"Hi!" The woman with red hair chirped. She was wearing a one-sleeved black top that exposed one of her shoulders and tucked into her black leather pants. She also wore white combat boots with black laces. Her medium-length red hair was styled more on one side, and wavy.

Decha regretted opening the door the moment he recognized her. It was Chauncey Alan's daughter, Abigail. N926 was the one tagging him. Decha figured she must've gotten his chip details from the Agency.

"N926," Decha greeted her formally. There was no reason to be friendly, to him, she was only a Colleague.

"It's good to see you again, N96. How are you feeling?" She asked, and Decha furrowed his eyes. "You know, because of the bomb last night. I was worried that you got burned."

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm capable of handling those types of disasters."

"Still, I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of me. You saved me and I never got the chance to ask about your well-being." Abigail stepped forward. She grabbed Decha's arm, and he immediately tugged it out of her reach.

"I'm fine," Decha grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"You wouldn't give me your number, so I went to the Agency and asked around about you. Director Chen was the one who gave my father your address. Aren't you going to let me in?"

"Uh..." Decha wanted to say no, but he was struggling. He wasn't sure why.

"Don't tell me you lack Astellian manners, N96," Abigail giggled playfully. Before he could reject her, she brushed by him and into the home. "Wow, this place is nicely decorated!"

Abigail looked at all the colorful furniture. It looked so bright and happy in here. She expected Decha's abode to be much darker and gloomy looking. "You seem to love the color blue,"

"My mother does," Decha closed the door and locked it.

"Your mother has really good taste! I should ask for tips to decorate my apartment in midtown."

"N926, what's the real reason you decided to show up?" Decha wanted her to get straight to the point. He needed to get Rory's paperwork done and send in a request for her to be scanned.

"I'm interested in you," Abigail admitted, boldly. Decha narrowed his eyes at her, and it wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She wasn't sure what reaction she was expecting. "I've only heard stories about your accomplishments. But to see you in person is very inspiring. You helped motivate the rest of the Generals in my division when we trained at the camp. So I'd simply like to get to know you better."

"I wasn't participating, I already told you. I was only there for a case."

"That doesn't stop me from pursuing you, does it?" Abigail softened her tone and placed her hands on her hips.

"I guess it doesn't." Decha voiced monotonously. The moment he finished his sentence, a loud crash echoed across the room. It sent Decha into fight mode, and his body tensed.

Jessica was standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen. She dropped the bowl of chips she and Decha were snacking on earlier. "Decha!"

"You've seriously gotta be more careful," Decha walked over to her and began cleaning up the big shards on the ground.

"Leave it for the butlers to clean. Who's your friend?" Jessica eyed Abigail skeptically.

"Oh, you must be Mrs. Chen." Abigail walked over to her with her hand extended. "I'm Abigail Alan, Chauncey's daughter. General N926. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise?" Jessica frowned and shook her hand.

"I brought you a gift." Abigail pulled a small box out of her pockets and gave it to Jessica. Jessica didn't want to accept it, because she knew what the gift was for. It was Astellian tradition for a woman to give a gift to the mother of the man she wants to marry.

"Oh... you shouldn't have." Jessica forced a smile. "Seriously, you shouldn't have." She spat under her breath. In the box was a small pair of golden earrings. Jessica was a sucker for jewelry.

She almost drooled over the beautiful material. She decided to keep the earrings and promote Rory to Decha as much as possible to make up for the betrayal. "They're... beautiful."

"Aren't they? I saw them at the mall and thought they would look good on you. I've seen your work on the News. Although retired, you were great at efficiency. I wrote an essay about you back in my Grandell days. So I've looked up to you for a while now, Mrs. Chen."

"Oh! Stop, you're making me blush." Jessica giggled awkwardly. Abigail was kissing up to her. "How did you and my son meet?"

"Last night. Your son saved me."

"You met at the Program?" Jessica blinked. When Abigail nodded, she felt something tick inside of her. Surely, when Theodore arrived home, she was going to starve him. "And you saved her?"

"I did. But I don't feel like going into details. I'm sorry for your trouble N926, but I'm not interested. I'll cover the fee it took for you to travel here." Decha nudged her toward the door, but Abigail twirled away and stopped him.

"Now hold it!" She placed a hand on her hips. "It's rude to rush a woman, N96."

"... I don't care."

"You told me to request your information from the Agency and I did. I didn't come all the way here for you to get me to leave. I'll take no other payment. Allow me to take you out." She fluttered her eyes at him.

"I don't want to."

Jessica was on the side silently rooting for Decha. She wanted to tell Abigail so badly that Decha already had Rory.

"You owe it to me. And besides, I'm only wanting to get to know more about you. If you reject me I'll just keep coming back."

"Whatever, I don't care what you do. I have work to do." Decha gestured toward the door. Abigail sighed and left reluctantly. When Decha let her out and closed the door behind her, he swore under his breath and brushed his hair back.

When he turned to face Jessica, she glared at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing." Jessica huffed and stuck her head high before walking away. Decha could tell something was wrong. He wasn't sure what though. He was beyond frustrated.

Why were the women in his life acting crazy? Was it something in Astell's air? Rory was avoiding him, His mother was upset at him for whatever reason, and now he had to deal with a Colleague's romantic persistence. What in the air changed overnight?

~~~

The next morning, Decha woke up early to style his hair and dress appropriately for the memorial. Only a few people who worked at the Agency were going to attend. It was a private event, for those who were high-ranked or officials. Everyone would hear the announcement about Strout, and about the new rule for refugees.

No doubt there would be riots or angry mobs of Astellians about the way they've decided to handle the bombs. But the investigation wasn't nearly through.

Decha fixed himself in his formal uniform, a type of uniform that was meant to be worn for somber events exclusively. The dress code was for all men to dress in a navy blue jacket with hidden pockets for their weapons.

They kept their black sleeveless top underneath, made of fitting material to move around easily and stealthily. Their pants were long and cut at the tip of their black war boots. While styling his hair back and neat, he heard a muffled sound from his room.

What was that noise? It sounded like someone ran into a wall. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time before leaving.

He walked down the hall and opened the double doors. The grand staircase is what led to the living room. He stopped when he spotted Rory.

Her arms were extended as if she were a zombie, and she was putting one foot in front of the other. Was she sleepwalking? Decha squinted his eyes at her to get a closer look.

Her eyes were covered with a sleep mask, but he realized she was awake when she stopped and touched her ear. She was certainly aware. She started moving again, toward the stairs.

Decha panicked. He ran at her before she could fall down the stairs, and wrapped his arms around her waist tight.

"Rory!" He hollered and spun away from the staircase. He whisked her legs in his other arm and pulled her close. "Are you crazy?! Are you trying to get yourself hurt? Why are you walking around so early in the morning with your eyes covered—"

"Decha, you ruined my test!" Rory pulled the mask off her face and grumbled at him.

"What? I stopped you from throwing yourself down the stairs!" He spat.

"Calm down," She shushed him.

Decha was dangerously close to being pushed over the limit. He considered locking her in the guest room she resided. Why couldn't she stay in one place?

"Can you let me down?"

"Your eyes. Why were they covered?" Decha walked down the staircase with her still in his arms. "What would have happened if I weren't here to stop you from falling? You could've broken something or worse!"

"Okay, I get it. Please put me down now." Rory frowned. She reached into her ear and pulled out a device that she built for Avon. She showed it to Decha, who only looked at it in disgust.

"What's that supposed to be?" Decha placed Rory down safely at the end of the stairs. He checked again to make sure she wouldn't be able to fall.

"I built it for Avon. I'm testing it out. Getting a feel for the bugs before I give it to him. Are you curious about what it does?" Rory smiled and waved the small earpiece device in front of his eyes.

Decha barely glanced at her invention. He looked at her instead. "I'm more concerned about your resistance to sleep."

"This is a natural thing for me. When I get an idea it keeps me up all night. Anyways," Rory shrugged. "I call it the Visualization of Audio and Touch Enhanced, or in short, VATE."

Decha shook his head. Her acronyms needed some serious work.

"I put this in my ear. Then I cover my eyes. What it's supposed to do is sense the vibrations of the structure of this building, and enhance the audio. There are so many sounds that go off in this building. Both of those will be used in a way to guide your step instead of your eyes." Rory placed the mask back over her eyes. "I'll show you!"

"Rory, I don't think you should." He looked at the time on the clock. It was still early, but he wanted to leave and eat breakfast at the Agency. "You should head back to bed."

"I will when I'm finished." Rory nodded.

"Rory,"

"Will you hold on just a second?" She snapped at him. "It'll be quick, I just want to try it here. The stairs are squeaking, but VATE lets you know which next step comes close ahead. Not only can I hear everything, but there's a signal letting me know that I need to step up exactly 6 inches."

Rory took one step forward, and Decha held a hand behind her to make sure she was steady. Nervousness was becoming a more common feeling for him whenever he was around her. Rory landed on the next stair and giggled excitedly.

"It worked!"

"Great. Now you can go back to sleep."

"Are you kidding?" Rory took off her mask and the device. "This is an amazing breakthrough in technology! Do you know what this means? Once I test it and finish getting the kinks out, Avon will be able to move about freely! This isn't a cure for Blindness, but it helps a lot!"

Decha felt something stir in his heart. She was working on this project for Avon. He'd been trying to find a Doctor who specialized in the field to help the kid, but in half a month, Rory had semi-solved an issue he'd been worrying about.

And to see her smile was what topped off his mixed emotions. Whatever it was inside of him that was brewing up a storm was very warm.

"Decha! I have to thank you!"

"Me?" He blinked at her. "What did I do?"

"Bringing me here has inspired me to create another project. It's allowed me to use the tech to construct this. I'm so happy it works! I can present this to Grandell. And with it, we can help other kids who are blind. Avon will be the first to try it. I can't wait!" Rory chuckled and hopped up and down.

"Alright, we don't wanna wake Lady Chen." He chortled at her. "Don't jump."

"Thank you, Decha!" Without thinking, Rory wrapped her arms over his shoulder and kissed his cheek. However, when she realized what she was doing, she yanked herself away, horrified at her mindless behavior.

Her kiss was soft. That's all Decha thought when it happened. Instead of rebuking her, he smiled at her again, trying to mask the red that tinted his face. It was still dim in the room, so fortunately Rory couldn't see it.

He thought it may have been a Bracket tradition to show gratitude. The smile he displayed made Rory's heart cramp. Why hadn't he scolded her?

"I... I'm sorry!" Rory huffed. She just kissed him. It wasn't a real kiss, but what was she thinking? She wasn't, but still! Why did her body react that way? Why didn't her mind stop her? Why was he standing there smiling at her, making the entire situation worse?

Rory couldn't breathe. Her throat started to clam up and she began to cough.

"I'll go to sleep now. Sorry." She squeaked and ran by him and down the hall on the right. Decha watched her. It wasn't until he heard her door close that he decided to leave.

He still felt her kiss. He wasn't embarrassed by it. In a way, he found some comfort in it.

~~~

Decha approached Jax from behind. He was busy fiddling with his uniform and checking himself in the mirror constantly. Most likely, he was nervous to accept the trial which would allow him to take over Lieutenant Strout's original place.

Decha couldn't blame him. Jax would be known as the youngest council member to ever govern both Sectors. There was plenty of pressure on him.

No doubt, Jax was reciting his announcement repeatedly in his mind.

"You know, you're not gonna look any better. Stop wasting your time with your hair." Decha teased and stopped next to him. "You already look like a mop head. Why make it worse?"

"Thank you, N96 for your kind words." Jax spat sarcastically.

"Your anxiety is practically dripping from your arms and legs. It's not hard to tell that you're a nervous wreck." Decha smirked. "Get yourself together before Cardinal or Chauncey poke at you for no reason."

"I'm trying my best." Jax sighed. "I'm pissed."

"Why?"

"Do you even care?"

"Not really, no. But I do find satisfaction in hearing stupid reasons for anger." Decha shrugged.

"My father left me without any instructions," Jax grumbled, and Decha managed to understand his perspective. "What the heck am I supposed to do? I've been working out on the frontline since I finished cadet training. Although I graduated from Grandell, my grades kind of sucked. So education isn't my strength. I can't quote the law, My only talent is being able to shoot a pistol extremely well. I don't know how my old man did it!"

"You'll figure it out," Decha mumbled. "You're not as stupid as you look."

"Did my father tell you anything? Anything about the trial? Anything at all?"

"He said a lot of things... but mainly to look after you."

"It figures," Jax clenched his teeth. "The old man still thinks I'm a child."

"He said you're smarter than he took you for." Decha stepped forward and placed his hand on his hip. Then he shifted his gaze away from Jax. "He knew your potential. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I wish he knew to leave me with instructions before going to the bloody grave."

"Time was short, and he had a lot of things to say. I wish I could say something worthwhile to help you act the slightest more decent, but I've got nothing." Decha brushed his hair back. "If you can't recite the law, study up. Most of the time you'll have to uphold them."

"... You make it sound so easy."

"When you've got a mind like mine, it's so simple."

"I forget, you're able to memorize anything you see once. That must be nice. Not having to worry about misspeaking or getting lines confused. I doubt you ever misplace anything."

"It's okay, I guess."

"Even with your amazing brain, how come you're always so nonchalant when it comes to how the council speaks to you? You always act like you have a plan. How are you so relaxed?"

"I'm not relaxed. I don't care." Decha turned to face Jax with a sneer. "I may operate my business under their government, but at the end of the day, my job is to uphold the law, not babysit a bunch of old saggy toddlers. I don't give an answer to them, so I don't care and do things the way I want."

"Huh." Jax hummed. Hearing those words coming from Decha was somewhat comforting, and surprising. "I wonder what that's like, to not care."

"Live freely, do whatever you want. As long as you get the job done, people can't diminish your worth. They'll complain, but it doesn't matter."

"That sounds so appealing... to live without a care. Astell has so many restrictions that it's hard to breathe."

"Then do it."

"I just don't wanna lose respect by breaking a rule."

"Oh, please. The rules that are given by the council are just there for formal protocols. They're not the law. If you don't wanna break them, then don't. It's that simple." Decha snorted. "It's up to you. But you should hurry and get to the service before one of the council dastards pick on you."

"You know, Decha, you're not all that bad." Jax smiled at him.

"Huh?"

"You're an annoyance to work with. I can see why people fear you. It's because you're unexpected. But you're not as deranged as the stories portray you. Your words aren't sugarcoated, and you're honest. Your speech may be harsh on others, but you mean well."

"You're the only guy I have left on my team."

"I thought you enjoyed working alone."

"Trust me, I do." Decha huffed. "I just have a lot on my plate. The past few weeks have been a bit rough. The solution to this case isn't going to be easy as I had thought."

"My father told me you lost a friend during the Walls Collapse."

"No need to pity me," Decha ignored Jax's somber tone of voice. "I'm going to find the dastard behind all of this and kill them."

"Save some for me, I want to watch them burn." Jax agreed with a soft smile. "They're not going to get away with killing my father. I won't let him."

Thoughts of the Bracket woman in Decha's care popped up in his head. "Hey, N96, this may be weird to ask, but if the culprit turns out to be a Bracketer... what will you do with Rory?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying, most Astellians would hate to be in the company of Bracketers if they're truly the ones trying to destroy Astell. Surely, the Bracketers who reside in Astell will lose money or face some serious backlash. I'm just curious about how you'd handle her afterward."

"Rory is not my target," Decha stated. "Bracketers who aren't involved shouldn't be drug into this. They work hard to operate as peacefully as possible. It would be wrong for all of us to assume all Bracketers are murderous without care."

He kept thinking of Rory. She wanted to invent things to help make Astell and the Brackets a better place.

"What's this? It sounds like you're speaking about someone in particular."

"Jax, don't make me throw you off a building."

"You're speaking highly of Rory, aren't you?"

"I'm not."

"Just now you were smiling. Now you're glaring at me. You look flustered."

Decha grumbled and wiped his face. He hadn't even realized he was smiling. For sure, Rory was putting some kind of spell on him.