Tick, tick, tick. A parade of noise, drumming through the darkness in a steady beat. Louder and louder. A finger twitches, tick. A brow flinches, tick, his body moving to the ticks that bellow loudly in his mind. The sound finally drowns out with a groan as the world spins into view. Something cold presses hard against his cheek, it only becomes more apparent as he attempts to move. Half of his face slowly peeling off the hard wooden surface beneath it. Grey hair sweeps along the floor, he dusts the beard off with a loose flick of his fingers, the grey shifting uncovering a streak of white. The ticking returns louder than before, he pulls himself into a sitting position.
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A firm voice snaps him back to reality. “Nice nap?”. Another groan escapes him, much louder than the first. “It was great, bud. Better than my floor back home.”. A hand extends towards him, he takes it. A burly red-haired, bearded man pulls him off his backside. His apron stained with various kitchen goods, grey top tightened around muscle, mop to his side, cloth over one shoulder and a warm smile on his face. “While I appreciate the compliments Laz, I can’t mop with ya in the middle of it. You’re too old to be sleepin on the floor.”
“Sit your ass down. I’ll get ya some water.” He pushes the old man toward a stool. Laz pressed a hand to his face, dragging it down until it hit a fresh bruise. “Fu-” he pulls it away, checking his fingers as if it’d explain the fresh sting on his face. He found nothing but a bloodied bandage across the knuckles from the day prior. As his friend jostles about behind the bar Laz spots the tiny beer pin stuck on his apron, the name Sprig embedded below it. “That new?” he asks, still partially dazed.
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“Mm, Deb bought it for me. Kinda works like a name tag for the newcomers.”
“That right?” He takes a seat, a loud metallic clunk catching Sprig’s attention. “Sounds like a couple of screws came loose last night.” A glass slides in front of him. “Mm. I might’ve hit him too hard.” Laz tiredly lifts his arm, mechanical whirrs echo through the metal, all the way from his shoulder to the fingertips, dents cover the metal plate across the knuckles, jamming the movement of two chrome fingers. “You going to be able to fix it?” Laz runs his good hand over it, he tugs at a piece of metal that’s missing a screw, exposing a few wires. A metal finger pops off onto the bar followed by a look of distaste on the other’s face.
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He flexes the remaining fingers, showing a wide toothy grin. “Still works.” He picks up the glass with his good hand, downing it all in one go. “Sorry for the fuss. You know I don’t mean it.” “You do mean It. Otherwise you wouldn’t have started a fight in here yesterday.” Sprig scowled, but failed as it softened into a warm smile, “I dun mind, everyone else thought it was a good laugh. Mostly at your expense.” Laz chuckled, “Stop letting that bum in here and I won’t have to start a fight next time”.
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“If I did, you wouldn’t come in as much.” He paused; an eyebrow cocked. “Ah. That’s true. I wouldn’t have anyone to argue with.” they both start chuckling. His tired green eyes catching the watch on his friend’s wrist. Six twenty-one. “Alright. I’ll leave ya to it.” The glass taps against the counter, Laz slides off the stool, picking up the finger as he gets back on his feet. “You got work today?” Laz stretches himself out “Not the usual stuff.” He wanders haphazardly out the door, with a little wave of the severed finger. “Make sure you don’t start a fight on the way home.” The only response being a loud chuckle.
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As the door pulls shut, Sprig wipes the last glass, sliding it under the counter. Admiring his handiwork as delicious smells waft in from the kitchen. A morning unsullied by problems. “Smells good.”
…at least, it was. A tall well-dressed man with dirty blonde hair strides in from the front door, a clean face, an air of arrogance with his stride, a masked slender figure and a muscular shorter male following his lead. The door snaps shut behind them. He takes a seat on the stool opposite the bartender. “We’re closed. You should know that better than anyone” Sprig slams a hand flat on the counter top, his kind smile all but gone. His own bulky figure towering over the men’s companions. “What a shame, I was hoping for some early service, considering you served a customer already today? Sprig” the man narrows his gaze. Both his friends begin cutting off the bartender’s escape to the kitchen. “All I want is one drink.” a mocking tone that soon got him an empty glass.
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“I hope air’ll suffice, until we’re open.” The man’s smile fades as he curls his fingers around the glass. “Odd, I saw you give Laz something earlier. What exactly was he doing here so early?” He asks, sliding the glass back across the benchtop. Sprig stands tall, his composure unshaken. “He slept ere.” He points toward the floor, a small red stain etched into the wood. “Passed out fighting with my clientele. Again. You know how he is.”
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“He was here by himself? No one else with him?” The two stare each other down. “Yep.” With Sprig’s words, the man opposite stands. “You’re an honest man, but I do feel like you’re hiding something.” his slender companion steps closer to Sprig. With a flick of their wrist, a long sharp claw heads for Sprig’s neck. Slice.
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A drop of blood falls to the floor, slinking into the grains of the wood. Followed by a loud crunch. The claw rains down after it in pieces. Caught by a strong hand. “We. Are. Closed.” A frizzy, dark brown haired, tanned skin woman crushes the remains of the claw into dust. Piercings line her brow, triangle tattoo nestled under her right eye, muscles clearly visible even through the loose material covering her torso. She glowers at the intruder with fire in her eyes. The leader reigns in his associates with a smile. “We’re leaving. My apologies. Ma’am. Sprig” He turns to leave, the woman still glaring daggers at them from across the room. As soon as the door clicks shut once again Sprig sighs, the tension leaving him all at once. The woman keeps her attention on the door, still steaming. “What’d they want?” she asks. Sprig takes the glass, clearing his counter. “Laz.” Her anger subsides. “Again? Did he bring someone in yesterday?” Sprig shakes his head “He ordered a tall glass of water, with a straw yesterday. “
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“A… kid.” Her voice quivers. Sprig nods. “I’ll keep an eye on him. We may end up with another visitor soon.” The woman kisses Sprig’s forehead and wipes the small cut on his neck. “Just don’t take on too much again.” “Yes hon.”
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Out in the fresh morning air, doors are opening, people beginning their day as they flood onto the main road. Laz bumps past a few, inching toward the quieter roads to get away from the hustle and bustle that was silent only minutes prior.
He turns another corner, the buildings towering over one another, all fighting to claim the light of the sky. Parts of them crumble beneath their own neglect. Sun barely reaching past them to reveal the path beneath. Two scruffy kids’ wiz past Laz as he trudges onwards, one falls forward, foot caught in the cracks that litter the ground. Muffled yells burst through the house to his left, the old man takes one step backwards grabbing the fallen kid by the scruff of the neck. Thud!
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A large piece of wood wedges itself into the pavement where the boy once stood. “If you don’t buck up, I’ll throw the dresser next!” “You don’t have the gall!” another noise bellows. Laz takes yet another step back. Out comes the dresser. “WHY’D YOU THROW IT!?” Laz lowers his arm, letting the kid’s feet touch the safety of the pavement. He chases after his friend, not phased in the slightest. Brushing past the remains, a head pops out of the brand-new hole in the wall. “AH! Sorry Laz!” Laz waves a hand, a stifled laugh trying desperately not to escape as they bicker once again. Leaving the chaos behind, he continues on his way until he reaches a large glass window, surrounded by boxes filled with various junk. He taps two of his metal fingers together twice, a clunk of metal can be heard sliding back, the door pops itself open with a loud creak. The dust gathers at his feet. An overwhelming musty smell fills his lungs. Home. He tosses the severed finger onto an over-cluttered wooden bench, pushing over a rolled blueprint, knocking a few screws to the floor. He ignores the mess, tapping fingers together again, the door snaps shut, locking behind him. He beelines straight up the stairs in the back of the room.
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A small beam of light seeps in from the kitchen window, illuminating the scuffed wooden floors. A half-eaten pie rests on the rickety table, clothing covering parts of the floor, cogs and metal taking up unnecessary space across the floorboards. He takes no time in sinking himself into the weathered leather couch, head back and arms rested comfortably against his stomach. The room is completely silent, not even the sounds from outside creep in here. Soaking in the atmosphere for a few minutes, he breaks it with his own voice. “You can come out now.” A shadow in the corner shifts, shuffling quietly. Two ocean blue eyes dart in multiple directions before timidly taking a step forward. Laz lazily pulls himself back up, crumpling up on the couch as he catches himself. His gaze set on the figure that has still yet to come into the light. “It’s safe.” He flicks his head up, urging them to come closer.
Silence…. Completely shattered as a small figure jumped onto the couch beside him, it took all Laz’s effort not to fly off the seat. Long blue hair cascades across the spare seat, inches from the floor. A baggy sweater exposing one shoulder but covering everything down to their mid-thigh. Skin pale with a tinge of blue, scaly texture that seemingly sparkles as two arms wrap around the bewildered man. “Where were you!?” Her voice shrill and worried. He inhales from the impact, each bruise giving a fresh sting of pain. Taking a moment to collect himself as he pats her back “Look I told ya I’d be out for the evening, didn’t I?” she hugs him tighter, her arms barely reaching around his larger frame. “You told me you’d be back! You didn’t tell me where you were going, or how long. Or what I should do if someone came to the door, now you have bruises on your fa- “A hand abruptly covers her mouth, plopping her back onto the spare seat, away from him. “Indoor voice.” He raises a thick grey brow and waits for her to give in before releasing his grip. “I was scared okay. You didn’t come back for the WHOLE night. I’ve been here like what, a day?! I don’t know where to look for you.”
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An exhausted sigh escapes him, he lays a hand to his forehead and leans over more in an attempt to give himself more space. “I’m helpin. That’s all- “he pauses for a moment,” Where’s Bruno?” he asks. The girl flinches, her eyes darting to the window and back. She smiles awkwardly. “Ugh. Damn dog. Let me guess. Hole in the fence?” Laz rubs his temples; she sheepishly looks in another direction. “He got all excited out of nowhere and went through before I could stop him.” Laz rolls his eyes, a dog almost as old as him, that barely moves an inch, was too fast. “Guard dog my ass. He’s probably gone to grans. She cooks meat on Thursdays. I’ll pick him up later.” He watches the relief hit her, a childish smile taking over. “You eaten?” She stares at him for a moment then at the partially-consumed pie on the table. “I had some of that last night.” Annoyed, he forces himself back onto his tired feet and wobbles over to the kitchen.
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“So, what do you mean by you were helping me out?” she asks, both hands against her face as she leans over, legs folded, elbows on her knees, seated firmly on the couch. Laz slides open a box with an external motor. A surge of cold air blows past his face while he stares at the box’s contents. “Don’t worry about it.” He rummages about and pulls out something wrapped in foil, tossing it onto the table. “It should be handled” he pulls two mugs out of a dirty sink, rinsing them off. “mostly” She lightly claps her hands together, a sign of understanding. “I’m going to worry about it. Sounds like you didn’t fix anything”
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“Oi. I’m tryin to fix a mess YOU started” He snaps back. “I didn’t know things were going to be like this. If I’d known that I’d have stayed home yesterday.” She retorts. Laz rotates the mug giving it a once over, content with its cleanliness for now. “What’s done is done. You’re here now.” He sets the two mugs down, one filled with rich black coffee the other with slightly cloudy water, he takes a seat, motioning for her to do the same. She sits down in the chair opposite him, a wave of curiosity as she examines the foil in front of her. “We’ll have to be careful. You’ll stay here a couple of days, and then we’ll get you back out of town.” He states, ripping off the foil from a few cold layered slices of egg and bacon. He picks one up, almost finishing it with one bite. “So, you’ll teach me while I’m here?” She takes one as well, examining it closely, sniffing it. While side eyeing him with a smile. “I already told you, no.” Her smile drops, her eyes partially glaring at him from her seat. Without removing eye contact she takes a bite. “Oooh!” the excitement swiftly returning. “This is good. So was the pie. What’s this?” she points to the coffee cup. “Coffee… “Her eyes widen as she tries to grab the cup, Laz swiftly pulls it from her grasp “Mine.” A loud whine echoes through the kitchen. “Stingy.” Laz sips his coffee, smiling contently. “Mm. I’m feeling really stingy today.”
The sun sits at its peak, high in the clear blue sky. The shifting hours bending the shadows to its will as the path vanishes from view outside the store, not that it had collected much light before then. Laz rotates the finger he’d removed earlier from his metal hand, he turns it multiple times, content with his work he pops it back on, it clicks, compressed air vents out the side of the arm, a shock travelling through it. Laz shudders, flexing his hand, the fingers finally bend properly again. “How’d you make this thing?” A blue face slowly rises from the other side of the bench. Her hands folded over the edge to maintain her balance; eyes wide as they scan his arm. “Very carefully.” He ripostes. “You aren’t supposed to be down here. They could see you through the window.”
Her gaze wanders, the window behind them is massive, but it’s covered in shelving and a ton of useless junk. If someone could see them through that, it would be a miracle. Taking in a deep breath, she leans forward and puts her face close to his. “Please teach me.” She utters quietly a smile as sweet as icing. Laz’s face softens, a smile appearing that feels extremely out of character for him. “No.” With that he returns to his usual scowl and continues tinkering. Her face scrunches, upper lip trembling as she slams one hand on the benchtop, the sound of water churns. A few screws wobble and fall onto the floor. “Why not!?” she pouts. Her face turning a light shade of pink.
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“You need to figure it out yourselves.” He removes a panel from his arm along with part of the frame, examining a few more dents. “We can’t! You made it. I need you to tell me how to fix it.” Her voice desperate. Laz places the metal down; he glances back up at her. “I told you. No. Now go back upstairs.” She challenges his gaze and leans in closer. “I’m not moving.” He stands abruptly, towering over the
ten-year-old who only now seems to regret her decision. She visibly sweats but her stance doesn’t faulter. His hand comes down toward her, she squeezes her eyes shut. A light pressure on her shoulder as he pats her twice. “You’ve got guts kid.” He removes his hand, flips down his goggles and picks up his metal pieces, heading back upstairs. “Wait. Where are you going?” His steps cause a wail of noise as the floorboards buckle under the weight of him. He doesn’t respond, making his way back into the living room. She chases after him, just in time to see him plonk himself on the floor. He continues working as if nothing changed. “Fine. I’ll stay down here then” she turns, going down one step. Then another. She pauses, looking back to see if he’s paying attention. He isn’t.
“I’m really going to stay down here. Sure hope I don’t die” she calls out, taking another step. “Knock yourself out kid.” He turns the metal over, inspecting it like he did the finger. She jumps down to the next step, the thump picking up dust that’d gathered at its edges. She turns back to look at him, he’s unchanged. Her face scrunches, she stomps down another few steps.
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Silence.
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Her hands shake as she hurls her foot down, the sound of water moving follows after it. “They might see me!” she calls back.
“Good for you.” His words pierce her, the anger rising as she marches straight back upstairs. Loudly professing her presence. Laz tightens a screw, and flexes the arm. Ignoring her entirely. She drops to the floor, cross legged. “Why won’t you teach me...” her voice fizzles out. Laz halts his tinkering, he holds his tools while in thought, then starts once again. “I’m not a charity” “…we’re going to have to move.” Her head lowers, shoulders slumped, hands sitting listless against the floor. “It’d be better to move- “his words are cut off as he sees tears. Right, she’s still young. He pauses, shuffling in place. “You came under the fence looking for me” he’s blunter this time, his eyes meeting hers. “Someone saw you. Now you’re trapped here. You might not get to go home at all.” She lowers her head in shame. “If you don’t understand one thing I taught you, just one. What would you do?” he watches her intently. “I’d come and ask- “
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“Exactly. You, or someone else, would come and ask.” The metal clunks as he shifts his arm upwards, patting her on the head, tussling her hair about. “I can’t leave here. I’m sorry kid.” She pushes his hand away and sinks further, “but... I tried so hard.” She sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks. Laz stares at her, lost. The situation is what it is. What she wanted to fix was something he’d made years ago, but if she came again. It may not be him she finds. It would be better to move, make a home somewhere else, than to disappear within these city walls. “ch... e.” she uttered quietly. “Huh?” Laz leans in, trying to make sense of her ramblings.
“TEACH ME!” His eardrums burst, hair blows backwards, the cap flying off, onto the floor. The surprise extremely apparent, he sits there speechless. He regains his thoughts and furrows his thick brows. “Did you hear me? I just told you- “ “Then teach me so I won’t have to come back!” both fists clenched, tears trailing down her cheeks, upper lip trembling. The look in her eyes reminiscent of an old friend of his. He sighs loudly, grumbling under his breath. “Damn kids.” His head pulled back, breath climbing to the ceiling, shoulders slumped “Fine.” Her eyes light up, tears stop abruptly, hands fly into the air in celebration. “But only if you promise. You won’t come back into the city.” “I promise!” She continues her celebration, now on her feet, dancing back and forth. He picks up the metal pieces that’d fallen on the floor.
Laz disappears downstairs. He returns with a box filled with various parts, he places it on the floor and smirks. “Shall we get started then?” Her smile widens and she sits on the floor next to him. “What was your name kid?” He asks as he pulls out a few pieces. “Caydence “ “Laz.” He responds. “So, you aren’t just called old man?” showing a smug grin, Laz shares his own. “You’re not just called Stupid kid?” “touché”. The two of them chuckle among themselves. Laz unrolls a blueprint. “There’s a lot to cover. You’ve got a few days.” Excitement grips her as the explanations begin.
As the last of the daylight disappears, Caydence lays fast asleep. Dried oil covers her finger tips, some of it smeared on her cheek and chin. Laz pry’s a screwdriver from her hand, shoving it to the side with the other things heaped beside her. He cradles her in both arms, lifting her off the floor, her head resting on his shoulder. He takes her into the only other room, and carefully puts her down in a bed three times her size. “Goodnight kiddo” he pulls the tattered cover over her, stitched back together by a clear amateur. Once she settled, he made his way back into the living room, closing the door quietly behind him. His eyes tiredly wander to the clock on the wall, he still had time. He flipped all the lights off, treading back downstairs. He glosses over everything, kicking a few small things away from his feet to clear a path. He halts. A dark figure visible from his peripheral vision, standing right outside his store window. Metallic scraping pierced the silence as he curls his metal arm into a fist. If looks could kill, whoever was outside would be dead where they stood. He relaxes his hand enough to click the two fingers together, door unlocking. He pushes it open, a cold glare reaching a familiar face. His fist unfurls, body once again in a more relaxed state. “What’s up?” he asks.
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A woman pushes herself off the wall of the store, arms no longer folded. Hair short, half of it buzzed, a sleeveless vest proudly showing off her tattoo sleeve. The pink highlights in her hair catching some of the street light. She looked to be in her early twenties. “Someone was snooping” she motions her head to the right, down the alley toward the main street. He figured as much. It wouldn’t make sense for them to not come his way sometime soon. “Thanks” he looks back through the window, the amassed junk on the shelves was the only thing he could see from the outside, it wasn’t his original intention but it served a useful purpose nowadays. The woman stands in front of him, moving closer. “You’ll see him tomorrow, right?” Laz nods “Same time as always” she turns her back, a hand up as she begins walking away. “Be careful.”
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He didn’t need the reminder, but the reassurance was a pleasant surprise. He watches her make her way further into the crumbling street, passing multiple people. Laz raises his head at them all, a sign of greeting, they do the same before heading indoors or back to their nightly hangouts. He clicks his fingers, the door shutting, and the slide of metal followed by a solid click. With the building secure, Laz follows the darkness, disappearing into the night.
A set of three follow after him. He meets someone in the middle of main street, they have a joke, both walking back to Sprigs. Not suspicious behaviour for him. The tall blonde man, Ferin, opens the door to the tavern, brimming with life. People of all types are drinking, singing, loudly having their conversations. He and his two companions take a seat in the corner, away from the noise. People’s friendly demeanour vanishes as they notice them sitting nearby. This place is filled with illegal acts, fugitives, backdoor dealings, any race you can think of is sitting in front of them, everything that shouldn’t, happens in this very spot. They can’t do anything in here, not while their boss still has dealings with these cretins. They watch intently as Laz talks to a man all too well known by this city. The former leader of the army, and a hero among many. He and Laz were well known friends, them being together was normal, but this made no sense. He knows for a fact that this old man took the girl yesterday. He can’t leave her by herself in his shop, it’d be stupid. He has to be hiding her somewhere. Neil was too law abiding to be hiding a fugitive, despite coming to a place like this so frequently. So where was she? His gaze fixed on target, watching as the night ticked away.
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“We should just storm the place” a feminine voice grumbles behind the mask of the slender person next to him. “Patience. We have no rights in here, not without proof.” They scoff, arms folded and a foot claiming its place on the table. “We know they have her” their shorter companion chimes in. “Doesn’t matter. We need proof-” “This place is proof enough. Look at all the fuckin filth in here.” The masked figure growls. Ferin pushes her foot from the table. “I told you before, patience. We were handpicked for this. Everyone slips up eventually. “
The night once again seeps into the corners of the earth as day makes itself known. As the sunlight begins to hit the main streets of the city, Laz makes his way once again to his small store. The smell of beer on his breath, another bruise on his cheek, a cut on his good arm, and a loose screw on the other. He had fought with his old friend once again that night, fists and insults thrown. They ended the night in laughter, and matching headaches. He stumbles home, taking that final step upstairs and collapsing onto the couch. Not aware Caydence was already up and working on the floor mere steps away. Her gaze fixed on him, he sinks further onto the couch, looking about as comfortable as one could get on that worn out piece of furniture, legs dangling off the edge.
His attempt at rest is broken by the sound of metal thumping across the floor, followed by a long string of drool hitting him on the face, a smell so foul it could kill a flowerbed filled his nostrils forcing him upright, trying not to wretch from the pungent stench. “Ugh… Morning Bruno.” Next to him is a light brown hound with dark brown spots almost the same size as him, an old dog with skin gravitating toward the floor, almost like an overhanging blanket. His right leg is completely metal, matching his master’s arm.
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He loosely places his hand on the large hound’s head. Struggling to find it at first. Bruno lets out a quiet boof, pulling away from Laz’s hand, he wanders over to a big cushion on the floor in the corner of the room, falling asleep in minutes. Trying to piece his thoughts back together, a cup is held in front of him. He jumps, forgetting someone else was in the room. Dazed, he stares long and hard at it. She jostles the water about as a reminder. With a tired grip he pulls the cup from her. “Thanks kid” he mumbles, downing the water and falling back onto the couch. Cup plopped down on the floor beside him. “You were out all night again.” She sits with her back against the couch, blueprint in hand. “Mm” he barely responds. Looking exhausted, it was likely he didn’t sleep at all this time, and he had new battle wounds. “Have you eaten anything?” he mumbles again. “Not yet.”
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After minutes of nothing, he forces himself back up. His old bones groaning while he makes his way across the room, into the kitchen. Lazily grabbing another foil covered meal from the cold box.
Once the food was gone, Laz ended up downstairs. His store sign now read open, and he was already back to fixing small things out of a box with names labelled across them. Those tired eyes forcing themselves to keep focus. Caydence sat at the top of the stairs, watching him while looking back at the notes he’d written down for her earlier. She had a miniature version of what looked like some kind of water filter that Laz had built in between his other work. The door opens, a bell chime rings. Caydence swiftly darts further into the room upstairs, out of sight. The woman from yesterday stands in the doorframe, a small boy with scruffy, shoulder length, light brown hair hiding behind her. He holds the back of her shirt for comfort, his weight leaning more to one side, two purple-coloured eyes peering out at Laz.
Laz stands from his stool behind the counter, he pushes a few things off the surface straight back onto the floor. “He can sit up here.” He pulls out a thick box with weird writing on it and places It down beside the counter. The two step further into the store, the kid dragging one of his feet as he walks. The woman helps the kid onto the counter, his loose t-shirt and shorts picking up dust from the edge of the wood, she takes off his left boot, revealing a metal limb from the mid-calf all the way down to the foot. “It just stopped working earlier this week.” Laz crouches down, giving it a good look over. His fatigue melts away as his hand grips the metal, an intense focus as his mind gets to work. He removes the outer panel, going through a few of the inner working pieces. The kid sits in silence, his hand loosely gripping his sister’s.
“Its power source is broken.” Laz removes a dulled crystal, roughly the size of a coin, he shows it to the two. The woman frowns. “Do we have to get another one?” Opening the box from earlier, a range of similar crystals sit inside it, all in various sizes and colours separated by small foam casings. He takes out a yellow one, a slightly larger size than what was in it previously. “This one should last a bit longer.”
She frowns, “We can’t-” Laz holds his hand up, cutting her off. He carefully inserts it back in its rightful place. The kid flinches, discomfort spreading across his face for a split second. The metal shines a brilliant bright yellow, multiple mechanisms spurring to life, the metal toes begin to twitch. A large smile grows on the boy’s face, he actively starts wiggling his toes again. “SIS! LOOK! It moved it moved! “He bellowed; it was enough to make Caydence take a peek from upstairs. The boy couldn’t contain his sheer joy, but his sister was clearly unsure. “I cannot thank you enough.” She lowers her head. “Just get out of here, I still have work to do.” He takes his seat back behind the counter, hiding a tired smile.
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The boy hops down, turning to greet him at the store entrance. “Thanks Uncle Laz.” Laz gives him a small wave, the kid does a small spin, showing off his newfound agility. As he returns to face Laz, his eyes meet Caydence’s. He pauses and Sil lightly grabs hold of his hand. “We’ll see you later” She tugs on her brother’s arm, pulling him out the door. Once they’re out of view, Caydence sneaks down the stairs. Sitting at the halfway point. “For a shop you don’t really sell anything.” Laz goes back to his original task, throwing out a few old broken wires, replacing them with new ones then soldering them in place. “Payment isn’t always done in cash.” He places the newly fixed heater in a box, and takes out another item. Cay notices another foil covered tray on one of Laz’s shelves near the door. Along with a flask of some kind. “Does someone give you food?” “Mm. A few people drop some off sometimes.” He takes a moment, the tiredness returning.“That’s nice of them.” She looks around other parts of the store, most of it is junk, or at least it looks like it. Chunks of metal, wires, a few weird looking things meshed together, she had no idea what any of this stuff was, or what it did. Most of it was covered in a thick layer of dust. Never touched except for the stuff in his corner.
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“What is that?” She points to a dust covered box with a partially open lid, hidden at the top of a shelf. He shakes his head, regathering his senses and attempts to look intimidating. “Didn’t I tell ya to stay upstairs.” She looks unphased by his attempt but moves regardless. “I know, I know.” She slowly wanders up the stairs, poking her head down from the top step. “I can’t figure this thing out though.” With a defeated groan, he begrudgingly makes his way upstairs.
Laz downs his fourth cup of coffee, the cup hitting the table hard as he wobbles in place. Caydence had a slew of questions, throwing them out left and right as Laz sat there, mind jumbled, the look of confusion becoming more and more evident. Bruno lays on the wooden floor beneath the kitchen table, enjoying the small rays of sun before they vanish for the day. “Hold up. You’re talking too fast.” He places a hand in front as the metal one lightly rubs the bridge between his eyes. “One thing at a time.” He looks back to her paper, she now had a whole page of damn notes. “This thing. Does it have a power source? Like what that kid had?” she points to various parts of the paper, and Laz cuts her off.
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“I told you this yesterday. Everything needs a power source.” His tone becoming more and more annoyed. Was she actually listening to anything he told her yesterday? She stares intently at him, as if still waiting for an explanation. “We use crystals to help give a boost of power if we can’t find anything else. They’re expensive, so we don’t use them much.” He points to the main part of the machine. “This thing uses the water around it to help push the motor. So, it works by being in a water current. “He explained, running a finger across the paper. He writes it down with her notes. Caydence crumples the edge of the paper she’s holding, while putting the end of the pen in her mouth. “It might not be possible to really learn how it works in just another two days. Let alone get parts for anything broken.” He states quietly. She stops, the worry settling in. “I know.“ She folds over, pulling at her hair while her head dangles toward the floor. “Why can’t you just come with me?” She grumbles.
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He figured as much. This kind of thing was too much for a kid to understand. He leaned backwards; his gaze set toward the ceiling. “I’m trapped here” he said quietly. “But you left last night, and the night before.” “I mean... I’m trapped in the city.” He reiterated. “I made a deal with someone a long, long, time ago. Unless I get permission… I’m stuck here.” He tapped his fingers on the floor beside him. “Not that it matters much. I don’t have anywhere else to go.” His voice quiet, almost a whisper. Caydence hesitantly bought her head up, saddened big blue eyes staring at him.
​
At the sound of paper rustling, Laz glanced back down at her. Caydence was avidly trying to read the notes he’d just written down. A small smile graced his lips and he pulled the blueprints from her lap. He scribbled a few more notes on the side of it. “I know we don’t have long, and you won’t understand much, so I’ll write down what I think could be the most likely problems and how to fix them. I can write down where to pick up some of these resources as well.” Cay leans against him, drinking the information in as he talks about it well into the late afternoon.
As the daylight begins to dim and the air cools, he takes the box of things he’d fixed earlier, and heads out to the street. Caydence watched him leave, knowing it was likely he wouldn’t come back until the morning. She was right, as another night goes by. Unlike the past few days, this time Laz made various stops, handing out small objects to various residents who seemed to be waiting for his visit. Once all was done, he once again made his way to Sprigs, this time meeting a different friend. The same three followed him there, watched him drink, brawl, and make a general fool of himself. Once he was done, he returned in the early hours of the morning. More wary than the day before. In an attempt to keep things normal, he opened the store. After a few hours of fixing odd jobs, delivering a ‘damn large cold box’ to an old lady down the street, answering Caydence’s questions and figuring out the remaining tasks for the day, the exhaustion hit him. He fell asleep at his desk. The door unlocked; sign left on open as the sun drew to its highest point in the sky.
“Really? So, this one is more special?” a curious excitement rang through his ears, shaking him from his slumber. “That one is SUPER rare. There’s only one in the WHOLE deck.” “Woah” Laz’s eyes flutter open, stinging from the sudden light. Three blurred figures sat at the base of the stairs, one tall, two small. His head lay against his arms, the cool metal oddly comfortable against his cheek. His old googles covered part of one of his eyes, the other at a slant as it’d been pushed up by his sleeping position.
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“What happens if you use this one?” the voices continued “You’ll beat up those three. “ “OOOH! So, I win?” “Almost, but I still have this one.”
Laz manages to raise his head, part of his cheek covered in oil from his last project. Groggily he places his clunky right arm underneath it. The other pulls the goggles off his face. “Ugg. What’s with all the racket?” a familiar face comes into view as his vision starts to focus.
“Coffee?” Sil holds out a mug half full. Laz eyes it briefly, he swipes it, chugging it down in one go. “I thought I told you to stay upstairs.” He groans. Plopping the mug on his desk with a thump. “I was. But your customers got bored, so we started playing a game.” She points to a couple of cards, holding one up for him to look at. “This one is really cool! It has a shiny picture on it!” He stares in disbelief; this kid had no idea just how stupid all this was. His shoulders slouch, the dream of just going back to sleep and not deal with any of this starting to take over his resolve. “What part of, don’t get spotted, do you not understand...” He sinks back onto his desk, shaking his head.
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“Whatever. If you want to keep playing, get your asses upstairs. N’ Be quiet up there." The two kids grin, fumbling over one another to gather their scattered cards. Within minutes they’d scrambled up the stairs, giggling all the while. Sil leans on Laz’s desk, gripping the top with her hands. “No one saw them.” She reassures him. “She’s-” “I know. She’s really, really, loud “Laz grumbled. His voice half muffled by his hand. “Gavin saw her yesterday.”
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Laz groans again, giving in to gravity his forehead hit the wood of his desk with a thud. He let his fleshy arm dangle toward the floor. “How long has she been here?” she asked quietly. “Too long.” He picks himself back up, grabbing hold of another thing to tinker with. “No one else saw her?” “Mm, her and Gavin have been on the stairs, you can’t see it even if you did find a way to peek through the window.”
The relief is apparent as Laz’s shoulder lose tension. With fatigue still a battle, he begins rubbing his eyes, a futile attempt to get them to waken properly. “Glad Gav doesn’t mind it.” “He’s a good kid.” Her eyes followed Laz’s movements; He was definitely struggling. “I’ll stop the kids from getting into any mischief up there.” She gave a soft smile and pushed away from the desk. “Thanks. I owe ya.”
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“Nah I’m just slowly paying off my tab.” Sil grins, making her way up to the other two.
​
With the room silent once again, Laz tries to collect his thoughts. The reminder that is the bliss of a quiet room, and the warmth of whatever sun his store managed to obtain through the small cracks that had escaped him these past few days. He attempts to pick up a screwdriver when a whirring sound emanates from his metal right arm, his stomach drops, eyes darting across the room, a tall shadow grabs his attention from the edge of the store window. All fatigue fading away, the adrenaline hitting with a fury. The stool falls to the floor as he jolts up, the strange shadow slinking out of sight. Laz hurries outside, scanning the street in a panic. He spots a strangely shaped shadow curving into the darkness of the alley. Running his fingers across his metal arm, the strange pulsating sound continues. His thick brows furrow, metal hand closing into a fist. The surrounding silence only serves to push his anxieties. With the danger out of sight he finally turns back to his store. Clicking his fingers, the door closes and that familiar click echoes through the empty room. Stewing in his thoughts, he taps his flesh against the cool metal of the arm once more, the pulsating hum dissipating altogether. Returning to his desk, he quietly pulls the stool aside. Kneeling down, he disappears for a second under his desk, the loud creak of wood and nails straining as a floorboard is wedged from its home. He throws an old dusty blueprint across the countertop, unfurling to reveal old city plans.
The living room was starting to lose its natural light, the sun inching closer to the other side of the building, covered by the towering goliaths that were built next to this dingy looking home. The warmth replaced by the cool air, blowing through a single open window. The two kids sat with their backs pressed against the couch, cards still in hand. True to their word, both kids were being quiet. Gavin placed a card on the floor, a cocky smirk on his face. Caydence’s jaw dropped, both hands swiftly smacking her cheeks in dismay. She hurriedly pulled her own cards back in front of her, scanning through them in a rush. Thwap! A grin bright as the light of day, burning right through Gavin’s once confident demeanour. Slowly, that grin turned sinister. Gavin realised his mistake. No way, he had been so close to victory, but this one thin piece of card had been his undoing. It was all over. Despair hit him, he fell forward, catching himself just before hitting the floor. His resolve gone, he fell to the side, flat against the wooden boards. Motionless as though he’d been stabbed in the chest. Caydence stood proud, hands on her hips, laughing in silence. From across the room, it looked like a very strange play. Sil sat next to her brother, tapping his head with a clean glass. He perked back up, returning to his chipper self, he gripped it tightly. “Thanks!” he sat with his legs folded under him, using them to inch that tiny bit higher so he felt taller than the girl opposite him. Sil offered the glass in her other hand to Caydence, who had stopped her gloating at the mere interest of the colour of the water Sil was holding.
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“Thank you.” She took the glass judiciously, cupping it with both hands. She scrutinised the clean glass. Laz’s kitchen was covered in dirty dishes, she had thought some of that dirt was just a pattern it came with, he never cleaned any of them apart from the two mugs they’d drink out of. Shifting herself backwards, she glanced at Gavin who was happily sipping his drink, a stupid look of glee overtaking him. She returned her gaze to the orange water in her own hands, tentatively she took a sip. Flavour hit her like a bomb, and down the drink went in large gulps. Once it was gone, she sighed in glee, slumping against the couch. She could fully understand the joy, her new friend had conveyed. “It’s good right? I love juice-” Gavin stopped, his jaw dropping mid-sentence. “You’re orange!?” he shouts, catching everyone’s attention, including Laz from downstairs.
The three sat in a circle, Laz joining the fray by sitting at the table. All eyes on Caydence, who was staring at her own hands in disbelief. They were still pale, but they weren’t tinged in blue anymore. She lifted her sweater, revealing a thin layer of transparent skin partially hidden by the shorts she had on underneath, her skin was filled with an orange-coloured liquid. Gavin wide eyed, began jumping up and down on the spot, a million questions coming to mind, but with his sister’s hand across his mouth, he was stopped from asking anything.
Laz stood himself up, grabbing some more water from the sink and handing it to Caydence. She hesitantly sips it, everyone watches in awe as her skin slowly shifts in colour, the same with her thigh. “So that’s what happens when mermaids drink something other than water.” Laz ponders quietly. “Didn’t have one here long enough to find that out.”
The curiosity having passed, he wandered over to the couch, dropping onto it in one big heap. “Wake me up when it starts getting dark.” He mumbles. “Wait! You’ve had a mermaid here before?” Caydence asks, leaning toward the couch. She patiently waits for a response, inching ever closer as the minutes tick by. Laz’s mouth opens. The loudest snore to ever grace her ears shoots straight from his mouth, along with breath so rancid it could rival the dog’s. She falls flat on her butt, hands covering her nose in disgust. Gavin bursts out laughing forcing Sil to release him. “Let him sleep. He needs it.” While the three go back to their own small conversation, Laz shifts to his side, his head buried into the back of the couch. His eyes open, thoughts swirling from the shadow he’d witnessed earlier. Sleep was no longer on the table, but pretending was a good excuse for him to not have to answer any other questions, he let his mind drown out their voices and focused on his own thoughts. Figuring out his plans for the coming day.
​
The last night before show time, Laz asked Sil to keep watch over the two kids at his place. He did the same as the previous two nights. He tiredly headed to Sprigs, met up with a friend or two, and drank most of the night away. Two of the three who always followed him had done so again, sitting in the corner of Sprigs, their leader missing from the table.
The slender female taps her nails against her cheek, eyes scanning the room instead of their intended target. This ground was outside of some of their laws, and unless any of these cretins actually took a step outside, they weren’t technically doing anything wrong.
This was pathetic, they had been here multiple times already and nothing changed. He’d get drunk, order some very strange drinks, like milk with a tiny umbrella, or a damn beer in a wine glass. This guy looked like he could barely tie shoelaces, in fact, his shoes didn’t even have any, he wore sandals! Yet they were still here, forced to watch him like a couple of idiots. “Where’s Ferin? He’s supposed to be here.” She growls. The shorter man throws his head back, bored out of his mind. “Like I’d know. I ain’t his keeper.”
​
The woman scoffs, scraping her hand across the table deliberately, catching the attention of the surrounding patrons. They both knew their orders, but one couldn’t help but be angry when the target is literally right there, and they can’t do a damned thing without proof. But this old man was starting to tire, they’d seen him every night, wandering back and forth, barely sleeping the past few days. It was only a matter of time before he screwed up. They’d be right there, waiting for it.
The night travels on, most of the evening’s patrons have come and gone, heading to their rooms upstairs, or back home to their families. Laz stares blankly at his drink, wobbling back and forth, the fatigue consuming him. When was the last time he had a proper sleep? It had been a few days, apart from falling asleep at his desk for a few hours. This was somewhat a usual habit of him these days, sleep was just not a kind place to be. The more tired one was, the emptier the dream. It was how he preferred it. Sliding his beer glass forward, he stood from his seat, nodding his head to his friendly bartender, and wobbling out the door.
Back home, the night feels eerie. The two kids are sound asleep, curled up against the beloved hound Bruno, cards still in their hands, crumbs from dinner settled on Gavin’s face as he snored quietly. Sil had stayed at the window, eyes glued on the street below. Something felt off, it had for over an hour. She was too afraid to move, the fear of alerting some unseen entity had gripped every part of her mind. Laz had asked her prior to leaving, to stick around a little longer. While she could see the street from her perch, it wasn’t possible to see the front of the store, she’d have to move. It felt like a stone was forming in her throat, this street was never the safest, but it had never put her on edge quite like this. It was as though the very shadows of the room, were staring straight at her.
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Pulling herself together, she carefully removed her knee-high boots, so as to make less noise. Bare foot, she crept through the room, avoiding any overly creaky floorboards in her path. At the staircase, she lowered herself into a kneeling position. You could see the store window only once you got to the bottom of the stairs. She placed her foot down on the third step, trying to dodge the first two in fear of making noise. She slid herself down, skipping another three steps. Once she hit the bottom, her gaze shifted upwards to the window. All thoughts vanished, her heartbeat booming, it no longer feel like it was in her chest. Her mouth dried up, an overwhelming sense of dread engulfing her.
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A tall shadow stood at the front of the store, only parts of it could be seen past the hordes of junk but it was definitely there. That wouldn’t normally bother her, but. Whoever that was… their shadow was moving almost independently of them, slowly slinking into the room. Her mind was in a panic, a horrible sinking feeling, halting any rational thought. She stood there in horror as she watched the figure’s shadow turn to look directly at her. Purple eyes wide, her hand furiously felt around for the wall for some level of stability. She couldn’t break her stare of this ungodly thing, even if she wanted to. She backed up, moving inches at a time still trying to keep as quiet as possible, the shadow grew, panic consuming her ever so rapidly as her foot slipped from the step. Pressure hit the walls, her arms taking all her weight so she wouldn’t fall. The shadow had slid past the half way point from the window, toward the stairs. Creeping ever closer. All of this was becoming too much for Sil, she finally broke her gaze, spinning around and scrambling up the stairs toward the kids, noise be damned.
She landed her ass on the kitchen floor, further scrambling toward the children, as she put herself between them and the stairs. She braced herself, eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable.
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Nothing. ​ That strange sensation had faded completely, the room returning to its once calm state. Two voices broke the silence at the front of the building.
After another long night, Laz had stumbled home, he knew he was being followed, and he knew there was one less than the nights before. Any questions he had were soon answered. He reached the street he called home. Standing outside his shop window, was an annoyingly familiar face. Ferin. He stepped closer, that same pulsating sound chiming through his arm, the hairs on the back of his neck standing. His fists clench, fatigue pushed to the side yet again. It wasn’t just Ferin who was watching this place. “I’m closed.” Laz states bluntly, pushing his anger deep down, to avoid any immediate suspicion. Ferin raised both hands, showing he was unarmed. “I know. I came to give you a message, that’s all.” Laz brushed him off, leaning against his own door, subtly making sure it was still locked. The door didn’t budge, taking all of his weight with ease. Knowing it was definitely still locked, he calmed more so. “…What’s that exactly?” Ferin placed both hands in his pockets, an ungodly sinister smile settling on his face which put a small shiver down Laz’s spine. “Devin is going to pick her up tomorrow.”
Laz’s eyes narrowed, “Good for him. No idea what you’re talkin about. Now piss off.“
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Ferin shrugged his shoulders, the shadow behind him peeking out to meet Laz’s dull green eyes. “That’s all I was told. I’ll catch you later, old man.” He turned, leisurely walking into the darkness of the street, taking that damned shadow with him. Minutes later, his two companions walk past Laz following their leader in silence.
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Once the street was again empty, Laz clicked his fingers unlocking the door. He swiftly closed it again, heading upstairs to check on the three. He snatched the city blueprint on his desk on the way. Sil hadn’t moved. She looked unsettled; he could guess why. He flicked the light switch, a bright yellow hitting every corner of the room, waking the two kids. Caydence covered her eyes, while Gavin moaned, rolling over until his face was covered by the large hound’s fur. Laz grabs a few things from around the room, including two small sacks, Sil standing. “What was that?” she asks, her voice shaking. Focused, he picks up the blueprints he had drawn up earlier in the day, stuffing it and some notes into one of the sacks. He looks over to the two kids. Gavin still trying to sleep; Caydence is now sitting upright, rubbing her eyes. Tired and confused.” Laz! What the hell was that?” Sil snapped. “An old acquaintance” He runs a hand across his face, thoughts buzzing, what steps needed to be done next, now that a complete idiot had gotten the best of him. Sil’s confusion only grew. An acquaintance? That …that THING was an acquaintance?? “Get him up, we’re leaving in an hour. I need your help.” He took out an old wig and a pair of scissors.
The chill of the night hit Sil square in the face, the shop door closing behind her, its light illuminating a small part of the street they stood on. A smaller figure stood beside her, rubbing their eyes still as they tried to wake properly, a sack in their hand. Laz stood next to his door, watching the pitch-black street that was seemingly void of life. It felt as though Ni`tei himself had stolen any lingering light this night. He took one last look at the upper part of his home, then back to Sil. That strange hum was still there. It’d been there since he’d come close to Ferin earlier. They’d never left. It wouldn’t surprise him if all he wanted to do was scare him into doing something stupid. If so, he might have lost this battle of wits, but he would still play his best cards. “Thanks for watching Bruno for me.” Laz’s voice cuts through the silence. “Any time.” Sil forced a smile, hand gripping her brother’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later.” She turned, down the street toward their own home. Laz watched them both, his attention still split between them, and their surroundings. He finally spots Ferin, watching the two like a hawk from the alleyway. His two cronies still unaccounted for.
Sil continues to walk down the street, as they near their house close to the edge of the main street Ferin steps out. His shadow was definitely not his own, Laz took a step forward. “Oi. What the hell are you still doin here this late?” he crossed both arms, standing tall he was over six foot, and his age had weathered him into quite the intimidating fellow. Ferin stopped moving, nonetheless his shadow tore in two, part of it disappearing into the surrounding buildings. “I heard it’s been dangerous here at night. You know it’s my job to keep the peace. We’re patrolling, like good little soldiers.” He sneers. Patrolling for peace my ass Laz thought. “Silvia huh? Didn’t know she was here today.” Ferin stated. “Bruno is getting on in years, they were watchin’ him.” “Oh?” Ferin stared intensely, trying to find some kind of fault, but everything was normal. He’d seen Silvia when trying to take a peek through the window of Laz’s store a day or so ago. He knew she had a little brother. The height is right, and with the short dark hair and boyish clothing it seemed normal enough. Though a bit too dark to see his face.
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Laz glares at him. “If you’re patrolling, get your ass moving. “ Ferin didn’t want to comply. They were hoping he’d do something drastic. Leaving would stop them from being able to see what he was up to. They were sure he was going to try to act faster, after hearing Devin’s message. He even had Kenan watching the back, nothing had changed. Silvia and her brother were the only-
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He turned back to Silvia as she reached her door, a few doors down from an alley that led to the main road. Something tugged at the sack in the child’s hands, spilling its contents all over the cobblestone floor. A pile of junk fell to the floor along with a folded blueprint. The two of them panic, swiftly moving to pick it up, as the wig falls from the kid’s head. Ferin watched the entire thing; it was only then that he understood what they were trying to do.
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“FOUND YA!” His face lit up with sickening glee, prepping to sprint in their direction. He was halted by one heavy metal fist, colliding like a freight train with his cheek. The impact was insane, a shockwave skreiched through his body as he flew straight into the fence opposite Laz’s store. His ears ringing, mind a crumpled mess trying to understand what just happened. Laz caught his breath, fists still clenched. A small panel across the knuckles sunk back into its normal position, only having extended at the point of impact. He turns to Sil, spotting the woman from earlier standing behind her. “RUN!”
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