That reminded me of alchemy, but it couldn’t be. There are no alchemists on Mars. That’s a Grecian talent.
Nyx said nothing.
Not long after that, the two of them exited the shuttle. Gabrielle and Nyx’s destination was the fountain located in the center of the plaza. Selene was already waiting for them. Her curly dark hair descended her head like a wave, framing her face and matching her skin. She wore a short-sleeved green shirt, a white skirt, and flats.
“There you are,” Selene said upon seeing Gabrielle.
“Sorry I’m running a bit late.” Gabrielle’s smile was apologetic as she walked up to her friend. “We ended up missing the first shuttle and had to wait for the next one to arrive.”
“That’s fine.” Selene waved off the apology. “I only just got here a little—wait. We?”
Gabrielle grinned as she pushed Nyx in front of her, keeping her hands on the smaller girl’s shoulders. “Selene, this is Nyx. Nyx, this is Selene. She’s one of my new friends and Alex’s childhood friend.”
“... Nice to meet you,” Nyx said, her voice about as emotive as a durasteel wall.
Selene stared at the young girl. Gabrielle was beaming. Nyx was still wearing the same clothes that she had yesterday. While Gabrielle liked her style, she thought they could do some shopping for her. It was always good to have more than one set of clothes, after all. She also thought it would be fun to dress the girl up.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Selene greeted Nyx, and then looked at Gabrielle. “So, how do you two know each other?”
“Alex found her and invited her to stay at our home.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait.” Selene raised her hands and waved them back and forth. “He’s letting her live with you? Why?”
Gabrielle looked down at Nyx, who must have felt her gaze, because she looked back with a soulless expression. Through her eyes, Gabrielle thought she could glimpse Nyx’s loneliness. Alex had likely noticed the same thing, which was why he’d offered her a place to stay.
Looking back up, Gabrielle addressed Selene. “Because Nyx doesn’t have anywhere to go. She’s new to Mars City, and from what I know, she doesn’t have any family or friends living here.”
“I understand now.” Selene sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, that sounds a lot like Alex. He would never leave someone to fend for themselves if there was something he could do to help.”
Gabrielle’s bright smile spoke volumes about her own feelings on the subject. “Yeah, but that’s why I love Alex so much. Would you feel the same way about him if he wasn’t who he was?”
“Probably not,” Selene admitted.
“Exactly!”
Nyx just stared at the two, remaining silent.
This girl really didn’t talk much, did she?
3
“Achoo!”
Alex’s sneeze echoed throughout the room, which was a tiny meeting room located inside of the police department’s main office branch on Mars City, the one that he used to work at when he was a cadet training to become an officer. Sitting on the other side of a rectangular table was Mrs. Caridna Tepes.
Leaning against the table was a simple katana. Well, it looked simply, but it was something that Alex had invented. He wanted to test it out on a few training dummies, which he didn’t have at his home right now... all his dummies were already in ruins.
“Bless you.”
“Thanks.” Alex rubbed his nose and sniffed several times. “I must have breathed in some dust or something.”
“That, or someone is talking about you,” Mrs. Tepes said with a lecherous grin. “Perhaps a certain silver-haired alien princess?”
“That’s just an old wives’ tale,” Alex grunted, feeling a sense of deja vu. He shrugged it off. “It’s something that some idiot made up a long time ago for kicks. There’s no evidence to suggest that people sneeze when someone talks about them.”
“If you say so.” Mrs. Tepes shrugged. “So, how about you tell me why you wanted to meet with me at the police station, of all places? We could have met at Atreyu Academy, you know?”
Despite being in her mid-30s, Mrs. Tepes didn’t look a day over twelve or thirteen. Her cherubic face contained a youthfulness that belied her age. She was short, so short that her feet didn’t even reach the floor as she sat in the straight-backed chair. With her blonde hair done up in twin-tails, she really did look like a little girl. Her appearance created a strong dichotomy to the black business suit she was wearing.
Mrs. Tepes was the principal of Atreyu Academy. However, before becoming the principal of an educational institute, she had been a member of his father’s team on the special forces. She excelled in gathering and disseminating information. That said, Alex had done some digging of his own and learned that she was supposedly an expert combatant and marksman.
Alex leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I was hoping to find some information on someone.”
“Ho?” Mrs. Tepes leaned forward and placed her tiny hands on the table. The grin on her face, which Alex would have described as enigmatic, looked out of place on her youthful features. “You want some information on someone, but since you’re no longer a cadet in training, you can’t access the police database, which is why you called me, right?”
Alex shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. “Actually, I’ve already hacked into the police’s database, but I couldn’t find any information on the person I was looking for. That’s why I called you.”
Mrs. Tepes seemed surprised by how casually he admitted to hacking the police database. Her expression, which had widened into an almost childlike look of curiosity, suited her more than her previous perverse countenance.
“That was pretty bold of you.”
“Not really. Hacking into the police department’s security system is easy.”
“I meant telling me. You know that’s a crime, right? I could report you.”
Alex nodded. “You could, but you won’t.”
“Heh, such confidence you have.” Mrs. Tepes leaned back. “But you’re right. Considering how great a source of entertainment you are, there’s no way I could let you be arrested.”
Just as I thought.
Mrs. Caridna Tepes was a woman who’d grown bored and wanted to be entertained. That was probably why she’d become the principal of Atreyu Academy. Children always caused drama.
“So,” Mrs. Tepes began again, “who is it that you’re looking for information on?”
“Her name is Nyx, no last name,” Alex said.
“Nyx, huh? Interesting name. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone with a name like that. I’m assuming this is a girl?”
“You’d be assuming right. I don’t know how old she is, but she can’t be any older than my sister. She’s a very pretty girl with long dark hair and red eyes, and her skin is really pale.”
“And why exactly do you want to find out more about this girl?”
“Why would you even ask that? Isn’t it obvious?”
“You’re right. It is obvious.” Mrs. Tepes grinned. “I just wanted to hear you spout some monologue about helping someone like a stereotypical hero.”
Everyone knew about Alex’s desire to be a hero. By now, it had become common knowledge among the people who knew him. It wasn’t like he’d ever done anything to hide his goal. Indeed, he was often made fun of for it, or he used to be back in school.
“Well, I’ll see what I can scrounge up,” Caridna told him. “I’ve got a few contacts outside of the police that can gather hard to find information a little more easily using, shall we say, less than legal means. If there’s something to be found out about this Nyx girl, then I’ll find it.”
“Thank you,” Alex said earnestly.
“No problem.” Mrs. Tepes waved off his thanks. Then she grinned. “By the way, this Nyx wouldn’t happen to be living with you now, would she?”
“Um… maybe?”
“Hahaha! Nice! Can I take it to mean she’s goin
g to be another member of your harem?”
“Please don’t say things like that. You’re going to make me sound like a sexual deviant.”
“I thought you were a sexual deviant.”
Alex groaned and placed his head on the table. It seemed even Mrs. Tepes was going to make fun of him. What did he do to deserve this?
4
Nyx traveled with Gabrielle and Selene as they walked along the walkways of Mars City, capturing attention everywhere they went, especially by the male population. Not that it was hard. Men were horndogs, and Gabrielle and Selene were both gorgeous. Nyx could understand why they would garner so much attention.
Nyx ignored the stares that she received. She didn’t like being the center of attention, as it made assassinating her targets more difficult, but right then, she wasn’t killing anyone. She was gathering intel.
Gabrielle didn’t even appear to have noticed the looks sent their way. That girl was about as oblivious as it came. Nyx envied her.
“So, where exactly do you want to go next?” Selene asked.
They had been walking around for nearly an hour, with Gabrielle doing her best to show Nyx the sights using Mr. Map, an invention that she and Alex had apparently created together. It was basically just a device that projected a holographic map into the air, although the map was easily more detailed than anything someone could buy in a store. It was also interactive, allowing them to zoom in on their location and even get directions.
Nyx had no idea how it was made, but she was impressed.
“I was thinking about buying a new dress to welcome Alex home later today,” Gabrielle declared happily. “I also want to go clothes shopping for Nyx!”
“Oh, that’s nice…” Selene started—only to stop and whip her head around to look at Gabrielle. “Pardon? Welcome home?”
Gabrielle nodded. “Yes, welcome home. I need to step up my game if I want Alex to acknowledge my feelings.”
“Acknowledge your feelings? But I thought you two were engaged or whatever?”
“We are… well, sort of.” Gabrielle scratched the side of her head. “It’s kind of hard to explain. We are engaged, but Alex seems to think that the only reason I’m with him is because I’m trying to avoid having Papa marry me off to someone against my will. I heard him talking about it with his grandpapa when we were at Mars Homespring Resort.”
Walking alongside them, Nyx stared at the alien princess out of her peripheral vision. Her frown was almost unnoticeable. What Gabrielle was saying did not coincide with the information that she had been given.
Selene looked thoughtful. “Well, this is Alex we’re talking about. He’s dense at the best of times and willfully ignorant at the worst. The fact that you’re using him as a shield to keep from being married doesn’t help. It’s probably the entire reason that Alex doesn’t think your feelings for him are real.” She paused. “Is your father still trying to marry you off?”
Gabrielle shook her head. “Not anymore thanks to Alex. After Alex fought off Azazel, Azazel decided to help me. He informed Papa of what happened and told him that I wanted to marry Alex. Of course, there is still the issue with all of my other marriage candidates coming after Alex. Mou, I wish they would just give up already.”
There were a lot of people out that day, pedestrians of all kinds. Two parents walked with their child, smiling widely as the little boy giggled at everything, while several meters from them a gaggle of girls dressed in garish clothing chattered away. Men. Women. Boys. Girls. Young. Old. There were so many different people. It was all so peaceful.
Nyx had learned to be wary of such places. It was often places that seemed utopian like this that had the most darkness in it.
“Give it time.” Selene smiled. “I’m sure Alex will send them all packing.”
Nyx continued to listen and ponder everything that she was learning. None of this was coinciding with what she’d been taught about her target. It was clear to her that most if not all the information that she had been given was false.
My employer is going to regret making a fool of me.
High above, the massive skyscrapers towered over them. Nyx looked up. She wondered if her employer was out there, somewhere, watching the events down here unfold.
“Of course he will,” Gabrielle stated with certainty. “Alex is awesome like that. I’m not even worried about my suitors. The problem is that Alex seems to think the only reason I want to marry him is because I don’t want to marry any of the other marriage candidates.”
“Is that why you’ve been trying to so hard to get him to pay attention to you?” Selene asked. “I noticed that you’ve been inviting him to spend time with us a lot.”
Nodding, Gabrielle said, “Yes, that’s it exactly. I need to find some way to let Alex know that I’m not marrying him out of convenience, but because I truly love and want to be with him.”
“Does this mean that you are not being forced into a relationship with Alexander Ryker?” Nyx asked.
“Why would I be forced into a relationship with Alex?” Gabrielle sounded truly confused, as if she couldn’t even contemplate why someone would ask her such a dumb question. “Marrying Alex was my choice and no one else’s. I want to stay with him forever, so I have decided to marry him. That’s all there is to it.”
Nyx stared at her for a second longer before looking away. She hadn’t really needed to confirm it, but she’d wanted to make sure. It really did look like her current employer was going to pay dearly after her mission here was complete.
I hate this.
“Does this mean you’re not actually in a relationship with Alex?” Selene asked. Gabrielle thought about it, then slowly nodded.
“I guess it does.” The girl suddenly smiled brightly, as if not concerned by her own admission. “But I’m not worried. Even if Alex thinks I’m just pretending to be married to him, I know that he cares for me. He wouldn’t be so willing to let me live with him if he didn’t.” Officially pumped, Gabrielle clenched her hands into determined fists. “Now I just need to make him acknowledge my feelings for him!”
Selene looked at the girl for a few seconds more before smiling slightly. “I really do envy you. I wish I could be honest with my feelings like that.”
“Why can’t you?”
Selene took Gabrielle and Nyx to a small bench, where they could all sit down. Nyx frowned when her feet refused to reach the ground. She could have changed her height by using alchemy on her bones and muscles, but she preferred being short because it made fighting easier.
People underestimated you when you were short. Men especially.
“I guess I should tell you about what happened between Alex and myself,” Selene said after several seconds of silence.
“Did something bad happen?”
“I don’t know if I would call it bad, but it was probably really stupid on my part.” Selene paused again. Nyx kept her ear on the conversation, but she was more focused on the shuttles passing by overhead. “Did Alex tell you about how he and Alice used to live with us for a few years after their parents died?”
“Um, yeah, I think he mentioned that when we first met. Um…” Gabrielle didn’t seem to remember. Nyx thought she was just going along with Selene to not look ignorant.
“Did he tell you the reason he and Alice moved out?”
“Um… I don’t think so…”
“I’m the reason they moved out.” Selene’s smile was quite bitter. “It happened during our third year of primary. Alex and I were thirteen. He’d called me up to the roof of Atreyu Academy and confessed his love for me. He asked me to be his girlfriend.”
“Really?” Gabrielle’s eyes had grown wide. Nyx wondered if she was worried.
“Yes, really.”
“That’s amazing!” Gabrielle burst, letting Nyx know that she was not, in fact, worried. “What did you say? Did you accept his feelings?”
“No, I turned him down.” Selene’s words made even Gabrielle pause in shock. “I
told him that I didn’t like him like that, and that I only thought of him as a brother.” She leaned back and looked at the domed ceiling over their heads. “Alex and Alice moved out a few days after that, and I barely saw them outside of school. Two years passed and before I knew it, Alex had graduated from primary and was accepted into the Police Academy.”
While she wouldn’t say anything, this sort of information was interesting to Nyx. It gave her a lot of in depth insight into her target. The only problem, she found, was that it also made her somewhat sympathetic.
It was never good to feel sympathy for a target.
“Does that mean you don’t love Alex?” Gabrielle asked.
“I… I don’t know,” Selene confessed. “At the time, I thought of him as nothing more than a brother, but after he stopped spending time with me, I realized how important he was. I still don’t know if I love him like you do, but I would like him back in my life.”
Nyx wondered if Selene and Gabrielle should really be talking about this while she was present. Maybe they were comfortable with her, or maybe they’d forgotten about her. Either way, this was an enlightening conversation.
She did not understand human relationships. She didn’t understand relationships in general. Having lived a solitary life, with only her employers and the people working in Ragnarok for company, Nyx had never once bothered getting close to others.
“I see. In that case, all we need to do is set you and Alex up on a date, and then you can figure out what he means to you!”
“E-excuse me?”
Gabrielle leapt to her feet. Nyx thought she spotted fire burning behind the girl’s eyes as she grinned at Selene. The princess seemed really fired up.
“I’ve read that going out on a date is the best way for two people to connect! If you and Alex went on a date together, you might be able to understand your own feelings better.”
“You think so?” Selene asked, her tone doubtful.
“Of course. I’m sure this will work.”
“I-if you say so.” Selene didn’t seem to agree. “Say Alex and I do go on a date. What would you do if, after going out with him, I said that I do love him?”
A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol 4 Page 8