The underground garage sat beneath sixty feet of reinforced concrete. Percy drove through a steel gate that hissed open . White light poured from ceilings so high Kael couldn't see the top. Men lined the walls—gangsmen with cigars burning between their fingers, lighters clicking, eyes following the car.
Percy parked between two armored vehicles and cut the engine. She got out; Kael followed. Bare feet on cold concrete. His torn jacket hung off one shoulder; trousers stopped at his knees. A rusted chip sat on the side of his neck—old, cracked, barely flickering. Hair matted with dust.
The men stared. Some whispered; one laughed—short, mean, then cut off when Percy turned her head. She didn't raise her voice.
"What are you all watching at?"
The men looked away, fast.
Percy walked. Kael followed ten feet behind. The hallway stretched long and narrow. Fluorescent bars buzzed overhead. Hunters leaned against the walls—high-tech armor, fresh mags, cigars burning slow. Some reloaded; some stared at nothing, which was of course their holographic screens invisible to everyone else.
Percy walked with her hips swinging. Kael watched her back. Then her waist. Then lower. What if she's up to something? He didn't know her. Didn't trust her. But right now, she was the only person in this building who hadn't tried to kill him.
She stopped at a black door and entered. Kael stepped forward, but two men blocked him.
The first was tall, with a scarred lip and breath like burnt rubber. He looked Kael up and down and grinned. "Are you a primitive beast reincarnated into a human? Because you look awful."
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The second man laughed—younger, wider. He grabbed Kael's sleeve between two fingers and held it away from his body like garbage. "Yeah, bro. I've never seen a dirty old kid like this before."
He shoved Kael's shoulder. Kael stepped back but didn't fall. The second man leaned in, smelled Kael's hair, and made a face. "He even smells like a ragged dog."
Nearby hunters laughed—low, easy, cruel.
Kael waited until the laughter died. Then he spoke.
"You done talking?"
His voice was quiet, flat, with no shake in it. He stepped closer. The tall man's grin twitched. "And what makes you think you're better than me?"
The two men looked at each other, confused. "What is he even saying?"
"Don't ask me—"
The second man raised his fist.
"Don't dare."
Percy stood in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the frame. The tall man's fist dropped. ". Boss. I-I'm sorry. We didn't—"
"Walk."
They walked. Kael hadn't moved; his eyes were still narrow, his breathing steady. Percy studied him for a long moment.
"You're funny," she said. "One minute you want to kill yourself. Next minute you're confused. Now you're acting like you own the floor."
She turned and walked into the room. "Follow me."
The room was white. A sofa in the center had blue lines that glowed along its seams like a pulse. No windows. No corners. Just clean surfaces and expensive silence. Percy sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. Kael sat on a metal stool across from her.
"So," she said. "Do you have insanity issues? Or are you faking?"
"I don't know myself." Kael replied bluntly.
She stared at him, long and hard, then she started talking. "I killed ten hunters today. I was about to kill another when everyone stopped shooting. Why? Because we saw a boy standing on a bridge. Out of nowhere."
She paused. "He was crying....No sound, Just tears....
Then he muttered something—I couldn't hear it.... Then he laughed. That Scared me. I don't scare easy."
She leaned forward. "Then he tried to swallow a ring." Her voice almost a whisper.
She held his gaze. "What are you exactly?"
Kael said nothing. Percy nodded and smiled, but there was no warmth in it. She pulled a remote from her jacket pocket—small, plastic, cheap—and dangled it from her fingers.
"Do you remember this? You should. Deep slum citizen of Tequar."
Kael's eyes locked onto the remote. He knew what it was. Every kid from the deep slums knew. Officers used them to detonate head chips. One button. One firework. One less mouth to feed.
He stared at it, then at her. Percy leaned back, tossed the remote once, and caught it.
"My motives are always unknown. But know this—you're my tool now. I can make my tools' heads become fireworks. Depends on my choice."
She let that sit. "So be careful. Tools that betray the architects always get scrapped."
Kael looked at her, then smiled. "I hope so."
Percy paused. Something flickered across her face. She stared at him for five full seconds. Then she nodded.
"Good."