different choice than usual. He had flown in from the North and left his jeep in Saint-Paul.

-What's what?- she teased.

-My gift, heck.-

Kate had left spare keys for him in the usual place, under the wobbly tile covered by the doormat.

They had all agreed that he wouldn't give a damn about seeing Krillin fight; they hadn't come back yet.

Seventeen went straight to Kate's big kitchen. He was thirsty, but first served Carly a large cup full of fruit juice; he sat quietly on a countertop drinking from the carton, but a sudden jolt made him choke.

-Easy,- Carly talked like one does with kids.

-Woah, an earthquake. Magnitude 0.97. Didn't you feel that?-

And of course she hadn't.

"Basic humans..."

In search of the kitchen paper, Seventeen found a note from Kate.

Lapis: if you come back here first, assemble the new table for me. Kisses mum. "

-Kisses mum,- he mocked, annoyed at being taken for a handyman.

Carly sat patiently on the sofa to watch the handyman take off his hoodie and get to work.

The tight microfibre let her see the muscles on Lapis's back, firm flesh swelling and quivering with every movement of his.

Lapis had left her with the memory of a boy's body, nervous and growing. A year before she had found a man, in all his balance. When Carly held his hand she literally felt the weight of his power, but looking at him when he trained alone he seemed light, elusive.

He looked just delicious. Involuntarily she clenched her legs.

Seventeen was juggling various kinds of screws, -Pass the drill?-

-I don't have it here.-

-It'll be downstairs. I'm going.-

Carly followed him with her eyes. She walked silently to the cold laundry room, in the basement.

-I can't find it…- Lapis complained, turning his back to the door.

Carly locked the door and turned off the lights, getting his attention.

-Come back up, I have to put- -

-We're all alone in this big house…-

Ten days since she had last been with her Lapis, ten.

Seventeen too remembered; Carly was excited to see him approach, eyes full of intention standing out in the dim light.

Seventeen started kissing her and she shivered in the cold basement, her cleavage unbuttoned and Lapis's warm breath against her ears.

She instigated him a little more, -Lapis... in your mother's house? Aren't you ashamed?-

Carly's shock was only meant to stoke the fire and he knew it. -As much as you are.-

Carly was the only one who remembered it had happened even before, with Kate and Lazuli out of the house. She twirled in her dress and showed Lapis her panty: he must never forget that there was only one man in the world who could go under her skirt.

For Seventeen kissing Carly was like quenching his thirst, it appeased a need and replaced it with peace, though the more he drank of her the more he wanted her. And Carly clung to him, demanding to be laid out on some surface. So docile, so exciting.

They probably had little time; Seventeen took her in that little room, there and now.

It was a stolen moment under a dress, no item of clothing fell on Kate's floor. Face to face with her Lapis Carly moaned, almost screamed, and there was no one in that quiet house who could see that it wasn't screams of pain.

Seventeen didn't get to reach his climax multiple times as he usually did, and wanted to enjoy that single orgasm even more; he pulled Carly's breasts out of her dress, he stretched between her legs,thrusting, inhaling the scent of life of that thin skin, red with him rubbing.

Carly involuntarily twitched her abs as she felt Lapis come inside of her; he grabbed her buttocks and thighs and took a deep breath, eyes closed.

It had been giving in to the urge, a quick but intense pleasure.

Carly's heart filled with fondness, seeing him take her belly for a small pillow like in the old days, his arms wrapped around her waist and those two rebellious locks between his eyes; they rose and fell to the rhythm of his breathing.

Knowing it wouldn't hurt, she squeezed him tightly, she sniffed; Lapis looked up and gave her a mischievous smile, the kind that needed both lips and eyes.

Occasionally Carly would have a little cry after love, Seventeen got up from her and gave her a peck on the nose.

-You ended up passing the drill to me,- Carly giggled.

Seventeen felt like laughing, the machine gun, the drill...it actually turned him on when Carly talked like that, because the visual impression one had of her was quite angelic.

Little vixen.

He buttoned up his pants, giggling to himself.

-What's on your mind?-

-My sister has a ton of roommates; she'll always have to do this.-

Seventeen suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere out in the street.

Who was coming to Mum's house? What a drag not to be able to feel ki.

He flung himself up the stairs with the drill in his hand and took care to remain diligently bent over the work to be finished; he was two minutes ahead of Ronan, who came in humming when only one leg was missing from the table.

Frogman: Seventeen had had to show up with a hard-on to welcome Frogman.

-Hi, Lapis! Did you put that together?-

Still with those rhetorical questions; Seventeen just raised one corner of his mouth.

Kate was telling the truth, the mouth was the most eloquent part of the boy's face.

Lapis looked annoyed, even more than usual; and when Ronan saw Kate's future daughter in law peeking out of the stairs, all flushed red, he put two and two together. He retired to the kitchen with the shopping bags and winked. He had been twenty too, some time ago.

"Don't look at me like that, I won't tell your mother."

/

The birthday party was a success for everyone, even for the twins. Kate really understood them, she hadn't embarrassed them with inappropriate gifts and silly songs. They were simply a happy family sharing a moment of joy.

Ronan was also good at concocting cocktails and Seventeen had stopped asking Carly about his gift: it was from the second glass that she only responded with hoarse laughter.

She couldn't hold her liqueur...

However, Carly knew well it was present time. Taking advantage of a moment when Lapis was busy having a conversation, she rummaged in her bag looking for the box, and also for her pill blister: it was 10 o'clock.

Carly learnt, however, that that blister was already over: she had forgotten to put the new one in her bag.

"It's ok, I'll take the pill home."

She and Lapis would be back in the North that same evening, he was telling Kate just then.

Carly hopped to his side, -Lapis! I'm sleepy and my headache is killing me, but I haven't forgotten your present!-

She handed him a small box, with no logos or bows. From what Seventeen could smell, it contained something metallic.

Eighteen and Kate already knew what it was, -Open the box!-

It was keys. Car keys. Keys with the unmistakable blue and white chequered logo.

/

The much desired gift lay at the Der Veer home; George wasn't there, he had gone to visit his ex-wife, Carly's mother.

-It's hot in here, Lapis! AC please!-

Seventeen had dragged Carly into the van and parked in front of her house.

-I've already turned on the AC.-

It was the first time Seventeen had seen her drunk. He would probably have to stay at the studio flat and look after her, tomorrow; Carly didn't know that feeling giddy and with her a vice around her head was what awaited her.

-Ready?- Carly pointed a remote control at her father's garage.

And then Seventeen saw it.

From the lit garage, the elegant outlines of a brand new roadster, ready to be driven, loomed before his eyes.

-No way, a BMW Z4...Booyah!-

Carly laughed heartily as Lapis jumped out of the van, new keys in hand.

Seventeen stroked the chassis, of a discreet ultramarine blue; it was almost hard to breathe, heart pounding he got behind the wheel.

The roar of the engine was nearly orgasmic, a shiver of joy ran down his spine, ears to heels.

"This is pretty sick."

Carly was the best, he didn't deserve her!

He ran back to the van to hug her, but found her sound asleep. She was snoring like an old mountaineer.

Seventeen was not familiar with hangovers, he himself had none: maybe he had to fetch her an aspirin, Central City was full of night pharmacies.

But first, a quick drive with his new roadster was a must.

Seventeen made sure to cover Carly with his jacket and lie her down on the seat, at least she wouldn't wake up stiff; he pushed the van into Mr. Der Veer's garage and disappeared aboard the Z4; he ended up driving all night, only late in the morning did he remember that he had never stopped for aspirin, and that he had left Carly locked in the garage.

/

-Did he really leave you in a garage, with a hangover?- Lillian laughed, helping Carly pack boxes.

It was true indeed.

The hangover had lasted two days, messing with her routine; Carly had stayed mostly in bed without studying, with a headache.

Birthday night had become a dusty memory, yet Carly remembered waking up locked in the van, with Lapis missing. A month later she was still angry.

-Maybe that's why he suggested you two live together.-

-It's not official! We just talked about it. You know what Lapis is like…-

-And why are we here boxing stuff up, then?-

Carly couldn't live in that studio flat forever, it was obvious. Or maybe it was superstition?

She preferred not to think about it, -I have to pee.-

Lillian was left to seal a box with duct tape, -Then come and help me! You've already peed a hundred times.-

At least Carly was polite; at work, her male colleagues notified her shamelessly.

Back from the bathroom, Carly scanned the fridge. Was she already beginning to live with the prospect of moving? The only ready-to-eat thing she had there was a nearly empty gherkin jar.

Meanwhile, Lillian was lifting some boxes for fun.

-Do you realise the standard I have around me?- Carly pointed out. -I feel like a sloth.-

Lillian wasn't even sweaty. In fact, between her and Sev...

-You think I can drink this?-

The real redhead stared at the brine in the jar and tasted a sip; once she assured she liked that sharp, salty stuff Carly downed it all, with Lillian making a face at her.

-Ugh...how the hell did you just do that?-

-Savoury over sweet, hands down.- Sometimes sweet flavours even made her queasy.

Lillian pretended not to have seen Carly drink gherkin brine and went on to box pots and books.

Carly weirded her out lately: when she went to her place she made her open the windows, "that stinks" here, "huh but what a smell" there, she complained about the scent of the new laundry detergent (Lillian had stopped buying the one from the generic brand in the 5-litre bottle) or of the floor cleaner.

It would have been cool if Carly and Sev had moved to Viey and occupied lodging 36A, the flat over Lillian's.

She and Carly had been roommates, they had shared a roof, a table, secrets.

But in retrospect, it might have been too weird. She and Carly had shared much more than a chalet.

/

The roadster, kindly offered by Mr. Der Veer too, wasn't the only gift Carly had thought of.

One afternoon she took Lapis to a kind of clinic, in a side street of Monarchy Ave.

-There's another present waiting for you actually. I have waited because I needed your approval.-

Seventeen sniffed the air that filtered imperceptibly from the building, it smelled of disinfectant and animals.

Carly rang and pushed the automatic door; soon Seventeen found himself in a clean room, swarming with cats playing, sleeping, or watching humans with customary superiority.

They were in a North City cattery.

-Say, do you want to take a cat home?- Seventeen teased Carly with his irreverent eyes.

-It's for your birthday!-

-My birthday...you just want to take a cat.-

-Miss Der Veer?-

A woman met the student who had brought a cat there two weeks earlier. She gave off a very faint odour of cheese, Seventeen noted with surprise that even his basic human had noticed it.

Carly pretended to scratch her nose to cover it. Poor lady, she looked kind but smelled a little.

-I want to know if that baby girl is available for a quick meeting.-

-What is it, your daughter?- muttered Seventeen, sullenly, following Carly and the woman with folded arms.

-An adoptable hairy daughter!-

"How awkward."

Seventeen bit his tongue in boredom, watching the lady catch one of those fluid, spineless beasts that could bend at any angle.

The lady knew that this student was, rightly so, to decide together with her boyfriend; at the end of May they would finally move in together, if he wouldn't change his mind…

She smiled at Seventeen, -Miss Der Veer brought us the cat after she sterilized it herself, in class. I saved it for her, yesterday a family came by and wanted to take her home.-

The young cat Carly had done that last drill on had no microchip, nor a registered owner.

Often those who carried out civil service in the city brought abandoned animals to veterinary students. In exchange, they ensured their health before taking them to kennels, catteries or various shelters.

This was the case with the cat now sitting like a princess in Carly's arms.

-Here she is, it's her. Do you like her, love?-

Seventeen went to look at her closely and was immediately amused by her large blue eyes, long whiskers and tufts of black fur on the tips of her white ears. They looked like brushes.

-She has eyes like yours,- the stinking lady couldn't help but look at Seventeen.

But the cat must not have felt safe: perhaps that other human who was approaching her was not like the one who was holding her!

Like Botz, like the wild animals that Seventeen occasionally encountered in the forest, the cat also felt instinctively threatened by him.

-Oh no, don't do that!- Carly squeezed the cat tighter as she flattened her ears and, faster than expected, bit Lapis's finger.

The cheesy lady fidgeted, but Seventeen was calm. The cat's sharp teeth hadn't even marked his skin: he had let her.

And the cat, in turn, was surprised by that total absence of reaction.

-See?- whispered the cyborg, holding his hand out. -I'm not doing anything to you.-

Slowly the cat realised that she had nothing to fear. She began to sniff his hand and then, perhaps as a sign of peace, looked him in the face and uttered a long diplomatic "Meow".

-Are you talking to me?- Seventeen giggled. "I like you."

He was growing fond of that ball of fur that had already filled his dark shirt with hairs; the cat had, in fact, moved from Carly's arms to Seventeen's. He had never had cats before and was confused when that one started literally vibrating. All it took was a few strokes behind her brush-ears.

Carly put her arm around the waist of her Lapis, -Her name's Pencil. Shall we take her home?-

Seventeen replied with a delighted smile, aimed more at the cat than at his girlfriend. He glanced at her tail, all white with only a black tip; Carly had chosen a perfect name as soon as the cat was brought to her.

Pencil had by now surrendered to the cuddles of her new master and he could not resist the pads on her feet, her fleshy nose and her vibrating belly. She was purring, she was happy.

There had been a spark!

Seventeen once again felt grateful, Carly always knew how to hit the mark: that Pencil cat was a gift that almost rivalled the Z4.

/

Thoughts of the author:

This was a calmer chapter. Nothing major happening here (or maybe not?)