While Alex and the girls waited for the Valentino gang's men to arrive, they decided to talk to the children to find out where they had come from. Before Alex could react, GIR was already enthusiastically brainwashing the kids, quoting the Codex Astartes.
The children's faces lit up with fanaticism, and they even began asking questions, to which GIR responded with great enthusiasm. Alex felt a vein start to pulse on his forehead from irritation. He walked over to GIR, deciding to put a stop to his attempts to implant the belief in the Emperor of Mankind into the minds of innocent children.
«GIR, enough. I don't want to see crowds of kids dressed up as Ultramarines running around the city,» Alex said in annoyance, lifting GIR by the head.
GIR snorted and tried to turn away, but his head was firmly in Alex's iron grip. GIR's body simply turned, crossing its arms over its chest. Alex glanced at the children, who were looking at GIR with such fanatical admiration that it made him uncomfortable. His lips twitched nervously—GIR had clearly already planted his ideas in their minds.
Turning to Lucy for support, Alex saw that she was simply giving him a knowing look, as if to say that this was a problem he had to solve himself. When he turned to Rebecca, he noticed she was deliberately looking away, whistling as she put her hands behind her head.
«So this is your love, huh,» Alex muttered under his breath, twitching nervously.
Lucy pointed out that it was his own fault since he had allowed GIR to become so fanatical. Rebecca simply shrugged, acting like she had nothing to do with it, even though she had indirectly contributed to GIR's behavior. With a sigh, Alex let GIR go, and the robot immediately ran back to the group of children, where they surrounded him and continued to listen with great interest.
Alex waved his hand, deciding to leave everything to the will of the heavens, or, as GIR would say, to the will of the Emperor. Even if one day the city ended up with a gang of Emperor-worshippers made up of these children, by that time, he would already be in another world. Alex thought to himself, «If I don't see it, then it's not my problem.»
«Let's just hope they don't declare GIR the Emperor,» Alex muttered quietly, rubbing his temples.
He sat down on the hood of the car, trying to ignore what was happening. Lucy sat down next to him, leaning her shoulder against his. Rebecca jumped behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chin on the top of his head. The three of them sat in silence, gazing at the starry sky, while the sound of GIR's teachings continued in the background.
Their peaceful moment was soon interrupted by the arrival of a limousine that parked nearby. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise, not understanding what such a car was doing here. However, the answer soon became clear: Padre stepped out of the limousine.
«Didn't expect you to come in person,» Alex said with a slight smile.
Padre looked around, saw that the children were safe, and walked over to Alex.
«I wanted to make sure the children were all right myself,» he said, clearly relieved.
Alex nodded in understanding, knowing how important it was to see everything with one's own eyes rather than just hearing about it.
«What are you going to do with the warehouse?» Alex asked, glancing at Padre.
Padre frowned thoughtfully.
«Once the children are returned home, we'll send people to clean up whatever's left in the warehouse,» Padre replied quietly.
Alex simply nodded, understanding that the problem with the warehouse was much bigger. The whole area was littered with bodies and blood after the fights. Particularly memorable were the «popped balloons» from Rebecca's shots and the gruesome marks left by Alex and GIR. With a wry smile, he added:
«Better send people with strong stomachs.»
Padre raised an eyebrow, not immediately grasping Alex's meaning. When he heard the details of the carnage, his reaction was restrained. He patted Alex on the shoulder, assuring him that the people they would send had seen worse. Alex shrugged, deciding not to delve further into the conversation as a group of cars with men from the Valentino gang arrived at the warehouse.
«Kids, listen up! These people are here to help get you home. So behave and say your goodbyes to GIR,» Alex called out, clapping his hands to get the children's attention.
The children cautiously eyed the new people standing behind Padre but didn't move from their spots. With a kind smile, Padre explained that these people were here to take them back to their parents. The children glanced at Alex again, who nodded, signaling that it was okay to trust them.
Reassured, the kids relaxed and began to follow Padre's men. But before leaving, they lined up in front of GIR and saluted him. GIR, inspired, raised his chainsword above his head and loudly chanted:
«For the glory of the Emperor! For the glory of the Imperium!»
Rebecca burst into laughter so hard she nearly fell off the hood of the car, while Lucy sighed wearily and turned away. Padre, on the other hand, looked at the children with surprise and then at Alex, expecting an explanation.
The members of the Valentino gang exchanged confused glances, clearly not understanding what was going on. Alex looked up at the sky, trying not to cry at the fact that he was partly responsible for this. Lowering his head, he saw Padre looking at him, searching for answers.
«Don't ask, it's all GIR. I don't know how he managed it, but don't worry, they're harmless,» Alex replied in a tired tone.
«Maybe...» he quietly added in a whisper.
Padre nodded, not giving much thought to what had just happened. He even found it somewhat amusing—these children, who had just been through something horrific, now looked full of enthusiasm. Alex helped get everyone into the cars, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Once he made sure the last group of kids had left, he grabbed GIR by the head and tossed him into the car to prevent him from causing more trouble. After that, Alex approached Padre, ready to say goodbye before heading home.
«Well, my work here is done. I can finally go get some rest,» he said, walking up to Padre.
Padre, who had just been giving orders to the Valentino gang members, turned to Alex with a smile.
«Of course, it's time for a break,» Padre agreed, shaking his hand.
Alex peeked into the car and saw that Rebecca was already fast asleep in the back seat, hugging her rifle, while Lucy, leaning against the window, was fighting off exhaustion. He just shook his head, not understanding how Rebecca managed to fall asleep so quickly, and climbed into the car himself. Turning on the engine, Alex rolled down the window slightly and nodded at Padre to say goodbye.
«If you ever need help, you know where to find me,» he said.
«Without a doubt,» Padre replied, watching him leave.
Alex waved and drove home. Once he arrived at the parking lot, he got out of the car and noticed that Rebecca was still sleeping. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the elevator. GIR followed behind, carrying Rebecca's rifle like a wizard's staff.
Alex even thought to himself that GIR could use a pointy hat and a cloak to complete the mage look. Though, this «wizard's staff» was capable of casting only one spell, and that one was deadly.
When they entered the apartment, Alex saw Gloria sitting on the couch watching a show. She turned and waved at him cheerfully. Alex smiled back and looked around for Valerie, who was usually still awake at this hour.
He was about to guess that she was probably trying to steal something from his workshop again when he noticed her lying peacefully on Gloria's lap. Valerie lazily raised her hand and waved at him in greeting.
Alex just shook his head and carried Rebecca to the bedroom so she could sleep in a proper bed. Lucy, in the meantime, headed to the kitchen for a snack. After tucking Rebecca in, Alex returned to the living room and pondered where he should sit.
Since Gloria's lap was his favorite spot, he walked over to the couch and gently nudged Valerie off onto the floor, despite her protesting cries. Settling onto Gloria's lap, he buried his face in her stomach, enjoying her warmth.
«Tired?» Gloria asked, gently stroking his head.
«Mentally,» Alex muttered. «This kind of work is definitely not for me.»
Gloria was surprised by his words. Usually, Alex found ways to amuse himself even during the most serious assignments.
«What kind of job wore you out like this?» she asked, continuing to stroke his hair.
Alex turned onto his back and met her warm brown eyes filled with tenderness. He briefly explained that the task was assigned to him by Padre, involving the Valentino gang. Gloria listened attentively without interrupting.
Alex explained that part of the gang had broken off and started dealing in drug trafficking and human smuggling. Gloria frowned upon hearing that children were among those abducted.
«I still can't understand why she did it,» Alex sighed.
«Who are you talking about?» Gloria asked.
«Her name was Loca, she was the leader there,» he replied.
Gloria tensed up upon hearing that name. Loca was a girl she used to cross paths with often at the church when she attended with David. Gloria felt a wave of sadness as she remembered how Loca had been like an older sister to David, taking care of him when Gloria was stuck at work.
«You knew her?» Alex asked, noticing the change in her mood.
Gloria sighed, realizing that Loca had already committed a crime that couldn't be forgiven. She recalled everything she knew about her and, looking at Alex with sadness, decided to share:
«Yes, I knew her. David and I used to go to the church where Padre served. Loca was often there. She was like an older sister to David, teaching him many things. When I was late at work, she took care of him when I couldn't.»
Alex put his arm around Gloria's shoulders and pulled her closer, trying to comfort her.
«You never know where someone's path will lead them,» Alex said quietly, gently rubbing her back. «Every choice we make can either lead us to something good or turn us into someone we never imagined. Every decision has consequences that we'll have to face sooner or later.»
Gloria leaned against Alex, resting her head on his shoulder and nuzzling her nose into his neck. His words rang true, and she realized that Loca had probably just taken a wrong step once, and from there, her life spiraled out of control like a snowball.
It grew larger and larger until it led her to that tragic end in the warehouse. Gloria decided to remember Loca as the caring older sister to David rather than the woman who got involved in prostitution and drug dealing.
She lifted her head, looked into Alex's eyes, and softly kissed him on the lips.
«Thank you,» she whispered, pulling away. «But I'm still amazed at how you can be so carefree and at the same time say such wise things.»
Alex smirked in response and just shrugged. They sat there for a while longer, hugging, before deciding to turn on a show. Alex noticed that Gloria was gradually falling asleep and suggested they head to bed.
As they got up, they stumbled upon a rather amusing scene: Lucy, judging by her expression, was having nightmares, and right next to her, like an octopus clinging to her friend, Rebecca was fast asleep. Alex shook his head and lay down next to Gloria. After kissing her goodnight, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, he was woken by a familiar routine—Rebecca, still asleep, was trying to chew on some part of his body. Carefully freeing himself from her grip, Alex went to take a shower. However, he barely got out when a phone was thrown at his face—Rebecca, grumbling that he was disturbing her sleep, had tossed it. Alex effortlessly caught it and saw that Falco was calling.
«Technical support. We'll help you... but no promises,» Alex answered with a grin.
«You come up with more interesting greetings each time,» Falco's voice came from the other end.
Alex chuckled, happy to amuse his friend.
«What's up?» he asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch.
«Dorio is starting to lose patience and is itching to punch someone,» Falco replied. «And, as it turns out, I've got just the right job.»
«Isn't she supposed to be keeping an eye on Maine while he recovers from the Sandevistan installation?» Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
«You're right, but she's itching to get out of the hospital, even if just for a bit,» Falco laughed.
Alex let out an understanding chuckle, remembering how he himself couldn't stand the smell of hospitals, as if his nostrils were constantly stuffed with pills.
«So, what's the job?» he asked.
«A client is complaining about some Scavengers hanging around his area,» Falco explained.
Alex instantly knew who he was talking about. The Scavengers were a gang that would take on any job if they were paid for it. If you didn't pay, you'd end up without your cyberware or organs.
«What do I need to do?» Alex clarified.
«Ideally, get the data quietly. But knowing your 'luck,' things might not go exactly as planned,» Falco said with a grin.
«Oh, how you wound my heart with your words,» Alex said with mock hurt, which made Falco burst into laughter again.
«Who's the client?» Alex continued, popping a candy into his mouth.
«A doctor. He suspects those bastards are ripping implants from his patients and selling them on the black market.»
Alex thought for a moment, stroking his chin. If they were operating in that area, they must have a base there. Either storm it or try to go in quietly. But with Rebecca, the «quiet» part could be forgotten right away.
«Do you have their location?» Alex asked.
«Yeah, their base is known. They're not expecting an attack, so you can go in boldly,» Falco confirmed.
«Alright, I'll wake the two of them, and we'll be there soon,» Alex said, saying goodbye to Falco.
He turned to the sleeping Rebecca and Lucy. Rebecca, of course, was sleeping soundly, and Alex briefly wondered if he should go alone. But then he remembered Rebecca might get upset if he didn't invite her.
«Rebecca, we've got a job. You can shoot,» Alex said softly, gently shaking her.
Rebecca's eyes snapped open at the word «shoot.» She immediately jumped off the couch and rushed to get dressed, making so much noise that it seemed like this small girl weighed several times more.
Lucy also woke up from all the commotion, rubbing her eyes. Looking at Alex for an explanation, she heard from him that there was work to do, to which she simply nodded, yawning, and began getting ready.
Lucy quickly showered and started asking Alex for the details of the mission. He began explaining: «So, the plan is to do this quietly,» he finished.
But as soon as Rebecca heard the word «quiet,» her outraged scream echoed from the first floor: «Nooooo!»
Alex looked at Lucy in surprise, wondering how Rebecca could have caught their conversation with all the noise she had just made herself. Lucy shrugged and, with a smile, said:
«It's her gremlin instincts, they definitely helped her.»
Alex's mouth dropped open in surprise, not knowing how to respond. Lucy was right: Rebecca always had a knack for sniffing out chaos and wanting to be part of it.
When they went downstairs, Alex and Lucy found Rebecca already standing by the door, surrounded by bags filled with weapons, and with G.I.R., who was holding a chainsaw sword.
Alex sighed, realizing this couldn't be avoided, and headed to his workshop to grab a couple of useful items for the raid.
«What did you take?» Rebecca asked, her eyes glowing with excitement.
Alex, playfully poking her nose, didn't reveal what he had brought, leaving it as a surprise. Rebecca tried to bite his finger, but Alex dodged just in time. Grabbing G.I.R. by the head so as not to waste more time, they headed to the underground parking lot.
By the car, Rebecca, like a whirlwind, threw the bags of weapons into the back seat. Alex was surprised by how much gear she had brought—one brick would have been enough. But he kept his thoughts to himself and loaded G.I.R. into the car. Opening the door, he noticed that Rebecca had taken his seat.
«That's my seat,» Alex pointed to the spot.
Rebecca grinned mischievously and, patting her lap, said, «Sit here, handsome.»
Alex shrugged and began to sit down. Caught off guard by this turn of events, Rebecca became flustered and started pushing him away.
«I mean, I like your butt, but I definitely don't want it to crush me!» she exclaimed, trying to stop him from sitting.
Alex smirked, turned his head, and saw her pushing against his back with all her might.
«Well, as you say. I thought I could sit on the lap of a lovely girl. Ah, life, how cruel you are…» he said, pretending to wipe imaginary tears away.
Rebecca laughed and slapped him on the backside, pushing him away. Meanwhile, Lucy, who was watching the scene unfold, could barely contain her laughter. Deep down, she thought she wouldn't mind feeling Alex up, but she decided to keep that a secret for a more opportune moment.
Deciding it was time to stop the fun, Alex pulled Rebecca from her seat and sat her on his lap to avoid further slaps.
«Alright, let's go; Falco is already waiting,» he said, starting the car.
Alex headed toward the address Falco had sent him, but soon they hit traffic. Sighing, Alex cracked the window and leaned out to see what was going on. It turned out there had been an accident ahead, and two drivers were already getting into a fight. A crowd of onlookers had gathered around them.
«What happened there?» Lucy asked, watching as Alex massaged his forehead.
«Yeah, those two drivers are having a battle for dominance, and it looks like a whole audience has gathered,» he replied in a tired tone.
Rebecca's eyes immediately lit up with interest, and if Alex hadn't grabbed her by the waist, she would have surely climbed out the window to get a closer look at the fight.
She turned to Alex and looked at him with tearful eyes, begging him to let her watch the drivers' fight.
«Don't look at me like that. I'm already immune to those 'puppy' eyes. A whole family of girls constantly looks at me like that, trying to get something,» Alex said, gently pinching her nose to keep her from squirming away.
Rebecca pouted, clicked her tongue, and turned away, disappointed that her plan had failed. Lucy also showed interest in the fight, but Alex decided not to give them that opportunity and chose a detour.
However, Lucy connected to G.I.R. to hack the street cameras and immediately sent Rebecca the video. She began loudly cheering for one of the drivers who was enthusiastically pounding on the other. Alex just shook his head, listening to Rebecca's excited shouts, and accelerated to reach their destination faster and not keep Falco waiting.
Meanwhile, Falco stood leaning against his car, checking the time, and began to lose patience.
«It looks like they're late,» he muttered, glancing at his watch.
Dorio, who had stepped out of the car, just snorted at his words.
«Well, he has girls living at home. You know how it is; they need time to get ready,» she said with an obvious tone.
Falco nodded in understanding, already about to say something when suddenly a car appeared in the distance, approaching at high speed. He didn't immediately recognize who it was since he had never seen that model before.
When the vehicle abruptly stopped in front of them, Alex leaned out of the window, with Rebecca sitting on his lap. Falco's eyes widened in surprise, and then he began inspecting the car.
«Wow, where did you get such a beauty?» he asked, looking at Alex, who had gotten out of the car, gently lifting Rebecca off his lap.
Alex smiled and gave a light pat on the roof of the car.
«Well, the Adeptus Mechanicus descended upon me and gifted me this marvel of technology as a token of goodwill,» he said with a hint of humor.
Falco grimaced at that comment and decided to peek under the hood. After inspecting the car, he was impressed by its simplicity but realized that its charm lay precisely in that minimalism.
«I don't know where you found it, but it's definitely something special,» Falco said, closing the hood.
Alex just smirked, knowing his car was not just a piece of machinery but a true indestructible beast on wheels. He noticed Dorio greeting him with a smile.
«Hey, Dori,» Alex said, waving his hand in greeting.
Dorio approached and hugged him with friendly laughter.
«Hey, Alex. I see living with girls is tough—especially when they're getting ready,» she said, releasing him.
Alex laughed cheerfully.
«Not really, I just mentioned that we could do some shooting, and Rebecca instantly got ready like a whirlwind,» he said, nodding toward Rebecca, who was pulling the struggling G.I.R. out of the car.
Dorio looked at Rebecca, who was huffing as she tugged on the resisting G.I.R., and at Lucy, who had climbed out the window and was curiously watching the scene.
«How's Maine doing?» Alex asked, lighting a cigarette.
Dorio turned to him, looking gratefully into his eyes, which surprised Alex. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said sincerely,
«Thank you for your notes. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have even noticed that Maine was starting to develop cyberpsychosis.»
Alex raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected Main to show any signs yet. Curious, he asked how she had figured it out. Dorio explained that she had noticed tremors in Maine's hands, brief memory lapses, and moments when he seemed to «freeze.»
Alex sighed heavily, realizing that Main had overdone it with cyber implants, and it was starting to affect his health. He wasn't sure how his treatment would work for people with many implants, so he hesitated to offer his help. But if the situation became critical, he would definitely intervene to save Main.
To be continued...