Peter's silence is comforting. With 100 fractions on the line, he'll be set for life. I'll never see him again.

  My contacts in the Wyre say that Barthelemy is strange. Something has him on edge. Not going out. Stopped eating. Who can blame him?

  The ravages of war left me indisposed.

  Barthelemy was there to clean up. He had half a nation to rule. My armies had dwindled. Resources were scarce... The famine...

  Our soil became contaminated. My armies weren't mere soldiers. They were medics. Herbalists. Analysts. Farmers. The Wyre is stationed along a mountain range. Z3 borders the backside and Val Basec sits at the front.

  When the food stopped growing, I pulled every favor I had to feed the nation. The famine didn't just hit us. It hit the Sentients. Those Axeheads were a desperate attempt to maintain power as SAAF dwindled all the same. Nebula hadn't made a move for some time. She let the people starve.

  138 sectors. The rotten death and decay hung in the air. My armies had to be fed. It was a dark time for all of us. I had to make a choice; feed my strongest soldiers or lose the war. We raided settlements. Recovered every body we could. My armies remained fed, but nothing was the same.

  Even my closest allies lost trust in me. They hated the choices I made. Sacrifices. Thousands upon thousands of bodies. But they ate. Parts of people they knew. I ate everything I could.

  That's what I left Barthelemy with.

  Some years later, he made a deal with Karthwitherspire (KTP). I don't know what the deal was, but it brought fresh crops back to our nation. Maybe I was too proud to see. Maybe the deal was one I couldn't make.

  Still... This infant... Theresa... Greene... Micheal... Melody... They eat the food that Barthelemy procured. And I...feel sick to my stomach at the sight of a home-cooked meal.

  Barthelemy never criticized my ways. Chuboki despised me for it. After Barthelemy's father died, he became empowered. He saw my choices as strategic and with advantage. Had I not rescued his father, he'd only hate me. Like Chuboki.

  Chuboki is growing old. Chuboki isn't entirely normal though. He's like the Axeheads. He doesn't possess abilities. Yet, he fights with such precision. Every strike is the perfect execution. He can memorize and predict patterns in another. That's why I couldn't defeat him all those years ago. We're equals.

  I only know hand-to-hand combat. It's a skill I've passed down for many years. There was a time when I trained every soldier. Our powers won't determine victory on the battlefield. Everyone should know how to fight with their fists.

  I check on the infant. I'll teach him to fight as well. No matter his power. He must learn to resist the temptation to destroy. To show an opponent your hand is the most compassionate thing anyone can do in battle. The Wyre used to know that.

  What does Barthelemy think he's doing with Melody? I know she's bold, but she's just a girl. She shouldn't be allowed on dangerous missions yet. Tomorrow is her birthday. She'll be 30. That's too young!

  Stereo blares. Fingers type. 13 screens hum. Data. A long shadow stretches through the doorway and fades into the glow of the screens.

  Chuboki enters the room. Wires. Bolts. Circuit boards. He wades through them.

  Melody bobs her head and bounces her feet. Her eyes flick between the screens. Chuboki grabs hold of the chair. "Mel!"

  She doesn't reply.

  His face twitches. "Can you turn the music down?"

  She picks up a can and sips from it. Her eyes never leave the screens. Chuboki spins her around. Melody gasps and taps a button, shutting off the music.

  She stands. "What the shit man? I was in a groove!"

  Chuboki purses his lips. "They want to know where the files are on Zuna Yako."

  Melody crosses her arms and shifts her weight. "I sent those out last week."

  Chuboki glances at the screens. "Hacking again?"

  Melody grins and leans against her desk. She points. "I'm watching them move in real time."

  Chuboki raises a brow. "You can understand this?"

  Melody giggles. "They're moving South. Turns out their attack on Dulphine was a bust! Must be withdrawing to their headquarters."

  Chuboki looks down at her. "Attack?"

  Melody tilts her head and types on the keyboard. Two of the screens change. "They didn't leave any survivors, but that's not new. However, they didn't take prisoners which is odd considering..."

  Chuboki gulps. "You accessed the SUN again?"

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  Melody grins. "I take my chances."

  Chuboki hums. "They can't risk shutting the site down. Could they stage an attack on this place next?"

  Melody sits down and continues typing. "They could...but they won't...long as I stay out of sight."

  Chuboki clenches his fists. "That reminds me, you went head-to-head with two of their agents."

  Melody glances at Chuboki, then back at her screens.

  Chuboki crosses his arms and taps his foot. "How did you survive? Did they see your face? What if you were followed?"

  Melody holds her hand up. "They didn't see my face. I wasn't followed. They cursed me, but I'm fine."

  Chuboki stares. "Cursed?"

  Melody shrugs. "No biggie! I'm fine now."

  Chuboki huffs and looks around. "Who helped you?"

  Melody bites her lips and continues typing.

  Chuboki stomps and slams his fist against the desk. "You saw him again!"

  Melody keeps her gaze on the screens.

  Chuboki grabs the chair and turns her to face him. "You can't go near him! You know it's dangerous!"

  Melody murmurs and crosses her arms. She sneers. "I'm not a little kid, Chu."

  Chuboki's fingers dig into the chair. "You're a leader! People rely on you! You're too valuable to..." He swallows his words and releases the chair. "Just... Be careful."

  Melody watches him march out of the room. She grumbles, then spins in the chair. "Zachariah isn't dangerous." She plants her foot and stares at a screen. "What's happening in Sector T?" She taps a button. "That's pretty close to Moonlight."

  The sky glows orange. Clouds drift in the distance. A figure stands in front of two 20-foot iron doors. Face concealed by a mask. Their body morphs.

  Two fists full of claws peel the doors apart. Alarms blare. The walls crack. It moves quickly. Flames pour through the air.

  A man gasps. "You're back! She won't be happy about this!"

  Peter parked five miles out. I told him to wait for me. Karamin will have the most reliable information. Hope she's still tending to that bar.

  I cross a broken bridge and 6 thugs appear. They look strong. My mask must intrigue them. We stand in silence.

  I bow. "Will you let me pass?"

  One of the guys scratches his mask. "Only if you pay the toll." They all chuckle.

  I sigh and pull off my backpack. "How much?"

  The guy snorts. "We don't want your crap! Give us the kid."

  I leave my backpack on the ground and cover Nathaniel. "Not for sale."

  They circle me. I glance between them. They're just kids! I whip around and kick the biggest one back, then spin, and knock their legs out from under them. They collapse on the ground.

  I tilt my head. "Have you eaten today?" I smack my lips. "I like it when my meal eats before I do."

  They cry and run away.

  I rub Nathaniel. "I wasn't really going to eat them." Actually, I was.

  The rest of the hike was quiet. Moonlight is even more rundown than the last time I was here. The buildings are in terrible shape. Plants grown over everything. Graffiti. Rusted bars on top of other rusted bars. No streets.

  Everything is like a maze. A poorly sculpted one. I can't tell what's city and what's ruins. Eyes follow me. No one's brave enough to approach. Guess the mask is working.

  Where was Karamin's bar? I think it was... Aha! Here it is. A group of bouncers guard the entrance. They turn to me and laugh. "Beat it, pipsqueak!"

  I'm not that small... Am I? "I need to talk to Karamin." Please, don't make me fight you.

  One of the women stomps toward me. "You deaf? Said beat it! Bars closed!"

  Closed? I look around. "What happened?"

  The woman lifts her fist. "Get lost before I pummel you to a pulp!"

  I snort. "I doubt that."

  The door opens. Karamin pokes her head out. "Let him through. He's a VIP."

  The bouncers step back and apologize.

  I follow Karamin inside. Place's empty. I sit down and she walks behind the counter. Karamin grins. "Lose the mask, Z. You're safe in here."

  I shake my head. "I'd prefer to keep it on."

  She shrugs and pours me a drink. "Suit yourself."

  I scan the bar again. "Where is everyone?"

  Karamin pushes the glass towards me. "Hiding."

  I nod. "What are they hiding from?"

  Karamin sighs and leans against the counter. "The bounty hunter's in town."

  Is she talking about Zuna Yako? I pull a bottle out of my bag and feed Nathaniel.

  Karamin chuckles. "A baby? Didn't think you had the nuts to knock someone up. Who's the lucky gal?"

  I don't reply.

  She huffs. "Tight-lipped as ever!" She pours herself a drink. "I won't have business until tomorrow. We've got all night to talk."

  I hum. "I want to know more about this bounty hunter."

  Karamin glances to the door and gulps. "What did you bring me?"

  I tilt my head. "The experiments are progressing. They're making more supernobles."

  Karamin scoffs. "That's not news! Give me something better."

  I stare at Nathaniel. "This one might be part of it."

  She raises a brow. "Fascinating!" She pulls the sweater open to look at him, then covers her nose. "He smells!"

  I snicker. "He was dead."

  She crosses her arms. "Where'd you find him?"

  I look up at her. "In the forest."

  She tilts her head.

  I swallow and glance at the door. "I think the parents were fleeing Sentia Nista."

  Karamin grins. "Oh-hoh! That's juicy! Where were they headed?"

  I shake my head. "Dunno. Found him inside a tree. He wiped out half the forest before he died. Or maybe he was already dead."

  She nods. "Leave it to you to find all the cool stuff! As for the bounty hunter, his identity is a mystery. He just appeared one day. Him and Dez have been going at it since!”

  I jolt. "Dez?"

  Karamin smirks. "Every full moon they find their way here and brawl."

  I stare at her. "Why?"

  She shrugs and washes her cup. "Hell if I know! They've been bad for business. All my regulars run away at the mention of their names."

  Maybe I need to stick around and watch the fight.

  Karamin sets her cup down and nods towards mine. I drink it, then hand it to her. She cleans the cup and sighs. "They have some kind of vendetta. Never spoken to either of them. The regulars say that the bounty hunter collects people for SAAF. Dez isn't like that."

  I touch my chin. "What about labs? Know any I could use?"

  Karamin laughs. "Gonna try your hand at experimenting too?"

  We exchange looks.

  She leans against the counter. "There's one in Sector T. Not heavily guarded, but they have equipment. You'd be able to do what you need."

  Sector T? That's SAAF territory. I shouldn't go there alone. Not with the infant.

  I reach into my pocket and pass her a slip. Karamin smiles, then passes me a coin. "There's a newbie at Fight Club. She's a real firehouse! You might like her."

  Fight Club isn't the most thrilling place to visit. Most of their fight are elevated performances. Not like a real battle. Maybe the new girl's got something special about her.

  Karamin leads me to the back of the bar and out the door. I thank her, then make my way through the alley. I can hear music blaring inside one of the buildings. I peer into a long dark stairwell. A door sits at the bottom with a flickering neon sign above, reading Fight Club. There’s a faint sign on the door that reads VIP ONLY.

  With a knock, the door cracks open and deep voice growls from behind. “Bet?”

  I offer the coin. “The new girl.”

  A large thick hand takes the coin, then the door fully opens. I walk through a dark hallway. A crowd is cheering. I follow the sound until I’m in a dim room with several masked Nobles. There’s an empty seat by an older woman. I land next to her and look down at the arena.