The backstreets were as dreary as ever. Not that one could get a good look from this angle, through dirty glass jammed against the side of one of the many crushing buildings that made up this part of the district. Those haphazard constructions of concrete and metal gave little space for sunlight to shine down on its narrow streets peppered with miserable souls plodding about.

Alys scanned it carefully with her one good eye, trying to spot anyone that stood out from the civilians. Anyone who looked like they remotely didn’t belong. Not exactly an easy thing to do, because the shifting crowd of bodies had walks from all sorts of lives that, for one reason or another, wound up rotting in this slice of the district. Just like herself.

She turned back to face the shabby living room with its sparse furniture. Well, she was supposed to hit it big quite some time ago and have a bit of spending cash. Her stomach grumbled. And she was supposed to have food quite some time ago, too.

As if on cue, the front door unlocked. Alys relaxed herself as she saw the short figure step through. A young man with brownish hair and a clean, businesslike outfit that mocked Fixers such as herself.

“What use is a late butler, Huon?” she asked, striding over to the couch and plopping down onto it.

He gave a simple bow of the head and locked the door behind him. Huon then moved to the table and began preparing it for the simple takeout meal. Alys propped her head up on the armrest and watched him work. Sure, having a manservant had its perks, but frankly, one mouth to feed was enough. It’s not like he could do much else except ferry things back and forth. Then again, it wasn’t as if she hired him with intent.

Some months ago there had been a hostage situation at an office building. Or perhaps it was a cannery? Whatever the case, Huon was one of the many people inside. Unfortunately, the whole place had to be condemned and paved over due to whatever tool that syndicate idiot had used to cause so much destruction. And it just so happened Huon took that as the perfect opportunity to take up occupation under Alys.

Under was quite literal, almost. Even now, as she sat there, watching him open polystyrene containers, she could tell he was a few heads shorter than she was, giving him a cute charm to him that she couldn’t help but find amusing. Not that he was entirely to blame for the height disparity, Alys was easily taller than most of the people she knew, but still, charming.

Huon presented the meal to her, looking to her gaze with a nod. She looked at the container.

“No chicken?” she asked, raising a brow.

Huon paused, looking to the container.

“They didn’t have any,” he replied.

“Hopeless as a servant.” She sat upright, brushing a blonde strand of hair aside. “But I’ll make do with your work.” Alys took the container from him and began digging in with her chopsticks.

Huon sat down next to her and carefully opened up his own meal. He began picking out random pieces of meat and chomping quietly on them.

“You see any Fixers out there, today?” she asked, mid-chew.

“No. Why?” he replied.

“The backstreets are shifting. I can feel it. Something’s unraveling right now.”

He tilted his head. “Aren’t they always?”

“A job, Huon. There’s got to be something coming up soon.”

“Maybe we should be at the office instead of here, then.”

“I don’t want to sit around there all day. Especially not with the paper-pushers. There’s something about desk work that makes me want to die.” She shrugged. “And should another raid happen--” She shoveled a heap of noodles into her mouth. “--I don’t want to clean up the mess.”

Huon merely gave her a half-hearted nod and returned to his meal. Not bad for takeout, all things considered, which was the best she could ask for. Actually, the best she could’ve asked for was that these ingredients were real, but Alys figured she’d best not push her luck on that front.

“There was something I wanted to ask,” Huon said suddenly.

“Oh? The butler has a request? Well, as a gracious employer, I guess I have no option but to listen, right?” She kept her face half-buried in the container of food. “Go right ahead.”

“I was thinking I could fight alongside you,” Huon said.“

Alys paused, looking at him. At first it was humorous, then strange, then a little sad. Huon maintained his mostly calm stare, but there was a simmering of determination underneath. She set the container down.

“I wouldn’t trust you to go up against Rats right now.” She reached over, grabbing at his shoulder. There was more musculature than she was expecting. “You’d need augments on top of training. Neither of which are in your price range of ‘nothing.’ ” Alys withdrew her hand. “Dead weight doesn’t do you well in a tight situation. Not in the backstreets.”

“Are you augmented?” he asked instantly.

“You don’t get to level 6 without augmentations,” she replied. “Think for a moment.”

“Then what about your eye?”

She turned her head, shifting the patched one to stare him down. “I don’t need it, so I don’t need to replace it,” she said. “Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” Alys picked up her container again. “Why don’t you stick to being the errand boy? It’s far cushier than getting blood on your clothes.” She eyed his form again, huffing in amusement at his outfit.

Just as Alys was about to bite into more delectable budget cuisine, a knock came to the door. She grumbled and stood up, walking over to the door. A quick peep through the eyehole confirmed her suspicions. She pulled open the door.

“What’s the job?” Alys asked, wiping her mouth.

Jae stood before her, wearing a permanent smug smile and rounded glasses, topped with short black hair. The look gave her a very punchable quality to her that Alys had to hold back on. Jae's arms were held behind her back, adding to her orderly look with her sleek business-like attire. Sometimes Fixer aesthetics could be so gaudy.

“I see you’re still robbing the cradle, Alys,” Jae said. She leaned over to spot Huon. "You've even let him play dress-up." Jae shifted her attention back to Alys. "You should try dress-up as well. That tank-top hardly suits you."

That punchable quality grew.

"We have messengers for this very reason. Nothing better to do except to crawl into the backstreets and end up at my door?" Alys said.

Jae produced an envelope with a gloved hand, holding it up to Alys. "I prefer crisp paper. Everything lined out in certain terms so as to not confuse the uncertain."

Alys snatched the envelope from Jae.

"And how many ahns?" Alys asked.

"Why would I ruin such a fun surprise? I'm sure you need something better to cheer you up than street food."

Alys stared a while longer. Jae simply smiled. She shut the door and turned back to her shabby room. Huon sat there, hands folded, looking to Alys. She tossed the envelope to her pseudo-assistant, returning to her spot on the couch. Dutifully, Huon sliced into the thing with a pocket knife and unfolded the contents.

"What's it about?" Alys grabbed at her meal. "If it's another little theft opeRation..." She huffed.

"It's a matter of kidnapping," Huon said. 

"There's a fun little job. Was hoping for something new, though." She slurped up some noodles. "Go on."

"A few residents have reported missing family members and friends."

"Yeah, mhmm, get on with it."

"Random hours of the night. No clear pattern. Possibly tied to Syndicate work. With assistance from Rats."

"Rats?" Alys stared down at Huon. "What kind of level do they think I'm on?"

Huon offered a meek shrug. He then neatly folded all of the papers back up and stuffed them back into the envelope. Of course, then he added it to the strange little pile he had accumulated of those requests. Any time Alys asked about it, she'd receive a mumbling response about "posterity" and "being a part of something."

Alys looked to Huon. One thing was missing.

"And the ahns are variable," he said.

"Variable? They've really lost all respect for me." She tossed her container back down. "How variable?"

"10,000 ahns for finding and striking down the culprit. Extra thousand for each of the whereabouts of any victims."

"Whereabouts? What if this is some district 23 shit? They're a skip away. Do I have to track down each organ? How about if I just find a heart, will that do?"

Huon sat back down, returning to his food.

"Whereabouts." Alys scoffed. "Scum don't keep a paper trail."

Slurping down some food, Huon nodded.

"Save for our little paper pixie who loves sending letters." Alys leaned back in her seat. "Surprise. Sure was. Do you know what it is that bothers me about prim, proper girls like Jae?"

"No, ma'am."

"They always do it to cover up some other part of 'em. Something that really makes your skin crawl."

Huon's nodding head continued to bob, the little placating minion that he was.

"The kind who gets a kick out of watching people crawl underfoot. That's why she comes over. Just to watch me squirm in the dirt." She looked to Huon. "Set out my gear, we're heading out."

"May I finish eating first?"

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry it up."
_

Alys stared at her reflection, adjusting her tie. It draped across her prominent chest. She looked closely, trying to find any flaws in her visage. Already crept past the half a century mark, but she felt like she was in her prime. Though, the outside observer wouldn't know it. Shabby home. Slow life. She paused. Partnerless. Who'd miss her if she was kidnapped?

Forget it. Alys already gave up all that nonsense the moment she cemented herself as a Fixer. She was in this for herself. That was the only reason to crawl through these backstreets. Anyone else was lying to themselves about the Rat race that was the city. If you weren't in a nest, if you weren't one of those pretty little feathers, your life was relegated to misery, carved into reality since time immemorial. She slipped her jacket on and turned on the spot.

The servant, Huon, was standing outside the bathroom, holding Alys's rapier and revolver. She promptly took them from him and stowed her rapier at her side. Her revolver? Placed between her breasts, out of sight. Feeling a little more secure, she moved to the front door, noting Huon's trailing footsteps as she grabbed at the doorhandle. She turned to look at him.

"Kidnapping's serious business," she said.

"I know," Huon replied.

"The kind that can get you killed."

He nodded.

"And what do you plan to do when a kidnapper comes waddling your way, pulling out a rusty hook they use to butcher animals?"

Huon paused, looking away.

"Right, that's the kind of response I expected. Let me do my work." She turned the handle. "And you secure the homestead." Almost a cute thought, the idea of him protecting anything. She couldn't help the smirk that popped up on her face.

"I'll stay out of your way. Let me be a part of the process."

"The process. You always go on about the process, but you don't even know what that means, do you? You're way over your head. There's a reason Fixers try to play the stoic type, alright? Hanging onto someone else gets you killed. I don't have time to worry about you backing into a crowd of lowlifes."

"You won't have to worry about me. If I die, then so be it. Just let me do something to help you."

There was a touch of determination in his gaze. Poor Huon really didn't care about his life all that much. Alys stared at him. There was a distant memory of him looking at her the first time they met, covered in bruises and cuts. Unfortunately, she couldn't help but care about him. Her eyes shifted to the grimy window. Still light out. Far away from the Night's hour. She could indulge him for a while.

"Fine. We'll see how fast those legs can carry you," she said.

She flung open the door and stepped through. Huon quickly followed and locked the door behind them. Alys realized they looked like the oddest couple. All he needed was some absurd weapon to complete his look as a Fixer. Alys leaned down and grabbed his chin, examining his face. Also needed the battle scars. He did have a small discoloRation on the side of his head. Shrapnel from that hostage situation, right? Healed nicely.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Just wondering how you'll look when you're running. Let's get going." She released her grip on him.

The pair made their way through the apartment building. It was largely quiet at this time of day, with little traffic inside. What few regulars that were around quickly ducked out of Alys's way when they saw her. They wormed through those winding halls before exiting out the front of the apartment building. Hardly a front, as it was crushed in-between other buildings, barely managing to breathe.

"I'm not sure I ever realized how bad it looks on the outside as it does the inside," she said.

"It seems fine to me," Huon replied.

"I can't imagine where you used to live. Maybe I can." Alys adjusted her shirt. "Which way to the disappearances?"

"Yes, disappearances, right."

Huon began moving forward, leading the way through tired streets and pained buildings, along with the citizens that looked very much the same. She stuck out in the crowd, more than most at her height. As many times as Alys prowled these streets, they hardly ever became more familiar. Were it not the bright signs of despeRate businesses, she might not even remember where she lived. Huon, however, navigated the streets easily, head swiveling to immediately move down a new path. Question answered. This was his home. Wouldn't surprise her if he knew the backstreets a little better than she did. All the nooks and crannies were open to his mind, allowing them to slip down several alleyways and through tunnels of worn architecture.

"This was the site of the first disappearance," he said.

They stopped at a lonely alleyway, sandwiched between two buildings and far from a main road.

"If there was a place to get kidnapped, this would be it," she said. "Question: How do you know where someone has disappeared? Witnesses?"

"Commotion. The nearby homes reported a scuffle."

"A scuffle in the backstreets. Wild." She rolled her eye.

"And blood, here."

Huon pointed to a faint red spatter sunk into the concrete.

"Blood in the backstreets. Wild," she said.

A small smile broke Huon's blank expression. Alys ran her hand over the pommel of her rapier as she looked at the alleyway.

"Yeah, like Jae's little report said, likely syndicate," she said.

"Because?"

"Because if this were just Rats, there would be blood everywhere. If this were straight from one of the Wings, there wouldn't be any traces. And if this were a Fixer's work, they'd be here looking for another job." And if it were Sweepers, well, didn't need to dwell on that.

"Just like us?"

"Just like me." Alys crouched down next to the blood spatter. Felt strange being shorter than Huon for a moment.

In the touches of spatter, there was a sparkle. Small specks of what looked like glitter. She reached out and swiped one onto her finger. Almost looked like some sort of iridescent grain of sand up close.

"Definitely used some kind of tool," she said. "Never seen one like this." Granted, Alys didn't care much for wasting money on things she didn't need. "Shouldn't you be writing all of this down? Why else are you here?"

Huon briefly widened his eyes and patted down his suit.

"I'm kidding. Keep your head on straight," Alys said. "Don't get used to this angle, either." She stood up, towering over him again. "Suppose this is the part where we bother the populace."

"Nothing else to see?" he asked.

Alys glanced around the alleyway. As far as seedy alleys went, this was the average. Trash, grime, dirt, debris. Nothing particularly out of place. There were even other, darker stains that could have also been blood, or any number of fluids.

"You see anything else in this pristine pathway?" she asked.

"I figured there was something else to see here," Huon said. "It seems... proper to check every inch of this place. We owe it to the people who hired us, right?"

Alys's brow crooked at that little word again. Us. "Proper. Fine. Go right ahead. Lunch is on me if you find anything of worth in the gutters."

Alys leaned against a concrete wall and watched Huon work himself up. He went to anything that seemed even vaguely out of place. Surprisingly, he didn't have much issue rummaging through the more filthy things. Maybe she should buy him some gloves, too. Wasn't even his job and he wanted to do it properly. Maybe having him around wasn't so bad. Amusing, at the very least. Fortunately for him, no bad elements decided to wander down this path, but really, why would they? It was too far off for regular foot traffic, and it didn't lead into any other ways of escape. In all likelihood, the victim was coaxed down this path in a panic, or led there with a blade at their neck. The glittery sand could have been part of a test, and the disappearances were merely a side-effect of whatever the tool was. A shame it had to be so ordinary, but work was work.

The train of thought Alys had going came to a stop once she spotted Huon pick up a discarded bottle, a look of determination on his face. Alys chuckled, breaking his focus. He dropped the bit of trash and stood back up.

"I suppose there's nothing else here," he said.

"Good try, at least." She clapped her hands together. "Guess we're done here." Alys walked up to him and nudged at his back. "Let's check out these witnesses."

"What about the other disappearance spots?"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get to those, too. Look, I've already got this solved. You can head on back if you'd like."

"No. I'll come along. See this through."

"I wonder how I knew you'd say that."
_

"What did you hear exactly?" Huon asked.

"Something that sounded like shouting, then a bang. But more of a pop, not a bang-bang," the witness replied. "It was quiet after that."

Alys stood just behind Huon, munching away at a shish kebab, idly listening to the conversation. They stood in front of the very kebab stand Alys patroned. The servant being a witness was a nice turn of fate, or at least a tasty one.

"Did you notice anything strange before or after?" Huon asked.

"Things tend to get a little strange at the Night's hour, you know?"

"Really? This was at the Night's hour?" Alys asked. She frowned.

"No, a little bit before it. An hour or two," the servant replied.

"So, it must have been pertinent for no one to move in while the hour was going on," Huon said.

"Looks like you're picking up stuff after all." Alys patted Huon on the back. "You hear anything like marching footsteps, mister?"

"Something like that. A group moving at once," the servant replied.

"And you didn't bother glancing out at all?"

"I've barricaded my window a long time ago."

"Smart guy." Alys ate the last of her skewered food and tossed the stick back onto the cart. "Alright, guess that's everything. Thanks for your time. Also, ease up on the sauces. C'mon, Huon, we," she made sure to stress that word, "have got people to skewer ourselves."

The pair walked down the street, slinking into the crowd again.

"That was a joke, right?" he asked.

"Didn't'cha want to be a part of the process? Gotta get your suit dirty, like I said. Not sure what weapon you'll use, but you seem to think on your feet. Maybe you'll find some sharpish glass?"

"Alright. So be it," he said.

Not the answer she was looking for. He'd need time to ruminate on it, think about how bad it'd be for him. Would be a shame to dirty that suit, after all.

"Is that Ms. Jae?" Huon asked.

Alys's face immediately crinkled. "Don't call her a 'miss' anything, alright?"

Sure enough, through the crowd emerged Jae. She was surprisingly adept at sliding through the mass of bodies without a trace, and reappearing elsewhere. Jae emerged right out in front of them, creating a wide berth of pedestrians skirting around them. A smile erupted onto the creepy Fixer's face.

"I'm surprised to see you hard at work. Or your assistant, perhaps," Jae said.

Huon seemed to stand a little straighter upon hearing that. Ugh. Alys rubbed the pommel of her rapier.

"I'm starting to wonder if you get less work than I do," Alys said.

"Nothing wrong with playing handler," Jae said. She moved over to Huon and adjusted his tie. "And how have you been doing, adopted assistant? More work than your boss, I trust?"

There was a sudden urge in Alys's mind to grab at Jae's hand. She held back on that. "He's doing fine," Alys said.

"I asked him," Jae replied. "Maybe we should get you certified. I could tutor you. I'm level five, you know."

"Level five, right. How much combat experience do you get battling paper cuts, hm?" Alys said.

"Thank you for your offer, Jae, but I will stay with Ms. Alys," Huon said.

"Why's that?" Jae asked.

"Why do you care?" Alys replied. "I'm sure you can buy your own."

"I owe it to her," Huon said.

Alys crooked her face into a smile. "Maybe you can't buy your own." She shooed off Jae. "So shove off."

"You know, saving people is just an externality. Fixers don't lift a finger for anything except money," Jae said. "Whatever she did is just work."

"And I must repay her," Huon said, nodding.

"Thanks, assistant." Alys gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "Let's get to our next witness, shall we?"

"I hope he won't do all the work like the last one. You don't get paid for watching others work, Alys." Jae turned heel and slipped back into the crowd as if nothing had happened. Only the lingering air of annoyance and superiority left in her wake.

Huffing, Alys turned her attention to Huon. Owed her something? "Why'd you never speak up about that, huh? Can only tell it to Jae?"

"Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?" he said. "Sounds weak. Something only a groveler would say. It's easier to say it to someone I don't really respect."

Alys chuckled. "You're already well on your way to full repayment. Maybe we should get you some sparring lessons. I'd love to see how you measure up to her."

"I think I'd do quite well," Huon replied.
_

The backstreets were strange to view from up on top of a building. The sun had nearly set, bathing the world in darkness. It was a field of gray cubes interrupted by the occasional monolith, and off in the distance lay the gaudy and shiny nest of the district. The bastion of life. It almost looked like the backstreets were a creeping infection, held back only by money and power.

Alys shifted her attention back down to the dirt below, eyeing the alleyways for any sign of movement. She kicked her legs as she sat on the edge of the roof. Huon stood nearby, arms resting on the edge.

"You know, if you had any money, we could take bets on who shows up," she said.

"I trust you and the report are right," Huon replied. "No need to bet."

"Was hoping you'd come up with something more interesting. Syndicates are barely a step up from Rats." She looked back to Huon. "I know what you're thinking. Can't turn my nose at work, huh?"

"I'd say it's below you, too."

"Oho? You're earning your keep as assistant, I see. Flattery only gets you so far, though." She glanced back down. "You want to get into fighting, don't you? Test your wits on the backstreets?"

"I do, yes." He stood upright.

"Come on over here, then." Alys patted the spot next to her. "Have a seat."

Huon stared at her for a moment, then looked to her inviting hand. He carefully clambered onto the edge next to her, hands settling on the edge. Even in the low light, Alys could tell his knuckles were turning white.

"How ya feelin'?" she asked. "LibeRating, eh?"

"I'm not sure I'd agree."

"Look." She smacked his back. "You wanna get into the blood and guts? Have to conquer your heart first. How are you gonna take anyone in a fight if you can't deal with this?"

Huon peered over the edge. He gave a slow nod. Alys reached over and popped a button on his shirt, then wormed her hand onto his bare chest. As expected, his heart was hammering. He was in way over his head. She pulled back, smiling.

"Me? This is a small drop," she said. "You? No augments? Broken bones. Internal bleeding. Burst organs. Then imagine you had to deal with someone who really wants you dead. What're you gonna do then? Crawl away? If you haven't passed out from shock or blood loss." Alys tilted her head. "You really wanna go through that?"

He stared for a while longer, then looked up at her. "What else is there?" he asked.

"What?"

"What else am I going to do?"

"I'm not sure what you're gettin' at here." She brought a leg up, resting an arm on it.

"Do I go back to my old life, waiting for another insane actor to upend it? For what reason? And if not them, something else. Some turn of fate that ruins everything." He shrugged, uneasily raising his hands from the edge and crossing his arms. "I can at least make myself useful here. Next to someone successful."

"Successful? How many boxes of takeout have we had?"

"Successful at survival." Huon nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, just about everyone down there is just waiting to die. I would be, too."

"Weren't you just going on about being willing to do that?" She raised a brow.

"It's different when you're waiting for it, and when you fight against it, right?"

Alys chuckled. "I'm just waiting for someone else to come along and kill me. It'll happen eventually."

"You would still fight."

"Why not head into the nest?" Alys motioned back with her head. "Cozy life there."

Huon's expression hardened, and he buttoned his shirt back up. Not as naive as she expected.

"Yeah, alright, impossible, I get it." Alys shrugged. "Get used to the view, then." She nudged at his leg. "Wannabe Fixer."

Huon turned his attention to the alley below. Alys could give him one thing, he was certainly tenacious. She considered dangling him over the edge, just to give him some pause on the whole thing. But, if he wanted to play with his life, so be it. Alys was in no position to deny him that. He looked at his stern expression. If it ever came to it, she just hoped it would be a quick end for him.

The night continued on with sparse idle chatter and staring out into the city. The alleyway saw little activity. A few random pedestrians and shady characters, but nothing Alys was interested in. She could feel the Night's hour crawling along. The backstreets grew quiet in anticipation of the explosion that was about to occur. Of course, her job couldn't be that easy, could it? All that had to happen was a few armed goons marching in a row chasing after some poor schmuck, then she'd just need to drop down, cut open a few, and collect a paycheck.

"Should head back. Don't want to see you become a puddle of goo. It'd ruin your little suit," Alys said, tugging on his tie.

Alys stood up and turned around, dropping back onto the roof proper. Huon lingered a few seconds longer before shifting to face her and standing up.
_

"I don't suppose we could spar now?" Huon asked.

Alys stared up at him from her comfortable laying position on the couch. "Real insistent on that, huh?"

Seemed as though simply hoping he'd forget about the whole thing wouldn't work. Alys's eye lazily wandered over to the window. Still a bright, dreary day. It would be another several hours before they'd have to head out for their next hopeless stake-out.

"You don't want me to be dead weight, do you?" he asked.

"I was kinda hoping you would be, yeah," she replied. "I've never been a teacher, what do you expect outta me?"

"Anything."

"Wow, high hopes." Alys rolled her eye and sat up, sighing. "Alright, fine."

She stood up and rounded the table, kicking it to the far side of the room. Alys then nudged aside the couch. Not the biggest space, but neither was Huon. She smiled, shaking her head. Now, what was she dealing with? Alys looked back to Huon, already dressed back up in his suit. How the hell did he find the energy for that every morning?

"I think I have a spare sword around here somewhere." If I didn't sell it off, she added quietly. Alys ambled over to a hallway closet and dug out an older blade, still in the sheath. "Catch." She spun on the spot and tossed it to Huon. Surprisingly, he caught it with ease, somewhat annoying her. "That's one test down."

"Should I be using this?" he asked.

"What, not good enough for you?"

"I thought you might have some sentimental value for it," he said.

"After you've seen it cut through a few heads, it starts to lose its luster."

Huon held it up and retracted it from its sheathe midway. A few stains still lingered along its dulled side.

"This is a short sword, isn't it? It doesn't seem fitting for you," he said.

"My wallet thought it was fitting."

"Right." He sheathed it again. "How will we start?"

"How about trying to hit me? We'll move on from there."

"Sheathed?"

"Hmm? You really wanna cut your pretty teacher?"

Huon looked at her for a moment. "No. Not at all."

"Then go on. Try to whack me with it."

"Maybe we could use some sort of similar object? Not a weapon?" he asked.

"You need to get a feel for it in your hands. The weight, the handle, how you slice." Alys shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "You won't be able to scratch me, anyways."

Huon nodded and shifted his stance, raising the sword in front of him with two hands gripped on it. Alys stopped herself from shaking her head. He raised it clean over his head and came striking down, slamming it into the floor and missing Alys by a wide margin.

"Alright, we're done here, right?" she said.

Suddenly, he rose back up and swung at the air again. Alys stepped back with a smile. Another few clumsy swings came her way, each one a little faster than the last. All just as easily avoided.

"Shouldn't you be offering pointers?" he asked.

"Huon, it's a one-handed sword," she said. "It's not like you're swinging around a claymore. Relax. Plus, what's with that stance?" Alys quickly brought a leg to his, stopping near his ankle. "I'd be able to sweep you cleanly right now, and how do you expect to move quickly in and out of danger with both of them so close, eh?"

Huon straightened out, then looked down. He shifted into a more reasonable stance, blade hand reaching out.

"A little wide, but better. Not sure a short sword fits your outfit, though. Maybe you do need a claymore." She smirked.

"I'll make do with this," he said. His legs adjusted again.

"Better. Turn your body a little more sideways. Make yourself a smaller target." She placed a hand on her hip. "You know, this is just the proper way to do it, in a one on one battle. You're not gonna get this kinda luck in the backstreets, alright? No one's going to bow to you wanting to have a fair fight."

"I still need to learn."

Alys sighed. "Alright, fine. Let's get back to it, then."

They returned to the challenge, with Huon doing his best to hit Alys as best he could. They would occasionally stop for Alys to prod him in the right direction, but Huon did seem to have a slight penchant for figuring out what did and didn't work. His quick learning must've been a side effect of living here. The backstreets had its fair share of fights and scraps, plenty to learn from. And plenty to run from. Huon had been molded by it, more than he realized.

"You ever been in a fight, Huon?" Alys asked, mid-dodge.

Huon huffed and went for another swipe.

“C'mon, work with me,” she said. “You'll have to focus on a lot of things in battle.”

"I've..." He swiped again. "I've been in a few."

"Huh, color me surprised."

Huon thrust at Alys's midsection, narrowly missing it. He grunted.

"How'd they turn out?" she asked.

"I don't remember."

Another thrust came her way. That was a sure hit. Alys smacked it aside with her hand. "Almost got me that time."

Huon shook his head. "One involved a knife, that's all I recall."

"You went up against someone with a knife? Impressive."

Huon's blade came down against her thigh, harmlessly bouncing off of it. He smiled and stood upright again. "No, I had the knife."

"Good work. On hitting me, that is." Alys grabbed at the sword and pulled the sheathe loose. "Now you've gotta try and knick me."

"Why?" he asked.

"That's the next part of this, dealing with the consequences. What's the point of stabbing some Rat if you get all queasy when he starts bleedin'?" She tilted her head. "You're not gonna make me gush blood, but just think about the possibility."

Huon's brow furrowed, but he eventually nodded. Obviously, he didn't want to hurt her. Not a lot of people who didn't want to see her bleed, so it was a breath of fresh air. He took up his proper stance again, and Alys readied herself, adopting a similar stance to his. He'd have to work for the honor to stab her. Only fair, right? She gave a cocky grin.

At first, Huon showed some hesitation. His swings weren't fast enough, his steps were jerky, and his eyes seemed to glance away at the last moment. But with every dodge, Huon would reorient himself and try again, doing better each time. It wasn't long before Alys had a few close calls. Even with his renewed efforts, it seemed as though he was trying to steer his thrusts and swipes at her limbs Rather than her torso or neck.

"Not gonna get any points for being polite in a fight, Huon," she cooed.

That little comment made his attacks a bit more fervent. He managed to reorient missed attacks into more firm swipes, causing Alys to make a few quick dodges. 

“Don’t worry, Rats you’ll be chopping up won’t be as pretty as me. Should be easier,” she said.

He was better than she thought, necessitating more effort from her. A slice came to her chest. A sting followed in its path. Instantly, Alys caught Huon's hand, holding it and the sword up in the air. She looked down, tracing the wound with her eyes. A red line ran from the middle of her clavicle, over her right breast, and stopped just next to her arm. Her tank top had one of its straps cleanly sliced, freeing her breast.

"You'll be cutting up street trash in no time," she said.

Huon didn't respond at first. Of course, he was still a man, wasn't he? His eyes on her body felt like more of a pressing matter than the bleeding wound. Alys's smile widened, a warmth hitting her. She released his hand after a minute of blankness in her mind.

"Sorry," he said.

"Hope you're not gonna start dishin' out apologies to people tryna kill you." She waited a few seconds longer, allowing a sickening delight to shoot up her spine and settle in her head. Alys then motioned over to the hallway. "Grab me some cotton."

Those eyes lingered a moment longer before Huon sheathed the sword, set it down, and disappeared down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight, she shook her head. Been a while since you had actual, interested eyes on you, hadn't it? Just a look and you got all riled up. Why? A bit of adrenaline. Maybe. Her heart was pumping faster. He moved faster than she thought he could. Alys pulled up the tattered shirt to cover her breast just as Huon came back in. He handed her the cotton and she tended to her wound.

"It's not deep, is it?" he asked.

"You grazed me." Alys slid the cotton over her pale skin, tending to any dribblings of blood. "If you did any real damage, you wouldn't be standing there."

"So, I did well, then?" he asked. His fists tightened.

"Got a cut on me, I'd say that's a passing grade."

"Enough to hold my own?"

"I said a passing grade, not a fantastic one."

"Then we'll have to practice more, right?"

Alys looked down at him. "You just don't know when to quit."
_

The next few days followed the same damned routine. Sparring, eating, and waiting on the rooftops for any sign of a quarry. Huon was making quick progress. He was still an amateur by all measures, but it was soon becoming apparent he had a knack for fighting. It wasn't long before he was capable of managing consecutive blows on her, even when she began to lightly strike back with her own blade. Wasn’t like she had her head in the fight at all times anyways.

Huon's little stare had caught more of Alys's attention than she cared to admit. It broke up the tedium of her lounging life, thinking back to how, for just a brief moment, she was able to excite again. She lay in her bed, eye lazily staring at the blinded window. Wasn't as though she was far from attractive, nor that she didn't get a wayward gaze from anyone else, but it had been the first time in a while she had gotten a gaze from someone familiar. Someone she didn't necessarily dislike.

Fixers play the stoic type, and it was apparent that stoicism had lingered on longer than her mind was willing to accept. Or her body. Alys still received the slightest chill when she replayed that memory of him in her head. And each time she mocked herself for it. Huon hadn't looked at her in the same way since, much to her veiled disappointment. Her pride, what little was left, kept her from consciously teasing him. He was interested, she knew, but it was already enough of a mess actively helping him along in his attempt at being a competent fighter. He was bound to die with one small misstep, and playing master would only make the inevitability make her feel all the worse.

Alys nearly lapsed back into sleep when she realized something was amiss. There wasn't a needy student politely knocking at her door, eager to bash each other over the head. She turned to look at the aged wood. Not a peep. Alys sat up and pulled herself out of bed, forcing herself to open the door and peer through the crack. Indeed, there was no Huon fixated at her doorstep. Her eye snapped to the door across from hers, a miscellaneous storage room that he had corrupted into his own burrow. He should have been up at the very least, shouldn't he? Maybe the sparring had finally taken its toll on him, and he decided to sleep in. Huon was becoming more of a Fixer than he thought.

Still. Alys stepped through the door and glanced into the small space that was charitably called a "living room". He wasn't there, either. She would have heard the front door opening. Unless he took a window? Not likely. No, he was probably still in his room. She crept up to the door before pausing. Why was she slinking around in her own house? Keep your head on straight, she told herself. The back of her fist came up to the door. Alys froze. This was her home, she could do as she liked, especially when it came to a pushy student. Alys popped open the door and swung it open.

There sat Huon on his tattered mattress, hand between his legs. There was a tense second before he scrambled upright, pulling his boxer shorts up in the process to hide his shame. Alys felt blood rush into her face as the events before her settled on her mind. Right, he was still a guy under all that polite chatter. Alys put on a casual smile and sauntered in, hand on her hip.

"Ma'am," he said.

"Huon, my special student," Alys replied. "I'm surprised to see you're not slamming into my door."

Alys glanced around the room. He had made it far cleaner than she ever had. It was practically pristine. What few belongings he had were laid out on a battered desk, spaced out from one another at right angles, including his practicing sword. The other miscellaneous objects she had shoved in the room had been neatly stacked in a corner, opposite to his mattress.

"I was preoccupied," he finally said. Huon kept his gaze on her eyes, but it was more like he was looking through her. Even in embarrassment, he kept his poise.

"Really?" Alys moved over to Huon, towering over him. "What kind of preoccupation would that be, huh?"

Huon merely stared. Yeah, he’d have no response, would he? Alys’s eyes darted to his bed. Probably the messiest thing here. He hadn’t made his bed then, yet. Must’ve been at it for a while, eh? Her eyes snagged on something bundled in with his sheets, a slightly different fabric from the rest. She leaned over and swiped it up, instantly figuring out what it was.

The fabric unfolded as she held it up. Tank top, cut strap. Huon’s expression twitched, but otherwise maintained a blank stare. Alys continued to hold it up, curious what Huon had to possibly say for himself. Her eyes locked onto his. No answer came. Alys’s brow furrowed.

“Nothin’ to say?” she asked. “Not even a little?”

“Not exactly.”

Alys’s mouth nearly opened before she stopped herself. Why did she care? Her eye glanced away. She knew exactly why she cared. Her focus caught sight of his erection, pressing against his underwear. Alys nudged him to sit back down on his mattress, and Alys sat down next to him. The image of him stroking himself, to her, no less, already wandered into her thoughts.

“I’m sorr--” he started.

Alys pressed the cloth up against his mouth, silencing him. “You wanna do this more than training?” She pulled it away.

“Not necessarily.”

Alys stared at the thing, running a thumb across the tear. Her heart fluttered.

“You thinkin’ about me?” she asked, still staring.

In the stark silence, she could hear him let out the softest sigh.

“Yes,” he replied.

Another flutter. A smirk tugged at her mouth.

“Can’t have you focused on me in a fight, you know? Bound to get your head blown in.” She looked at him. “That’s why we play stoic.”

“We?”

“Well, you wanna help out, right? Might as well be some kinda Fixer yourself. Willing to put your neck on the line’s all the certification you need for me.” Her expression hardened. “But if you an’ I are gonna be out there, digging into guts, I can’t have you thinking about me all the time.”

“I won’t let that happen. I’ll… I’ll…”

“Don’t kid yourself, Huon. Let me tell you somethin’.” Alys chuckled. “Back when I was level eight, in my…” Sheesh, how many years ago had that been now? Twenty, at least. “Never mind. When I was back in another office, we had our little workplace romances. Broken hearts, angry words, even the happy moments. All that shit. Thing is, we weren’t thinkin’ about how that changes our brains.” She tapped on the side of her head. “You start prioritizing. Making bad moves. ‘Stead of having me think ‘How best can I tear this fucker’s heart out,’ I’m looking at the guy across the room, wondering if he can make that hit or if I have to step in.”

“I understand,” he said.

“Takes less than a second for everything to fuck up,” she said. Alys stuck a finger under her eyepatch, letting it snap back to her face. “And then you’re down an eye.” And down a friend.

“I’m sorry.” Huon looked to her, then tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder.

There was a reflexive twitch in her body to push him away, but it didn’t fully trigger. Alys’s thoughts focused on his tender touch. This couldn’t go on, right? She’d have to push herself out of his thoughts. Or at least, tend to that spark of arousal. Keep it professional.

“We’re gonna have to fix this, right?”

“I’ll stop,” Huon said. “We can get to sparring.”

“You oughta learn this lesson yourself. Guys can conquer their fears, they can’t conquer their lust.”

“Then…?”

Alys tossed that tattered tank top across the room. “Pull it out.”

Huon nearly got up. Alys grabbed his shoulder, seating him down.

“Your dick, Huon,” she said.

Red graced his visage. He gave a nod and slipped down his boxer shorts to his knees, allowing his cock to pop free. Alys did her best not to stare, but she did. It was a fair size, firm and perhaps a little fat. A touch of pubes were at its base, as prim and proper as the rest of him. His cock remained erect in all that time? She had quite the effect on him. She did that. A seed of illicit pride rooted in Alys’s mind.

Alys reached out, grasping Huon’s cock, letting it twitch in her hand. It felt as sizable as it looked. The shaft fit firmly in her palm, with the head sticking out over her thumb, slick and glistening with precum. The feeling of its girth excited her.

Huon’s legs widened as he sighed.

“Jeez, you’re tense. Ease up, this’ll be done soon,” she said.

Despite those words, Alys’s stroking started slowly. She made sure to linger at the head, dashing a thumb across it every time she reached the top of her stroke His erection was completely stiff. More than eager to get into this, wasn’t he?

“See what I mean about the whole lust thing?” she said.

Huon’s reply was a half-hearted grunt. Alys’s smile widened to a smugness. Were these things always so warm? Alys tightened her grip, savoring the feeling in her hand. She almost lamented not being able to see it grow erect, watch it engorge in her presence. At the very least she could enjoy Huon’s reactions. The way his cock twitched, the way his hands dug into the sheets, the way his eyes seemed to struggle between the choice of looking at her face or her hand.

“Feel good?” she asked quietly, her focus increasingly on his erection, staring at it. She added a twist with her stroke, slicking his length with precum.

If there was a response, Alys didn’t hear it. There was a beating at her ears and a warmth proliferating through her nerves, filling up her body with a distantly familiar arousal she hadn’t felt for such a long time. She wasn’t all nerves, though, and she made sure Huon was enjoying this as much as she was.

Alys leaned over and spat on his cock, mixing his slather of cum and her spittle. Huon sighed and relaxed further back, allowing her more access to his groin. She briefly considered giving it a lick, a taste of more pleasure than he could ever hope for. Too soon, wasn’t it? Maybe he could work for it. She moved her hand to the tip of his erection, rubbing her palm against it.

“How about you answer a few questions for me?” she whispered.

“What… What kind?” he asked, through deep sighs.

“The pretty personal kind. I’ve got my hand on your cock, so I’m sure that’s fine, right?”

Huon hissed and nodded.

“So,” she started, “what’d you picture earlier? You were thinking about me, right?”

“Y-Your breasts.”

Alys sped her rubbing, wetting her palm. He started twitching again, so she slowed her movements down. Wouldn’t want to end this so quickly, right? He shuddered. She wrapped her other arm around him, pulling him closer.

“Wanted to fuck ‘em?” she asked.

Huon nodded.

“C’mon, say it,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Glad to hear it. ‘Preciate the honesty.”

God, she wanted to tease him more. Alys could feel how hot he had gotten in just these few minutes. She pulled her hand away, seeing their fluids string from her palm to his cock.

Ah, what the hell, it had been more than a few years, hadn’t it?

Alys pushed him back onto the mattress and moved away from him. She placed one foot on the ground and one knee on the mattress, leaning over to press her tongue against his cock. He strained for a moment, but Huon eventually let go and groaned. Yeah, a man’s weakness was still his dick. Alys let out a humming laugh and ran her tongue around the tip of his cock. Saltiness hit her. She clasped her mouth around the tip, sucking it.

Huon reached a hand over to her head. Alys quickly caught him by the wrist, then pulled away from his erection with a pop.

“That’s not polite, little Huon,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He groaned. “It-- It feels too good.”

Alys realized she was probably getting more into this than he was. But who could blame her? Women couldn’t conquer lust, either. To say that, and to make a move against her? Huon must’ve loved every second of this. And that only made her more excited. She released his hand.

“Good,” she said, releasing his wrist. She traced a finger along his length, watching it twitch in desire. This was more fun than she thought it’d be. It felt good to be in charge of something so important again. “Guess we should finish you off, huh? Get all those dirty thoughts out.”

Alys shifted around to his front, kneeling in-between his legs. With one tug, she pulled off his underwear and let it fall to the ground. She hefted up his hips atop her heavy chest and took hold of his cock, placing it on her tongue. Huon’s hips twitched. He was so cute. She jerked him with one hand and splayed her other hand out on his stomach.

They briefly locked eyes.

“Cum for your pretty teacher,” she said.

It didn’t take long for Huon devolve into loud gasps and moans, cock twitching as the first shot of cum hit the roof of Alys’s mouth and dribbled onto her tongue. Another spatter of semen came, heaping more of the sticky reward into her waiting mouth. She pulled back, his hips sliding from her. Huon hadn’t finished yet. He thrust at the air, shooting another rope across her chest, its stickiness coating her skin. He gave another limp jerk, semen dribbling down his shaft.

Alys swallowed. She watched his cum pool onto his hips. He had been such a good sport about it, might as well give him one last little gift. She leaned over and licked at his thigh, picking up the string of cum onto her tongue. She continued upward, picking up the rest of his sticky mess and pulling it into her mouth.

Not the best taste in the world, granted, but she couldn’t lie to herself, it was fun. Alys drank up, then stood up and turned around. She picked up that shirt she discarded and wiped herself down. Alys returned to her room, closing herself in. She plopped back onto the bed and sighed. He’d be out for a while still, meaning she could get a bit more shuteye before any actual work. Her eye closed.

A simmering arousal still lingered in Alys. She frowned. Her legs shifted, thighs briefly pressing together. A pulse of pleasure shot through her. She swallowed again, tasting Huon’s seed.
_

That little ritual would continue on for a few more days. Alys and Huon would spar in the morning, then afterward, she would reward him with some touch to make sure he wasn’t too distracted. And, increasingly, she realized, a reward for her, as well. 

One afternoon saw them immediately tending to their needs right after training. Huon was up against the wall while Alys stroked his cock, arm against the wall. His weapon dropped from his hand, clattering to the ground.

Alys clicked her teeth, shaking her head. “Have to keep a firmer grip than that,” she said. “You did pretty good today, but you gotta keep up the practice. Unlike us, a Rat can’t sit on their ass all day, eating.”

Huon nodded, then, there was a knock at the door. Alys looked back, brow twitching.

“Cover up,” she said.

Alys walked over to the door and pulled it open. “Yeah, what?” she asked.

Jae stood there, smiling. “Good morning, Alys. I’ve arrived to lend some assistance,” she said.

It took Alys a split second for her mind to catch up. Right, she did have a job going on. “Yeah? How?”

“It just so happens I’ve come into possession of intel that lines up with your meager findings,” Jae replied. She produced a bit of paper from her vest pocket.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, can’t you just tell me like a normal person?” Alys snatched the thing from her hands. “Is that it?”

“I wanted to check on your protégé, too.” Jae reached out, pushing the door far enough to spot Huon. Her smile widened.

Alys had to glance back. Huon had indeed covered up and was going over his sword with a cloth. Not far off from what they were just doing. He gave a sheepish nod.

“He’s making good progress, I can tell,” Jae said.

“Yeah, hope you’ll learn firsthand at some point.” Alys moved to shut the door, but Jae held it open.

“I’d like that, too,” Jae said.

Alys sneered and forced the door shut, locking it. She turned around to look at Huon.

“Little knight, work’s here,” she said.

Huon placed the sword in the sheathe at his hip and obediently moved over to her. She gave him the paper and he was already reading.

“Seems as though tools matching your descriptions were recently seen, and also some Rats were loudly explaining where their next target would be,” he said. “The address is here.”

“Don’t you just love it when idiots give themselves away?”

“Should we get going?” Huon asked. His face had a touch of doubt.

Alys carried much of the same. It was kind of pathetic how they were on the same wavelength, she thought. Both wanted more than they let on.

“Let’s make sure you’re up to it first.” She nodded over to the couch.

Huon quickly set down the paper and moved to his assigned seat. Alys followed after him, stopping just next to him, looking down.

“Guess since it’s your first real fight, you can get a little reward, eh?” she said. she said. “Let’s keep your head on straight.”

Alys knelt down in front of him. It had become so routine to unzip his pants and pull the band of his underwear over his cock. Huon was still hard from earlier. Good thing Jae wasn’t that much of a turnoff for him. Alys slid a finger down its length, enjoying Huon’s little whimpers. Yeah, she was hopeless, she knew. Huon edged his pants further down. Must’ve wanted more bare skin on skin.

Only one barrier to their fun. Alys grabbed the bottom of her tank-top. For a split second, she hesitated. It’d be the most bare she had been in front of him. Sure, he had seen a breast before, but she hadn’t gone topless. Aroused and dirty thoughts pushed her on. Didn’t you want to see just how much he liked you? All pretenses had dropped. This was all about her, now. She pulled on her top, slowly enough for her breasts to catch in the fabric and then fall back down. Alys tossed the shirt onto the couch.

Huon seemed to enjoy the show. Alys could feel his gaze on her breasts. She placed her hands underneath them, hefting them up and groping at their scintillating softness. Before lustful desires got the better of him, Alys leaned forward, dropping her tits onto his erection. Huon let out a low sigh, eyes still stuck to her chest in wonder. His erection almost burned against her skin. Alys was enjoying his reaction so much that she nearly forgot to tend to his needs. Huon’s erection repeatedly twitched. So very needy.

With one hand, Alys pulled Huon’s cock in-between her tits. The other pressed her breast up against his length, properly nestling it in-between each breast. As a quick tease, she pressed both tits against him, squeezing his erection. Huon remained still, watching intently.

“You finally get your wish and you aren’t even gonna comment?” she asked.

Her words seemed to break Huon out of a stupor. He could only mumble out a few sounds.

“Guess that’ll do for now,” she replied with a laugh.

Alys looked down at the tip of his cock peeking through her breasts, only just barely. The pink bordering on purple contrasted harshly with her milky skin. She slowly dribbled spit onto it. Using her breasts, she rubbed the simple lubricant around his erection, properly wetting it. Then, she began the slow and steady up and down of her breasts.

“Y’know, now that I think about it, not sure I ever did this for anyone else.”Alys wasn’t exactly sure how true that was. Must’ve happened at one point, surely, but little tantalizing words like that helped Huon’s fantasy, didn’t it? She smiled. “Feeling special yet?”

Huon nodded. Alys laughed. Good. All likelihood that she’d be the only one to give him this attention, too. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Eyes for nobody else but her. She was so desirable in his mind. All of his efforts in this were focused on her. Of course, he had gotten so good at practice when they started this routine of theirs. He wanted to impress her, show off just how much he deserved her touch. Alys’s heart hammered faster. He was hers.

Alys sped up her pumping, breasts loudly slapping against his hips. Huon added a little thrust upward when she came back down on him. It wasn’t always exact, and sometimes he just seemed to be fruitlessly thrusting out of pure desire.

“See what I mean about conquering lust? Can’t help yourself, can you?” Her voice lowered. “Not that it’s a bad thing.” It felt so good to say that, to goad him on into her grasp.

As per usual, Huon had no response, but his body was alight with activity. His breath was heavy now, and it peaked every time he gave one of those feeble thrusts. He wanted more. She needed more. Let him show you just how much he wants you.

“You wanna fuck ‘em, don’t you?” she asked. Alys grabbed at his tie, pulling him upright. She straightened out her posture, allowing better access to her chest from his new position. “Go on.”

Huon showed no reluctance, no bated breath nor pause to think. He grabbed at her breasts and began thrusting forward, head leaning back in delight as he fucked her tits. In tandem with his thrusts, she brought her chest forward. Alys briefly wanted to tell him off for being so rough, but knowing he was so deep in enjoying her body was more than enough to hold her tongue. She didn’t even need to participate now, he was just indulging in her body as a thing to be used for his own petty pleasure.

The hasty fucking continued on longer still. Huon seemed at his limit but still hanging on as long as he could to squeeze every last bit of pleasure he could out of Alys’s body. He nearly stumbled a few times as he adjusted his stance to better go at her.

Huon grunted as a sticky warmth shot into Alys’s cleavage. He didn’t stop his frantic thrusts yet, crudely slathering his cum onto his bosom. In his movements, his cock slid free from between her breasts, now grinding atop them. More spurts of semen shot onto her chest, one even hitting her neck and sliding downward. Huon’s thrusting slowed, loudly gasping. Another bubbling of cum sunk into her already stained body. He leaned forward to brace himself on her shoulder, then sat back down. He was a mess of gasps.

There was a pervasive warmth in the room. Alys hadn’t realized it up until that moment, but she worked up a heavy sweat. She looked to Huon’s glistening cock, then at her glazed breasts. She could feel each trail of cum trickle down her body, warmly moving their way across her skin. A strand slid over her nipple.

It took Alys some time to return to reality. There was a job to do, wasn’t there? Alys stood up and rounded the couch. She paused to look back at Huon. He was spent entirely, lying there without a care in the world. As it should be. She moved into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Huon’s seed clung to her breasts, giving her what she considered a bit of a whorish look. Better clean it off before it stuck, she told herself.

A rag and a bit of warm water helped Alys wipe up all that remained on her skin. Much better. She was ready to go puncture a few lowlifes. With a shirt, that is. Alys walked back into the living room. Huon remained splayed out on the couch. She bent over and grabbed at her shirt.

“C’mon, little knight, we’ve got a job to do. Clean up,” she said.

Huon looked over to her, then perked up and nodded. His softening cock twitched again.
_

It was a bit premature heading out, Alys had to admit, but her apartment had a pervasive smell of Huon’s semen in the air that she didn’t want to linger in. She kept her hand on her rapier as she walked through the streets. Huon followed alongside her, a bit of a pep in his step and his own hand-me-down sword at his hips.

“Lookin’ like a real grade nine now, Huon,” she said. Alys reached over and nudged his shoulder. “Hope you’re ready for a night of blood.”

“I’d rather not think of it like that, but yes, I am,” he replied.

“Gotta think about how bad things can go. Get yourself prepared.” She looked at him. “You want a quick meal? Actually, better not, right? Don’t want it coming up in the middle of a fight.”

“Can’t say I’m very hungry at the thought of slicing people up.”

“Stoic, Huon. How’re you gonna live in this field of work if you can’t have a snack?”

“Right.”

The two meandered through the streets, looking at all the strange people on display. Other meandering Fixers, blatant Syndicate goons, the occasional augmented freak, and a whole lot of sadsacks. They even passed by a group of heralders preaching about that whole light incident. Alys merely chuckled and shook her head. 

“Those idiots would go weak at the knees if they had to walk into district 12,” she said. “Can you believe that shit?”

Huon tilted his head. “Wasn’t it pretty, though?”

“Are you kidding me? That thing broke my sleep schedule.” And then came the pianist. She clenched her jaw. “If you wanna worship something, how about something that didn’t fuck up everyone’s life?”

“Hasn’t it helped some?” he asked. “If they’re preaching about it…”

“Delusionals, maybe. Everyone’s scrambling for something to make their life worth it. Not gonna come from a huge fly zapper, alright?”

They wandered a while still, before Alys redirected course to where they should have been. Like the other spots where the incidents occurred, it was way out of the way, nestled between buildings with no clear escape route.

“You wanna sit up there?” Alys asked, looking up. “I prefer the ambush. Makes it more fun. Rats ‘specially freak out when you drop in front of ‘em, stabbing a buddy on the way down.”

“How will I get down?” he asked.

“Good question.”

“Could you bring me down with… maybe?”

“Are you kidding me? I’ll look like an idiot hauling you around.” She pursed her lips. Would be a good way to keep him out of trouble. “Alright, fine, I’ll bring you down with. But we’re not doing it again. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Yes, I understand.”

They moved through the hollow apartment building, ascending all the way to the roof. It was a bit smoggier that day, hiding away the cityscape, but distant shadowy towers loomed over them all the same. Huon was quick to settle back on the ledge, like on their last stake out. Alys fought the temptation to poke him in the back, instead deciding to join him.

“Big day, right?” she asked.

“I suppose it is,” he replied. He looked up at her. “Is torture part of this job? Like you said, it’s probably not likely that they kept a paper trail. We could flay their skin with my blade, if need be.”

Alys furrowed her brow. “Let’s just focus on scaring them first, alright? Rats tend to panic. They’re out for themselves.”

“Selfish bunch.”

“Can’t blame ‘em. If you were out on the Backstreets like this, alone, you’d be looking out for number one, too.”

Huon shrugged. “I’d make sure to belong to something.”

Funny way of saying “latch onto the first person he saw.” Not like Alys could say she wasn’t latching onto him, too. She rolled her eyes. The whole dynamic here was one she wish she could just do away with. It was nicer when she could pretend she was above the whole “lust” thing. That was something you did when you were younger, when it was actually fun and exciting. Only problem was, it was probably even more fun now than ever.

“Isn’t that how it went for you, too? You wanted something more,” Huon said. “That’s why you became a Fixer.”

“Don’t go picking my brain. I was just good at beating people up. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s a job.”

“But you want to get higher on the rungs, don’t you? Beating out Jae?”

“We’re having this nice chat up here and you just had to bring her up, huh?” Alys said.

“Well, I don’t know any others in your Office.”

“That’s ‘cause they know to keep their noses clean. Whenever we have to work together, we split the second it’s over.” She shrugged. “We’re all washed out, anyways, nothing really to strive for anymore.”

Huon looked back down to the streets.

The hours crawled on. Distant shadows in the smog became vague bright lights as the Backstreets came alive, the shuddering excitement before the Night’s hour came around and everyone disappeared again. Alys studied the alleyway closely, picturing how things might play out depending on how the vermin would file in.

“Who should we prioritize?” Huon asked.

“What?”

“The work mentioned both Syndicate and Rats, so who would be best to take out first?”

“Syndies, easy. Rats are just the dumb muscle. Won’t even have the gear you do.” She plucked at his suit. “Well, your sword, anyways. Your outfit’s just regular old fabric, so don’t think about getting stabbed, alright?”

“I won’t.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see.” She gave a sly smile. “Try your best.”

Took only an hour or two more for a ruckus to start. Jae’s info was correct. A panicked civvie ran through the alleyway, closely pursued by a gaggle of Rats and… One syndicate? Really? That’s it? Another Rat came out in front, stopping the innocent in their tracks. The Rats were equipped with ordinary knives and clubs fashioned from scrap, while the Syndicate, a more gruff fellow, had some sort of grossly oversized machete as long as his leg.

“Alys,” Huon said.

“Just a second, let them all settle in.” She placed a finger to her lips.

The victim seemed to be an office worker type. He was a little too panicked to say anything coherent, just gibbering out a few blubbering moans. He got onto his knees and began fiddling with his pockets. The Syndicate, however, just walked up to him. The Rat that cut off his path did the same, stopping right behind him.

“I think that’s about good,” she said.

“How are you going to--”

Alys hopped off the side of the building.

“Alys!” Huon called out.

Immediately, all of the people below snapped to look up at her. Alys made a quick mental note to chastise Huon for that later. She crushed the rat behind the victim underfoot. He was only able to give a quick gasp before he went limp. Alys drew her rapier, pointing it at the Syndicate. Her other hand grabbed at the office drone, picking him up and pushing him off behind her. The panicked steps on concrete let her knew half of her job was done.

“Almost thought the Fixers here got lazy,” the Syndie said. He was an older fellow, nearly matching Alys’s height. There was some attempt at fashioning himself nicer than the Rats that surrounded him, wearing a stained suit without any undershirt. Clashed terribly with his tan pants, Alys noticed.

The Rats behind him were awash with different expressions. Some uninterested, others doubtful, and one seemed a little too happy. Alys stepped off her first kill and stepped into position, poised to strike.

“Strong, quiet types always scream the loudest.” He hefted his machete onto his shoulder. “Earn your pay, fellas.” One hand urged his group forward.

Like the obedient animals they were, most of the Rats scattered out, immediately rushing toward Alys. The first misjudged how close he had to be for a strike, receiving a sword through the sternum and a kick backward. Another swiped at Alys before she could ready her sword again. She narrowly dodged to the left as he went right. The handle of her rapier smacked him in the back, sending him crashing down. She immediately slammed her boot into his neck. There was a crunch and a brief gurgling.

Alys reached between her breasts and pulled out her revolver, pointing it at the crowd. The third attacker immediately froze in his tracks, hands slowly raising. A gun really was worth all the money and headaches in the world, wasn’t it?

The machete wielder whistled. “Pretty chunk of change must’ve gone into that. What workshop d’you get that from?”

The revolver felt weighty in Alys’s hand. She often forgot just how nice it was to hold. She shifted its aim at the cocky leader.

“Am I worth a bullet?” he asked.

“I’d say so,” Alys replied. “If only to shut you up.”

“Hear that, fellas? She does talk.” He tilted his head. “Alright, let’s see how it does on a Fixer.”

A glass ball flew up from the crowd, arcing in front of the Syndicate. Before Alys could react, he slammed his large blade into the ball. There was a flash, and a brilliant display of shattering glass. Alys’s eye widened, dazzled by the shimmering shards. The cheap fluorescent lighting glimmered off of every piece in a way she couldn’t quite describe, beckoning for her attention. The world in front of her faded away.

There were vague sensations running across Alys’s body. Some tightness. The sensation of motion, but her blank mind was still focus on the angelic glass.

Alys’s head slammed into a concrete wall, right back into reality. Her weapons clattered to the floor. Her hands were held up above her, while something sharp pressed against the side of her neck. It was slightly dull the touch, must’ve been a Rat’s knife. The blade teased at her skin, daring to inch into her. Her one eye was against the wall, giving her little view of what was happening behind her. All she could see was one of the Syndie’s hands on her wrist, and a few snickering Rats sneering at her. Below, she could barely spot the handle of her rapier. It was then she noticed a dribbling of blood from her nose.

Various voices began their chatter.

“So who goes first?”

“I threw the fuckin’ thing. It’s my go.”

“You guys really wanna fuck this one? Thought we were s’posed to be watching and reporting anything we caught.”

“A few pumps really gonna ruin a product?”

“I don’t know what science shit they’re looking for. I do know I don’t want—”

“Quiet,” the Syndie said firmly.

Alys lightly tested her restraints. The knife at her throat tested back. Right. They wouldn’t let her get away so easy.

“So, how’re you feeling?” The ringleader pressed on her head. “Part of the job is noting side-effects. Product testing. I’m sure you’ve done some of that, right?”

“Can’t say I have,” Alys replied. “How many Ahns are in it for you?”

He chuckled. “More than you’re getting paid, I can tell you that much.”

“That come with free samples of your little tool?”

“Naw, I don’t care for that flashy stuff. If it were up to me, I’d have you sliced up, but we’ve gotta see how it plays out.”

“That’s where all the others went, then?” she asked.

“Are you really playing Fixer right now?” he replied.

“We’re both on the job, aren’t we?”

“Sure, I guess.” His hand slid off of her head. “We’d check out how the suckers do after the flash hits them. I think they got it down right this time. Few of the other guys just went blind. One had some brain bleedin’, but you seem fine.”

His hand slid down her back, landing on her ass. He gave it a light squeeze. Alys grunted, but made no protest.

“Where’d they go after that?” she asked.

“Oh, anywhere we’d get a quick payday on ‘em. Don’t ask where. I don’t remember myself.”

Alys’s pants came down with a forceful tug, exposing her to the cold air. Her simple panties managed to cling on, but only barely, now edging onto her thighs.

“Dealer said civilians, not Fixers.” His fingers pressed up against her pussy. “Guess they don’t want to deal with augs. Messes up the data, right?”

Alys slammed into the wall again, entire body being crushed under the man’s force.

“So I get my fun,” he said.

A metallic jingling, then the sound of a zipper. A hand came up at her chest, popping open her blouse. His groin pressed against her, still wrapped in cloth. This wasn’t going to fucking happen. Alys pushed back, managing some leeway before ramming right back into the wall. Now, something warm pressed up against her ass, sliding down into her panties. There was a flash of warmth across her body.

“Alys!” a voice came.

In the distance, Alys could spot Huon, running down the alleyway, sword at the ready.

“Take care of the knight,” the Syndicate said.

One of the rats broke from the crowd, approaching Huon, brandishing a knife. Huon stopped in his tracks, staring dead on at Alys. His eyes were a blank. Fear. There it was. She knew it’d fucking happen.

“You wanted a fight? Let’s fight,” the Rat said. “C’mon. I’m right here!” He took a step toward Huon. “Gotta go through me to play hero!”

A wet head pressed against Alys’s lower lips.

Alys lifted her leg, jammed it against the wall, and flung herself backward. It was enough to send the leader stumbling back. The knife at her throat flashed in front of her face. She grabbed at the arm holding on it. Glancing right, she saw one of the fuckers had her revolver and was now aiming at her. Her other arm grabbed at the knife-wielder’s throat, swinging him around toward his friend. Bang. The limp Rat pressed up against her from the force of the shot. She yanked the knife from his hand and flung it at the gunner, nailing him in the head.

The Syndicate was already upon her, swinging a fist at her. The blow clipped Alys’s shoulder, sending her stumbling back into the wall. Something in her mind screamed to focus on Huon, but she kept her eyes steady on her target.

“Shoulda kept still!” he yelled. He was already wielding his large blade again. Lower blade fortunately stowed away. “Shoulda just taken it.”

Alys swiped her rapier from the ground and stood upright, poising herself again. Her mind managed to ignore her exposure, focusing every bit of her attention on the thing she wanted to kill in front of her.

He smirked, lifting the handle of his machete. “Hope your workshop is up to the mettle.”

Alys merely stared back.

The smile on his face curved back into a frown. He raised his blade, running toward her with a yell. His sword came down at an angle. Alys instantly brought up the flat side of her blade, holding it high. There was a loud clang, her rapier holding steady against the onslaught. In that second, Alys swung it outward, throwing off the large blade. She stabbed forward, pushing the point of her blade into his chest, teasing at his heart. The syndicate grabbed her sword, blood dribbling from his hand as he stumbled back.

“I’m not dying to you!” he yelled.

Alys rammed her blade forward, his hand faltered. The Syndie’s other hand dropped his weapon and came to the blade, he struggled against her, smile returning. The rapier sunk deeper into his chest, bringing him closer to her. His hand darted forward clutching her throat. It was strong, but waning. Every inch of sword that slid into him made his grip lessen, until he was limp. Some words left his gurgling mouth. Alys kicked him off, letting his body drop to the ground.

Chancing a look back at Huon, Alys found her would be savior standing over the Rat, repeatedly jamming his sword into the corpse. She buttoned up her jacket, retrieved her gun, and approached Huon. He stopped, staring up at her. Alys furrowed her brow.

Based on the wounds from the Rat, Alys figured he got cut across the abdomen, then the shock made him fall backward. The rest seemed like they came after he croaked.

“C’mon,” she said.

Huon gave a nod a few seconds later, sheathing his sword.
_

The warm, heavy water from the sink settled on Alys’s nerves, melting the icy cold that clung to them. She ran a sponge over her rapier, crudely cleaning off whatever viscera stained it. A new set of clothes helped distance her from her earlier battle. She stood in what could be charitably called a kitchen, which was essentially a small corner of the living room.

“You froze,” she said.

Huon stood nearby, leaning against cabinets. His arms were crossed, and a touch of blood remained on his suit. He refused to allow her to clean it off. His blade, meanwhile, lay on the counter.

“Got scared, right?” she asked.

“No.”

“If you say so.” She pulled his sword closer to the sink. Blood remained at the handle, where it had seeped over from the blade. “I’ll just hock this off later.”

Huon lunged forward, placing his hand on it. “I can do this now.”

They shared a gaze. Alys tried to pry free any hint of fear from him. Oddly, his expression seemed calm. Perhaps there was a touch of intensity in there. Determination. Alys set her rapier down and turned to him.

“Why’re you up for this? Just to pay me back? Y’know, Jae wasn’t entirely wrong,” she said. “I just didn’t admit it at the time.”

“Is there anything wrong with that?” Huon ran his thumb across the handle. “Why can’t I help the one person who bothered to help me in all of this? If you were rewarded for it, this is only an addition.” His expression slightly soured. “It seems you’ll need all the help you can get, as well. Not many can say they fight for what they want to. It’s a privelege.”

“I fight for cash. I seem to be doing pretty good at that.”

“You simply haven’t found what you want in life.”

“You’re some kinda life guru now?”

“I just know that once life reaches it’s end, it won’t be the cash that we look back upon.”

Alys smirked. He was cute getting all riled up like that. Surprising to see him with a dash of enthusiasm as an adult. Usually that line of thinking gets beaten out of you before you reach his age. Frankly, it was a little charming that she was the source of his bizarre fervor.

“Alright,” she said with a shrug. “But you’ve gotta clean the rest. My rapier, too.”

Huon merely nodded and approached the sink. Alys stepped aside and fished through the fridge for a can of something vaguely alcoholic before marching off to her room. She sat down on her bed, popped open the can, and took a sip. Her revolver lay on the pillow next to her. Alys grabbed the gun, immediately frowning once she felt it was slightly lighter.

It was rewarding to have a full cylinder. The ability to deal raw damage instantly was admittedly a tantalizing one, but it was also meant to be used sparingly. Because it was expensive as hell, mostly. She tilted her head and took another sip. Plus, it almost felt like a good luck charm. She was doing so well that she hadn’t even had to fall back on it. And now that fucking idiot wasted a round.

“Hope you were still kickin’ when the Sweepers got you,” she mumbled.
_

The days following the event were quiet. Alys had gotten paid, save for the bonus on whereabouts, and Huon regressed into more silence. They had, unfortunately, foregone their sparring and their crude touching. As much as Huon spoke a big game, Alys figured he was still feeling the weight of having killed someone. At least he didn’t ask for any advice on it.

Alys found herself idly flipping through television, splayed out on the couch. Not the best purchase with her paycheck, but nothing else caught her attention. While she watched and flipped, she spun the cylinder eyeing that empty chamber in one. Her eye would occasionally snap over to the door, waiting for Huon to return with their meal. Seemed a little longer than usual. Maybe he had finally run off after nerves got to him. Her brow twitched. Not too big of a deal, right? He should have been on his way a long time ago. Right, that was right.

The silence that returned between every flip of the channel seemed to grow louder each time. A quiet unlocking of the door caught her attention, and she sat upright. Huon came in, closing the door behind him. She jammed the revolver into the band of her pants and crossed her legs.

“Took your time, huh?” she said.

“I apologize, the line was longer than usual. I believe an entire Office stopped by for celebration.”

“Seems like a good way to get themselves killed.” Alys shrugged.

Despite not sparring, Huon took to carrying his sword everywhere he went. Alys wasn’t exactly sure about the legality of him carrying around Workshop approved Fixer gear, but it was unlikely anyone would even glance in his direction.

As usual, Huon set out everything in a perfect arrangement on the table, and sat down next to her. Alys peered into the polystyrene container. She whistled. 

“Actually had chicken with all those Fixers, huh?” she said.

Huon’s eyes wandered for a moment before locking onto hers. “They were only drinking, as far as I could tell.”

“That so? I’ve seen people do dumber. Must be some rookies. They’ll learn sooner or later.” She leaned over and dug into the meal immediately, downing the morsels of bird. Tasted a bit sweeter than she remembered, but it had been a while. “Probably gonna waste half of the paycheck on this but--” A heaviness settled on her body, languor massaging her muscles. She leaned back. “But…” It became hard to breathe. Her eye meandered over to Huon, who merely watched her.

He had done something. Alys opened her mouth, but failed to draw forth any acid words. Instead, she sneered down at him, which also faded as her facial muscles went slack. Huon pushed the table forward and stood up. What was it? Money? Her gear? Maybe some fuck paid him off to neck her. Could’ve been Jae, for all she knew. Huon grabbed at Alys’s wrists and yanked her forward. He made sure her knees hit the ground first, then eased the rest of her body down onto the floor, ass raised. He shifted her parallel to the couch and shuffled behind her on his knees. The carpet felt odd on her dulling skin, feeling like she was sinking into it. Lastly, he shimmied the gun from her pants and set it on the table.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Alys, I know this is odd and sudden, but I thought this was necessary.” He placed a hand on her ass, squeezing it.

Alys could hear his breathing hitch as he did it. Little shit.

“When we first met, I was awestruck.” He fiddled with her pants, managing to unbutton them and slide them back. “You had saved so many people without a care and made certain each one was safe. I admired that, I wished I could be that. I spent hours constantly thinking about that day.”

There was nothing more she wanted to do in that moment except kick his jaw off.

“I realized… I realized I couldn’t bring myself to that level. That wasn’t possible. I was just gutter trash doomed to float down the sewage of the city. So I thought, maybe, if I could serve you, it would make up for some of the greatness you showed me.”

Huon slid her underwear down along with her pants, pulling the both of them free, and soon after, began struggling with his own trousers. There was an excitement in his movements, shaky hands and awkward shuffling. Even through whatever he gave her, she could feel a warm head vaguely press against her crotch. An unsettling heat hit her, jerking around her sluggish heartbeat. That heat only grew once he plunged into with a low sigh, hips loudly slapping against her ass.

Revulsion stuck to Alys. Some of it directed at herself. She screamed for her limbs to move, hand twitching under exertion. Her efforts faltered as he started thrusting into her, desire roiling in the recesses of her thoughts. She shut her eye tight, mentally screaming at herself.

“And then… and then I saw more of you, and you obliged me.” He leaned forward, adding vigor to each thrust. “I wanted more.” Huon sighed. “I needed you. I needed your body. You took up most of my waking thoughts, and for a time, I just wanted to spar to touch you.” Huon chuckled in-between heavy breaths. “I could tell you thought I was some pathetic whelp, but I didn’t care. I just wanted your touch. It was never enough. Like the coward I am, I couldn’t dare ask for such a deeper connection with you.”

Shut the fuck up!

The repugnant romantic ran a hand under her shirt, up her back. A muted chill hit her skin. She could scarcely feel his fingertips, but they were cool, and made her spine tingle. Her thoughts rejected whatever drunken pleasure oozed into her nerves, but her body drank up every droplet. Her whole body began to shake with Huon’s excited thrusts.

“Your soft skin, your firm gaze, your beautiful shape. Motherly. I would say you’re very motherly.” Huon’s thrusting sped up. “And strong. But I realized there in the alleyway. I saw you.” He moaned. “Almost taken by those troglodytes of the streets. I realized in that second, I could have you. A weakness like mine own. If they could take you, why not me?” His thrusts slowed, hand returning to her ass. Fingers sunk into her supple flesh. “I almost wanted to help them, but I wouldn’t have it. And then that-- that vermin stepped in my way.” Huon’s thrusts returned full force. “I wouldn’t have it!”

Sensation slowly returned to Alys, bit by bit. Her body cleaning up whatever he had fed her. She wasn’t strong enough to move yet, but she would be. Unfortunately, that came with the caveat that every thrust, every stroke, every pulse of heat, became all the heavier on her body. Alys’s mind would lose itself for a split second, eager for a long lost touch. She grunted.

Alys’s eye fluttered as Huon sped up again, huffing quickly. Huon reached forward, grabbing at her hair and yanking her head back, turning it toward him slightly. His pocket knife came to her throat, daring to slice into her.

“There!” Huon smiled. “Not a drop of fear in your expression. Worry doesn’t even break your beautiful facade. Not even moments away from death.”

There was something wrong with his expression. It wasn’t hateful, or angry, or wicked. Huon’s gentle smile was all too earnest. He believed in what he was saying, every word that left his lips was something true. Alys felt a nauseating sense of pride. She tried to tug her head away in shame, but she could hardly manage the effort.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

Those words kept hammering her stream of consciousness. The more she tried to clear her mind, the more she felt his unwanted but desperately needed touch, and the more she tried to ignore that, the more she shamed herself over his compliments. Alys was bound by her own pathetic neediness. Further and further still, her body pulled itself free from the chemicals that kept her quiet.

Soon, the knife at her throat gave way, clattering to the floor. Huon’s offending hand returned to her hips, grabbing tightly to pull her against his thrusts, along with pulling at her hair. He moaned and his thrusts became quick and shaky. Frantic spurts of semen shot at her walls, and Huon’s repeated fucking only stirred them further, coating her in that warmth. He slowed to a stop, easing her head onto the floor.

Alys carefully flexed her hand. Slightly shaky but it would have to do. She stopped herself from twitching as Huon pulled out of her. Whatever train of thought she had going briefly halted as his semen dribbled out of her. Wake the fuck up! Alys frowned.

In an instant, Alys sat back up, turned around and clutched Huon by the throat. Picking him up. Huon made no attempts at resistance, merely struggling to breathe.

“Always do your research.” Alys slammed him down onto the ground and straddled him. She grabbed her revolver and rammed the tip against his head. “I’m augmented, Huon. You don’t think I’ve got something to filter shit like that?” Her finger played along the trigger, but Huon didn’t budge. His eyes remained on her. “I should blow a hole in your head right fucking now!”

“If that’s what you want,” he replied.

Cocky son of a bitch. “I’m not gonna fuck over my neighbors like that.” She glanced down, noticing his still twitching erection. “You had your fun, I’m gonna have mine. This is what you wanted, right? You should be happy.”

Alys kept the gun against his head, but pulled her hand from his throat, grabbing at his cock and orienting it upright. She raised her hips and brought them back down onto his erection, sliding all the way to his hips. The mix of semen and her own wetness made it a quick process. Alys was hit with a punch of arousal. She kept her breathing steady.

Huon writhed beneath her, no doubt reeling from the overstimulation. There was that pride again from making someone else feel good. Only she could inspire so much lust in Huon. Despite her age, despite how long she had gone without someone else’s embrace, despite her hard exterior. Alys’s began bouncing on his erection, hand pressing down on his chest. He had spent all that time planning this, hadn’t he? Finding out how best he should try and get into her pants. It wasn’t fear that stopped him, but lust. How much he wanted to fuck her stopped him in his tracks.

The fervor in Alys wobbled, her expression faltering. Pleasure had wormed its way into the cracks of her mind. A twisted, dominating enjoyment straightened out into an indulgence of sexual touch. Alys’s hips slammed harder down onto Huon, accepting every inch he had to offer.

When Alys found herself truly losing grip, she would tease the trigger of her gun again, reminding her why she did this. Huon himself had no qualms over this, his visage having lost himself to Alys’s bouncing. His hips weakly jerked back against her, proving that even he hadn’t had enough of her. No doubt, he was going to reach another orgasm. Alys huffed at the thought, craving another flood of warmth.

This was pathetic, wasn’t it? Alys hardly cared. This was just between her and her little knight, the corrupted lover. Maybe this was all inevitable anyways. If not him, then certainly she would have made that move. Alys’s free hand moved to her clitoris, fervently rubbing at it.

The minutes eased on by, with Alys continuing to ride Huon into the ground. It wasn’t until he strained again that she realized where the time had gone.

Huon thrust upward into her with a moan, only to get slammed back down to the ground. Weak spurts of dribbling semen joined the mess of cum inside Alys. She slammed down, gyrating back and forth as she stroked herself, culminating in a hasty and prolonged orgasm. Alys groaned and pushed her hips forward, body shaking.

“Fffffuck,” she hissed.

The pleasure dribbled from Alys’s thoughts, leaving loving touches in its wake. She sighed and looked down at Huon, who was taking in lungfuls of air, eyes staring up at hers. Alys pulled the trigger. The cylinder turned.

Click. 

“I’m sure you’ll know what happens the next time you try that,” Alys said.

Huon remained unfazed. Persistent, wasn’t he?

Pulling the revolver away from his head, Alys stood up and gathered her clothes. She gave him one last look before setting off to the bathroom. The fucking gall. Alys briefly shut her eye as she felt a cool breeze pass between her damp thighs. She frowned and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Disorientation remained in Alys's veins. Her body was still reeling from the sensation earlier. The sex. She set her revolver down and dropped her clothing on the floor. Alys looked at her expression in the mirror. It wasn't nearly angry enough. She straightened her hair and huffed.

Hate and fury should have been hammering at her thoughts. She should have dragged Huon by his neck out into the street and hacked a limb or two off of him. But she couldn't muster that sort of craving for pain. No. Instead, she was focused on the scraps of pleasure that settled in her gut, warming her.

How many years had it been since someone fucked you? A recluse at 53. Good work. Now you're mewling over sex like a fucking virgin. Alys rubbed her eye, then pulled her eyepatch off, glancing away from the mirror. She pulled her thighs together once she felt another droplet trickle down.

"For fuck's sake," she hissed.

Alys grabbed some toilet paper and hastily wiped herself up, tossing the thing into the toilet. She could smell it all the better now, reminding her of what had just occurred. That had been inside her. A sickening arousal hit her. She shook her head. At least any seed couldn't be planted. Not physically. Mentally? She already knew she was fucked, in more ways than one.

Flipping on the shower and stepping in, Alys shuddered as the cold water hit her. The physical shock was enough to set her thoughts off balance. It was good relief. She began scrubbing herself clean of any errant fluids that still remained on her. Now the only problem was the fluid inside.

With one finger, Alys gently probed at her labia, finding a few more scant traces of Huon's seed. Once that was cleared away, her finger edged deeper in, rubbing at her walls to get at the other heaps of cum still settled inside her. Why did she have to ride him after he had his way with her? Alys leaned against the wall and continued to finger herself.

It was good to be in control again, to have that little shred of pleasure all to herself, sparked on by the sudden violation by Huon. But you liked that part too, didn't you? Alys shut her eyes. She did, and she hated it. Her fingering sped up, still pretending as though she were cleaning herself.

The only people to show interest in her were those demented Rats led by their Syndicate wrangler and Huon. Maybe that was her lot in life. Alys's finger sped up. Just to be used by others at their leisure. The idea of another person to confide in and love was long gone. She was washed out. Some laid out Fixer bitch that only had the worst suitors even vaguely after her.

That sensation in the alleyway came back to her. That hot head nearly plunging into her. The lust that wrapped around that feeling of unease. Then Huon pushed through. He wanted her, loved her, obsessed over her body, plunging deep into her with wild abandon. No one had shown her as much admiration in all of her years in this horrible fucking city.

The sound of a door closing snapped Alys out of her stupor, pulling her hands away. She peered around the shower curtain, finding the bathroom door closed. Huon must've gone back to his room. Alys had guessed he'd have just scamper off after her threat, but no, he must've still been content to stay here. And why shouldn't he? You rode him right back, she told herself. A heat flashed in her as she recalled that.

Alys stared at the door.
_

A new day came, and with it, a strange air in Alys's home. Huon largely acted as if nothing had happened, though he kept his distance and only gave her polite nods whenever they crossed paths. Alys spent most of her time out in her living room, staring down Huon, and watching television when he wasn't around. She had kept her revolver in the band of her pants, just to remind him of the fate that was just around the corner if he fucked around like that again.

Alys had kept telling herself that she should just toss him out on the streets, but she held herself back. Plain as day why she couldn't do it, not that she could admit, even mentally. It remained in the back of her head, however, taunting her every opportunity it could. Now she just quietly wished for another job to come along, even if it meant having to deal with Jae being a prick.

Maybe she should actually go to the Office for once. Show up and take initiative. Alys rolled her eye. Not like they'd give her any work even if she begged. No, she just had to wait, twiddling her thumbs for anything to happen.

Still, heading out seemed like a better alternative to sitting on her ass, knee-deep in this bizarre stand-off with Huon. That little taunting thought reminded her that they could spend some physical time together. A reminder that her body was still under the spell of simple sexual attention. A pathetic one.

Fuck this.

As Alys sat up, a muffled crackling emanated from the couch.

"Alys?" came a voice.

She glanced around for the source, until she wriggled a hand between the cushions and pulled out her radio.

"Yeah?" she replied into the thing. "What?"

"Couldn't you stand to be more formal?" the voice asked.

Alys sighed. She nearly yelled back, but took a moment to collect herself. "Yes, ma'am, what do you need?"

"A request came in. A small one. You are unoccupied, it seems fitting that you go."

A small one. Nice. Probably a delicate prod at Alys's ego.

"Clue me in," Alys replied.

"Alys."

"What are the details?" she said through clenched jaws.

"Theft of property. All you have to do is return what was taken. Petty crimes."

"Look, if you're mad at me because I didn't--"

"Alys, this isn't about your last job. Leave your ego at the door when you depart. Not everything is about you. Work is work." There was a pause. "Head to the insurance company four blocks down. I'm sure you're recall the one."

"Yes, I sure do."

"Good. That is all."

Now she knew it was a jab at her. Couldn't just come out and say "fuck you", no, paper pushers had to sneak around it with string pulling and veiled jabs. Alys carried the radio to her bedroom, where she changed into more presentable garb. Blouse, skirt, jacket, and a tie to top it all off. She added the stockings and heels, as well, even if they chafed like hell. Once that was done, she hooked the radio into the band of her skirt and retrieved her weaponry.

Alys moved up to the front door and placed a hand on it. Huon's door opened and he marched out, at the ready for his next assignment. Alys stared him down. The fucking nerve. She didn't have the energy to scream at him or even smack him upside the head. Cold shoulder would have to do for now. Besides, he might make everything go smoothly. Extra hand to scare off a crook or two. Or maybe he'd fuck up and get his head beaten in. Alys turned the handle and stepped through the door. Either was good.
_

Walking with Huon again felt wrong, but comforting at the same time. Routine had a way of making the worst things feel casual, Alys supposed. She would occasionally steal a glance at him, trying to pry into his thoughts. Huon remained completely serious, stoic, perhaps even moreso than usual. Could've been that he was trying to ignore what happened, but something told Alys that wasn't the case. No, if anything, he was probably more emboldened.

Rather than eye every person who walked on by, Alys found herself back in her thoughts, wondering why the fuck she was allowing Huon to even breathe the same air as her. She jostled the handle of her rapier. No matter what excuses she cobbled up, it always came back to one thing, some pathetic need to be desired. Any rando from the street would've loved her for her body, but there was something in Huon's eyes. His gaze. His determination. Nobody else wanted her that badly. And she loved it.

Alys nearly passed the insurance agency, only stopping once she recognized a bench out front. She turned to look at it. While as haphazardly placed as any other shop in the Backstreets, it had a polished sheen to it. The company was simply titled "BODY" which was fittingly to the point.

"What do we have to do here?" Huon asked.

Alys briefly shut her eye, sighed, and walked on in, immediately feeling the artificial chill of ventilation. Sat in front was a well-dressed young man at a desk, scribbling away at an array of different forms and sheets.

"Welcome," he said. "Alys."

Alys's face scrunched. "I don't know you," she replied.

"No, but my implants certainly do," he replied, tapping the side of his head.

"Yeah, of course. Look, I'm not here as a customer. I was told I had work to do here."

Huon stood next to her, staring the attendant down.

"Oh, yes, that's right." The man shuffled through his many papers and pulled out one with a bunch of legal jargon on it. With swift hands, he folded it up neatly and slid it into an envelope. He wrote an address out on the front, placed a photo of the perp on it, then handed it to Alys. "You'll be looking for an employee that ran off with quite a few documents. Please give this to them after you've retrieved what was stolen."

"Any idea why they took it?" she asked.

"I've been given no official reason, but if I had to imagine... Blackmail? Or selling customer info? Money, as per usual."

"Right. You want anything done to him?" she asked.

The attendant raised a brow. "No. We'll have other means of taking care of him. Plus, he has some company property inside. Wouldn't want to damage it. If you do have to harm him, please do so with some care."

"Yeah, I'll try my best," she said.

"Will he be joining you in the task?" the attendant asked, looking to Huon.

Alys frowned. "Don't mind the servant."

"Then that will be all. Thank you for your time." He perked up. "And if you desire another coverage--"

"Don't," Alys said, turning her patched eye toward him.

She spun on the spot and walked out, envelope in-hand.

"Thank you for your time," Huon said, then joined Alys. "You're a patron of theirs?" he asked.

"What the fuck do you care?" she said.

The address for the thief put him a few blocks down. Unlikely he'd even be there, but there might be a clue or two hanging around.

"You're my mentor," Huon replied. "I care about you."

Alys snapped a hand shut, forming it into a fist. She held back a yell.

"You don't get to say that. You just don't," she replied. "You cannot fucking fathom how lucky you are that you're not just a red smear on the pavement right now, alright?"

"I do, and you have my thanks, ma'am." There was a small smile on his face. Genuine.

Alys stomped off, with Huon obediently following after her. She did her best to focus on the job and not imagining every vertebra in his neck shattering. Similarly, she ignored other thoughts proliferating through her head as she saw his smile. Focus on the buildings, you've got someone to beat up.

As they walked, Alys glared at every passerby, trying to see if luck was on her side and if any panicked thieves ran past her. Not a one, or at least not the one she was looking for. She looked back to the picture. The man wore a tired smile, dressed up in a sleek business suit. Guy probably wanted a quick way out of his life and took the easiest route. Enough money to last him a lifetime, if those documents were any good.

"Seeing as how we're not supposed to harm him, I suggest a more psychological approach to interrogation if needed," Huon said.

"Threaten him with a blow to the head, he'll crumble," Alys replied with a frown.

"Perhaps he'll see through that ploy. He's an agent of the same company and must know the value of his implants."

"He's running for his life, he'll want to avoid any pain for as long as he can. Once he sees us, he'll know it's over."

"How do you figure?"

"Because if some washed up Fixer and her wannabe partner can get a hold of him, the repomen that'll come for all of his guts will have no problem finding him."

"I suppose that's true."
_

"If you're in there, open up. Make it easy on yourself," Alys said, hammering against a flimsy wooden door.

"I could break the lock," Huon said.

"Shut it. I'm already in enough trouble with the boss."

"It wouldn't be your action, Miss, it would be mine."

"I hold your leash, idiot, it'll come back to me anyways."

"Could ask the landlord, as well," Huon said.

"Some company owns the place. Asking would mean more bureaucracy than I give a shit to participate in right now."

Huon shifted his attention back to the door, intently staring at it. Good to see him so focused on something else. Alys looked down the hall. If she were going to run off with documents, she'd probably seek refuge with whoever she was going to sell them to. But that kind of breach of information is still dirty, and whoever was going to buy them wouldn't harbor the sucker in any official capacity, just to avoid any potential strike back.

There was another knock, and Alys turned around to see Huon standing in front of a different door. Quick on the draw. At least he wasn't actually breaking in the fucking door.

Alys moved up to his side and nudged him over, just as the door opened. Barely. An eye peered over a chained lock that kept the door from opening any further.

"What?" the voice asked. Sounded female.

"Yeah, you seen this guy as of late?" Alys asked, holding up the envelope.

"The insurance man."

"Right, the insurance guy."

"He's a criminal, ma'am," Huon said, sidling back over to Alys's side.

Alys shot him a glare, then looked back at the door. "We'd like to know of his whereabouts. Stolen documents."

"What do I care?" the voice asked, eye narrowing.

"You know what, you shouldn't," Alys said. "But I'm this close to smashing in his door and tearing up the place. And if I don't find him, the repomen who'll want all of his implants back are sure to tear up the rest of the damn building." She sighed. "So, I'll ask again. Have you seen him lately?"

The eye widened. "He was speaking with someone early this morning. Yelling in his room. He ran off, I think. I didn't look. I was happy for some silence."

"So he ran off. Thank you. All I needed to hear." Alys reached over and slammed the door shut, hearing it promptly lock afterward.

"I doubt he has any associates," Huon said. "If that conversation is anything to by."

"Probably trying to bargain his way into a hideout."

"Perhaps he didn't have a buyer yet. The conversation could have been the attempt at a deal."

"You think he was that dumb?" she asked.

"I've seen many people do dumb things for money."

Alys supposed he wasn't wrong. That left them at square one regardless. Being part of a company, it's unlikely anyone would be willing to stash him away. Wasn't on the level of being a Wing, but there were still too many threads to make it worth it, especially with him carrying that contraband. That just left hotels that asked no questions and gave all the answers, for the right price. Or he was still on the run, but a guy like that probably didn't have the guts to crawl around in the alleyways of the Backstreets for long. He'd know to stay off the main streets until this whole thing blew over. Unless he really was that dumb.

"Ma'am?" Huon said.

"I'm thinking, shut up." Alys brushed some hairs aside. "On the run, no rathole to hide in, hot intel in his hands." She held up the envelope, looking at it. "Business type, non-combatant, probably doesn't have enough cash for protection. Yet."

"Hotel, then," he replied.

She winced upon hearing that. "Yeah, seems like the only viable option here. Fuuuuck."

"Could ask more neighbors for what they heard. The repomen threat seemed to work."

"And waste more time? He could already be on the move again." Alys placed the envelope in her jacket. "I should be busting heads, not playing detective for some fucking vampires." She huffed and went on her way. It was going to be a long, long day.
_

After wasting more time with interrogations, Alys got a general idea of where the guy was going, and with Huon by her side, began a slow check of every hotel in his general direction. She realized how tedious it was before she even delved into it, but it was her only real lead. The guy was just like every other single middle-aged man, distant and quiet. He may as well have been a needle in a stack of other millions of needles. Those kinda people went missing all the time.

Alys found herself at yet another hotel, or motel, or unspecified "place where people go to run away from a problem for cheap". This one at least broke the mold by having a more presentable building. You could actually see where the hotel part started and stopped amid the dreary architecture.

"If I were him, this is where I would stay," Huon said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Alys replied.

The interior was a little more upscale than one would expect. There was a proper lobby with a reasonable lounging area, and the front desk was an actual desk rather than a hole in the wall. Its attendant was nearby, sneaking a drink from a vending machine. At least, she looked like an attendant. Looked vaguely like she was ready for work, with a blue dress.

" 'Scuse me," Alys said.

The attendant looked back, mid-sip. She wiped her mouth off and scrambled over to her desk, setting down the drink and putting on a smile.

"Welcome! Room for two?" she asked.

Alys scoffed. "Yeah, no. We're looking for someone."

"Ah, I see. I suppose I should've guessed." Her smile faltered. "May I ask for some details?"

"Here." Alys showed the envelope. "Company secrets kind of thief."

There was a subtle twitch in the attendant's face. Bingo.

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to give out that kind of information," she replied.

"Look, I'm employed by an insurance company, alright? They have enough cash to swing around to tear this place apart and make an example of anyone who gets in their way. Let's just skip to the part where you show me his room and we can get on with our lives." Alys gave a hollow smile. "Sound good?"

"I suppose, yes."

"Great! I'd like a key to go with, if you don't mind."

The attendant looked at Alys for a moment longer, then moved around her desk to fiddle with a locked drawer. She pulled a clipboard out of it and flipped through it.

"Room 207," she said. "Second floor." The attendant frowned, then retrieved a key from the same drawer, handing it to Alys.

"Thank you." Alys turned.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Please, keep the noise down. And... and any bloodshed."

"I'll try my best."

"Thank you for your time, ma'am," Huon said. Alys had almost forgotten he was there.

Alys pocketed the key and went on her way, feeling a touch of pride. She marched up the stairs, enjoying the thump of aged carpet beneath her. A job could go relatively easy for once. She made it to the second floor and began eyeing each door.

212, 211, 210, 209, 208, 207. Wonderful. Alys moved up to it. There was a tag on the handle indicating no room service.

"Weapon at the ready?" Huon asked.

"We're not supposed to kill the guy."

"Scare him, then."

"If it makes you feel better, then you have your sword out."

Alys unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"I thought I said no room serv--"

A man sat at a desk. Just the guy Alys was looking for. A cigarette was stuck in his mouth and various cans and papers littered the desk in front of him. He sat there, awestruck.

The chair clattered and the man bolted into another room, suitcase in-hand. Huon immediately zipped after him. Alys made chase as well. She rounded a corner into the bathroom just as a bang rang out. Huon stood above their target, sword pointed at his throat. He groaned and held his head, writhing on the ground. An open window was placed just above the tub, and the suitcase sat inside.

"For fuck's sake," the man hissed.

"Be happy you get that treatment. We're not supposed to hurt you. Much," Huon said.

"Just take the fucking briefcase and go!"

"First we have to check if all the documents are in here," Alys said. She walked over to the tub and plucked the suitcase out of it. Then she returned to his side and dragged him back out into the living room.

The man sat back down with a sigh, still rubbing his head. Huon took it upon himself to stand right behind the insurance guy, sword at the ready.

"I didn't think they send two of you Fixer types."

"Only one, but I'm sure my little knight appreciates the compliment," Alys replied.

"Thank you, sir," Huon said.

"Oh, and they wanted me to give you this." Alys flung the envelope at him, where it hit his chest and fell to his lap. "I'm sure you'll wanna go over it. Juicy stuff, I'll bet."

Alys set the suitcase down on the table, rummaging through it. The thing was filled with plastic wrapped sheaves of paper, to the brim, even. Likely everything was still in place, then.

"This all of it?" She turned it to face the man.

"Yes. Can you just leave now? You did your job."

"He could have hidden other documents around," Huon said. "Shall I check?"

"Hop to it," Alys replied.

With an annoying enthusiasm, Huon sheathed his weapon and began digging through every drawer and crevice he could find.

"I didn't think you could own slaves as a Fixer," the man said. "How much did he cost?"

Alys shook her head. "So, open up, why'd you do this whole thing?" She leaned against the table, arms crossed. At that moment she noticed a name imprinted in the corner, Sang Ryeo.

"What do you care?"

"Couldn't care less, but I figure I might get a bonus for squeezing out info." Alys shrugged. "Go ahead, spill, Sang."

"You might spill yourself if you don't comply," Huon said, still cheerily going through the room.

"Your assistant is so charming, you know that?" Sang said.

Alys's face hardened. "More than you know. So, go ahead. No point in bottling up now."

"What else? Cash." Sang leaned back in his chair. "Won't buy me a way out of the Backstreets, but sitting at a desk every day fucking people over wears down on you eventually. It's that sort of thing where you wonder what you're doing with your life." He looked to Alys directly. "You get the feeling, I'm sure. Worse, I'll bet, with your line of work."

"Sure, everyone has that kinda shit run through their head at some point. Doesn't matter, though. Have to keep moving."

"Looks like you got the Fixer attitude down pat." Sang smirked. "That explains the insurance you have on file." He tilted his head, eyes narrowing, then tapped under an eye. "Looks like they didn't cover everything, huh? Surprised they bothered in the first place. They love weaseling out of damages caused in Offices."

"Better hope it doesn't hurt when they rip out all those augmentations." Alys sneered.

Huon immediately marched up to Sang's side, unsheathing his sword. The broad side of it pressed up against Sang's face.

"We could take an ear if you would like, ma'am," Huon said. "The outer part shouldn't have any company property."

Sang looked to Alys with wide eyes, head pulling away from the sword. Huon kept the blade close.

Alys paused, staring at Sang. She shook her head. "Lay off. I said I'd try not to hurt him, so let's keep it that way."

"Of course." And just as quickly, the sword was sheathed away.

Sang took a deep breath and rubbed the side of his face.

"I'm guessing you couldn't get a buyer?" Alys asked. "Deal fell through?"

Sang shot her a glare then nodded.

"Got a name to go with?" she asked.

"I'm already in trouble with one company. Don't need another one on my ass."

"They'll figure it out."

Huon approached Sang, who reflexively winced. Something was in Huon's hands, metallic blocks with letters on them.

"What are these?" Huon asked.

"Insurance codes. We brand customers that have life coverage, H for high, L for low. Makes identifying corpses a little easier." Sang looked at Huon. "Worthless now. The identifying tag at the edge there is going to be scrapped, just like everything else tied to me."

"I see. Insurance is an odd business," Huon replied. He set the blocks next to the case.

"Yeah, real weird compared to what you do," Sang said. "Look, you've been through this whole room. Let me sit here in peace, alright?"

"I do have one more question," Alys said.

"What?"

"What's in the envelope?"

"My termination. The legal noose they'll use to kill me, figuratively or literally. We'll see."

"Real brave despite that. Good work."

"I'll remember that compliment when they dump my body in an alleyway." Sang shooed her off.

Alys shut the suitcase and took it in her hand. "C'mon, Huon, we're leaving."

Huon nodded and walked over to Alys.

The door burst open. Alys spun around and pulled her rapier free, pointing it at the intruder.

"Oh, fucking hell," Sang said.

"You must be Sang!"

A short haired girl stood in the doorway, holding a trench knife in each hand. She was wearing a wife-beater and what seemed like camouflage pants. There was a fiery excitement in her eyes that Alys didn't like. She must've been a head or two shorter than Alys herself.

"Leave," Alys said. Her face hardened. The job was so close to being as "small" as her boss made it out to be.

"I'm here to get those documents you have there," she replied.

"I swear, they said there was no deal!" Sang said.

"Don't lie, sir," Huon said. "It's not becoming of you."

"Relax, no need to cut off his head," the girl said. "There was no deal, but the company is taking it anyways. Got it? Isn't bureaucracy fun?"

She took a step forward. Alys stepped forward in-turn. Could reach her from this distance. One stab and it'd be over, but considering her choice of weapons, there was a good chance she was fast enough to deflect that and leave Alys open to a lethal counter attack.

"I see there's some tension here!"

"Just back off. You don't have to die," Alys replied.

"Now there's an offer." She raised her knives and poised to strike, almost like a mantis. "I'm gonna have to decline! Oh, and Mr. Ryeo is coming with me, too."

"If you want to run, Sang, now's the time to do it," Alys said.

There was a clattering and a door slam. Did he seriously go through the bathroom again?

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You got a heart of gold, don't'cha?"

Alys kept her quiet gaze.

"Ah, you're the serious type. All work and no fun." Her eyes shifted over. "What about you? You any fun, guy?"

"Please stand back," Huon said. "We will be leaving with the suitcase."

A blade unsheathed, ringing as it did. Huon was way out of his league and he was still up to bat. He had no idea what he was dealing with. Considering the girl's more casual garb, it was fair to say she was likely Syndicate. That would make sense. Whoever Sang was selling to wouldn't want this sort of theft traced back to them by using an official Fixer channel.

"I just get the worst people to fight," the girl said with a sigh. "This was supposed to be an easy job."

Alys and the girl stared each other down, neither making a move. Alys couldn't see Huon, but she could spot his sword out of the corner of her eye. Their opponent's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them. Maybe she didn't know how much of an amateur Huon was. Alys threw the suitcase back at the far wall. That would have to do, for now.

"You know, something funny about someone who lacks depth perception using a rapier," she said with barely contained laugh.

Huon swung, narrowly missing the Syndicate woman. He received a kick to his chest, sending him backward. Alys stabbed forward, only for her rapier to catch on a knife, the two blades loudly clashing. She continued reorienting her sword, making repeated deflected stabs. The smile on the girl's face grew as she stepped forward with each deflection, encroaching on Alys's space.

"Doesn't work too well this close, huh?!" the Syndicate said.

She lunged forward, knives raised. Huon came running in from the right, swinging at her midsection. One of her knives came down on it, barely managing to stop the swing, but not before it graced her midsection. The mantis girl jumped back, allowing Alys to thrust forward. Another near miss, the blade scraping by the girl's abdomen.

The mantis girl grunted. "You two are the worst!"

Alys thrust again. The Syndicate girl ducked and swept Huon's legs, sending him tumbling to the ground. She rolled forward then shot upright to face Alys and kicked Huon's sword away. He grabbed at her leg, only for her to stomp at his offending arm. Her weapons were at the ready again. Red stained her white shirt, but she was no worse for wear.

"I almost thought this guy was a Fixer! I think it's a fair fight now, don't you?" she asked. "Almost!"

With a grunt, Huon strained underneath her boot, fist vainly slamming into the mantis girl's leg. With the new angle, Alys had even less room to maneuver and stab. For fuck's sake.

The Syndicate girl lunged again. Alys thrust forward. Another narrow miss. The Syndie chuckled as she dodged around the strike and steered toward her target. Alys dropped her sword, swung her body right and grabbed at the mantis girl from the side. The two tumbled to the ground, with Alys now straddling the girl's stomach. Her knees dug into the Syndie's elbows, holding her in place.

"Son of a--!"

Alys slammed her fist into the girl's face. And again, and again. She didn't stop her onslaught, hammering the Syndie's head. Fucking idiot, Alys thought. Wasting her fucking time. All for some stupid fucking insurance company. Her blows slowed but became all the more forceful, loudly smacking against flesh. The smile plastered on the mantis girl's face faltered as each blow connected. 

An arm came free. Alys clutched the mantis girl's wrist, struggling against her strength. Her whole body pushed up at Alys, desperately trying to turn the tide. Blood trickled from her nose, and soon, her blood soaked teeth came into view as the mantis girl's smile widened again.

Huon stabbed into the girl's shoulder with his sword. The knife dropped and she yelled. Alys grabbed at the other knife, tossing it aside. She huffed and shook her head, then stood up, pressing her heel against the mantis girl's head. Huon's stained blade stuck out of her shoulder, blood dribbling out into the carpet.

"Watch her," Alys said.

"Watch? Why don't you just kill me?" the Syndie said. She weakly tried to raise her head. Alys pressed back. "Go on, you won. Unfairly, but--" She hissed. "But you still did it!"

Alys stepped off, and Huon rounded the body on the ground, grasping his sword's handle and lightly twisting it. The suitcase had fallen to the ground, so Alys went and snatched it up. There was a fresh dent in its side but the contents were still in one piece.

"It might be funny," Huon said, "to have only one arm when you enjoy using two blades."

"Oh, I get it." The mantis girl took a few pained breaths. "You're her biggest fan."

Alys retrieved her sword and comfortably sheathed it again. She moved over to the Syndie's side and looked down at her.

"And I would do anything for her," Huon said.

Alys's grip on the suitcase tightened.

"Lucky woman," the Syndie said. She coughed, spattering more blood onto her shirt. "Almost wonder why you're here when you've got it so good!"

Kinda sad how pathetic the girl looked in that moment. Huon looked up at Alys, but she didn't shift her gaze.

"Anything you would like me to do, ma'am?" he asked.

Everything was quiet. Alys felt her heart hammering. She looked at the doorway and stepped over the Syndie.

"Do whatever you want," she said, moving into the hall.
_

Cold water stung at Alys's bruised and battered hands. Augments were supposed to take the brunt of most of those blows, but she supposed even implants aged eventually. She looked up from the sink, focusing on the mirror in front of her. A tired woman stared back, and dried blood clung to her shirt. A little too late to clean that now. She brushed some hair aside, then turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Alys looked around at the Office. It was sparse, a more industrial space filled with desks and lit by buzzing fluorescent lights. A few of her distant Fixer colleagues sat at desks, idly chatting and wasting time. She balled her hands into fists and swallowed, walking over to another door. Jae stood next to it, hands behind her back, looking a little too happy.

"You didn't bring your protégé?" Jae asked.

"And risk seeming unprofessional?" Alys replied. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"I think the blood ruins that illusion."

"You tend to get bloody in this line of work. Not that you would know."

Jae's smile flattened. "I heard you did well. A nice change of pace from your previous work. Perhaps that Huon is doing you some good."

"Don't you have papers to shuffle? Better keep your muscles strong when you have to go up against the stapler."

Alys turned the handle and stepped inside the room, just as Jae scoffed. Out of the fire and into another fire. Eun sat at her grand desk, already staring down Alys as she entered the room.

"Welcome, Alys," she said.

Were it not for her squared off glasses and longer hair, she would have been almost an exact copy of Jae. Only problem was, Alys would actually lose her job if she punched Eun. She also wore a gray suit rather than black, making her look more businesslike rather than violent.

Eun presented the singular chair in front of her desk.

"Have a seat, please, Alys," Eun said, smiling.

"It's been a long day, I'd rather just stand right now," Alys replied.

Eun's smile widened, hand still presenting the chair. Her eyes dug into Alys. Eventually Alys relented, taking her seat in front of Eun. The room was eerily quiet, as it always was. Eun's gloved hands produced a few documents and she read over them.

" 'BODY' is quite pleased with your results," Eun said. "An excellent change of pace." She flipped through some of the papers. "Indeed, between your report and guardianship of Sang Ryeo, they wish to extend their gratitude." She snapped back up to Alys. "They offer a discount on any coverage extension on your insurance plan."

"I'm good, thanks," Alys replied, crossing her legs.

"Of course. Of course." Eun nodded.

"How much will the hotel cleaning take out of my pay?"

"None."

Alys's brow furrowed. "None?"

"Good work brings good results." Eun let those words hang for a moment. "The company offered to pay for all reparations after your disposal of a competing agent." Her head tilted as she shifted aside a page. "Perhaps I wasn't exactly truthful. That was taken out of your bonus payment."

Alys perked up. "And how much was that?"

"A modest amount turned meager. An improvement over none."

Eun opened her desk and retrieved an envelope, sliding it over. The most exciting moment of any job. Alys reached over and retrieved her pay, feeling the packed bills inside. Another heap onto the pathetic pile that was bound to be eaten up by taxes anyways.

"If that's it, then I'll be off. Thanks," Alys said. She began to stand.

"Alys."

Alys sighed and sat back down. "Yes?"

"May I ask about the Huon character?"

Character was certainly a description for him. Alys's face hardened.

Eun folded her hands together. "I hear he's been a great asset to your work."

"Sure. I guess."

"You don't seem all too pleased with him."

"I'm not."

"Then I might wonder why you allow him to be by your side. Especially when he isn't a properly licensed Fixer." Her eyes slightly narrowed. "Were you a Grade higher, I might protest, but I cannot say this Office's reputation is held in high enough regard to warrant the removal of an extraneous, amateur element such as him, especially when he promotes positive results."

Alys stared back.

"Perhaps you might guide him along that path to a license?" she asked. "If he shows such unwavering promise."

"Can I go now?" Alys asked.

"I suppose. Hold that leash closely."

"I'd like to ask that you do the same with your sister," Alys replied, standing up. "Call me when you get more work. Please."

"With this success, I believe you've earned it." Eun nodded. "And do clean your clothing. I doubt you would like Syndicate blood to stain."

Alys turned and left, tucking the envelope into her jacket. Jae had left her little roosting spot, now sat at her desk. She gave Alys a smile and returned to her paper shuffling as requested. The other Fixers gave her wayward glances. Alys turned her focus forward and walked out of the building, nerves easing as soon as she left its walls.

"I hope you were paid properly for your time," Huon said.

At the entrance stood Huon. He looked as though he were standing guard, watching for any dangerous elements. Almost an official Fixer, was he? His clothing also bore similar blood spatters. Didn't seem to bother him one bit. If anything, he probably wore them proudly. He would be good as a Fixer, sure. Too good.

"You should have stuck to your job, Huon," she said.

"Ma'am?"

Alys walked on by him, and he automatically followed.

"You enjoying chopping people up?" she asked.

The air was cool. It felt freeing. Nice fleeting sensation in her slice of hell. Paired with the calm streets for the afternoon, it was oddly serene.

"It's my job. I try to perform it to the best of my ability."

"It's not your job. This isn't your work. You're just kinda fucked in the head and ran into it."

"I suppose that's true."

"Not even gonna deny it?" she said.

"No point. I accept it." Huon paused. "I did choose it, and I'm happy for it."

"Yeah? Even when it kills you? Will you be giddy then?"

"I'd be dying on my own terms, unlike my previous work. As I said, just waiting to die. And I get to repay you while doing so."

Repayment wasn't the right word. It was obsession, plain and simple. An obsession Alys couldn't bring herself to deny. And despite being faced with death at every turn, he seemed to be the happiest person she knew. He found his place in the world by being at her side, indulging in the blood he drew without so much as a frown. Once he had a taste of it, it didn't bother him one bit. Or maybe the fact that it was all for her was what hardened his nerves. Maybe she did need to tighten his leash.

"Did you mean it?" she asked.

"Pardon?"

"That you'd do anything for me?"

"Yes, I meant it. That's what I live for now."

Alys almost wished he'd die for it, too. Almost.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, eventually reaching home without much complaint. Despite it being the same day, it felt as though she hadn't been home in quite some time. Huon locked the door and began walking toward his room.

"Hold up," she said.

Huon immediately stopped and turned to face her. Alys pulled out the envelope and opened it. Inside, the cash she was promised, and of course, a neatly outlined expenses sheet. The bonus had indeed been cut down to a pittance. That was fine. She shuffled the ahns, taking out the bonus and presenting them to Huon. He tilted his head.

"You do work, you get paid, right?" she said. "There's your pay."

"I do that work for you."

"And I'm paying you for it. Take the cash."

Huon nodded and took his ahns. His eyes ran over the bills, then he stuffed them in his pocket. The smallest gesture, but it was enough to feel as though she were above him again. She helped him, not the other way around. She was his employee, the little helping hand that she tolerated. And she could take away his cashflow whenever she wanted.

Alys then sidestepped him and headed off to scrub the day from her skin, flexing her battered hands as she walked.
_

As Eun had suggested, more work came in for Alys and her reprehensible partner. None so violent as before. Mostly collecting payments through threats, tailing individuals, and playing guard dog for paranoid VIPs. No matter what Huon was put through, he was always by Alys's side, eager to impress.

And with each job, she sent a small amount of cash his way, just to reinforce who was in charge. He did, of course, have to buy all of his own meals now after his little attempt at taking charge.

With each job, Alys silently hoped Eun would be the one to force her hand to get rid of Huon. But it never came. Rather, she seemed to encourage the cretin. Not that Eun ever came into contact with Huon. Instead, it was always brought up at the end of every meeting. How's Huon's progress? What has he done in your latest escapade? He's helping a lot, isn't he?

Alys sat at the little takeout store they used to frequent so much, idly sipping away at a drink.

All of this was just because Eun saw Alys as weak, no doubt. That's what she figured. Came tumbling down after a fuck up and now she had to take on some fanboy as a crutch. And the worst fucking part was, it worked. He was always there to leap on any opportunity to go above and beyond, no matter how much it hurt.

She took a sip.

And... she had to wonder how much Huon being there pushed her on to fight harder. Sure, he was a creep, and he deserved to have his head split open. But, out of all the miserable things in her life, Huon was the only one to bother sticking by her side. Alys tightened her grip on her glass. The only one to afford her any sort of appreciation.

It was easy to wall yourself off when you're a Fixer. Alys ran her eye across the other patrons. Normal people see you as some sort of untouchable super hero or a violent killer, and the other Fixers want nothing to do with you. You open up to a Fixer, you get fucked over. Maybe that's why it was so easy to keep Huon around. The one way street of affection. Didn't matter what happened to him, as long as he kept feeding her the desire she desperately craved.

Alys leaned her head back and finished off her drink. Hardly enough of a buzz to make her problems seem insignificant. She made her way out of the store and began the awkward trek home. There was a hope in the back of her mind that Eun would ring her up any moment and drag her into a new job. One where she could just bypass Huon entirely.

Unfortunately, Alys made it back home safely and unbothered. Huon was on the far side of the living room, and perked up the moment Alys stepped through the entryway.

"Welcome back, ma'am," he said.

Alys gave him a vague nod of the head, not bothering to even glance in his direction. She went on her way, only to be stopped by Huon stepping in front of her.

"What?" she asked.

"I think we should return to sparring."

Yeah, of course he did. Wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to fuck again, did he? Couldn't get enough of her. Been quite a while, but she could take her annoyances out on him. Alys pushed him back and drew her rapier.

"Alright, let's go," she said.

Huon's eyes widened, but he drew his sword all the same. Probably shouldn't kill him. No way he could dodge a proper stab.

"Go on, take your hit. You're getting better, right? Show me."

Taking his best stance, Huon readied himself and stabbed at Alys. She instantly deflected his blow and thrust her sword next to his neck, pressing the side of it against his neck.

"Playing knight with scum is going to make you sloppy," she said. "You're gonna die at this rate."

He tried another strike, only for Alys to easily dodge it. She gave him a kick to the chest, pushing him further back into the hallway. Not a moment of his determination wavered, however. He was ready to impress her, no matter what. No matter the consequences. Alys was the prize he always strove for. With every failed hit, he tried harder and harder.

"Gotta be ready to do anything, Huon. This isn't going to cut it," she said. "How are you ever gonna win me over like this, huh? That's what you want, isn't it?"

Huon's face hardened. He stabbed toward her abdomen again. Alys dodged it and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and sending him off balance onto the ground. She grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into his room.

"Close quarters is where I do worst, but you still can't do anything here, can you?" she said.

Huon stumbled to his feet and readied himself again. Alys stared down at him, ready to stab. Maybe right past his sternum, lightly grazing the skin. Just a little scratch to remind him who was on top.

"Make your move, little knight. Or do you not want to hit your obsession?" she said.

Another flurry of fervent hits came her way, all easily cast to the side despite the close range between them. Strangely, however, Huon didn't contort his face into anger or desperation. He kept his odd cool. Huon stepped forward for a forceful lunge. Alys turned her head toward it, barely catching it with her sword as it stopped at her shoulder.

A sudden sweep came at her legs, just out of her view. Right on the side where her bad eye was. It was enough to cause her to stumble, and then a hard crash sent her toppling to the floor with Huon on top. His hand pressed against the hilt of her blade. Not a chance that would keep her down, but she didn't budge.

Alys sneered at him. "Congrats, you figured out what eye I'm blind in," she said. "Took you how long?"

Huon had already taken it upon himself to straddle her and place his blade at her throat. What'd he have in mind now? His face remained static. Neutral. Save for his gaze. Something in his eyes was fiery.

"Do you like me, Ms. Alys?" he asked.

"A sword at my throat isn't going to change my mind," she said.

"You didn't say no."

"You're a funny little squirt who should've had his head checked a long time ago."

"That is still not a no."

Alys narrowed her eyes. "Would it make you happy if I said 'yes?' Turn some little gears in your head?" Oh, it very much would, wouldn't it? He hung on her every word.

"I don't think you realize how much you matter to me."

"I get it." Alys pushed back against the hand hold her blade, showing him how out of his league he was, but let it drop. "I saved you, and that gave you some fucking new outlook on life, and now you wanna fuck me. I get it." Her eyes traced down to his hips before snapping right back up.

"Not just a new outlook, no. You made me realize I could change so much more about existence, if I just had a goal to pursue." His blade pressed further against her.

"Looks like you got it." Alys's expression softened. "What're you gonna do about it?"

She knew she was asking a bad question, but… Now that they were like this, it was inevitable, wasn't it? Alys had her one fan to tend to all of her sad needs. The one who would stick by her no matter what happened.

Huon swallowed. He was already hard. She could feel his erection press against her gut. That's all it took, didn't it? Probably only needed to be around him to set off his boner. Alys was just that appreciated. That was the kind of dripping love you couldn't get anywhere else. Only obsession.

Doubt briefly painted his face, then he tentatively pulled back his hand from her sword. His own blade remained at her neck. That was proper Fixer gear, so it could more than put a dent in her. She didn't mind, though. At this point, she knew he wouldn't budge. That was there for his own peace of mind, giving him the false impression that he had some sort of hope of being the one holding the reins.

"Better hurry up," Alys said. "I could throw you off at any second."

Huon fiddled with his pants, eventually being able to pull out his erection. Alys gave him a knowing smirk. He shifted onto her legs, still awkwardly holding his sword against her while his hand went to work with her own garments. He had figured out how to undress her pretty quickly. Must've been doing it over, and over, and over again in his head.

Soon enough, Alys's pants came down, along with her panties. She was almost back to that release she needed. Huon pushed her clothes down far enough to get them around her ankles, adding another delectable twist to it. He shifted between her legs, erection pressing against her folds.

Alys hadn't realized just how much she missed that. Fuck, she was pathetic, but if it was just between them, who the hell cared? She propped herself onto her elbows to watch, indulging in her perversion. He allowed her, sword following her throat.

Huon then reached into his jacket and produced a familiar metal block. A little H. He pressed the side of it and it glowed hotly. Alys's eye widened.

With one quick motion, Huon slammed his cock into her as he brought down that burning block onto her abdomen.

One stroke of pleasure and pain shot through her.

"Fuck!" Alys yelled, throwing her head back.

She gasped and glanced back down, finding that H branded into her skin. Huon. He tossed aside the block and rubbed his thumb against the seared flesh. It wasn't rubbing off, either. A smile tugged at his lips and he began thrusting into her.

"I love you, Alys!" he said.

Alys ground her teeth together and shuddered as his fast hips went to work. She eased back, letting him do his job. That's all he was. That's why she kept him around. For a quick fuck. For that human touch she couldn't get anywhere else. Fixers were bad business, but when you were already screwed in the head, that hardly mattered, did it?

She just needed to forget about her miserable life for a little longer.

Both of their weapons fell to the wayside. Hardly needed when you were both so desperate to screw. Alys eased herself back down to the floor, letting Huon fuck away at her to his heart's content.