"Warning AP at twenty-five percent." I quickly dodge another volley of missiles firing my own back. My opponent scored multiple energy rifle shots on me; thankfully, most of my missiles hit the target dead on. They quickly duck behind a building, and I notice they aren't there as I chase them.

"Above!" The second I aim my targeting in the air, I get shot and almost killed. I skate backward while avoiding more incoming fire from drones. The warning beeps of low AP go off as I evade shot after shot. I am quickly boosting to the right to evade a rocket salvo. My opportunity comes the second my enemy begins to descend from running out of EN. I fire my rockets and shoulder-mounted grenade launcher at them. Finally finishing my foe off.

"Finally! I've won!" I hear a grumble from my left. "Don't you dare say anything! I've been struggling over here for the past thirty minutes!" He scoffs at me.

"Fine, I'll stay quiet, just don't yell again." I glare a little at his response. He doesn't know how hard it was to beat that mission. Forget the fact I had to restart because I couldn't make the jump since my generator didn't have the power earlier. I look back at the screen and see I scored a C on the mission. My repair and ammo costs took almost everything I made from this mission. I can't buy any new parts, not even the extension that fires additional rockets. But there's no buying it now. I can't keep my money in a video game; from what I hear, it's supposed to be easier. Not for me, though. "Alright, Kitty Cat, what's wrong?" I look towards him.

"Nothings wrong; in fact, everything is great!" I see his brow raise

"The sarcasm is palpable." Of course, he picked up on it.

"Well..it's just...shouldn't making money in a videogame be easy? Not like real life at all." He hums in acknowledgment.

"Well, it depends on your game and the developer's intentions." It was a simple, honest answer, but not the one I wanted to hear. I looked at my COAM, which was only 367,000 thousand. It was enough to buy a part or two, but I had to make sure I had some in the bank for repairs and ammo. Sighing, I resigned myself to the slow motions of earning more COAM, which is the weirdest name I've heard currency called.

Every once in a while, I would look out the car window. We're still quite far out but making steady progress towards Abydos. The desert outside looks infinite, breaking occasionally because of the buildings we pass by. The clouds are gray; I guess I'll experience the once-in-while Abydos desert rainstorm. I scroll through some of the weapons in the shop and stop at the MAW-DLC/POWER. It's only about 82,200c, so it's not a bad price; getting a better weapon may be a good idea. I should check first to see if my generator can support it. I tab over to the garage and scroll down to the generator. My energy seems fine, so there's no cause for concern. I'll just have to be even more careful in missions now.

"So, how's the game?" I grumble when he asks.

"Honestly, kinda bad, but in a good way, I guess?" I look towards him and see his confused expression. "Yeah, that's a bad way to describe my time with the game."

"It's because you made it sound like a question more than an answer." His cackling voice hurts my ears. "Anyways, you wanna elaborate on what you mean? Could help relieve some frustration." I can't tell if he's poking fun at me or being serious.

"Well, it's just, why does the game have to be so hard? Like I get the missions are supposed to get harder with every completed mission or failed, but seriously! Then there are the monstrous fees." The fees I got in the game for ammo and repairs put Abydo's debt to shame after a few missions.

"Well, it's supposed to simulate a freelance mercenary's life. So, of course, it'll be hard." I don't like how he made it make sense.

"Well, shouldn't it be more lenient since it's a game!" He mauls over my words for a bit.

"Maybe, but then it isn't a very good simulation, is it?" I only grumble at his point.

"I guess." He hums in agreement. I would rather finish this game before trying the other games on his phone. It beats talking to him by a mile, too. Honestly, he's hard to read without looking him in the eyes. The only thing I know for sure about him is he's a jerk, and he's also good at not caring about his body.

I look at his hands again, the scarring he quickly shrugged off. No one should be able to just not care about their hands being mangled like that. It's impressive in a scary way. Besides those two things, he seems to be a rather mundane person. While I have questions I want to ask him, I doubt he'll answer them. I look at the mission selection on the screen and then back at him—more rage-inducing, stressed-filled missions or chatting with a guy who occasionally makes fun of me. I breathe deep for a second, then act.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Instead of saying anything to me, he used his hand to give me the go-ahead. "You mentioned you weren't from Kivotos. I was wondering where you came from?" He doesn't say anything for a good bit, making me think he wouldn't answer. The moment I've almost given up waiting for him to speak is when he answers.

"Can't recall home that well, although this is the first time I've seen a place like Kivotos." I blink at his response.

"You've never been inside a city before?" He nods his head at my question.

"Yup, hell, when I saw you at your job, that was the first time I had ramen. Now I've heard of it but never had it." Now that's a surprise.

"Really, you've heard of ramen but never had it." I press the button on his phone, shutting it down.

"Yup, honestly, that was the first time I'd seen ramen, too." I can only sit quietly after that second bit. While a part of me doesn't believe him, I've met people at my part-time jobs who say the same thing. Since we're on the topic of things, he's experienced for the first time.

"Anything else in Kivotos you've experienced for the first time?" I might as well talk about stuff like this. It's not like I'm losing much by making small talk with him.

"The trains are one. I've never been on a train before coming to Kivotos." Now, that's not surprising.

"I guess if you don't live in cities or been in one, riding a train wouldn't be something you do." He snaps his fingers.

"Right on the money, Kitty Cat. This is the first time I've driven a car too!" He sounded excited. Wait what?

"Did you just say you've never driven a car before?" He nodded his head. "Not even to practice for the driving test?" He's silent for a moment

"You need to take a test to drive a car?" He turns to face me. I can only stare back into his eyes. Confusion was all I felt staring at them.

"Yes! You need to take a driving test! Do you even have a license!"

"Stop shouting. I'm right in front of you. And no, why would I need a license to drive? It's like riding a bike."

"That's just a saying, you idiot!" I look back at the ro- "Bus swerve!" The second I yell, I feel the car jerk as we barely evade a ruined bus on the road.

"Well, that was close." I can feel a good bit of anger rise from his casual comment.

"We almost died!" He shrugs.

"We didn't, so there's no point worrying about it now." My mouth hangs open for a second before I glare at him. He wasn't looking at me anymore, instead focusing on the road again.

"We still almost did! You can't be trusted to drive." I watch his one-eye roll.

"Yeah, and who's going to drive, you? Last I checked, you probably shouldn't exert your legs too badly." I can't think of a good counter-argument.

"Well...at least I have a temporary license," I grumble.

"Good for you." I'm going to kill him. I'm going to be wanted for murder. "If you have any other questions you want to ask, I'll answer."

"If I ask any other questions, they won't make me think any less of you, right?" He cackles.

"If I answer honestly, they probably will." I could only groan at his answer. "So I'll let you choose. Do you want honest answers or sweet lies?" Staring at him blankly, I can only feel a migraine come on at his offer.

"I want nothing but the truth! Who would want someone to lie to them?" Suddenly, I felt something new come from him.

"You would be surprised how people just blind themselves to the truth." I felt...sorrow, regret, or was it anger? Whichever it is, I feel like I'm being suffocated by it. "Anyways, which do you want?" I'm taken aback by how quickly he went back to utter neutrality.

"The truth?"

"Are you asking or demanding?"

"I want the truth."

"Alright, then ask away."

I breathe deeply, think about things I want to know, then speak.

(Three hours later.)

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You think Kivotos is horrible?" He nods his head. "You think teenagers and kids shouldn't have weapons." He nods again. "And your biggest gripe is not finding a decent human-use razor?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I can only sit silently after that final word. To think this guy's biggest gripe is finding a razor.

"You realize you can just buy a razor from the store, right." He sighs a little at my answer.

"Yeah, a women's razor for thighs. It's not designed for a guy's face." I feel the car slowly come to a halt.

"Why are we stopping?" I noticed his hand tap the fuel gauge.

"Almost out of gas; I'm going to check the trunk of the car to see if there's a fuel tank back there." Once the car comes to a complete stop, I watch him get out. It's only when he leaves the car that I notice I subconsciously grabbed the revolver from the glove box. My hand was even shaking while holding it. Before I could even think of why I did this, I felt the car shake and looked towards the back. "Good news, there's fuel, bad news, only one fuel tank is full." I watch him raise a fuel tank from the back of the car and walk out of view. After a couple of seconds, he reappears at the back of the car, putting the tank in the trunk and then closing it. He hops back into the driver's seat and starts us back on our way. "So anyways, the second thing about the razor meant for your thighs is that the blades are a bit sharper."

"Are you trying to continue this conversation?" He can't be serious.

"Of course, you need to know the difference between razors. I understand you don't know the sanctity of shaving yet, but soon you will." Oh my god, he's serious.

"Look, how about you ask me a question, and we can drop this topic!" He was quiet for a moment.

"Can I ask you anything?" Oh, for the love of.

"You can ask me anything." He hums in agreement.

"Alright, do you have other feline traits, like claws?" I can only roll my eyes.

"Yes, I do, but I don't use them." Now that I think of it, I forgot to file them. Looking at my left hand, I go to shoot my claws out. My claws are all dirty and bloody...

"Hey, a new question for you." I turn my attention back to him. "What's your favorite food?"

"I couldn't say." Why did he change the subject so abruptly?

"Really?"

"Yeah, I eat ramen quite a bit, but that's only because Master Shiba doesn't mind making lunch for me at work. He doesn't even take it out of my pay!"

"He sounds like a pretty cool cat."

"He's a dog."

"I modify my earlier statement. He's a pretty cool dog." He snaps his fingers and then points at me with his right hand. I think it was an attempt at being cool; it failed miserably. He coughed before continuing. "Anyways, you got a favorite type of way to relax."

"Sometimes I like to just to take a breather." He was quiet, like he expected more until I heard the hum I was getting accustomed to.

"Yeah, a brief respite does wonders for the soul now and then." That's something I can fully agree with. He stopped talking after that, causing my attention to drift outside the car. It was getting dark again. The city's distant lights get closer with every passing minute. The stars in the night sky popping out since the city lights don't block them. It takes on a very different view. "Beautiful the stars, ain't they. Makes me want to stay out here forever." His words break me out of my thoughts. Why would he want to stay out here in the ruins? With nothing but desert instead of being in the city. It would be rather lonely.

"Hey, I have a question for you, Substitute."

"What's up?"

"Does being in the city bother you more than what you told me earlier?" He's quiet for a moment.

"Yes, it's too much." He seems uncomfortable when he answers me, almost like he doesn't want to admit it.

We both enter silence. The sound of the car is the one thing I hear again. I feel my eyes getting heavy again. Eventually, I stop trying to resist falling asleep.

My eyes open, and I immediately notice I'm not in the car. Instead, I'm in some sort of hospital room; in fact, I'm on an operating table. I get off it and walk towards a door with a clipboard next to it on the ground. Picking it up, I see a singular written code followed by one sentence.

V-247.

Designation on the neck area.

The image below the code is faded from age; I can't even make out the person in it. I scan the paper for anything of note, but it's all scratched out. It's almost like someone didn't want the information to be known. I feel a drop of liquid touch my head. I look up just in time to get another drop near my eye. Rubbing it off, I see a red smear on my hand. Deciding to leave, I opened the door and entered a hallway quickly. It's empty and barren, almost like it hasn't been occupied in years. The tiles on the ground are cracked, and the walls also have water damage. At least, I think it's water. It's unbelievably dark in here, even for my eyes. Walking forward, I notice each door has a label.

The only one I can make out simply reads outfitting bay. Entering inside, two computers immediately grabbed my attention. The one to the left had simple things: heart rate, X-ray scans of the body, and compatibility. Okay, that last one was weird. Moving to the other computer, I see something referring to V-247.

H.U.S.K.S unit V-247

Scavenger Type Outfitting Required.

Organic System Vent Compromised

Compatibility at 23.7%

Self-termination is imminent.

However, this gives me more information. That is bizarre information. Walking more into the room, I see a panel on the floor. There are stains on it and two footprints where I can only guess you'd stand. A pair of clamps have been broken clean off of something. My ears stand at attention; something feels off. Turning around, I don't see anything, but I don't feel alone in the room. Walking away from the plate, I notice footprints leading to a door on the right side of the room.

I don't know where to go, but it's the next best thing. Following the trail, I open the door to the room. Only to find one thing: a massive rifle. It had to be about my size, but it looked like someone had used it and wasn't on a tank, armored vehicle, or even a mech. The thing seemed to be made specifically for a person to use. I looked over it more and noticed three firing modes: a safety, a scope with twenty-four times zoom, and a weird fleshy metal-like design for the rifle. It's also fitted with a drum magazine. I go to try and lift it.

"So heavy!" The thing doesn't budge; it has to weigh a couple of tons. I try looking around the room for any indication of who would use this rifle. I only find empty casings the size of my thigh. It must be the ammo this weapon would have used. I doubt anyone in Kivotos could walk off the rounds this thing would fire, especially from what I notice with a complete chase that isn't empty.

The round is a massive 60x120mm that looks tipped with depleted uranium fused with a shaped charge with fins on the end of the ammo. And it seems like it's reactive ammunition. I move closer to it and notice the bottom of the round appears to be jet-assisted. These things are more likely to be tank rounds and cost a fortune to make. I scan the rifle spotting the ejection port. Opening it, I find one of these rounds inside the chamber, ready to fire. There's no way this thing was meant to shoot tank rounds. The rounds don't make sense at all. What bugs me the most though, is the trigger. I don't see one; in fact, a mold looks like an armrest inside the cannon, almost like I'm supposed to stick my arm in there.

Before I can, a light suddenly brightens the room. Looking up, I see a blue and green glowing butterfly. It lands right on my hand, letting its wings relax. Then, it practically blinds me.

"Fucking stop." My eyes shoot open, causing me to find myself back in the car. And witnessing the Substitute furiously press a button on the overhead lights above us. They go off before coming back on. He continues to fight the light to keep it off. Looking down at the panel, I noticed the automatic light feature was on. I press it, and the light finally stops cutting on. "Finally, it's over."

"If you wanted to shut it off, you just had to press this button." His head snaps towards me.

"You're awake." He seemed surprised

"Yeah, I woke up right as you said fucking stop." I watch his eyes take a sharpness.

"Sorry about that. I tried to keep the light off, but no dice." And you didn't think to check the console. I looked at the buttons and realized they were all in Arabic.

"You could've woken me up to turn them off." He shook his head and then returned his gaze towards the road.

"I didn't want to wake you. You seemed to be sleeping soundly." I don't have it to tell him my dreams were not sound. Then again, they weren't bad...I guess. It honestly felt like I had just gone through a bizarre and slightly unnerving dream. It's definitely not bad, though. Whoever out there says dreams have meaning obviously never had a creepy one like mine.

"So what did you dream about?" His question scares me a little. I thought he caught me staring at him.

"Nothing."

"Ah, just one of those times the brain is too tired even to dream, huh."

"Pretty much."

I hate how silence is starting to become a staple of this trip. I don't want to play on his phone after waking up, but I know nothing good is on the radio. I don't know what to do for a conversation with him either. I could ask more questions, but I don't know what to ask.

"So...um...you hungry?"

"Kinda." I watch his hand point into the distance. I couldn't make out what he was pointing at.

"Well, we're in luck. A building at least three kilometers away still has power. If we're lucky, there could be food inside." I don't think a building has electricity out here. I also don't think he can see that far either. To me, it's just a blur of a bunch of lights. There's no way he can make out things that far away. "Here's hoping they have good food." I'm not as optimistic as him.

Looking out the window, I notice the sunrise slowly appearing. The purple sky was getting harder to see. The semi-intact buildings block the view. Watching them pass by is relaxing. I try to shimmy my legs but can't because of the braces. I still think I don't need them. If I try and take them off, Substitute will probably have me put them back on. I look at my treated right hand. I don't know if my fingers are okay. I try to bend them, feeling no pain. After bending them several times, I settled in for the ride to this building.

(One hour later.)

The car came to a smooth halt at an open store with electricity. Who would open a store out here? You wouldn't get any real business a thousand kilometers from the city. Besides, people entering from outside, but that's it.

"Weird place for a store." If he thinks it's a weird place, it must be. "Alright, I'll round the car and help you out." He exits the car while speaking. He quickly walks past the hood. "Alright, let's go." He gets me out of the car, letting me use him as support, just like the hotel. It takes a bit to get into the store. When we enter, it's put together quite well.

"Welcome to Jordy's Quickie Mart~. If it's not on the shelf, we don't have it~." A sing-song voice greets us. We both look toward the source and see a young coyote woman waving at us behind a counter. As we approach her she starts singing-talking again. "What can I get for you?~"

"Got any filling food? We've been on the road for a while." After the Substitute asks, the woman quickly ducks down before popping back up. Her arms holding an assortment of sporty-looking food. "While I'm sure it's all high in protein, I'm not sure any of this is high in fiber." I watch as her ears twitch a little at Substitute's comment.

"Well, how about the little missy next to you~" She pointed at me. "What about what she wants~"

"You have a point. What do you want, Serika?"

"Can we get some drinks like sodas?"

"Why not."

"Alright, Go down aisle four and select what you want~" Her constant singing is getting a little annoying. Something tells me, though, that she probably has to sing. I've been there before. I watch as she hands substitute a basket.

Walking down aisle four, I see the typical sodas. You had Sorrow Outside, Pretty, Slappy, Stream-Water Soda, Tungsten Bru, and others. The lineup isn't the greatest, but it's decent. I pull the substitute toward a specific soda. I expected a slight resistance to my pulling, but there wasn't any.

"How about Slappy? It's a pretty good cream soda." He looks at it. I watch him look at the nutritional table on it which made his eyebrow raise.

"This thing has thirty grams of sugar. How can you drink this stuff?" He seems to be scanning more of the label.

"What, you don't like sweet things?" Honestly, he looks like the type to enjoy sweets.

"Not really." He holds it under his arm since it's too big for the basket. "Well, everyone has their tastes in things. Who am I to judge?" He looks up and down the aisle, pointing a bit further down. "We'll get some water, too. You need proper hydration." I can't argue with that. However, walking up and down the aisle like this together is tricky. Especially now that I have to hold on tighter to him while he carries things, I'm not sure if it's awkward for him, but I know being this close to him is embarrassing. Even if it's for a very good reason. Now I feel the main issue of why this method we have isn't great.

"Hey, Substitute." He hums to acknowledge me. "I have to use the bathroom." He goes still for a moment. I watch his head look around before he points.

"Welp, the bathroom is over there." He begins walking toward the bathroom. It's a little bit fast, but nothing I can't keep up with right now.

"I hope they have clean seats or at least seat covers." I hear him snicker a little

"If that's the case, I'll wipe the seat down for you." What?

"I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say you'll wipe the seat down?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We're not going into the family bathroom, you weirdo! You can just help me to the women's bathroom." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"The what? There's no such thing as a women's or family-only bathroom." He stated it in such a matter-of-fact tone.

"Of course there is! I don't know what backwater place you're from, but that's what you're saying isn't acceptable in Kivotos!" He rolls his eyes.

"Kivotos must be backward. Why would you need two separate bathrooms? When you can just make one, everyone can use it." What kind of place did he live in?!

"Look, you can't enter the women's bathroom. That's an insult to decency." He did what I can only assume is a scoff.

"Honestly, do you people find it strange to have men and women use the bathroom together?" My eye twitches a little at his question.

"Of course we do, you idiot. So help me toward the bathroom, and I'll take it from there." He sighs like I'm being the unreasonable one in this scenario!

Once we reach the bathroom, he lets go of me, allowing me to stumble and walk in. As I enter, I feel a bit colder near my thighs. I'm sure it's nothing.

(Vagues POV)

I was sitting on the ground in the dairy section, waiting for Kitty Cat to return. 'I believe she is more receptive to the name Serika.' Wow, Pandora, I had no idea. 'No one can ever be sure what ideas you have.' Was that an insult? 'I have no idea what you mean,' I grumble.

Looking at the brands in the store, none are familiar to me. Instead, it seems like a bunch of generic brands. It has decent pricing, however, so I can't complain, no matter how you look at it. I turned my head left only to notice the annoying text box was back. It was hovering above a mech toy, which is surprising. It's also a super complex design for a toy. It also looks like you must assemble it yourself for some reason. Looking at the text box directly now, I see a single word.

(Buy?)

I'm unsure if it's asking me to buy it for myself or for itself. I'm still concerned that it hasn't completely vanished after saving Kitty Cat. Now, the thing is harassing me constantly. I really shouldn't have given it the inch since it's trying to take the damn mile now. I decide to ignore the damn thing, only for it to appear in my face all of a sudden.

(Please buy it?)

"Absolutely not."

(But it's a limited edition!)

I pretend I don't see the text box anymore, even when it begins to glow even brighter. Seriously, between this thing and Pandora, I can't decide which is the worst parasite: Pandora hearing my thoughts and occasionally chiming in or the backseating text box. The light from the box grows so bright I can't ignore it any longer.

(Pleeeeeease.) My eye twitches as I begin reaching my limit.

"Why would I waste money on something that doesn't have a use?" I watch the text change rapidly after my question.

(Because it looks super cool. It could also be the start of a hobby for you.) I stare blankly at the text box for a little while.

"That's the dumbest reason to buy something I've ever heard!" I growl, causing the text box to dim.

(It could help you understand the students better?) The second my eyes glare at the box it quickly swaps students with people.

"Now, who could you be talking to~" The sing-song voice of the clerk working here speaks up from my right.

"Myself, like a lunatic." I hear her chuckle at my remark.

"Well, you certainly look the part~." She looks me up and down with vacant eyes before making eye contact. "Especially with eyes like those~." She leans to look deeper into my eyes. "Sharp as a knife, serene as a stream, with lethality unseen~." I watch her ears twitch before she cocks her head to the side. "Truly eyes befitting someone that's lived long yet shortly~" The more I listen to her, the more she annoys me. "Now, you mangled hyena, no reason to be so nasty~" I feel a muscle tense. "Older folks like us need to use words, don't you agree?" I'm silent; before I speak, I see the text box to the left of me. There is no text in it, just blank space. Looking back at her, I notice she stares intently, not at me though.

"Yeah, I suppose." She nods her head in agreement. Then simply turns away from me.

"We'll talk again at some point~." Dammit, I need an answer about this place, and I bet she knows.

"Before you go, can I ask just one measly question?" She looks back at me with a wide Cheshire-like smile.

"I suppose one question can't hurt~" Her eyes hold excitement for a reason I can't fathom.

"Do you take credit or yen?" She was quiet for a little while before speaking.

"Only yen usually, but I'll make an exception just this once~" Her voice was rather monotone. Like what I asked wasn't what she expected.

I nodded my head at her, letting her walk away. What a creep! I thought my mannerisms were off-putting. I guess I better shrug off what happened rather than think too heavily about it. After all, everyone is a weirdo; just some of us don't mind others knowing.

(She seems suspicious.)

I look away and toward one of the endcaps in the store. It's a good deal right now for canned vegetables; it's a shame that cooking on the road isn't possible. There's jerky, trail mix, and granola bars on the endcap to the right of that one, so at least that stuff is on sale. It might be a good idea to grab that stuff instead of the expensive stuff the clerk showed us early.

(Are you just ignoring what I said?)

A bit further down, there's a display with sweet bread. It might be a good idea to pair it with some crunchy PB and jam. I hope this place has a deli because a good honey ham slice sandwich would work well, too. Actually, now that I think about it, I wonder if this place has fresh vegetables. I hear a door open from behind me.

"Well...I'm done." Turning, I see Kitty Cat stumble walk towards me. Her face was laced with embarrassment for some reason.

"Alrighty, you ready to go." She just nodded her head and grabbed my arm.

Walking back through the mart, I grabbed some food. We're only a day out of Kivotos now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for things. Walking up towards the counter, I whipped out my wallet and placed the basket full of food on the counter. As she scanned, I opened my wallet, hoping the thousand credits I had were enough.

"The total is a resounding one hundred credits." As she speaks, I feel relief wash over me. I hand her the money and then watch as she prints a receipt. "Thank you for shopping at Jordy's Mart; please come again~" she sings out while we exit the store. I help Kitty Cat in the car and then put the groceries in the back seat. Once I make sure they're secure, I get in and speed us off.

I hope the rest of this road trip continues to go smoothly.

"Hey, um, substitute." Kitty Cat's voice sounds timid.

"What's up?" I utter while turning to her after stopping the car. I learned my mistake last time.

"D-did you happen to see any spats lying around when you rescued me?" What?

"I hate to say this, but I don't know what spats are. Is it something like undergarments?" She nods her. "Then no, I didn't see any undergarments lying around."

"I can't believe those creeps took my spats." She's talking about her abductors. That explains why she went commando under her shorts. Why take her undergarments but leave her shorts, though?

"All I know is I had to take your shorts off of you. They were drenched, so I couldn't leave you like that." I didn't get a response from her. In fact, it feels like I just made a terrible mistake.

"What color were these supposed shorts?"

"Navy blue, and they had a latex-like feel to them." Now that I think about it, I had trouble getting them off her.

"You took my spats off me!"

"Those things were spats. I thought they were shorts."

"You disgusting creep! I bet you still have them!"

"No, I tossed them because they were drenched."

"Of course, they were drenched in sweat; we're in a desert!"

"No, they weren't drenched in sweat."

"What else could they have been drenched in?!"

"You pissed yourself. Most likely because you were scared, you were about to die." I am waiting for a response but haven't gotten any. "I took them off of you because I didn't want you to wallow in it. I also cleaned you up with my hanky and some water." Since I'm airing out what I did when I found her, I might as well go the whole way. "Cleaned up your arms, face, legs, and anywhere with blood or dirt." I eventually looked back at her face only to see she was looking down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Oh no, we're nipping this bud now. I refuse to let her run from this.

"Look, Serika, something is bugging you, so what's up." I watch her cross her arms.

"The only thing bugging me is you." My little lady is something else.

"Are you gonna lie so blatantly to face like that?" I could hear her grumble under her breath. "Speak up, please, you're not a child."

"I already told you nothing is wrong!" I go to push, only to be interrupted by the text box.

(You should let her think for a little while.) I can only stare blankly at the box.

'It may be wise to leave her be. You will get nowhere as of now.' Fine, I get the point, my lovely parasites.

"Alright, I'll back off. Just know there's no shame in fearing death. Or how one acts when facing it." I start the car again, speeding us down the road. Scanning the terrain, I notice a cornucopia of housing that has long been abandoned. Poor things; some of them look pretty cozy—a far cry from Trinity's elaborate and beautiful buildings. I like them a lot more; they have a nice suburban feel. The cars that have been abandoned on the roads also seem to be primarily vans and trucks. A lot of working folks or families probably lived here. Can't imagine needing to pack your bags and move because you don't want to be sanded in.

I grab my phone from the cup holder and quickly go to contacts. Dialing The Three Musketeers, it rings for a couple of seconds before someone picks up.

"Hello, Giggit Berry of Schale speaking. How may I help you?" Giggit's calm voice is the most relaxing thing I've heard today.

"Giggit, you know it's me." I hear her sigh.

"Look, boss, you told me I had to say that over the phone no matter who called." Fair enough.

"Look, I'm calling to ask how things are going."

"About as good as you think. Digit and Widget are complaining about nothing to do. Knife Ears, your boss is angry because you didn't tell her you hired us." Oh shit, I forgot to tell Knife Ears about them. "I said what you told me to say to any GSC member that comes here when you're not here." Yeah, no Knife Ears will kill me.

"Anything else of note?"

"Yeah, some shorty with pink hair and mismatched eyes came by."

"Who?"

"No clue, but apparently, her underclassmen spilled that you agree to help them. And since you haven't contacted her, said lovely underclassmen is not doing too hot."

"You kidding me? Her classmate tried calling her from my phone."

"No offense, boss, your number is wonky."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, it's only five digits with no area code. So they probably didn't pick up; I know I wouldn't."

"Huh, well, anyway, open a phonebook and call Shiroko SunaooKami. Tell her I'm fine, and so is Serika, and to call my number right away."

"Does she even have your number?"

"No."

"Alright, gotta tell her your wonky phone number then. Anything else?"

"No, that's all Giggit."

"Alright, see you around boss."

"Happy trails." I hung up the phone. Is my number wonky? Five digits are expected back home, I think?

The silence returned, leaving me to scan the road again. I have to give it to the people who once lived here. They must have been relatively quick to get the hell out of dodge. There are fewer cars on the abandoned roads. Hopefully, those caught in the sandstorm made it into the city.

They probably died of thirst or hunger out here.

Regardless, we're about a day and a half out, judging by the distance. I first thought it was a day because of those towers in the distance. Yet it looks like they are falling apart themselves. So, a day and a half has to be how far we're out. Though, now I have another concern. This car feels like it's about ready to fall apart. The worst part is the previous owner didn't put spare parts in it. Add on the fact there are no license plates, and you have a burner car. There's no way Kitty Cat can endure the heat outside that long or the cold at night. Food is fine, and so is water, thankfully. Pulling the damn car may be the best option to keep her okay.

I turn the radio on to the news.

"Local authorities have begun a massive sweep of the neutral zone owned by Kaiser in Abydos." I listen intently and notice that Kitty Cat is also based on her ears. "The subway station formerly known as Set's domain has been subject of a potential mass murder or abduction." My eyes narrow at the radio. "Valkyrie Police Academy has found multiple used weapons abandoned. Along with the security systems completely compromised and footage being corrupted." We're both utterly silent as the news anchor continues. "Valkyrie is encouraging any citizen in the area to report immediately to them with any clues as to who the culprit or group is. They're also heavily encouraging residents not to enter abandoned areas or walk the streets at night." I decided to change the radio station after that last bit.

Just as I did, my phone's ringtone began to play.

"Your ringtone is kind of catchy." I snort at Kitty Cat's random little statement. Looking at my phone, it's a number I haven't seen before.

"Yellow, Kivotos' biggest asshole speaking, how may I help you?" I hear a snort from Kitty Cat after my introduction.

"Substitute, you're okay!" Oh my.

"Well, if it isn't the Little Jackal." I didn't think Giggit would've contacted her so quickly.

"Nn, I thought when you didn't show for the last couple of days that..." Her voice trails off.

"Hey now, no need to fret. The Kitty Cat and I are returning to Abydos proper now." I quickly look at Kitty Cat, catching her staring at me.

"Serika, is she alright!" The sudden burst of volume caught me off guard.

"How about you ask her yourself." I remove the phone from my ear and hold it towards Kitty Cat. "It's for you." She takes the phone from me.

"Hello?" I see her move the phone away as a massive amount of noise comes from the other side. It's almost like other people are also speaking besides Little Jackal. I decide to tune them out since it's none of my business what they talk about.

'Perhaps I can help with that.' Oh boy, the parasite is back. 'Yes, I've noticed you've been all over the place mentally since yesterday.' I didn't notice. 'Even snippiness is quite weak as of now.' Ugh, I hate that you can read my mind. 'It helps cut out a lot of dead air.' Fair enough, so what's up? 'You've been quite vexed about bringing the young one back. Are you perhaps wondering what was taken from you?' Yes and no, all I know is that my memories of home have just gotten foggier. 'I'm sorry for your loss.' Now, ain't no reason to be sorry for that stuff. At least, I think there's no reason to be. I'm just happy I still know me.

I wait for Pandora's response. The parasite decided there was no reason to continue our chat.

"Hey!" I hum in annoyance at having Kitty Cat raise her voice again.

"What?" I ease my foot off the gas and look at her.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. We're wondering if your phone can do video calls." Kitty Cat was staring at me, expecting an answer. The chatter from my phone had gone quiet, too.

"Yeah, it does why?" I swear something replaced Kitty Cat at that moment.

"Then can you swap to a video call for us?" A smile appeared on her face, and vibrancy in her eyes. It would be a real dick move to say no.

"No." To see her face quickly morph into a frown was hilarious.

"Why not!"

"Because you didn't say please." Silence rests between us for a moment, only for me to hear Kitty Cat mumble. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"Can you please change it to video call?" I extend my hand to take my phone. Once she hands it to me, I speak to Little Jackal.

"Little Jackal, I gotta hang up before I can swap over to video call, so you know."

"Nn."

I hang up, quickly tapping transmissions and scrolling to recent. Tapping it, I see my face appear in the right corner of my screen. I really need to shave. I'm starting to get a lot of stubble on my face. Before I can examine my face further, I see not just Little Jackal but Pinky, Miss Izayoi, and Miss Okusora. Before any of them can say anything, I spring into action.

"Good god! Take the phone, Kitty Cat. My eyes are scarred for life!" As I handed the phone off, I heard a couple of squeaks. Kitty Cat glared at me.

"Do you have to act like a jerk all the time?" I nodded my head at Kitty Cat's question and started the car again.

My mind settles back on the road. Ignoring the jabbering Kitty Cat's doing. But it's harder now since I can also hear the rest of the girls talking. However, if it keeps her placated and happy, then I can manage hearing them jabber. After all, how long can five teenage girls talk?