Blue shifted nervously as the elevator descended with stomach-turning speed. They did their best not to show any fear, but it was hard to maintain a facade of calm when their insides felt like they were fighting gravity and winning.

Do it for Green.

The elevator was already crowded when Blue boarded it from the rooftop entrance. They had approached a large screen with the word RECEPTION on the wall over it in large crimson letters. The screen crackled to life as Blue stepped forward. A gleaming silver android with the Clothiers coat of arms on its chest appeared.

“Greetings, visitor. Please state your reason for visiting us today.”

Blue was proud that their voice sounded perfectly normal as they replied, “My name is Lyra George. I’m here for a job interview.”

“Wonderful! Welcome, prospective future member of The Clothiers family. For your safety and ours, we ask that you pass a basic security check on your way to the elevators. Good luck with your job interview, and remember, The Clothes Make The Man!”

The screen crackled once more, now displaying a crimson arrow that directed Blue towards a security station to their left. For a moment, Blue was worried that something would go wrong during the security check. The guards were cordial enough, but the suspicion in their eyes made Blue deeply uncomfortable.

Blue felt a wave of relief as the briefcase was returned to them with no comment.

“Have a nice day,” one of the guards said obligatorily, his eyes already focused on the next person in line.

“Thanks,” Blue said quietly, then walked as fast as they could. They would have much preferred to run from those suspicious eyes, but then their cover would be well and truly blown.

They approached the elevator and encountered an android attendant. “State your business, please,” the android said in a pleasant tone.

“Lyra George, job interview,” Blue said quickly.

The android paused momentarily, then said, “Greetings, [LYRA GEORGE]. Your job interview with [TOSHINORI MARQUES] is located on level [TWENTY-ONE]. Thank you for arriving on time for this important appointment. Good luck!”

The door behind the android slid open, revealing a large elevator which already contained several people who had boarded it on the higher landing levels. Blue stepped in before they had a chance to second-guess themself.

Do it for Green.

The elevator only grew more crowded with each stop as more people boarded. A few people left the elevator here and there, but it seemed to Blue that most of the people riding the elevator with them were employees who worked on the lower levels. They noted that most of the people who disembarked on the higher floors looked particularly well-to-do, dressed in tailored suits and dresses and the like.

Blue glanced down at their own, rather shabby, clothing. They felt a small pang of fear. Surely it would count against them to be wearing such nondescript business attire at such an important meeting. Surely their appearance would be a liability. Spats had given special instructions for Blue to look “nice” for the interview, and damn it, Blue had tried, but there was only so much they could do given the circumstances.

They winced a bit as the rough cloth of their ill-fitting trousers, obtained from a pawn shop by Tiny for the occasion, rubbed against fresh bruises from this morning’s beating. Tiny hadn’t taken kindly to Blue’s pointing out how shitty the outfit he had picked out was.

The floor number ticked down. At level 40, about half of the passengers disembarked. This gave Blue more breathing room, which was a comfort. But the moment didn’t last, and several new riders entered on level 36. From then on, the elevator became a bit less crowded with each level it stopped on.

Blue felt their anxiety mounting. There were just a few more floors to go.

By the time the elevator reached level 24, there were only four other riders besides Blue. Three of them seemed to be absorbed by their tablet computers and phones, with two of them glancing at one another and muttering about a work project. But the fourth person was… different.

She was a young girl of maybe eleven or twelve. When she had first boarded the elevator, Blue had assumed she was the child of one of the employees. But now it was clear that the girl was riding alone. She was dressed in a crisp blue dress, and her straight brown hair was tied up in pigtails.

Blue did their best to ignore the girl, but she was staring at them with an intensity that felt almost threatening.

Who is this kid?

Level 22. To Blue’s dismay, the three adult riders left the elevator, leaving Blue all alone with the sinister girl. The elevator door slid closed and they descended for the last time. The journey only lasted a few short moments, but Blue felt the girl’s eyes searing them like hot brands.

Suddenly, the girl was standing right behind Blue. They froze and tried to ignore her. How the hell did she move so fast?! The floor number was changing to 21. They were almost out.

“You’ll never make it,” the girl whispered.

Blue’s blood went cold.

Ding.

The elevator door slid open. Level 21. Blue exited as quickly as possible and walked straight ahead, down a long hallway, sighing with relief as they heard the elevator close behind them once more. Whatever the little girl had wanted, she was gone now.

“Tetete!” A light giggle came from behind Blue.

Blue whirled around, eyes wide. The little girl was standing right behind them. She was standing so close that they were almost touching. Her pigtails bobbed as she giggled.

“Look at you,” the girl said. Her voice was high and sweet. “You’re so… cute.”

Blue looked down on the little girl with apprehension. What did she want? What was this about?

“Thanks,” they said, turning away.

A small, warm hand clamped onto Blue’s wrist with painful strength. Blue winced. “What the-”

“Tetete!” The girl giggled again. Her eyes twinkled with malicious glee.

Blue tore their arm away from the little girl and walked faster. At the end of the hallway, just ahead, was a single white door. That had to be it. They broke into a run. Whoever this little girl was, it didn’t matter. Whatever she wanted, it didn’t matter. All that mattered - the only thing that mattered - was that Blue had to succeed. They had to get this job. They had to save Green’s life.

Forty feet away. Thirty feet. Twenty. Blue’s quick footsteps tapped against the tile of the hallway floor. Behind them, the little girl was still giggling. The sound of her voice was getting clos-

WHAM!

Blue’s breath was driven from their lungs as something hit them hard from behind. They fell painfully to the floor, barking their left knee. They coughed and choked for air, ears ringing. What the hell?

Suddenly, the little girl was standing over them, giggling and smoothing out her dress. Blue’s eyes widened. What?! How did she-

And then they understood. The dress.

“Why… why did you... “ Blue coughed, barely able to speak.

The little girl simply put a finger over her lips and smiled sweetly. Then she flounced to the white door, opened it, and stepped inside. The door snapped shut behind her.

Late… I’m going to be late… Come on…

With a groan of effort, Blue staggered to their feet. They bent over to pick up the briefcase, and hissed as their left knee sang with pain. With a brutal effort, they forced themself to walk forward, catching their breath, their hobbling gait slowly smoothing into a more normal walk. Blue figured they were lucky - after taking a shot like that from the wielder of a powerful fashion statement, a banged-up knee was far better than a few broken ribs. But this small comfort did nothing to ease either Blue’s anxiety or their anger.

Who the hell was that girl? Why did she attack them like that? Blue indulged in the fantasy of kicking the snot out of the little shit, then caught themself. Even if the little girl had attacked first, she was, still, just a little girl.

Blue’s hand touched the knob of the white door. They paused a few moments. They had almost completely caught their breath again. Their back hurt, their knee ached, their head was swimming with anxiety and confusion, and the photo of Green inside the briefcase seemed to leer at them, unseen but not unfelt.

Do it for Green.

With a determined breath, Blue opened the door.

***

Toshinori Marques, a huge barrel of a man with a balding head and a luxuriously thick silver beard, rose to his feet as Blue entered. He smiled at Blue with unaffected sincerity. Blue didn’t understand why, but as they saw that smile, they felt suddenly comforted. It was like being smiled at by a grandparent as a small child.

“Miss George!” the big man said warmly. He extended a large hand for Blue to shake.

“It’s not Miss; I’m non-binary,” Blue said automatically, before they could stop themself.

“Ah, my apologies!” Toshinori said. “Just Lyra, then?”

Blue nodded. Their cheeks were burning. It had been such an automatic response that they hadn’t even considered the character they were supposed to be playing. Had they blown their cover already? Did it matter if Lyra George was non-binary? They hoped not, for Green’s sake.

Toshinori’s smile didn’t waver a bit. His hand was still outstretched, and Blue took and shook it briefly.

“Take a seat!” The big man said kindly. “And if you wouldn’t mind, can you show me the drawings?”

Blue winced slightly as they lowered themself into the chair in front of Toshinori’s desk. The rough cloth of the trousers was brushing their bruises again, and they felt a familiar dread as they sat down. The chair in their cell was hard and wooden. It was always painful to sit at first because of the way its edge dug into their thighs.

But, to their surprise, this chair didn’t dig into their thighs at all. Though it had looked quite firm, the chair’s upholstery seemed to mold itself to Blue’s body. There was no pain at all - in fact, Blue felt more comfortable than they had in a very long time.

“Like it?” Toshinori observed, his eye twinkling. “Perks of working with The Clothiers, Lyra. I’ve been here four years, and my back pain is totally gone.” He eased into his own chair with a satisfied sigh.

“It’s… it’s great,” Blue said. A smile, hesitant but genuine, touched their lips. They decided they liked Toshinori quite a bit.

“Wonderful,” Toshinori said. “And now, if you please…?”

“Oh! Right, sorry!” Blue yelped, and opened the briefcase. They pulled out the drawings by feel, refusing to look at the picture of Green again.

Toshinori took the drawings and began to study them closely. There was something fussy about the way he looked at them that Blue found endearingly familiar. It was the same way Green looked at their drawings: carefully, with the respect a jeweler might have for a particularly rare diamond.

“Excellent,” he murmured. “Great line work. This one’s quite good too… I like this one a bit less, but that’s more a personal preference - I’m not much a fan of suspenders - ah, this one is fantastic. Excellent use of form to show the dress to full effect - yes, yes, this is all very good.”

Blue did their best to ignore his comments. The last thing they wanted was false hope.

The minutes stretched on. Toshinori was making notes as he looked at the drawings now, his murmuring voice now impossible to decipher. Blue looked around the office to distract themself. It was a cozy place. A high partition lined with bookshelves full to bursting separated Toshinori’s space from the rest of the room. Blue noticed a couple more doorways beyond the partition, and a hallway that disappeared around another corner.

That must be where the little girl went, Blue thought. The idea gave them little comfort, but at least she wasn’t here with them now.

Suddenly, the sheer oddness of the encounter with the little girl struck Blue. What was a child like her doing in The Clothiers offices anyway? How had she gotten a powerful fashion statement at such a young age? Was she someone’s daughter? Had her attack on Blue been purely driven by childish spite, or was there more to it?

Blue studied Toshinori, who was so engrossed in his note-taking that he almost seemed to have forgotten they were there. Did he know the answer? Was the little girl, perhaps, his daughter? He must have seen her pass through, but he had shown no sign of knowing about the attack that had happened twenty feet outside his office.

Blue’s thoughts were interrupted by Toshinori clearing his throat and snuffling a bit as he shuffled the drawings neatly in his hands.

“This,” he said, placing the stack of drawings on the desk between them, “is excellent work.”

Blue breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” they said.

Toshinori grinned at them with a kind but thoughtful expression. “Lyra, I’ll be honest with you. These drawings show a level of promise I seldom see from our applicants. I don’t say that lightly, either - truly, they’re incredible.”

Blue couldn’t speak. A thrill of excitement mingled with fear was buzzing within them.

Toshinori looked Blue directly in the eyes. “Why do you want to work for The Clothiers?”

Blue hesitated.

Do it for Green.

“It’s… always been my dream,” they said brightly. They smiled broadly, hoping Toshinori would find it sincere.

The big man nodded, scratching his scalp thoughtfully. “I see. Well, in that case…”

Blue’s heart panged as Toshinori rose from his seat. They stood as well, sensing it was the right thing to do. Toshinori extended his hand across the desk for the second time, and Blue took it.

“Welcome aboard!” Toshinori cried enthusiastically. He chuckled. “Like I said - you’re great, Lyra! Your work is better than the last, say, thirty applicants I interviewed. We’ll have high expectations for you!”

Blue pumped the man’s hand, stunned. They tried to blink back the tears that sprang to their eyes, but the tears were coming too fast to stop.

“Thank… you…” Blue sobbed.

Toshinori looked at them kindly. “There, now, I’m glad you’re so happy about it! It just encourages me that I made the right choice.”

Blue nodded, sniffling. They rubbed their eyes roughly, trying to regain their composure. As their vision cleared, they saw the little girl entering the office. She was smiling at Blue, but her eyes were steely.

“Evie!” Toshinori greeted her. “Meet Lyra. She - sorry - they - are the newest employee in our department!”

Evie’s pigtails swished as she turned and approached Blue. “Nice to meet you,” she said sweetly. The look in her eyes didn’t change a bit.

What is this kid’s problem?!

“Yeah, nice to meet you too… Evie.” Blue said with a big sniff. The tears had stopped. They felt like they had regained their composure now.

Evie waved goodbye to Toshinori, then passed Blue and exited the office, heading for the elevator. As the door closed behind Evie, Blue gave Toshinori a quizzical look. The big man shrugged.

“Evie’s a Wunderkind,” he said. “I don’t know that I like the idea of little kids working here, but it’s all way above my pay grade.”

“Wunderkind?”

“Yeah…” Toshinori replied. His thoughts were taking him somewhere far away. After a moment, he shook it off and smiled at Blue once more. “Well, Lyra, I’m so happy to have you on the team. Can you start tomorrow?”

Blue nodded, feeling overwhelmed with warring emotions. The excitement of having succeeded was mingled with a melancholy certainty that freedom was still far out of their reach - both for them, and for Green.

They excused themself as quickly as possible, wearing the biggest smile they could muster, promising to arrive on time the next morning for initiation. As they closed the door to Toshinori’s office, they felt utterly exhausted. The elevator at the end of the hallway ahead of them seemed to be miles away.

“Come on! Just take the next -”

***

TWO YEARS AGO

“- step!” Green laughed.

Blue rolled their eyes in mock exasperation. Their arm hurt slightly as Green tried to pull them along, but Blue continued to resist, quite literally dragging their feet.

“Ugh, come onnnnn!” Green groaned with a smile, and gave Blue’s arm an almighty tug that forced them to stagger forward a few steps, laughing.

“Fine!” Blue cackled. “God, you’re so annoying!”

“Tsk,” Green sighed, “You’re one to talk.”

They passed through the doorway of Green’s apartment building. They were outside. Green smiled at the sky, while Blue squinted against the daylight. It was a gorgeous day.

“Alright! What are we gonna eat? I’m HUNGRY!” Green cried. A passing woman pushing a stroller gave them a sideways glance.

“You’re always hungry. Let’s just get burgers or something,” Blue replied. “But let’s hurry back, okay? I want to get back to my drawing.”

“Oh, hush up. You’ve been drawing for a week non-stop.”

“No I haven’t!”

“Blue, when’s the last time you even saw the sun? You gotta get some time outdoors. Your desk’ll be there when we get back, but for now… LET’S EAT!”

Blue doubled over laughing at Green’s exuberant battle cry. The two of them ran down the street hand in hand, not a care in the world, confident in today, and certain that nothing life threw at them tomorrow could ever beat them as long as they were together.

***

Blue didn’t remember walking back down the hallway, riding the elevator, passing through security, or entering the flying car. The next time their thoughts were grounded in the present, they were soaring through the air as the android driver played the radio, changing the channel occasionally.

Blue watched the city skyline wash past like a flowing stream. Somewhere, maybe around there, was Green’s apartment building. And just over there was the alley where Blue had been attacked by Orvo’s gang. The same alley where Green had come to Blue’s rescue all those years ago. And right there, at the top of that ferris wheel in the festival district…

“Your attention please, passenger. We are now approaching our destination. We should touch down in the next [TWO MINUTES].”

Blue’s attention turned to the front of the car, toward the buildings they were now rapidly approaching. They recognized the one that had become their prison immediately. Suddenly, they felt a desperate thrill of fear. They wanted to be somewhere - anywhere - but here. The idea of being locked in their cell once more, guarded by a thug who would beat their legs, forced to talk to Tiny or Babydoll or even Spats himself, trapped, trapped, trapped forever…

Without even realizing it, Blue’s hand closed on the door handle and pulled. The handle moved smoothly, but the door didn’t budge. The door was locked.

Trapped.

Blue froze as they realized what they had been contemplating. What would happen to Green if Blue killed themself? What would happen to Green if Blue ran away?

The note on the back of Green’s photo in the briefcase echoed in Blue’s mind.

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

“No,” Blue murmured. Their heart pounded as the car brought them ever closer to their prison. They thought of Toshinori, but there was no joy in the knowledge that they had succeeded in fooling him and getting hired. This wasn’t what Blue had wanted. Nor Green.

This was what Spats wanted.

It was all Spats.

Spats’ will, Spats’ way, Spats’ war.

And a sudden fury blossomed in Blue’s chest that overcame their desperate fear. A determined hatred coursed through their veins, fueling their body with a shot of adrenaline so potent that their fingertips tingled.

I’m done doing what you want, Spats. I’m done. I’m going to save Green, and we’re going to escape. No matter what.

The car rumbled as they touched down on the rooftop. Glancing out the window, Blue could see Tiny walking toward them, his massive body a terrifying monolith standing against the skyline. Blue gripped the handle of the briefcase tightly. Their eyes glinted.

No matter what.