FINALLY SHE IS DONE. Here is chapter 8. I am already working on chapter 9, but I've unfortunately come down with a case of COVID. That might slow things down a bit. I also intend for chapter 9 to be extra long compared to previous chapters.

I will also spend time touching up things here in there

Book I Chapter 8: The Mission

Grani had begun fussing over him the moment they returned to Penguin Logistics' safe house. Exusiai had been waiting with an ice bag, which Grani had promptly snatched away, not content to watch and wait as someone else cared for her injured partner.

Luke shook his head stubbornly. "Grani, honestly, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" she cried, forcing the bag of ice into his hands. "Getting a cut is 'not that bad,' but this…" she trailed off, hands floundering. "Can you even see properly?"

"I said, I'm fine." He pushed the makeshift compress away for the third time. "I can still see." While he appreciated her concern, he could do without the suffocating attention.

"No, you're not!" Grani hissed, rising from the resin table she had been sitting on. "How can you even say that? Just—" Luke raised a hand in protest, but Grani pushed past his feeble gesture with little concern. "Ugh! Why are you being so difficult?" She caught his wrist with her free hand and held it above his head, then pressed the frigid bag against his swollen eye. He flinched at the biting cold and jerked his head back, nearly dislodging his mask. "See! You can't even take care of yourself!"

Texas appeared with a bottle of water. She set it on the table and sat beside him. "She's not likely to give up. I suggest you start listening," she said, a faint trace of amusement in her voice.

Franka chuckled from a sofa opposite of the table. "My, my, it seems Grani is quite vocal about her concerns." She gently nudged Liskarm, seated next to her, with her elbow. "What do you think?"

Liskarm rolled her eyes, but remained silent.

Grani stepped between them, obstructing his view with her body. "Does it hurt?" she asked, her voice fraught with concern.

Maybe Texas was right. Luke took the sack from her hand with a sigh. "A bit. I'm more concerned about when I'll regain a semblance of depth perception."

Exusiai, who had been uncharacteristically silent, leaned over the back of his couch with a smile. "Look on the bright side: at least you aren't completely blind," she said, offering him a fist bump.

Luke returned the gesture with a smile of his own. "Grani would have a field day if I was."

"Just give it a few weeks." Luke was surprised to see the Emperor emerge from a hall with a cigar in his beak. Next to him was a young woman, likely in her late teens, with vibrant blonde hair and clad in an exceptionally garish outfit. Her dress, black and shimmering, was heavily laden with pink and white trimming, making her utterly impossible to miss.

Emperor plucked the cigar from his beak as he spoke. "Alright, brats. S'about time we get this show on the road." He flicked his head towards the young woman. "She's the reason why I called you here today."

Grani gasped. "Is that…"

Exusiai's crimson hair bobbed as she nodded excitedly. "Sora? Yes, she is!"

Luke frowned. Was he supposed to know Sora? Given the outfit, she was clearly some sort of Yanese idol, but that wasn't a scene he knew much about.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to meet a celebrity…" Grani said breathlessly.

Sora hopped on one foot, kicked the other up behind her, threw up a peace sign, and winked cutely. "Hi, hi!" she cooed. "Everyone's favorite idol, Sora, is here!" She opened her palms towards them and flashed a blinding smile. "Let's hear it for today's lucky winners! This is every fan's dream!" The room chuckled along with her giggling.

Luke blinked once. Was that meant to be a joke? If it was, it was completely lost on him. He blinked again. "I'm sorry, who are you?" he asked.

Grani's ponytail smacked the side of his face as she whipped her head around. "Are you serious?" she shouted, clearly incensed. "You don't know who Sora is?"

Emperor tapped his cigar and puffed out a cloud of smoke and coughed, catching Luke's attention. "Yo, Lucy. You better not be foolin', cuz that's messed."

Luke shot him a one-eyed glare. "Screw you, E. How am I supposed to know some random woman?" he cried. "What did you expect? I practically lived under a rock for the past six years."

The corner of Sora's lips twitched slightly, but the tremor vanished as quickly as it had come. Luke would've missed if he had blinked. She hid her mouth behind a gloved hand and giggled. "You're funny! Sora loves a good joke."

Luke choked back a gag. Oh god. Her voice was sickeningly sweet, and her personality felt fabricated, as though every giggle and titter was another lie.

"Uh…" he stalled. This teen was in hard denial and, frankly, that terrified him. "I, um… Sora, was it?" She nodded and waved, still smiling magnificently.

Luke shifted the ice pack against his left eye in discomfort. He had less than no idea how to handle this situation properly. He needed to cut through the phony veneer, but how? The line that separated "too far" from "just enough" was incredibly vague, and he wasn't eager to cross it.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Look, I don't mean to offend you or anything, but I have absolutely no idea who you are."

Her immaculate facade faltered once again. "Wh-where are you from?" she asked, forcing a tremulous smile.

"Higashi."

Sora took an aggressive step forward "But I'm huge in Higashi!" she cried, making a sweeping gesture with her arms. "You've definitely heard my music! Operation: Cinder?!"

Luke snapped his fingers. "Oh! Yeah! I know that one!"

Vindicated, Sora stepped back with a smug grin. She crossed her arms beneath her chest and humphed. "So you are a fan!"

"Not at all. The song's too slow and boring. I can't vibe with that." He was only telling the truth. He much preferred a faster tempo over a sluggish drawl.

She glared fiercely.

Emperor barked out a sharp laugh. "Hah! The balls on the kid! Growin' up to be just like your old man."

Luke stuttered in a panic. "W-wait, I'm not saying she's bad at singing. I think she's very talented, just not to my taste."

Sora's expression softened. "Thank you."

Woah, genuine gratitude. Maybe she wasn't made entirely of sweet little lies. "Uh… yeah. So, now what?"

"Texas, give 'em the skinny," Emperor said.

Texas pushed herself from the sofa, looking exasperatedly at Luke as she stood. "First, I'd like to thank Franka, Liskarm, and the rest of BSW for accepting our request. As always, your support is appreciated."

Franka smiled and shook her head politely. "No, no, we should be thanking you for inviting us again. It's always a pleasure to see Sora perform."

Texas nodded. "As you've probably gathered by now, Sora is the reason we're here. She'll be kicking off a new tour next week." She unfolded a flier she had stowed in her pocket beforehand. "It'll be a longer tour, and will feature a closed meet and greet with a select group of fans. We'll talk about that later.

"Rank and file members of BSW will handle security at the venues. The two of—" her eyes flicked towards Grani, "sorry, four of you will assist us with Sora's personal security, which involves riding in the RV with us.

"The first concert will be in three days, in the Imperial City. It's a two day drive through the wastelands, so make sure to bring something to do…" Her voice faded into the background as Luke's mind began to wander.

His left hand was starting to feel numb. The ice pack had begun to sweat, covering his palm with a thin coat of frigid water. On top of that, the room's AC was blowing directly at him. He needed to ditch the ice before his hand developed frostbite.

Looking around the room, he noticed an inconspicuous trash bin sitting by Texas's feet and next to the sofa.

He flicked his eyes towards Grani who was too busy listening to Texas to notice his shifty gaze. Confident in his plan, Luke hunched forward, pretending to have dropped something. He smirked as blood began to rush to his head. Even if she had seen him move, his back would provide enough cover to hide his hands from her sight.

With a flick of his wrist, Luke gently tossed the ice bag into the trash just as Exusiai swung her legs over the sofa, planting herself next to him. Luke's heart leapt up into his throat, threatening to tumble from his mouth. Had he been seen? Or worse, had Grani caught on?

After a tense moment—for him, at least—Exusiai's stomach growled a protest. "Please tell me that one of you can cook…"

"Lucy can."

Luke raked a hand through his matted hair with a sigh as the tension left his body. "Yeah," he muttered.

Grani, still standing, looked down at him. "You can cook?" Her eyes shone with wonder. "Can you make eggs benedict?" she asked, seemingly no longer concerned with the now-absent ice pack.

Luke caught a glimpse of her tail swishing behind her. A turn of good luck. If anything would get her to forget about the damn ice pack, it was food. "Yeah, I can."

Sora leaned over with a playful grin. "If you can make her a crepe, Sora may just forgive you."

Luke knew she was joking, but it could be a good opportunity to make amends. "You bet. Anything else?" He turned to his godfather. "How about you, E?"

"I ain't goin'."

"Oh?" Luke asked, quietly relieved at the revelation.

"I got more important shit to do. That damned messenger of ours done goofed up."

"Oh!" Exusiai waved an arm, vying for Luke's his attention. "Pastas: fettuccine, bolognese, ziti?"

Luke shrugged. "If you have the recipe and ingredients."

"Apple pie!"

"Oh, capital idea!" Grani cheered.

"I mean," Luke's eyes wandered from Grani to Exusiai. "I guess?" he said uncertainly. Baking wasn't his forte.

Exusiai fell back against the sofa, pumping a fist. "Heck yeah! Goodbye burnt toast, hello carbonara! Time for a grocery run!"

Texas looked uncertain. "Boss?"

Emperor hummed, breathing deeply from his cigar. "Do whatever you want. Just do it quick. Y'all leave soon," he muttered through a cloud of smoke.

Texas nodded. "Alright. Grani?" The young officer's ears twitched at the sound of her name. She peered over with a questioning look. "Help Franka and Liskarm transfer your belongings to the RV."

"Alright!"

"Sora, help me load your equipment while Exusiai gets the RV ready. We'll leave in ten." Sora cheered and rushed from the room, skipping the whole way.

Luke twiddled his thumbs awkwardly. "So…?" he started.

"Too hot for the ice?" Franka teased. Her sly grin gave way to a genuine smile as she gestured towards the cold compress he had discarded. "You should take it easy."

Luke chuckled weakly. "I can't get anything past you, can I?"

"Not now, not ever!"

Emperor chuckled. "Antsy brat."

Luke did feel a bit guilty. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, the bag was sweating, and my hands were freezing. At that point, it was doing more harm than good."

Grani inhaled through clenched teeth. "I guess…" Her slender fingers wrapped around his wrist. "But just in case, stay in the RV, and don't cause any trouble!" She demanded, pulling him to his feet only to stop halfway—too short to complete the task. With a heated huff, she unceremoniously dropped his hand, letting him fall back against the sofa. "Get up yourself," she pouted.

Luke rolled his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet. "That was the plan. So, I'm going to assume the RV's in the garage?"

"Yep!" Exusiai exclaimed, popping her lips. "Liskarm and Franka can show you the way. I need to grab the keys, so I'll meet you there." She left the room, jogging down the hall.

The others looked at one another. "Lead the way," Luke said, stepping aside.

"It's next door," Franka said, pushing Liskarm towards a door. "Come now, Lisky."

The Vouivre growled. "Don't call me that!" She tore herself from Franka's grasp. "And I can walk on my own."

Luke glanced down at Grani, who merely shrugged. Together, they followed after their mentors, closing the door behind them. Luke had never seen an RV, and was excited to see one for the first time. However, whatever excitement he felt was replaced with confusion the moment he laid eyes on the large vehicle. He was expecting it to be relatively unassuming, painted black or perhaps gray. Some color that would avoid attracting much attention. Something that would blend in with the crowd.

Might as well paint "Shoot me, I'm over here!" he thought sarcastically.

Rather than something nondescript, the RV was covered with an explosion of pink and yellow splattered against a white backdrop. To Luke, it looked more like a clown car than an idol's private transport. Colored swirls twisted about, forming a frame around an admittedly flattering depiction of Sora, posed forward with her fingers in a V and a wink on her face. A series of large, shaded windows looped around the vehicle, forming a segmented belt of tinted glass. A single footplate jutted out from beneath the RV's door.

Luke sighed with a shake of his head. At least, he supposed, they'd have no trouble finding the garish thing, no matter where they parked it. He jumped a touch as a hand slapped him on the back. It was Exusiai.

"Pretty, ain't she?" she said, thumping her chest with pride. "Designed it myself!"

Luke grinned. "I'm not surprised."

The vehicle itself was quite large—longer and slightly taller than a city bus—but he was hard pressed to believe that it could comfortably house six people. "Hey, are you sure there's enough space in there for six of us?"

Exusiai stuffed the keys into the door's lock. "Why don't you see for yourself?" She smirked, pulling the door open and gesturing towards the footplate.

Luke stepped onto the plate and climbed into the RV.

He was struck by how spacious the vehicle was. To his right was a perfectly normal driver's cab, but to his left was an extraordinary living space. Luke wandered through a narrow entryway that led to a large, multi-purpose area. With laminated teak floors and spotless, granite countertops, the main compartment shone with freshly cleaned brilliance.

Leather sofas faced each other from either side of the narrow central walkway, stopping just short of the kitchenette. Next to one of the sofas and across from the kitchen, was a countertop and a small retractable desk.

The compact kitchen had everything a cook would need to prepare a decent meal. On one side of the walkway sat a stove, cooktop, and microwave, with a standing fridge placed opposite.

"So?" Luke turned around. Grani was standing by the door, carrying her pike in one hand and her suitcase in the other. "What do you think?"

"Impressed, actually. It's amazing how much they managed to squeeze in here, though there's not much room to walk around… and do we, like, sleep on the floor or something?" Luke asked, surveying the room with a generous touch of uncertainty.

Chuckling, Grani shuffled through the narrow entry, squeezing past him wordlessly as her wheeled luggage clunked clumsily behind. She stopped before one of the sofas, reached up, and pulled a tab hanging from the wall, revealing a small mattress wrapped in gray sheets.

Luke mouthed a silent "Oh." In retrospect, he should have seen that coming. After all, what kind of idol sleeps on the ground? He may be unworldly by most standards, but even he knew that celebrities were afforded a certain degree of comfort. "Can't believe I missed that."

"That makes two of us. And the vehicle can expand when parked, so it'll be easier to walk around."

Together, they gazed through a window, watching Liskarm and Franka unload the van they'd arrived in. Luke sighed. What a day…

A sudden jolt of pain rushed through his left leg. "Ow! What the hell, Grani?" He flinched back, narrowly avoiding another swipe from her tail. It swished aside as though swatting a fly.

Grani crossed her arms with a huff. "Don't think I've forgiven you."

He ruffled her hair with a lopsided grin. "Thanks, Grani."

She swiped at his arm, pushing his hand away from her head. "Hey! What did I say about patting my head?!"