“RECIPE: QUINTESSENCE.” Berith had said those words and Ruby watched her favourite coat dissolve into a glittering storm of particles. The alchemist’s bracelets had broken apart into several small orbs, darting back and forth through the mist until it was sorted into a rainbow. “RECIPE: PAIN OF JESTER,” he added, and one of the orbs sucked up a stream of black and darted back to his side.

“I’ve only seen Caim and Amon fight,” Ruby said, perched on the edge of her toilet. The white porcelain seat was the only fixture remaining in what had become a terrifying collection of orbiting glassware and floating texts. “I know he… unlocked Yusuf’s feelings on his art, but this…”

“We wear a lot of hats,” Berith said absently, gently tapping the nearest orb. “None of us were ever meant to go to war. RECIPE: SOMA,” he said to another orb, which darted amongst the floating containers, before floating down to Cerb’s little paper homunculus.

It tottered out of the bathroom, while another came back in. She could see it take Yusuf’s hand in its tiny paper paw, and tug him towards the door. “That is so creepy.”

“He used to be a toymaker.” Berith paused, looking at the big man in the living room. “He built all of our weapons.” The orb nearest him unfolded to reveal a glossy black candy. “Alrighty, then. You give this to Miss Alice, then I need you to leave,” he said, handing her the candy.

“Leave?” Ruby took it, affronted. “This is my house!”

“Leave. I need to test a theory.” Berith quirked a gleaming eyebrow at her. “Oh and tell her to throw up in a container. I want to test the residue.”

Annoyed, Ruby left the bathroom in time to see Cerberos spin a length of golden chain between his hands. “REPAIR CHAIN,” he said, and she watched, quietly amazed as it spun around Caim with a bright tinkling sound. Amon had been allowed out of the corner and he sat on the floor by the couch, his knees drawn up as he read one of her puzzle books.

Cerb nodded to her, perfunctorily. “I’m going to check on the repairs downstairs. We just have to wait with Caim right now.”

“Thanks,” Ruby started, but he was already gone. “He’s upset with me, isn’t he?” she asked Amon.

The Shield shrugged and leaned his head on the arm of the couch. “He’s worried. And a little mad, yeah.”

Ruby sighed and dodged one of the little paper drones to join Alice in the bedroom. “Hey, I brought you not at all scary candy that a strange man out of my cell phone cooked up in a lab in my bathroom,” she said brightly, handing Alice the tablet.

Alice took a cautious sniff, and snorted. “What the hell is going on, Ruby?” She popped it in her mouth and immediately gagged. “Oh god, it tastes like old shrimp and despair.”

Ruby handed her a nearby trash can. “You’re probably gonna need this.”

Alice chewed the candy, revolted. “Sherioushly, Rubes.”

“Well, as near as I can figure out, that crappy Russian bloatware game I downloaded allows me to summon a bevy of magical boys. Who could’ve been girls if I’d read the tutorial.” She paused as Alice’s eyes widened. “Yeah. I think we’re better off without Caim being a hot girl, too. And… we’re being hunted by clown monsters and I don’t know why because none of them will explain it to me other than being offended that I don’t already know. And they all blame me for Caim being hurt so badly.”

Alice nodded sagely, then promptly threw up.

Ruby patted her knee. “Also, Berith told me to leave for a bit. So, I’ll get you some mints, ok?”

Alice gave her a thumbs up as she hurled loudly into the trashcan again.

Alice was still barfing as Ruby hurried through the little apartment. Amon was still at Caim’s side, deep in some silent conversation with the paper drone. And Berith stuck his head out of the bathroom. “Out.”

“I’m being kicked out of my own apartment by sexy digimon.” Ruby cursed as she stalked down the hall to the elevator. “Clowns. Magic. Alice is in my bedroom and this is not the way I wanted that to go down and…”

The elevator ground open and Ruby paused. A teenaged girl in a fluffy white dress stood in the dingy compartment, smiling. She was straight out of a Japanese fashion magazine, a lolita festooned with silver and pink metallic lace, with a delicate pastel pattern of birdcages strewn across her skirt. Her long, silver blonde hair coiled in perfect ringlets and it wasn’t until she stepped aside that Ruby even noticed the small boy with her.

He was so pale that there was a faintly lilac cast to his skin, and his short hair glimmered like spikes on an amethyst geode. He hid half-behind the girl’s skirt and peered shyly at her with shifting eyes. In Ruby’s pocket, her phone chirped softly.

“Get in,” the girl said, gesturing a lace-gloved hand. “You must be Ruby Jones. I’ve been looking for you. My name is Maria.”

Dumbly Ruby joined her in the elevator. “You.. you have a…” Ruby feebly flapped her hand at the child. “You have one of them.”

“Vola, say hello to Miss Ruby.” Maria patted the child on his head, then took Ruby’s hands. “I can't stay here long, but you needed to know, Ruby, you're not alone.”

“But. How? How do you have?” Ruby babbled, and Maria leaned forward. She smelled like jasmine.

“We’re alike, you and I,” she whispered. “But we must be careful, trust no one. Not even your own daemons.”

“You know what’s going on?” Ruby grasped Maria’s hands back.

“Of course. But we can’t talk here, or now. I trust Vola, but our enemy is insidious. Anyone may have been compromised. Your friends may be in terrible danger, but I can help.” Maria leaned even closer and planted a kiss on Ruby’s cheek. “Don't fret, Ruby Jones. We’ll get through this together.”

“How can I find you?” Ruby asked, feeling her face burn.

“Don't worry. I will find you.” Maria whispered against her cheek.

Ruby jerked away, and forced herself to look up at the floor indicator. When she composed herself, she turned to talk to Maria again. The door dinged and ground open.

She was alone in the car. Ruby touched her cheek, still feeling the burn of Maria’s gentle peck. “What the fuck,” she muttered.

She was still muttering when she reached the foot of the front stairs, where Yusuf and Cerberos stood looking at a churning mass of paper sheets fluttering around where the cab had been. It looked like her guts felt.

“…can’t interest you in a cold-fusion powered coffeemaker?” the builder asked.

“My heart says yes, but my brain says that will never pass inspection,” Yusuf laughed, turning to meet Ruby. “How’s your friend?”

“Barfing up Berith’s magical mystery cure,” Ruby said, Maria’s words lingering in her ears. “How’s this going?”

Cerb snapped his fingers, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “I love working on cars.” The papers flaked away, dissolving into sparkles of light. “Behold, the Cerberos Edition Crown Vic.”

It sat shining in the streetlights, and Yusuf blinked. “It looks better than when I got it.” He snorted, peering inside. “Cerb, there are about ten new buttons on the dashboard.”

“Since I had extra parts from that car that was just sitting on the sidewalk there, I thought I’d give you some bonuses.” His face lit up and the big man bounded over to Yusuf’s side. “Hover jets, make parking easier. Metamorphic camouflage over there. Oh, and. The best one. You said your daughter loves those transforming robots, right?” He rocked on his feet, grinning.

“You mean…”

“Yes! Transforming robot mode!” Cerb picked up Yusuf in a gleeful bear hug and Ruby glanced over to the single bumper that remained of the Camaro that Amon had dumped on the sidewalk.

“Oh! And I also made some extra bits for your kids.” He set the other man down, with an embarassed cough, and fished two little cubes from the gleaming-new passenger seat. “Programmable matter. They’ll act as communication devices and toys and they’ll keep them safe. As safe as they can.” His smile grew brittle, and Cerb blinked rapidly. “Presents. I haven’t been able to make presents in a while.”

“This is too much, I can’t…” Yusuf fell silent as Cerberos loomed over him. “Are you sure?”

“You didn’t have to do what you did. You saved Caim’s life. This is so little compared to that.” Cerb rubbed at his eye. “I’m sorry I was short with you before, Lady Ruby.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Let’s see what we can do about bringing the rest of my family home and keeping everyone safe, shall we?”

Ruby glanced down at her phone. Caim’s health was poor but stable. A number of the books were still lit up, encouraging her to click on them. She tapped a corner of the screen, and the menu popped up. What she took to be “Tutorial” and “Settings” were greyed out, and she swiped across to see adorable sprites of the daemons, all standing, awaiting orders. “I’m sorry I didn’t know how to help Caim. I’ve only known him for a few hours and he’s already fought so hard to help me.”

Cerb took the phone from her, looking down at the screen curiously. “Caim believes. He’s always believed enough for all of us.”

“In what?” Ruby squinted up at him.

“BREAKDOWN,” Cerb intoned, dodging the question, and Ruby watched in distress as her phone started to separate in his hand, his bracelet turning into a swarm of tiny machines, buzzing all about it. She swore she could even see the data, herded into flickering patches of light. A few passersby, heading to the nearby restaurants and bars, or home for the evening, paused to look before hurrying away.

Cerb’s eyes flickered over the floating mess of parts before they all immediately snapped back together. “In you. Caim believed in you,” he finally said. “C’mon. He should be up and we’ve got work to do.”