"The girl at your house. The Bracket woman. What's her name again? Lory? Dory?" Jax drummed his fingers on a concrete ledge. He and Decha were stationed high above on a skyscraper next to Kilos.

The tech company's main office was a silver building, with a sharp long design. It was sleek and thinner than most of the skyscrapers in Astell. Along the sides of it were bright light strips that flowed a neon blue when night came.

The windows near the top of it were heavily tinted. For Decha to get a good look at the inside, he was using a special pair of binoculars with thermal lenses. Energy shaped in the form of bodies moved about while he was watching.

"Rory! That was her name! She looked concerned about you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has a thing for you. That may sound wild, but I caught it. I've never seen a Bracketer act that way. Her eyes even dilated when she thought you were dead."

Decha had his eyes remained on the building, so Jax decided to take it a step further. Jax nudged the binoculars out of Decha's line of vision. "Aren't you curious?"

"About what?" Decha narrowed his eyes.

"About how Rory may feel about you. Doesn't that make you think?"

"No, it doesn't."

"Let me rephrase my question. Let's say, Rory likes you. What are you gonna do?"

"What else is there do to?" Decha didn't want to talk about Rory while he was trying to dig up information about Kilos. It seemed that most Generals beside him were always distracted. Small talk wasn't something Decha was a fan of.

"I don't know. Acknowledge it? Reject her if you want. You don't seem like you hate her. I can't tell what's your deal. What the heck runs through that intelligent brain of yours?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to do anything. Whatever Rory does or says is up to her. As long as it's within the law."

"So you're not opposed to her liking you?"

"What does Rory have to do with our work, N9899?"

Jax bit his lip and let out a frustrated sigh. Decha was being impossible to reason with. He was so boring to work with. Why didn't his father assign him to work with someone more lively? Decha has been the most difficult General he's ever had to deal with in his career.

"I'm just gonna be honest. I think you're a coward N96."

"What?" Decha snorted in disbelief. "Do you know how many criminals I've slaughtered in the past year? Way more than you can fathom. If you don't wanna be next on the list, keep your lips shut."

"I bet you've never kissed a woman, or gone to the next level with one before. Or maybe you're scared of women."

"Correction." Decha tossed his binoculars aside and brushed off his pants. "I'm uninterested in unnecessary banter with women. Regarding my experience, that's none of your business."

Decha was very experienced. Before she disappeared, Chai was the woman he wanted to marry. They'd gone all the way before. But he didn't feel the need to tell Jax any of that information.

"You're still a coward." Jax huffed.

"I'm not."

"Prove it."

Decha placed a hand on his waist. How did Jax expect him to prove it? Decha was well aware of how the women in Astell viewed him. They thought of him like he was some sort of immortal with an intellect beyond this world. He knew he had attractive physical attributes, but he wasn't one to pride himself on that.

"I don't have to prove anything to you." Decha reached into their equipment sack and pulled out a grappling hook. He shot one end part at Kilos and tied the other end he was holding around a metal bar that was lodged into the building.

Decha grabbed onto the gloves Rory gave him, and stared at them briefly.

"Where'd you get those?" Jax gestured at the black fingerless accessory with caution. "Those don't look like they're from the Agency."

"They're gloves with enhanced grippers. They help me balance and keep a firm grasp on different materials." Decha fixed them on his hands, before holding one hand in the air confidently as if he were showcasing them. "Rory made them for me."

Jax's eyes lit up with excitement. "You sly punk. She's making tech for you?!"

"She's an engineer and an inventor. Not as stupid as some other Bracketers I know. Her innovation skills aren't bad."

"You're complimenting her! Something is going on between you two, be honest." Jax snickered.

Decha rolled his eyes. "Don't make me throw you off this building." Deep down, he was grateful for the gloves. They were sturdy and the material felt good.

"Would she mind if I asked her to make me something?" Jax wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Don't bother asking." Decha sneered, not liking the idea of Jax wanting Rory to work.

"Why? You don't want her creating for another guy?"

"No, it's because she doesn't need or have to do anything for you. Focus." Decha grabbed a hook that would latch onto the line he formed with the grappling gun. "Spot me." Decha tied a belt to his waist and connected it with the hook.

"This is pretty high up." Jax frowned, looking over the edge. The fall had to have been over a hundred feet. "Are you sure?"

"Do you want to do it instead?" Decha offered, but Jax declined quickly. "Just spot me. I need to place a sound radar on the roof. It's not much to bug the place, but it'll be enough for us to hear what's going on inside for a few floors. Once I place it, you're gonna pull me back up."

And with that, Decha let himself fall off the ledge. The hook he was attached to guide him down the long grapple line. However, midway, the line suddenly snapped.

He felt himself being yoinked by the waist in midair. He fell toward the smaller city buildings. As oxygen grew thin, Decha quickly clasped onto the line with Rory's gloves and skidded to a sudden stop.

"Jax!" He heaved as his body swung back toward the building he jumped off. He slammed against the metallic walls and bit his lip, scraping the skin from the corners with his teeth. "Crap!"

Decha's body sagged against the side of the building. "N9899, pull me up!" He commanded, but there was no answer.

Left with no choice, he climbed up the edge and pulled himself back into the top of the building. The only thing keeping him in place was the material on the special gloves. He was going to have to Thank Rory again later.

Why did the line snap? It was secure and built by one of their best suppliers. Equipment made by the Agency wasn't cheap or lacking in favor.

Decha sat up and observed the line. He realized it didn't snap on his own. Someone purposely cut it.

By the time he found out, it was already too late. 2 seconds later, Decha stood up and turned around. A hard smack in the back of his neck sent him falling forward and flat on his stomach.

His legs were suddenly bound together by a sticky rope and he was raised off the ground. Decha was shoved against the door that led to the stairs.

"N96..."

"You again?" Decha rolled his eyes. It was Jamison. He had been the only man to successfully catch Decha off guard. "Not that there's a problem, I've been hunting you down."

"And I've... been looking for you." Jamison hissed. "Did a bit of research on the data I got from your Agency's system. A little code told me that you put in a request to have guardianship over my daughter. Hit me like a brick. That's why you know her so well."

"What do you want, Clarke?" Decha spat venomously.

"I wanna know where you're keeping my daughter you punk Astellian prick."

"Safe. And that's all you need to know." Decha set himself free by forcefully pulling his legs apart, out of the rope, and smacking Jamison in his jaw with his elbow.

Jamison flew back and landed on his behind. Decha placed his foot on Jamison's chest and held him down. Then he whipped out his gun and aimed at Jamison's face. "I gotta admit, you're good at sneaking up on people. But consistency is key. I let you take advantage of my distraction once, but I won't let it happen again."

"Rory—"

"Zip it, Clarke." Decha narrowed his eyes and pressed the barrel of the pistol into Jamison's forehead. "You lost the chance to see her ever again the moment you decided to cause a ruckus in Astell by bombing up the place."

"Who put you in charge of that? I'll see my daughter again without your saying so!"

"Do you seriously want Rory to be associated with a murderer?" Decha questioned, wanting to make Jamison think.

"I didn't murder anyone!" Jamison coughed.

Decha tilted his head. He refused to listen to Jamison's nonsense. "The crimes started small. Bombing safes where shops made the most money. Based on that pattern, I assumed you wanted to damage our economy to a certain extent. But then your bombs got bigger, chaotic, and much more disastrous. Every bomb placed killed people."

Decha explained. "I'm not fond of you. Like, at all. You hurt my friend, badly. And now, you've knocked my partner unconscious." His eyes glossed over Jax's body lazily. "I'm hesitant to kill you... I'll admit. Only because I see her eyes when looking at you. But I'm not a procrastinator. So, I'll end this here—"

"Wait! Wait!" Jamison flinched when Decha turned the knob on the gun. It would increase the damage done the higher the energy level was raised. "I didn't murder anyone! Honest!"

"You're starting to piss me off," Decha grunted.

"I'm telling the truth!" Jamison whined.

"Then who's responsible for all the destruction?"

"I can't tell you that." Jamison shook his head.

"You'd better start talking," Decha removed the gun and grabbed Jamison by his jacket. "I'll throw you off the building. It's much more rewarding than ending you by a simple execution."

"He'll kill me if I tell you." Jamison gulped. "He'll kill Rory."

"Kilos is protecting you." Decha seethed. "I wanna know who exactly, and how. How are you able to get around Astell without any detection? And what do you mean 'He'll kill Rory'? Who are you working for? That's if you're working for anyone. I'll find out whether you're lying or not, trust me. But if I were you, I'd take the easy route on this one."

While Decha was focused on his interrogation method, Jamison reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a rod with two prongs on the end. He jabbed Decha in the stomach, causing him to let go.

Jamison kicked Decha back before he could react.

"Clarke!" Decha hissed and stumbled away. The rod did something to him. He couldn't tell what, but he felt the effects. It wasn't until he observed the rod clearly and saw a glowing blue liquid dripping off the prongs.

His vision blurred in seconds, and a massive swelling of heat caused his arms and legs to ache. Decha gripped his arm and roared.

The liquid was injected into his body, and it was burning. The pain from the heat was excruciating. "Clarke!" Decha huffed the name out ferociously and collapsed on his knees.

With the blurred vision and painful sting in his limbs, Decha was losing focus on Jamison.

"I'm sorry, N96." Jamison backed away slowly. "We all have jobs to do. Mine just happens to include not giving away specific details. You know how it is."

"I'll kill you!" Decha spat through his teeth. "Agh!" He tumbled over and lay on his side as his arms throbbed.

"My little girl's life is at stake. You don't understand the position I'm in. I have to protect her."

Decha well understood enough. Jamison and he had the same goal, but opposite intentions. "You're a fool." Decha groaned and twitched his neck to look up at Jamison. "Protecting someone by killing thousands of innocent people is wrong."

"I already told you, I am not a murderer." Jamison sighed. He walked over to the ledge of the roof and glanced over his shoulder to frown at Decha. "The solution will wear off soon."

"If you leave, you'll never see her again!" Decha seethed. It wasn't a threat, but a vow he planned on keeping.

"Watch me," Jamison rolled his eyes. "No one will stop me from coming for my daughter." With those final words, Jamison hopped off the roof. He disappeared into the clouds below, but Decha knew he wasn't dead.

He was pissed that Jamison escaped when he had him cornered.

The pain continued and Decha writhed, biting his lip and causing it to bleed because of the burning in his blood.

~~~

"Avon, let me help you." Rory rushed over to the kitchen counter when she saw the small boy trying to climb it. She had yet to give him the device she made for him. But she was going to have to do it soon.

Avon was very adventurous when Jessica wasn't around watching him. Rory couldn't blame him, she was the same way, despite her limitations. Rory grabbed Avon's waist and placed him back onto the kitchen tile gently.

Rory frowned when she caught sight of a small black mark on the side of Avon's neck. The mark was very similar to hers. "Wait a second..." Rory studied it for a moment.

Sure enough, it was the stamp that identified Bracketers. Every Bracket child got one after turning one, and the mark was permanent. "That can't be..." Rory mumbled to herself.

Avon was a Bracketer. But it didn't make any sense. Jessica and Theodore called Avon their son. But they weren't Bracketers. Did this Astellian family adopt Avon into their home? Why would they adopt a Bracket child?

"Thank you, Roree." Avon smiled at her and pointed at a small lollipop on the counter. Rory gave it to him, and he began twisting the plastic wrap around to peel it off.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I can do it. Decha taught me."

"Ah..." Rory nodded and crouched down to his height. "Decha must teach you a lot of things."

"Decha is super cool." Avon successfully pulled off the wrapper and placed it in his mouth excitedly.

"What do you like the most about your brother?" Rory was curious. She assumed that Avon didn't know he was adopted. But she could tell he and Decha were very close. They were Inseparable.

It was as if the two needed each other to a certain extent. She saw the way Decha smiled at his brother. With much love. And she was a little jealous of how soft he was with Avon, but she refused to let that get in the way. She wanted to keep her emotions in check.

"Strong," Avon answered. "He's strong."

"Of course," Rory snorted. "He has to be strong because he's a general."

"No..." Avon pointed to his chest. "In here."

"His chest is strong?" It took Rory a moment to figure out what he meant. "Oh! His heart! Woah, his heart? Who taught you to think like that?"

"Decha says to never give up." He placed the lollipop in between his lips and began licking it happily. "When I grow up, I wanna be just like him."

"That's a great goal. Your brother is stubborn, but he's resilient."

"Re... shi... lent?"

"Mhmm. He's hard-working and it's not easy to knock him off his feet. I like that about him, minus the stubborn attitude."

"Ohh! You like him!" Avon teased, and Rory frowned immediately.

"Wait! No! I didn't mean it like that." Rory tried to cover her tracks, but Avon wasn't having it. "You're only 4 years old. You don't know the context. When I say I like his qualities, it doesn't mean—"

"I'm telling Decha!" Avon giggled and Rory felt an ache in her chest. There was no going back now.

"Don't!" She panicked.

"Why not?"

"Because if you do, we won't be friends anymore." Rory huffed. "And I'll take that candy from you. I'll hide it away so you can't find it." It was childish, but she had to resort to that level to make the kid understand. "Me liking his qualities means nothing, I just want to be more like him. That's what I was trying to say."

"So be like him."

"Huh?"

"Be like Decha. Be strong. In here." Avon shrugged. "That's what I do."

"It's not that easy." Rory wanted to have the same level of resilience as Decha, but she felt that she couldn't. It wasn't that she lacked confidence in her work. Rory knew she was very capable of inventing great things.

She just felt that her sickness was limiting her. She knew how patients with diseases similar to hers were treated. They were often overlooked or dismissed.

They weren't able to make firm decisions freely, or able to put their foot down when it came to their personal opinions. They were, but not often. She wanted to protect herself from that, she wanted to be brave and stand up for herself, but her whole life she was raised to just stand down.

"Just do it." Avon grabbed onto Rory's arm with a smile.

Maybe she was overthinking it. "You're right." Rory sighed. Avon wasn't wrong. Instead of thinking of why she didn't feel confident enough to be brave, she should be making changes to act on it. "I should at least give it a try, huh?"

"Yeah!" Avon nodded ecstatically.

"Let me start by giving you... this." She pulled VATE, the earpiece she invented out of her pocket. "It's going to help you move around easier. Here, let me put it on for you."

Rory began fitting the cord around his small ear, and Avon giggled. Rory smiled at the boy's tickled reaction. "There," Once it was set, she turned the dial to activate the device.

With it, Avon would be able to get a better feel and sound of the things around him. It was supposed to stimulate his muscle memory. "So?"

"It feels funny... but I like it." Avon wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Thank you Roree."

"Hey, it's no problem." She thought he was just so cute. She wondered why the family took a Bracket boy into their home, but maybe the cuteness was the answer. "You stay in here, I've got work to do."

I'm just that short conversation, Rory realized that the first step was to take action. What better way to do that than to help Decha stop POYO for good?