AN: I wanted a chance to explore various fluid or nebulous relationships in a polyamorous dynamic, and I wanted to do something vaguely cyberpunk, so I've combined the two into this fic and have released it into the wild with no natural predators. Whoops.

It is entirely possible for more relationships to crop up than what's [currently] listed, as I'm going with the flow and what feels organic for the characters, however there is heavy focus on the relationships between Senkuu, Kohaku, and Taiju (though he does not appear until Chapter 2). Also, Gen's a cuddle slut.

1. Living in a Mad World

Bright lights. Cold metal. Sterile equipment. Skin crawling. Despair and pain.

A boy with red eyes.

"You don't have to glare at me like that. I don't want to be here either."

Anger. Distrust.

"Then leave."

"I can't."

XX

In a small, run down building nestled in the slums of the Bubble's Outer Ring, a young man furiously typed away at a keyboard, dark eyes skimming multiple screens of information through yellow-tinted lenses. The blue glow of the digital outputs in front of him cast him in a pale light, highlighting the angles of his face and casting shadows behind him.

He had been at this for hours, bags under his eyes and a muscle twitching in his cheek from strain, but he was not done yet. His vision burned, but a combination of stimulants and pain relief kept the discomfort at bay. He could rest later once they had answers. Once she was back safe.

His diligence paid off. Brows lifted slightly as he skimmed the details of the files, focusing on the date, time, location, and coded description. Chrome sucked in a breath, feeling his heart pound.

"Hey, hey, I think I found it!"

XX

Standing in front of a mirror, Gen Asagiri smoothed over the fabric of his evening jacket. The purple material complimented the green button down shirt underneath, and he turned, ensuring everything looked in place. The long coattails swished around him dramatically, and the entire ensemble gave a colorful appearance that contrasted his two-toned monochrome hair.

With a satisfied nod, he opened a metal case and pulled out a pair of green glasses with circular lenses. Sliding them on, his fingers pressed two hidden buttons on each side. "Are we online, Ukyo-chan?"

A familiar voice replied back through the small device in his ear, "Yep, visuals coming through. Nice tie, by the way."

"A hint of paisley goes a long way in making a fashion statement," Gen replied, winking at his reflection in the mirror, a hand touching at his chest dramatically.

To his right, he heard a giggle. Gen turned to see Yuzuriha walk into the room. Bright pink streaks ran through choppy her chin length hair, matching the accents of the gas mask that hung around her neck. She carried a metal case in her hand, filled with what Gen knew to be makeup and special effects supplies. "I'm glad at least someone has some appreciation for the classics! We're done, by the way."

"Your efficiency is both impressive and frightening, dear Yuzuriha," Gen said fondly, though his brows lifted high as the second person walked in behind her. "Never mind your efficiency, though. Your skills are amazing! I can't even tell that's you, Tsukasa-chan!"

The man in question certainly did not look like his normal self. His wavy hair had been slicked back, forming a tight ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore a finely tailored black suit with a maroon bow tie and gold earrings. However, most unusual was that his face had changed. His nose was rounder, his eyebrows thinner, and his cheekbones sharper. Eyeliner gave his eyes a different shape, and various touch-ups hid the handful of faint facial scars he had from view.

Yuzuriha beamed, looking back to the person behind her. "I can't take all the credit. The silicon from our resident scientist allowed me to reshape some features. I don't think anyone is going to recognize him at the auction tonight with this makeup."

Gen's lips pulled into a dangerous smile. "Good."

XX

"Kohaku, wait," Chrome pleaded, stepping in between the doorway and the woman in front of him. "We need to think this through–"

"We don't have time," Kohaku hissed as she worked, methodically equipping herself with a lightweight exosuit. The gloved gauntlets hugged her arms snugly, made for discretion. Picking up the helmet, she tucked it under her arm and turned to him. "I have less than three hours to get to the Apex and to that auction."

"And then what?" Chrome gestured behind her, towards his corner of the room with the monitors displaying various streams of information. "It's going to be crowded with the Apex elites and crawling with security. They'll probably have drones and guards with better exosuits than what we've been able to steal. There's no way you can get in and out unseen, much less unharmed. You're amazing, but you're not invincible!"

Teal eyes narrowed, and Kohaku clenched her free hand into a fist. "I'm close enough. I'm not abandoning her, Chrome. I will not ever abandon anyone like the world left me."

A pained expression passed over her friend's face, and Chrome shakily reached up, placing clammy hands on her shoulders. "I'm not asking you to abandon her, Kohaku; I would never do that. Just, we need a plan. We need to make sure you can escape safely. Both of you."

The woman shrugged his arms off her shoulders and slid the helmet of the suit on, flipping the visor up and fastening the armor into place. "There's no time. I need you to trust me, and I need your help. I can get into the Apex easily, but I need your help at the auction. Even my eyes cannot see through walls. Will you help me?"

Chrome closed his eyes and sighed, responding through clenched teeth. "Yeah. I can do that. Just…play it safe. Please. If not for me, do it for Rui. She'll kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Kohaku flashed him a brief smile before reaching forward and pulling him into a short, but tight hug. "You both need to stop thinking of me as human, you know. We all know I'm not. But… I'll do my best to not take unnecessary risks, okay?" With that, she let him go and darted out the door and down the hall.

Chrome turned and watched his friend leave. Softly, into the empty room, he said, "You're plenty human to us."

XX

Ukyo slid into his chair in front of the wall of displays, watching the world through Gen's eyes as he approached the venue. "Okay, I've confirmed Ryusui has arrived. Remember that he won't really be able to help us tonight if anything goes wrong, because he will be meeting with key people to collect information for us. However, he did manage to get confirmation that the auction itself is supposed to start at 21:00, so we have a ninety minute window, assuming you arrive on time."

One of the many screens flashed a text response from Gen in acknowledgement. Although he had a microphone, talking once they were at the auction was not going to be possible. Fortunately, sending morse code through a small device in his hand was an easy and efficient substitute.

"Text communication received, Gen," Ukyo confirmed. "Now, Senkuu is working on getting access into the security cameras of the venue. In the meantime, let's go over the plan once more." Green eyes skimmed over the multiple screens in front of him. "Our objective is to retrieve three items from the vault before the auction starts. Inventory items F17, M34, and A29. All items are kept in the auction house's vault, which is a secure room within the venue that is digitally monitored and protected by armored guards."

Ukyo tabbed to another window on a display. "Tsukasa and Gen are attending the auction as a couple, on Gen's invitation and Tsukasa as the date under the name 'Makoto'. Once you arrive, you'll need to split up. Gen is to stay in the party hall as he's recognizable. Tsukasa will then move on to infiltrate the vault. I have uploaded the auction hall floor plan to your devices, and Senkuu will keep the plan updated with the position of guards."

Ukyo paused, flipping the screen to another document. "Once in the vault, you'll need to acquire the inventory items without tripping the alarms. All items sit on stands with weight sensors. Tsukasa has three weights that match the weight of each inventory item, tagged by the inventory label. This will be the hard part, as you'll need to switch the items smoothly enough for the sensor to not pick up anything. With luck, Senkuu will be able to provide a system blip that allows us to do this easier."

"Did you just use 'luck' and 'Senkuu' in the same sentence?" Gen asked over comms, his tone dripping with doubt.

Ukyo sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, fair." He paused as he heard the gentle swish of a door open, followed by the sound of heavy boots on the metal ramp. Turning back, he regarded the aforementioned scientist who approached, wearing a luminous visor with a digital overlay and a long, white lab coat with neon green stitching, the latter of which contrasted heavily to the black and green buckled combat boots on his feet. His gravity-defying hair fluttered softly as he passed by an air vent, the green tipped ends waving like grass in a field. A gloved hand reached out and pressed a few buttons on the command console, and one of the displays switched to a multi-panel view of all the security cameras' live video feeds.

Ukyo's eyes widened from underneath his hat. "That was fast… All right, team. We now have a live feed of the security cameras."

Senkuu reached up to the controls of his visor, activating the microphone. "Yo, Gen. Tsukasa. They have pairs of guards stationed at each exit, and patrolling teams on three circuits around the perimeter, and the two main circuits inside. The vault itself is guarded by my new favorite thing, robodogs!"

Although Senkuu and Ukyo could not see Gen's face, they saw the camera jolt slightly, indicating his head jerked at that declaration. Gen glanced around, ensuring no one was in hearing range before replying quietly, "...Robodogs?"

Senkuu grinned, folding his arms over his chest. "Technically, they're called armored quadruped sentries. Four legged robots that stand at about waist high and come encased in a durable exoskeleton and are equipped with all sorts of nasty weapons. They're highly versatile even in closed quarters. Kind of boring in design, though. Not enough lasers, and they ten billion percent missed out on the opportunity to add a scorpion tail."

Ukyo looked over to the scientist. "And… how are we supposed to get around them?"

Senkuu's grin turned sly as he stuck a finger in his ear, twisting it around. "Oh, easy. Their detection system is built off of a prototype I helped create years ago. Guess who just spent sixty seven minutes building a virus that will make them think Tsukasa is also a killer robo puppy?"

"...Don't call me that." The cringe in Tsukasa's voice was palatable, but it only made Senkuu's grin widen.

Ukyo looked over at him questioningly. "And it works?"

The scientist shrugged, glancing up at the ceiling. "Well… there's no way for me to test it before we use it." He paused momentarily, before lifting a finger up in declaration. "But it compiles!"

XX

The walls that separated the Apex from the lower levels of the Bubble made accessing it through unofficial channels nearly impossible. It was a vertical climb of about five hundred meters of exposed bedrock and reinforced metal frames, putting the Apex's foundation just above the top of the Inner Ring's skyline.

Despite this, Kohaku scaled the vertical wall with apparent ease, hopping and climbing at a steady pace. Catching one hand onto a small ledge, she braced her feet against the wall and looked behind at the skyline, illuminated in the night by the various neon signs, traffic lights, and similar sources. Below, people and vehicles moved on the streets, and the distant thrum of machines and electricity reached her ears, peppered by the occasional sounds of sirens and city nightlife.

Turning back, she hopped up and grabbed another ledge, continuing her ascent. Although she could have done this on her own, the modifications Kaseki had made to the stolen exosuit certainly helped, allowing her to calibrate her movements better. Plus the night mode he had installed gave the metal a matte black finish, allowing her to better hide in the night.

She adjusted her focus to the small display on her helmet's visor, eyeing the elevation reading. 'One hundred and sixteen meters so far. At this pace, I should be able to get to the auction about half an hour before it starts.'

Staring up at the vertical wall, she felt the wind gently push against her body. 'One hundred meters, huh…'

The errant thought allowed a memory to come crashing to the surface of her mind.

Tests and procedures. Needles and sensors. Inputs and outputs. Restraints and cell walls. Dehumanized. Every day was hell. She lay there on a hard, metal table, ignoring the cold bite of the air and how the bright lights hurt her sensitive eyes. Cuffs kept her in place, preventing her from moving. Beside her, the boy turned from the displays and faced her. He was too short for his feet to reach the floor, so they swung lightly as he swiveled the stool around. "Did you know there used to be a species of tree that could get over a hundred meters tall?"

Blue eyes met red. "No." The word was sharp, untrusting.

He stares at her silently, expression guarded. Turning away, his fingers once again began flitting across the keyboard.

Despite her distrust and pain, she yearned for interaction. Desperate for anything resembling a connection. Anything human at all. Quietly, the words leave her lips "...Why do you ask?"

He looked back at her over his shoulder. There was a softness in his eyes. "You seem like the kind of person who would love to climb trees."

She narrowed her eyes, pushing the memory back as she picked up her pace, fueled by the stirring of emotions she wanted to bury. Well, it was no tree, but a hundred meters had been easy to conquer.

She wondered if he would be happy for her, were he not dead.

XX

Although it was hardly Gen's first time in the Apex, it never failed to make him feel uneasy while he was there. Despite its appearance, he knew what it represented and what lurked beneath its luxurious architecture and high quality of life. Here, people did not have to worry about wasteland attacks, air quality or access to clean water and food. Plants actually grew in the artificial climate, painting a nice picture vaguely resembling what life looked like before the Collapse. Hell, the Apex was the only place in the entire Bubble one could get access to meat, assuming you had the money. And of course, if you lived in the Apex, you had the money.

And there, in that description, was the reason everything felt so wrong. While the Apex was seemingly free of the struggles of the rest of the Bubble, it was because it was built on the backs of everyone not privileged to live there. The Apex was the reason the people in the Rings suffered, especially the slums called the Outer Ring. The Apex was the home to the elite few in this city, and those were the people in power, the people with money, and the people who largely had a moral compass that had broken a long time ago.

The Apex was the pinnacle of living because it was built on the lives and labor of everyone beneath it, and it had no intentions of letting that dynamic rebalance in the slightest. It was the very thing Gen wanted to see undone, perhaps more than anything else.

Blinking rapidly, the mentalist snapped himself out of his thoughts, knowing he needed to focus on the task at hand. Getting into the venue had gone smoothly, largely thanks to a combination of Ryusui's connections and Gen's skills.

Smiling pleasantly, Gen nodded politely to a party guest, his arm looped through Tsukasa's as they walked into the hall. Lights of all colors danced across the tall walls, low music playing in the background. A buffet was set up on one side of the hall in front of a fountain, and a low, roped-off stage was on the other side, likely for the auction later.

And guards were everywhere. This was going to be a tight run, but they knew that going in. Still, it was unnerving to see how much security was here, but it made sense given the value of the items that normally went up at these auctions.

Hugging Tsukasa's arm close, Gen tilted his head up at him. "Makoto, love, can we go sample the buffet? I think I see an amazing tart I want to try!" He pitched excitement into his voice, looking every bit of the pansexual socialite that he played himself up to be. Not that it was much of an exaggeration.

Tsukasa said nothing but nodded and let Gen lead them, both knowing it was best to play the role of the stoic "arm candy" boyfriend, because he was a fighter, not an actor.

XX

Kohaku hauled herself up on the rooftop of the building next door, slinking across and hiding behind a generator. The building stood a couple floors taller than the auction house, giving her a clear view of the courtyard and a decent line of sight to the empty stage inside, visible through the tall glass windows and the skylights of the main hall.

Her eyes caught motion above and she twisted, melting out of the sight of a passing security drone, keeping the generator between it and herself. After it was gone, she turned her attention back to her target destination.

"OK, I'm here. I can see the stage they'll probably use for the auction, but it's empty. I can count eight guards in the courtyard, and six stationed in the hall's entryways. Looks like there are pairs patrolling the perimeter. They're all using standard lightweight exosuits."

"So heavily armed but not well armored," Chrome's voice came through her earpiece. "Guess that works in your favor, given your speed."

"Yeah…" Kohaku replied idly, eyes scanning over the invitees. "How's that floor plan coming?"

"I've found the basic plan, but I'd like to see if I can at least dig up one with the ventilation system…" Chrome paused, clicking away through files. "If the vents are big enough to squeeze through, that'd make a lot easier of an escape."

Kohaku scoffed. "If I have to take down every single person on my way out, I will."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Chrome replied uneasily. "But remember, you're going to have precious cargo. You can't be as reckless as you want."

The woman inhaled slowly, closing her eyes. "Yeah. I know. You're right. Send me what you got. I'll do my best to keep things quiet."

A soft beep alerted her of the incoming layout, and she watched the image flash across her visor. "Got it. Thanks. Now the hard part… waiting."

She heard Chrome huff into his microphone. "That's the hard part? Seriously?"

Kohaku narrowed her eyes, staring down at the crowd and feeling like a tightly coiled spring. "Yeah. It is for me."

XX

"Stop." Ukyo watched as Tsukasa's tracker came to a halt, waiting for the okay to move forward. He glanced over to Senkuu who idly pressed a few keys on his keyboard, then nodded. "OK, security cam's on loop. Move to the next point."

Gen listened to Ukyo's instructions while holding a glass of champagne and pretending to be engaged in a conversation with some of the guests who were talking about some of the items going up for auction. He supposed it was important to at least pay partial attention in case valuable information surfaced, but as long as they got what they came for, that was good enough.

Of course, it was hard to keep adequate attention on both streams of information, especially with the anxiety bubbling in his gut for so many risky variables and moving parts. Most of the things they had accomplished so far in their work had not had this profile of visibility, this level of risk, or such a complex series of steps. But the difficulty was matched by the reward of success. The acquisition of those inventory items would be a huge step for them, and for the quality of life improvements they wanted to bring to the people in the Outer Ring.

Still, it did little to quell his unease. However, a bark of laughter came across his earpiece, and he heard Senkuu happily shout, "Hah! It works! Robodog Tsukasa go forth!"

The declaration of success, the delight in the scientist's voice, and the knowledge that that piece had gone off without issue began to soothe some of his frayed nerves. They were almost halfway there.

Hiding a faint smile, he lifted his glass to his lips and returned his attention back to the conversation he was adjacent to. "-But I'll be saving my bids for the fresh catch."

The speaker grinned widely to his audience, sloshing the contents of his glass around. The woman beside him lifted painted nails to her lips, feigning a scandalized look. "Ohhh, do you know something I don't know about tonight's lineup? I'm jealous! Who else do I need to be connecting with?"

The man winked at her conspiratorially. "I might have heard something about a few good quality specimens in tonight's lineup. Young, nubile, and unaffected by pollutants."

Gen frowned at the implications of those statements, fingers sliding over the device in his palm, sending a message over to Ukyo through morse code.

"Hear that?"

Ukyo glanced at the message, his lips a grim line. "Yeah, I heard. It sounds like there's some human sales going on this time."

Senkuu glanced over at Ukyo, then back to the screens, one of which showed the weight sensors in the vault. "Was that on the list when we made our plans?"

Ukyo shook his head, clicking through documents. "No. It looks like the inventory was updated last night with a couple of new entries, and…oh… oh, no."

The tone of the other man's voice made Senkuu turn to look at the document he had up on screen. Senkuu sucked in a breath, his own eyes widening. "Tsukasa. What's your status?" He watched Tsukasa's tracker on the screen, noting he was moving back towards the exit.

"Target acquired."

"Get back to Gen. There's been a change in plans."

Ukyo cut his eyes over to Senkuu who stared at the displays, keeping a steady eye on the security cameras as Tsukasa moved back towards the main hall.

A message from Gen came through. "Problem?"

Ukyo looked up to Senkuu, unsure of how to respond. The younger man narrowed his eyes, balling his left hand into a fist as his right one glided across the keyboard. "The auction list was updated last night and now includes children in its inventory."

It took Gen some effort to hide the disgust on his face. Human trafficking from the Rings to the Apex was not too uncommon, but it was always disgusting when children were involved. They would steal or buy kids off of the streets to be sold for labor, or worse. But that did not explain why Senkuu was calling for a change of plans. As much as none of them wanted to see this kind of thing happening, they were not in a position to easily stop this without risking everything, much less succeeding. So for Senkuu to declare things had changed meant something else was wrong. But he also did not want to say anything until Tsukasa could focus, and that was very disconcerting.

He turned his gaze back towards the doors leading to the hallway, listening as Senkuu and Ukyo guided Tsukasa around the guards and the cameras.

"OK, he's back by the wash rooms, Gen."

Swallowing down the mix of unsettled emotions, the mentalist set his glass of untouched champagne on a nearby table and excused himself to the wash rooms to check on his date. Once inside, he pressed himself up against Tsukasa, arms slipping around his waist in an embrace, a public display for the other guests present. Tsukasa bent down and passed a kiss over Gen's forehead, trying to appear as natural as possible. "I apologize for leaving so abruptly," He murmured, quiet enough to sound intimate, but loud enough to be heard if anyone nearby wanted to listen. "I did not realize the pâté was mushrooms before I ate it."

"I know, darling," Gen purred, reaching up to smooth back a piece of Tsukasa's hair that had fallen out of its slicked back style. "Your stomach is just too sensitive, but it's part of your charm. But here, come back with me. They just brought out an assortment of fruits. Perhaps you would like some?"

"Mm. Yes, let's go look."

Ukyo cut his eyes over to Senkuu who was making a gagging face. "You are both grossing me out with this over the top cutesy fake romance," the scientist groaned. In response, Gen reached up to adjust his glasses using his middle finger, making it purposely pass over the camera.

Ukyo shook his head, smiling slightly. "It needs to be believable, Senkuu. Gen has a reputation, after all."

A message came through from Gen a moment later, "Now what?"

At that, Senkuu's expression melted back into seriousness. "Tsukasa. They're auctioning off kids tonight. The file's been uploaded with pictures. One of them is your sister."

From Gen's camera, they could see the taller man freeze. Senkuu pressed his lips into a thin line. "Yeah. I guess you need to have a talk with your shit of an old man later."

Gen's message flashed on the screen. "What do?"

The scientist drummed his fingers on the dashboard in thought. "The auction's about to start, and wherever they're keeping her clearly isn't the vault. Our best bet is to wait until the bidding on her is over. They'll pass her over to her buyer. When that person leaves, it will be our best chance to strike because they'll be leaving the security here. We just have to hope they start with her first so they don't discover the missing inventory items."

In response to that, Ukyo began to sift through files, looking at historical auction information, including sales and the timestamps on them. His face pulled into a grimace. "Senkuu's bad luck strikes again. Previous auctions show timestamps on human sales after most of the other items on the list."

The scientist threw his hands up in the air, scowling. "All right. Trying to think of something else."

Another message flashed from Gen. "Look."

Both men looked up at Gen's camera display, watching as guards began to walk in, escorting two small girls in electronic collars onto the stage, positioning them on one side, and surrounding them with four armed guards.

One of the two girls looked to be around ten or eleven years old, thin with a pair of glasses on her face. The other girl was slightly taller, with blonde hair and facial features that were vaguely reminiscent of the warrior standing beside Gen. A low growl came through Tsukasa's microphone as he recognized his sister.

"Okay, this is good," Ukyo reminded, trying to soothe the understandable anger burning in Tsukasa. "We just need to wait until the transaction is complete and follow the buyer out. We can do this."

Senkuu said nothing, watching everything through Gen's glasses with a critical gaze. They had a very narrow window of making this work. He began to calculate the possible ways the buyer may leave, including trying to determine who in the crowd might place a bid.

A flash of movement in the wrong place caught his eye, and Senkuu had just enough time to make a confused noise before a human cannonball came crashing through the window, landing on the other side of the stage in a spray of broken glass.

The armored woman rose from her landing crouch in a fluid motion, a stun baton in each hand. Screams erupted from the guests. With an angry shout, she charged at the guards surrounding the girls, crossing the stage in an inhuman burst of speed.

Senkuu's breath caught, a strange sense of distant familiarity washing over him as Gen's whisper echoed over the command room's speaker. "What in the actual hell…"

Day in and day out, the setting was the same, but their dynamic had changed. Slowly, delicately, a bond had formed.

He saw her watching him work out of the corner of his eye. After a long silence, she spoke. "You're just as much of a prisoner as I am, aren't you?"

He paused in his work, fingers curled over the keyboard, before one hand came up and touched the collar around his neck. "Yeah. But I'm ten billion percent gonna change that."

He saw the fear flicker across her face, before it melted away into resignation, and she looked away. "I hope you succeed." Her words were sincere, although laced with sadness.

"Hmph," He replied, looking over at her. "Not a millimeter's chance in hell can I do this by myself. We're escaping together, the three of us."

Senkuu inhaled sharply, forcing the old memory out of his mind, along with the uncomfortable feelings that came with it. How strange that that memory would surface now of all times.

XX

"What the hell are you doing?!" Chrome's voice rang through her ears, but Kohaku ignored him, spinning around under the swing of a guard and ramming her baton into his chest. Even as the shock coursed through him, she shifted, slamming her heel into the helmet of the guard approaching her from behind, before twisting around, bringing both batons into the chest of the next guard. He fell, and Kohaku moved once again, jumping up and wrapping her thighs around the neck of the last guard, twisting and sending him crashing into the ground.

Rolling to her feet, she pulled something from her belt and turned to the two girls behind her. "Cover your eyes!"

Senkuu watched from Gen's camera as the new aggressor grabbed something at their belt, and he began to mentally run through the list of what it could be, when he saw the vigilante turn to the children. He sucked in a breath through his teeth, "Shield your eyes!"

Gen and Tsukasa both covered their faces right as the room erupted in a blinding flash of light. When it faded, they looked up to see the stage empty, both girls and their apparent savior gone.

"What?" Ukyo all but shouted, looking at Gen's camera. "Did they go through the courtyard?"

Senkuu turned his attention to the security cameras, eyes drawn to a blur. "No, they went further into the building. Tsukasa, Gen! Exit right, then go left, then second right!"

They took off, with Tsukasa at a much faster sprint, leaving behind the chaos that was the dining hall. Gen could only hope that most everyone was too disoriented to notice them leaving. "Senkuu-chan, kill the security cameras, or they'll see us!"

"Already ten billion steps ahead of you," The scientist replied, fingers moving across the keyboard. One by one, each camera shut down just before they came into its range. Senkuu skimmed the other screens while he worked, keeping up with where their target was going. "Take the next left; they've encountered guards."

Kohaku skidded to a stop, one child in each arm as the guards leveled their guns at her. "Get behind me," She hissed, dropping both girls to the ground. However, the moment they had a clear shot, both guards fired. Instead of dodging, the woman threw her arms up, the rounds bouncing off the energy shield that formed from her gauntlets. Pressing her advantage, she charged head on. She knew she could not risk dodging their attacks and letting the girls get hurt, so she threw herself into a frontal assault, plowing into the men as shots rained down on her. The force of contact threw them both back, and she kept moving forward, slamming them both into the wall at the end of the hall.

The guards fell in crumpled heaps, and Kohaku stepped back, before turning around to retrieve her precious cargo. Her breath caught as Tsukasa rounded the corner, followed by a wheezing Gen.

She saw Tsukasa dive towards the girls, and she shouted, charging at him head on. However, she came sliding to a stop as he wrapped his arms around the older girl, cradling her to his chest protectively, eyes locking on Kohaku with an intense gaze.

The girl struggled against his grip, panic on her face as she tried to see who had grabbed hold of her.

"Tsukasa, your disguise," Ukyo hissed through his microphone.

Tsukasa's brows shot up. "Mirai. It's me."

Shock and relief spread across the girl's features as she recognized her brother's voice, and she twisted, wrapping her tiny arms around him and began to sob into his chest.

Behind them, Gen waved tentatively at Kohaku, giving a nervous smile as he tried to catch his breath. "Hi, yes! We're actually on the same side!" He paused to gasp, a hand pressed to his chest. "She is his sister, so please do not taser us. I'm sure we would all like to make it out of this facility alive and un-tasered." He nodded to himself, chest still heaving.

Kohaku paused, before lowering her hands from her fighting stance. She turned to the other girl, who ran up to her and threw her tiny arms around her waist. Kohaku returned the embrace, keeping her eyes on the strangers in front of her. "Suika, are you okay?"

"I'm okay!" Suika leaned heavily into Kohaku's chest, her breaths coming out in shaky pants. Kohaku pressed a gloved hand gently into the girl's hair, closing her eyes behind her visor and letting some of her worry finally dissipate.

Senkuu frowned, evaluating the situation. "Oi, we have to get those collars off of them. They're tracking devices, and I'm sure they're going to be hot on your trail in seconds."

Gen looked over at Mirai, then at Suika, before replying back, "How do we get them off?"

The scientist tapped a finger to his lips, thinking. "The exosuit our new friend is wearing is one of the L-series. 340LX, if I'm not mistaken, though it's hard to tell since it's been modded. If I'm right, the glove comes with a laser tip that should be strong enough to cut metal. But we need to find a barrier to slip in between the collar and the skin, because one wrong move and we cut into the neck. Mentalist, make it happen."

Gen blinked rapidly, before he smoothed his expression over and gestured at Kohaku for her attention. "We need to get these collars off before they track us down. Might I be correct in that your glove has a strong laser? If so, we might be able to cut the collars off. Of course, we need to find a suitable shield to prevent the girls from getting hurt in the process."

It was hard for Gen to tell what she was thinking, since her helmet covered all her face except for her mouth, but after a moment, the vigilante looked down at the girl in her arms. "I can do it." She let go of Suika and pulled off one of the exosuit gloves, dropping it to the floor. Lifting the other, she cycled through the settings, equipping the laser tip.

Then to Gen's absolute horror, she fitted two fingers under the collar and began to cut through the metal, using her own hand as a shield against the laser.

"Kohaku, what the hell is going on out there?"

Admittedly, Kohaku had forgotten about Chrome. Pursing her lips, she continued to focus on cutting through the metal. "I have Suika, and she's okay. We're removing the tracking collar, then escaping the auction house. Can you upload a traffic map to me?"

Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, listening to her speak. This woman was also working with someone, just like they had Ukyo and Senkuu guiding them. He wondered what else they had available to them. Clearly, stolen equipment and combat skill, and enough connections to get them into the Apex. Maybe she also had a clear escape plan.

The sound of the collar hitting the floor signaled success, and Kohaku turned her attention to Tsukasa and Mirai. "Give me your consent to cut the collar."

In the background, Gen gave a pained smile. 'You're supposed to ask for consent, my dear, not demand it… but I suppose we've no time for formality…'

Tsukasa looked down at his sister, then back up to Kohaku and nodded once.

As they worked on the collar, Ukyo was cycling through channels, trying to find any information on additional guards being dispatched. Beside him, Senkuu turned the disabled cameras back on to see if the halls were clear. Two forms darted across one camera, so quick he almost missed what they were. "Hey, we've got robodogs incoming."

Gen paled, turning back to look down the hall. "How long?"

"Assuming they know your location, ten seconds. Assuming they don't, thirty," Senkuu replied. "They have heat sensors. For what it's worth, they still think Tsukasa is one of them, but that doesn't give us much advantage."

The sound of the second collar hit the floor, and Kohaku stood up, looking at Gen who was still staring down the hall. "What is it?"

"We have… uh, incoming trouble. I don't suppose you're good at wrestling armored robotic dogs, are you?" Gen asked, not looking back, but the worry in his voice was tangible.

"Gen," Tsukasa stood, taking off his suit jacket. "Stay back with Mirai and the other girl. We'll fight off the dogs."

Gen turned to look at them before hurried rushing past them, grabbing Mirai and bringing her beside Suika, hugging both girls close to him. Kohaku watched him for a moment, before she turned her attention to Tsukasa, giving the much taller person a once-over as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

She shrugged. "Sure, I'm game. Don't slow me down, though."

Tsukasa did not give her a reply, instead charging towards the robodogs as they rounded the corner.

XX

AN: The speed at which I write is fueled by dopamine. This means the more feedback and engagement I get, the more I dedicate time to churning out chapters. So if you like this, let me know, because it means you get updates faster.