Alex was grateful. He knew that what he’d done was criminal, that he’d done something that should have warranted a harsh punishment. That he was getting off with two months, bi-monthly reports to what amounted to a parole officer, and ten million credits was more than just a light sentencing.
Of course, he only had ten million credits to his name, so they would be taking all of his money, but that was a small price to pay. The black mark was a bigger issue. It meant people would be reluctant to continue using his products, which would make it more difficult to earn a living. Still, compared to imprisonment, this was infinitely better.
“However, this sentence also comes with a caveat. You must tell me where Nyx is currently located.”
Alex froze. His breathing stilled completely. His hands clenched the fabric of the couch. She was asking him to give away Nyx’s location? She wanted him to tell her where Nyx was hiding despite all his efforts to save her?
“... No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no,” Alex said. “I won’t tell you where Nyx is located. I refuse to give away her location, knowing what will happen to her once you discover where she is.”
While Karen looked nonplussed by his response, Yumi stared at him, her impassive gaze somehow seeming angry.
“What do you mean you won’t tell us where she is located? Surely you don’t intend to protect her after all she has done to you? She tried to kill you!”
Alex glared at her, and the ferocity in his eyes actually seemed to take Yumi back. “I am well aware of what she tried to do; I just don’t care.”
Yumi’s eyes widened a fraction. “What do you—”
“I don’t care because Nyx is still my friend. Where you only see an assassin, who was hired to kill me, I only see a friend who was forced into an undesirable situation.”
“Alexander, Nyx is a professional assassin,” Karen pointed out.
“I know that.” Alex resisted the urge to bark at her. “You think I don’t know that? I was there when Mrs. Tepe’s told you this. I was also the one who fought her, so I am perfectly aware of what she is capable of. I just don’t care. I may have only known Nyx for a short while, but I can honestly tell you right now that she is a good person, and she doesn’t deserve to be treated like a criminal. The only reason she even took this job was because of misinformation.”
Nyx had told him that her employer had lied, stating that he was a despicable tyrant who abused women. She only tried to kill him because she had already accepted the contract. That was all.
“But she still took the job,” Karen argued. “And she still followed through with it and tried to kill you.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Alex shook his head. “She explained her reasons to me, and while I don’t like them, I’m not going to get upset over them. Besides, I’m still alive, and the reason for that is because she held back when we fought. She held back because she didn’t want to kill me. Nyx is a good person at heart. I know she is.” His expression hardened. “And that is why I won’t help you find her. That’s why I’ll protect her from anyone who tries to hurt her, even you.”
“So that’s how it’s going to be?” The only sign of Karen’s anger was her clenched fists. “You know that this desire to protect others—even those who have tried to kill you, is a foolish notion, right? That kind heart of yours is going to get you killed some day.”
“Better to die with my kindness intact than to live by becoming cold-hearted,” Alex countered.
“You’re a damn fool,” Karen whispered before standing up. “It seems the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“C-Commander?” Yumi gawked at Karen. Her cold facade faded as she stared at her commander in confusion.
“We’re done here, Yumi.”
“But what about—”
“I said we’re done here!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Yumi said in a subdued voice.
Karen stared at the young man before her with a hard look. “If you were anyone else, Alexander, what you’ve just said and done this day would have earned you life imprisonment.”
“But I’m not just anyone else,” Alex dared to point out. “You said it yourself. The survival of this entire solar system rests on my marrying Gabrielle. That was the condition set down by King Lucifer.”
“Yes, that was indeed the condition,” Karen muttered, and then shook her head in disgust. “It seems you’ve already become accustomed to hiding behind that convenient shield.”
Alex closed his eyes and tried not to let her words get to him. “If that’s what you want to think, then go ahead. However, know this, Nyx has now been placed under my protection. I will consider any attack against her to be an attack against me.”
“And I’ll take any attack against Alex to be an attack against Angelise,” Gabrielle added. When everyone looked at her in shock, she grinned. “What? Did you expect me to not support Alex? I might be upset at Nyx, but if this is what he wants, then I’m going to do my best to help him.”
Alex reached out and squeezed Gabrielle’s hand. “Thank you, Gabby.”
“Tee-hee, you’re welcome.”
Karen’s expression was unreadable. “I see that you have your father’s stubborn streak. I believe there is nothing left that needs to be said. Goodbye, Alexander.”
Turning about, Karen walked out of the living room without a single backward glance. Yumi stared between the now vacant door and Alex for several for several seconds, as if unsure of what to do. Then, with what appeared to be reluctance, she followed Karen out of the room.
Alex listened to the sound of their receding footsteps. He heard the door open and close. He waited for one second more, and then he slumped in his chair.
“Well,” Alex sighed, “it looks like I’ve gone and pissed Karen off again.”
Gabrielle frowned as she stared at where the two had disappeared.
“I don’t know if I like Karen all that much.” She crossed her arms and huffed. “She’s a meanie.”
Alex almost chuckled. “Yeah, Comman—I mean, Karen’s pretty tough. She’s been like that for as long as I can remember.”
“Have you known her for a long time?”
“Since I was six or so,” Alex responded while staring at the coffee table. “When my father quit the special operations unit, he became an academy instructor and took on a squad. Karen was one of the people he trained. She and the rest of his squad were always coming over for dinner and whatnot, so I pretty much grew up with her hanging around the house. She was actually the person I was closest to. All of the other officers were older and tended to spend their time drinking. Karen was the only one who would play with me and Alice.”
As she listened to his story, Gabrielle sat down, leaned over, and placed her head on his shoulder. “Sounds like she was much nicer back then than she is now.”
Alex’s smile contained little mirth. “My old man’s death changed her. It changed a lot of people, but I think she was affected by his death the most. Like me, Karen looked up to him, so when he died, it really hurt her. She became hard, unyielding, and demanding. She also ended up going on a warpath with the criminal underworld. I remember back when I was younger, she’d appear on the holonet a lot. I’d hear stories about how she busted another drug cartel selling Redline on the black market, or how she jailed an elite noble family for selling illegal weapons to gangs and thugs. I think my old man’s death drove Karen to push herself, eventually leading her to becoming the woman we know today.”
Gabrielle remained silent for a moment before smiling wistfully. “It seems there’s a lot about your past that I don’t know. I’m kind of sad that I’ll never get to be a part of those memories.”
“We’ll just have to make our own memories, then.”
Gabrielle smiled at his words. “Right.”
“Anyway, we need to think about what we should do now.” Alex crossed his arms and frowned. “Knowing Karen like I do, I can tell you right now that
she hasn’t given up. Once she gets back to police HQ, she’ll begin setting up a search perimeter in order to ascertain Nyx’s location. We need to find some way to keep her from being able to go after Nyx, something that will act as a deterrent.”
Unfortunately, Alex didn’t know anything that would convince Karen to call off her pursuit of Nyx. The police commander was a tough one, and she had a tendency to crack down hard on anything illegal, and assassination most definitely fell into the illegal category. She wasn’t about to let an assassin slip through her fingers.
“I might have an idea,” Gabrielle said, causing Alex to look up at her.
“Really? What is it?”
“We ask Papa to help out.” And with those words, Gabrielle gave him a bright smile.
6
It always amazed Alex, the level of technology that Gabrielle possessed.
Even though Mr. Recycle Doggy had completely trashed the place less than four hours ago, the entire workshop appeared just as it always had. There wasn’t a single item out of place. The walls looked clean and not full of holes, the many machines were all repaired and sparkled like they were brand new, and the whole room was spotless, free of the pink adhesive that Gabrielle had fired from her bazooka. Gabrielle had fixed this place within a two-hour time period.
It was astonishing.
Alex stood beside Gabrielle as she typed into a console. Floating above them was a blank screen made of holographic light particles. As she called up the communication line they needed, the screen crackled and buzzed before the visage of Azazel appeared before them, sitting on his command chair. He didn’t seem to be paying attention, and Alex very nearly shoved his palm into his face when he realized the reason.
Azazel was playing a videogame of some kind. He could see the miniature game controller in the older man’s hands.
“Ha! You think that you can defeat the forces of Zinon? Take that, miscreants!”
“Azazel,” Gabrielle called out, causing the man to look up at the screen. Upon noticing who was calling, Azazel tossed the small device over his shoulder. Alex heard it smash against the floor seconds later.
“Princess Gabrielle, Groom-to-be, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Alex twitched at the nickname. It really was annoying. Why couldn’t this man call him by his actual name?
“There is something that we would like you to do for us,” Gabrielle said for them.
“Something you want me to do?” Azazel straightened in his chair and studied the pair. “Very well. Ask me whatever it is you wish, Princess Gabrielle, and I shall see to it that your will is done.”
Gabrielle nodded as if she had expected this very formal answer. “We have a friend who’s gotten herself into a bit of trouble with the local authorities. She’s an alien like us, and so she doesn’t know much about human culture. The police forces are currently trying to apprehend her.”
“And you wish me to protect her?” Azazel assumed, raising an eyebrow. “I apologize, Princess Gabrielle, but I am not sure if there is anything someone like myself can do in this situation. Part of our agreement with the GDF and GPF is that we do not interfere in their affairs.”
“We’re not asking you to come over here and interfere with the police or anything like that,” Gabrielle was quick to correct the man. “What I want you to do is send a formal request to Papa. I want him to put the person known as Nyx under angelisian protection.”
Alex was impressed as Gabrielle spoke. Her voice held an authoritative tone that he’d never heard from her before, and her bearing was far more regal than what he was used to. It was like she had become an entirely different person.
“I see.” Azazel crossed his muscular arms over his armored chest and nodded several times. “So that’s how it is. I can certainly contact King Lucifer and give him your request. I am sure he will not mind placing someone under angelisian protection laws.”
“Thanks, Azazel!” Gabrielle said with her cheerful mien
Azazel smiled at her. “You are most welcome, Princess Gabrielle, Groom-to-Be.”
The screen went black as the communication ended. Gabrielle nodded, her satisfied face reminding him of Alice after she finished eating a strawberry cheesecake parfait.
“There. Problem solved.”
“Are you sure your old man will come through for us?” asked a skeptical Alex.
“Of course,” Gabrielle reassured him. “I have no doubt that we’ll receive a missive to deliver to Karen some time tomorrow, claiming that Nyx is under the protection of the Angelisian Empire. Papa will probably even add something like ‘if you try hurting or arresting her, I’ll blow up your whole planet’ or something like that. He likes to use the ‘blow up your planet’ threat a lot.”
“I’m really not sure what to say to that,” Alex commented, feeling more than just a little concerned. He wanted to protect Nyx, but blowing up a whole planet for her was pretty extreme, especially because it kind of defeated the purpose.
Gabrielle stared at him quizzically. “Huh?”
“... Never mind.”
They left the workshop, traveling up the stairs and into the hallway. Loud banging could be heard coming from the front door, which they had not been able to hear in the workshop due to the room’s heavy insulation. Worried shouting accompanied the banging.
“Alex?! Alex, are you in there?! Please answer the door!”
“Is that… Selene?” Alex asked, while Gabrielle gasped excitedly.
“It is Selene!”
The alien princess rushed to the door and threw it wide open to reveal Selene, whose hand was raised in mid-knock.
“Selene!”
Selene barely had time to gain her bearings and register the other girl’s presence before Gabrielle pounced, wrapping her in a hug and proceeding to rub their cheeks together.
“What the—Gabrielle?” Selene’s rapid blinking let Alex know that his friend was trying to process her new predicament. He understood how she felt. “What are you doing?”
Gabrielle laughed. “I’m so excited to see you!”
“Uh-huh…”
Selene didn’t seem to know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Her gaze traveled away from the overly enthusiastic Gabrielle, eventually locking on to Alex.
“Alex!”
With Gabrielle still latched onto her like a leech, Selene walked over to him. “Are you okay? I heard you got into a really dangerous situation. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Alex wondered how Selene had known about Nyx, but judging by her reaction, she probably didn’t know what happened, only that he’d been injured. Did she know that he’d been in the hospital? Maybe. Regardless, Alex would have to ascertain what she knew. That way he could come up with proper countermeasures. After all, Selene wasn’t supposed to know about his predicament.
“Um, I’m fine,” Alex said as Selene began checking him for injuries. He nearly stumbled backwards when she got up close and personal. He became mortified when she started touching him all over, as if assuring herself that he was alive, well, and not on the verge of death.
“I heard you were attacked and sent to the hospital,” Selene continued. “I was so worried about you. I tried visiting, but Karen Kanzaki wouldn’t let me see you, and then I heard that you had disappeared from your hospital room and no one could find you. I’ve never been so worried in my life! What happened? How did you end up in the hospital? Who attacked you?”
As Selene bombarded him with a stream of questions, Alex found himself unsure of how to answer. The only thing he knew for sure was that he couldn’t let her know how he had landed himself in the hospital.
He needed to come up with an excuse, and fast.
“Alex was attacked by an assassin.”
Damn it, Gabrielle!
“A-an assassin?!” Selene squawked, her already wide eyes becoming round, the pupils dilating in shock. “You were an attacked by an assassin? Are you alright? Stupid question. Of course you’re not alright! You
were attacked by an assassin!”
“Selene.”
“This is absolutely horrible! I can’t believe an assassin would attack you! Did someone put a hit out you? But who? And why? Oh, this is so awful! What should we do, Alex? What should we do?”
“Selene.”
“We should call the police! Yes, we’ll call the cops and put you under their protective custody. Then when that assassin comes, we’ll let them deal with it. They’ll catch that assassin, and you’ll be safe from harm.”
“Selene!”
Selene’s jabbering abruptly stopped when Alex placed his hands on her shoulders. It had been a long time since he’d seen her like this. She hadn’t reacted like this in years. The last time was when Alex had broken his arm protecting someone from bullies back when they were both in primary.
“Stop freaking out on me,” Alex said firmly. “As you can clearly see by the fact that I’m standing right in front of you, I am perfectly fine, okay?”
Selene took several deep breaths, and then nodded. She seemed unable to speak, and her face was awfully flushed. It must have been from talking so much and with so few pauses for breath in between.
Alex smiled. “Thank you.”
The redness on her cheeks deepened. “F-for what?”
“For being so concerned about me. It’s nice to know that you care.”
“O-of course I care,” Selene muttered. “We’ve known each other since we were little. It only makes sense that I would care about you.”
“Right.” Alex’s smile transformed into a small grin. “Anyway, since you’re here, would you like to stay for dinner?”
“That’s a great idea, Alex!” Gabrielle cheered. “Selene, you should have dinner with us!”
“Dinner?”
“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late, and I was going to start cooking soon. You haven’t had dinner at our house for a while, have you?”
“I haven’t. Not since… not since your parents…”
Alex tried not to grimace at the unspoken “not sense your parents died” that he could sense in her words. “Right, so you should give your mom a call and let her know that you’re staying here for dinner. I’ll even make your favorite chicken cacciatore.”
A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol 4 Page 19