I approach the front door of the abandoned retail store slowly, carefully. No sudden movements. As long as I don’t allow the crooks to think that they’ve lost control of the situation, the hostages will remain safe. Or so I tell myself.

I knock. “It’s Seraphina. I was told you were looking for me. Let me inside, and let’s settle things.”

For several seconds, there’s silence. My ears aren’t good enough to hear anything going on inside. Not with the sound of cops and sirens and wind and the press and everyone else chattering some fifty feet behind me. At least, I don’t hear the sounds of screams. That’s a good thing. It means that the situation right now is— probably— currently stable.

They better not harm those kids. I’m grateful that I was never involved with the gangs back as a kid or a younger teenager. Never did drugs and tried not to associate with those who did. But the neighborhood we lived in was… the sort of neighborhood where you never did fully get away from it all. Gunshots ringing out in the afternoon or overnight weren’t exactly common, but they happened a few times a year.

My mother, may she rest in peace, impressed upon me the dangers that lurked just beneath the relatively peaceful life she worked so hard to give me. I… I can see a younger version of myself in the situation these scared kids find themselves in today. Had things been different, I could be the one inside being held hostage. Bound, shuddering, scared, hoping that someone would come save me. It terrifies me. Not just because of what that loss of freedom and agency entails, but because I know it would take so little for me to snap. To inflict fates far, far worse than death upon the perpetrators, should the reports be correct.

I don’t want to be that person. I know Chloe doesn’t want me to be that person. But I have the potential to be that person. I take a deep breath to try to center myself. Stay calm, Seraphina. Think with your head. Use the senses you’ve honed over the last several months.

Good heavens, I wish Chloe were here. I sense her worry and her fear through our [Angelic Bond]. How I wish I had her scent or the touch of her hand against mine to help ground me. I must remain calm.

The door slides open ever so slightly. I step inside. A couple of officers try to sneak in. I raise my hand and shake my head. Their presence will only agitate me. And their level is far too low. More likely to harm me than help me should things come to pass.

I walk into the large retail floor. The air is thick and muggy— I doubt the air conditioning has been turned on in weeks. The floors are dirty, and I think I hear the squeaking of rats scurrying in the back. No signage or displays remain, but the physical shelves themselves are still arranged into various aisles which once held merchandise. I think it was a toy store until a few years ago. My head lowers slightly.

The intercom rings out. “Seraphina. It’s good to finally see you.” I look around. No humans within the range of [Archangel’s Gaze]. Security cameras must still be on. Or maybe some sort of drone. The idea of facing another [Mechanist] isn’t out of the question, especially if these four are so heavily connected to the black market. If it’s a drone, it’s tiny, no bigger than a housefly. Even that shouldn’t be able to evade my sight, but if it’s fast enough and far enough away, it could be mistaken for an actual insect, and there are several of those buzzing about as well.

“Please, come inside. It was good of you to come alone,” a suave masculine voice says. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to guarantee the safety of our guests.”

The door closes behind me, followed by a click. Auto-locking doors, probably controlled by someone working in a security office in the back. I’m sure the glyph of [Unlock] could easily overpower this mechanism, or I could just break out the windows. I don’t need to reveal all my cards just yet.

I walk down the aisle nearest me, directly in front of the front door. It’s eerie, disconcerting. Too quiet. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I step down the aisle, each step echoing over and over again against the metal of the display shelves, the ceramic floors, the dirty white drywall, and the ceiling tiles of… I’m not sure what they’re made of.

I continue to sense no presence of any creatures more significant than insects and vermin around me. Bide my time, wait for Chloe, keep my cool, don’t let the kidnappers think that they aren’t the ones in control. No sudden movements. Wait for another instruction. They’ll call for me soon enough.

For now, I head toward the back, meandering ever so slightly. Deep breaths. “Steel yourself and harden your heart,” I mouth to myself. I don’t want to see what’s waiting in the back, in the warehouse where those kids are being held. But it’s far, far better to mentally ready myself for the worst, for scenes of… things I don’t want to think about, don’t want to describe in words or envision, but know that I have to, in order to maximize the chances that they’ll all survive.

“Attention, Seraphina Mortensen. I repeat: Shopper Seraphina Mortensen, your presence is requested in the storage room without delay.” The intercom goes silent, but not before the beginnings of a low, guttural sound that chills me directly to my soul. Whoever is behind this is truly inhuman… If, indeed, these creatures are humans and not monsters with intelligence and cunning. A disturbing prospect I’d not considered until just now.

I don’t rush, but I do head over toward the back door at a deliberate pace, all the while probing my surroundings with [Archangel’s Gaze]. There’s definitely something attempting to stop my doing so. It’s a thin, shimmering haze, not dissimilar from a portal, beyond which, reality is a bit fuzzier. Some sort of glamour, I have to assume. It takes only a bit of effort to push past it, like putting my hand on a soap bubble and attempting to pop it.

I stop just before breaking through the barrier. They might not know I have such a powerful perception Skill. And now isn’t the right time to employ it. Later, once I have full knowledge of the situation. For now, I play along.

I enter into the room. It’s strange. Not at all grungy and dilapidated like the storefront is. It’s futuristic, high tech. Machines scurrying about on the ground, drones floating in midair. This looks less like some warehouse and more like… a factory? Yes, this is definitely some sort of factory. A weapon factory.

“Greetings,” Miss Seraphina,” a man’s voice says.

The owner of said voice emerges out from behind a conjured shadow a moment later. He looks… well, he looks like he’s trying to do a poor impression of a Mafia don. Elaborate, expensive black suit, slicked-back hair, full mustache, well-shined shoes… No lap cat, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has one back in his office. Yes, definitely a mob boss, assuming your experience with mob bosses is the glamorized version seen in pop culture.

“I apologize for the poor circumstances for our meeting, but I am absolutely delighted to have the honor to meet the young mistress in person.” He bows slightly.

I’m so confused. First he kidnaps children to orchestrate this meeting, and now he’s… engaging in such supplicating, demeaning behavior. I can’t figure out his angle.

I need to keep him talking. “While I’m sure it’s your great honor to make my acquaintance, I have no idea who you are or what you’re doing, nor how you know me or for what purpose you’ve dragged me down here.”

“Ah, of course. This lowly one humbly requests the lady’s forgiveness for infringing upon such basic principles of order and decorum. Please, if it would do, you may call me Giuseppe.”

Internally, I wince at the over the top obsequiousness, but I say nothing. If it keeps him talking in circles and wasting his time while Chloe flies toward us, then so much the better.

“And the rest of my questions, Mr. Giuseppe?”

“As for how we know you, that’s the simplest question to answer. Who doesn’t? You’re an international celebrity after your little press conference or dissertation defense or whatever it actually was designed to be. And after that, it wasn’t hard to track down your research reports and begin poring through them. I have to say, your ideas, your philosophies, the way you design these structures of glyphs and technology. It’s absolutely brilliant. I… I do not dare exaggerate when I say that some of these ideas you’ve listed have accelerated the growth of this field by… I don’t know. Thirty to fifty years, probably.

“As for what I’m doing. I’m merely working to make sure that we are properly equipped to handle the next calamity. Because we both know that it’s only a matter of when, not if, another city killer shows up on the horizon. Next time, who can say if we’ll be able to rebuff it, or perhaps, we’ll end up like Milwaukee.”

“But–”

“You’ll take care of it? The Twin Seraphs, our guardian angels, our defenders brought down from on high to save us, right? You and your little lover girl are powerful. But I believe it was you who said that you didn’t trust the government. Am I wrong?”

I nod. I don’t like where he’s going with this, but I’m not going to deny my own words.

“And by the same token, we the people shouldn’t trust you. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, after all. Not to say that you don’t have our best interests at heart. I genuinely think you mean all the best for humanity, based on everything you’ve done to this point. But it’s best not to be reliant on the goodness of your heart. After all, you might always… well, your luck might run out with all your dangerous missions and exploration of that damned tower downtown.

“And so, to that end, I want you to assist us in our little operation. Help us build the next generation of weapons. Help us secure a future for humanity against the monsters that now invade our planet and threaten our lives.” Giuseppe bows. “Seraphina, if you are truly the empathetic person you have claimed to be, then I know the decision will be an easy one.”

I grit my teeth and take a deep breath. “And the hostages? The children that have been kidnapped and are being held here?”

“They are being kept in comfort, with plenty of food, water, and other amenities. Truly, we mean no harm. It’s just that we are operating a ring that many individuals— including the police and other such so-called authorities— would consider unlawful. We mean them no harm and are doing all within our power to keep them as comfortable as circumstances would allow.”

“But you won’t let them go.”

Giuseppe lowers his head slightly. “Ah, I would if I could. But alas, I don’t have your connections and reputation, nor your incredible power that defies all attempts to resist. Were we to continue our operation without appropriate reassurance, everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve these past few months would be swiftly disposed of, swept under the rug as we’re sent either to prison or the executioner.”

“And you can guarantee the safety of your hostages?”

I still dislike this completely. Even if what he’s saying is true, that these kids are ‘being taken care of’, kids still need social activity. They need to play and run around and get an education and… just live normal lives if they are to properly thrive. That much is one thing that didn’t change with the arrival of the System.

“Absolutely, absolutely.”

“Lead me to them, so I can see for myself.”

Giuseppe smiles. “Of course. By your will, it shall be done.”