Lena took a deep whiff of the cold environment. Her arm still twitched from blows delivered by lightning upon that night. Organs and the cavity near her heart were severely damaged. Now she remained in the hospital alone. Along the top floor reserved for upper-class use in the office of a doctor while she sat in a chair with wheels. Spinning to take her mind off a doomed diagnosis. In the tiled room color was a pleasure, medical equipment scattered on the desk with a cabinet attached filled to the brim with samples and scribbles. A stone mattress bed stood silently in the corner with curtains over it; she was there a few nights ago.
The doctor's floor was where her eyes focused. "Lucki…." she dragged her body here that night with the contraptions Carnel made and waited until sunrise. 'Not even the top nanomachines will repair this' made her heart sink. Lena's right ventricle was damaged so critical no surgery could be performed. A transplant was out of the question as well due to Rote's seal over the pyromaniac. Sound hid from her until one struck with surprise. The door creaked open to Sal, the specialist working with her for the past period. Sullen was written across their face, shaking their head as bearer of bad news.
He looked her in the eye and sat beside them for the entire delivery, array of medication in hand. Don't stress yourself he said. Don't strain your body or do anything drastic he warned against. There are test surgeries that can be performed, but not in this region he was afraid to say. For the foreseeable future, his patient would remain at half capacity. Lena didn't react, nodding all throughout the explanation, accepting her medication, and shook the doctor's hand.
Outside the hospital someone awaited her. Lucki dressed in long dark clothes, eyes concealed behind a pair of shades. Mysterious, similar to her hair tied in a bun. Sure she got from ominous looks from passerbys and her knight thought the idea foolhardy, yet she remained for a comrade. Outside the foundation she reclined on a pair of support pillars near the regular entrance, "Oh," she jumped once Lena shambled out. "How did it go? What did they say?"
Lena shook her head, feeble in sharing the information. Enthusiasm of hope died for misery to enter, "I see...walk with me," a heel turn caused Lucki's mood to all but change. Deep breaths of salt aided the mood. Sunlight dazzled brightly as a gift from the closest star in the region. Mandaly was alive with the chase and bustle of everyone in vehicles across the sky and parading along the streets. Protests of port disease and roadblocks made by the public still went on, waving signs of cruel words hoping it would bring change. Reporters clearly loved these types. "So he mentioned surgery, right?"
"Yeah, currently in Seigen they're testing additional ventricles and atriums and judging the effect- Says it seems to work well with patients on heart medication…" Lena shook the bottles of pills in her bag. "I just don't know…," military was sealed off to her.
"Seigen huh….alright let's get you that-" Lucki twirled back to deliver her decree to earn a finger pressed against her lips. Lena's eyes were sunken like the corners of her lips.
"Look...I know you mean well and want to help me out, but I can't rely on-!?" Lena was promptly shushed by a similar finger against her lip. Lucki moved hers and cleared her throat.
"Can't rely on help from others?" she was puzzled with a head tilt, "Why is that? Does your pride not allow you to go to others in time of need? Hush now," her grip and attitude didn't accept rejection in the slightest. Whether her father pounded the concept in her mind or the development was her own remained a mystery among the Dyson household. She held Lena by the hand before either realized, pulling her along the streets with a smile behind those eyes. "Come now, if I were to rig a device to burn a single dram of my family's fortune every second it would operate for over forty years and not even destroy a tenth of it."
Lena knew not to doubt the calculations of such a brilliant family, she premeditated the calculations of her family's amassed wealth; the gap between them expanded though Lucki kept her in arm's reach. Lena looked at her palm, "Oh...my bad," Lucki caught on to her actions and stammered, releasing her ally's grip and focused forward.
"It's fine," Lena bleated. Her palms rubbed each other, "It's not about money really….just that," her mouth refused to elaborate reasoning not even her brain understood. She bit her lip and slowed her stride as they crossed the block to the main street. Mandalay's shopping center was near, the scent of baked goods and regional specialties of fish harvested from the area drew in many a customer into their malls, keeping them in place with everything one could need. "I….just don't like stressing people too much, that's all."
Lucki huffed with puffed cheeks. Her gaze was stronger than steel and the temperature of ice, "So you rather stress the pacemaker keeping you alive...I understand," a sigh of defeat escaped her lips. Both were too stubborn to back down, Lucki backed down for now. In the back of her mind, she was certain that she would win this battle and get Lena what she needed. There was no way in hell the hospitality of a Dyson would not reach her.
"Live as you wish and do as you desire, but rest assured I'm always here to back you," Lucki boldly claimed, "If you desire my aid or not," wide eyes deeper than the oceans glared back at Lena.
"Right…." her heart skipped a beat with the chatter. They continued the stroll down south where the call of life resonated with their souls. Lucki couldn't take it anymore. She took Lena by the arm and dragged her along.
"Well you refused my offer for now...but you can't stop me now!" she chortled, a black card in hand, "Come on, let's go shopping!" the girls were in the heart of the shopping district already. A trap designed for tourists of the highest regard that caught locals on occasion. A portion of the earnings would return to the Dyson anyways, so her spending a portion of her income was no skin off their nose.
And so the Dyson hauled off the newly made friend into the best the city had to offer. From their malls to their stalls the center was a gem to all. Clothes piled on end and trinkets to remember the moments as they fooled around where everyone followed with the life of the party. Taking time to stroll along the mall's roof. No other was allowed to see the industrial sight that was away from the sea. On the right end of the bay used to be a theme park. Another treasure of Mandaly long shut down before port disease. Last Lena heard the owners of Salamandra Obscura, the park had run into financial issues and several lawsuits due to their rollercoasters malfunctioning leaving injuries. Years now and the old park lived only as a memory. A somber fact.
But as all things go, they must come to a halt. At the end of their hours of fun reminiscing on the old city Lucki headed south with Lena through the path she always took. It went through her friend's residence and she didn't even know. The village came into vision. Lucki stopped, "I guess this is my stop…" she stopped on the stone-paved street right before the rustic scene. Hardly did she cross that line when everyone was out and about.
"Oh," Lena mumbled, "Is something wrong? Don't you wanna come in?" she interrogated with an array of quizzes. Lucki waved her hands around.
"No, it's just that having someone of my status enter such a rural location is bound to cause some issues for the place….you know how the media," they'd hound every last resident for questions they knew not. Both held their breaths. Lena pointed a finger to the house in the far distance, the one under the tree's shade with a boat propped on it.
"Well if you ever want to stop by while I'm in town, that's the spot," a chirp escaped Lucki with the invitation. Hands laced together...but it felt as if more was needed, "Wait-" Lena leaned in for the embrace. Not expecting the Dyson to hurl her entire weight into a hug. Wrapping hands around her tightly for a brief exchange. They backed away. "I...uh-"
Lucki didn't allow another word to leave Lena's lips, sealing them with a finger. Lena was left to watch Lucki prance away in the opposite direction. Stone roads turned to plastic as distance grew and Lucki waved behind. A ping alerted her neuragear. Carnel.
You really like playing with that girl, don't you?
The Dyson was left smiling at the notification. Strutting all the way back with knight over her head; Carnel lingered looking at the girl who hid secrets and the house she entered.
"Phew….hey I'm back!" Lena hailed out once the door shut behind. Something was different upon entry. Uncle Wilson sat near their table in a daze of what sat on it, his mouth gaping in appreciation. Stacks of physical drams uncountable at first glance filled the small table and reached the low kitchen roof. "Umm…" she had many questions.
"Don't mine him right now," Dynamo remarked from the top stair, "That's just hush money so he doesn't go around telling everyone I'm staying here," he whispered. Clearly, it was no skin off his nose, as his focus remained on the product next to his feet. "Oh, this is a delivery I asked Strider for a while ago, you just missed him actually."
"It's a weapon's kit."
Lena said nothing, following as her rogue unit companion lugged the weighted black cubed lined in lead back to her room. Going to her bed where the foundation trembled once it touched the floor. All corners rolled out to reveal the contents flat across the floor. In the dead center was Dynamo's prized replacement in a secondary box of lead, "There we go baby," a uranium power source. He was quick to hide in his chest compartment. Other than his much-needed battery the kit held pistols and ammo, laser weapons with focal point crystals dug from Cnoc Dubh in the form of rifles. Spanners with smaller tools and accessories for said foldable weapons. "Hey, put those down for a sec and get over here."
Dynamo noted the piles of clothes Lena hauled in bags, "Yeah, went out with Lucki and we bought some stuff, she bought some stuff for you too," she rested her stuff on the edge of her bed and passed Dynamo's parcel off to the owner. He grabbed her right arm and pressured her augmentations. The bow sprung.
"Aww, that girl always loves to take care of other people," a tear formed in his eye, "Alexander rose that girl right," he sniffled on his blind approach to her bow. A focal lense gemstone in his palm and tipped razor to cut it in shape. Lena's hand stood terrified, deep breaths kept her heart from stopping. The tiny diamond-shaped holes in the middle of her bow's body now had five crystals. A big centralized one and four smaller ones on each end. Similarly where her bowstrings crossed each other now held a little red bulb. "There you go, some more bite if something like the other night happens again."
Lena told him about her encounter with Zaltras, however, failed to mention the outcome to any. Dynamo smiled, not knowing; she hid the medication in the piles of clothes. "So why did you head out in the first place? Just meeting up with ya new friend?"
He quizzed before turning attention to his own two feet. Scuffed and filthy, it was time for some maintenance. An audible pop silenced Lena who inched to her haul, seeing the unit lay back with his leg on his lap cleaning. "I'm umm..gonna drop this stuff off to Patrick."
He should be on break at this hour seeing most of his workload was split among the new hires. The life of a doctor with feet still in medical school was a tough one. He lived right down the path, the last home on the parallel side of the street, "You okay, uncle Wilson?" she went to meet her uncle still mesmerized by a year's worth of profit just sitting on his table. Wilson's replacement aid was active.
"Child, we're rich!" the man paraded, "Where did you get friends like these in the first place!?" he shook her like how he buzzed with glee, "Wait, you're not doing any sketchy, are you? Like that white-haired punk that visited?"
"Uncle, that guy's my neighbor," she brushed off, "We're friends, and on occasion does that dumb droid's dirty work," she gave Wilson a reassuring look. "And be right back, stopping to check up on Patrick on his time off."
"Alright, tell the boy I said hi," Wilson kept his words short before hoarding the golden discs in satchels for safekeeping. A refreshing beer from the fridge gave him strength. Gold. Gold. Gold. This was enough for him to live modestly and supply his niece with everything she'd want for the next year if rationed. A tear streamed down the old diver's face, "I shouldn't let this get to my head…" Wilson swore there was a blot of gold from the outside just a moment ago.
The outside, where Lena was now. Children ran around and played and mothers made small talk, generous enough to greet the girl on her route to Patrick's home. She's been here more times than she could count. The minute she looked at the building the winds ceased. Something was amiss. This house became her sole focus. Leaves frozen in place and blood ran cold. Patrick left the main gates open. When she strolled inside the lock to his front door was shattered, hidden to appear if nothing occurred. On the stairwell leading upstairs was a shattered window with glass on the inside.
Worst yet, silver stains moved along the ground. The clothing parcel met the floor. Lena was quick to the chase all the way home, up the stairs showing Wilson no concern with eyes on her room. "Dynamo it's!-"
Respect forced silence upon her. Not for Dynamo, he sat on the floor with legs detached surrounding a holo-phone. A head answered his call. Amelia Dyson's head.