More Than Meets the Spy

by ssjSega

Loid Forger, codename Twilight, did everything he could to ensure that he and his family appeared as unassuming citizens for the sake of his mission. And like all common families, buying a new car was perfectly normal and expected. Little does he know, however, that there's more to his family's new car than meets the eye.

8. Mission 8: Learning How to Drive

...yeesh, did this one go on for way longer than I expected. I feel like I end up doing this a lot. Where I expect a chapter to be a certain length, but then it just keeps going and I only later find the right place where it should stop.

Funnier still is that I stopped the previous chapter where it was thanks to it getting too long, but here we are with the next chapter and it's EVEN LONGER!

In any case, now's the time for Yor to learn how to drive. Poor Bee's not the only person she'll be traumatizing today.

Thanks and shout out to SwapAUAnon, Matrix Dragon, and Quantum01 for Beta Reading this chapter.

---

Mission 8: Learning How to Drive

Camilla sighed in annoyance as she took a sip of her wine. It was supposed to be a simple dinner date at a high-end restaurant with her boyfriend, Dominic. After a whole workday of receiving calls, bookkeeping, errands, protecting Millie from the ogling of their section chief, and putting up with Yor's gloomy mood, she'd say she deserved something like that. She'd seen how hard Dominic worked, so he more than deserved it too. The only problem, however...

"So, Yuri, how's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs been treating you?"

...was this. Dominic just had to invite Yuri to what was supposed to be their time together.

"Pretty stressful, what with having to help in the recent Peace Summit. I'm just glad that's all done and over with," Yuri said to Dominic, waving the whole thing off before rubbing the back of his head. He took a bite of his steak with a satisfied hum, "Thanks for the invitation, by the way. The food here's pretty good," as he continued eating though, Camilla swore she heard him mutter, "Nowhere near as good as my sister's though."

Yor, I swear to God, you broke your little brother into something far more...bothersome than you, Camilla thought in annoyance as she continued eating. She refused to believe anyone could stomach, much less legitimately enjoy, that poison Yor called cooking. Either the man's been faking it for years just to keep his sister happy, or he was completely and utterly delusional. Neither spoke highly regarding his state of mind.

If Dominic heard it too, he didn't show, instead giving the younger Briar a smile, "Camilla's the one who picked the place out. It's one of the best restaurants in Berlint, and she has a real eye and taste for the best dishes," he looked over to her, "I'd say she deserves more thanks than I do."

Camilla gave her best smile and nodded to her boyfriend, briefly giving Yuri a glare before taking a sip of her wine. Just put up with it, she reminded herself, Like it or not, he's Dominic's friend. So just play nice for at least another hour, then give your boyfriend an earful for inviting him.

"Uh, did I do something wrong? You've been glaring at me pretty much all dinner," Yuri bluntly pointed out, almost making Camilla choke. Now the center of attention at their table, she saw the two men give her looks; Yuri's expression was one of curiosity (she swore there was this dangerous glint behind those red eyes) while Dominic's was complete, sincere concern.

"Camilla, is something wrong?" her boyfriend asked. Seeing no other option, and wanting to be honest with him, she sighed.

"It's just...I wanted this to be our night. Things have been pretty tough at City Hall lately for both of us, so I figured we needed an evening to ourselves," she leveled one last, brief glare at Yuri, "But you just had to invite him," before giving Dominic a less intense one, "And I'd be a lot less upset about it if you told me about it first."

Dominic, thankfully, didn't seem upset or offended by her anger. Instead, he looked apologetic and said, "Sorry, Camilla. Honestly, I just kinda forgot."

"Dominic, it's not like you to forget things like that," Camilla shifted from anger to worry.

"If it means anything, I think he only forgot because he told me last minute," Yuri interjected, taking a sip of water (Camilla had learned that Briars couldn't drink to save their lives) before continuing, "I only learned about this whole dinner thing a few hours ago."

Dominic nodded, "Things might have been a bit rushed and I forgot in the jumble. Besides, since all of us have been working hard at our jobs, it just felt fair to invite him since he just finished something big for the Ministry. Now that he has some time off, I wanted to be a good friend and help him enjoy it while it lasts."

Sighing, Camilla pinched the bridge of her nose, "Dominic, I swear, you can be too much of a sweetheart sometimes," but she gave her boyfriend a small, earnest smile, "But I can't blame you for wanting to help a friend out like this, even if it bugs me." Dominic returned the smile, with Camilla returning focus to her dinner as she cut a piece, "Still, I wish it could've just been the two of us," she took a bite and swallowed, "Between calls, errands, Yor's cooking lessons and bad moods, not to mention Millie complaining about her dating life again, I've been getting a lot of headaches as of late-"

"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" Yuri cut in, looking at Camilla with such intensity that she swore he was staring right through her.

"I...what?"

"You said something about my sister's 'moods'," he clarified, eyes narrowing, "Did something happen to her at work?"

Looking at Dominic, who seemed just as lost as Camilla, she turned back to Yuri and answered, "Well, it's just that she was pretty glum all day today."

Her answer didn't help at all, as Yuri seemed to have this dark, intimidating presence to him that made Camilla gulp. Dominic tried to placate Yuri, but to no avail. The younger Briar quietly growled, elbows against the table and hands folded beneath his chin, "Tell me, Camilla. Do you have any idea what or who is causing my sweet sister such sorrow?"

The way Yuri asked that question, it was almost like he wanted a very specific name. Like he was accusing someone and wanted her to say it just so he had an excuse. It's official. Yor's the normal one between these two, Camilla thought as she balked under his gaze. Clearing her throat, she answered, "Well..."

---

Sharon, Millie, and Camilla watched as Yor made herself a cup of coffee, sighing the whole way through. The four of them were currently in one of City Hall's kitchens, taking a break and gossiping over drinks. Or at least, they were, but Camilla found herself unable to think about all the interesting, funny rumors she'd heard about with Yor's glum demeanor almost swallowing the air around them. Sure, the office weirdo had kept it to herself and didn't let it get in the way of her work, but it was getting on her nerves.

Seriously, what does she have to be so moody about anyway? Camila wondered. Between her looks, marriage, happy-go-lucky kid and their new pet, Yor's life seemed pretty well put together. Was there trouble in paradise? Doubtful, seeing as Yor and Loid's relationship was touching enough to make anyone jealous (certainly, most definitely not her though). Did her kid insult her cooking again? Unlikely, otherwise Yor would be weeping her eyes out damn near every single day. No, this was something new.

"Uh, am I making the coffee incorrectly?" Yor asked, having become aware of their staring.

"No," Camilla answered, "Frankly, coffee's one of the few things you can make that won't kill anyone." Ignoring the glare Sharon gave her, she continued, "We're staring because you look like a kicked puppy."

"Oh, sorry," she watched as her drink finished pouring and took the cup to join them, "Guess I've been a bit bothered by something lately."

"What's the problem?" Sharon asked, briefly turning away to puff out the smoke from her cigarette. Yor, for her part, took a sip of her coffee and sighed.

"It's just...I don't know how to drive a car," Yor answered. Camilla and Millie waited for her to continue but were met with silence.

"That's it?" Millie asked, "You're upset because you can't drive?"

Yor looked down in shame, "Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?"

"Not really. Plenty of people your age don't know how to drive. It's part of why some people walk or take the bus," Sharon threw her cigarette into the nearest trash can. That seemed to lighten Yor's mood to a degree as the spacey woman smiled.

But then Millie sent it crashing down with a good point, "Honestly, if it's this big a deal for you, it's weirder that you haven't tried to get a license yet."

Camilla nodded along before giving Yor a questioning look, "Is this like how you forgot to tell anyone you were married? You just kept forgetting to get one?"

Yor nervously clutched at her drinking mug, "N-No. I've actually been meaning to get one for a while. It's just that every time, I always get caught up with-"

"Pardon the intrusion," the four of them turned to the voice, seeing the Director of Policy, Matthew McMahon, standing in the kitchen doorway, "But Mrs. Forger, you have a call waiting for you. It's urgent, I'm afraid."

While Camilla, Millie, and Sharon wondered who could be calling Yor at this time, their coworker had this immediate understanding on her face. Almost like she knew what the call was about before she even received it. Turning to them, she handed her cup to Sharon and, with a polite bow of her head, said, "Excuse me, but I'd better get going. It sounds pretty serious."

Before Camilla could ask what it was about, Yor was already out the door, following Mister McMahon and leaving them behind.

---

"And it must have been a pretty serious call, since was out for most of the day," Camilla concluded to her boyfriend and his best friend. By the time Yor got back in the afternoon, the blonde was too tired to even bother asking what that was all about.

"I see," Yuri looked to the table in contemplation, having finished his dinner during her explanation.

"I mean, it makes sense when you think about it," Dominic added, his own meal long since eaten, "Like Loid said back at the party, she's been trying to provide for Yuri almost her entire life. Probably never had the time and she's now hoping to change that. But life kinda has a habit of getting in the way."

Camilla couldn't do much else other than nod, now lost in her own thoughts. Honestly, she wasn't really sure why she was getting so hung up over this. Sure, Yor's bad mood was annoying to watch, but she wasn't sure why she didn't just ignore it and move on with her day. It's not like she had any reason to care. They weren't friends or anything of the sort.

"Hey, I think I have an idea," Dominic piped up, Camilla looking to him for clarification, "Since you're already teaching Yor how to cook, how about you help her learn how to drive? I'm sure both her and Yuri would appreciate it."

"Gonna have to pass on that. It'd probably be too much to juggle and schedule around," There's also the fact that I'm completely sure her driving's worse than her cooking, Camilla looked over to Yuri, who seemed to be completely zoned out of the conversation entirely, still stuck in his own head. She had no idea what he was thinking, and frankly didn't want to know. Maybe Dominic and I could try finding Yor a driving teacher? she wondered as she raised her wine glass to her lips, If Yor's a disaster behind the wheel, better them than us. Then again, Loid seems like he'd actually be a good teacher, and he'd have the patience to put up with her, but does he even know-

Suddenly, the table shook, shocking Camilla into choking on her drink. As Dominic hovered worriedly over her, she pounded her chest and took another swig, swallowing the coughs down. She angrily glared to the source; a rather exuberant looking Yuri who stood up so fast his chair fell to the floor, fist slammed against the table in the process.

Before Camilla could snap at him, however, he loudly proclaimed, "I got it! I know just how to help sis with her dilemma!" Camilla noted with embarrassment that his outburst drew in the attention of a few onlookers. "Thanks for the dinner, but I gotta go!" he said before grabbing his coat and running toward the direction of the exit, "See you later Dominic! Nice to see you again, Camilla!"

Camilla and Dominic were left alone, the onlookers thankfully turning their attentions elsewhere. As Dominic picked up Yuri's seat and returned to his own, Camilla sighed, "So much for a simple evening."

"Sorry," Dominic apologized again, "Look, I know Yuri can be...well, a lot, but he's honestly not a bad guy when you give him a chance."

Camilla rolled her eyes, Sure, and aliens are a thing. I'll believe it when I see it. Staring down at her unfinished dinner, she no longer felt her appetite and decided to wait for the check. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long, as their waiter came in a minute later. "Excuse me," she raised a hand as he arrived, "Could we have the check, please?"

The waiter bowed his head, "That won't be necessary, madame. Your dinner has already been covered."

"Huh?" both Camilla and Dominic were confused as the waiter raised his head.

"Your party member, Mister Briar, paid for tonight's course in full as he left."

...Okay, guess he isn't too bad, Camilla thought, Annoying, sure, but at least he's considerate when it counts.

The waiter bowed his head again and asked, "Will that be all?"

"I...sure. Thank you, good sir," Camilla answered as their waiter left. Seeing as they were done here, she held out her hand to Dominic, who smiled and planted a gentle kiss on it before helping her out of her seat. Now smiling herself, she wrapped her arm around his as they walked out the restaurant.

---

Well, this is the place, Loid stepped out of his car, as did Yor, when they arrived at the massive parking lot of an abandoned toy factory just on the outskirts of Berlint; it was one of many left in physical and financial ruin after the war. Staring at it from a distance, Loid recognized it, hearing the echoes of gunfire and explosions in the back of his mind. How many of his friends died in places like this, and how he killed countless more in retribution. Back then, he'd hardened his heart to the desperation of his enemies, allowed himself to grow cold to his allies. All for the sake of revenge, the most worthless of causes.

Shaking his head, he reminded himself that he wasn't that man anymore, nor would he ever be if he could help it. Instead, he looked around in an effort to find Yor's brother.

The fact that he asked us to come here is cause for concern, Loid recollected the phone call from a few days prior. All they knew is that Yuri had a surprise for Yor and set up a meeting location. Thankfully, Franky was available to look after Anya and Bond while they were out this afternoon, but that did little to ease Loid's worries. After all, Yuri didn't explain what this "surprise" was nor gave any hints, and it wasn't close to Yor's birthday or any holiday for that matter. With those possibilities ruled out, Loid had spent the interim worrying about the possibilities. Has he grown suspicious about the validity of our marriage? This could be a trap, Loid stroked his chin to think of places where he'd grown careless in his cover, the wind and nearby chirping of birds his only distraction, Though at the same time, his call sounded like he wanted only Yor to come here.

Yuri's mood did sour over the phone the minute Yor insisted her husband join in for this, whatever it was. So that ruled out the possibility of it being a trap for him, and he doubted it could be one for Yor. If there was one absolute certainty about Yuri, it was his (obsessive) dedication to protecting his sister. The odds of him ever trying to intentionally hurt her were nonexistent.

Not that he could even if he wanted to, Loid's lip curved just a tad and a light chuckle escaped, drawing Yor's attention.

"What's so funny?" Yor asked, clearly amused and curious about Loid's sudden mirth. For a second, he could've sworn he felt his heart skip a beat, though he was unsure as to why. He wasn't in any danger, after all.

"Nothing, just remembering things," Loid admitted, which was technically true, as he was recalling Yor's fighting prowess and how much he admired it. Every time he thought he'd seen it all, Yor did something to amaze him even more.

Yor gave a small laugh of her own before returning her gaze to the parking lot, the wind billowing her hair. "What do you think Yuri wanted to come here for?" she asked, lightly pacing forward to get a better look at the factory in the distance.

"Can't say," Loid's frown returned, as he didn't like not having answers, "He's your brother, and his call made it clear this was something for you. What do you think it could be about?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Yor admitted before the sound of two car engines came in from the distance. They both turned to the source and saw a pair of civilian vehicles, one an orange sports car and the other a grey grand tourer, drove into the lot and found parking spots, the orange sky tinting their windows. From the driver's seat of the tourer, Yuri stepped out and called to his sister with an exuberant wave.

Looks like we'll find out soon enough, Loid thought as Yor ran over and met her brother halfway, giving him a hug that definitely broke a bone or two in the younger Briar. Though as Loid walked over at a more casual pace, the others exited their cars (one from Yuri's and three from the other) and came over at similar speeds. This allowed Twilight to scan their faces as they approached each other, making his eyes narrow with concern, if only for a split-second to maintain composure.

Whatever this was, Yuri brought along with him some members of the State Security Service, all in civilian garb. Loid noticed among them were two men with scars, one blonde and the other with raven black hair. The former's scarring ran vertically along his left eye and was covered with stitching, while the latter's ran horizontally along his nose and under his right eye.

These two he recognized from WISE's files as the First Lieutenant and Captain of the SSS respectively. In the former's case, he even used him as a disguise to probe Yor for intel alongside Franky as a means to determine if she knew of her brother's ties to the SSS. It was an act he still felt immense guilt for, despite constantly reminding himself it was for the sake of the mission.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Forger," the First Lieutenant greeted in a stern, but not impolite manner. Shaking his hand and the captain's, Loid exchanged greetings with them before the third person from their car walked up, one even more recognizable to him than his peers, but for entirely different reasons.

Holding out his hand, Loid greeted, "Nice to meet you as well."

"Same to you, Mr. Forger. From what Yuri tells us, you're a doctor, right?" 'How goes the operation?' the "officer" asked, mouthing a different question. They'd have to keep this brief, given the close SSS presence.

"Yes, it's a lot of hard work, but I find it fulfilling," Loid replied while mouthing, 'Operation STRIX is progressing,' before he looked to the three of them and asked, "I take it you're all friends of Yuri's?"

"Coworkers, to be precise. Yuri's superiors as fellow diplomats," the Lieutenant answered, looking over to Yuri and his sister as they were now approaching them alongside the last of the SSS. For a moment, Loid worried Yor would recognize the Lieutenant, given the "encounter" she had with him, but made no indication that she did. Perhaps she'd simply forgotten?

"I see," Loid replied, hiding his relief as he looked to Yuri and asked, "Yuri, why did you call us out here?"

The younger Briar gained a rather huffy appearance as he crossed his arms, "Well, Loidy, if you must know, I learned recently that my dear sister was upset, and put together that it was because she couldn't drive," his eyes narrowed, "Something you should've known about, seeing as you two are married."

"Yuri, he didn't know because I kept it to myself," Yor stepped between Loid and her brother, a pleading glint in her gaze to get the latter to calm down, "That's no reason to be upset with him."

"She's right, Yuri. Let it go and just say what this is all about," the SSS officer behind Yuri, a woman wearing a beanie, placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a reprimanding glare.

Yuri looked between the two as his gaze softened, taking a calming breath as he continued, "Right, well, my point is, since my sister sounded so upset about it, I asked my friends from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help me teach her how to drive."

"R-Really?" Yor's face lit up as she gave her brother a second hug, "Thank you!"

Loid smiled at the scene, happy to see his wife's mood brought up. Though at the same time, he couldn't help but find himself agreeing with Yuri's point; the fact that he didn't do much to help with Yor's turmoil was a black mark on his role as her husband. When he first saw her dour mood after they fended off their attackers, he wanted to further question what was wrong so he could better help. Worrying that being too forceful with his questions and needing to pick up Anya from school at the time held his tongue. Combined with Yor's mood improving the following day after he picked her up from work, he assumed it to be nothing. In hindsight, Yor's problem should have been obvious.

It seems I still have a lot to learn about being a husband, Loid and everyone else winced, definitely hearing the sound of bones crack from within Yuri as Yor finally released the hug. Though the younger Briar didn't seem to mind and casually rolled his shoulders, cracking his bones back in place.

"Anyway, let me introduce everyone," Yuri first gestured to the officer in the beanie, "This is Chloe, though you already met her. She's an Attache as far as diplomats go."

Loid put on his most polite smile and held out his hand, "Good to meet you, Chloe," she shook his hand, to which he asked, "So, you're a friend of Yuri's?"

"Well, I wouldn't quite say that..." Chloe admitted, much to Yor's confusion.

"But didn't you say both of you attended the same classes in college?"

Interesting, Loid didn't sense any deception from Chloe's body language and pondered this new information. Judging by Chloe's age (early-to-mid twenties based on appearance) and false rank in the Ministry of Foreign affairs (much like Yuri's former rank), it was clear that she was a newcomer to the SSS, likely having joined at a similar time to Yuri.

"Your brother tended to keep to himself and focus on his studies. Honestly, he didn't interact much with anyone from what I saw," Chloe pointed out, to which Yor looked at her brother somewhere between admonishing and prideful, if such a thing were possible.

"Sounds like Yuri alright," Yor said, Yuri looking away bashfully, "Yuri, I know you tend to prioritize goals like that, but I was hoping you'd get the chance to make some lasting connections while you were there," she looked down in shame, "Something I never really got the chance to do for myself."

"I mean, I didn't have time to do something like that until recently..." Yuri grumbled to himself in a slightly guilty tone, though just loud enough for everyone to hear.

And given how the SSS tend to operate, odds are he won't have time for something like that still, Loid mused, and with how laser focused Yuri was regarding protecting his sister, there was the question of if he even wanted that. Perhaps deep down he did, but he kept forcing it aside. And the more Loid mused, the more he started to question himself? Did he want that? Those kinds of connections? He'd thrown any chance for that away the day he chose to become Twilight, and yet-

"It looks like you're at least getting the chance now. I think both of us are, so better late than never, as they say!" Yor's happily, melodic voice drew Loid out of his musings as she stepped forward to the rest of Yuri's associates, "It's nice to meet you all! I'm Yor Forger," she smiled, but blinked, face turning a tinge red with embarrassed realization, "Uh, s-sorry! You probably already knew that."

Out from the corner of his eye, Loid noticed Yuri's eyes narrow ever so slightly when Yor introduced herself. More specifically, when she referred to herself as 'Forger'. Ignoring that for the time being, he watched as WISE's mole in the SSS stepped forward and held out a hand. "No, it's alright," the mustached man said as Yor shook it, "Seeing as we're all making introduction's anyway, call me Jeffrey."

"Gascoigne," the SSS captain followed gruffly. Everyone looked to the highest ranked SSS officer, who shrugged.

"Let's just get this over with," the First Lieutenant sighed, not even bothering to introduce himself. Though based on body language and what Loid knew about the work schedules of the higher ranking SSS members, he was probably exhausted despite maintaining a professional demeanor.

Certainly seems familiar, Loid recalled every single time he'd felt on the verge of passing out, forcing every fiber of his body to stay awake. It wasn't a pleasant experience, despite having grown accustomed to it over the years.

"So," Loid started, "How are we going to go about this?"

Yuri puffed his chest proudly and gestured to the entire parking lot, "It's pretty simple. I was thinking we help ease my sister into the basics of driving, and the parking lot here's both stable and spacious enough for that to work. We can take things slow with turning, parking, and speeding up in suburban environments. More complex stuff we can continue from there later."

"Sounds pretty well thought out," Loid complimented with a nod, much to Yuri's annoyance.

"Yeah! Can I get started now?" Yor asked, practically bouncing in anticipation. At the sight, her husband couldn't help but smile, sharing in that same joy.

"Sure, let me just get the car star-"

"Actually," Yor interrupted her brother and sped on over to Loid's car, patting its hood, "I'd like to practice driving with Bumblebee, if you don't mind."

"Oh..." Yuri stammered, looking flatfooted before he saw how Yor's eyes pleaded with him, "Sure, I guess that's fine too."

"Great!" Yor practically ran to the driver's seat and opened it, getting in and taking the wheel faster than most could blink. Loid was able to keep up with such movements, but only barely. He saw that everyone else (barring Yuri) was either blinking or rubbing their eyes in an effort to comprehend Yor's displayed levels of speed.

"I...guess we should get in?" Chloe regained herself as she and Yuri started heading for the car. But before they could get very far, Loid stopped them.

"If it's alright, can I help with this?"

"No," Yuri flatly refused, "I don't need your help for this, Loidy. Now just stay back with-"

"That sounds like a great idea," Jeffrey cut Yuri off, much to the latter's shock.

"Agreed," said the SSS Lieutenant, further baffling Yor's brother as he leveled a neutral gaze to him, "Better to have a second or third opinion on this. That way, your sister has more feedback for improvement."

"B-But what about-"

"Kid, enough. Just get in the damned car already," Gascoigne sternly crossed his arms, leaving no room for argument as Yuri groaned. He slumped and made his way to Bumblebee with Loid walking right next to him. Meanwhile, Chloe stayed behind and from the looks of it, was receiving orders from her superiors. Loid pondered on what those orders could be, but if he had to guess, it was to keep a close watch on him.

It's likely the reason why Yuri requested their presence to begin with, Loid thought, the reason making sense. While Yuri's efforts to help his sister were undoubtedly genuine, the State Security Services' aid seemed to mostly be about grilling Loid for evidence. He could see in their eyes that none really bought into the idea he was a spy (at least not yet), but curiosities had to be satisfied. Now, Loid knew Yuri was gunning for anything to prove as such, albeit driven by his protectiveness towards Yor than anything else, but at this point, he knew how to deal with him. The real concern will be this new agent, Loid had no idea how Chloe thought, with the most he could gauge at the moment being that she seemed more strait-laced than Yuri.

But having been Twilight for years, he knew looks could be deceiving.

As they neared Bumblebee, Yuri sped up and reached the shotgun seat with an almost gloating expression. But when he attempted to open the door, it refused. "Huh?" Yuri pulled on the handle as hard as he could, but it wouldn't budge no matter how much he tried, "Ugh! Loidy! What the hell's wrong with your car? The door's busted!"

"Strange, let me see the problem," Loid reached for the handle, only for Yuri to block him.

"No way! I'll open it myself," Yuri snapped, almost like he was trying to keep Loid from the shotgun seat itself. The act made Loid roll his eyes, both because it wasted time and because he was never going to sit there to begin with for this.

"Oh for God's sake, Yuri!" Chloe snapped at him and smacked him behind the head with enough force to leave an almost comically large bruise, "Just let him see what's wrong with it!"

"...fine," Yuri pressed the injury down and reluctantly stepped aside, allowing Loid to inspect the damage. From the exterior, there didn't seem to be anything broken, so he pulled the handle to get a feel for why it was stuck. Instead, it opened without issue. "Oh, so now it's working?" Yuri angrily asked.

"What's going on?" Yor questioned, looking at all of them in confusion.

Loid gave her a slightly confused, but reassuring smile, "Just an issue with the door, but it seems to be gone now. I'll have a better look when we get back home."

At Yor's nod, they all entered the car, with Yuri first entering the shotgun seat. Loid and Chloe sat in the back seats, with the former just behind Yuri's. The seating positions would allow Loid to better see whatever Yor did behind the wheel, and thus, help her improve. He noticed how Chloe's eyes spared him occasional, observing glances that lasted mere moments before returning to the Briar siblings. Between that and Yuri's glaring at him through the rear-view mirror, he also saw Yor nervously curl her fingers on the steering wheel, too scared to move.

"Deep breathes Yor," she muttered, inhaling and exhaling between sentences, "You can do this. You can do this. You can do this."

"Aw, don't sweat it sis. Knowing you, you'll ace this in no time!" Yuri cheered Yor on, now ignoring those behind him. Still, that did help Yor relax just a little, as she took one final breathe. She twisted the key, turning the car on, then put it in drive. Slowly, she seemed to be getting the hang of things.

And then she slammed her foot on the gas...

---

"Dun dunna, dunna duh da duuuuuun!" Anya started singing, walking on the sidewalk next to Bond and enjoying the afternoon sun.

"What are you singing?" Uncle Scruffy asked. Anya looked back at him while he held Bond's leash. She couldn't help but feel jealous that all the adults could do that while she couldn't. One day, she would be big and strong enough to walk Bond like they could!

"Dunno," Anya shrugged as she hugged Bond for a bit, "Just something I made up."

"Borf!" Bond barked and nuzzled into the hug.

"Huh, neat," Franky scratched his chin, "You know, I'm not sure why, but it kinda sounds...I don't know, a bit on the spacey side," he closed his eyes and hummed, "Reminds me of some shows I watch a lot. There was this one movie about giant alien robots invading Earth..." Anya tried not to giggle, but she failed. If only Uncle Scruffy knew. Heh, always wanted to see a giant robot in real life now that I think of it, he thought with a smile, Read a few books growing up that were pretty inspirational for designing my robotic exoskeleton, even if it's still a work in progress.

Uncle Scruffy has a robot super suit? she saw into his mind and saw him building a shiny looking power armor with an F on the chest, So cool! Anya practically jumped in excitement, getting a look from her favorite uncle. "Uh, Anya just really likes robots. They're super cool!" Anya technically wasn't lying. Ever since Bumblebee arrived, she really wanted to see more stuff with robots like him. Now having an idea, she put on her best pleading face, "Can I watch some of the robot stuff you saw, please? I wanna see the robots!"

Uncle smiled and knelt down, "Sure, though you're definitely gonna want to ask your parents about it. I know a drive-in theater that plays all sorts of movies, so you can ask them to take you there at some point."

Anya gasped, "If I get a stars, would Papa take me to the movies?"

"Ha! If you get another Stella, I think Loid'll probably buy out the whole theater just so you can watch any movie whenever you want!" Either that or you can guilt him into doing it if he says no. The man's a softy on the inside when it comes to his kid, Uncle Franky laughed, making Anya laugh too. But then he stopped, seeing something and asking, "Wait, what the hell's that?"

Anya turned around and looked at the road, seeing a yellow car way in the distance that was driving really, really fast. Wait, her eyes went wide, Is that Bumble-

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Bumblebee screamed in her head as he blurred by the three of them, wind blowing everywhere as Anya watched him drive away.

"...what was that?" Uncle Scruffy asked, looking like Papa whenever Anya got a bad grade.

"Borf!"

"I think that was Papa's car," Anya said as a police car drove past them, red and blue lights blinking on its roof with a loud, annoying siren sound.

"Oh..." Uncle Franky went really quiet, "Shit."

---

"Uh, Y-Yuri, am I doing this right?"

"You're doing great sis-LOOK OUT!"

Yor yelped and managed to narrowly avoid the oncoming car as she zoomed up the inclined road, reaching its zenith and feeling Bumblebee leap off it like a ramp. In those moments, when gravity felt light and they hovered in the air, she was left wondering if she was making any mistakes. Sure, she'd seen people drive plenty of times, but with her mind racing a billion miles a second, all those instances of observation became a nightmarish, messy blur that made a room of corpses seem cleanly by comparison. Even the blurry view of outside the car seemed comprehensible compared to everything running in her head, but that was probably because she was built and trained to work at such speeds.

Am I going too fast? Yor wondered, since she couldn't immediately recall if she'd ever seen a car drive over 200 MPH before, but she was too terrified to take her foot off the gas. Where there any speed limits like that in Ostania? Westalis maybe? She didn't trust herself behind the wheel to know the answer, so she had to have faith in her husband, brother, and bother's friend to guide her through this and tell her if she was doing something wrong.

Granted, Loid was being...disturbingly quiet, and Chloe was screaming so loud the octave could shatter glass. But Yuri was screaming too and still able to comment on her driving, and so far, he said she was doing good. If Chloe and Loid saw her doing something wrong, they'd tell her and provide the needed corrections, right?

As the car descended, it landed back on the road, making everyone jump in their seats. In the process, a knob on the radio must have loosened, because it turned on and started playing, "-ord help me, I can't cha-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ange!" Yor saw she was rapidly approaching a car from behind and swerved around it, "Lord I can't change. Won't you flyyyyyyy hiiiiiiiiigh freeeeee birrrd, yeah!"

The radio let loose a guitar solo as traffic grew, Yuri and Chloe screaming even louder. Determined to avoid crashing, Yor narrowed her eyes and swiftly turned and shifted past each and every vehicle, keeping away from sidewalks and civilians. While she managed to avoid bumping into anyone, amidst the honking of horns, she noticed how the radio kept getting louder and louder, drowning out Yuri and Chloe's screams. It was almost like it was somehow screaming alongside them.

Maybe I should stop? Yor thought, but she didn't know exactly how to do that. On top of everything, she was in the middle of the road and moving way to fast to properly stop. She needed an open space void of obstacles to slow down first. And that was without accounting for the three-way intersection she was heading towards. Crap! Yor thinking quickly, made a sharp 90 degree turn right and burst forward, dodging a few more cars before the roads became clear again.

"O-Okay sis, still doing great!" Yuri complimented at the top of his lungs as they went through an underpass, "B-But maybe we should probably find a p-place to park!?"

Entering a tunnel, Yor nodded, but before she could slam her foot on the brakes and attempt to slow down, far ahead she saw a construction crew working on one half of the road, directing a few cars to the other side to get around them. There was no room ahead for her to get through, and she couldn't slow down without crashing into anything at this speed. And everyone seemed to realize it too, as their screams (and the guitar solo) grew even louder. Instinctively, Yor did the one thing she could; put all her strength into slamming her body against Bumblebee's door, making the whole car lean in that direction. Then, she drove to the right, narrowly avoiding the last car in line as she slammed into the tunnel wall, rubber burning against it.

All four of Bumblebee's wheels made contact with the wall as Yor drove along it, circling over everything on the road amidst a series of honks and beeps before returning to ground as she reached the tunnel's end and entered the afternoon sun once more.

"Phew! That was a close one!" Yor smiled as tall buildings started blurring past them again, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this!

"Y-Yeah! T-Too close!" Chloe stopped screaming for a moment and found her voice, "NOW PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND STOP THE FU-WATCH OUT!"

"I see it!" Yor swerved to the left to avoid crashing into the building, darting forward at speeds faster than most could blink. Unfortunately, this left her moving too fast to make a second turn left, forcing her slightly shift right and enter a narrow alleyway, smashing into a dumpster that likely went flying somewhere behind her. While the alleyway was a straight shot back to the roads, Yor's eyes could see far ahead to notice a trailer truck had stopped at what was presumably a light, with them on a collision course for each other. Making matters worse, she could see people walking down the sidewalk, there was another large dumpster taking up the right half of the passage, and she had no way to stop without running into any (or all) of those in the process.

"Yuri! Lean for the door!" at her words, Yor's brother nodded and did just that. Combined with Yor's leaning, Bumblebee tilted on its right, letting her turn left and drive up the wall. The instant they reached the end of the alley, Bumblebee flew high into the air, soaring above buildings as the car spun several times over. With each spin, the screaming and music seemed to crack and crackle, as if everyone's voices were getting tired from it all.

After a few seconds, they started to descend, Yor timing the spins just right to force Bumblebee to the nearest apartment building as she slammed her foot against the brakes. Wheels first, the car skidded against the bricks before sliding down to the street, tilting one final time and coming to a complete stop as the guitar solo faded and ceased. Now partially against the empty sidewalk, Yor turned off the car and sighed in relief, I did it. I can't believe I actually- her reverie was cut off when the back door opened, with Yor seeing that Chloe had run out and was now puking in the garbage can just behind them. "O-Oh," Yor was starting to get concerned and asked her brother, "I-Is she okay?"

"Y-Yeah. She'll be fine," Yuri stepped out, legs shaking, "Just gotta...t-take a breather..."

He closed the door and leaned against the car, his entire body shaking as he breathed in and out. Come to think of it, the car itself seemed to be shaking, which was odd since she turned it off. Putting that aside, she turned back to face her husband, whose breathing was ragged and labored, eyes wide as deathly buzz saws that seemed to be staring right through her. She didn't know what was going through his head, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been anything good, and her driving had caused this. What kind of terrible wife was she!?

"L-Loid?" Yor reached out, shaking him with remorse in her eyes, "Loid! I'm sorry, I messed up! Please, come back!"

It took a few tries, but Loid started to blink rapidly as his eyes returned to normal, "Yor...what just happened?"

"Oh thank goodness!" Yor sighed in relief and reached back to hug him. Realizing it was going on a bit longer than intended, she blushed and pulled back, awkwardly clutching at the headrest of her seat. "Uh..." she stammered, "I should...probably go check on Yuri and his friend."

"Yeah..." Loid shook his head, still seeming to be shaking off his stupor from earlier. The guilt coming back, Yor stepped out of the car and looked over to Yuri and Chloe, the former still catching his breath while the latter was hunched against the garbage can like it was a crutch. The sight made Yor's confidence shrink with each passing second. Her husband stepped out a moment later, taking a deep inhale and exhale as he smiled like nothing was wrong. But Yor couldn't forget that faraway look in his eyes.

I've seen that look before, Yor looked down at her hands, remembering a few of the jobs she'd taken as Thorn Princess. As she took the lives of her targets, she looked them in the eyes before delivering a quick death. And in their eyes was the same gaze Loid had; their entire life flashing before them as it ended in an instant. She'd just put her husband, an innocent, loving, gentle man and caring father, through that very same thing. And as the guilt grew worse, so too did the realization of how many innocents she put at risk today. If this was what her driving did to those inside the (relative) safety of the vehicle, what about those outside, who had no such protection and whom she probably drove too close to for comfort.

She should've taken her foot off the pedal and slammed the brakes. No, she never should've gotten into the car in the first place. What was she thinking? She wasn't built to drive a car like a normal person. She'd never be a normal person! She'd always stand out as a complete weirdo, making everyone suspicious with the Secret Police coming after her, leaving Loid, Anya, Bond, and Yuri behind and-

"Yor, that was amazing!" Yuri cut off her rapidly deteriorating sense of self.

"Huh?"

"I mean, did you see your skills behind the wheel? You circled around a tunnel and drove up a building!" Yuri praised, gesturing to Bumblebee's still shaking form, "And you did it in Loid's shoddy old wagon. Honestly, I didn't know it could pull off those kinds of things, but you found a way!"

At Yuri's words, the car stopped shaking completely, becoming so still that it actually concerned Yor. Putting that aside, she looked to her brother, seeing both Loid and Chloe give him looks of utter bafflement, and asked, "Really? You mean I drove good and that I'm not some weirdo who can't drive to save her life?"

Yuri was about to speak, but then Chloe grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn to her, "Yuri, are you insane!? That was horrible!"

"W-What?" Yor's heart sank while Yuri glared at her. Even Loid seemed taken aback by the outburst. Chloe remained undeterred, looking Yor in the eye.

"Yor, I'm going to be completely sincere and honest with you right now," she took a deep breath and clutched at her head, as if getting a headache, "That driving was so horrific, erratic, and just absurdly hyper that the only reason it isn't worse than an actual war crime is because somehow, against all known laws of possibility, no one got hurt!"

"S-So, it really was as bad as I thought it was?"

"No," Chloe answered, voice now utterly monotone, "It was worse. Whatever you thought couldn't compare to the roller coaster of insanity we just went through."

"CHLOE!" Yuri practically growled at his co-worker as the two entered a stare down, "Apologize to my sister, now!"

Chloe's eyes narrowed, "No Yuri, she needs to hear this and you're not gonna tell her anything! All you've done is sing Yor's praises, acting like she could do no wrong when she did everything wrong. The entire reason we're here is to help her improve, and that'll never happen if you refuse to accept that she can make mistakes! And that she, in fact, made more than I could count!"

"Uh, excuse me," Loid tried to enter the conversation, "Can I give my own-"

"Stay out of this Loidy!" Yuri raised a hand at him, narrowing his own eyes at Chloe, "Alright, if she made more than you could count, how about you name them and give advice on how to fix it? Because from where I'm standing, I just hearing nothing but put downs. Tell me, how's that going to help my sister "improve", as if you want her to."

"Everyone, stop it!" Yor all but screamed at them, silencing the argument with stares of shock aimed at her, Loid looking like he was just about to get between the arguing diplomats. Sighing, she looked to the floor and rubbed her hands, "Yuri, like it or not, she's right. I really am a terrible driver."

"Wha-Yor! Don't say that! You're honestly not that bad."

Yor blinked at the statement, "So...d-do you honestly think it was bad?"

Yuri balked, unsure of what to say as he awkwardly looked around, guilt evident in his eyes. Even Chloe, in spite of her earlier admonishments, was regretful of what she'd just said.

"I'm sorry sis," Yuri muttered, sounding ashamed as silence overcame the entire group.

"It's fine, Yuri," Yor replied, "Honestly, I don't think I can blame you for that, since it was to spare my feelings." Besides, with everything I've been lying about to...well, everyone, it's not like I have a right to be upset about something like that. "Let's just try again. I want to get this right, no matter how many times it takes." Everyone looked to each other, either in concern (Chloe), admiration (Yuri), or both (Loid). Thankfully, all of them nodded, with Yor's mood picking up as she clapped her hands, "Great!" she looked to her husband, "Loid, if it isn't too much trouble, could you sit next to me this time? I'd like your direct help when it comes to this."

"Sure," Loid nodded, much to Yuri's clear frustration, though he swallowed it down as the four of them made way for their respective seats. As Yuri struggled to open the rear door (which Loid helped him with), Yor sighed. She was well aware that her brother didn't approve of her and Loid's marriage, and while it started off understandable given its original intent as a cover to both maintain her assassin identity and put Anya through school, it became harder to put up with the longer it went. While Yor sincerely loved her little brother with all her heart, she just wished he'd stop being so needlessly frustrated with her life choices.

Reaching for the driver's seat door, she pulled the handle to open it, yet it wouldn't. Blinking, Yor pulled again, this time harder, yet the result was the same. With a grunt, she pulled as hard as she could, and after some effort, the door finally swung open. "Alright," Yor said as she sat down and closed it, "Let's try this again," inhaling and exhaling, she turned the key, yet nothing happened, "What?"

"Huh, that's odd," Loid tried turning the key, only to be met with the same result.

"Maybe you should go look under the hood?" Chloe asked as Loid turned the key again, the car suddenly turning on the moment she finished the question. Since it was working now, Yor gripped the wheel and prepared to drive, only for the car to just as suddenly turn off.

"Seriously? What the hell's wrong with this hunk of junk now?" Yuri snapped, which was met with the back of Yor's seat slamming into his face, "Argh!"

"Yuri! Are you okay?" Yor asked, everyone looking back at her brother in concern. She wondered how that even happened, as she didn't adjust or even touch the seat.

"Dammit! Why does this car hate me!?" Yuri clutched at his reddening forehead.

"Yuri, a car can't hate you. It isn't a living thing," Loid pointed out as he exited the car, "I'll go look under the hood. See if anything's damaged."

"What about the seat and doors?" Chloe asked.

"I'll check those after the fact," he looked at Yuri, "I may need some help inspecting the car. Think you could lend a hand?"

Yuri was a bit apprehensive to the idea at first, but relented when Yor gave him a pleading look. "Fine," he said, getting out, "Let's figure this thing out."

"There should be a tool kit in the trunk," Loid said, with Chloe offering to get it. As everyone was exiting to work on the car, Yor found herself almost mechanically doing the same, if only to see what she'd broken within Bumblebee. She watched the three struggle to open the hood, and while she wanted to help, she was scared to do so. If her terrible driving broke something, she didn't want to risk doing any further damage. Thankfully, it wasn't necessary, as they managed to get it open and start the inspection.

"Strange," Loid muttered loudly after a couple minutes.

"What?" Yor asked, "Did you find something?" Though the second question she wanted to ask: "How can I help?" went unsaid.

"The opposite, actually," Yuri leaned up from out of the hood, "Pretty much everything's perfectly intact, and there isn't a bolt or piston out of place."

Wait, is that even possible? Yor couldn't believe it. With Bumblebee's behavior, you'd think something inside was ruptured or busted up.

"There's gotta be something wrong here..." Chloe looked across the engine again while Loid and Yuri checked other components. Once more, their inspections came back negative. As this continued, Yor stood back and pondered what was going on, and her mind came to a conclusion.

"What if I'm the problem?" Yor drew their attention away from the engine, "What if Bumblebee's afraid of me? What if the car hates me?"

"Yor, what are you talking about?" Chloe asked, utterly befuddled by the question.

"Think about it," Yor explained, "Bumblebee started working for Loid when he turned the key, but the minute I try to drive again, it shuts down. Not to mention how it felt like the door to the driver's seat was fighting against me. It's almost like Bumblebee doesn't want me to drive it."

Everyone looked to each other, Loid turning back to say, "Yor, I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense. I said it before, but cars can't do that."

"It's the only reason I could think of at this point," Yor sank into the sidewalk, taking a seat with knees to her chin, "But if it can, then it has every right to with how terrible I am behind a wheel." Yor closed her eyes and let her thoughts wash over her, frustrated by the inability to just do the things a normal person could without struggle. Interrupted by the air shifting next to her and a familiar presence, she turned to see Loid had taken a seat at her side, his own eyes both curious and concerned. With a blink, she sat up, "Loid?"

Her husband looked up at Yuri and Chloe, "Could you both give us a moment, please?" Yuri huffed, clearly not wanting to listen to Loid, but Chloe elbowed him and gave a glare as she picked up the tool kit from the ground. He relented with a slightly frustrated sigh, and the two entered Bumblebee's rear seats, neither struggling with the doors like previously. Loid focused his attention on Yor and asked, "Yor, what's this about? It feels like this goes a bit deeper than just not being good at driving."

Yor sighed, "It's just...well, there are a few things. Part of it's because I feel like I'm not doing enough for you and Anya. Like I could be doing more for the family. You already do so much and I..." she licked her dry lips and gulped, "I want to help carry that weight. I figured I could help with things like driving Anya to school when you were too busy or take the wheel if you ever got tired on the road. Just little things like that."

"But there's something else? Isn't there?" Loid asked, gently gazing at her, "You said not being able to drive made you feel "weird", but I don't see anything strange about that."

It still amazes me how well Loid can read people, Yor gave a mirthless chuckle. While she hid her secrets well, when it came to her feelings, she may as well have been an open book to her husband. "Yeah, I talked about it with my coworkers too, and they said the same thing," Yor admitted, hands behind her as she leaned back, "But it just doesn't sit well with me that I never learned how to drive. I want to be able to have these kinds of experiences that I never gave myself the time for. Too bad I messed it all up."

"You were afraid. Everyone makes those mistakes when their fears get to them."

"Doubt they ever get as big as the ones I made today," Yor relented.

"Actually, if I'm being honest, your first time behind the wheel's better than mine ever was," Loid admitted, much to Yor's shock.

"Really?" She faced him as he nodded, searching for even a hint of insincerity just to know if he was lying to help her feel better. Yet in his eyes, there wasn't a trace of any.

"I had friends at the time that were...hurt," Loid explained, staring at the sidewalk as his gaze became distant, "I was desperate to get them help, so I tried to drive them there as fast as I could. Ended up crashing and bumping into almost everything, and I was terrified, both for myself and my friends. In the end, none of it mattered. They died along the way."

"I...I'm so sorry," Yor replied, her earlier frustrations giving way to sadness, "Is that when you decided to become a doctor?"

Loid shook his head, "No, why I took up my occupation is a bit different, but you're closer than you realize. The main reason I became what I am today is so I could do everything to ensure people would never die pointless deaths," he sighed, bitterness tinging his tone, "Like the kind my friends suffered from." Yor wasn't sure what to say after that, nor if she could really say anything. But she couldn't help but wonder why Loid was telling her all this. She wasn't sure that it had anything to do with her previous, horrendous driving attempt. As if reading her mind, Loid finished, "Part of why I'm saying all this is because, in a way, both Yuri and Chloe were right."

Huh?

"What I mean is, your driving was without a doubt reckless and potentially destructive. But at the same time, you showed plenty of good instincts in avoiding that same destruction. Even when you were in fight or flight mode, you didn't hit a single car, building, or person. Reverse our positions, and I don't think the same could be said for me even now."

Yor was taken aback by the honesty in Loid's voice. While he admitted to having his own fair share of mistakes, she often forgot that with how he tended to excel at everything. His words did help, but the ache came back, even if lesser than before, "Yet it feels like I'd be better off if I never got behind a wheel again."

"You don't sound sure."

Yor shook her head and asked, "What do you think I should do?"

Loid went silent for a bit, clearly pondering over his words, before finally speaking up, "That's a choice you have to make for yourself, Yor. I can't decide that for you, nor can Yuri or Chloe or anyone for that matter. If you don't feel comfortable continuing, there's no shame in admitting that. We can stop here and head home."

"Giving up doesn't feel right either," Yor huffed.

"It never does," Loid admitted through a grunt of his own. It sounded like he had experience with that too. He gave her a small smile, "Yor, I've seen you do amazing, often inspiring things. But we're still human and need to understand our limits. The better we do that, the better we can work within them to move forward. Forcing yourself can be more detrimental than it's worth."

"That certainly sounds familiar," Yor couldn't help but giggle, her mind filled with memories of when he came home from work, drained to the point of collapse. Smiling, she remembered when he fell asleep on the couch, with her and Anya putting a blanket over him so he could get rest.

"Yeah, I'll admit, I don't often take my own advice," Loid rubbed the back of his head, face slightly tinting red as Yor's did in kind.

"Makes two of us, I guess," Yor muttered. How often did she preach the virtue of honesty to her little brother, only to hide the fact that she was an assassin? How often did she tell Anya to avoid confrontations when violence and death were the only things she knew how to do? Her entire being was a mass of contradictions. Should that change? Could she be Yor Forger and Thorn Princess at the same time anymore? She didn't know.

But she did know one thing. This wasn't her limit. Or at the very least, it didn't feel like it. Regaining her resolve, she gave Loid a grin, "One more drive."

Loid raised an eyebrow, "You sure?"

"Yeah. You said I should know my limits, and I want to see if this really is one of them," Yor stared determined at Bumblebee, "I know I caused a scare, and I'd rather not do so again. But I want to figure this out. Not just for you and Anya, but for myself too."

Her husband's eyes went wide for a bit, Yor seeing a bit of awe and worry in them. For a second, Yor thought she was being too forceful. That her desire would do nothing but terrify him, and that she was being selfish for asking him to go through that again. But instead, he gained a smile that grew as bright as Anya's. "In that case, I'll be there every step of the way," he stood up and held out his hand for her to take, "Not gonna lie, I'd rather not, but if you think it'll help, I'm with you."

Yor took his hand and stood, her own grin glowing, "And if I lose control behind the wheel again, you'll be able to stop me, right?"

"I promise," hearing the earnest in his voice, they made their way to the two front seats, Loid taking the shotgun while Yor took the driver's. Before either could enter the car, Loid spoke, "And Yor?" she looked to him as he stood tall, "You said you felt like you weren't doing enough for us? For me and Anya?" nodding, she wouldn't let the pang of sadness show. If it did, Loid made no comment as he continued, "You don't need to feel that way. I know Anya's happy for all you've done for her, and I am too. Honestly, you've done more than I think you realize. And that's enough. You're enough."

A light gasp escaped Yor's lips. Despite having received affirmations from Loid and Anya before, she couldn't help but feel like a stranger in her new home. Even after all they'd been through, she couldn't shake those feelings thanks to her previous loneliness. She didn't know how not to be like that. Yet in spite of that fact, Loid considered her good enough to role play as a wife, to help him and his daughter, who now just as much felt like her own. No matter how often she messed up in cooking, sewing, or any of the things a mother should be good at, it didn't matter to them. In their eyes, she'd done enough.

She was...enough.

Heart soaring, she and Loid entered Bumblebee, with her looking back to the other two passengers. For some reason, Chloe had a heartfelt smile on her face with what looked like wiped away tear stains just beneath her eyes. Yuri was resting his head against the car's windowsill, appearing a bit on the grumpy side, but even he had the smallest ghost of a smile when he looked at her.

Why are they looking at me like- Yor's brain caught up as she blushed and immediately snapped forward, Oh my God, were they eavesdropping!? Deciding not to think about it right now, she reached for the key and closed her eyes, Deep breathes Yor, she inhaled and exhaled, Here goes.

She turned the key, and Bumblebee roared to life. So far, everything had been working, but the nervousness crept back up as she put the car in drive and clutched the steering wheel. Yor looked to Loid, who pointed down at her boots, "Gently press the gas. Don't slam your foot unless you want to move faster than a speeding bullet."

"Right. Okay, I can do this! Nice...and easy..." Yor breathed in and out one last time, slowly, gently pressing her big toe on the gas pedal and pushing forward from there. The moment she started moving, she closed her eyes, scared of seeing the messy blur again. But then she reminded herself that would increase chances of crashing and forced one open. To her surprise, she was traveling at a casual cruising speed.

"Take a right," Loid suggested, to which Yor complied, spinning the wheel and turning down the road. For a second, it felt like the wheel was fighting against her, but she chalked it up to her nerves. As she drove, the occasional car passed by, as did people on the sidewalks. Stopping at the light just ahead, she waited for it to turn green, all the while slowly growing giddy.

I...I'm doing this, she thought happily, I'm actually doing this! The light changed, cars ahead of her pressing forward as she followed suit, letting Loid direct her on where she needed to go. It was all a matter of maintaining this easygoing speed and not swerving about like a psychotic maniac. And she would know, given the amount of psychopaths she'd killed.

She turned left when she needed to, then right, then kept herself in tune with traffic. Her grip on the wheel loosened, and she found herself relaxing the longer the drive went, almost entering a sort of mental autopilot, if that made sense. It actually felt less like she was driving and more like the car drove itself. Perhaps it was a sign that this was becoming second nature for her? In any case, she was too happy to pay that feeling any mind.

Through the rearview mirror, she looked back at her brother and Chloe, seeing them relaxed and enjoying the drive as they admired the sunset outside. Even Loid eventually stopped giving directions and just enjoyed the leisurely pace. After a few minutes of this, she found herself driving around the currently empty dog park they first took Bond too. Thinking this would be a good place to stop for now, she found a parking space and stopped the car, taking one final deep breath. Not in nervousness, but in triumph.

"I did it," Yor grinned from ear to ear.

"Yes, you did," Loid said with a smile of his own.

"I can't believe I actually did it!"

"Well believe it, Yor," Chloe complimented, "Honestly though, I'm just as surprised as you."

"WHOO! Way to go sis! You drove like a pro," Yuri cheered as they all started to exit the car and step on the sidewalk.

Once out, Yor lost control of herself, practically zooming to Loid and enveloping him in a hug, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"No problem Yor," Loid sounded like he was struggling to breath. Realizing she was probably putting too much strength into the hug, Yor released him as he caught his breath, and he smiled for her. She turned to Yuri and Chloe, the former looking slightly peeved before he hid it with a smile, and rushed forward to hug them too.

"Thank you! All of you!" she said, making sure to be aware of her strength this time to put less force into it.

"Anything to help, sis!" Yuri said, sounding extremely happy.

"Yeah...glad..." Chloe, on the other hand, sounded like she was running out of air. This left Yor confused since she was actively trying not to hug them very hard. But then she heard what sounded like Chloe's clavicle cracking and opted to let go before someone got hurt. Thankfully, despite the pain, Chloe still smiled at Yor, and Yuri rubbed at the woman's shoulder to help further ease the pain.

As Yor watched her brother and friend smile to each other, she turned to Loid and asked, "So, what now? It's getting pretty late."

They all looked to the setting sun. Judging by its position (she didn't have a watch at the moment), Yor guessed that it was close to 6:00 pm. Loid rolled back his sleeve just a bit and checked his own watch, confirming her estimation. "I think we should call it a day and head back," Loid suggested, "We can set up later lessons to..." he slowly petered off at the sound of sirens in the distance, and Yor noted how it was getting closer as well. Looking for the source, she saw a police car rounding the corner she'd just driven through and headed their way, Loid muttering a quiet, "Oh no," while Yuri and Chloe were equally worried. The police car parked next to Bumblebee at its right side. Two officers stepped out, Loid clearing his throat as they approached to ask, "Anything we can help you with, officers?"

"Yes, actually," the first, likely senior officer said. He was tall, broad-shouldered with pitch black hair, slightly eclipsing Yor's husband in height. "We got reports of a disturbance involving a speeding yellow car with a black stripe. One of our own couldn't keep up, so they alerted other officers in Berlint to keep an eye out," he jutted his thumb at the vehicle in question, "This wouldn't happen to be your car, would it?"

"Y-Yes," Yor stammered without thinking, hand covering her mouth.

The second officer, this shorter than Yor with light brown hair, stepped forward, "In that case, unless you can tell us who was driving, all four of you will have to come to the station for questioning."

Oh nononono! Yor was once again panicking, feeling everyone around her tense up. And for some reason, the car's engine roared in an almost snarl-like fashion. Did she forget to turn it off? This is bad! If I don't say something, we're all going to get arrested! But if I do, I'll get arrested, then Anya won't have a mother in her life anymore. She'll get kicked out of Eden, her future will be ruined, and Loid will fail his first wife's dying wish. Then they'll investigate me and discover I'm an assassin and then I'll be forced to move away from my family! Yor tried to look at her options, but it was looking like a damned if she did, damned if she didn't situation. Staring blankly at the cops, eyes obscured by her hair, she began flexing her fingers, hearing audible cracks in her bones, Maybe I could...take care of these two? That should be me some time to- clenching her fist, she shook her head, No! No! No! You can't kill police just doing their jobs! You don't even know if these are corrupt officers whose deaths would be warranted! Even if they were, you'd be killing them in front of your family and friend. They'll discover what you are and want nothing to do with you ever-

"Officer's," Loid's voice interrupted Yor's spiraling mind as he stepped forward, "I was the one driving the car. Take me in if you have to but allow my friends and family to return home. I'll accept the responsibility."

"Loid, no," Yor whispered beneath her breath from just behind her husband. Much as she didn't want to be arrested, she refused to allow her husband to suffer for her mistakes. She leveled another glare at the officers again as one approached to grab Loid, eyes radiating pure murderous intent that made him freeze for a second when he looked into them. His partner also began backing away in terror. While she had no intention of killing them, if she could just get behind them and deliver a few strikes to their nerves, it'd incapacitate them long enough for everyone to get in Bumblebee and run for the hills. From there, she just had to make sure they never encountered these specific two ever again, though she had no clue how to accomplish that part. Maybe she could speak to the Shopkeeper and see if he could-

"God dammit!" Yuri grumbled loud enough to get everyone's attention, stomping in front of Loid and grabbing the two officers by their shoulders, "Look, officers, I'd like to apologize," he said in a saccharine tone as he started shoving them towards their police car amidst protests, "My brother-in-law's such a klutz behind the wheel and he just can't keep his foot off the gas to save his life. Don't you worry though," he practically threw the smaller officer into the shotgun seat, "We'll make sure he gets the right lessons," he circled to the driver's seat and shoved the taller cop in, "And there'll be no repeat incidents, I promise!"

"Listen here kid, if you're gonna get in the way like that, then we're gonna have to-" the dark-haired officer froze as Yuri leaned forward, an almost threatening aura surrounding him. He reached into his coat and clearly showed the officers something that drained all color from their faces, but just what that was, Yor couldn't tell. Her current angle obscured it.

"As I said, there will be no repeat incidents. And you should know that I always keep my word. Understood, officers?" Yuri's voice was disturbingly peppy, to the point where it was clearly forced. Just what was he doing?

"Y-Yeah! We understand, sir!" the officers said simultaneously as they closed the window and started driving away. It all happened so fast that it made Yor wonder if this was an outside perspective of her driving.

As the dust cloud faded from the previously used parking spot, Yuri walked back to them, an all too proud smile on his face, "Well, I don't think we'll be worrying about them anytime soon."

"...Yuri, how did you convince them to leave?" Yor asked, wondering what he showed them.

"Uh..." Yuri went quiet for what felt like forever, despite only half a minute at most passing before he finally answered, "Cops are afraid of diplomats, so I just...showed them my credentials."

"..."

"..."

"...that makes sense. I didn't realize diplomats had such authority over law enforcement like that," Yor mused out loud. For some reason, her statement made Loid and Chloe collapse to the floor.

"Yuri, I don't think you should have done that," Chloe commented as she stood up, giving Yuri a stern, questioning glance.

"I know, I know," Yuri gestured in a placating manner, "But I had to do something!" for a second, he glanced at Loid with a strange mix of annoyance and resignation in his eye, "And I couldn't let Loid get arrested for something he didn't do."

Once again, Yor hugged her brother tightly, this time in thanks, while Chloe huffed, "What's done is done, I guess. But we're definitely talking about this later."

As Yor released Yuri from the hug, Loid stepped forward and held out his hand, "Thanks. I know you're not exactly fond of me, but I appreciate what you did."

"Yeah, well..." Yuri sighed, reluctantly taking Loid's hand, "You were willing to go to jail to protect my sister. I figured I owed you for that," but as he released the grip, he said, "But I'm still keeping an eye on you!"

Yor was about to gently chastise Yuri for that, but rather than take offense, Loid simply chuckled, "I'd expect nothing less, Yuri."

"In any case, we should probably head back," Chloe started making her way for her backseat, with Yuri following suit.

"Hey, Loid?" Yor asked as her brother and his friend entered the car, "Think you could drive us back? Don't want to risk anything."

"That's admittedly for the best," Loid nodded, seeming relieved by her decision. Still, he gave her a reassuring smile to let her know she ended on a high note, letting Yor smile back in kind as they entered their car. Only now did Yor notice that it was suddenly turned off, which was odd, given how the engine roared during the police encounter. Loid seemed to notice it too, and from what she saw in the rearview mirror, so did Yuri and Chloe.

With a twist of the key, Bumblebee came to life again, radio suddenly running through a few channels, "**** the-police repor-ZZZZT!"

"Uh, what was that?" Chloe asked.

Loid sighed as he twisted the radio knobs to test it, "The radio tends to short out every now and then. Flips through a few stations for some reason before it starts working like normal."

Yuri put his seatbelt on, "You might want to get that fixed at some point. Sounds like a pain in the ass to deal with."

"I don't know, I kinda like it," Yor earned questioning looks from everyone. With a gentle smile, she placed a hand against the dash, "In a way, everyone has something about them that sets them apart and makes them who they are. Maybe I'm just being sentimental for something I haven't had for very long, but I feel like all of this car's little quirks, like the messy radio, are what make it...well, Bumblebee. Personally, I wouldn't change a thing."

Everyone was quiet again, taking in the weight of her words, assuming they had any weight to begin with. Loid was the first to speak, letting out a soft chuckle, "In that case, if it's good enough for you, then it's good enough for me," he gently places his own hand on the dash just as Yor retracted hers, the thought of their hands making such contact being too much for her at the moment. "Plus, I know Anya loves all Bumblebee's little habits," Loid mused out loud as he patted the car, "She's always stifling her laughs whenever they come up."

"Can we get going now?" Yuri asked, sounding more than a bit tired. Made sense to Yor, since it'd been a long afternoon.

Nodding, Loid put the car in drive and proceeded back on the road. Soon enough, they were on their way back to the factory. While Yor's nervousness on driving wasn't completely gone, she wouldn't deny feeling much lighter now.

---

Yuri quietly focused on the road and his superior's car ahead as they drove back to their respective homes. After they all got back to the factory parking lot in Loidy's car, he'd admit to finding it hilarious how all his comrades were frozen, jaws practically to the floor. Apparently, his sister's driving was such a shock they needed damn near the entire afternoon to recover from witnessing it. Yuri found it a bit insulting to her, but at this point, he was willing to accept it. Besides, there wasn't a whole lot he could say or do anyway.

"I still think what you did back there was a bad idea," Chloe said from her seat just beside her.

"Maybe, but I still don't regret it," Yuri admitted, turning to the left as he followed the Lieutenant's car.

"Yuri, I'm serious," Chloe continued, "I read a lot of history back in college, and little actions like that are a slippery slope. It's one thing for us to exert authority against those that threaten this country when it's necessary. It's another thing entirely to do so against people like civilian officers just because they pissed you off," Yuri could feel Chloe glaring a hole in his head, "And we're supposed to be better than that."

"They were going to arrest someone for crimes he didn't commit," Yuri justified it, even if doing so left the taste of acid in his mouth. He certainly loathed Loid with almost every fiber of his being. Yet for as much as he wanted to find something to arrest him for, he couldn't bring himself to sit back and let him take the heat for something he knew the man genuinely didn't do. Combined with the heart wrenching body language his sister had at the very thought of her husband's arrest, his body acted before his brain caught up with it.

His sweet, beloved sister. Yuri would do anything to ensure her safety and happiness. Even if it meant putting up with Loidy. But the moment that bastard did something. Be it to hurt her, or the country she called home, he'd sniff it out like a bloodhound and bite down until the limbs came off.

"You have that look on your face."

"Eh?" Yuri realized he was glaring and raised an eyebrow at Chloe.

"The same look you gave Loid a few times back there?" she pointed out with narrow eyes, "The same one you suspect to be a spy? Or does this have anything to do with that?"

"..."

"Yuri."

"He doesn't deserve her."

At Yuri's blunt, borderline growled statement, Chloe sighed, "Yuri, I get that you want to protect your sister. That much is obvious. But I feel like you're going overboard. Not to mention this is starting to get more than a bit creepy. Seriously, it feels like you're obsessed with her."

Choosing to ignore that, he asked, "Did you find anything to suggest Loid could be a spy?"

"No, I didn't see anything," Chloe shook her head, "Granted, at least half of that's because I was too busy screaming my lungs out, but even then, I didn't see anything in his body language or words that could even give a hint. Even when we were all shaking hands and saying goodbye back at the factory, he felt pretty on the level," she hummed, "In all honesty, he seems like an ordinary psychiatrist and loving husband. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Looks can be deceiving. It's our line of work to tear off the masks they love to hide behind," Yuri pointed out, still convinced there was something more to Loid. There just had to be. Everyone had something to hide.

"I know, and I didn't say he's suddenly not a suspect of anything. Just that he seems pretty ordinary," Chloe huffed, looking like she was going to punch him in the face again, "What about you? Did you see anything suspicious out of him?"

Yuri thought back over every interaction he'd had with Loid throughout the entire day. Despite his best efforts to scope out anything, nothing really stood out to him. As was the norm, he was polite, charming, and pretty much perfect, which just made Yuri despise him all the more. No one was that perfect, especially not some doctor who came out of nowhere and won his sister's heart.

Loid Loid Loid, everything revolves around Loid these days, Yuri huffed as he slowed down in front of a stoplight and came to a standstill, his superiors' car lucky they were ahead enough to have gone on green, Well, at least Yor's happy, but why'd Loid have to be the one to do it? Ugh, just forget it, Yuri. Yor's happy, so be happy for her! the more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Instead, he tried focusing on other things he noticed during the practice drive and afterward, like that weird symbol on the steering wheel of Loid's car. For some reason, it stuck in his mind with how odd it was, looking like a metal face. Not to mention that for such an old hunk of scrap, it managed to take all the dangers it'd faced without a single scratch on it. Did Loid reinforce it somehow? Yuri's mind began wandering, But where the hell would he get the resources if he's just a psychiatrist? Unless he isn't one and that's just his spy cover! Maybe that symbol means something, like...maybe it's the emblem of some paramilitary organization from out of Ostania. Is Loid part of it? Is it a terrorist cell like the Westalis one we took care of recently? If he is, then I'll be there to stop whatever schemes they're plotting and get that bastard far away from my-

"By the way, did you remember to bug their car? Wasn't able to with my life flashing before my eyes."

Chloe's question snapped him out of it as the light turned green.

"DAMMIT!" Yuri slammed his head against the steering wheel, the car horn blaring out as Chloe sighed and patted his back.

---

Loid managed to stifle a yawn as he entered his bedroom, it now being past sundown. He'd just finished saying good night to Yor, Bond, and Anya, and thanked Franky for looking after the latter two before sending him on his way. With the apartment quiet as a mouse and Franky heading home, Loid sat down at his desk and pulled out the few coins Jeffrey had discreetly given to him during their final handshake. Thankfully, despite the risk with close SSS presence, they failed to notice. Likely a result of still being too unnerved by Yor's driving (or traumatized in Yuri and Chloe's cases, something he completely sympathized with and knew firsthand) and them just wanting to head home by that point. And now that Loid's mind was on that note...

Why did I do that? Loid thought back to the police encounter and what he'd tried to do. Getting arrested would have put Operation STRIX in peril, especially in a situation where he didn't have the time to formulate a plan of escape or ensure he could destroy all record of the arrest. Yet despite his years of instincts from operating as Twilight telling him not to, his body completely ignored them and did the first thing he could think of to save his wife from potential imprisonment. This isn't the first time something like this happened either, he mused, fingers to his chin as he began opening the coins up. He remembered the interview process they'd taken to allow Anya attendance of Eden Academy, and how Murdoch Swan mocked and bullied both her and Yor throughout it. His reaction, to lash out in anger at the man and just barely redirect it at the last possible second, almost ruined the entire mission.

Yet if Anya wasn't attending Eden now due to a technicality (which he was still quite certain was just something Housemaster Henderson made up), Loid still didn't think he'd have regretted what he'd done. Even now, he was surprised by how he felt few, if any, regrets for his actions during either that incident or the one from today. As Loid took out a small spy glass and read the near-microscopic words, he reflected on these feelings. He wasn't quite sure about how this would affect his mission moving forward, but it wasn't unwelcome either. It felt good, ensuring that his family was cared for, content, and happy. Was that not the entire reason he became a spy to begin with? To ensure the wellbeing and happiness of others.

Huh, interesting, Loid read through Jeffrey's intel and learned the details of a recent raid on a number of warehouses by the SSS. Apparently, they were being used as bases and storage facilities for a Westalis terrorist cell. Loid recalled how he and other WISE agents were busy with missions at the time, so Jeffrey took it upon himself to uncover them and guide the SSS to said locations, stopping the cell. All important details for later reports, but the real meat of the raid, as the saying went, was what the SSS discovered in those warehouses.

From the looks of it, the Ostanian military was already putting the pod from the crash site to use. Their R & D department had been working on reverse engineering the craft and developing blueprints for new propulsion systems that would be put to test on fighter jets and guided missiles. The recent raid by the SSS revealed that the terrorists managed to seize those blueprints, but they now had them back. While Jeffrey couldn't get as much of an in-depth look at them as he would have liked, he could tell that they were highly advanced. More so than anything either Westalis or Ostania currently had.

Mystery after mystery piled into Loid's head. They already knew that the metals of this pod matched no known elements, but now they had confirmation on just how advanced its technology was. Just who built it, what country were they from, and why did they launch it near Berlint? The footprints he'd found that day hinted at the possibility of it being a launch system for an advanced mech of some kind, which would definitely make Franky green with envy given his own interest in anything from realms of science fiction. Still, it was only one potential reason, and there was so little evidence to support the idea. As he tried to ruminate other possibilities, he continued to read through Jeffrey's report, where he got just who copies of the blueprints would be passed on to.

"Blackbell Heavy Industries," Loid muttered, finding that the decision made sense, given the Blackbell family's status as one of Ostania's greatest weapons manufacturers. It also made his job just a bit easier. There's an upcoming parent/teacher conference for Eden, and given that their daughter, Anya's first, closest, and so far only friend, attended Eden, Loid safely bet that they'd be present for the occasion, If I can meet with the Blackbells there, I can see what kind of information about their upcoming developments can be obtained from the conversation, he began to feel his eyelids droop mid-thought. Seeing that fighting sleep was a losing battle at this point, he committed the intel to memory and properly disposed of it before dozing off on his bed, And if I'm lucky, I might be able to encounter Donovan Desmond while there.

An unlikely prospect, undoubtedly, but as the he'd long since been forced to learn, both before and after forming the Forger family, life was most certainly unpredictable.

---

Yes, the song Anya was singing was the Transformers theme.

Part of me wanted to do a full Bumblebee POV for this chapter, but I decided against it for a few reasons. First is that the entirety of the previous chapter was his POV, and that and this were originally meant to be one chapter before it got too long and had to be split in two (even though, again, this chapter was FOUR TIMES the length of the last one). The second is that I found myself wanting to focus more on the human characters' perspective of things. And thirdly, it allowed me to try and convey Bumblebee's feelings with just body language (as much as a car can convey).

As for the movie Franky was talking about, think of it as this world's equivalent to War of the Worlds, the movie adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel (more specifically the 1953 version). And we allude to some stuff that came up later in the SPY X FAMILY manga/anime like his mech armor.

And we get to see more bits of the SSS alongside a slight follow up on the plot thread of Bumblebee's space pod. Plus, we get to deep dive into Yor's personal insecurities that'd really come to head during the Cruise arc, as well as more details on Loid's time as a soldier during the last war. Should be pretty obvious, but the part he relayed to Yor about him crashing a car around years ago was during said war.

Speaking of the Cruise arc, reminder to the readership that I won't be covering that for this story. This is because, like my Owl House/Devil May Cry fic, The Silver Raven, I don't just want to write "Spy X Family featuring Bumblebee". So, while that arc's gonna be happening in the background, other events will be covered centering on Bee. Besides, not like there's any way for Bee to take part in those events anyway since...y'know, it's on a Cruise Ship.

I'd rather not say too much since I do want to leave room for speculation amongst the readership. But I did overall like how this chapter turned out, and I liked writing all the dramatic irony from Loid, Yor, and Yuri's POVs. Sometimes, it's just hilarious how off the mark everyone can be while simultaneously being on said mark just as much.

Next up with Mission 9, we're finally gonna be going to Eden Academy and meeting Becky and Damian for the first time in the story. And Anya's gonna be introducing them to her family's new car/member.