“You ain’t one of them, are you, young buck?” Mr. Baylor asked.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Senaad snapped at him. “He just saved us from that thing.”

“I just need to make sure. I want to hear it from him.”

Luckner kept his jaw shut. The first words he wanted to say would’ve been rude, aggressive, or downright nasty. Mr. Baylor was painting himself as an enemy, a potential creature to pummel and burn to death to further his [Zeal]. He was old, after all. If Luckner moved quickly enough and threw off Mr. Baylor’s aim, he believed he could get to him.

But he also knew Mr. Baylor was a neighbor. He had old ways of thinking that the current world was leaving behind, but the man meant well. It was stupid of him to point the gun at Luckner. Having that barrel of metal-slinging-death only riled Luckner up rather than scare him. His chest was all fire at this point. But Luckner still had half a heart.

“Lower the weapon,” Luckner said.

“I ain’t lowering shit until you tell me⁠—”

“Lower the fucking weapon, or you’ll make me mad.” Luckner raised his burning fist. All that remained of the slime core was ash at this point. “Then you’ll have to ask yourself if you want to risk a fire just to fire your toy at me.”

“This toy helped you beat that thing.”

“Then why are you aiming it at me when I saved your crusty-ass life, you old fucker?”

Mr. Baylor’s hands shook. He lost the squint in his eyes and lowered his weapon. In return, Luckner dismissed his external fire. It felt like they stared at each other for a long while.

“Okay, wow, that was a real monster.” Mr. Senaad squeezed past Mr. Baylor and moved to the first step. “And you’re what people are calling a Hunter, right, Luckner? Awakened people who can use magic to fight the monsters.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Luckner said.

“Well, that means you’re truly a hero. A strong one at that, I can see.” Mr. Senaad smiled. He waved his hand for Luckner to come forward. “Let’s get inside.”

“What about my proposal?” Mr. Baylor grunted.

“I think I’m up to a change in perspective after seeing this, Ron. But first, let’s get inside. We can barricade the doors if that’ll help.”

“It’s a start,” Mr. Baylor said.

Luckner had no dog in the conversation, and he preferred it that way. He saw that guns could be helpful under the right context. The slime fight was an excellent example of that. But he also recalled hearing rapid gunfire and men dying despite that. Those horrific sounds were followed by the monstrous clomping of something dangerous prowling the streets.

He needed to talk to Auntie now. But was it safe to see her while he was still riled up like this? His [Zeal] was just starting to calm down, if barely.

“Nah, I can’t pussyfoot this,” he muttered.

He brushed quickly, if a little abrasively, past the older men. He moved with such a purpose he wouldn’t be surprised if he were blazing a trail behind him.

Both men called after him. They wanted to talk further, but Luckner had nothing else to input in their moral dilemmas. He sought after the [Diviner] and took the stairsteps three at a time.

He was breathing hard by the time he reached his destination. He was not winded even though he ran up six flights. His [Zeal] was still burning hot. Hell, it might’ve heated up more since he started climbing!

“Fuck me.” Luckner punched the wall without thinking. His fist smashed through the plaster with ease. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”

He lumbered down the hallway. Scared faces peeked out from their apartment units. Some were familiar. Others were people he rarely saw. He hadn’t been social that much. Not while growing up. Not while in a band. Especially with and without his ex. So most people were strangers. Auntie was the exception.

Residents ducked back into their units in fear of Luckner’s obvious signs of being fucked up. Auntie, on the other hand, sashayed out to greet him.

“I already have a herbal tea brewing on the stove,” she said. “It’s the soothing honey and caramel kind. You look like you need it.”

“Sure.”

“I also have a pot of fresh rice made. I had one of the children fry up chicken and steam some veggies to go with it. It’s enough for all of us here.”

“Children? All of us?” Luckner looked past Auntie and into her unit. Half a dozen black, brown, and mulatto faces gawked at him. They ranged from toddler to teens three or four years younger than him.

Looking at them reminded him of how his mom left him with other people while she worked as a nurse practitioner. It frequently happened after the divorce and when his dad split off out of Luckner and Mom’s lives forever.

[Zeal] dimmed down a little.

“Don’t worry. We’ll have a big ol’ plate made for you.” Auntie smiled.

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“I want to. I left you alone in that prison of yours. I didn’t know how to help because I was busying myself with my own business. I should’ve tried something.”

“It wasn’t your situation to deal with.”

“But in a world that we’re in, we’re gonna need to be involved in each other’s situations more often. I may be able to see future possibilities, but they’re only possibilities.” Auntie grasped Luckner’s arm. She pulled back.

“My [Zeal] is still cooling. I didn’t burn you, did I?”

“No, no.” Auntie shook her head. The children drew closer, ogling Luckner. Auntie shooed them away with a hand.

Luckner grimaced. “Where are the guardians?”

“Sugar, I’m their guardian now.”

“No. You can’t.”

Auntie gave him a thin-lipped smile.

Luckner’s [Zeal] dimmed further. A new realization struck him. This chaos was going to change the world really hard. Civilization was breaking down rapidly.

“You’re starting to understand, aren’t you?” Auntie sighed. “No point blowing your head up over it now. Come in. Let’s eat and sit. I’ll explain as much as I can.”

Luckner nearly accepted the invitation. He felt apprehensive in the back of his head. He did believe Auntie meant well, but he sensed there had to be more. There had to be a measure of transaction.

“What do you want?” Luckner asked.

Auntie’s eyebrows raised a little. When she smiled again, it lost some of its friendliness. There was desperation there.

“It’s better if I say it at the dinner table.” She gestured for him to come inside.

“Say it now.”

“Luckner⁠—”

“I said now.”

She winced. “Ain’t nobody else but us who woke up in this place. And I’m no fighter. And I got all these hungry mouths. Martial Law ain’t enough to stop people from needing food, and I know there are stores still selling. So⁠—”

“Okay,” Luckner said.

“That’s it?” Auntie asked.

“I’ll run for food and supplies.” He waited for a beat. “As long as you explain everything you know and let me in on what you can see in my future. And sometimes cook for me. Deal?”

That homecook meal smelled delicious from where Luckner stood. His stomach growled. It had been a long and hard day, and he hadn’t eaten a damn thing.

“Before I say yes, what’s your singularity?” Auntie asked.

“[Incubus],” Luckner said, his voice a deep, yet soft, rumble. Like a purring lion.

“Oh, I had a feeling it was something like that.” She looked squeamish now. “Can we back out of the contract if things change course?”

Luckner nodded. His singularity gave him a feeling that it was agreeable terms. Huh. It made him wonder if being an [Incubus] empowered him in negotiations such as this. He was uncertain how effective was the power he emanated, but he could see the careful consternation on Auntie’s face as she thought over the arrangement.

“There can be amendments without penalties,” he said. “Same for contract cancellation or breaking. We’ll simply move on.”

Auntie relaxed. “I was feeling out things with [Diviner], and it seems like that’s for the best. It’s a deal.”

Luckner smiled. Making deals felt good. It was not an intense feeling like overcoming a Mythic, but it was still pleasurable. However, he figured it would be less of a pleasure without a home cook meal and some explanations.