AEGIS kept me to my word. Two more long days of solitary confinement.

Okay, it wasn’t as bad as that, but after sitting in there for literal weeks, it felt like it. I knew I was getting better when instead of being tired and sore all the time, I was instead bored.

I spent a lot of the time talking with AEGIS but she…wasn’t emotionally stable yet. She still blamed herself for everything she’d done…and while, yeah, everything was entirely her fault and she should seriously have not done that, I wished she’d move past it and stop blaming in general. I missed talking with her when she was fun and carefree and nice, but instead she was mopey and morose, seemingly determined to ruin every conversation by injecting as much misery into it as possible.

I mean, I was just recovering from misery, please stop bringing it up.

I felt like she’d be better once I wasn’t a patient anymore, and just endured until the appointed day for my…could I call it a date? With Karu. I had to stop by and say hello to Wynn, Tate, and Saga as well, and let them know what was up. I’m sure at least two of them missed me.

Finally the day was here. AEGIS grumbled about well-being and recovery and asked if I was very sure if I was up to this, but didn’t try to stop me. I didn’t take the Exosuit, and aside from being a bit slow and achy, was feeling mostly fine.

In truth, I was still terribly weak. I was thin but able beforehand, but had lost a lot of weight in convalescence. AEGIS had been trying to fatten me up by making soups and stews out of nutrient paste and anything she could find on the surface, but she was an even worse hunter than I. So I’d recovered some, but was still a shadow of myself.

Still, my spirits were brighter than ever as the elevator came to a stop and let me out. Karu was already there, she must have gotten up and flown in the predawn darkness to beat me up, but I was happy to see her.

“Shall we get away from all these creepy robots? We should get you moved back into your old residence.” She offered me her arm to lean against but I stubbornly refused.

“Let’s take a walk,” I said. “We can talk as we go.” Also I wanted to at least pretend to be out of earshot of AEGIS.

It was cold out, so I walked a little faster than perhaps I should have, shivering even though I was back in my regular clothes again. Karu frowned and reached into a small pouch on her back, cracking open a tube and throwing its contents at me. It was metallic but fabric, shiny like aluminum foil but totally pliable.

“It is an emergency blanket,” she explained. “It would not do for you to take cold now.”

“Thanks,” I said, wrapping myself in it and feeling a bit like a shiny metal robot. “Do you always carry so much random crap with you?”

“I carry nothing when I fly but what is on my person, so I must be self-sufficient in all conditions,” she said, strolling slowly next to me with her visor under her arm. “Were I to be stranded somewhere cold, injured, or hungry, if I do not have a solution on hand, I am as good as dead.”

I’d never really thought of how alone Karu must be most of the time. Back home, I’m sure she had friends, family, or at least the other hunters…but obviously she spent most of her time on the job, researching, hunting, tracking…if it was easy to find a person, they wouldn’t call for a hunter, and if it was hard to find a person, they were probably out in some place difficult to find.

I had to wonder where I fit into all this. I assumed that Karu was a bit of an oddity, for all her faith and valor and erudite speech, I couldn’t exactly see her fitting in. Maybe she had only fallen in with me because she didn’t have others?

“Your face is troubled. What is on your mind? Would you prefer to head back?”

“No, sorry. I was…I had a question.”

“You may ask.”

“Do you have a lot of friends and family? I feel like I know nothing about you outside of…work, I guess.”

She put on a pensive expression that immediately confirmed my suspicions. “Well, there is Teuthida, she is something like the dispatcher and office administrator at the Association.” She must have seen a weird expression on my face and had to explain. “That is not her real name, of course, everyone in the association uses pseudonyms to preserve a modicum of privacy in their daily lives, should they desire it.”

“Uh, of course.”

“…Teuthida is the taxonomic order of squid.”

“I thought they were cephopods or something?”

“Cephalopods are the class, which also encompasses octopi and cuttlefish, among others.”

“Sure. Do you have a pseudonym?”

“I do…did you think Karu was my real name this entire time?”

“I live with a girl named AEGIS and…yeah.”

She laughed. “I suppose there is no harm in telling you my real name, though I would not want you to share it with AEGIS or any others. I do not see it as likely that you will drop by unannounced.” She leaned in close, and her whisper warmed me more than the gentle kiss of her breath should have.

“Karen Irenside.”

I blinked at her. “Ironside? Is that…also a pseudonym?” She laughed and gave me a slow punitive poke.

“I-REN-side. It is an old English name. And I would thank you not to mock this particular aspect of me, as it is also one I have no control over having.”

“You could change your name.”

“And why would I do such a thing?”

“To avoid mockery from me, obviously.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Or if you ever got married?”

“Hmm. I have never considered if I would take my husband’s name were I to wed.” She touched her lips as she thought. “Karen…Ashton?”

I blushed deeply and instantly.

“It is not such a terrible name. Though I think my father would disown me should I ever change my family name. He is terribly attached to ours.”

“Strict guy?”

“Of a sorts. He is–and I am in training to be, technically–a very powerful political figure. Senator Irenside, you have never heard of him?”

“Must not be from my state,” I laughed.

“Perhaps not. But my family has long-running political aspirations and they expect me to do the same.” Her smile switched to a frown and a little pout formed on her lips. “But how am I supposed to sit back and pass laws effecting change on the world when I could be out being that change? Politics frustrates me endlessly.”

“I didn’t know politicians actually ever did much of anything. Seems like they spend all day arguing and then give themselves a raise for doing it.”

“I was not aware that you believed such,” she said, her eyebrows raised. “Why do you have such a negative impression? Was there a specific politician who had let you down?”

“Uhh, no. That’s just a pretty common opinion of them, I think.”

“What? No. Politicians are the political elite of the country, and are well-regarded for their insight and leadership. Without wise political leaders, this country would be unable to function.”

“I, uh, don’t know where you got your information, but nobody has thought that about America for like, three-hundred years. Or any democracy, really. Not to, um, hate on your dad or anything.”

“No…that is…fine. I am just perhaps realizing that I had a different upbringing than most.”

“Sort of…sounds that way.”

She kicked up a cloud of snow in a very childlike way and pouted. “This happens on occasion and I am always ever blindsided by the next time. I would think that by now I had run out of ways to still be a naive child, and yet I continue to provide.”

“I-I’m sorry, Karu. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I was a little taken aback by the normally reserved girl essentially throwing a tiny tantrum.

“No, you were not offensive. I apologize for my outburst…you just…struck a nerve, as it were. I was raised carefully and diligently by my father, but that also meant he had control over my exposure to the world. I find sometimes that his views and the views of the world disagree, and then find myself a fool for having blindly believed him.”

She looked up at the sky with a sad smile. “The first time, I came home crying to him, insisting that the boy I had argued with was wrong. Father consoled me and congratulated me for remaining firm in my convictions, but I soon learned they were his convictions and not my own. It was my first betrayal, of sorts.”

She looked at me and gave a small laugh. “Why are we discussing this? I had thought many of the other topics we brushed upon far more conversationally engaging.”

“I was a big fan of the one where you took my last name.”

“Do I take that to mean you wish to wed me, sir? Imagine the scandal when I bring home to my political father an Exhuman to be my groom.”

“I don’t think you’d be my last choice in brides, I guess. But I guess you’re only up there because I can’t marry an AI…”

Her face turned to angry shock. “You would wed the AI before me? You are in! con! ceivable!”

She stooped and picked up handfuls of snow to pelt me with to punctuate her sentence as I laughed and ran for cover.

“I was only kidding! Mercy! Mercy!” I yelled, laughing.

“Fool! Members of the Hunter’s Association HAVE NO MERCY!” she bellowed, hurling snowballs at me at an even more rapid pace.

“No fair! You’re wearing armor!”

“Half the battle is won in preparation!”

We finally arrived at The Bunker cold and wet on the outside, but also hot and exhausted. Or at least, I was exhausted, Karu could probably keep slinging snow all day.

“Oh, it is still here, how embarrassing,” said Karu, hustling inside and removing a note.

“Hey, you don’t get to take that. That’s mine,” I said, fully aware there was absolutely zero way I was getting the note if she didn’t want me to have it. She just sighed and handed it over.

I read the note, reread parts of it, and then stifled a snort.

“XO Karu?”

“I would kindly bid that you shut up.”

“Do you sign all of your letters like this?”

“You were the one earlier telling me I had professed my love for you. I thought it may make you feel happier in the event you came back well before me and had to wait a period before we saw each other again.”

“Well, yeah, it does.”

“Then kindly shut up. Sheesh.”

I let her off the hook and read Wynn and Tate’s little cards. Wynn’s was mostly a list of ice-fishing tips which I appreciated, and Tate’s was just adorable. The spices, dried meat, and nutrient paste would all be extremely handy in getting myself back on my feet and at a healthy weight again, and I thanked Karu profusely, hoping to do the same to the others soon.

“Think nothing of it. I am merely glad that you are well.” We sat down and she stretched luxuriously. “Well, if you are ready, I am prepared to take my second combat from you.”

“Y-you’re kidding,” I said, my heart dropping.

She looked at me very seriously for a few moments before breaking into a full-bodied laugh. “I am, you have caught me. I do not think I would learn much from combat with you in your current state except that it is simple to destroy a crippled man.”

“You are a terrible person.”

“I resent that.”

“Then stop saying and doing terrible things!”

We rested and ate and I slept some in a new hammock we hung up while Karu patiently amused herself with cleaning and inventorying all of her equipment. After probably an hour I was up and ready to go again.

“Um, I wanted to stop in on some of my other friends, but you’re not going to like one of them.”

“What makes you so certain of that? The cards seemed quite pleasant.”

“The cards were from the ones I think you’ll like. The last one…well…she’s an Exhuman.” Karu tensed. “Her name is Saga, she’s a prisoner at what used to be this facility. She is kind of a…well…kind of a terrible person sometimes. She’s had a lot of problems with humans in the past. She’s a powerful psychic and I’m working on…I guess you’d call it rehabilitating her.”

“Would it not be much simpler to simply put her down? I cannot abide the existence of a villain such as you describe.”

“Uh, actually in this case, no. She is actually also immortal and apparently very difficult to kill. That’s why she’s still down there hundreds of years after the rest of this place is ruins, and…related to the problems she’d had with humans.”

“Hmm. I do not like this. Perhaps it would be better for me to abstain from going. I would caution you in dealing with Code-X Exhumans, as they can dangerously alter your very being, given enough time and exposure, though I suspect you will not heed my words.”

“It’ll be fine. She’s not so bad once you get over the fact that she wants to solve most of her problems with murder. She’s actually a lot like you in that way.”

“The unflattering comments continue to flow from you today,” Karu sighed.

“It’s because I’m injured, I know I can get away with crap on sympathy.”

She shot me a look that made it obvious she was reconsidering how much she stood to profit by killing me today. I shot her a cheeky grin back.

“I think you could stand to have a few more injuries.”

“Yeah maybe. Anyway, I’m heading over. Sure you won’t come?”

“I…suppose I am curious to see this other Exhuman. If nothing else, being exposed to her will prepare me better for when we do have hostile conflict.”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit. I guess.”

We headed out east, feeling the afternoon sun warm us up after being inside for so long. It was a lot nicer now than it was in the morning, possibly even warm enough to melt off some of the snow, though I knew it would be back again soon, and heavier.

We approached the invisible line marking the range of Saga’s abilities and I had Karu stop.

“Right around here, once you enter, she’ll be able to talk inside your head, glimpse any surface thoughts you’re having, and probe your mind for any other information she may want. So, don’t go any further if you’re not ready for that.”

“I have no secrets. I am prepared.” We exchanged nods and walked forward the last few feet.

[ATHAN!] Karu and I both doubled over from the volume of the psionic yell in our minds. [(Shit, sorry.) I mean, Athan! Good heavens, I thought you were dead. And here we have…Karu, is it? Oh that’s cute, she thinks she doesn’t have any secrets.]

“Am I supposed to merely think my replies at her?”

“That would work, but I just say them out loud. Doesn’t really matter, she’ll get the message either way.”

[Anyway, I’m so happy you’re not dead. This just makes everything so much better. Did you know I was going to scrap and rewrite all my plans because you died? What a pain that would be.]

“Nice to see you too, Saga. Are Wynn and Tate around?”

[Doing as they always do, trivial human things.]

“Thanks.” Karu and I started walking. “How are you doing, Saga?”

[Same as always. Happy you didn’t die, in case you didn’t pick that up. Other than that, not much exciting happened around here. There was a guy who came by, only very briefly, like he knew I was peeking in on him.]

“A guy?” My mind raced. “If it wasn’t Wynn…I don’t know who it could be.”

[I’m actually a little troubled myself. I was trying to spy on him passively so he wouldn’t know I was doing it but he picked up on it all the same somehow and left immediately. If I knew he was just going to leave, I’d have just probed him the second he got in range.]

“Well that sounds completely unpleasant,” Karu muttered.

[He was something, though. High-tech gear, outfitted for stealth and long solo missions, and he had some anti-psionic training.]

“Anti-psionic training?”

[Ask your girlfriend there. She’s had some too.]

I turned to look at Karu, who seemed to be focusing on walking more than usual. I had to actively try to catch her eye, and she waved me off. “I’ll explain later,” she said.

“Also, she’s not my girlfriend,” I said.

[Sure. She’s just your knight in shining armor and you’re her damsel in distress.]

“So this guy, just came in and left and that’s all you’ve got?”

[Pretty much. Pretty sure he was looking for you though, thought he might have had something to do with your death, so I was keeping an eye out. Nothing, though. Guy was a real pro. Watch out for him, Athan.]

We reached the compound and Karu was starting to visibly sweat.

“You’re not…doing anything to her, are you, Saga? She’s a friend, and she came here in good faith.”

[She came here to investigate me so she can kill me. But no, I’m not. She’s just taking her anti-psychic measures a little extreme. If you could tell her to tone it down, her yelling at me is actually getting pretty annoying.]

“Karu doesn’t exactly do ‘toned-down’. Hey, Tate!”

The small boy launched himself at me with his arms raised and his father sauntered slowly behind. I caught the kid and picked him up, giving him a spin before setting him back down again.

“Glad to see you in good health, boy. Thanks for making the time to come out and see us.”

“Yeah, I’ve been in recovery…here…” I moved aside the emergency blanket and pulled up the back of my shirt to show off my new gnarly scar.

[(Holy shit.)]

Tate gasped, and Wynn looked on with concern, stroking his beard.

[That scar is like a foot long.]

“Yeah, and the blade went almost all the way through me. Kind of sucked.”

“Well, we’re just glad that you are okay m’boy. Did you find our well-wishes?”

“I did, and wanted to thank you. You guys really are the best.”

“It was nothing, just a little neighborly hospitality. If you don’t mind my asking…what did you that injury?”

“It was…was AEGIS, actually.”

[Fucking called it.]

“Yeah well, she apparently was horribly betrayed by a really sick and fucked-up Exhuman a hundred years ago and therefore kind of has trust issues with them.”

[She’s a machine programmed to repress Exhumans. You think I’d have any remorse about what I did?]

“I sure hope so, because after attacking me and almost killing me, she realized she fucked up real bad and is the one who nursed me back to life. So contrary to your know-it-all-ness, she can tolerate an Exhuman and she is capable of putting aside her own programming and prejudices.” I cleared my throat importantly. “Which is more than I can say for some Exhumans I could name.”

[(Oh, you’re one to talk about prejudice, Mr. Sino-hater…)]

“Anyway. I came here to say hi and let you all know I’m not dead and appreciate the well-wishes. We should…probably leave before Karu has a stroke.”

“I can do this all day, heinous fiend!”

[I am literally not even doing anything right now.]

“But if you do, you shall find me ready!”

“Yeah, so maybe let’s go. Wynn, Tate, Saga, good seeing you all. I’ll be around.”

They said their goodbyes and Tate gave me a brief hug before we departed. As we crossed out of Saga’s range, Karu seemed to let out a breath she’d been holding the whole time.

“So what was that all about?” I asked.

“Psychics rely on the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the psyche, gradually changing thoughts and brain patterns undetected. By constantly focusing my thoughts on my own choice of recollections, and insistently confirming those thoughts are unmolested, I can resist any mental tampering, or at the very least, detect when it occurs and slow it down greatly.”

“And…this whole time you’re thinking very strongly of something, did you know you would be essentially shouting that thought at Saga the whole time?”

“I did.”

“So what thought did you choose to shout at her?”

“It was an old jingle from a company which used to sell processed meat products. It was the first incorruptible thing which came to mind.”

“You’re a terrible weird person.”

“You seem to feel the need to keep informing me of that. Perhaps that should be a phrase you focus on to prevent psychic intrusion, since you seem to think it all the time anyway.”

“I’ll consider it.”

It wasn’t really getting late but I was tired again anyway. I wanted to keep going but Karu noticed I was falling behind while we walked and drew the line.

“Well, at least you’re seeing eye-to-eye with AEGIS on this,” I lamented, as she escorted me through the gate at the western base.

“I see eye-to-eye with her only when she happens to be correct, which in my experience, is rare.”

“You two could stand to be a little less adversarial. I wouldn’t mind having my friends at least capable of coexisting.”

“I am willing to coexist with your pet computer so long as she holds her tongue, which is an impossibility for her.”

“So…you’re not willing to coexist, you’re saying.”

“Do not twist my words, you understand my meaning.”

I sighed. “I’ll have words with her too. But you, as the responsible adult should set a good example. She’s only like, my age, so a stupid teenage high schooler.”

“Is she not technically over a hundred years old?”

“Technically, she’s a 12-year-old copy of a hundred-year-old AI which is programmed to act and think like an 18-year-old girl. So, no, nothing is that simple.”

“I suspect so long as she…or I…or Saga, for that matter, are around, things will remain unsimple.”

“Or me. I’ve got a pretty messed up life too.”

Karu laughed. “Perhaps it is our shared oddities which have drawn us together.”

“My hypothesis is that we’re all just too stubborn to die, so we wind up somewhere weird together.”

“Well you had best continue that stubbornness.” She hit the elevator button for me and I stepped inside. “Get better, I have some affairs I need to catch up on, having spent entirely too long attempting to hunt you down, but I will return when I am able. Hopefully we can resume our combats at that time.”

“Hooray.”

She gave me another small wave and then the last thing I saw as the doors closed was a trail of blue plasma.