I dropped Angeline off in front of, peared to be, a fairly high-css building in the upper city. I saw a couple of her neighbors look at my tru disgust, so I felt a little bit of satisfa when Angeline released her pile of squirrels and that look on their faces turo horror.

  As the squirrels swarmed into the building I waved good-bye to Angeline, before turning the truck towards home. The skies of the city were busy, but the entrao the uy were not. My little voy easily slipped through the ector, before heading towards home. It was strahinking of that oversized mo as home, I’d been squatting in hidden basements and grottos most of my life, so having a little stability, and safety was a nice ge. It meant the kids would grow up better than I had, that’s for sure.

  As my truck made its final approach towards the shelter it attracted a lot of attention, both good and bad. Some people stopped to gawk at the literal armored n ing down, others ran for cover. I ughed, if this had been even half a month ago I would have been one of those people running for cover, hiding from every threat just to survive. Things had ged.

  My truck turned into the east garage entrance, followed by the IFVs. Although the space was still cavernous, it didn’t feel quite as empty with the added troops and equipment. I parked o the residence, and jumped out. Unpag could wait until ter, all I wao dht now was unwind with the kids. As soon as I opehe security door a tiny green missile intercepted me.

  “Teddy! Teddy’s back!” Isabelle nearly knocked me on my ass, despite all my ret improvements. The little girl was grinning from ear to ear as she gripped me in a tight hug.

  “Hey Issi, have you been a good girl for Jane while I was gone?” As I etting her hair I finally noticed what she was wearing. “What’s this?”

  “Ja us new clothes! She didn’t even have to patch them afterwards. I’m a froggy!” The little girl was wearing a green hoodie, and when she pulled up the hood there were a pair of eyes at the top. It was very remi of my own jacket, and cloak.

  “Animal hoodies are all the rage in the market right now. Guess you’re a treer.” Jane emerged from the kit, her previously threadbare outfit repced by a sweater and jeans, sans holes this time.

  “Jane, good to…” I didn’t get a ce to finish before Jane’s fist came down on my head.

  “You were gone for almost a week and didn’t call ONCE. You knoorried everyone was about you?”

  “You could have called me,” I groaned, rubbing my sore head.

  “We didn’t want to call at a bad time. I didn’t want to interrupt you while you were in the middle of a life ah fight or anything.” Jane looked at me, slightly disappointed.

  “I’ll remember iure,” I promised.

  Just as I made that promise, the garage opened up again and Spooky walked in. “No you won’t, you’re terrible at that sort of thing.”

  Jane shot me a look, “It’s my AI, Nyx, using one of my bots as a medium.”

  “o meet you,” the bear stated. “If you ever feel like calling Evelyn just do it, and if she’s too busy I’ll take your call and make her call you back ter.”

  “Great, I look forward to that,” I mumbled, before lifting Issi up and carryioward the kit, which caused the little girl to squeal in surprise and delight. I wasn’t out of shape before, but I didn’t have the muscle mass to carry her before.

  As I walked into the kit Eddie and Jennifer were at the table, eating nutrient mush. Eddie, the little snot, just waved and ignored us, but Jennifer gave me a little smile. The girl wasn’t as emaciated as before, and she was out of her room, which was a good sign. “Hey pipsqueaks, how you doing?”

  “Better. Thanks for findihe girl said. She didn’t actually look up from her bowl, but there was a little bit of a smile. Definitely better.

  I gnced down at their meals, nutrient mush was better than the bars, and it defiasted better, but it was still pretty rough. “Is that what you’ve beeing since I left? I thought I left you money for food.”

  Jennifer snorted, “Jahe kit on fire.” I raised an eyebrow and looked past the kids. Sure enough, there was bck scorg around the kit.

  “You could have used the microwave,” I said.

  “That’s how she did it!” Eddie piped up.

  I slowly turowards my patriot, eyebrows raised. “I never used one before, how was I supposed to know I wasn’t supposed to put the metal ed leftovers in there?” Jane said, her face turning red.

  I ughed, “It’s fine. I’ll repce the broken stuff, or buy a bot that fix it, ter. I made a fair amount of points while I was away, so I afford to treat everyoo a better meal.”

  Issi cheered as I lowered her into one of the chairs, “Nyx, six meals and drinks please.” As a rge stack of pre-ed meals appeared in my hands the children cheered. Jane helped move the mush aside, and pass out the meals. It was only after everyone had a meal that I noticed someone was missing.

  “Hey, where’s An?” I asked.

  Jane frowned, “In his room. He came back early yesterday, locked himself in, and hasn’t talked to anyone since.”

  “Seriously? That’s not like him. He likes to sit in the main area and judge people.”

  The entire group stopped eating, and looked at me. “He only does that to you,” Eddie said, a smirk on his face, “He says you’re unreliable.” Jennifer and Issabel giggled at that.

  “Well, the feeling’s mutual,” I grumbled. “I better g his ass out here before he misses this family dinner.”

  Sin had cimed the sed room in, it only took me a few seds to reach his door and sm my fist into it. “An, stop moping and e out and have dinner with everyone.”

  “Teddy? You’re back?” The voice that came from beyond the door was quiet, tired.

  “Yes I’m back. e out.”

  “I ’t… I ’t deal with this right now.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, I hadn’t heard An this dejected in awhile. The door opened, just a crack, and a paper ushed out before the door smmed shut again.

  “Frig drama queen,” I whispered before snatg the paper and taking a look at it.

  {People of the Under city

  It is time for us to rise up and face the gangs that have oppressed us all for so long. These groups have brought stability, at the cost of your safety and freedom. They are a blight upon our city, and must be eliminated if we are to live with our heads held high.

  Join The Guiding Light as we strike down these parasites aurreets to the people.

  If you truly wish to end the gangs' tyranny, seek us out, we wele all new initiates.

  May the blessed light illuminate your path}

  At the very bottom of the pamphlet, uhe text, was an i which looked like an old lighthouse.

  I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The Guiding Light were fug psychopaths. They attempted to eliminate all the under-city gangs six years ago, and almost succeeded before a massive polid military intervention that did as much damage as it did good. Iermath brand new gangs just sprang up, fought over territory, and caused more death aru than both the previous flid intervention bined.

  Jane, An and I all saw a lot of people die in that flict, including the people that were watg out for us at that time. An was a real wreck after that, so I could uand why he was hiding now.

  The unfortuhing was, even though I liked to believe no one would believe this bullshit and follow The Guiding Light after what happened before, there were a lot of desperate people out there. I o treat this seriously, even if it was someone’s idea of a sick joke, the stakes were too high to ignore. Even though I came home for a break, I couldn’t afford to take one anymore. Tomorrow I o hit the ground running, figure out who was behind this farce, and stop them.

  I wasn’t going to let the streets and als fill with blood like st time.