The door opened. Blue squinted against the brilliant daylight. Tiny’s grip on their arm tightened painfully, and he yanked them along with him onto the rooftop.

“That’s enough, Tiny. You can let go. Blue’s not going anywhere. Isn’t that right, Blue?” said Spats.

Blue shook off Tiny’s hand. Their eyes were adjusting slowly to the light. They looked up. Spats was standing with his hands in his jacket pockets, looking down on them with a friendly expression. Looking around, Blue could see that they were standing on the rooftop of a tall building near the edge of Central City. Cars flew in orderly lines in the distance.

Blue looked longingly toward the heart of the city, where they and Green had spent so much time together. How long had it been? How much longer would this nightmare go on?

Then something caught Blue’s eye. A shining silver airship floated above the skyline. It was shaped like a gigantic needle.

“Boss, look...” Tiny gasped.

Spats’ eyes instantly narrowed as he saw the shock on the hulking man’s face. He lowered into a half-crouch, hand flying to the revolver concealed at his chest as he spun around, ready for anything. Blue’s heart thundered in their chest.

“What the hell?” Spats growled. He slowly released his grip on the revolver’s handle and rose to a stand once more. He glanced back at Tiny. “Damn it, Tiny, be more specific. I was ready to shoot.”

“You see it, right, boss?” Tiny marveled. “What is it? I never seen nothing like it before.”

Spats looked back at the airship. He studied it with an unreadable expression. “Yeah. I see it.” He turned back to Blue. “Looks like we’re under more of a time crunch than I expected. You ready, Blue?”

Blue nodded. Spats smiled. “Good,” he said. “It’s the moment of truth, so don’t mess this up.”

Blue glared at the mob boss. “I won’t.”

Spats stepped toward Blue, his white spats brilliantly bright in the light of day. He reached a hand toward Blue. They flinched, but Spats just tousled their hair with a chuckle. He leaned in closer and whispered in Blue’s ear.

“You sound confident. Good. I bet that’ll make Green feel a lot better.”

He stood up straight and nodded to Tiny. “Let’s get started.”

Tiny led Blue across the rooftop to a large object covered in black tarps. He pulled the tarps back, revealing a rusty, android-piloted car. The android’s eyes flickered to life as they were exposed to the daylight, and the rear right door opened automatically. At Tiny’s prodding, Blue stepped into the car and sat down.

“Good luck,” Tiny grunted, and slammed the door closed.

The car rumbled to life. The android looked over its shoulder, putting one hand against the back of the passenger seat. When it spoke, its voice was slightly garbled, but still understandable. “Greetings, passenger. According to today’s itinerary, you are scheduled for a meeting across town in [THIRTY MINUTES]. You’re in luck! Traffic looks light today. Simply say the word when you are ready to depart.”

Blue looked from the android to the window, where they could see Tiny walking back toward Spats, who was watching the car closely. Blue’s blood went cold as Spats winked at them. They turned back toward the android, breathing hard.

“Let’s go,” they said.

“Very good,” the android replied.

The car’s rumbling grew louder as the engine struggled to lift off. Dust and empty beer cans were blown across the rooftop. For a moment, Blue wondered if the car would simply crash to the ground en route. It would certainly be a clean way for Spats to kill them if he really wanted to. But then the car stopped shaking so much, the rumbling quieted, and the rooftop shrank into the distance as the car went airborne.

“Please relax and enjoy the ride,” the android said. Its tone was polite and friendly, but the garbled sound of its voice gave the words a slightly menacing quality. “Perhaps you would enjoy some tunes as we fly?”

Without waiting for an answer, the android pressed a couple of buttons on the dashboard and a CD began to play. Blue groaned despite themself. It was smooth jazz. What was this? Some kind of cruel joke? Just another way for Spats to mess with them? Blue put their head in their hands. The android didn’t seem to notice.

***

Blue opened the suitcase on the seat next to them as the car flew over the city. It contained multiple papers: the designs that Spats had approved, several legal documents, and a forged identity card for Blue that identified them as Lyra George. Blue shook their head at the fake ID. They gathered all the papers together to return them to the suitcase, but then something caught their eye.

There was one last paper remaining in the suitcase. It lay facedown, with a small note scribbled on it in neat looping handwriting.

Good luck. Don’t forget why you’re doing this. We’re ALL counting on you.

Your pal,

Spats

Blue’s hand trembled as they picked up the paper and turned it over.

It was a photo of Green.

Blue took deep, steadying breaths as they looked at the photo. Green was smiling, but their smile was clearly forced. Blue knew that smile well. It was the smile Green wore when they put on a brave face. The smile Green had worn that day when the two of them had first gotten into this mess.

“No…” Blue moaned.

The photographer had tried to capture Green at an angle which would disguise the injuries they had sustained, but the evidence of Babydoll’s assault was still easily visible. One of Green’s eyes was slightly swollen. Those eyes that had once been so full of ambition and hope now looked broken. Green’s face, wider than Blue’s, was discolored from multiple bruises in various states of healing.

Worst of all, Green’s hair, once even more vibrantly green than Blue’s hair was blue, had lost much of its luster. It stood out at odd angles. When Blue looked closely, they could see the spot where Babydoll had yanked out the clump of Green’s hair that Spats had tossed to them.

Blue’s stomach lurched in horror. They tossed the photo back into the briefcase with a cry. The photo landed face-up, and Green’s weary eyes stared up at Blue like an accusation. Blue pulled their shirt up over their face, breathing hard.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” Blue repeated again and again. The guilt was overwhelming. “This is all my fault, I’m so sorry Green.”

The volume of the smooth jazz music was turned down. The android spoke, seeming not to notice Blue’s anguish. “Your attention please, passenger. We are now approaching our destination. We should touch down in the next [FOUR MINUTES]. Lucky you! You’re ahead of schedule.”

Then the smooth jazz increased in volume once again, drowning out the noise of the wind rushing past the flying car.

Blue felt tears streaming down their cheeks. “My fault… all my fault… I’m so sorry, Green…”

Memories of that day were flooding back now. The moment of truth was approaching - the moment that Spats had forced Blue to work toward for three months now. How had it all come to this? How had things gotten so hard, so bleak? The broken look in Green’s eyes flashed through Blue’s mind again. They had never seen Green look that way. Green had always been the stronger one. That had been true since the day they first met. And now…

“Get back here!”

“Haha, you can’t catch us! Loser! Weirdo!”

***

SIX YEARS AGO

Seiichi sprinted after the three other kids, grimacing with effort.

“Come on! Give them back!” Seiichi cried, blinking against a strand of their electric-blue hair that had fallen into their eye. They were breathing hard, gasping for breath, and a stitch was starting to stab into their side, but they kept running.

Can’t let them do this! Can’t let them! Seiichi thought furiously.

The other three kids looked over their shoulders, laughing cruelly. One of them, Orvo, waved a wad of papers over his head as he ran. “You want your sissy drawings back?” He taunted.

They were fast approaching a split in the path, and Seiichi cried out in dismay as Orvo went left, and the other two, Marky and Abbie, went right. Seiichi slowed slightly as they approached the split, looking back and forth. Orvo had most of Seiichi’s drawings, while Marky and Abbie had their art supplies - pencils, markers, and even some watercolor paints.

Which way?! Seiichi thought despairingly, looking back and forth. Every moment of indecision was a moment wasted. What was more important? The drawings Seiichi had spent so much time working on, or the art supplies they had acquired over such a long time? It was a bitter choice.

Suddenly, thunder cracked overhead. The day, which had been overcast already, was growing darker as a storm churned. Two small raindrops hit Seiichi’s upturned face. They looked to the right, at Marky and Abbie, and then to the left, at Orvo. Another raindrop hit Seiichi’s neck and ran down their back in a chilly stream. That settled it. Seiichi turned left and sprinted after Orvo and the drawings.

My art supplies will be fine in the rain, they’re inside tins. But if my drawings get wet, they’ll be ruined forever! Seiichi thought.

They picked up the pace. Orvo cackled as he ran. Seiichi gave chase, panting harder and harder, lungs burning from the effort. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer. Pedestrians and shopkeepers flashed by, some shouting reprimands at the running kids, others quickly packing their street stands and gathering their belongings to protect them from the coming storm.

Raindrops were falling more regularly now, and they were growing larger. They splashed against Seiichi’s arms and face as they ran. They looked on in horror as three fat drops struck the drawings clutched in Orvo’s hand, darkening the paper.

Come on! Faster! Seiichi commanded their body, putting on a greater burst of speed. They had never run so fast in their life.

“Orvo, you bastard! Give me back my drawings!” Seiichi screamed.

Orvo laughed, panting. “Come get ‘em, sissy!”

Then, suddenly, Orvo vanished.

Seiichi looked around desperately. Where could he have gone? It didn’t look like there was anywhere to hide - they’d left the street stands behind, and now there was nothing but buildings and…

...Alleys.

Seiichi snapped their head to the right, toward the nearest gap between buildings. Just in time. Just as they looked, a flash of movement disappeared around the corner down the alley. Orvo.

With a roar, Seiichi sprinted down the alley. A prick of horror struck them as they noticed small scraps of torn paper beginning to litter the ground as they ran. Time was running out. Orvo was destroying the drawings. Righteous indignation flared within Seiichi’s heart, and they put on one final, desperate burst of speed, approaching the end of the alley, the corner behind which Orvo had vanish-WHAM!

Something hard smashed into Seiichi’s chest as they rounded the corner, and they went sprawling and skidding across the ground. The ground was getting slick and wet, and cold splashes of the puddles that were beginning to form struck Seiichi’s arms, legs and face as they slid to a stop with a yelp of pain.

Seiichi groaned. Everything hurt. They had to have at least a dozen scrapes and cuts from that tumble.

What hit me?

Then a trio of laughs answered that question.

Orvo, Marky, and Abbie stood over Seiichi, laughing hysterically. Orvo held a broken board in his hands. Abbie held the drawings he’d been carrying - he must have given them to her in order to free his hands for the ambush. Seiichi coughed, struggling to stand, but Marky gave them a sharp kick in the side. With a cry of pain, Seiichi doubled over, clutching their stomach.

Orvo tossed the broken board aside. It hit the ground with a clatter. “You want your shit back, sissy?” he asked.

Seiichi coughed. The rain was falling faster. They shivered.

Abbie let out a shrill giggle. She offered the drawings back to Orvo, who took them with a leer. “What a creep!” Abbie said. She looked at the tin of pencils. Something about the expression on her face gave Seiichi a terrible feeling of foreboding.

No…

Abbie opened the tin, pouring its contents onto the wet ground. Pencils rattled against the pavement. One of them had its carefully sharpened point broken off as it struck the ground. They were all getting wet now, but at least they were still intact. Maybe they could be recovered.

And then Abbie began to stomp on the pencils, snapping them into pieces.

“NO!” Seiichi cried hoardly, wincing against the pain in their stomach.

Marky’s troll-like chuckle filled the air as he too dumped out the contents of the tins he was holding and began to stomp them into the pavement. Seiichi could only watch in horror as markers were smashed, paintbrushes were pulverized, and - worst of all - the watercolor paint was ruined by the rainwater, its colors blending into a muddy brown as they started to run in rivulets through the cracks and gaps in the pavement.

Seiichi tried to stand again, but was once again kicked, this time by Abbie. Orvo observed the goings-on with a satisfied smile. The rain was coming down in earnest now. A few more minutes and it would be torrential. The drawings were getting wet, but they still weren’t ruined. Maybe, just maybe…

Orvo crouched down in front of Seiichi. His young voice was cruel and brutish. “You learning your lesson, sissy? You gonna keep drawing sissy shit now that we taught you good?”

He held out one of the drawings, a carefully rendered dress design. Its lines were beginning to blur from the rain. Seiichi couldn’t summon the strength to resist in any way. They couldn’t even speak. This day had started so well, and now here they were, battered and bruised on the pavement of a back alley, their precious art supplies destroyed, and their hard work being ruined before their eyes. Seiichi started to cry.

Orvo grunted in disgust. “What a baby. Guess you still haven’t learned your lesson after all, sissy. You’re such a loser. Well don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”

He took the drawings in both hands. Seiichi knew what he was going to do an instant before he did it, and they cried out. “NO, PLEASE DON’T!”

RRRRIIIIIIIPPPP!

They were torn in half. Then again. Then again and again and again, until they were just uneven shreds of paper. Seiichi cried harder. Orvo shook his head in disgust and tossed the scraps into the air like confetti. They rained down, landing in puddles, plastering themselves against the wet ground, blowing away in the rainy wind.

Seiichi couldn’t stop crying. The cold rain mingled with their hot tears on their face, and their stomach hurt horribly. Orvo, Marky, and Abbie all laughed, the sound of their hateful merriment filling the alley and assaulting Seiichi’s ears. Orvo stepped forward.

“One more kick for good measure, huh, sissy? Just to be sure you never do that shit again.” He brought back one of his legs, and Seiichi winced, bracing themself for the impact...

“Hey, assholes!”

It was an entirely new voice. They all looked up, toward where the voice had come from: the alley entrance.

Seiichi gasped.

The newcomer had green hair, even more vibrant than the electric-blue of Seiichi’s own hair. They looked to be Seiichi’s own age, but they were a bit bigger and stronger looking. The newcomer wore a backpack, and was carrying a wooden bat. They were smiling, but their eyes looked wild, dangerous.

Who is that? Seiichi wondered.

Thunder rumbled overhead once again. Orvo, Marky, and Abbie walked toward the newcomer.

“You talking to us, kid?” Orvo demanded, a clear threat in his voice.

“Yeah, asshole, I am,” said the green-haired kid. “Nobody beats up my friend and gets away with it.”

Orvo glanced back at Seiichi. He smiled. “You friends with that sissy bitch? That must mean you’re a sissy bitch too.”

The green-haired kid shrugged. “Takes one to know one.”

Seiichi winced. Was this kid crazy? There was no faster way to get on Orvo’s bad side than by insulting his masculinity. Seiichi had seen Orvo kick kids’ asses for much less explicit comebacks.

Orvo’s eyes flashed. The green-haired kid’s eyes were alive with anticipation. They tapped the bat against one of their hands.

“You want to leave my friend alone now? Or am I gonna have to… teach you a lesson?” threatened the newcomer.

Orvo bellowed, charging at the green-haired kid with both fists raised. Marky and Abbie followed close behind. The new kid cocked the bat back and swung, clipping Orvo’s shoulder with a terrible CRACK. Orvo cried out in pain and stumbled to his knees, but the bat was still swinging. The green-haired kid brought it around in a full circle, smashing it into Marky’s hip with the precision of a swordsman. Marky yelped, crashing to the ground in a heap right on top of Orvo, who gasped as the wind was knocked out of him by the impact.

Two down, one to go.

Abbie swung her fists at the newcomer, missing the first hit, but connecting with the green-haired kid’s stomach with the second. It didn’t seem to be much more than a glancing blow though, and the kid quickly recovered. They spun around, once again swinging the bat, and it smashed Abbie right on the butt with a wince-inducing SLAP. With a trollish cry, Abbie tumbled on top of her two friends as well, skidding right over Marky and slamming into the brick alley wall.

The green-haired kid walked past the trio of defeated foes, who seemed to lack the strength or will to continue resisting, and approached Seiichi. They knelt down and picked up one of the ruined scraps of paper that used to be a drawing of a pair of high heels.

“Sorry that happened,” the green-haired kid said. They looked up at Seiichi. “What’s your name?”

“Seiichi.”

“I’m Kora. Let’s get the hell out of here, huh?”

“Okay.”

Kora offered Seiichi a hand, and helped them to their feet. Seiichi looked down on the ruins of their art supplies and drawings, strewn across the pavement of the alley like dead bodies on a battlefield. They fought back a fresh wave of tears. Accepting Kora’s help, Seiichi limped away. They were both soaking wet as the rain continued to pour, but Seiichi no longer felt cold.

The words Kora had said were echoing in Seiichi’s head. Nobody beats up my friend and gets away with it. Friend. Friend? Seiichi didn’t remember ever meeting Kora before today. They looked over at the green-haired kid, but Kora’s eyes were fixed on the path ahead of them.

***

“Why did you help me?” Seiichi asked.

It was a couple of hours later. Kora had taken Seiichi to their home. They said their parents were never home, so they would have privacy to patch Seiichi up. Kora might have been good in a scrap, but a doctor they were not. I look like a mummy, Seiichi thought when they saw themself in the bathroom mirror.

Now they were sipping on hot tea under blankets on a futon in Kora’s living room, a fire crackling pleasantly in the fireplace, listening to the rain patter against the windows. It was warm and dry in here, and Seiichi realized that they felt safe here, safe in a way they never had felt before.

Kora shrugged. “I’ve watched those kids cause problems for a while. I saw you chasing them when they stole your artwork, and I felt like it was about time I put a stop to it. I lost you guys when they parted ways, though. Took me a while to catch up again.”

Seiichi frowned. “But like… why? Why did you take them on? You don’t know me at all, and those kids are tough! How did you know you could beat them?”

Kora winked. “You want to know a secret?”

“What?”

“I didn’t know I could beat them.”

Seiichi’s mouth fell open in wonder. “What? Then… then why?”

“Why did I take them on?” Kora mused. “Honestly? I saw your artwork.”

“You saw my artwork?”

“Yeah.” Kora smiled, blushing a bit. “I always wished I could draw, you know? When I saw you sitting there drawing, I sort of… sneaked a peek. And you’re good, Seiichi. Like, you’re really good.”

Seiichi couldn’t help but smile a bit.

Kora smiled back, and continued, “I was building up the courage to talk to you, because I wanted to ask if you’d show me your other drawings too, you know? I thought maybe you could show me how to draw like you do. But then those other kids showed up and snatched your stuff, so I went after you.”

They leaned forward, their vivid green hair shimmering in the firelight. “You want to be my friend?”

Seiichi gasped. They had never been asked this question before. In truth, Orvo had been right about one thing - Seiichi was a loser. Their artwork was the only friend they really had, the only thing that made them feel better, that made them feel at home.

“Are… are you sure? Are you sure you want to be friends with me? I’m nothing special.”

“Screw that!” Kora cried, startling Seiichi. “Like I said, you’re an amazing artist! Of course you’re something special! Now do you want to be my friend, or do I have to save your ass a couple more times to convince you? I bet those other kids will want a piece of you more than ever now that I’ve kicked their asses, you know.”

Seiichi couldn’t help it - they burst into laughter. “Are you blackmailing me into being friends with you right now?”

“Of course I am!” Kora laughed as well. “Don’t worry. Now that we’re friends, for real now, those kids won’t give you any trouble.”

Seiichi smiled. “Thanks. And I can show you some drawing stuff, if you want. I’m not very good, though. I don’t think I’d be much of a teacher.”

“It’s a deal!” Kora stuck a hand out, which Seiichi took. They shook hands. “Now we’re friends for life, Seiichi! A hand shake is serious business, you know.”

“Friends for life,” Seiichi smiled.

“One thing, though,” Kora said, a look of mischief on their face. “If we’re friends, we have to have nicknames.” They gave Seiichi a long, appraising look, lingering on their electric-blue hair. “I’m going to call you… Blue!”

Blue laughed. “Really? That’s the best nickname you can come up with?”

Kora waved their hands in mock offense. “It’s a great name, you dork! If you’re so smart, you come up with something better for me!”

Blue gave Kora a long, hard look, but nothing came to mind. Starting to feel nervous, they blurted out, “Green!”

Green snorted with laughter, and then Blue started laughing as well. Next thing they knew, they were howling with laughter, shaking hands to seal their friendship for life, while the fire sparked and the thunder rumbled.

***

“We have arrived,” the android’s garbled voice said.

The flying car was rumbling alarmingly as it descended onto the landing pad. Blue, snapped out of their memories, looked up and out the window.

The building, the local offices of The Clothiers, gleamed silver and red. The Clothiers coat of arms was emblazoned at regular intervals along every wall. Security guards wearing immaculately tailored black-and-white suits stood in pairs on either side of each coat of arms. People bustled about the parking areas, crowding into elevators.

The door opened. Blue quickly gathered the papers into the suitcase once more, doing their best not to look at the photo of Green inside. The android looked back once more.

“I hope you enjoyed your ride, passenger. I will remain at this location, awaiting your return. According to your itinerary, your meeting begins in [EIGHT MINUTES]. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thanks,” Blue murmured, climbing out of the car.

The door closed behind them with a click. Blue tucked the briefcase under one arm, and with a deep breath, walked toward the elevator.

Just hold on a little longer, Green. This time, it’s my turn to save you.