3بخش

Claggor.

He-he-hey, Little Man.

You’re a little early.

My guys are still roundin’ up this month’s collections.

Won’t have numbers until next, um…

Whoo.

Why are you muckin’ about with this?

I assume you’ve heard.

Yeah, me and half the undercity.

How could they be so stupid?

The younger folk think it’s the right thing to do.

Yeah, and Vi’s one of them.

Throws herself at trouble wherever she can find some.

Eh, they’re growing up, Vander.

Looking to write their own stories.

You can’t protect them forever.

Someone was following them.

Whole lot of someones, from what I heard.

Not enforcers.

Someone on our side.

Who?

There’s worse things than enforcers out there.

We both know that.

Yeah, I was hopin’ you’d be working today.

Did you guys go?

Sure did.

Hey, listen, how did you find that place?

I just–

Whoa, did you fight the enforcers?

What?

Oh, no.

Eh, just some bums.

Oh, did Vi kick their asses?

Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t be here otherwise.

Oh, she showed me a couple moves to practice.

Look.

Yeah, it’s… it’s coming along.

Ya!

Hey, so, how’d you find that place, anyway?

Uh, this weirdo came into the shop.

Bought a whole bunch of stuff Benzo only keeps there for display.

He paid in gold and didn’t even haggle.

I charged him double price.

Sucker.

But how did you know where he lived?

Uh, followed him.

How else?

Oh.

Right.

Oh, crap.

Uh…

They’ll be fine.

Go.

Well, hello.

Evening, friends.

Shit.

Something I can help you with?

Some trencher trash attacked one of the buildings in the Academy district, but you already knew that.

We’re looking for the culprits.

Got a description?

Yeah, it’s exactly who you’re picturing in that thick head of yours.

Mm.

You think my head is thick?

Uh, just past the average.

Listen, you shady son of a…

How about you go for a little walk, Marcus?

Cool off a bit.

Go.

Lovely chap you’ve brought.

Don’t mind the kid.

Doesn’t know when to pipe down.

Some things are the same topside and bottom.

You know this crossed a line upstairs.

Was anyone hurt?

A building was blown to bits.

What do you think?

Those who did this will be dealt with.

That workshop belonged to the Kirammans.

You know what kind of stuff they had in there?

Makes this place look like a candy shop.

The Council needs someone to make an example of.

People need to feel safe.

Yeah, topside people.

We had a deal, Vander.

You keep your people off my streets, and I stay out of your business.

Give me a name.

We’ll do things quiet.

No one will know you were involved.

I can’t do that.

You don’t seem to grasp how serious this is.

If I don’t put someone behind bars tonight, the next time I come down here, I’ll have an army of enforcers with me.

We both know how that’ll go.

I’m sorry, Grayson, but I can’t offer up my own people.

If you change your mind, this will reach me.

And only me.

What are you calling this one?

Whisker.

You wanna talk about today?

What’s the point?

I ruined everything.

I always do.

Nobody said that.

No.

Just that you were “twice the person” at half my age.

You heard them.

I’m not a fighter.

You don’t have to be.

Look, I’ve got these and you’ve got those.

They never work.

They will.

Come with me.

What?

Come on.

What are we doing here?

See that gutter running along the canal?

That’s where Claggor got his foot stuck running from enforcers.

They thought it was funny, so they left him there.

He was out all night before we found him.

That sign?

You see it?

Uh-huh.

Mylo tripped over his own paint bucket and nearly fell off trying to draw a giant middle finger.

His ass made that splotch.

And that?

When I was a kid, some guy took my favorite toy and threw it up there.

I used to come out here at night and stare at it, hoping maybe the wind or a bird might knock it down.

We’ve all had bad days.

But we learn.

And we stick together.

Oh, I forgot.

These were in my pocket.

They’re from the apartment.

What are they?

I don’t know.

Should we show Vander?

No.

Let’s keep this our little secret.

Mylo’s wrong, Powder.

You’re stronger than you think.

And one day this city’s gonna respect us.

You were supposed to follow them and not interfere.

I’m sorry.

They just caught us by surprise.

Now his accomplice is asking questions about you.

That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.

The kids.

It was their fault, the explosion in the upper city.

That was them?

Yeah.

The topsiders are up in arms looking for ‘em.

Vander’s in trouble.

Smartest thing you ever said, boy.

Get him a meal.

But keep him off the streets.

Our timeline has moved up.

It’s almost ready.

Show me.

Feeding time.

And the side effects?

Stabilizing.

You have a subject in mind?

Someone just volunteered.