Chapter 8

“Tadaaa!” Tori grins and waves her little jazz hands. I look behind her, unimpressed.

The pawn shop has a concrete exterior, with bits of glass and clay pottery and what looks like an old license plate fossilized into the walls. The red awning juts out like an overbite. Colorful string lights run up the left side and snake around the awning. 

“Hmm…” I gaze on skeptically.

Tori flops her arm around my shoulders and gives me a reassuring squeeze. “Aubrey, I know it doesn’t look like much, but I swear this place has the best goods and the best deals in the Northern Mantle.” 

Peering inside the wide front window, I have to agree. It looks like quite a collection, and well maintained at that. I even see an employee delicately wiping down ancient typewriters.

“I just-My dad gave me this watch.” I feel silly even saying it out loud. I fully understand our urgency. My sentimental hesitation hinders my return home as well as Tori’s move towards a bett-

“Oh.” Tori’s arm slides off my shoulder. “I didn’t realize.” 

She squares her strong shoulders toward me, and looks me in the eye. “Once we have our passports, we can come back here. It’s a pawn shop afterall.”

I stare at Tori for a moment too long. 

Tori looks away with a strange look on her face, and then back with her silly grin. “I mean, you’ll prob’ly havta pay more than you’re sellin’ it for, but hey, that’s business.”

I snort, but quickly recover. I head inside. The door jingles open, and the employee I saw earlier smiles and greets me.

“Mornin’. You here for buyin’ or sellin’?” The man straightens up. He tucks the dustrag in his utility belt and meanders toward the counter. I note the wooden peg leg hiding under his blue and white striped pants and the fancy wooden ring with a flat top on his right hand. But more importantly, I take in the full spectacle of his walrus mustache. It’s so big and bushy it covers his mouth; it makes him look like a cartoon when he speaks.

I gather myself, and respond, “Oh, yes. Good morning. Splendid to meet you. My friend and I–”

I glance back to find not a Tori in sight.

I turn back to the mustache man. “Uh… I will be just a moment.” 

The door jingles as I exit. Tori leans nonchalantly against the storefront.

“Didja sell it?” she asks.

“Tori, why are you outside.” I counter.

Tori looks at me like I’m crazy. Honestly, hanging around Tori for this long makes me feel like I’m crazy.

“Oh, no, I can’t go in there.” Tori says, matter of factly.

My jaw drops. “But- Tori! I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Tori shrugs, “Just go in there and get the best price.”

“Torrence No-Last-Name. Not only am I foreign to the Mantle, I am foreign to the entire country of Delmoun. What makes you think I know how to barter with currency that I just learned the name of! I bought this,” I shake Roomby in her face, “for 500 drowns.”

Tori chokes back a laugh. “Well, now that I juiced ‘er up, she’s prob’ly worth in.”

“Tori!!”

“I know, I know… I’m sorry, it’s just…” Tori awkwardly breathes through her clenched teeth. “The thing is,” she starts again, clasping her hands together, “I owe Maxi, there, a grando bounty. And I’m thinkin’ if we go in there together…”

“He will simply take my watch as collateral.” I finish.

Tori straightens up and grins, “See! You’re so smart; you dun’ need me in there. Don’t take less than 200.” Tori gently guides me to the door. “And no tradesies. My guy only takes monies.”

“You suck.” I inform her.

Tori snorts. “Hey, your Deilic is getting really good.” 

The door jingles open, and once again I am greeted by the mustache man. Maxi.

“Ya ready now?” Maxi asks, waiting for me behind his counter. The wall behind him hosts a series of swords and knives, caged behind some strong looking mesh wire.

“Yes. Thank you.” I approach the counter and place the delicate time piece on the metal surface. “How much can you give me for this ‘20 gold inlaid, Stayer designed wrist watch?”

Maxi snorts. “Quite a pitch.” He lifts my watch gently and gives it a good look. “S’was recently fixed.”

My left eye twitches. I must still be glitching. “Ah, yes… by an expert.”

Maxi nods in agreement. “The watch for the Boron coated dagger.”

I protest, “Oh, no thank you. I’m not-”

The man scans his flat, wooden ring against the mesh cage keypad and extracts a needle-like dagger, about the length of my forearm. I can’t help but take a closer look.

Tiny engravings of bats in flight flow from the pommel to the point. I zoom in and can see the individual hairs on each mammal. 

“Wow, was that done by hand?” I inquire, feeling the grooves with my fingertips. 

Maxi shrugs. “Prob’ly. Not much else to do here.”

A thud at the window draws our attention. Two guys have Tori pinned to the glass. She headbutts one of them right in the sunglasses. Two more take his place.

I bite my lip and look back at Maxi. “I’ll be right back.”

I charge outside and smack the first attacker on the back of their head before the door can finish jingling. They’re out cold.

Tori throws the second to the ground next to his headbutted companion. The final one standing throws a slow punch and I hit them with a sharp jab to the gut. My knuckles reverberate off her metal belly. I don’t know if it's armor or cyborg tech, but it hurts like hell. 

The attacker lunges for me, but Tori tackles them at the waist. She scrambles out of Tori’s grasp and scurries a few feet away.

Turning back, they shout, “Dammit Tori. You’re supposed to be with us!”

Tori, face red, angry like I’ve never seen her, pulls a boot off one of the fallen and chucks it at her. “Leave me the - - alone!”

I didn’t catch that word. I assume it’s improper.

I tug Tori’s denim sleeve, “Who were those people?”

Tori turns to face me, snapping right back into her usual nonchalance. “So didja sell it? How much did we get?”

“Oh! Um. I didn’t have a chance to. I saw you out here and I came to help.”

Tori blinks. “Okay, can’t say I don’t appreciate that. Where is it? Did it get messed in the fight?”

My cheeks redden. “I…left it in there.”

Tori’s face tightens. “You just left it in there? With that money-grubber?!”

“Tori! Don’t yell at me! I don’t know what I’m doing!” I huff.

“Well, if I can’t yell at you, then you can’t yell at me!” She huffs back.

“Fine!” I shout.

“Fine!” She agrees.

We stand in silence for a moment. I feel embarrassed by my outburst and I can see from Tori’s averted gaze that she feels it too.

Tori speaks first. “Sorry… For yelling and for making you go in there when yer not comf'terble or prepared.”

I nudge one of the unconscious attackers with my toe. “It’s okay,” I mumble. “Can you just… Come with me?”

Tori contemplates, as best as Tori can. She nabs the broken sunglasses from one of our fallen foes and a scarf from another. Tori wraps the scarf around her head like a bandage and scribbles a swirly little mustache above her lip with a marker from her fanny pack.

“You got it, babe!” Tori declares. She looks insane. 

I clear my throat and head for the door. “On second thought, maybe you better stay outside.”

“Not a chance. I’ve committed.” Tori runs ahead and opens the door for me. She winks as I step past, and I roll my eyes.

I wave to Maxi who nods and continues with his work. I glance at Tori as she saunters over to the counter.

Tori leans casually against the glass case. She lowers her voice. “Hello sir, my companion left a 600, no, 700 drown watch here. We’d really like a trade off. Cash only please.”

Maxi pulls my watch from under the counter. “Oh y’mean this dime a dozen?”

“Tsk! My father gave me that watch.” I exclaim.

Maxi turns on me. “Whadda I want with a store bought keepsake?”

“Aww, look what you did.” Tori intercedes, “you made her pout.”

I straighten up, “I’m not pouting.”

“If you keep this up, old man, I’m gonna start pouting too. And I look way less cute.”

I glare at Tori, but she continues. “So whaddya say? We’ll take it for half price.” 

Maxi nods and puts the watch back under the counter. “Deal.”

Tori winks at me and offers a fist bump. I reluctantly bump it.

“$300 doesn’t quite cover ya costs, but we’ll call it square, Tori.” Maxi gloats. “Alright, buh bye.”

Tori gapes. “How did you see through my perfect disguise?”

I groan and put my head in my hands. “Dammit, Tori.”

Tori turns proudly back to Maxi. She sniffs, “I taught her that. Could barely speak a contraction when I met ‘er.”

Maxi flicks Tori on the forehead. “Prob’ly hears it enough travelin’ with the likes of you.”

Tori sticks her tongue out at the shopkeeper, then shuffles closer to me. “What kinda drip can ya give us for this?”

Tori grabs the Roomba, still slung around my shoulder, and sets it on the counter with a clack.

“Negative 5 drown” Maxi responds without hesitation.

“Is today ‘offend Aubrey day’?” I scoff, lightly slapping Tori’s hands away from my Roomby. “We are NOT selling Roomby.” The little bot whirs in agreement.

“It’s alive!” I gasp.

Tori grins and pinches my cheek. “Nah, I just turned it on. Love yer enthusiasm though.”

I frown, and drop my hands to my side. Tori pops open the Roomba lid and pulls a long gold thread from the inside.

Maxi’s mustache twitches, “gold filament?”

“Three feet long, .5 millimeter width, pulled straight from a Gnat.” Tori boasts. 

“What is a gnat?” I implore.

The shopkeep nearly jumps. “What’s a…sheesh, you’re real new, aren’t ya?”

“It’s those security drones that fly ‘round the airspace ‘tween us and the UC.” Tori explains, twirling her hand around in the air.

I nod, still not sure I understand. I’ll have to pay better attention when we go back outside. 

"Right, and why didn't we sell this before we sold my watch?" I inquire.

"I have a good explanation for that." Tori starts out strong. "And that explanation would be that I sure did forget I had it."

Maxi snorts and mutters under his breath.

With a heavy sigh, I leave Tori and Maxi to cut their deal.

Tori and Maxi haggle for a while longer. Then Tori tells me it’s time to go.

As we leave the store, I tug at Tori’s sleeve, holding her in place. “Hey Tori.”

“Hey Bre.” She smiles.

I smile back, then clear my throat and continue. “Who were those people? The ones who attacked you. They seemed to know you.”

Tori puffs out her cheeks, then loudly deflates. “Did they?”

“Dammit Tori. You’re supposed to be with us!” I voice. “That’s what they said to you.”

“You have a crazy good memory.” Tori wags a finger at me. She pulls away from my grip and I let her.

“That was ten minutes ago.” I scoff. “And I’m a cyborg.” We start walking. “I’m being serious though. Who were they? Do we need to worry about them coming back?”

Tori goes silent for a moment. “They’re… my cousins.

My eyes narrow. “You said you didn’t have family.”

“I don’t. Not really.” Tori isn’t smiling anymore. She stops short. “Y’know what we need?”

I cross my arms. “Passports.”

Tori bites her cheek. “Well, Yes, but no.”

“A bath.” I counter.

Tori snorts. “Again, yes, but not what I’m talking about.”

“Clean clothes.” I pester, both annoyed and amused at this point.

Tori laughs and claps her hands together. “What if I just told you!?”

I purse my lips and bore into her with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Pshh,” Tori drops an arm on my shoulder and pinches her face at me. “I’m not that needy.”

It’s my turn to laugh.

Tori drops to one knee. She takes my hand in hers and places the other over her heart.

Tori bats her eyes at me. Her eyes are warm and brown. “Aubrey, darling, will you grab a much needed, and well deserved drink with me?” 

I consider it. I don’t understand why, but I consider it.

“Passports first.” I decide. “Then we’ll see. Perhaps we can purchase drinks and food if there is money left over.”

Tori fist pumps. “Baby, we have mor’an enough for everything.”

My heart quickens. “If we have more than enough,” I seethe, “then why did we sell my watch in addition to that gold string?”

Tori returns her muscular arm to my shoulders and tries to direct me forward. I don’t budge.

Tori sighs and explains, “because then we’d have exactly enough. And I dunno about you, but I need to eat.” 

I allow her to pull me forward a step.

“And drink.” Tori adds with a chuckle at my scrunched nose and annoyed glare.

“C’mon. The Image Center is two blocks from here. And I don’ like standing idle.” Tori takes her arm off my shoulder and scratches the back of her head.

“Those people back there, the ones we beat up…” Tori glances down at me from her peripherals.

I nod, and reply teasingly, “yes, I remember them.”

Tori breathes out a laugh. She waves to someone, then sticks her hands back in her pockets. “They’re not that dang’rous.”

My eyes trail the handprint bruises around Tori’s neck. Tori covers her neck with a hand.

“Quit scoping me, Bre.” Tori feigns embarrassment. “I’m shy.”

I playfully slap Tori’s arm, accidentally sending her reeling a few steps forward. She spins around with a crazy smile, and laughs.

A man in a familiar mask, one with a little silver star on the right lens, steps between Tori and me. 

“Number Two!” Silverfish shouts. 

The man wears neutral colors for blending in. There’s a large pocket on the belly of his quarter zip pullover. Inside, I can make out a box, or maybe some kind of protective plating. I count one tranq gun and note the outlines of two handheld weapons under his coat. In the proper lighting, I can now see his short blond hair is mostly white.

A short distance behind me, I hear the response, “It’s codename: Craig!”

My kidnappers found me; a reunion I was hoping to avoid.

Tori shoulders past Silverfish. I may be stronger, but Tori has height. She glares daggers at Silverfish as she sidles up beside me. I swear I see him flinch.

“Somethin’ the matter?” Tori stands up tall and crosses her arms.

The man hesitates. He shouts to Craig, “She’s with a local!”

Tori scoffs, “A local.” She stretches her arms out and cracks her knuckles loudly, “I’m The lo-”

Tori lets out a weird high pitch sort of screaming laugh. She spasms. 

I turn towards Craig, cursing I couldn’t hear him in the crowd. A crowd slowly clearing out of the way, as though we were kids in a schoolyard fight.

Craig holds a taser in one hand, the wires dig through the back of Tori’s denim jumpsuit. Two little burn marks glow a mild red like a fresh vampire bite.  

Craig turns toward Silverfish with a proud smile and gives him a thumbs up. “Got it!”