Eren did not usually frequent bars. They were loud, the drinks were more expensive than going to a liquor store, and above all else it was very dangerous for “specks'' to venture outside their usual cordoned off sections of modern society. 

Of course the government claimed to protect their rights, but in practice the gargantuan people who comprised the other eighty percent of humanity treated specks as vermin. 

And it was shortly after ordering his first drink he began to regret his decision. The bartender reluctantly took his request, but only after a stern look from her manager who briefly came out to see what the fuss was about.

While she was preparing his drink with the set of speck-sized cups and glasses that probably had never been used by the employees before today, a pair of regulars at the bar glanced over at Eren sitting on the table in a tiny chair made their move. 

They slinked closer just as the bartender was turning around with his cocktail. She noticed the two but consciously made the decision not to warn an exasperated Eren, who by now had realized she was intentionally dawdling. 

“Here.” The bartender said bluntly, setting a thimble sized glass in front of him rough enough to slosh some out of it. As she spoke the two women who had crept over towards them subtly took their seats behind him in the chairs reserved for normal sized clients. She stifled a chuckle while noticing the young man reaching for his wallet. “It’s on the house sir.” 

“Uh... thanks I guess-.” Before he could ponder why the clearly hostile woman would give him a free drink, Eren was flying through the air. His startled yelp that might have alerted someone nearby to come to his aid was cut off by a mouthful of sugary sweet booze that smelled strongly of strawberry.

One of the two gigantic women deftly tossed him into her strawberry margarita which to Eren was like a large hot tub. He struggled to swim his way to the top for a breath of fresh air, and to call for help when he was bludgeoned by a massive object. 

The other woman, who was giggling madly forced a straw into the drink to push Eren further down away from oxygen. While he was still recovering she began to furiously stir the drink, generating a whirlpool of ice and speck as Eren’s tiny body was bashed against the inner glass walls like a billiards ball.

To any onlooker it simply looked like a pair of tipsy young women enjoying a Friday night having fun. A more observant watcher might have noticed the hapless speck being drowned in rum by the pair, but if one such person existed in the bar nobody cared enough to interfere. 

Conveniently the bartender decided now was a perfect time for a smoke break. If her manager asked she never saw a thing. She raised an eyebrow as the girls cackled maliciously while allowing the speck a few desperate breaths to avoid ending their fun too soon. It would be a shame if he passed out in the first few seconds while they had him all to themselves. 

After a few agonizing minutes passed they decided they had enough of the distraction. There were a lot of cute boys on the dance floor they could be spending time with after all. Deviously both women fished a badly bruised and gasping Eren out of the drink where he was stuffed into one of their purses.

The bartender watched as one woman hurried off towards the ladies room, while the other placed a generous fifty dollar tip on the table for her. It was not necessary to buy her silence, but the bartender would graciously accept a tip considering the entertainment she allowed them to have. 

“Quickly! Before someone sees us!” Sylvia cooed, struggling to contain her excitement. It had been a long week but this made it absolutely worth it. “Find an empty stall.”

The bathroom was deserted with the exception of a single locked bathroom stall, with a pair of teal high heels wobbly keeping up some woman who appeared to have had one too many considering the nasty noises they heard as she wretched.

She would be no issue they imagined.

Alice was still giggling like a madwoman. She did not hold her liquor very well and was the type of drunk who found everything hilarious. The blonde did not even wait for Sylvia to lock the door behind her to rifle through her purse and snatch the dazed speck from beneath a bottle of perfume. 

Eren groaned in pain, his vision beginning to sharpen just in time to see a set of bright eyes looking at him. He had no time to really look at his tormentor before he felt an excruciating pain from his groin as a finger longer than his entire body reeled back before slinging forth as Alice flicked him directly in the balls while he hung upside down.

The girls laughed loudly as he let out a cry of pain, tears welling up under his eyes and dripping off his brow into the foul smelling toilet hundreds of meters below lined with brown skidmarks. He eyed it warily, realizing what the girls intended to do.

“No no no!” He managed to shout at them hatefully. Alice waved her hand with him while he thrashed about, mocking his feeble effort at fighting back. “You fucking bitch! This is murder!”

Sylvia was almost crying from laughter at this point. 

“M-murder?” She managed between fits of laughter. “As if it’s murder to flush a bug down the drain.”

“Hey record this I want to show it to Stephanie!” Alice said giddily, and tried to wiggle her phone out of her pocket with her other hand. “She hates these little fucks.”

“You people are monsters...” Eren shouted, among other obscenities as he could do nothing more than wait for the inevitable as he hung over the toilet which was to be his grave. The two women temporarily ceased their abuse to film it, and he was too frustrated at the world to care that this was how it ended.

Drowned a stinky toilet by two vicious women who didn’t know the faintest thing about him, other than that he was scum for being born a few inches tall. 

Alice had finally managed to pull her phone out when the bathroom stall suddenly swung open. It moved with enough force to slam directly into Sylvia, who was swatted aside into the adjacent wall of the stall, painfully thwacking her head against the door then the wall.

She went down clutching her already pounding head from the adrenaline and booze, opening her mouth in a silent cry. Alice spun around on shaky legs, allowing both her and Eren to witness who had kicked the door open.

Another woman stood in the doorway, wearing a cocktail dress the color of the sea. She stood a good few inches taller than Alice in them, although judging from how she compared to the door itself Eren could surmise she was a rather tall woman. 

Her almond shaped eyes were bloodshot and hazed, with jet black hair clinging messily to her porcelain cheeks. From her expression she was clearly very drunk with smeared make up, and a stain beneath her lips indicated she had indeed been vomiting in the next stall over, but despite that appeared to have another emotion plastered on her face.

Fury.

The mysterious woman leaned against the door she had kicked open, unintentionally or perhaps very intentionally pressing Sylvia’s face into the grubby side wall of the bathroom stall as the woman still reeled in pain from the earlier blow to the back of her skull. 

She looked directly at Eren, before turning her attention to Alice who was still holding onto Eren with a shocked expression on her face.

“L-let *hic* him go...!” The woman demanded, her words slurred almost to being unrecognizable along with a pronounced foreign accent perhaps intensified by her stupor. “Now!”

“Who the fuck are-.” Before Alice could finish her sentence, the stranger was upon her. As Eren had previously noted she was substantially taller than most women, Alice included. Moreover her tight fitting party dress revealed her feminine curves were enhanced by a toned, athletic physique.

When the stranger punched the much shorter Alice, it was enough to shatter his assailant's jaw and send several of her teeth flying to different corners of the bathroom. The light behind Alice’s eyes went out like a candle before a hurricane, before her cranium bounced off the rim of the toilet seat.

Alice’s body seized up, unconscious and possibly with some permanent damage from the impact of her fall. It was fortunate that Eren was not in her fist, or he might have been crushed when she tensed up, and he also landed on Alice’s stomach, safely in the folds of her dress.

Still dazed Eren struggled to his feet on the pliable surface of Alice’s belly which was uneven and difficult to walk on. His savior quickly honed in on him and reached down to grab him between her fingers. It took her a few tries, she was seeing double after all, but eventually she breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon feeling him safely pressed against the palm of her hand.

To Eren’s surprise, even though she was plastered, her grip on him was not restrictive. Instead he immediately recognized it as being the practiced technique used by certain educated folk who dealt with specks frequently and knew how to hold them in a safe, secure, but not oppressive manner. 

She brought him up to her face, the rage gone, now replaced with concern.

“H-hey there little *hic* guy, are you okayyy?” She asked in a gentle tone that was still difficult to read with her accent and drunken speech. “It’s alright now... t-those two won’t hurt you...”

“I... don’t know what to say. They would have killed me.” Eren breathed. She bit her lip sympathetically while steadying herself against the wall. “Thank you. Thank you so much I-.”

“I just did the right thing!” She insisted a little more sternly than she probably intended. Realizing her thunderous voice was at a volume way too loud for comfort she softened it considerably before speaking again, hiccuping as she did so. “I’m T-Tae... why don’t I take you somewhere safe... a-away from here?”

She burped, turning her head away just in time to avoid blowing a cloud of foul smelling air towards him. Determination seemed to be the only thing keeping her upright. 

Eren took a moment to think. He was still very shaken up by the encounter, and at the moment he did not feel safe walking amongst the giants without someone to watch over him. He had no idea who Tae was, but he owed her everything.

The speck nodded. 

“I’ll take ya back to my place... t-t-till I *hic* sobre up and can... do stuff...” Tae stammered. As she was turning around to leave the bathroom stall she noticed that Sylvia was still conscious, but laying on a heap on the ground in pain.

Her eyes narrowed and she raised her foot above the girl’s head, before bringing it down and driving her stiletto heel directly into Sylvia’s cheek, puncturing a deep hole into the woman’s face and perhaps crushing several of her teeth. The brunette mewled in agony and clutched her now disfigured face, not even reacting as Tae maliciously treated her to a firm kick in the midsection that was rewarded with a satisfying ‘crunch’. 

The titaness muttered something in some type of Asian language, from her tone Eren could only assume they were something degrading. Tae spat on the still unconscious Alice, who was coiled up against the toilet still.

Tae lost one of her heels on the way out of the bathroom, leaving her in just pantyhose to protect her feet on one foot. She decided it would be easier to walk out sans shoes and kicked the other one off as well, letting it clang against an opposing wall. 

Most in the crowd ignored her as she left. She was sure to keep Eren hidden from view in her hands, cupping him like a precious artifact from prying eyes. Tae pushed past several dancing club goers and wandered out in front of the bar then took a sharp left, in the direction of her apartment. 

As she did so she bumped into the bartender as she was returning from her smoke break. Tae muttered a half hearted apology to the young woman, who brushed it off as a woman who had one too many to drink. She had no idea what she would discover if she went to clean up the bathroom before her manager could potentially figure anything out.

There was a strong nip in the air at night, Tae was barefoot on the cold, dirty ground, and several blocks away from her home. However nothing could hope to prevent her from reaching her objective. 

Eren did not know what he expected his savior’s apartment to look like, but whatever it was it most certainly was not the place she arrived at. A luxurious high rise with ultra modern amenities. Tae breezed past the exterior security guard, who bowed his head respectfully as the woman strolled in. 

His eyes briefly flicked over the speck she was carrying, but if he had an issue with it made no note of such. She opened the door to her home, revealing an expansive penthouse befitting a billionaire.

She walked directly towards her expansive living room, gently setting Eren down on one end of the expensive looking embroidered leather couch that comprised the centerpiece of the space. Tae set her purse down on the ground, and slowly descended into a sitting position on the other side of the couch, across from Eren.

Eren opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Tae passing out on the couch, face down and arm hanging off the end of the sofa. She immediately began snoring very loudly, and it was at this point that Eren realized she was absolutely exhausted. 

It had been a multi-block long walk in the cold without any shoes and several drinks in her system, well past midnight. How she had made it so far to carry him to safety was nothing short of miraculous. 

In doing so Eren was left alone trapped on top of a total stranger’s couch, with no means of getting down or contacting anybody. His phone, wallet, and keys were all lost in Alice’s drink earlier that night and were probably flushed down the drain by the bartender by this point. 

Nevertheless, the couch was comfortable and had an abundance of soft pillows. In her last waking moments it had been clear that Tae realized she was about to lose consciousness and she made the effort to get as far across from Eren as possible before she did so, ostensibly to avoid rolling on top of the speck while she slept. 

“At least I’m alive.” Eren muttered to himself, cursing his idiocy for daring to go to a bar in this wretched world that hated his kind. Indeed if not for her he would be dead right now. The thought was haunting to say the least.

In the silence he had to himself it began to hit him how close he was to dying. Everything he had ever worked up for in his life, from his education and career prospects could have been over. None of his friends would ever know what had happened…

 

The realization was like a punch in the gut. He bit back the tears, but in the wake of Tae snoring he began to sob uncontrollably. His soft cries lasted for several minutes as he wallowed in the unfairness of the world before mercifully sleep found him at last.

Tae woke up with a horrible headache. Her mouth was unbearably dry and her feet were cold and blistered as if she had just ran in the olympics. She groaned and flexed each part of her body before she noticed the flesh on the knuckles were bleeding.

For a few moments she was confused until she sifted through the memories of the previous night… in the club. 

In an instant she was awake, frantically she searched around her for the boy she had tried to save. She powered through the vertigo that almost knocked her off her feet as a result from standing up way too soon with an awful hangover. 

She did not need to look for very long, as moments later she heard the soft voices of a speck calling up to her from below. Tae looked down on the other side of the couch and felt a wave of relief wash over her to see the young man from last night sitting upright facing her.

“Woah woah!” Eren assured her, as she exhaled deeply. “It’s okay… *we* are okay.”

“Oh thank god!” Tae exclaimed, and sat back down on the couch. She brushed some hair that had stuck to her cheek away. “I thought… you’re safe.”

Tae rubbed her temple.

“Those girls.” She muttered. “I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

“You saved my life from them, miss.” Eren told her. “I can’t thank you enough, Tae.”

“Did you spend the whole night there on the couch?” She asked, concerned. “A-Are you sure you are okay? I should have gotten you a blanket or something-.”

“I’m fine, Tae.” Eren said firmly, he placed his hands in the air in an attempt to calm her down as she began to freak herself out. “Really.”

The giantess realized what she was doing and decided to take several more deep breaths. Eren found it ironic that despite the ordeal it was her who seemed rattled right now. She winced, her soreness was a lingering effect of the hangover.

“My name is Eren by the way.” He formally introduced himself. 

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Eren.” Tae replied, and brushed herself off. Now that she had time to calm down and relax she realized just how covered with grime and dirt she truly was. 

Tae wiped a pillow across her lips, which cleaned a messy smudge of lipstick. As the pair sat in silence for a few moments Eren worked up the courage as ask a question that had bothered him since she saved him.

“Why did you help me?” He asked quietly. “I’m just a speck and you’re…” He trailed off, looking at the luxurious penthouse. “Well, nothing like me at least.” Eren noted.

She pursed her lips. “It’s personal.” Tae eventually told him. “I would rather not get into it, if it’s all the same with you.”

“I understand, I didn’t mean to pry.” 

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Tae said with a faint smile. “Is there somewhere safe for you? A speck community you come from?”

“I am from Northside.” Eren told her. “The settlement beneath the bridge.”

Tae grimaced. “It recently lost city funding, if I am not mistaken.”

“That’s why I was at the bar.” Eren admitted. "Trying to not think about how all of us are probably going to be homeless soon.” He admitted.

“What will happen to all of those people?” Tae asked. “I thought the mayor said he had a plan to find different accommodations.”

Eren scoffed and folded his arms.

“His ‘plan’ is to integrate us with another larger settlement on Westside. Resources are already strained as is so it’ll become a slum in no time.” Eren shook his head as Tae listened sympathetically. “Honestly I don’t know. We have families that I can’t imagine will do well on their own but nobody really seems to care.”

“I had no idea things were heading in that direction.” Tae told him. “Honestly I thought things were better in this city than most other places for specks. How wrong I was. I can hardly believe those two girls last night…”

“And the bartender.” Eren said, he recalled how the bartender had been complacent in the entirety of his near death experience. 

Tae narrowed her eyes. “What did they do?”

Eren recounted the events of the previous night from the very beginning. He explained how he had first had trouble even getting service from the barkeep and how she kept ignoring him until forced by management to take his order. Then stalled and said nothing while the two girls almost killed him.

As he explained his story Tae seemed to become more and more angry. She did not once interrupt him for further clarification, only listening, allowing her cheeks to flush red with anger once more. 

“What did she look like?” 

“Super skinny. Dyed blonde hair with a purple and blue streak in the front.” Eren replied. 

“Beauty mark under her lip?”

“Uh yeah actually.” Eren confirmed, uncertain how she could know, considering as far as he knew Tae had not run into her. “How do you know?”

“I bumped into her outside the bar on my way home.” She hissed. “I actually *apologized* to that fucking bitch for it too.”

“Ah well.” Eren shrugged, but Tae remained vexed. The colossal woman rose to her feet. She began to pace back and forth, swearing under her breath in what Eren by now assumed was probably Korean. “After she found what you did to those two girls in the bathroom I’m sure she’s scared shitless.”

Tae exhaled sharply. She noticed the fear lingering on Eren’s face, and seemed to calm down.

“Yeah. I suppose so.” Tae plopped back down on the couch, sending a tidal wave through it that sent Eren tumbling from her sheer weight. She remained silent for several tense seconds before relenting. “It’s fine. Are you hungry? I can get something for you to eat.” She offered.

Mikayla was in hot water with her manager, she knew for a fact. For some reason Jennifer actually insisted on offering service to specks. Her little stunt last night with the one speck in a blue moon who waltzed into the bar earned a scolding, and even a write up.

The rest of the staff she had told was on her side, she knew, they told her as much while she vented to some of the other employees. Nobody there wanted to ever have to degrade themselves by selling drinks to the bugs. 

Even some customers were on her side. Those two last night had been doing her a tremendous favor by trying to get rid of the damn vermin. It still bothered her that they ended up leaving the bar in a stretcher, with no sign of the speck. 

How that had happened she had no idea, but at the moment Mikayla was too busy grumbling about being assigned trash duty to care. Her ‘punishment’ from Jennifer who was still angry over last night.

“Fuck. I need a new job.” She bemoaned while crouching over to pick up a discarded vodka bottle. “With a decent fucking manager.”

She heard footsteps behind her. Jennifer?

“Look Jen I said I was sorry can I please go back-?!” Mikayla turned around, exasperated and expecting to see her stony faced manager standing in the cold alleyway with her. Instead she was face to face with a familiar person. The asian girl from last night who ran into her on her way out, drunkenly wandering the streets. “Uh hi miss, so sorry about that, I thought you were someone else.”

The woman only scowled. Her arms crossed forbiddingly. Mikayla looked around. Nobody else was in the alley and all her coworkers were inside serving guests, leaving them alone. 

“Did you lose something last night? Oh! Were those your shoes in the bathroom?” Mikayla asked. “I’m really sorry but the police ended up taking them. We had a incident last night here when-.”

“When there was an attempted murder.” The woman finally snapped. 

Mikayla was confused. “I wouldn’t describe it as being a murder, ma’am.” She said. “Two girls were beaten up in the bathroom.” The woman remained furious.

“For their part in an attempted killing that *you* were complacent with!” Mikayla took a few steps back as Tae stormed forward, digging her finger into her chest accusingly. “You let those two monsters take a young man into the bathroom and did NOTHING. They were going to fucking drown him in a toilet you piece of shit.”

She roughly shoved Mikayla, who stumbled backwards several feet before catching her balance on the wall behind her. She was about as tall as Tae, but far skinnier and lighter in frame. 

“Hey now what’s your fucking problem lady?!” Mikayla exclaimed incredulously, but her voice cracked. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie. The least you can do is not lie.” Tae hissed, crossing her arms. “Admit it.”

“Whatever.” Mikayla said, rolling her eyes and picking her trash bag up. “So what if they tried to kill the little shit? He’s just a goddamn pest.” She hissed.

Mikayla shook her head and tried to walk past Tae, only to be grabbed by the arm and thrown onto the ground. She yelped as she ate dirt, some of the trash she had not picked up ruining her uniform. 

Tae towered over her menacingly, her eyes full of anger.

“Get away from me.” Mikayla demanded, she stood back on shaky legs. “I am calling the police!”

Once more she tried to walk away, only to be stopped in her tracks as Tae delivered a strong kick to Mikayla’s sternum, sending her catapulting back into the wall. It knocked the wind out of Mikayla, who found herself unable to breathe for several seconds from the impact.

The larger woman rushed in, and tackled Mikayla to the ground, which left her defenseless as Tae removed a syringe from her pocket. Before Mikayla could react the needle was jammed into her arm, and plunger pushed, immediately it forced the strange chemical deep into her bloodstream. 

Mikayla tried to call out for someone to help, but was hit by a tidal wave of sudden nausea that came from seemingly nowhere. Her arm felt like it was about to fall off from pain, but simultaneously she felt too woozy to scream out in agony. 

She huddled into a fetal position, confused as she felt her clothes quickly becoming far more roomy than she had remembered them being. It occurred to her, much to Mikayla’s horror that she was shrinking. Rapidly. 

By the time she had recovered enough to be able to scream, Mikayla was far too small for anybody to hear except for Tae, who now had a sadistic smirk on her face as she watched the wretched little bartender try to crawl away from beneath her clothes. 

Her victim was under three inches tall now, just shy of the normal height specks usually were. Dazed and confused Mikayla began to sob as she looked up in morbid terror of the looming giantess who looked down at her hatefully. 

Instinct took over and Mikayla began to run away at a pitifully slow pace. She had no idea where to go, other than that if she wanted to live she had to get as far away from Tae as physically possible. She cried out as an overwhelming weight from behind her closed in, pressing her face down into the asphalt as Tae pressed the sole of her boot directly on top of the now diminutive girl which pushed Mikayla deep into the snow. 

To any potential observer, it seemed like Tae was tying her shoe laces. She got on one knee and gently pulled her foot free from the warm confines of the winter boot. The nylons she wore beneath did absolutely nothing to protect her feet from the cold exposed like this. Still it was nothing compared to the frosty coffin Mikayla was temporarily trapped in. 

Tae placed her foot aside then lifted the boot off Mikayla, who sobbed loudly. “In you go.” She remarked coldly to the terrified bartender. Roughly she squeezed Mikayla by her abdomen and dropped her the full length of the boot where she landed with a hard thud on the leather interior. 

Mikayla had no time to get her bearings in the smelly boot. Tae angled it so she could insert her foot, and as she did so forced Mikayla to crawl as far away from the five toes which surged to bulldoze her. Tae felt a total lack of resistance as her foot slid back into place, with Mikayla now situated comfortably at the toe section of her boot. She could feel the now shrunken woman’s head sandwiched beneath the crux of her big toe.

Within the shoe Mikayla hyperventilated on the only oxygen that could reach her, none of which was fresh and reeked purely of Tae’s feet. Her only comfort was that Tae had showered recently, and even the most odorous space in the crevice beneath her toes was not altogether unpleasant. Mikayla’s frantic shouting echoed loudly against the walls formed by the interior of the boot, and became panicked when she felt the mighty digits close around her. 

Then Tae took her first step. 

Mikayla lurched forward and her stomach turned as she felt herself rise. She could feel Tae lifting her foot, and cried out like she was on a roller coaster when it all came crashing down. The wait to feel when exactly impact would come was awful, but the crash itself was worse. Her spine compressed, underneath the sheer weight of Tae’s entire body bearing down on her. The soft underside of Tae’s feet smushed Mikayla hard against the leather insole, until she felt herself about to burst like a grape.

Mercifully the horrible pressure was alleviated right before that could happen. Tae made sure to step a little harder on that foot, and focus as much of her weight as possible into her toes. She couldn’t imagine the suffering Mikayla was experiencing, but whatever it was couldn’t come close to what she deserved. 

It was not everyday Tae took the scenic route home, especially when it was so cold outside. However today she had a special foot warmer, so she could make an exception. With each step she could feel Mikayla going through bouts of resistance. At first she was an absolute mess, endlessly squirming in a desperate and futile attempt to free herself. Four blocks later and that struggle was now quiet acceptance of her miserable fate

Eren’s dreams that afternoon were wrought with the events of the previous night. He could still hear the cackling of his would-be murderers, in a nightmare where nobody came to his rescue. 

He was drowning in a repulsive whirlpool, the abyss of the sewers reaching ever closer. Unbeknownst to him, Eren was thrashing about in his temporary bed. Just as he was about to drown he awoke with a gasp, and frantically looked around in confusion. 

The torrent of water was gone, as was the dark toilet bowl. Instead he was safe and dry, other than his own sweat which clung to him like a glove. Above him he realized that Tae was looking over him in deep concern. 

“Nightmare?” She asked. Eren wiped the sweat from his brow as his heart rate returned to normal. He knew it was just a dream but struggled to flush the adrenaline out of his system, and nodded solemnly in response.

Gently she slipped her fingers beneath his makeshift sleeping bag. He squirmed but she shushed him into submission, carefully pressing him against her chest in a sort of hug. At first he kept fighting, but her persistence paid off as he found his heart rate returning to normal. Her gargantuan hands were both terrifying, while also soft and comforting. Dexterously she wielded him, allowing Eren to feel the pulsing of her immense heart. In an ocean of softness balanced by the calming scent of her perfume Eren let out a deep sigh and went slack against her nurturing bosom. 

Eren melted into the folds of her bathrobe as she slipped it on over her chest, enjoying the body warmth provided by Tae’s chest and the lovely fabric of the robe. Slowly he felt his vision darken, as sleep pulled him in once again. But this time he felt safe knowing this goddess was protecting him. 

When she heard his little snores she tied her robe to keep him sealed in. He needed the rest, she decided.

After she was confident Eren was fast asleep, Tae turned her attention to the tickling sensation underneath her right foot. Her smile became a deadly scowl as she regarded Mikayla, who she kept underneath the thick covers of the bed at her feet. 

Mikayla, who for the past hour while Tae was home had been the giantess’s stress ball. Her toes scrunched and flexed around her, each in an attempt to crush and grab at different parts of her feeble body.

Resistance was futile she had long come to realize. Just one of the digits held more power than her entire body could hope to muster. Expertly, Tae maneuvered Mikayla’s head in between her big and second toe on her right foot. She brought her outside of the covers for a few moments, blinding the bartender from the sudden exposure to light. 

Tae wanted her to see them. To see Eren, the speck Mikayla had shown apathy towards, safe and sound while she suffered as punishment. She squeezed her toes around the bartenders throat to prevent her from squealing, which might awaken the speck. Mikayla gulped as she was lowered back down onto the sheet. 

With the utmost care to keep Eren asleep safely against the warmth of her breasts, Tae rose from the bed and seized Mikayla in her free hand. Briskly she walked into the bathroom. 

“N-No… please don’t-,” Mikayla stammered as she saw where Tae was headed. 

With a small splash Mikayla landed in the toilet. She gasped for air and swam desperately back up to the surface, looking up out of the bowl into the sneering face of Tae. She stroked Eren’s back, to ensure he wouldn’t wake up any time soon. Tae enjoyed every second of Mikayla splashing around like a fish in an attempt to scale the smooth surface of the toilet bowl. 

Darkness filled the basin as Tae turned around to take a seat on the toilet. Carefully she parted her robe and leaned back, eager to relieve herself. The last thing Mikayla saw before she was enveloped in murkiness was Tae’s firm glutes looming above like the moon, and of course, her neatly trimmed womanhood which was visible for a split second until Mikayla was blinded.

Meekly, Mikayla splashed around in the toilet water lost in the pitch black. It was impossible to see her own hand, let alone her surroundings in the dark basin. Then, she was struck by a hot stream of familiar smelling liquid which forced her beneath the water’s surface.

With a satisfied sigh, Tae relieved herself of a long night’s worth of margaritas and tequila. She had been saving it up just for this upon waking up, despite the slight discomfort of holding so much in. 

The golden stream that doused Mikayla came with the force of an industrial hose, and knocked Mikayla senseless on first impact. Briefly she lost consciousness before instinct cruelly ripped her back into the reality of her hellish predicament, swimming in an ocean of piss. Despite her best efforts to keep it out, what felt like liters of the stuff found its way into Mikayla’s nose, eyes, and mouth as she tried desperately to swim away from the epicenter. 

After what felt like hours, the last few drops of urine shook free. Mikayla breathed a sigh of relief as light crept into her prison. She had served Tae many drinks, but fortunately she did not recall her ordering anything to eat, so hopefully nothing more solid was on its way next.

Instead, Tae wiped herself clean, and turned her attention back to Mikayla, forced to marinate in her pee. She reached for the toilet handle, and ever so slightly pushed it down.

Mikayla shrieked as water began to fill the basin. Cruelly Tae continued the little game for a few more minutes, frightening the hapless girl repeatedly until she was a sniveling, sobbing mess softly asking for Tae to just do it already. With each slight push of the lever Mikayla was thrashed around to the point of exhaustion.

With a teasing wave goodbye, Tae pushed the handle all the way. With a watery hiss the toilet activated and water filled the basin, forming a whirlpool which sucked Mikayla beneath the water. Tae watched as Mikayla vanished from the toilet bowl into a watery grave of piss and shit. Would she faint from the pressure right away? Or would she remain conscious long enough to drown? 

A little wet spot had formed on the front of Tae’s panties. She had forgotten how much she loved this.

She felt a little nudge on her bosom as Eren stirred. The noise from the toilet flushing had roused him. Swiftly she returned to the bedroom and slipped him beneath the covers. As he slept she contemplated her next move. 

It would be slightly more difficult to locate the two women who assaulted Eren, although not impossible. Even if she couldn’t do it herself, Tae had countless resources and connections to make it happen in the hour. Although the question she was asking herself at this point was whether or not to pursue them. She had come so far from home to get away from that life. By hunting those two girls down she ran the risk of dredging up old habits… 

Eren pulled the blanket closer to him as he slept, the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat pulsated through his body. If she hadn’t intervened he would have died. The monsters who did this, if they were allowed to live they would almost definitely kill a different speck. From their mannerisms they probably had murdered some in the past. Tae couldn’t allow it to happen again. 

Eren received a few perplexed glances when he returned to the speck district later that day. The only brobs that ventured close to their dwelling were either government agents depositing supplies or pranksters coming to throw rocks at their home. Tae was something of an oddity as she approached with him in hand.

“This is about as close as I should go, right?” Tae mused. Carefully she plucked him off her shoulder and placed him in her driveway sized palm. “You have my number, text me when you get inside.”

He reached into his pocket and felt for his new phone. “I will. Thank you so much for everything.” Eren remarked.

“It was my pleasure.” She bit her lip. “And if you ever want to text me about grabbing coffee or maybe catching a movie…” 

Without warning she pulled him closer to her face. Eren’s eyes went wide as suddenly her lips enveloped him, almost forcing him back into her fingers. At first he was too taken aback to reciprocate her affection, but found himself gleefully wrapping his arms around as much of her lips as he could muster, and puckered his own lips against her massive ones. 

Her kiss lasted almost a minute before she pulled away. With a giggle Tae wiped away a bit of lip gloss that had rubbed off on his face. She picked a spot on the ground free from snow and placed Eren there, offering a wave as he returned home.

Tae kept watch until she saw him disappear amidst the shantytown’s small buildings. Only when she was positive he was safe did she turn around and begin her trek home. A few blocks later, her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. 

Eagerly she pulled it out, a smile crossing her face as Eren confirmed he was safe. Right as she was about to put it away, another text came in. This time, from an unregistered number.

Targets located. Distributing specifics as soon as possible.

…

It’s good to have you back.

It would be a rather cold holiday season. Not that Thomas minded. His favorite parts of this time of year were getting under a warm blanket with a nice cup of hot chocolate. The taxi came to a halt in front of a large suburban home. Outside a portly middle-aged man was on a ladder putting up the seasonal decorations. 

 

Thomas smiled and exited the car. 

 

He grabbed his suitcase from the seat next to him and slipped the driver some extra cash for his trouble. “Thank you again.” Thomas said cheerfully.

 

“And thank you for your service.” The man replied. He waved farewell and began to drive away as Thomas made his way up the snowy sidewalk. In Norwich during the winter months, it was not uncommon to shovel snow every few hours. 

 

The air felt cool on his rosy cheeks as he approached the all too familiar home. It was precisely as he remembered. “Dad?” He called out. 

 

“Tommy!” Robert exclaimed with a smile from ear to ear. Carefully he descended the ladder from the second floor and took several strides towards his son. The two embraced in a tight hug. “Oh, look how that uniform fits on you! Come inside you must be freezing…” Robert insisted and ushered Thomas inside.

 

Within the house it was pleasantly warm and the faint aroma of something delicious in the oven reminded Thomas of his days from before he moved out. He removed his hat and dusted off his boots to avoid staining his mother’s hand-stitched rug. Robert called out in the house announcing his return. 

 

At once there was thrilled barking from down the hall. Thomas’s smile widened even further as the walking carpet of a dog that belonged to the family came prancing towards him. Bosco was an old labradoodle with a graying snout, but he still acted like a big puppy. And of course, he was still wearing the ridiculous bright pink bow his sister had woven together back in middle school. 

 

“Oh, there’s my son!” Elizabeth gushed as she exited the kitchen. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around Thomas’s broad shoulders. 

 

He held her tight. It had been far too long since he had seen his family in person. “I’ve missed you mom.” Thomas replied. 

 

“I know, and we are so proud of you.” She responded. Elizabeth ran her fingers over the unit patch on Thomas’s arm. It matched the rest of his camouflage ensemble. 

 

The first thing Thomas wanted to do was get out of uniform, throw on something more comfortable and share a beer with his father. But that could wait until after he had the chance to greet his sister. 

 

According to Robert, Alice was still on her way home from campus. During his time in the Air Force, it was hard to find time to chat with his family, and once she entered her upper-level courses her own schedule became hectic. Until then he was content with catching up with his dad. 

 

Around half an hour later dinner was almost ready. From outside they heard a car stop in front of the mailbox. “That must be her.” Thomas said, and set his drink down to follow Elizabeth outside. 

 

Alice stepped out of her car. She heard the door opening to the front door of her parents’ house just as she was pulling her suitcase free. Her mother called her name, she smiled widely and pulled Alice into a hug. Over Elizabeth’s shoulder, she could see her brother walking down the steps accompanied by Bosco.

 

“We were starting to get worried.” Thomas mused heartily. She embraced him as well, whilst Bosco jumped eagerly for her attention on her leg. “How have you been sis?” He asked.

 

She ignored the flare of pain in her cheekbone from when her mother kissed her. “Really good!” Alice lied and followed them indoors out of the cold evening. “It was a tough semester but nothing I couldn’t handle.” She said. 

 

“Well, you always were the smart one.” Elizabeth guffawed as she returned to the kitchen to check on the oven. By now the chicken was baked and ready to serve. 

 

Alice set her luggage down next to the front door and kicked off her shoes. Briefly she checked her reflection in the window to make sure her make-up had not smudged. Her bruises had mostly healed but left very noticeable black and blue blotches on her face that took a lot of cover-up to conceal. 

 

Her father noticed her dawdling. “Are you going to join us to say grace?” Robert asked. 

 

“Oh!” She exclaimed and briskly joined the rest of her family at the dinner table. “My bad, I thought I left the car on.” 

 

“Who wants to start?” Elizabeth asked. 

 

After a bit of back and forth it was determined that Robert would say prayers before the family ate. Alice peeked to her right side to discern whether or not Tommy had noticed anything. She had hoped he would be too drunk by now to notice anything amiss about her appearance, but unfortunately, he had restrained himself. 

 

As the family sat down and began to eat, Alice did her best to contribute to conversation without bringing too much attention to herself. Just as she had anticipated, the spotlight was on Tommy and how his first two years in the military had gone. 

 

Bosco took his usual spot. Next to Alice at the edge of the table begging for scraps. Nobody else ever gave him food right from the table, but she had a soft spot for him, and he had come to expect it by now. Dinner progressed and he happily slurped up bits of chicken and potato she sent his way. 

 

The dog was more excitable than usual. Perhaps it was because for the first time in years, the entire family was back together at the dinner table. Each time Bosco hopped up onto a chair Robert was quick to send him away, but gradually he became too engrossed in a story Tommy was telling to do so. 

 

Alice wasn’t really paying attention and only offered a half-hearted ‘shoo’ to Bosco when he jumped up on her. He was just big enough to reach her face when he stood on his two hind legs and began to lick the side of her face like he was still a young dog. 

 

She only noticed her grave mistake when Tommy began to trail off in the middle of his tale. The table slowly went silent as her parents wondered what the issue was, and all attention turned to where Tommy was looking. 

 

Right at the now perfectly visible bruise on her left cheek. 

 

“...Alice?” Tommy said slowly. “What happened?”

 

She gulped and wiped some gravy off her lips, conspicuously turning her face away and averting her eyes. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

 

“Tommy what’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked, confused. She turned to her daughter. 

 

“She has a bruise.”

 

“Tom, I don’t-.”

 

“Look right there, beneath her left eye.” Tommy said. Now he was sure of it. It had been difficult to notice before, but Bosco had wiped most of her blush away with his tongue and exposed the injury. 

 

Beneath the table Alice clenched her fists and tried to keep calm. Tommy stood up from across the table and walked purposefully towards her. As he approached her turned the other way, hiding the bruise from him. 

 

“Let me see it.” He said firmly. 

 

“I said it was nothing.” 

 

“Alice.” 

 

“You’re just seeing things.”

 

“No.” Robert murmured. He squinted through his glasses. “I see it too. Alice honey, what happened?” He asked in concern.

 

She grit her teeth. Damn. 

 

With the entire table looking directly at her, Alice took a deep breath and met their gaze. She brushed her hair back behind her ears, making it even more obvious that she was hurt. Both her parents simply looked concerned. But Tommy was different. There was anger in those sea green eyes of his. When he spoke it had an edge, like a knife. “Who did this?” Tommy asked.

 

“Nobody. I got into an accident at practice.” She replied. 

 

“You got a bruise like that playing tennis?” 

 

Alice shrugged. “A ball hit me. Nurse said it was fine but would leave a nasty mark.”

 

“So why did you try to hide it with make-up? Say it was nothing?” Tommy interrogated. Alice didn’t reply. She looked up at her parents for some kind of assistance, but they offered none. Evidently, they were on his side on this.

 

A long silence ensued. Alice simply twirled her fork in her mashed potatoes, reminiscent of when she was a little girl receiving a scolding at the dinner table. Although this time it was her brother rather than her father or mother administering it. 

 

Finally, Tommy broke the stillness. “It was Mark. Wasn’t it?” He seethed.

 

“W-what?” Alice asked and spun around to face him, genuinely bewildered. “Mark? Tommy, I haven’t spoken to him in years-.”

 

Her brother was no longer listening. Instead, he rose from the table and grabbed Robert’s jacket and car keys from the doorway. Bosco instinctively stood and followed him, wondering if it was time for his walk. 

 

Alice remained pinned to her seat, dumbfounded. Of all people, how could he think that Mark did this? Did he even live in Norwich anymore? She heard the front door slam shut. 

 

Elizabeth blinked, as if the sound reminded her, she could speak. “Honey, is that boy hurting you again?” She asked worriedly. 

 

By now Alice was no longer listening. She got up and chased after Thomas, ignoring her parent’s pleas as she left the house without her coat. It was bitter cold in the night, but she didn’t care. Tommy was opening the door to Robert’s car. As the engine started up, she knocked on the car window. 

 

“Tommy, stop. This is insane, you can’t just-.” She blathered but was ignored. The engine failed to start. A symptom of the colder weather. Still, he ignored her and tried again. She grew exasperated. “Tom get out of the car and fucking listen to me!” Alice barked, angrily thumping the roof of the car with her hand. 

 

He gave her a cold look. The window cracked open. “I told that piece of shit I would kill him if he ever came near you again.” Thomas reminded her.

 

“Mark didn’t do this! That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” 

 

“Tsk.” He bemoaned, rolling his head in frustration. “Unbelievable, after all this time you still defend him-.”

 

“I am not defending him!” She shouted, angrily slamming her fist into the car door. “Mark did not fucking do this you dumbass!” “Alice said, livid.

 

He met her gaze and wound the window down all the way. “Then who did?” Thomas asked simply.

 

Alice opened her mouth to shout again but no words came out. After a few tense moments she bit her lip and looked away, down the street as far away from Tommy as she could. He waited almost a minute before shutting the car off. 

 

“I thought so.” He muttered bitterly before stepping back inside.

 

Winter was always a busy time in the Northside district. The increase in snow was a constant hazard that forced the community to spend days clearing even small clumps, and the threat of unwitting brobs from out of town brazenly trampling all over the place was a frequent annoyance. 

 

It would be too difficult for specks to manually clear snow from the district. By law, the city was supposed to provide that service although even the oldest specks from when the legislation was passed could not name a year it had been honored. As with most things, the specks had to do it themselves to survive. 

 

Many modern cities utilized special snow ploughs for mass clearing, although great strides had been made in snow melting devices that generated enough heat to keep an area clear. One such device commonly used by specks was essentially a modified water heater. 

 

Snow enters the devices via large collecting bins situated around the community. Heat created by the machine turns the snow into hot water, and the rest into steam to prevent overflow. That steam is then channeled through pipes all along the community to other smaller heaters which melt just enough snow to allow the specks to clean up any remnants.

 

Eren worked with the machines on a daily basis during the snowy months. His role as an electrician was to ensure the precious power generators needed to provide heat, hot water, and internet to the community were maintained throughout snowstorms and the freezing cold.

 

He took a deep breath and stepped back from the blueprints on his desk. Everybody was exhausted, not just him, and it was the first day of December. So much work had to be done just to keep Northside operational another day, sometimes another hour. All of that just to have the brob government step in and tell them all to relocate. 

 

It’s like some kind of grand joke we’re all too small to see. He thought begrudgingly. Nightmares plagued him again last night. It showed from the dark bags under his eyes. Fuck… I’m tired. Tomorrow I’m taking a day off.

 

The grub shack was rather sparse. Rations as usual were cut down to quarter for the winter. He shouldn’t waste a meal ticket twice in the same day, but there was no way he could finish the rest of the inspection without another hot meal. 

 

Evidently the chef thought it was peculiar to see him twice as well that day. “I thought you already got yours?” 

 

He shrugged and yawned. “I did. But I can’t take another step on a half-empty stomach.” Eren replied. 

 

The older speck snorted and picked up a plate. “What? Got used to the high-life with that brob?” He asked. 

 

Eren paused. “That’s none of your business.” He replied as the man started filling his plate with assorted dried fruit and jerky. 

 

“Honestly I’m surprised you bothered coming back. She gave you a big ole’ wet kiss and a nice phone of all things…” He muttered. 

 

Eren extended his meal ticket. “Northside’s my home as well, Isaac.”

 

“Yeah yeah.” He waved Eren off and returned to his work. “But when they sell this place off and the rest of us are freezing to death in the alleyways, you’ll be looking down on us from a nice warm apartment between that bitch’s legs-.” Before Isaac could continue Eren snatched the tray away from him, almost pulling the older man off his feet from behind the counter.

 

He slammed the meal ticket down and walked away briskly, ignoring the looks from the others in the grub hall. Although it was cold outside, he no longer felt like eating with the others. Instead, he picked a spot near the edge of Northside, overlooking the barrier that separated the speck community from Norwich. 

 

What was his problem? Eren thought to himself. I’ve known Isaac for years… used to slip me an extra serving when I was sick. Now that people know I’ve made friends with a brob I’m suddenly an asshole? He took a bite of his food. It was bone dry and tasted like ratshit. Already he missed the warm home-cooked delicacies that came from Tae’s kitchen, or even the delights of the normal-sized world. But it was all they had. 

 

Eren reached for the phone Tae had given him. It was nothing like the simple outdated models common among specks. This one was sleek, with a smooth black screen and a camera. 

 

He only had one contact. A smile touched his lips just thinking about her. Maybe she would be free tomorrow too?

 

Not a moment after Eren sent the text, there was a bit of commotion from behind him. The mechanical whirring of a nearby power core came to a grinding halt. Instantly a few specks close by jogged over to diagnose the problem.

 

Tae hadn’t texted back yet. Usually, she replied within a few minutes. Eren got up and went over to assess the power core as well. 

 

“Did one of the fuses freeze over?” He asked a man about his age who had gotten there first. Both of them could smell the bitter electric burn. 

 

“Not sure.” Oscar replied, another maintenance specialist and Isaac's son. He glanced over at Eren, and his face soured somewhat. “You failed to calibrate it for the weather properly.” He suggested.

 

“Grub shack needs this grid online. All the ovens shut off.” Someone behind them groaned.

 

“We’ll send for a repair team.” 

 

“No, I can fix it.” Eren replied and slipped his jacket off. Oscar folded his arms and watched silently as Eren got on his hands and knees to crawl beneath the steaming vent of the generator.

 

It was definitely an electrical issue. Nothing a quick hard reset couldn’t rectify. While he had the chance Eren took the opportunity to properly calibrate the machine for the cold, fiddling with the power consumption settings. Fortunately, nothing was frozen, but moisture had developed on the exterior latch.

 

By the time he was finished about ten minutes had passed. Eren slid out from beneath the generator and blinked in sunlight. 

 

Where did everybody go? He thought to himself. The small crowd of other specks had vanished. He stood up and slipped his jacket back on. At once he noticed his phone was gone. Eren’s expression hardened. Really?

 

It wasn’t too hard to track them down. A trail of footprints led away, closer to the recuperating grub shack. As expected, Oscar and the other guys from before were there, crowded around his phone like it was a work of art.

 

He dug his fingers into his palms. “That’s not yours.” Eren announced his presence and walked right up to Oscar. “Give it back.” He demanded.

 

“We just wanted to see it.” Oscar dismissed. “Relax dude, I’m not reading whatever kinky shit is going on with you and that brob.” 

 

This again? Eren thought. “What’s your problem?” 

 

“I don’t have a problem. What could make you think that?” Oscar replied sardonically. 

 

“Ever since I got back you and everybody else is treating me like an outcast. That woman saved my life Oscar.” 

 

“Yeah. You’re real lucky. For some reason you get special treatment, and when this place is destroyed, you get a home while the rest of us are turned out into the cold.” Oscar said bitterly. 

 

“I can’t control that.”

 

Oscar snorted. “Ever think she could help the rest of us? Or were you too busy trying to get in her pants to spare a thought for the rest of us?” He shot back accusingly. 

 

Eren folded his arms. “A brob nearly killed me. Would have flushed me down a toilet. Forgive me if my mind was elsewhere.”

 

“Too bad they failed. You could have joined mommy and daddy that way huh?” Oscar replied with a twisted grin.

 

Eren’s face contorted in rage. Oscar had known that was going too far and was prepared to move out of the way as Eren’s fist grazed by his face.

 

The pair sprawled, with Oscar forcing his way on top raining blows on the taller speck. A small crowd formed to watch, composed of those that had been going through Eren’s phone and some others from the grub shack.

 

Eren tasted his own blood. He felt Oscar grabbing at his hair in an attempt to control his head. As the younger man was attempting to strangle him, Eren chomped down hard on Oscar’s finger hard enough to reach bone and elicit a shout of pain from him. 

 

It gave him the time he needed to roll them over until Eren was on top. Oscar clutched his finger, which was now bleeding everywhere. Before he could react Eren landed a perfectly placed punch on his jaw. The blow knocked Oscar’s head back into the frosty pavement, bouncing his skull off the ground. 

 

Oscar’s eyes rolled to the bank of his head. The fight was over, he was concussed and now spitting up his own teeth and blood. Eren didn’t care. He continued punching him, slamming the man’s head into the ground until he felt a sudden pressure around his arm. 

 

Gabriel was there. “Eren that’s enough!” He shouted, pulling him off the now motionless Oscar. Angrily Eren lashed out, kicking his unconscious body repeatedly until Gabriel hauled him out of range. In the commotion Eren snatched his phone off the ground, before Gabriel overpowered him. Back to his office where he oversaw the community.

 

 

 

 

Eren was used to getting in trouble with the mayor of Northside. Ever since he was a teen, he had been in front of that desk many times and received countless scolding’s. It never changed anything or meant much. Until now.

 

Now as Gabriel mentioned, the district had reached a mathematical dilemma. The specks of Northside would need to integrate into the larger Westside community. However due to resource constraints not all of them would be able to make the transition. Unfortunately, about a fifth of Northside’s population would have to find their own solution. 

 

“Eren please try to see my point of view.” Gabriel had said softly. His voice was almost ashamed. “It’s not just your disciplinary history that’s impacted my decision. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t trust you have somewhere to go… I hope you can understand that.”

 

Eren spent the rest of the afternoon in his room, staring at the wall blankly. It was bound to happen sooner or later he supposed. He had been even more of an outcast since his return. Although now it was for reasons besides his family status.

 

Alice Evans. 

 

A college student at Norwich University studying English Literature with a focus in poetry. Mediocre grades, but a talented tennis player for the college team. Most likely what gave her the edge to get into such a prestigious university. In her sophomore year she joined a sorority.

 

Her former roommate was a drop-out named Sylvia Collins. A party girl who flunked her first two semesters of classes and was kicked out of Norwich altogether. Her parents cut her off when she couldn’t hold down a job for more than a few months, but she always found a way to convince them to support her another year while she got her life back together. Unsurprisingly all that money went to cheap margaritas and weed. 

 

Tae rubbed her eyes. It was well past midnight, and she was still studying these two. On the surface neither woman seemed like they would be capable of such barbarity like she had witnessed. Yet she had seen it herself.

 

For the past several days, her dining room table had been overflowing with loose papers. Financial history, medical records, text message receipts, employment history… it made her feel nostalgic. 

 

This is the last time, right? She asked herself with a yawn. Tae strolled out of her office and into her bedroom. You said you were done…

 

In a lockbox beneath a hidden compartment of her closet, she withdrew another smaller wooden box. She flipped the lid open to reveal a set of syringes. One of the slots was missing from her most recent excursion. Only one dose was left. She hadn’t imagined she would really need more than that in America. 

 

She would need more. Tae shut the box tightly and returned it to the chest. Before she closed it all the way, she noticed something sticking out from the bottom of the stack. A small photograph.

 

Tae reached for it. As gently as could be, she plucked it from the lockbox. 

 

A longing smile touched her lips. A pair of Korean women were in the photo. One normal sized, smiling widely from ear to ear. In her hands was another young woman. A speck also smiling and waving happily for the camera, unbothered by the immense size difference. It all seemed like such a long time ago.

 

You’re a monster.

 

Tae’s smile faded.

 

Just go… I never want to see you again.

 

She returned the picture to the lockbox and let out a deep sigh. Slowly she returned the contents to it. Am I really going down this road again?

 

It had already been a risk to go after the bartender. She had beaten both girls badly, perhaps this was going too far. 

 

A ringtone sounded from her laptop in the next room. Tae stepped out of the closet and returned the lockbox to its hiding place. Someone was trying to video chat with her. 

 

Incoming call from Grace Chen. Tae wiped the matter from the corner of her eyes before answering. 

 

“Can you hear me?” Tae heard her cousin’s voice before the camera activated. The video picture was rather blurry for several seconds before the picture quality sharpened. 

 

She smiled. “Yep. Sorry it took a moment for the video to load.” Tae replied. It felt nice to speak in Mandarin again. “How are you Grace?” 

 

“Tired… I just got back from a conference in Sydney. Aunt Min wasn’t impressed with last quarter’s results in Australia and New Zealand.” Grace responded with a lazy yawn. “And how about you Ji-soo? Feels like forever since we’ve spoken.” Grace asked.

 

So long I forgot the sound of my own name. Tae grimaced. “Not well until recently, to be honest.” She admitted. “I spent the last few months since I left drinking like a fish.” 

 

Grace frowned in concern. “What changed?” 

 

Tae paused. “I… met someone.”

 

Her cousin blinked. She hadn’t been expecting that. “A guy?” Tae nodded, earning a giggle from Grace. “How long have you been together?” She inquired.

 

“It’s not that serious yet. We kissed once and have a date tomorrow.” Tae blushed. She squirmed in her seat. Talking about her romantic life like this with Grace felt so bizarre. 

 

“What’s he like?” Grace asked.

 

“He’s really sweet. I don’t know how to describe it. We spoke for hours a few days ago over dinner and he spent the night.” Tae said. “It felt like minutes, I haven’t laughed as much or felt that happy since… you know.” She trailed off sheepishly and rubbed her arm.

 

Grace let out a chuckle. “Is he cute?”

 

“I-I… think he’s quite good looking, yes.” She noticed Grace still grinning wickedly at her. “Alright how about we change the topic!” Tae said in exasperation with her cheeks bright crimson.

 

“Aw. You’re too cute. Actually, I was calling to let you know I intend to visit you for the holidays. I couldn’t stand the idea of you alone.” 

 

“You’re coming to the US?” Tae asked. Was it your idea, or your aunt’s? Grace nodded.

 

“Would I be intruding?” She asked. “I can always-.”

 

“No. It’ll be great to see you again and yeah, I’ve really missed you and everybody back home.” Tae cut in. She hesitated. 

 

Grace noticed her silence. “What is it?”

 

“...if you could bring a few speck doses, it would be greatly appreciated.”

 

Delphi’s Tavern was a popular, upscale restaurant in downtown Norwich. Neither Eren nor Tae had ever been, but the reviews were universally positive and making a reservation had been easy. More importantly, Tae had been assured when she called the establishment that specks were welcome by the staff. The other four places she had called before thought she was joking. 

 

The pleasant aroma of a grill in the backroom wafted into the lobby. Eren felt the stomach behind him rumble in anticipation. Perched on Tae’s hand against her abdomen he could see the hostess seated behind a desk, tongue protruding from between her lips as she tended to a ledger. Tae’s heels clacked against the hardwood floor, which alerted the woman to their presence. She offered a welcoming smile. 

 

“Good evening, are you Miss Park? I think we spoke on the phone.” The hostess asked. Tae nodded as Eren shifted around on her palm anxiously. “Right this way your table is all set.” They followed the woman through the restaurant, passing several other tables and some waiters bussing back and forth.

 

As they entered a more populated area, Tae’s fingers rose protectively around Eren like a shield. To a passerby, it seemed she had her hands clasped together. Nobody realized that she had a speck in tow. 

 

Tae and the hostess moved aside to allow an employee carrying several drinks to pass. “It’s busy…” Tae murmured. “Is our table private?” She asked.

 

“I made sure of it.” The hostess whispered back as she led them to the other side of the restaurant. She pulled back a curtain to reveal another dining room, although this one was almost completely empty. “Typically, we keep this room closed on weekdays, but figured you two would prefer to be out of the main hall.” 

 

Eren breathed an audible sigh of relief as Tae sat down. “Thank you. We really appreciate that.” He said as the woman set out their menus. One of them was downsized just for him, as were the cutlery and glasses. He sat at a miniaturized table and chair identical to the bigger ones, placed carefully on top of the table reserved for Tae.

 

“Hopefully one day this won’t be necessary.” The hostess lamented. “And specks won’t feel endangered just going out to eat. If there is anything either of you need let me or your server Sam know. She’s great.” With that the woman offered a bow and departed. 

 

“Why can’t they all be like her?” Eren mused. “Or you?” 

 

“I wish I knew.” Tae replied. She set her purse down and observed the room they were in. Although they were the only one’s present, the staff had spared no effort in preparing it. Candles illuminated other tables, casting the room in flickering gold light.

 

Most of the people who passed the archway that led to the hall from the main dining chamber were staff, but on occasion another customer walked by. Eren would have been invisible if Tae sat with her back facing the entrance, but out of habit she preferred the other side of the table. This way she had the best perception of the entire room and would see anybody come in immediately. 

 

Old habits. Tae thought to herself. “I never noticed that tattoo on your arm.” She mentioned as Eren removed his coat and began to roll up the sleeves of his shirt. “What is it?” 

 

“A scorpion.” He said, turning his forearm so she could see. It was tiny, but she could see what it represented. “I got it years ago.”

 

“Does it mean anything?”

 

“The smaller the scorpion, the more venomous the sting has to be, since their claws are not as large and powerful.” Eren explained. “Although that’s probably just a myth.” He replied with a laugh. 

 

She giggled. “It makes sense though. How else would they defend themselves from predators?”

 

“Run, I imagine.” Eren replied. His smile faded ever so slightly. Perhaps I should start thinking along those lines myself. Fighting just gets me into more trouble.

 

The waitress arrived carrying a few glasses of water and freshly baked bread with oil and herbs. One loaf of the starchy appetizer was approximately the size of Eren’s house. He watched in silent awe as Tae thanked the waitress and effortlessly ripped the piece of bread into smaller bits. It would have taken several specks an hour to do the same thing. 

 

Odd, we didn’t order this. Eren thought, but Tae didn’t seem to mind. 

 

Tae hummed and dipped some of the bread into the herbs before she took a bite. Her eyes rolled back in pleasure. “Oooh, that’s really good!” Eagerly she reached for another piece and placed a few tidbits into the small plate meant for Eren to pick from. “Try it in the oil.” She suggested as he ripped off a fist-sized chunk. 

 

It was delicious. Doughy and warm, with the slightly zesty contrast of the oil. The herbs were too chunky for him, otherwise Eren would be chewing on a giant piece of chopped parsley. Tae sipped her water to cleanse her palette. “Probably not a good idea to eat much of this. Still have to figure out what we’re ordering.”

 

“Weird that they give us all of this then.” 

 

“Pardon?” She asked, looking away from the menu. 

 

“All of this food. We didn’t order it or anything.” Eren said. 

 

“Oh that! It’s all complimentary.” Tae explained. “It’s just some bread. Gives us something to do while we wait for the waitress and makes us feel better about coming here.” 

 

He frowned. Complimentary? They would just give them two whole loaves of bread and some water free of charge? That didn’t seem right. And for the sole purpose of distracting customers from the slight wait as well. 

 

To think, specks are starving to death in the cold while restaurants can just give away free food. He thought and observed the mountain of bread in front of him. Each one could easily feed Northside long enough for the loaf to develop mold if they rationed carefully. Why is it so hard for the city or a charity to provide food for us? 

 

He shook his head and took a few sips of water. Stop thinking about that so much. Just enjoy her company and have fun.

 

“You know, you never told me much about yourself.” Eren pointed out. “Other than you don’t handle mojitos very well.” 

 

“Hey! Let’s see you try to drink one and see how it goes.” She chuckled. 

 

“Where are you from?” 

 

“I was born in Busan. But most of my family is from China and lives in Singapore.” Tae replied, honestly. “It’s hard to pinpoint where I’m ‘from’ if that makes any sense. I grew up in so many different places.”

 

“That’s incredible.” Eren breathed. “I’ve never even left Norwich unless it was for university, and we weren’t allowed to leave the speck facility.”

 

“I didn’t realize you went to a college.” Tae said, surprised. “What did you study?”

 

“Electrical engineering. Originally, I was studying architecture, until the school removed the funding for specks to take the course.” Eren said. 

 

“Those are both very rigorous majors.” Tae said, impressed.  A non-speck with Eren’s academic achievements would most likely earn a very high salary, considering how difficult they were, and in-demand engineers and architects were. To earn that degree Eren had to take some of the hardest available physics classes and get through high-level calculus courses. Sylvia Collins barely scraped by high school with a 2.3 weighted GPA and dropped out of college her second semester, and she has the audacity to call him a ‘pest’?! 

 

The waitress returned to take their order. Or rather, Tae’s order since Eren could simply share whatever she had. Both of them decided the spanakopita, a spinach-cheese pie, sounded the best. Tae also ordered a bottle of wine which would come first. There was a special on liquor, which might explain why the place was so busy.

 

Shortly after Sam left, the restaurant became a little busier outside. It was harder to hear Eren, but not impossible as more people entered Delphi’s for dinner. Their conversation was eventually interrupted by another customer who entered the otherwise private room.

 

Tae stopped mid-sentence to see a boorish young man with short brown hair and a square jaw enter. He seemed rather lost from his expression and noticed Tae glaring at him. 

 

“My bad miss, didn’t realize there was someone in here.” He apologized. “Me and some friends were just looking for somewhere with more room since it’s crowded.” 

 

She tensed up but remained polite. “That’s alright. I’m sure you can find somewhere-.”

 

“What? Is this room like… yours? Doesn’t have a name on it.” He cut in. Eren felt a chill run down his back. He knew that tone of voice. Not outright confrontational or aggressive. Just obtrusive and forceful enough that he knew it was an intentional challenge. A little jab. How most confrontations started when someone had already made up their mind about having their way.

 

“I reserved it. Yes.” Tae replied smoothly. 

 

The intruder narrowed his eyes but seemed to relent. Until he noticed the speck sitting on the table in front of Tae. Eren did not turn around, but felt his heart begin to beat louder in his chest as he felt the brob’s eyes on his back. Tae did not take her eyes off the stranger.

 

Tense silence was cast over the room, until another man emerged from behind the first. Tall guy, pretty muscular and a youthful face. Probably in his early twenties and a student at nearby Norwich University out with some friends for some early holiday celebration. “Hey Mike, can we go in here?” A pair of eyes peered from over the man’s shoulder. 

 

Tae kept her eyes fixated on the stranger until he responded. “Yeah, there’s plenty of space in here.” Eren heard Tae sigh audibly. 

 

Both men strolled into the room and took a seat at a nearby booth. The second man must have wondered why his friend and the stranger inside were so quiet until he noticed Eren sitting on the table. He wrinkled his nose.

 

“Oh shit, I didn’t realize bugs were allowed in here.” He said.

 

“Yeah. Me neither.” Mike murmured loudly. “Seems pretty gross to me. This place probably doesn’t do too well with the safety inspectors.” He said in a churlish tone.

 

“Both of you could leave. Would clean it right up.” Tae replied dismissively. 

 

Eren exhaled. By now his heart was pounding out of his chest. These two seemed familiar. Just like those two girls from the bar. Just like the men who… 

 

“Let’s go home Tae.” He stammered softly. She looked up almost incredulously. Her mouth opened to protest, until she noticed the fear in Eren’s eyes. It was identical to the shell-shocked expression she had when she found him first writhing in terror in bed from a nightmare. “I-I don’t feel safe.” He muttered. 

 

She glared daggers at the two gentlemen staring at them with wide, mocking grins. Beneath the table she felt her hand fold into a fist. I could crush both of them…

 

“Tae.” She heard Eren say again, his voice almost a whimper now. 

 

But he would see it.

 

Reluctantly she stood up and gathered her things, including Eren from the table. He felt cold and clammy in her hands, covered in sweat which had gone through his dress shirt.  Tae exited the room, maintaining eye contact with the first man who had entered. 

 

She bore his features into her mind. Wide nose. Slight stubble. Dark brown eyes. Young, early twenties. Athletic build. Mike. I’ll find you and your friend later. 

The late evening sun began to set over Norwich’s harbor. Most of the park had been abandoned, and Tae felt comfortable enough to leave Eren visible perched on her shoulder while she sat on a park bench under a tree overlooking the bay. Deep crimson sunlight reflected off the frigid waters in the distance, yachts and other boats pulled in before the sunset.

 

One by one the streetlamps illuminated in preparation for dusk light to vanish. Wisps of raven black hair swirled teasingly at Eren. A button on Tae’s long winter coat provided a handhold as he swayed back and forth dispassionately.

 

“I overreacted to those two. I’m sorry.” He muttered. Was it disappointment in himself for feeling so afraid? Or anger at not trusting Tae’s judgement? 

 

She shook her head, creating a luscious vortex of her hair around him. “You made the right call. I would have made a scene.” 

 

“They reminded me of something.”

 

“The girls from the bar?”

 

He clasped his hands together. Distantly the sun began to set over the water, shrouding the pair in darkness as night fell and the park became silent around them. “No.” Eren muttered. He thumbed at the tattoo on his forearm. “I never told you about my family.” 

 

Tae remained quiet. He was right. Not once had he brought them up.

 

“My dad hated Northside. Oftentimes he would take us out of the district to go downtown. My mother thought it was dangerous, but we never had a problem other than dirty looks.” Eren explained. “One day when I turned nine, my dad took us to a movie. It was dark by the time it finished.”

 

“On our way home a few brobs were behind us on the sidewalk. A few guys. Probably college students on their way home too. Mom got a bad feeling. They were really drunk but hadn’t noticed us. But we weren’t fast enough to outrun them.” He continued. “My dad felt it too. We made it to an alley, but one of them saw us and started shouting at us. My mom told me to hide under a trash bin that was there while my dad distracted them.”

 

Eren paused. “I couldn’t make out what they were saying. All I remember was their shoes. Five pairs. Surrounding my dad and cut off his escape as he tried to make small talk. He was terrified, I could hear it in his voice. Then one of them saw my mom after she hid me and said… something. But whatever it was, my dad raised his voice.”

 

“You don’t have to keep going. If it’s too hard-.” Tae said softly. 

 

“They killed him for it.” Eren cut in. “Started kicking his body around like a ball. Blood started going everywhere but he was still alive. My mom screamed, she ran and one of the guys picked her up.” Tears began to form in his eyes, but his voice was somehow steady. “I listened while they took turns using her. When they were done, they just… left. One of them noticed my dad crawling away so he stepped on him. It made a crunching noise. Like a-.”

 

Finally, he stopped. He hadn’t realized it, but Eren was now clutching one of Tae’s hairs for support instead of the button. 

 

It had been years since that night. Not once had he mentioned what happened. Why? Perhaps it was because nobody cared. Brobs couldn’t care less about specks most of the time. They weren’t even human to them, to care about their plight was like caring about the hardships faced by a cockroach or a maggot. Others felt more strongly. That brobs were a drain on their resources and killing them was the just thing. 

 

His own brethren wouldn’t have cared either. Every speck had lost people important to them. It was simply a part of being a speck. For Isaac, it had been his other two sons he lost. Accidentally trodden on by a new city employee delivering a food shipment. For Gabriel, his first wife was killed by some toddler who thought she was a toy who could be taken apart while her parents watched, thinking it was adorable. 

 

Had anybody ever cared? 

 

“...I’m sorry.” Tae murmured. “Really. I’m… I’m sorry.” She repeated. Eren wiped the tears from his face. She cared. At least one person in the world he knew cared.

 

Tae plucked Eren off her shoulder and squeezed him tight against her chest in a hug. He went slack, and simply enjoyed the warmth and affection she provided. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him she had first provided, and now he was addicted. 

 

He’s been through so much. Tae thought to herself. I wonder how many people suffer like this because of people like those two girls, or those guys from tonight?

“The smaller the scorpion, the more venomous the sting… although that’s probably just a myth.” Tae closed her eyes. I’ll protect you, if you can’t protect yourself. What happened to your parents and almost happened to you will never happen again.

 

She took a deep breath.

 

I will walk down that road again. One more time. A hundred more times. I’ll crush as many monsters as I must. Tae opened her eyes. Her resolve strengthened. I’ll begin with those two. 

Thomas looked over his shoulder. This was a rough part of town but compared to the things he had been through overseas, it was nothing. The house was exactly as he remembered it. Overgrown weeds on the lawn and holes in the chain-link fence. To think, Alice used to spend her downtime in this dump. 

 

He rapped his knuckles on the front door several times. A few seconds passed and there was no answer. 

 

I know you’re in there, you sick fuck. Thomas clenched his fist and pounded on the door again. That seemed to do the trick as he heard shuffling from inside. The tumblers to the lock turned and the door swung open to reveal a short, spindly man with pale skin and many piercings. 

 

“-it’s almost midnight what the fuck do you-.” The man’s eyes went wide in shock. His eyes were level with Thomas’s chest, dwarfed by the much larger man who pushed him backwards into his own home. “Woah Tommy?! What the fuck are-?!” Before he could react, Thomas was inside.

 

The airman reached back and rammed his fist into the smaller man’s nose, breaking it. A satisfying crunch confirmed it was broken. “Where the fuck is Mark?!” Thomas demanded angrily, shoving the bleeding man onto his back. 

 

He scanned the small house. Nobody else was inside. Frustrated, he looked back down at the man pinned under his knee. This was Cody, one of Mark’s old friends and in the past Alice’s drug dealer. He got her hooked on them when she wanted to impress Mark, and even after Thomas helped her end the relationship she still struggled with the addiction for years.

 

Cody held his arms up defensively. “H-He’s gone! Man, I don’t know what you think I did, but I swear I didn’t!”

 

“Where did he go?” Thomas hissed. He wrapped his massive hands around Cody’s throat and squeezed. 

 

He squealed like a pig and kicked desperately. With all of his strength Cody couldn’t hope to budge Thomas, all it did was earn him another devastating punch as the larger man began to lose his temper. 

 

“M-Mark died…” Cody gasped, his face turning blue as Thomas began to strangle him. He did not let up, narrowing his eyes. 

 

“Bullshit. He beat the fuck out of my sister.”

 

“...w-waaas all o-over… n-news…” Cody said, his eyes beginning to gloss over. Reluctantly Thomas relented somewhat, he loosened his grip to allow Cody a chance to inhale. “Fuck dude! Mark is fucking dead!” Cody coughed, breathing heavy. “He died in a drunk driving accident like a year ago. Motherfucker killed like three people too in it.”

 

“You’re lying.” 

 

“Just look it up! I’m telling you, Mark died.”

 

Thomas didn’t know why, but he actually believed Cody. Maybe it was the expression in his eyes. Or the high likelihood that Mark would go out like that. But if that’s true, who hurt Alice? Everybody loves her.

 

Cody seemed to realize Thomas believed him. “Look man. I listened to what you said. I never spoke with your sister again, and I-.” Before he could finish the sentence, Thomas snapped. He reached down and held Cody’s head in his hands, before raising his skull off the ground and bouncing it off of the tile. 

 

She wouldn’t have started dating some other asshole. And if it was some random mugging, she wouldn’t keep that to herself. Thomas stood from Cody’s motionless body and left the house. What happened? Why won’t she tell anybody? 

 

Thomas had until the end of December before he was summoned back to active duty. Less than a month to determine who did this, and to punish them.

Traveling far away from home for the holidays was an annual event for Sylvia. It gave her an excuse to avoid seeing her parents. Money would be tight this year, her father’s monthly ‘allowance’ was a pittance compared to previous cycles and her recent medical bills certainly didn’t help. She packed light, but still had too much to carry into the taxi in one trip. Fortunately, her driver was willing to lend her a hand and loaded everything into the trunk.

 

Sylvia took a seat in the back of the car. Subconsciously she picked at the bandages on her cheek. The doctor said that the wound would take a while to heal. The stitches were a source of constant annoyance, which she itched at incessantly. The bandages reduced bacteria and prevented her from exacerbating the problem. Surprisingly the crown for her broken tooth had been easy. 

 

All this pain over a fucking bug. She thought to herself. Her memories were still foggy from that night, but even if she remembered everything clearly neither she nor Alice could tell anybody how they were actually hurt. Alice made her swear secrecy. If the authorities launched an investigation and discovered they tried to kill a speck, Alice might risk expulsion from her university, and both could face criminal charges. 

 

Nobody gave a shit about specks. But if a normal person like that woman who assaulted them did and raised a fuss, there would be trouble for both of them since technically she prevented a ‘attempted murder’. 

 

Her driver finished packing everything and got back into the car. “Sorry about the wait.” He apologized. “Are you heading to the airport?” 

 

She nodded absentmindedly and took out her phone. “Mhm.”

 

The car pulled out of the driveway. It was a lengthy drive from Norwich to the nearest airport. At nighttime there were far less cars on the road, so they didn’t need to worry about traffic. Sylvia checked her flight status. The snowy weather seemed to be holding up. Hopefully it didn’t cancel or delay.

 

“Mind if I ask where you're going?” Her driver asked after a few minutes of silence. “Going home for the holidays?” 

 

“Bangkok.” Sylvia replied. 

 

The man laughed. “What a coincidence, I’m from Bangkok.” 

 

“Cool.” 

 

It was warm in the taxi. Bundled in her winter clothes and with the heat all the way up she felt uncomfortably hot. At first it was a pleasant contrast from the chilly weather outside, but after almost twenty minutes moisture was forming on her forehead. 

 

She cleared her throat, which felt dry. “Could you turn the AC up? It’s getting really hot.” 

 

“There’s some water back there for you.” He replied and turned a knob on the center console. To her dismay, the air that hit her cheeks was far from refreshing. It felt like walking through a desert. 

 

Thankfully the water looked cold. 

 

The bottles lined compartments in the passenger door. They felt wonderfully cold to the touch. Eagerly Sylvia snatched one and took a long drink. The driver glanced at her in the rear-view mirror before turning his attention back to the road.

 

With a smack of her lips Sylvia set the water aside. In a single swig she had drunk over half the bottle. Mercifully her driver stopped trying to engage her in conversation after that. She returned to texting, and on occasion when they reached a red light, he would also pull out his phone and text as well. 

 

Sylvia yawned. The road trip had her feeling rather sleepy. At first, she tried to keep herself awake, but shortly after they left the city limits, she noticed how hard it for her eyes to remain open. 

 

Odd. I didn’t feel this tired a few minutes ago… She yawned once more as everything became blurry. Probably not a good idea to fall asleep now… should save it for the plane. 

 

She closed her eyes. This time a small bump in the road snapped her awake. Without a doubt she had just fallen asleep for a few minutes. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the driver glancing back at her in the mirror. 

 

Something felt wrong. 

 

“H-How far away are we?” She moaned, struggling to form the words. Her tongue felt numb and her speech was slurred. He ignored her.

 

Sylvia frowned and fumbled clumsily for her phone. To her surprise it was no longer on her lap. Had it fallen to the floor?

 

Before she could search any further, she felt another wave of exhaustion come over her, and her blinks became farther apart. The last thing she felt before losing consciousness was the car lurching to the side off the highway, quietly traveling off course from their destination. 

Every muscle in Sylvia’s body felt numb. The taste in the back of her throat confirmed she had been asleep for a while. Everything was dark. With a groan she attempted to rouse herself but quickly found herself relapsing into slumber for a few more minutes before waking and repeating the process.

 

She was no longer in the backseat of the car. Something lumpy was beneath her back. Her legs were curled up into her chest. Wherever she was it was hard to breathe and her movements were restricted. Distantly she could hear voices. It was impossible to discern what they were saying. The compartment she was in made it difficult to make out individual words, and she realized it was in another language.

 

Sylvia recognized one of the speakers as her taxi driver by the accent. The other sounded familiar, but she could not place it. Groggily she attempted to roll-over. In the process her arm slapped against something hard directly above her.

 

Outside, both people talking suddenly stopped. Alarm bells were going off in her head that something was dreadfully wrong, but it was simply too difficult to even feel scared. Her heart rate wouldn’t go any faster, and she couldn’t move much. 

 

Suddenly the compartment opened. Light flooded inside and she squinted to see who it was. 

 

Ice filled her veins as she recognized the person staring down at her. A smile crossed Tae’s face as the realization of what had happened dawned on Sylvia. Pathetically she thrashed about in the trunk of the car, desperately trying to escape. The brunette opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. 

 

“Sleep well?” Tae asked sweetly. Sylvia’s eyes were wide with fear, but she could do nothing as Tae extended her hand towards her. With a brisk motion she ripped the bandage off Sylvia’s cheek. The hole where her high heel had pierced her cheek was stitched up but would leave a scar. 

 

Tae fished a capsule out of her pocket. Carefully she removed a syringe filled with a bright amber liquid from within the container. Sylvia stared in horror at the needle. She had no idea what drug it was but knew it couldn’t be good.

 

With all her strength Sylvia fought against Tae but was simply no match in her drugged-up state.  She felt a sharp pinching sensation on her neck, followed by a horrible throbbing pain. The site around where she had been injected felt hot, like liquid fire had been injected into her veins. Her nausea intensified.

 

Tae took a step back and observed what came next. Sylvia rapidly began to shrink, her thick coat soon becoming a blanket and then a prison of dense fabrics. She rifled through the woolly material until she located a tiny, shivering human body. There was some protest from the newly shrunken Sylvia, as she squeezed her midsection between her two enormous fingers. 

 

“Nicely done, Kovit.” Tae said, turning to the cab driver who offered a curt bow in response. He watched as Tae took her leave and strolled calmly back to her car with the girl in tow. Once she had left, Kovit returned Sylvia’s luggage to the trunk and closed it. As always, Tae trusted him to get rid of the evidence, while she had some fun.

 

 

 

This isn’t real. 

Every part of Sylvia’s body throbbed painfully. The worst part was the intense migraine. She imagined the sensation of a dull screwdriver ploughing through her temple would be more pleasant. 

It’s all a nightmare. I’ll wake up soon.

After what felt like hours she abruptly came to a halt. Her body tumbled across the pitch black wooden box and crashed into the other side. From outside her prison Sylvia could hear her captress manipulate the lock. 

Light flooded the box. Once her eyes adjusted, Sylvia found herself looking into a set of familiar eyes. She gulped and meekly began to shimmy backwards in the crate until her back touched the opposing wall.

Tae loomed above Sylvia with an uncomfortably calm expression. Earlier she had been eerily gleeful to see her once again. Now she seemed more composed, which only added to the dread rising in Sylvia’s heart. 

She was so… big. Massive. Simply making eye contact required Sylvia to crane her neck at a full ninety degree angle. It felt like looking up at an imposing skyscraper which could move and talk. Sylvia could feel the woman’s eyes gazing into her very soul like a goddess. Never before had she felt so weak, so utterly insignificant. 

Finally the woman spoke. Each syllable echoed like the roll of thunder. Sylvia cowered beneath the divine force of the giantess’s voice. Just listening to her speak was enough for her ears to ring.

“Do you remember who I am?” Tae asked coldly. The corners of her lips turned into a small smile as Sylvia nodded fervently in response. “Good. I thought you might have been too drunk to remember.”

“P-Please…” Sylvia stammered. “I n-never told anybody what happened.” Tae cocked her head to the side, almost in amusement as Sylvia began to beg. “Just let me go!”

“Why? So you can kill another speck?” Tae inquired in a low tone. 

Sylvia gulped. “I was drunk! I-I wasn’t thinking straight, it was a horrible thing I almost did. I’m really sorry, I’m not a bad person!” She pleaded.

Tae pursed her lips. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh which washed over Sylvia, which enveloped her in a warm minty breeze.

“We all make bad choices under the influence. I can empathize with that.” Tae told her. 

“If it was just a one-time thing you did, an awful thing you could only do while so inebriated you couldn’t even think straight and now regret dearly… I could understand.” Her expression darkened. “But this wasn’t your first time hurting someone was it?”

“T-That’s not-!”

“Sylvia.” Tae interrupted her pleas. Her booming voice instantly silenced the tiny woman. “I saw the recordings on your phone.”

The color drained from Sylvia’s face. Tae finally reopened her eyes and observed the speck begin to tremble in pure unfettered terror. Tears ran down her cheeks as the realization dawned on her. 

No… this is really happening.

She began to sob. Tae watched as the feeble woman embedded her head into her knees and began to cry uncontrollably. Her hands clenched into fists, and her calm demeanor faded.

“Don’t act like you’re the victim here. How do you think those specks you killed felt?! They did nothing to you or anybody else. And you tortured and murdered them for fun.” Tae seethed. “You fucking deserve this. They didn’t.” She proclaimed.

Tae reached her hand into the box. Sylvia screamed and squirmed as a pair of elephantine fingers engulfed her. Each finger was approximately the same length as Sylvia, but thicker and infinitely stronger. It took an immense amount of willpower to not apply a little more pressure and grind the life out of the disgusting excuse for a human being that now writhed in her grasp.

Sylvia lurched forward, her eyes becoming wide with horror as Tae’s mouth loomed closer. Frantically she pounded at Tae’s hand in a desperate attempt to free herself. Death from falling to the marble floor below seemed a preferable alternative to slowly dissolving in an ocean of stomach acid. 

“Stop! Please d-don’t eat me!” Sylvia shrieked. “I’m so sorry! I’ll never hurt anybody ever again!” 

Tae snorted. “On that we agree.” She leaned closer to Sylvia, allowing her enormous lips to part and reveal a row of gigantic, pearly white teeth visible in a sadistic smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat you either. Not yet anyways. Before I do, I’m going to make you understand how it feels to be helpless.” 

Cries erupted from Sylvia as the fingers pulled her into a tight vise. “Cry all you want.” Tae muttered as she turned to the living room. “It won’t change anything.”

 

You have until the end of the month to get everything in order. How you spend that time is up to you. Eren grunted as his chest grazed his bedroom floor. His pectoral and tricep muscles trembled before giving out altogether and he collapsed. I’m sorry. But it’s for the good of the community. 

He flopped over onto his back, his breaths ragged from the intense workout. 

I… hope you understand.

Gabriel’s words were hollow. He didn’t really care what happened to him, nobody in Northside did. 

Eren forced himself to sit up. Clumsily he pawed for a nearby cup of water, which felt heavenly as it went down his dry throat. In a single gulp he finished most of it, and splashed the rest over his face. 

Since the incident with Oscar, he had spent most of his time alone. None of the other specks came to bother him, and he paid no attention to his duties in maintaining Northside’s electric grid. If he was to be kicked out, Gabriel could figure that out in the meantime. 

Tae had pointed out in their last date he hadn’t seemed himself recently. After the altercation at Delphi’s, it had become even more pronounced. 

All I do is sit around all day and do nothing. He thought to himself. Just waiting. 

Eventually he would have to tell Tae. It was his only option unless he wished to end up homeless. Undoubtedly she would take him in without a second thought. So why had he not done so already? Was it to save what shred of dignity and independence he had left?

Or is it to prove I’m not the lucky parasite everybody thinks I am?

Absentmindedly he began scrolling through his phone. His old device didn’t have half the apps as the one Tae had given him, and now he could access the Internet. The world had always been a big place to specks. Yet reading through headlines from around the world put his insignificance into perspective. 

Unfortunately there was a drawback to the new phone. Ads. Hundreds of them. 

Speck phones were registered, and never the target of any marketing campaign since they were considered an undesirable demographic. They had very low income and received most of their necessities from government subsidies anyways. Entertainment was internally produced which meant no company had much interest in wasting advertising on accruing speck interest.

However this new device had no such registry, which resulted in Eren seeing countless ads. Most of them he simply ignored as he dug around the web aimlessly.

But one caught his eye.

It was different from the others. This one seemed to be based on his search history and similar interests. A job posting.“Eureka?” He read aloud with a furrowed brow. Curiosity got the better of him, and Eren pressed the link.

Hey there! Are you looking to enter the world of robotics? Would you like to work remotely with a group of hardworking, fun, and driven people? Asked an energetic feminine voice. My name is Madeleine Lacroix, founder of Eureka!

A video began to play, narrated by a youthful looking woman with curly red hair and fair-skin. Her smile was wide as she began to explain the company.

Eureka is a passion project turned business by a small group of college friends who wanted to make a difference. We are looking for exceptional people with skill in programming, coding, electronics, software design and many other key STEM skills to make our dream a reality! Work can be completed remotely…

Eren watched the rest of her advertisement. Truthfully she was a mediocre public speaker, and occasionally stumbled over her words. But each mistake was followed up by a heartfelt laugh that couldn’t possibly be faked. 

He read more about her company, and Madeleine herself. 

Eureka was a small start-up. It’s goal was to create robots that could provide better care and support for senior citizens with debilitating medical conditions than human nurses. Madeleine came up with the idea when she worked part-time in a nursing home during her college years, and referenced her sick grandfather as inspiration.

Most importantly, all work with the exception of an ‘assembly’ team worked virtually. No prior experience was required except academic qualifications. Unsurprising because the pay was much lower than most college graduates would be interested in as they instead pursued internships or careers with large firms. 

This application is really bare bones. No resume or references… just a university transcript and some basic information. Eren noticed. At a guess they were trying to entice as many people as possible and understood more experienced job-seekers would ignore a small start up anyways that couldn’t offer many benefits. He narrowed his eyes. They don’t ask me to disclose any disabilities either.

Most employers asked if prospects had any kind of disability or would need reasonable accommodation. Legally, specks were considered impaired and employers often forced applicants to disclose that information. It made it easy to prevent specks for acquiring jobs outside of very niche industries which typically paid abysmal wages so low it was better to simply remain in the speck commune and work for meals there.

Perhaps Madeleine Lacroix didn’t care either way? 

It’s technically not lying… Eren thought to himself. He filled out the application. It was a hassle to recall his old university login to access his transcripts, but he attached them to the application after a few failed attempts. Once it was filled out, Eren hesitated to submit it. The application did have a section asking if there was any information management would need to know. Wouldn’t it be better to be honest?

Eren shook his head and forced himself to tap the button without editing his submission any further. There was no taking it back anymore. The website thanked him for his interest and indicated he could expect a response in about two days.

 

Alice shimmied past Bosco to bring the groceries in. Immediately after she set the plastic bags down, he was eagerly sniffing through each one in hopes of finding a treat. 

“Tom!” She called out as she separated the bags for the refrigerator from the rest. “Come help me with these!”

No answer. 

She was home earlier from the store than their parents, who were out running an errand. Tommy’s coat was still on the rack so he couldn’t be outside. Alice pinched the tip of her winter glove between her teeth and pulled it off, along with her jacket and boots before she walked upstairs.

His bedroom door was wide open, but he was not there. Oddly enough her bedroom door was closed. She pushed it open, to reveal Thomas sitting at her desk chair in front of her desktop.

He heard her enter and quickly closed off the tab he had just been on, but could not prevent her from catching a glimpse of her inbox on screen.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Alice shrieked. Instantly she crossed the room and slammed the laptop shut. “You fucking asshole!”

Thomas skidded away from the chair and raised his arms defensively, just in time to stop her from slapping him across the face. “Shit! Calm down!” He shouted, and backed away.

Alice crossed her arms and placed herself between him and the computer. “Get the fuck out of my room.”

“Look, I just wanted to-.”

“I said get out!” She demanded and shoved him. He stumbled backwards into the hallway. Before he could protest she slammed the door in his face and locked it. Alice turned her attention to the laptop and opened it. Her face went pale as she navigated back to where he had last looked.

Her emails, specifically a copy of the invoice she had received from the hospital, and a dismissed police report. Thomas had seen both. 

Distantly she heard Bosco barking. Their parents were home. 

No sooner had Robert Evans hung up his coat and given the dog a scratch behind the ear did he hear arguing from upstairs. He looked up the stairway to see Alice marching down into the living room, she dragged a suitcase behind her. Thomas was hot on her heels.

“Alice calm down, you’re being silly.” He murmured and briefly made eye contact with his father. 

Robert frowned. “What happened?” 

“He went through my fucking emails.” Alice seethed and brushed past them both and stepped out onto the porch. “If he’s here, I’m not.” She said nothing further and continued out towards her car. 

Thomas motioned to chase after her but was stopped by his father, who blocked the doorway. Robert regarded his son sternly, and Alice heard them beginning to argue as well before she threw her bag into the trunk of her car.

Before anybody could protest she sped away from the driveway, her grip on the steering wheel so tight the veins in her hands bulged. “Text Sylvia.” She barked at her phone's voice command. 

“Hey my brother pissed me off. I need somewhere to stay for a bit, can we meet up somewhere?”

Alice woke up in the darkness. She groaned in pain and tried to rise from the hard, uncomfortable surface she had apparently been sleeping on. Her muscles were sore and lethargic. At the back of her throat was a sour taste. 

“Fuck…!” She cursed and pressed her eyes together hard in a futile attempt to ward off the intense headache. Sluggishly, Alice rolled onto her stomach and forced herself to stand up. 

Immediately she was hit with a strong sense of dizziness, which sent her crashing back to the ground with a grunt.

“You’re awake.” A soft voice remarked. 

“Sylvia?” Alice murmured. In the corner of her eye she could just make out the vague silhouette of another person. Her vision was blurry and there was no light, but it had to be her. “Where are we?”

She didn’t reply. “What’s going on?” Alice pressed. 

“We’re getting what we deserve.” Sylvia said despondently. That didn’t sound like her at all. 

Alice capitulated. In her current state she could not stand up, so she settled for leaning against the nearest wall. She noticed that her clothes were gone. Thankfully the lack of light provided some small privacy for both her and Sylvia.

The air was musty and still. Wherever they were, it lacked good circulation. A chill went down her back as the headache began to subside. Was she dreaming? No. This was real, but made no sense.

“I-I don’t get it. What’s going on?” Alice asked, more sternly this time. When she didn’t receive an answer immediately she raised her voice. “Hey! Tell me where we are!”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Sylvia replied.

Alice frowned. “You texted me. I was on my way to meet up with you at Delphi’s.” She recalled. 

Although she couldn’t see, Alice could sense Sylvia shaking her head from side to side. 

“So that’s how she got you.” She muttered. “She must still have my phone, she used that to lure you out, right?”

“‘She’? Who are you talking about?” Alice asked, confused. 

Before Sylvia could respond, the dark room they were in began to shake. Distant thumps like earthquakes reverberated through the ground. Alice froze in place. Soon the sounds became more frequent. Rhythmic in nature. 

They grew closer. 

Alice squealed in fright as she heard Sylvia suddenly scramble to her feet. She shuffled around for a moment somewhere in the center of the dark space before she went eerily silent, the only sound that escaped her mouth came in the form of quick, short breaths. 

She could hear voices from beyond the walls. But they were unbelievably loud. Alice tried to figure out what they were talking about. Quickly she realized neither person was speaking English.

Mandarin? Alice closed her eyes and tried to follow the conversation. I don’t recognize their accents… 

Sylvia remained quiet. Alice spoke enough Mandarin to consider herself conversational, but listening to a pair of native speakers with their own distinct dialect, speaking quickly with one another made it difficult to pick up everything. The slams became louder. Sylvia barely contained a squeal as some kind of mechanism shifted around, and the lid of the box opened. 

Alice’s heart jumped into her mouth, as the giantess smiled from ear to ear upon seeing her.

(The night before)

“...I admire your resourcefulness, but Eren, I think this is a bad idea.” Tae admitted. “Taking advantage of an oversight like that is clever, but what will you do when they find out?” 

Every night before they went to bed, they made sure to call each other. Sometimes they could chat well past midnight. Tonight had been no different, although this time she kept an eye on her phone for a text message. 

Eren leaned back in bed and readjusted the phone so she would have a better view of his face on the video chat. As he expected, she had not taken to the idea of him working for Eureka very well. 

Honestly, she was probably right. But it would feel wrong to back down. “The worst they can do is fire me.” Eren replied.

“Look, it’s… it’s more than just the job.” He murmured. “But I agree. It’s dangerous, and could get me hurt.” 

“So why do you want this so much?” She asked. He remained silent for a few seconds. “Eren, you living with me would not burden me in the slightest. I think I eat more in a week than you could in a year. You don’t owe me rent, or payment, or compensation. Why do you want to take this risk so badly?” 

“Tae, you saved my life. It’s a debt that I can never hope to repay.” He replied firmly. “But I don’t want to live off you, carefree and happy while everybody I’ve ever known suffers. It’s not fair.” Eren told her.

He spoke quietly, as if ashamed to admit it. Tae paused and considered what he had said. 

You’ve lived such a miserable, unfair life Eren. I can’t fathom someone else in your position would resist the opportunity to spend the rest of it in luxury. Tae thought. The fact that we are even having this discussion in the first place is testament to your work ethic and willpower. But can’t you just swallow your damn pride?!

Tae closed her eyes and restrained herself from arguing further. She could see that he had made his decision. But her conscience demanded she keep him as far from danger as possible. Nobody would ever harm him again.

“Alright. If this is what you want, I will not fight you on it.” She relented. “On one condition. You come live with me and work remotely from my office.”

Before he could reply she continued. 

“This is a virtual job, right? Do you really think you can design robots on a smartphone?” Tae said, pointedly. “You will need lots of software, multiple desktops, a workstation, and faster Internet than what you have now.” 

She crossed her arms and smirked slightly as his cheeks became red. Evidently he had not thought that far ahead. “Also, even if the wages you make were enough to afford to live in downtown Norwich, who would you rent from? I think a landlord would be much harder to deceive than this Madeleine Lacroix. And this is all assuming you even get the job to begin with. What was your plan for the virtual interview? Do you own a suit?”

“I uh… no.” He admitted, slightly embarrassed to admit he was grossly unprepared.

Tae threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, but the smile never left her face. She was teasing, but brought up several good points he had not thought of beforehand. “Another thing you’ll need! Not to worry. I know a good tailor.” She mentioned. “Once your paychecks start to come in, you can pay me back for any of the software related expenses. As for the suit, you can just buy me dinner next time.”

Eren relaxed and let out a deep breath. “Thank you, I really appreciate your support on this.” As he was expressing his gratitude, Tae’s phone went off next to her desktop.

“Is that your cousin?” He asked as she picked up the phone. 

“Yeah, she’s almost here. I’m going to go meet her at the airport.”  Tae informed him and disappeared from the frame to slip her winter coat on. “At some point this week I’ll have to introduce you to her! She’s quite eager to meet you.”

“You two seem really close.” Eren noted when she returned to the desk. “From the way you talk about her, she's the sister you never had.” 

Tae’s smile faded slightly. 

“Yeah…” She replied softly. “I guess she is.” 

“You okay?” He inquired, the sudden change in her demeanor easily noticeable compared to a few moments before.

As quickly as it came, her melancholy vanished. “Oh I’m fine! Just a little tired, it’s almost midnight after all.” Tae checked her phone again as another message came in. “That’s my ride. I need to go, I’ll get back to you sometime tomorrow about what we discussed!” 

Eren waved goodbye as she blew in a kiss in turn, before closing out of the video chat.

‘She’s the sister you never had…’ Tae watched the buildings and snow whiz by the limousine window, and thought carefully about what Eren said. If that’s true, why am I so nervous? She thought with a furrowed brow and kept her hands from fidgeting. 

From the driver’s seat, Kovit glanced at her from the rear view mirror. “Are you alright ma’am?” 

“Just anxious, I suppose.” Tae responded. She noticed a bottle of champagne in the  limousine’s mini-bar. Alcohol always eased her nerves. 

Probably a bad idea. There would be plenty of time with Grace later on. Besides, she had other forms of entertainment. 

Tenderly, Tae undid the first few buttons of her coat and fished around the layers of soft, warm fabric until her fingers gripped the chain of her necklace. With a gentle tug she freed the length from the confines of her outerwear. 

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Sylvia took a breath of fresh air unimpeded by Tae’s many layers of dense winter clothes. She was suspended upside down upon a pendant, with coarse string tying her to the metal in a terribly uncomfortable position with her arms bound behind her back at an odd angle. 

The sweltering heat beneath Tae’s clothes was like a hot oven, and it showed from the sweat dripping from Sylvia’s body. Held upside down with the blood pooling in her brain made it impossible for her to sleep through the ordeal. Weakly she took in her surroundings, and swung back and forth in Tae’s grasp from the necklace chain. 

“M-Mistress?” Her pet asked meekly. Tae smiled, satisfied with her progress over the past week. 

Eager, Tae placed the groveling excuse for a creature on the floor between her boots. Instantly the speck fell to her knees as she was allowed to kowtow right side up. It felt as though the world had been lifted off Sylvia’s shoulders, the blood that had been pooling in her brain for hours was finally allowed to flow elsewhere. It took a disturbing amount of effort to repress the intense urge to pass out. She took several deep, labored breaths as her vision began to sharpen. 

Warm air teased her cheeks as the pendant unlatched, now free from her oppressive shackles. The occasional street lamp the limousine passed was the only source of light which illuminated the silhouette of her mistress looming above, with one leg crossed over the other like a sadistic goddess. Her presence was simply overwhelming, with piercing eyes that carried an unnatural darkness. Sylvia could not speak, too awestruck by this divine being to whimper or mewl. 

“Come closer, nyun.” Sylvia’s mistress said, expectantly. Tae swung her seemingly endless legs forward, swinging them back and forth playfully. At once Sylvia, or rather ‘Nyun’ began to crawl on all fours towards her, driven by an irresistible compulsion to obey.

With the tug of her foot, Tae freed one leg from the confines of her high-heeled boot. Expertly she flexed her toes around the brim of the shoe, before allowing them to topple over to one side like a great tree falling. She noticed the hesitation from the speck, now faced with her slightly wrinkled sole. 

Nyun feared taking another step, but dreaded punishment more. Obediently she resumed her trek towards the monstrous foot after a short delay. Now free of the confines of her shoe, her meaty sole and five toes stretched the thin nylon trappings which had bunched up on her instep. She was unsure of how close to get, by now her mistress’s sole towered above her like a sheer cliff wall. The faint smell of boot leather overlaid the gourmand fragrance of Tae’s perfume, which made her feel conflicted, to say the least. Once Nyun was almost within arms length of the heel, Tae lowered her foot on top of her. Nyun gasped as she was engulfed by an insurmountable wall of soft, supple skin which forced her bare back into the floor of the limousine. 

Above, Tae let out a relieved sigh as she felt the anxiety she had faced before dissipate. 

Nyun tried feebly to wrestle against the gargantuan foot pressing her down, but was simply powerless against the lowest part of Tae’s body. Her face was pushed against the wrinkly underside of Tae’s instep, face-to-foot. The translucent fabric was slightly moist with sweat, smelling strongly of her mistress’s natural scent. She dragged her foot backwards, grinding against Nyun’s naked torso until her head was sandwiched between her toes underneath a netting of nylon. Sound finally escaped Nyun’s lips as she squealed, terrified as an assault from all five toes began. 

The rest of the car ride went by much quicker after that for Tae. Almost too quickly. 

Reluctantly, Tae pulled her foot away from the beleaguered speck and slipped on her boot. Nyun groaned in pain, every muscle in her body aflame from over exertion. She rolled over onto her back, just in time to see her mistress’s hand looming above with some kind of spray bottle. Too late Nyun closed her eyes as a pungent disinfectant washed over her. She screamed, her eyes burning from the cleaning fluids and her nose immediately began running freely. Before she had any time to recover, Tae pinched her ankle and raised Nyun into the air, then reattached her to the necklace beneath her coat.

Cool, wintry air blew into the limousine. Kovit opened the door to help her outside.“Do you feel better ma’am?” He asked before she exited the limo.

Tae smiled. “Much better.”

Although it was well past midnight at Norwich International, quite a few people were still inside waiting for their flights to arrive. It was a busy time of year with the holidays only a few weeks away. From their viewpoint in the airport gate, a few exhausted travelers noticed a few expensive looking cars parked in one of the auxiliary runways, and many men dressed in suits. Some wondered if either a high-profile celebrity or foreign politician was expected.

A few minutes after they gathered, a non-commercial private jet landed on the airfield. No announcements were made within the airport, so after some ruminations the novelty wore off and people resumed their wait amidst delays due to bad weather.

Outside, Tae most certainly felt that bad weather. Even all bundled up in four thick layers it was frigid. The entourage ahead of her was fully staffed. A small army of bodyguards, translators, personal assistants, professional drivers, and stylists. If any of them had qualms about the cold, they did not show it. Upon her approach the retinue collectively bowed in respect. 

I almost forgot what this felt like. Tae thought to herself. She contemplated asking one of the many assistants or consultants for a warmer coat, but thought better of it. Most likely they would offer up their own and freeze while she felt guilty and warm. It’s not even been a year.

The jet landed with a rush of wind which blew back her hair. After losing most of its speed upon touchdown, it made a lap around the ramp before the plane pulled close to the patiently waiting limousine and SUV’s. The fuselage door swung open, and a stairway shuffled out onto the ground. 

Collectively the retinue of assistants and bodyguards straightened themselves up, as Grace Chen emerged from the plane. 

She was roughly the same age as Tae, although slightly taller with dark brown hair compared to Tae’s raven black. Grace scanned the crowd gathered for her, and quickly found her cousin. Gracefully she descended the stairs and approached Tae, closely followed by staff from within the plane. 

Tae cleared her throat and bowed her head as she came closer. “Welcome to Norwich, I hope your flight was-!” Before she could finish the greeting, Tae found herself engulfed in a tight hug.

From beneath her coat, Nyun cried out in fright as she was suddenly crushed between both women’s bosoms. 

“Oh stop! We aren’t at a ceremony.” Grace laughed as she finally pulled away with a grin from ear to ear. Tae broke out in laughter as well, any remnants of formality or anxiety vanished. “I’ve missed you so much, Ji-soo.”

It sounds so… wrong now. She thought to herself, and almost cringed. “Believe it or not I think I missed you more.” Tae replied. Both women strolled towards the black limousine Tae had first arrived in. Kovit opened the door and reentered after they stepped into the spacious, luxury interior. The head of Grace’s security joined Kovit in the front, seated in the passenger seat while the rest of the entourage followed closely in other cars.

The motorized fleet began to move, with an armored SUV leading the way and another directly behind the limousine. Grace reclined in her seat and yawned. “Soooo, what have you been up to for the past nine months?”

Tae shrugged. 

“Like I said on the phone not much until recently… the first few months I just drank myself stupid.” She said plainly. 

Grace leaned over and twirled her fingers through Tae’s hair. “You dyed it back to black?”

“I wanted to start over.”

“Hmm, but all the different colors used to look so good on you.” Grace pouted. “If Aunt Min didn’t have me moving around so much, I would dye mine.”

“Is that what you’ve been up to since I left?” Tae asked.

“Unfortunately. Quarter four results are scheduled for the end of December as always, so she wanted a family representative at practically every regional head office to ensure we are performing to the highest standard.” She explained. “I’ve been to Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, London, Paris… but before you ask, I’m not here for work. This is my vacation.”

Tae nodded. “Well you’ve definitely earned it. Although I would have picked somewhere more… interesting, than Norwich.” She mused. “I came here specifically because it’s quiet and nothing interesting ever happens.”

“With the two of us together again I’m sure we’ll find something fun to do.” Grace assured her. “I did bring the doses you asked for, by the way.”

“How many?”

“Fifty.”

Tae’s eyes widened. “Fifty?! I said a few!” She groaned. “Min is going to hate me…” 

“She approved the number herself. They are a lot easier to manufacture now than you remember.” Grace dismissed. 

After almost an hour-long journey, the convoy of luxury cars arrived at the hotel. Grace and Tae stepped out of the limousine and followed the retinue of assistants into the lobby. 

Inside the hotel was lavishly decorated, with pristine marble floors and the staff dressed in immaculate suits. Evidently they were expected, and the entourage was welcomed inside. Personal assistants and translators handled all the logistics, while others led the pair into the elevator.

When the gold trimmed doors opened, it was on the top floor of the hotel. The presidential suite and penthouse where several more assistants made rounds. Grace had booked the top two floors of the five-star hotel for herself. It must have taken a tremendous amount of money to accomplish such a thing during the holiday season, but whatever the cost was most likely a tiny drop in the ocean to the Chen family.

By the time everything was set up, it was past dawn and rays of sunlight streamed through the wide balcony windows. Tae yawned and plopped down on a large couch in the enormous penthouse living room. Grace removed her coat and tossed it aside carelessly, where it was immediately whisked away by a servant. 

Her cousin strolled around the suite. “It’s not much, but at least there’s a pool table.” Grace noted, running her fingers along the edge of the bar counter. She grasped a pool cue. “Care for a game?”

Tae wiped the matter from her eyes. “Maybe after I have a nap. It’s almost the afternoon and I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Before she could doze off, a phone vibrated in her pocket. Not her right pocket, which was where she kept her personal phone. Her left pocket. Curious, Tae retrieved the other phone she kept on her person. It had been silent for many days now. 

Grace noticed the look of concern on Tae’s face and approached her on the couch. “Someone text you?”

“Not me. Sylvia Collins.” Tae responded. “This is her phone.”

“Is she one of the girl’s who attacked your boyfriend?” 

‘Boyfriend’? Eren isn’t…! Well… Tae ignored those thoughts and opened the text. “Yeah. She’s the one I shrunk.”

“Her friend just texted her phone. Alice Evans, the other girl.” Tae read from the message. “Something about leaving her parents place because of something her brother did.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And she wants to meet Sylvia somewhere.”

“Right now?” Grace asked. Tae nodded again in affirmation. “Give me the phone. I’ll have someone take care of it.”

Thank you for your application Eren!

We greatly appreciate your interest in Eureka, and we’re extremely impressed with your academic record! I would love the chance to have a virtual interview with you sometime soon to discuss your future role on the team.

If there is a time that works best for you this week please let me know! I can’t wait to meet you.

-Madeleine Lacroix

Eren felt numb after reading the response to his application. It was not a guarantee, but Madeleine seemed impressed. That was a good sign. 

He checked the time.

It was now late afternoon. Tae and her cousin were probably just waking up. Most likely they would explore downtown together. With nothing else to occupy his time, Eren grabbed a few loose papers and old textbooks. It would be a good idea to refresh his memory on the theory of the trade.

Sylvia buried her head into her arms, while Alice finally managed to stand up. Instantly she took several instinctive steps backwards from the staggeringly large woman looming over their prison. She blinked several times to adjust to the sudden light. 

What the hell?! Alice thought to herself, bewildered. How is she so big?! 

Without warning the room they were in turned ninety degrees. Both Sylvia and Alice were sent sprawling on to a vast expanse of smooth granite. They were in a room befitting the Olympians, atop a bar countertop. To their right Alice could see the rim to a bottomless sink, and on their left a few tree-trunk like candles.

No, they aren’t giants… Alice realized.  Alice’s heart jumped into her mouth. She recognized her.

“You’re the woman from the bar two weeks ago…” She mumbled in disbelief. 

Tae raised her eyebrows. “You speak Chinese?” Her captress asked, almost impressed.

“Where am I?! What did you do to me and Sylvia, why are we so-?!” Before she could finish, Tae calmly reached down with fingers crossed in a very distinct position. Alice wheezed as Tae flicked her across the countertop with the force of a car ramming into her sternum. 

She skidded along the granite before friction brought her to a halt a few inches away. Alice opened her mouth to suck in air, but found it impossible. 

This can’t be happening! Alice clutched her side in pain. Below the cusp of her breast the skin was bright red. It would bruise later. I’m… I’m the size of a speck!

Tae sauntered over and leaned against the countertop with a smirk. Alice flailed about in an attempt to rise to her feet, as Tae got on her haunches to open a cabinet. She perused the various top-shelf drinks provided by the hotel and selected a bottle.

“Care for a drink, Grace?” Tae asked playfully. She set the bottle of rum next to Alice, along with a few crystalline glasses. 

Alice forced herself to exhale. It was a fight with her body’s natural response to desperately claw for oxygen, but she had been in enough sporting accidents to react appropriately. 

By the time she had recuperated, Tae had retrieved another bottle from the fridge. An icy cold bottle of cola dripping with condensation. 

Air hissed from the lid once the cap was removed. “Unfortunately I don’t have any margarita mix to make that drink you stirred Eren into.” Tae lamented. “Rum and coke will have to do!”

“E-Eren?” Is she talking about the speck? Specks have names? Alice furrowed her brow. “Is this… is this revenge what we did to that speck?” 

No response. “You already beat us up, and knocked out half my teeth! This isn’t necessary!”

“It absolutely is.” Tae shot back. “You would have killed him.”

Why the fuck do you care so much?! Alice clenched her fists in frustration. None of this made any sense. She was a real person. Real people didn’t just… shrink. Anymore. The Diminution happened over a hundred years ago.

People don’t just shrink… but she’s acting all calm. “What did you inject us with? How did it shrink us?” Alice demanded. 

By this point Grace had roused from the couch and sauntered over to the bar as well. She seized one of the glasses and took a sip. 

“It’s missing something.” She mused, unimpressed. Grace’s fingers splayed open like a net and snatched Alice from the counter, before she was plunged into the freezing cold drink.

Alice gasped. The mixture was not only frigid, but the fizzy soda got up her nose and went into her eyes. She floundered around the center of the glass and began to swim frantically towards a nearby ice cube for support.

Grace clicked her tongue in disapproval. Before Alice could reach the ice, a straw the same size as a birch tree slammed into the small of her back. Alice’s ears popped, her lungs filled with soda and rum which burned like lava on its way down her esophagus. With her eyes shut right lest she go blind, Alice swam upwards in the glass. 

A thick ceiling of ice cubes blocked her way. Her lungs were aflame. Blindly Alice pawed at the ice until she found a gap that led to the air above. Eagerly she attempted to pull herself up and opened her mouth to take a breath.

Just as her nose broke the liquid surface, she was thrust back beneath the ice and swirled in a bubbly vortex guided by the straw. The mixture now had a slight tang to it.

Grace squeezed a bit of lemon into her drink and mixed it around with the straw, more vigorously than she normally would. After a few seconds of watching Alice’s body thrash about and crash into the glass walls like clothes in a washing machine, she took a sip. As she drank Alice rose to the surface to breathe, albeit in a fit of coughs. She felt a current dragging downwards from the rapid flush of liquid rising through the straw and past the pair of gigantic plush lips. 

From the corner of her eye, she could see Sylvia undergo a similar ordeal in another glass. 

Grace released the straw and smacked her lips. “Oooh, much better!” She teased.  

“Fuck you!” Alice spat. For that remark she was once again swirled around the glass, more roughly than before. She bounced off the cylindrical walls and ice several times before most of the liquid was sucked up. 

After finishing their drinks, both women decided to move to straight liquor. With a small pair of tongs Grace fished Alice out of the glass and dropped her into a much smaller, shallow shot glass. The sweet liquid then flooded into the cup. 

“You don’t feel even a little remorseful over what you did. Even now in a situation like this, you would rather shout obscenities at us rather than try to apologize.” Tae noted after she finished filling both glasses with rum until Alice and Sylvia swam in it. “Are you really that evil?”

“Evil?!” Alice said incredulously. “How am I evil?”

“You tried to murder a person, a living, breathing human being, just because he’s smaller than you.” Tae replied, surprisingly calm. “How are you not evil?”

“That thing was not a human being. He was a speck! You are getting all worked up over the equivalent of a rat.” Alice hissed.

Tae raised an eyebrow. She lifted the glass that held Sylvia in it and swirled it around idly. “If that’s true, then are you a worthless rat now?” 

“That’s… different. I was born human, I’m not supposed to be a speck.” 

“Specks are born that way, Alice. Do you think they chose to live like that? You seriously think they chose to be hated for simply existing, for being weaker than everybody else?” Tae asked. “Don’t you think every speck wishes they were normal? So they wouldn’t need to suffer?” 

Alice wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You could make the same fucking argument for a cockroach or a flea! I’m sure they wish they were people too.” 

“Unbelievable.” Tae shook her head, astounded. “You really believe it. It’s not just reciting propaganda. These are your true thoughts.” 

“If you’re going to kill me, just do it already.” Alice muttered. “But I did nothing wrong. I am a damn person. That little shit was a parasite, and killing parasites has never been a crime. You? You’re killing real people. You’re a monster.”

Instantly, Tae’s expression changed. She stood perfectly rigid as if she had just been slapped. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes seemed to gloss over.

The trio of other women went silent. 

Sylvia had been consumed in perpetual rum whirlpool, and now came to a sudden stop. The pungent alcohol sloshed back and forth as the glass was no longer in motion. She could not understand any of what Alice had said, but the effect it had on the room’s atmosphere was palpable. 

What felt like hours passed. Tae stared intensely at a seemingly random spot in the room, her lips faintly mouthed inaudible words. A tear ran down her cheek and dribbled down her chin. 

And as it fell, Tae began to laugh. 

She laughed so hard more tears began to form in her eyes, which she wiped away. It was a rather unsettling, yet truly transfixing melodious laugh which turned Alice’s veins to ice. 

When Tae regained her composure, something had changed. 

Tae smiled, and spoke in English. “You’re right. I am a monster.” 

Without another word, Tae brought the glass up to her mouth. Sylvia screamed bloody murder as the giantess tilted her head backwards, and the contents of the shot entered her mouth, as Alice watched in horror. The rum splashed in the back of Tae’s dark throat, along with Sylvia. 

And then Tae swallowed. 

She traced the small lump traveling down her throat, the gentle burning sensation of rum followed the speck down her esophagus and into her stomach. Tae opened her mouth and exhaled in satisfaction, the taste of the rum lingered on her tongue pleasantly, undiluted. Tae licked it from her lips and touched her stomach, where she could feel a delicious tingle.

Alice’s body went numb. She felt the glass begin to move, but was too afraid to react. There were no words exchanged, or any hesitation. The path into Tae’s mouth was straightforward, and she had no time to contemplate it before she was within the warm, moist cave atop a mattress sized tongue. 

It felt squishy, yet unbelievably muscular. She slid down the textured flesh in the humid darkness, into a pool of rum like a hot tub. Before her now was a long, black tunnel. Above her a uvula dangled like a pendulum, to welcome Alice to her demise. 

I’m about to die. Alice realized. The adrenaline was gone. As was her bravado. This was it.

An ungodly pressure enveloped Alice’s body. She was smothered in gallons of vanilla scented liquid from the sweetness of the fermented molasses. It pressed upon her from all sides, before gravity took command. 

She began to fall down Tae’s throat.

There would be no tomorrow. She would never see her parents or brother again. 

Alice landed in a putrid smelling sac of gurgling fluids. She flailed about and stumbled for balance but it was simply impossible. Her skin was aflame with pain. Every surface she touched felt like hot metal. 

Everything in Alice’s life would end here. Her years of hard work. Nights spent studying until she fell asleep on a textbook. Late night shifts to afford rent. It all ended here. 

She stumbled over something. Sylvia. She was still intact but motionless. Alice’s attempts to suck in air were met with foul, acidic odors flooding her nasal passage. Everything began to go blank. Hopelessly, she fell on Sylvia’s corpse.

I’m going to die in this woman’s stomach. Alice thought to herself. If I hadn’t tried to drown that speck, this wouldn’t be happening. If I never went to that bar, this wouldn’t be happening. If I kept my mouth shut and begged for my life… this wouldn’t be happening. 

Tears began to stream from her face. She had been drunk, but she still remembered that night in the bar vividly. She remembered the speck, and his little sobs when he thought he was about to die. His screams echoed in her head, the look on his face now etched into her memory. 

 

She imagined they were identical to her own.

Just take a deep breath.

“Eren, when we first met you asked me why I helped you. Since then we have come to know each other better. Before we go any further, you need to know the truth.” Tae began, each word she uttered a fight within herself. “My name is not Tae Park, my real name is Ji-soo Chen.”

She raised a hand both to prevent a response and to compose herself. “Please, just let me finish. I know you are wondering why I would lie about such a thing, but what I’m about to tell you will change everything you know.” 

Tae opened her mouth to continue but no words came out. Slowly she trailed off until finally she hung her head with a dejected sigh.

“What am I doing?” She murmured to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Like a child practicing a speech she glanced at her notes again, and scanned over the confession she had drafted the night before. 

The longer you wait to tell him the truth, the more this conversation will hurt when he finds out himself. She could hear Grace’s advice in the back of her head. He deserves to know the real you.

She clenched her fists. 

What if I don’t want him to ever know the ‘real me’? What if I want him to keep thinking I’m a good person? What if I want him to love Tae Park and never know Ji-soo Chen even exists?

Past the bathroom door in the living room she could hear some of Eren’s conversation with Grace. Introductions had gone very well, as she expected the two really liked one another. 

Tae reread her confession. Her admittance of guilt. Did she regret it? If she could rewind time would she allow Mikayla, Alice or Sylvia to live on peacefully as if nothing ever happened? If there was a way to undo it, would she?

The answer was no. Because torturing those evil creatures felt good. 

Each moment had been its own delicacy. To see Mikayla’s once arrogant and dismissive face alight with fear and mortal terror before she was doused in piss and flushed down the drain. The joy of slowly breaking Sylvia’s mind until it warped into a fragile thing unworthy of existence. Although nothing could compare to the euphoria of shattering Alice’s dignity in the face of death, and feeling her slide down her throat and sizzle away into nothingness within her stomach.

Just thinking about it sent delicious chills down her spine. This was what she lived for. It was who she was meant to be. If that made her a monster in the eyes of wicked people, so be it. Their opinions meant nothing.

“You aren’t ready to learn the truth yet, Eren.” She murmured to herself and began to shred the confession into ribbons. “You have enough to worry about.”

She deposited the remains of the paper into the rubbish bin and returned to the living room, where Grace and Eren were talking.

“I had this one done by an artist originally from Tokyo. It is called a shichibu, or a seven-tenth of a full sleeve.” Grace was saying, with her shirt sleeve rolled up past her shoulder to reveal an intricately designed tattoo on her left arm. 

It extended from around her shoulder to just past her mid-forearm, with beautiful line work which featured stylized beasts in wispy clouds surrounded by crimson petals. She indicated towards one of the two creatures, further up her arm which coiled around her bicep, a bird in flight. “This is a crane. In my culture, it often represents immortality.” She explained.

To Tae’s surprise, Eren felt comfortable enough around Grace to walk across the surface of her well-toned arm. In awe he traced the masterful linework of her tattoo, and observed that even at such a small scale the details only became richer. 

Tae joined the pair and took a seat from across her cousin as Eren reached the point past Grace’s elbow. “It’s incredible… this fox creature, is it a kitsune? The nine-tailed fox?”

Grace smiled broadly. “Very astute of you! In China we refer to the nine-tailed fox as the hulijing.” She turned to Tae. “I believe there is a Korean translation as well?”

Tae nodded. “Kumiho. As the legend goes, it is a fox spirit which may live for thousands of years. They have the ability to shapeshift and often take the form of beautiful human women.” She explained. “Although they are portrayed a lot differently in Korea.”

“How so?”

“In Chinese and Japanese folklore, they fluctuate between good and evil. But kumiho are almost always portrayed as malicious, feast on human flesh, and enjoy killing.” Tae went on. “Although supposedly, a kumiho can become human if they abstain from killing anybody for one thousand days.”

“That’s incredible.” Eren remarked, still fascinated by the patterns that swirled around Grace’s arm. 

“I’m glad you appreciate them. My mother nearly had a heart attack when I got my first one.” Grace chuckled, which caused Eren to stumble on her gigantic arm. “If Tae ever takes you to China, I’ll bring you to my tattoo artist. He’s a speck as well.” She revealed.

“Really?!” Eren asked, shocked. 

Grace nodded. “The details a speck artist can achieve are insane. It takes a very long time, but it is absolutely worth it.” 

“I believe it…” Eren murmured in awe. “All finished on the phone, Tae?”

She shook her head yes. “Yeah, sorry it took so long but we should be ready to go.” 

Playfully Grace poked Eren a few times with her tree-trunk sized finger until he tore his eyes away from her body art. It truly put his own simple scorpion into perspective. Gingerly, Grace wrapped her fingers around Eren’s torso and raised him into the air. 

Like her cousin, Grace handled specks with an unerring level of care and expertise. With ease she transferred him into Tae’s open hands where he was quickly nestled against her chest in an affectionate ‘hug’. 

While she had Eren trapped against her soft bosom, Tae whispered a few words to her cousin in Mandarin. Grace looked a little disappointed, but did not object to her decision. 

With Christmas right around the corner the mall was exceptionally busy. It was a new experience for Tae, who had never been to an American mall during the holiday season. And for Eren, who wouldn’t dream of going to such a dangerous place to begin with. He had never seen so many people congregated in a single location. 

A wide array of bodyguards accompanied the trio, albeit disguised as ordinary shoppers in casual clothing. They kept a close eye on the crowd, and a few stuck close to Tae and Grace to ward off anybody from getting too close. Elsewhere personal assistants coordinated with mall employees to ensure waiting in line was not an issue at any store or restaurant. 

Eren twirled a few rope-like strands of her hair around his arm for further support. A safety harness tied him to a cord on her jacket, but he still preferred the extra safety her hair provided. It loosely billowed around her shoulders, like a curtain which shielded him from the gaze of the outside world. 

Tae checked her watch and frowned. “We got her earlier than I expected. Eren’s appointment with the tailor isn’t for another hour.” 

“We can walk around for a bit.” Eren suggested. “I’ve never been to a mall before.” 

It was definitely the Christmas season. Most of the storefronts were decorated with festive colors and had holiday themed installations. In place of the usual kiosks, several were set up that offered seasonal confectioneries like peppermint and gingerbread cookies. 

Children laughed and played, followed by exhausted but willing parents. Ahead a very large crowd had formed at the base of a massive Christmas tree which extended from the ground floor to the highest parts of the mall some ninety feet in the air.

“What do specks in America do during the holidays?” Tae asked. After they passed a crowd of people in the opposite direction. 

“We don’t really celebrate them. But sometimes children will eat sweet bread and exchange gifts if rations aren’t scarce by the end of the month.” Eren replied. 

Tae shook her head in disgust. “That’s horrible. All this decadence while people are suffering just outside.” She turned to Grace who walked alongside her. “Can we not make some kind of donation? Eren’s commune was stripped of its funding.”

“As much as I would love to, it would actually be illegal to do so.” Grace replied.

Eren frowned. “Illegal?”

“A select few private companies hold a monopoly on supplies for specks. They lobby the government to bar charitable contributions to maximize their profits for providing things like food, clothes, and medicine. Since they are the only authorized supplier they can provide the lowest quality and least expensive products, and speck communes are forced to purchase it at a hyper inflated price or have nothing.” Grace explained. “Specks are considered wards of the state, they cannot self-govern or make decisions for themselves like who they purchase from to switch vendors. And as wards, they cannot sue the government or the companies.”

“One of the reasons people hate us is because we supposedly cost a lot in taxes.” Eren mused. “But if all of our products come from private companies, then why do people despise us?” 

“Taxes fund things like light, heat, and electricity in speck communes. But that is a very small portion of where they go. The rest goes up the ladder into a spiderweb of bureaucracy.” Grace replied with a shrug. “It’s extremely corrupt and exploitative.”

Eren scoffed. “Why am I even surprised?” He muttered. 

Eventually they reached the center of the mall, where the big Christmas tree was set up. Brilliant golden and silver ornaments sparkled against a field of green fir branches contrasted by bands of red ribbon. 

At the base of the gargantuan tree was a snow machine, which blew artificial snowflakes around a cordoned off section in front of the tree. A sleigh filled with gift boxes was pulled by a set of fake reindeer. And of course, a man dressed as Santa Claus sat on a chair with children lined up to sit on his lap and ask for presents.

Tae scanned across the crowd. It would be difficult to push past everybody without the risk of bumping into someone. Although if they-.

Without warning Tae stopped walking. The sudden loss of momentum propelled Eren forward, and he almost slipped off her shoulder. Fortunately the safety harness prevented him from a fatal fall, but he instinctively pulled her hair in surprise. She ignored the slight pain as her hair swirled around him, completely hiding the outside world as Eren tried to push it away in confusion. 

Grace stopped as well. She offered a perplexed expression and followed her cousin’s glare across the mall to a specific place in line for Santa.

A man stood in line.

He was rather young, in his early twenties with a slight stubble now grown into a short beard. It framed his wide nose and matched the color of his dark brown eyes. Dressed in a festive Christmas sweater, it was plain to see he had an athletic build. 

The man from Delphi’s Tavern who harassed us. Tae thought to herself, almost in disbelief. His name was Mike. 

She never forgot a face. It was absolutely him. “Tae? What’s wrong?” Grace asked, confused.

Eren had not freed himself from the vortex of her hair yet. He had not seen it.

“I need to take care of someone in the crowd.” Grace replied in Mandarin. She swung around so her back faced the crowd. “Distract Eren, I don’t know how long this will take.”

Tae brushed her hair away and unlatched Eren’s safety harness. Before he could protest she practically shoved him into Grace’s hands. “I’ll text you with updates.” 

Bewildered, Eren turned around to see where Tae was headed. Grace spun around and began walking in the opposite direction immediately, which cut off his vision.

He frowned. “What’s happening? Is everything okay? She just left in a rush.” He asked, very confused. 

“We forgot to give our limousine driver cash to pay for valet parking, believe me she does this all the time.” Grace lied as she put as much distance between herself and Tae as possible. “We might as well head back and get your suit fitted. She’ll meet up with us later.”

There must be thousands of people in this mall. What are the odds of running into this prick again? Tae ruminated to herself as she vanished into the crowd. Once she was positive nobody was paying attention, she flipped her hoodie up. Too bad your friend isn’t with you, unless he’s in another store.

She watched from afar while he continued to stand in place. Like most of the other adults in the line for the tree, he found other means of entertainment like playing with his phone. It gave her the opportunity to sneak a little closer. 

Many of the people around were not in the line, but gathered in groups around the tree to take pictures or browse the scenery. Tae took out her phone and pretended to text someone as she strolled by, vigilant of Mike’s location relative to her.

What was it you said about Eren? That he was disgusting? Tae thought bitterly. She thumbed her pocket where she kept her wallet. Inside she could feel the narrow outline of a syringe. It’s a good thing I brought this.

This was a very well populated place. Potentially there were hundreds of witnesses, and security cameras in every store. She had to be careful. Grace’s security team could delete or alter things on the mall’s records without too much hassle, but she would rather not need to do damage control on some stray in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

But there were ways around that. Fitting rooms, abandoned shops, elevators, the parking garage. She just needed him to venture there, or set a lure.

Tae frowned. He still had not moved from his spot in the crowd.

What are you doing there? 

She got her answer moments later. From under the tree where Santa was perched, a little boy hopped off the man’s lap and began to run excitedly towards Mike. To her surprise, Mike smiled broadly and got on his haunches to give the kid a hug.

“About time buddy!” She heard him say cheerfully as another kid in line approached Santa for his turn. “What did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you or it won’t come true!” The kid replied cheekily. The pair began to walk away. 

Tae was too surprised to follow at first, until someone bumped into her which snapped her back to attention. Instantly she slipped through the crowd, expertly weaving between groups of people to keep Mike and the child in sight.

A kid? She thought. Maybe his son? No… more likely his younger brother.

Mike held the boy’s hand and led him through the mall. The kid couldn’t be any older than five or six, and bore a close resemblance to what she presumed was his elder brother. With big dark brown eyes full of wonder and wispy dark brown hair.

The pair explored some other parts of the mall. Every time they passed a particularly impressive display, the kid wanted to see it. Play with all the exhibits, and go into the toy and candy shops. 

Eventually Mike relented and they entered a kind of Christmas wonderland filled with candies and toys. All the employees were dressed as elves. Tae stopped outside and peered through the glass window from behind a pillar. 

That complicates things… 

Through the glass she could see Mike keep a close eye on the kid. To his credit he was a very good chaperone. He kept a reasonable distance to allow the youngster a chance to explore, but never left him out of his sight. And no matter what, he always had a big toothy smile on his face. 

Tae glanced away.

Unlike the girls from before, he never tried to kill anybody, as far as I know. Once again she felt the syringe in her pocket. Maybe this is going too far. 

She continued to follow them when they left that store. It seemed they were done with the mall for the day, and were headed in the direction of the parking garage. Fewer people were around now. 

Soon it was just them. It was harder to tail Mike without a crowd to blend into, but she managed and ducked behind parked cars to keep her cover. Finally she heard him begin to load everything into a car.

If she was going to do it, now was the time. But was murdering a man for a few rude words in a restaurant, in front of his innocent little brother right before Christmas the kind of person she was?

Soon after he and his brother left, Tae returned to the mall proper. 

That took almost forty five minutes?! How am I going to explain this to Eren? She thought miserably as she passed an old store on the very outskirts of the mall. 

Only a single employee operated it, and he seemed half asleep from the lack of foot traffic in this area. Everything on sale was out of season on clearance. Some of it was as old as Halloween costumes and masks that were never sold months ago. 

One mask caught her eye. A white fox with red highlights. It was familiar, they had all been talking about it earlier that day.

The suit fit perfectly. At Grace’s encouragement he picked out a tapered black jacket and a few different dress shirts and trousers to go with it. Unfortunately the shoes would need to be custom ordered. However for his virtual interview he would not need it. 

By the time they left the speck friendly tailor, Tae had still not come back, and Grace was feeling peckish so they visited the food court. 

“Have you ever tried tapioca before?” She asked conversationally and set down her drink and poké bowl for them to share. 

He shook his head no, and looked at the tall icy drink quizzically. The top of the cup was covered in a thin pink colored plastic wrap, like a big sticker. To penetrate it Grace used a thick straw provided by the restaurant with a sharp edge at the bottom. She stirred the amber colored liquid around, along with several black orbs a little smaller than Eren’s torso.

She brought the straw to her lips and took a sip. “Eww. Well, let's not have this be your first time.” Grace said in disgust. “American mall quality boba. Why am I surprised it tastes awful?” 

“I’m assuming the real thing tastes way better?”

“By comparison this tastes like public pool water with added sugar.” Grace chortled and pushed the drink to the other side of the table. “I doubt this poké is any better but I’m starving.”

Eren had never eaten poké style fish before, but he had eaten plenty of rice. It was very sticky, unlike the rice he was used to and the grains substantially shorter. He thought it tasted really good, but surmised compared to what Grace was used to it was probably pretty bad. 

He glanced over his shoulder. 

At first he had been a little worried that like Delphi’s, someone would make a stink about a speck eating in the presence of brobs. However all the nearby tables were occupied by a wall of men and women who had followed them since they left the apartment. With translucent headphones and watchful eyes.

They were Grace’s bodyguard, and apparently Tae’s as well. With them around nobody had the chance to get close. Occasionally a family would shoot them a confused glance, and once someone attempted to take a picture of a speck on a table eating with a normal person, but he was immediately told to leave before he got his phone out by a burly man who protected Grace. 

“Sort of a blunt question,” Eren began, and wiped some soy sauce from his chin. “But what do you and Tae do? You have a lot of protection.” Grace put her chopsticks down and took a small sip of water.

“Are you politicians? Celebrities?” He asked.

“Thankfully neither of us are that high-profile to be recognizable to the average person, especially outside of Asia.” Grace replied with a hand over her mouth to keep crumbs from hitting Eren. “Our family owns the Amrita Corporation.”

“What?!” Eren almost dropped his food in shock. 

The Amrita Corporation?! The supercompany that runs a third of the planet’s economy? THAT Amrita Corporation?!

Amrita was a business titan among titans. It was the largest retailer in the world globally, manufactured the majority of household electronics, and owned several corollaries in other industries including oil and automobiles. 

But what he and most other people knew Amrita for was their pharmaceuticals. Modern healthcare systems practically depended on Amrita’s medical developments for support. Treatments for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s… Amrita’s treatments had almost trivialized most chronic illnesses.

“Tae never told me.” Eren murmured in disbelief. 

“My Aunt Min is the current chief executive officer.” Grace mentioned. “As for me and Tae, we are both operations specialists. Our role is to ensure that on a regional level the company is performing optimally, and to detect any areas for improvement and take corrective action when necessary.”

That means Tae and Grace are two of the wealthiest women on the planet. Eren thought in awe. I’m dating one and chatting over shitty mall food with the other…

“Sorry that took so long.” Eren looked up to see Tae return with a shopping bag. 

“Kovit wasn’t upset you forgot to give him money for parking, right?” Grace replied before Eren could say anything. 

Tae shook her head. “He was very understanding. If you got the suit then we can go home, unless you would like to explore the mall further?”

“That should hold. Let’s head back to town before the snow gets worse.” Mike declared as his teeth chattered and bones froze over. A blizzard was expected to hit in a few hours. If not for the tight schedule between now and Christmas Day, they would have never risked the adventure. 

Xavier grumbled in agreement and pulled the strap which tied the evergreen to the roof of their car taut. Eagerly both young men retreated to the warmth of Mike’s truck, and took a breath of relief. 

To get a Christmas tree to be proud of required effort, but it had been worse than usual this year given the exceptionally bad weather and lack of time to plan appropriately. Once his friend was sure the tree would not fall off the back of the truck in the middle of their drive back downtown, they returned to the road.

Outside of Norwich was mostly vast woodland and snowy forest. Beautiful in the summer when the flowers and meadows bloomed, but an endless desert of cold and frost in the winter. Miles of trees were cut with icy roads barely visible in the thick fog and snow.

Fortunately few people, even locals ventured this way especially so close to a snowstorm so Mike had the road to himself and could drive a bit faster than was advisable. 

Xavier popped the joints in his knuckle. “Your dad owes me. People get paid to do this shit.” He quipped.

“How does a beer and ‘thank you very much’ sound?” Mike replied. 

Immediately after he dropped his little brother back home he had to rush and pick up Xavier to acquire the tree. Otherwise the roads from the upcoming snowstorm of the next few days would shut down most of the roads and the house would go without one this year. 

Fake trees were sold out everywhere, and his mother would refuse to use one anyways. 

“Can you believe this shit?” Xavier mumbled while scrolling through his phone. 

Mike glanced over to see his friend flip through a few different notable news articles for the week. “What’s it say?”

“There’s a middle school in California doing a canned food drive for specks this Christmas.” Xavier laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Mike snickered. “The hell do they need a food drive for? I’m paying like ten percent out of my paycheck in taxes so those little shits can get money just for existing.”  

“What I wouldn’t give to just wake up and know all my needs are being cared for. I swear the world has gone crazy…” Xavier muttered. “Wouldn’t need to work, or go to school, or wake up early…” He mused.

“You get to fuck hot Asian girls apparently!” Mike laughed out loud. 

Xavier furrowed his brow, confused before he realized what Mike was referring to. “Oh shit I almost forgot about that!” He exclaimed. “At Delphi’s right? That girl was fine.”

“And she was willing to fight us over it too! Like holy shit how good is this dude?!” Mike asked. “It ain’t even a real man and it is on a date with this girl or something.”

Xavier wrinkled his nose. “Oh… I just thought of something. How do you think they get it on?” He chuckled as Mike made up his face in disgust. “Does he crawl into her or-?”

Mike had taken his eyes off the road for a split second to glance at Xavier while he was talking. When he looked back he almost had a heart attack. 

In the middle of the street ahead, less than one hundred feet away was the shimmering silhouette of a person. With the snowfall and shroud of fog they seemed almost ethereal, like a phantasmic illusion until the car got closer and Mike could tell it was real. 

He panicked and swerved to the side, his foot stomped on the brake pedal hard which lurched both him and Xavier forward. Instantly the car began to drift along the slippery ice road in and out of control spiral forwards. Mike could feel the inertia pull his body to the side into Xavier, who was briefly pushed up against the window. 

The car was no longer responding to his commands and careened off the road down a shallow snowy slope. Mike gasped as they veered headfirst towards a looming fir tree. With all his remaining strength and a roar he managed to yank the steering wheel hard to centerpoint to realign the wheels, then with the fleeting second of control he had corrected their trajectory to just avoid a headlong collision. 

What happened next occurred in less than ten seconds, but felt like an hour. Almost in slow motion. 

First there was the impact. A loud and great crash which hit Mike like a bullet. His head swung to the side then came to a sudden stop. Then, the airbags deployed a nanosecond later to prevent Xavier from catapulting out of the window. His vision was blurred from a wall of fabric which smashed his face to the side to look out of the car or bury his nose in it. And finally, the car rocked to the side against the tree with a slump.

He had broken bones. Mike was too dazed to tell which ones, but could feel the cracked and aching pain from various points in his body which indicated he was badly hurt. Although excruciating the pain was not severe enough to lull him into shock.

It left him awake.

From the peripheral of his vision, the ghostly figure began to move. It took slow and calculated steps down the hill to the scene of the crash. 

 

Mike shuddered as the person got close enough to discern features. Or lack thereof, for they wore a white mask like the face of a fox.

People don’t change.

Not really anyways. In the face of certain doom, they simply assumed a mask if it meant the possibility of survival. However if the situation was reversed, without a doubt reticence would vanish. Tae took slow, deliberate steps towards the wreckage. There was no need to rush. The truck and her targets were not going anywhere. 

From within the ruined remains, Tae could hear the shallow breaths of her prey rise sharply. Mike turned in horror to see her ghostly visage approach like a spirit of the dead ready to ferry him away. Instinct compelled him to push past the crippling pain of the crash. With all his strength he shoved the airbag from his chest and heaved to open the car door. 

With a heavy thud he flopped out of the truck and onto the snow. Tae flicked her eyes over the corpse of the man in the passenger seat who had not survived the initial impact. Shame.

Mike’s eyes were wide with terror and confusion. A deep set, primal fear closer to an animal than a man. Blood poured from his wounds, and his body was hunched forwards at an odd angle. Despite his adrenaline, human anatomy dictated the injuries he had sustained would prevent him from standing up straight. He stumbled away from the advancing phantom as she produced a syringe from her pocket filled with glittering amber liquid.

The scampering rat of a man did not make it far before she was upon him. Calmly she approached him from behind and embedded the needle into Mike’s neck. He opened his mouth and let out a pathetic mewl before he collapsed at Tae’s feet. 

Although she had witnessed this process innumerable times, it always astonished Tae. Each of Mike’s limbs seemed to retract within his heavy jacket as his body became smaller than a child’s. Then it became tiny, hidden within the thick wool confines. 

Tae stooped down onto her haunches and rifled through the heavy coat until her latex gloved fingers wrapped around the speck-sized man rolling about in pain. Broken. Miserable. Killing him was the merciful thing to do, but she would not make it easy by any means. 

He wailed indiscernible curses and screams as she reached for him, but became pleasantly quiet when she squeezed on his broken ribs and arm until he resigned to suffer in silence. She could feel him shiver within her fist from the terribly cold wind on his now unprotected skin. 

Truly, it was frightening the effects of extreme low temperatures had on the human body. In late stages of hypothermia the body went into such a state of shock the victim felt an irrational sensation of overheating and removed their clothes. A phenomenon known as paradoxical undressing. It was a reason why hikers stranded in the cold were occasionally found almost naked in the snow. 

When the police inevitably came across the crash site, that would be the only rational explanation for what had become of Mike. While his friend had perished on impact he had stumbled away a few feet, perhaps after regaining consciousness and suffering from hypothermia. His body was never found and the tracks buried in the blizzard.

Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined his true fate was sealed inside her. 

Tae slipped the mask up over her mouth to reveal a plush set of soft lips, ready to welcome Mike in like the angels of heaven. Before he could struggle she tossed him to the back of her throat, where he landed with a ‘splat’ on her tongue. 

Bitter. Tae thought after a thorough inspection from her monstrous tongue turned Mike over many times in her mouth until he was well marinated in her minty saliva. What’s that slightly earthy flavor? Pine? Hmm… maybe some kind of cedar…

Every person had their own unique taste. A delightful mixture from their various hygienic products such as body wash, cologne, deodorant, and lotion. Tae’s palate was nowhere as developed as Grace’s, but she fancied herself a connoisseur as well. Unfortunately she had been too forward with Alice and Sylvia, she had not been able to savor them. 

Most likely Mike had some kind of ‘masculine’ body wash peddled by an American marketing gimmick. Not the best she had ever had in the field, but far from the worst either. 

Tae tilted her head back and swallowed her breakfast appetizer.

Chewing was generally a bad idea. Lots of little bones and a big mess everywhere. Instead Mike was sucked down her throat still intact, and down her esophagus into her otherwise empty stomach. Too weak from the crash and the sudden shrink, he was simply powerless to do anything as the strong acids began to sizzle away at his flesh.

A small gurgle came from her stomach. His legacy would be a little burp or fart at some point in the future. Maybe if she ate soon enough and her metabolism worked quickly he would have the honor of being shit out instead. 

Her cheeks felt rosy, a little wet spot had formed at her crotch. She absolutely lived for this. 

This is who I am. Tae thought and rubbed the rigid contours of her belly fondly. And I’m tired of pretending to be something I’m not. 

The bar Alice was assaulted at was called Ginny’s. Very popular on the weekends with younger crowds, mainly college students. It was not as loud as a nightclub, but with more dancing and a lighter atmosphere than many other local establishments. 

Thomas took a seat at the bar, and noticed he was one of the only patrons that day. In the middle of the afternoon on a weekday hardly anybody was out for a drink. The bartender finished serving a customer across the counter and sauntered over to him with a smile.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer! What can I get for you?” She asked and wiped down her workstation.

Thomas pulled out his phone. “Yeah, can I get a vodka cranberry? And could you tell me if you’ve ever seen these two in here before?” He asked and pulled up a picture on his phone.

The bartender narrowed her eyes and squinted at the photograph. She thought for a moment before something seemed to click. “They look familiar… oh! Yeah I remember now, they were in here a few weeks ago and had to be escorted out by an ambulance.” She glanced back towards him. “Are you one of their boyfriends?” 

“The blonde one is my little sister, Alice.” Thomas explained and put his phone away. “I just want to know what happened. She refused to tell me or our parents about who assaulted her.”

Jennifer shrugged. “Honestly I don’t know either. A customer was the one who found her and her friend in one of the bathroom stalls and called the police. We don’t have any security cameras and none of my employees reported anything.”

Fuck… this might be a dead end. Thomas grimaced. Jennifer noticed the disappointment on her face as she set down his drink. 

“Hey I’m really sorry about what happened with your sister, I wish I could help you.” Jennifer comforted. “But maybe you could ask Keira? She was on the clock that night as well but her shift ended before the cops arrived so she decided to go home.”

“Might as well. Thanks for the drink, how much do I owe you?” Thomas said as he stood up from the counter. 

Jennifer waved him off. “It’s on the house. Keira is right over there near the stereos.”

As he left, Thomas checked his phone again. Alice still hadn’t replied to his text messages. He knew it had been a tremendous invasion of her privacy to go through her emails to find the police report and invoice, but she didn’t leave him any choice. After what happened with Mark a few years ago he had sworn to never let anything happen to her. 

He approached a younger woman at the edge of the empty dance floor. Her coiled hair was pulled back in braids behind her ears, and flowed down her back like a dark waterfall. “Are you Keira?”

She pulled a headphone out of her ear before she could respond. “Yeah, how can I help you?”

“I just spoke with the lady at the counter and she suggested I come talk to you. About two weeks ago there was an incident here where two women were assaulted and the police came.” Thomas explained. “One of those two girls was my little sister, and I want to know what happened since the police have apparently stopped pursing the case. Do you remember anything?”

Keira clutched the stereo speaker cord she was holding tightly and briefly looked away. Thomas frowned. She’s nervous?

“Sorry, I don’t really remember anything. I left before the police arrived.”

“I understand that, but you didn’t see anything suspicious?” Thomas pressed. “It was in the bathroom. Did anybody come out before my sister and her friend?”

Keira shifted in her heels. “I uh… can’t really remember.” She lied and looked back past Thomas. “Look, mind if we talk somewhere else?”

Thomas crossed his arms but relented and followed the dainty woman outside of the bar. It was cold outside so Keira grabbed her jacket before she opened the door for Thomas to come with her. They stepped to the left of the building to the side and travelled a few meters into an alleyway.

“What are you not telling me or Jennifer?” Thomas said once he determined nobody was in earshot.

Keira sighed. “Before I say anything… you’re not a cop or anything, right?”

“I’m just an ordinary guy who wants to find out who hurt his sister. Now start talking and explain yourself.” Thomas snapped. “You left early on purpose right? To avoid talking to the police? Why?”

“I don’t like talking with the police. You wouldn’t get it.” Keira retorted, her voice raised slightly. “But yeah. I did see someone leave the bathroom after your sister went in. She was really, really drunk though. Like, barely able to walk drunk.”

Keira collected herself. “It was dark on the dance floor when she pushed past me and a few other people, but I think something was wrong with her hands. She had them close to her chest and they looked… bruised.”

“A woman?” Thomas asked, surprised. He had expected the abuser to be some tough guy, maybe someone Alice had rejected and followed her into the bathroom. “And you say her hands were busted up?” Keira nodded. “What did she look like?”

“Asian girl who comes in from time to time. Maybe her mid-twenties? She was wearing a light blue dress and was pretty tall. And she looked pretty strong. I wouldn’t want to mess with her personally.” Keira said. 

“So you knew this woman attacked my sister and said nothing? Even after you heard the police were on their way with the paramedics?” Thomas asked, disgusted.

Keira shook her head. “Hey chill the fuck out dude. Do you have any idea how many times the cops get called here to break up drunk fights? I didn’t have any reason to think this was different at first.”

“‘At first’?” He replied with a frown. 

She paused and took a deep breath. That same nervous look from before returned. Clearly whatever it was made her feel more unsettled than even speaking with him. Before she said anything else, Keira glanced behind him and herself to ensure they were alone in the alleyway.

When she spoke it was in a slightly hushed voice. Like she didn’t want anybody to hear. 

“I was going to tell the cops the next day. We expected them again the following afternoon at some point. But before that happened, really early in the morning when we were just about to open…” Keira bit her lip. “I saw that woman again.”

“The Asian girl?”

“Yeah. I was setting up the bar interior. We have a small window in the storeroom and I saw her walking away from the alley.” Keira shivered. “One of my coworkers, Mikayla, was out there with her. At least, she was supposed to be.” Keira murmured. “After that morning, Mikayla just… vanished.”

Thomas narrowed his eyes. “Vanished? She hasn’t come back to work?” Keira shook her head.

“And that’s not all. I was thinking about it later when Mikayla just kept missing shifts. Sure, she fucking hated this job. But that morning she was out in the alleyway on trash duty because Jennifer was mad at her from something the night before. You see, Mikayla was the bartender who served drinks to your sister and her friend that night.” Keira surmised. “It gave me a really bad vibe. Two girls are assaulted in the bathroom, and the next morning the bartender who served those same girls runs into the same woman who probably did it, and then just disappears?”

It all does feel connected I guess. But what would that bartender have to do with any of that? If it really was this mystery woman who beat up Alice, then why come back the next morning? Thomas wondered. Keira is right though. The bartender suddenly disappearing after something like that at the same place and time mystery girl returned is very suspicious.

“Why was Mikayla out on that alleyway doing trash? You said Jennifer was mad at her?” Thomas inquired. 

“Apparently Mikayla was in trouble because she refused to serve drinks to a speck customer who wandered in.” Keira explained. “Jennifer was pissed about it for some reason.”

“A speck in a bar?” Thomas said, bewildered. “They are allowed in normal bars?”

“Jennifer is weird, she insists we treat them like ordinary customers.” Keira said and rolled her eyes. “But that’s all I know. It gave me a bad vibe and I just decided to move on until you showed up.”

“Mikayla might have just quit if she was in trouble for something stupid like that.” Thomas reasoned.

“I doubt it. She hates this job but she has some school loans to pay off and can’t afford to not work.”

“Do you know anything more about the Asian woman?” Thomas asked.

“She used to be a regular and would drink herself silly. I think she’s from a wealthier part of town, or has a sugar daddy since she would easily drop seven hundred dollars a night. Occasionally a butler or something would drag her back into a car and take her home.” Keira stated. “Her name is Taylor or something like that.”

This is nothing like what I expected. Thomas thought to himself. But she’s telling the truth. It’s not much but it’s a good place to start.

From his pocket Thomas pulled out his wallet. Keira’s eyes went wide as he stuffed a thick wad of twenty dollar bills into her hands. “Thanks for everything.”

Although it was not a huge amount to go off of, Thomas felt relieved to know the trail had not gone cold. But what Keira had said about the bartender, if she was right and something bad had happened beyond just an assault then this was more dangerous than he thought. 

Which meant he would need to call an old friend. 

Never in his life had Eren gone through an actual job interview, in speck communes, the community leader would simply place people in certain positions based on their skillset. To prepare he had spent a long time with Tae over the course of the week doing mock interviews and watching videos online. 

She was a very intense teacher, but he felt well prepared for all the normal questions. The hardest ones would be any asking for specific instances he had done something in his professional career. With his limited experience Eren would need to rely on his educational history and time spent in university, all while skirting around anything that could pin him as a speck. 

He adjusted his tie and straightened himself at the miniature desk designed specifically for him. A quick glance at the clock in the corner of the computer screen indicated less than a minute until his interview with Madeleine.

Just stay calm. Eren thought and checked his reflection in the video screen once more. Remember everything Tae taught you. Right on cue an icon appeared on the screen and the video began to load.

A woman appeared, dressed in a cream colored sweater and forest green scarf. Madeleine kept her long red curls loose, which stretched past her chest. She appeared to be in her apartment, with a steaming cup of coffee and a tablet next to her laptop. 

She offered a wide smile and waved. “Hi Eren! I’m Maddie, how are you?”  Madeleine asked in a bubbly tone. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Madeleine. I’m doing great.” He replied smoothly. 

“Awesome! Sorry for the background noise, I’m baking brownies and had to turn a fan on.” She apologized and took a sip of her coffee. “I love your suit by the way! I didn’t expect you to look so classy while I’m in sweatpants.”

She’s way less formal than Tae was when role-playing. Eren noted. He relaxed a little in his chair. “Thank you, I hope I’m not overdressed or anything.”

“If anything I’m underdressed, but thank you so much for putting this much effort into the interview.” Maddie gleamed. “So onto your application, like I said in my email I was blown away by your qualifications.”

She tapped a few things on her tablet. “Let’s see… bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from MIT with a 4.6 GPA, a minor in Energy Studies…” She rattled off. “Have you ever worked with robotics before?” 

“In many of my general courses we worked with robotics, for my field we focused mainly on designing efficient power sources.” Eren replied.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” Maddie said with a chuckle. “So for context, I separated Eureka into three divisions. Assembly, Systems, and Artificial Intelligence. Assembly meets in person at a facility I rent out to actually construct the product. I’m in Artificial Intelligence, and we design the system which automates the robot and lets it ‘think’ so to speak. You would be in Systems, which is responsible for designing the software and mechanics for Assembly to construct. Basically you make the blueprints for everything.” 

As she was speaking an alarm began to go off in her apartment. Madeleine’s eyes went wide and she quickly stood up from the desk. “Oh shit the brownies!” She cursed and rushed off camera.

That sounds similar to what I used to do in Northside, when we needed to make an entire new power grid and update the power core. Eren thought. Granted some of the stuff we had to use was really old. The primary generator Oscar and I worked on back in the day was built in 2074. 

Maddie returned to her seat with a plate laden with thick chocolate brownies. “I know you’re supposed to let them sit out for a few minutes but they smell so good.” She giggled and took a bite. “So as I was saying. You would be in the Systems division, and work on designing the energy source for the EurekaBot, we call it Franklin.”

“Cute name.” Eren chuckled. 

“Thank you! It’s both the name of the founding father, and my grandpa who is in a nursing home right now.” Maddie explained with a hand over her mouth as she chewed. “We don’t have anybody who specializes in electronics, so you would be a tremendous asset to our team.” She mentioned. “Is that something you would be interested in?”

“Absolutely.” Eren replied. 

She washed the brownie down with a long sip of coffee. “Great! Eren I think you will be a terrific fit at Eureka. Believe me when I got your application and saw you were an electronics specialist I told my team Christmas came early.” 

“So on to your pay.” Maddie said and pulled up a different screen on her tablet. “Eureka is a really small start-up, but with room for growth with so many awesome people like you working with us. However, that doesn’t change that our compensation is only slightly above the minimum wage. You would be paid at a rate of $42.55 an hour.”

Almost fifty bucks per hour?! Eren thought in disbelief. To a recent college student, that was a pretty abysmal number in 2107. Barely better than fast food or a retail job. But for a speck who was given a communal allowance a small fraction that number it was a fortune. 

“Does this mean I’m hired?” Eren asked. Madeleine giggled and nodded several times.

“Most definitely! I can’t wait to get you started. First there’s a bit of mandatory paperwork I’ll send your way and I’ll be in touch about your hours.” She told him. 

“Thank you so much Eren! I look forward to working with you!” Maddie beamed before she waved and ended the call.

When Thomas left Norwich to join the military, it came as a surprise to many people from his high school. With his excellent test scores, popularity, and success in athletics it was expected he would take the full ride through university path at a prestigious school. 

Truthfully the allure of college never really bothered him, perhaps that was why he and Claire had gotten along so well back when they were high school sweethearts. They had a lot in common; both were driven individuals with immense talent who decided to pursue a career in something radically different than the norm. To protect and serve.

The difference had ultimately been their feelings towards home. Thomas wanted to see the world, Claire wanted to stay in the community that raised her. When they broke up it was a mutual agreement that their relationship was at an end, and they were able to part on amicable terms.

Which was very fortunate for Thomas, as he now found himself in need of her help. 

Claire leaned against the hood of her police cruiser, dressed sharply in the dark blue uniform of the Norwich Sheriff's Office. Her dark brown hair was tied neatly in a bun behind her head, a notable contrast from how she had kept it loose many years ago. 

The reflection of the documents Thomas had provided glimmered against her round glasses. She pursed her lips and continued to flip the pages until finally, Claire shut the file folder he had given her.

“I agree it’s suspicious, at the very least.” She admitted and returned the papers back to Thomas. 

He accepted the folder and put it to one side. “So you’ll bring this to the department?”

“I didn’t say that.” Claire replied curtly. “Everything you’ve shown me contradicts what Alice said in her official statement, on the basis of what a random bar employee said in passing. It’s also all completely circumstantial. We have not had any missing person reports either.”

Yet. Thomas finished for her in his head. Goddamnit Claire I thought you were better than this! He grit his teeth but retained his composure. It had been years since he had seen Claire, he did not know where they stood.

That meant he had to be tactful. Thomas pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Claire. She raised a dark brow but accepted it. “What’s this?”

“Alice hasn’t called or messaged me or our parents in days. We don’t even know where she is.” Thomas reasoned.

Claire shrugged and returned the device. “You pissed her off, Tommy. I don’t blame her.”

The fuck is that supposed to mean?!

“I’m worried, like any older brother would be. Forget about Alice and the bartenders’ current whereabouts. How about the assault that happened? Is that not enough to arrest the woman who did this? If we asked around at Ginny’s I am sure we could figure out who she is.” Thomas suggested with scarcely concealed frustration.

“That’s all based on what the employee said to you. If she would like to come forward and-.”

“You’re the one who found out Alice was being abused by Mark.” Thomas cut in. Claire zipped her lips and went silent. She glared daggers at him but he continued. “She would never open up to me, or our parents. But she saw you as an older sister. Someone she could confide in and trust. Now she might be in trouble again and I can’t help her without you.”

“Even if it’s nothing and she is perfectly safe, then at least I could return to active duty knowing she was in good hands.” Thomas insisted and took a step closer to Claire. “Please. Help me.”

Tae decided to make Eren’s favorite meal for dinner, to celebrate his acceptance into Eureka. A classic dish from her homeland called jajangmyeon. Perfectly cooked noodles in a carefully concocted black bean based sauce. She chose to omit the sliced pork often found in the recipe, the only ‘meat’ Tae typically consumed were people she deemed undeserving of life. 

Truly, that was all creatures like Alice, Sylvia and Mikayla were. Things that did not deserve to draw breath. Unlike a pig or a cow their very existence was repulsive. Profane. They deserved to die, to be consumed as penance for their reprehensible characteristics. From the corner of her eye Tae spotted the water boiling in a nearby pot about to spillover. 

She cursed and rushed to take it off the heat, to prevent a mess. 

Stop thinking about it. Just have fun… you’re cooking for Eren, put some passion in this dish! Tae declared to herself. She issued a voice command to her home stereo system to put on some music while she cooked, and began to focus on the sauce. 

Honestly, Tae figured she needed to spend less time on self-reflection. All she ever did was brood nowadays. Perhaps tomorrow she could call Grace over and hang out again? Eren seemed to enjoy the trip to the mall a lot, and since he was about to start a job his free time would be limited in the future.

Half an hour later and dinner was ready. She retrieved a single noodle from the serving dish and smothered it in a healthy dollop of the black bean sauce, and placed it in a plate for Eren to eat from. A pair of miniature ‘forks’ with more in common to a small spiked shovel allowed him to rip away pieces of food without getting too dirty. After dinner they settled in for the night on the couch to watch a movie.

Eren sat comfortably on her thigh and leaned against her stomach for support. Her gargantuan flat screen even so far away was like a cinema. Although with their size difference it was impossible to cuddle properly, Tae demonstrated her affection by stroking his back with her fingers gently. 

Tae flipped through a few possible films. “What was Madeleine like?” She asked conversationally.

“She seems really friendly. I get the impression she started her company because she thought it would help people, not because she thought it would make her money.” Eren replied thoughtfully. “That’s a sort of altruism I can admire.” 

“Do you think she suspects anything about you?”

“No. At least for now.” He said.

Tae pursed her lips. I should be more supportive. This job means a lot to him and I should trust him to be safe, despite the risks. 

“Well you know, there is always the possibility even if Madeleine finds out she won’t care. She seems like a kind person, her passion is helping the elderly after all.” Tae reasoned. “And I am really happy for you! This is a noble cause you are supporting many, with many talented people involved.”

Eren wrapped his arms around her elephantine thumb in a sort of hug and nuzzled against it. She glanced down and saw that his expression was blissful. “Thank you Tae… I am glad you support me on this.”

“I’m your girlfriend. I’ll always be there for you.” She insisted and gave him a slight squeeze. 

She was thankful that he could not see her face, otherwise Eren would have noticed her blush deeply as she proclaimed them a couple. Of course they had certainly been acting like one for weeks now, but this was the first time either of them had verbally solidified it. 

Tae felt him tug on her index finger slightly and conceded to allow Eren to pull it into a little kiss. She felt the slight ticking sensation and giggled, bouncing him on her thigh. 

She browsed through different movies available for them to watch. Personally she preferred older films, especially the originals from decades ago before most modern work turned to remakes or reboots. Eren stated he had no preference for what to watch, so she selected an award winning thriller drama from the 2050’s.

The story followed an escaped convict who took refuge at a small town, slowly revealed to be under control of a sinister cult. It had everything both audiences and critics loved. Intense nail-biting action sequences and dark twists at every corner. And of course, the main character was a popular actor from the time period with a beautiful Hollywood actress for the love interest.

At around the halfway point in the film, things took an intimate turn. After a series of unfortunate events, the two lead characters had a chance to relax. They found themselves alone in a bedroom, and began to make love. Rather than cut to black or simply insinuate what was happening, the movie hovered just shy of pornographic in their escapades. Tae lowered the volume of the speakers, as exaggerated feminine moans of pleasure began. 

Eren shifted uncomfortably on her lap. This was his first time exposed to any kind of video-based erotica, and was not quite certain of what to feel, especially in front of her. Tae continued to stroke his torso, and pulled him closer. Suddenly she felt him turn away slightly, after her fingertip hovered too close to his pelvis. Too late though, to hide his arousal from her. 

Instantly she retracted her finger altogether and felt a pang of embarrassment. She had not meant to touch him like that, and was especially not expecting to feel… that. Now it was Eren’s turn to blush red as well. 

Tae hesitated to see if he would say anything. Her heart was pounding, both out of the uncertainty of the situation and also a passion slowly rising within her. A few tense moments passed and Eren still remained silent. 

This is natural in a relationship. Physical intimacy. She thought as she decided to return to stroking his body. Although this time her attention was focused somewhere else. She felt Eren go rigid as her fingertip began to gently caress between his legs. 

She paused and gave him time to think. “Do you want me to stop?” Tae murmured in a whisper. 

“No.” He replied in a soft voice. 

With his permission, Tae resumed her efforts. Carefully she focused on grinding her finger on his crotch back and forth. It was subtle, but Eren’s breath began to pick up as he became more aroused. 

By now all her attention was on him, not the movie, so it came as a surprise to both of them when a loud ‘bang’ from a gun firing broke the scene. Annoyed, Tae snatched the remote from the armrest and turned the film off altogether. 

When her hand returned to him she enveloped Eren within her fingers. He offered no resistance as she brought him up to her inviting lips. Tae turned her face to one side at a slight angle to keep her nose out of the way so she could kiss him properly. She could feel him return the favor; a slight sensation on her upper lip. It was then accompanied by a subtle moisture as Tae felt his tongue drag across her mouth eagerly.

She pulled him away. “Would you mind taking your clothes off?” Tae suggested, not keen on destroying his clothes.

Eren nodded as she placed him upon her lap. He appeared flustered, with a sizable bulge visible beneath his trousers. Tae felt her heart flutter as he began with his shirt, and pulled it off to reveal the lean, sculpted muscles beneath. As expected of a speck whose very existence was defined by physical hardship. 

Next came his belt, and everything else. She watched him strip down to his boxers, which eventually dropped to his ankles and were kicked away. His uncut manhood was fully erect, an indicator of his excitement. Although Eren was a speck, he was very well endowed. 

Tae felt a primal lust for him. Raw, unmitigated sexual attraction and sheer desire. Eagerly she reached for her nude boyfriend, and wrapped her fingers around him once again to bring him to her mouth.

This time was different. Tae parted her lips slightly, and allowed her tongue to peek through. Eren’s eyes went wide as the thick, slimy organ revealed itself and extended to flick over his penis. He let out an audible moan and succumbed to the pleasure, limp in her grip as she coated his member in saliva. Feebly Eren began to kiss and lap at their upper lip in a weak effort to make it a mutual exchange, but it was almost unnoticeable to Tae.

He felt the world rearrange itself and shift as his colossal girlfriend stood and began to walk. His eyes glossed over as waves of pleasure emanated from his throbbing cock, which was now fixed firmly between Tae’s gigantic lips. With a suction only a giantess could replicate, she began to blow him. 

Perhaps voluntarily, perhaps not, Eren’s hips began to buck into her mouth. She felt his penis poke further past the threshold, the tip graced the threshold of her humid maw.

She decided to take things up a notch once she reached the bedroom.

Hot minty breath washed over Eren’s face as he felt her mouth open fully. She saw the look of instinctive concern flash across his face and shushed him into submission. “It’s okay.” Tae assured him before she placed him halfway into her mouth, with her lips closed tightly around his midsection just above his navel. 

Eren braced himself against the two lips that formed a soft, slightly moist prison. He was staring just past Tae’s nose which sucked the air around him out and in. He could feel his legs supported by her meaty tongue, which undulated slightly.

Then he felt her hand move him once more, from side to side while he was anchored to her lips. He moaned loudly in ecstasy as his cock was dragged against the inside of her soft lip on one side, and assaulted by licks from her enormous tongue at the other. Lost in the sinful sensations, Eren allowed himself to simply lay back and enjoy Tae’s masterful manipulation of his body.

Your little moans are so fucking sexy. Tae dreamed and swirled her tongue around Eren’s body, and enjoyed the hardness of both his dick and his chiseled abdomen. As she continued to turn Eren into a sloppy, saliva-coated mess, she began to undress. 

Once she was down to her undergarments, Tae slipped her free hand past the band of her panties to play with herself. She could feel him begin to move wildly, in uncontrolled spurts which sent chills down her spine. This was happiness. This was bliss. This was-!

Just before Eren could reach climax within her mouth, Tae stopped suddenly. Her tongue retreated back into her mouth and she pulled him away. Bands of spittle dripped from her mouth onto the floor.

Eren frowned over a concerned look. “T-Tae?” He panted. “Is something wrong?” She hesitated to answer.

If I’m ever going to tell him the truth, I should do it now. Before I pass the point of no return. Tae thought to herself as she wiped her mouth clean. It would be a betrayal if I told him afterwards.

“Eren… I have to confess something to you.”

He looked up at her with a confused expression. Eren’s eyes were full of an innocence that was hard to describe. An innocence born of ignorance of who she really was. For him, and perhaps every speck, the planet was a simple and cruel place. Their existence was endless suffering, because they were born small and weak. Nothing could ever change that, unless he had help. 

Because that was just how the world worked. At least, how it was supposed to be.

Specks were supposed to be born into a world that hated them, live miserable lives then die ignominious deaths. The only thing they had was family, fleeting as it was, and their will to survive.

Is that how I used to look at life? Endless misery and torment? Tae thought bitterly. No… when I was like Eren, I had someone who made life worth living.

Tae forced herself to look away from Eren. She didn’t want him to see the turmoil she was going through.

Tae-yeon never cared that I was an embarrassment. She never cared that I was God's mistake, a dirty speck that should never have been born. I was her sister. That’s all that ever mattered to her. And I threw that away the moment my blessing was revealed. 

“Tae? Are you okay?” Eren asked, deeply concerned. She had remained silent for almost a full minute, lost in thought. 

But Eren… She glanced back towards him and pursed her lips. You aren’t like me. You don’t have the power of my bloodline. Without the Xírǎng, you will always be like this. 

 

“I love you.” Tae finally confessed with a fragile voice. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

It had been months since Tae had gone to sleep without suffering a nightmare. Normally the only cure was a strong drink before bed which left her with an equally miserable headache. Since she had met Eren, Tae had slept easier at night. Her dreams transitioned from awful memories of her past sins to more recent recollections and ideal futures. 

Perhaps she now resided in such an ideal future. She certainly felt that way the morning before Christmas Eve. 

Like every morning for the past week since she confessed her love to him, Tae woke up with Eren snuggled safely between the valley of her firm breasts. The beating of her gargantuan heart lulled him to sleep at night, and staved off bad dreams of his own which had haunted him on occasion from that fateful night in Ginny’s.

Their nightly escapades often left him exhausted and slightly sore, so she typically roused earlier in the morning. Although she was not Eren’s first, she was definitely his biggest and that made sex a challenge at first. He took to the task well though, and demonstrated an eagerness to please that surpassed most partners Tae had in the past speck or not. 

On occasion at bars when she was drowning her sorrows away, men and women would throw themselves at her in droves for a potential one night stand. Despite the temptation, her days of casual hook-ups were over. All she had wanted to do was wallow by herself, until she met Eren. 

He stirred upon her bosom, as if able to sense that she was awake. Before he was fully aware of his surroundings she carefully turned onto her side and deposited his little body on her pillow. Eren’s eyes blinked open just in time to see a massive pair of plush lips above his torso.

“Good morning.” She whispered softly before smothering him in a passionate kiss. Eren mumbled something similar in response and embraced her immense mouth. Her hot breath washed over him, pleasantly warm in the cool winter daybreak. 

This is heaven. Tae thought blissfully as she showered her boyfriend in affection. After a few intense minutes she tore away and flopped onto her back next to him and let out a satisfied sigh.

Eren wiped some of the moisture from her lips off his face. “Did you sleep well?” He asked and reclined on the pillow.

“Very.” Tae craned her head to the side to glance at the clock on the nightstand. “We slept in. It’s almost noon.” She noted and sat up to stretch.

After a few more minutes of lounging about Tae finally felt ready to begin the day. She slipped out from under the sheets and extended her hand for Eren to step into like a roaming platform. With a yawn he did so and brushed long dark strands of hair out of his face. 

Once she reached the bathroom Tae placed him on the edge of the sink where a small speck-sized station was set up for Eren. Both of them went about their morning routine; for Eren that included trimming off whatever hairs had formed on his cheeks or chin and putting his lengthy hair up with a few pins and hair ties, and washing his face. Tae meanwhile accomplished the first parts of her complex skincare routine with a variety of different personalized products. 

After they were all finished with the bathroom, Tae took Eren into the living room while she brewed some coffee. He had the day off due to the holidays, so nothing would interrupt them from relaxing.

The first thing he did was check his emails to make sure he had not missed anything from Eureka. To Tae’s understanding, the EurekaBot or rather ‘Franklin’ was almost complete and a test run intended to demonstrate the potential of the machine to investors scheduled on New Years Day. Understandably Eren’s boss, Madeleine, was stressed about the deadline. 

All the advanced artificial intelligence and kinetic mechanics would be useless without an efficient power source. Although the technology behind robots had advanced greatly in the past century, they were notoriously power hungry and therefore expensive to maintain. Whereas a human employee could take a fifteen minute break to recharge during a long shift, the average robot needed thrice that to reach an acceptable level. Therefore robot customer service was considered a gimmick or novelty at select stores. 

It was a tall order for anybody to design a stable core; somehow Eren was supposed to accomplish what entire research teams had failed to do. And yet the results on the EurekaBot thus far had been remarkable. With his modifications, Franklin had enough juice to utilize every system for an extended period of time beyond what was normally possible.

Still, it took a heavy toll on Eren. “Do you want any cream?” Tae asked as he rubbed the dark bags under his eyes.

“Black is just fine.” He replied with a yawn. She returned to the living room with a mug shortly afterwards, and poured a drop of coffee into a cup shallower than a bottle cap.

Tae blew the steam away before she took a sip. “What would you like for breakfast?”

“Y'know, today is payday and I still owe you dinner for the suit.” Eren noted. “How about I buy us something for breakfast?” He offered.

“Oooh taking me out for a change! Well if that’s the case there’s that cafe that just opened up near the airport.” Tae suggested. “Mind if Grace tags along? She’s been cooped up in her hotel all week.”

Eren shrugged and closed his laptop. “Bear in mind I’m making slightly above minimum wage so you two will probably be sharing a croissant.” He teased as Tae snatched her phone from the coffee table.

No sooner had Tae shot a text to her cousin when she heard the doorbell ring. 

Odd. Tae thought as she closed out of her text messages to pull up the security feed from an app on her phone. I was not expecting a visitor today.

Eren noticed her confusion and frowned. “Christmas carolers maybe?” He wondered aloud.

“Not sure just yet.” Tae murmured as the security camera began to load. Once more she heard the doorbell ring. Whoever it was happened to be rather impatient. Finally the live feed for her security camera activated. 

Fuck.

Tae felt her heart turn to ice. Her fingers froze above the screen of her phone and she felt her skin become cold and clammy.

Outside of her front door was a police officer. A woman with dark hair tied into a neat bun with a pair of round glasses perched on her nose. She wore a heavy navy blue jacket with the Norwich Sheriff's Department’s symbol emblazoned across the back. Although it was covered by her heavy clothes, Tae knew for certain on the deputy’s belt was her standard issue firearm as well. 

She saw the woman go to press the doorbell again, thought better of it, and this time knocked on the door. 

“Who is it?” 

It was at that point Tae realized she had gone completely rigid. Eren had noticed the immediate change in her demeanor and looked deeply concerned. He tried to glance at her phone and she considered turning it away so he couldn’t see.

Calm down. Breathe. Text Grace. Immediately she exited the app and informed Grace that an officer was at her doorstep. Then, she looked at Eren with a look of surprise. 

“There’s a police officer at the door.” Tae asked, her tone of voice expressed the kind of confusion Eren should expect. “Hang on, I’ll go see what she wants.” She told him and stood up from the couch.

“The police? Why would they be here?” Eren asked in bewilderment.

Tae stepped towards her front door. “No clue.” She called back.

Her front door had a security camera with a microphone attachment outside to allow her to converse with someone without opening the door. With a deep breath Tae pushed the bright green button and spoke into the receiver.

“Good morning.” Tae said conversationally. “How can I help you?” She asked in her friendliest voice.

The officer’s attention turned to the video camera facing her and then the voice receiver above the doorbell. She leaned forward to reply. “Hi, I’m sorry to bother you so close to the holidays. My name is Lt. Claire Weaver, with the Norwich Police Department. Are you Miss Tae Park?” 

“That’s me, yes.” Tae replied. She concealed her anxiety and frustration in both her voice and appearance, lest Eren who was watching closely from the living room couch grow suspicious.

“Good morning Miss Park, like I said I hate to bother you today but I would like to ask you a few questions regarding an incident at Ginny’s about a month ago.”

Ginny’s?! The bar Eren was attacked at?! Tae felt her fingers grow numb. How the hell could someone possibly suspect anything after all this time? I was drunk… it made me sloppy. 

Tae weighed her options carefully. She had no idea how much this deputy knew about the events of that night, which was a big problem if she intended to keep her story straight. The worst case scenario was for her to be caught flagrantly lying, which would definitely attract even more attention. Conversely she could politely claim she was busy and wait for Grace and a legal representative to come speak on her behalf, but if she went through all that trouble would Eren be suspicious? To his knowledge she had defended him from an attempted murder, and should be eager to tell the police so those girls would face punishment. 

Seconds felt like hours as she made her decision, with Eren’s gaze fixated firmly on the back of her head. “May I come inside?” 

“If she wants to talk about what happened, maybe you should clear your name of any wrongdoing? You saved me after all and those girls were never apprehended.” Eren suggested. “Who knows what they told the cops?”

“Good point.” Tae replied through her teeth. She sighed and pressed the green button once more. “Sure thing.” Her voice came over the intercom and she unlocked the door, wary of any sudden movement from the other side. 

As the door opened, Tae felt her phone vibrate as Grace replied to her text message. She could not see what it said since she was preoccupied with the police officer, but could only hope it was good news and her cousin was en route. 

The deputy nodded her head and stepped into Tae’s apartment, careful to dust her boots off before she crossed the threshold. 

She was shorter than Tae,  around the same age in her mid to late twenties. Definitely a bit younger than the average fully-fledged police officer. From her posture Tae could tell the deputy felt relaxed and unconcerned about the possibility of a violent confrontation, which meant she certainly did not know everything. 

Tae strolled back into her living room, her eyes flicked over where Eren was on the couch before she gestured to the kitchen counter. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I just finished brewing some.”

“I’m alright, thank you.” Claire responded in a neutral tone. She scanned over the room, eventually her gaze went over Eren. The officer’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had company.” Claire said and took a few steps towards Eren. Before she could reach the couch Tae cut in front of her and took a seat right next to Eren, putting herself between him and Claire who took a step backwards. 

“You said you had questions for me.” Tae cut in. Although she was a part of law enforcement and her host had been gracious so far, the look in Tae’s eyes conveyed her thoughts clearly:

So much as look at him the wrong way, and I will kill you. 

There was something about her expression that frightened Claire. In her time as a cop she had stared down countless wannabe tough guys in the interrogation room who hurled threats her way. Oftentimes men twice her size and a violent criminal record that would unsettle even the most hardened deputy. Not once had she ever betrayed fear, but the glare the woman gave her sent shivers down her spine like a knife drawn against the skin. 

Claire cleared her throat and regained her composure before she replied. “Right. On November 27th, the department responded to an emergency call to Ginny’s. Two young women were found badly beaten in the bathroom.” The officer shifted her weight. “A few witnesses placed you at the bar that night, can you confirm if you were there?”

“I’m sorry, but am I a suspect in a crime?” Tae asked and set her mug down on the coffee table.

“I never said that.”

“Well what other reason would the police have to come knocking at my door?” She replied pointedly. “If that is the case I would much prefer my legal representative was here to speak on my behalf.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Ma’am I am not here to accuse you of anything, on the contrary I am actually here to help you.” She folded her arms. “I simply want to hear your side of the story and prevent lawyers from getting involved, once that happens who knows how complicated this may end up being, for no reason at all.” 

“Your concern is greatly appreciated, however I would prefer my legal representative be here.” Tae informed Claire and crossed one leg over the other. “She is on her way right now actually, hence why I offered you a drink. You may be here a while and would not want to be a discourteous host.”

As she spoke Claire paced around the living room casually, eventually she passed the other side of the coffee table. The tension in the room had grown significantly, especially after she reached the point where Eren was visible once again. 

He listened to each word with rapt attention but made no effort to interrupt. Claire stared at him from across the living room with an unreadable expression. It was not contempt, which Eren was used to. The best way to describe it was like she was attempting to discern what he was, like he was some strange trinket or peculiar thing. 

“What’s its name?” Claire asked, akin to how someone might inquire after a dog’s name. 

Eren frowned and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Tae who immediately chimed in. “My apologies, but he will also be represented by my legal advisor.”

“I only ask because allegedly, one of the bartenders at Ginny’s had an encounter with a speck that night as well. She refused it service for a while.” Claire mused. “Would it be a stretch to assume this is that same speck?” She asked.

Tae smiled. “Well I am sure he does not particularly enjoy being called that, ma’am.” She said, Eren noticed her fingers squeeze the couch cushions slightly. “You should apologize.”

“That same bartender was officially reported missing a few days ago.” Claire said dismissively. “Ma’am I would really appreciate your cooperation. Believe me, lawyers will only complicate things. Why don’t we step outside and just talk this out and I’ll be on my-.”

“If you are going to disrespect him like that, in my own home, and ignore my request you apologize like a decent person would, then we have nothing more to discuss.” Tae interrupted and stood up suddenly. Claire instinctively stepped back and her hand hovered closer to her holster as the considerably taller woman with a murderous glint in her eye rose to her feet. “You may wait outside if you like until my lawyer gets here.”

“Miss Park-!” Claire began but was cut off by something over Tae’s shoulder. Tae frowned slightly as the officer’s gaze was enamored by something else. 

At first she hesitated to turn around as well to see what Claire was staring at, but relented after a few moments passed and the brunette made no sudden moves. Claire’s gaze was focused squarely on something happening outside Tae’s living room window on the street below the apartment building. Tae looked outside as well and paused.

Parked outside of the building was Claire’s police cruiser. It appeared to be the epicenter of a commotion which involved several people, many with guns drawn at a single individual who was held down by a few familiar people dressed in suits. The man they were focused on just outside the police car was unfamiliar to Tae, however.

From beside her, Tae overheard Claire say two words before she turned around and bolted out the front door. 

“Goddamnit Thomas!”

(A few minutes earlier)

The person who assaulted Alice was a woman named Tae Park. Thomas was absolutely sure of it. It had taken a full week since he reunited with Claire to gather enough evidence under the radar of the police department to figure that out. Although this was a strictly unofficial investigation, a few choice words and dollar bills slipped to the right people had led them in the right direction.

Claire parked her police cruiser outside of the suspect’s apartment, a luxurious high-rise in downtown Norwich populated by the city’s most elite and wealthy denizens. Somewhere inside was the shitstain who assaulted his sister. 

Next to him, Claire readied herself. “So what’s our plan?” He asked as Claire fished out her winter gloves from her pocket and slipped them on. 

“You stay here. I’ll go see if she’s at least willing to talk.” She replied. 

She better, or I’m going to smash her fucking face in. Thomas thought vindictively.

He hesitated. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you? I don’t have to say anything-.”

“Out of the question. Look, I get that you’re convinced she’s the one who hurt Alice. And honestly I am inclined to agree, but remember we aren’t exactly doing this by the book.” Claire murmured. 

Truthfully nothing they had done in the last week was ‘by the book’. Thomas was no expert but he could ascertain that it was illegal to bring the victim’s brother along to question a suspect. And everything they had done up until now was based entirely off a single witness’s memory.

Things would be different if I didn’t have to return to active duty so soon. Thomas thought begrudgingly. Once the clock hit New Years he would be obligated to return to the Air Force, and any hope of him finding Alice’s assailant would vanish.

Otherwise, if he had the time then he would have been able to rely on an official investigation led by the department. But with such little evidence anything actually sponsored by the authorities would take time to make it through the bullshit bureaucracy and legal process. 

Thomas sighed. “Alright. I’ll wait for you.” He encouraged as Claire departed. “And don’t go easy on her either.” 

“I won’t.” She replied and shut the door. Thomas watched Claire stroll towards the entrance to the high-rise, where she exchanged words with a security officer stationed there. 

After a bit of back and forth she was granted access. Fortunately nobody had called their bluff and asked for documents that proved Claire was on official business on behalf of the sheriff’s office. With luck, Park would be no different and she could be manipulated into a confession.

Minutes bled together as Thomas continued to wait. He tapped his finger against the console anxiously. He tried to imagine the conversation between Claire and Park. What was the woman’s justification for assaulting Alice? Was she a drunkard who decided to pick a fight? It had been bothering him for a while now that Thomas had no clue who in their right mind could ever think to hurt his sister. She was the kindest person on the planet, she wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Thomas slipped his phone out of his pocket. Nobody had heard anything from her yet. His parents insisted she was probably with a friend from school and would return of her own volition eventually, but he refused to believe it. No way she would miss Christmas dinner over something like this.

Just as Thomas was putting his phone away, a black limousine came to a halt nearby accompanied by several tinted SUV’s. A few people stepped out, clad in suits and appeared to be some kind of entourage. He watched with mild interest, until he caught a glimpse of the woman who stepped out of the limousine.

His heart skipped a beat. 

A rather tall woman with distinct Eastern Asian features, dressed sharply in a white winter coat and heeled boots. Her dark hair billowed in the cold air. 

Is that Park?! Thomas thought and scrambled to get his phone back out. Rapidly he began to text Claire and let her know to rush back downstairs. He glanced back up and realized the woman he presumed to be Tae Park was approaching the apartment entrance. If he did not do something soon, she would vanish.

He set his jaw. I’m sorry Claire, but I can’t miss this chance!

Thomas threw the car door open and practically flew out of the cruiser. His jacket was still inside and the frigid air stung, but the adrenaline which coursed through his veins made up for it. Thomas’s face contorted with fury, confronted by the woman who had beat his sister to a pulp. He broke into a sprint after the woman who was just across the street, her back turned towards him.

“Hey wait a second! I want a fucking word with you-!” Thomas roared before he was interrupted by a tremendous impact against his midsection. He grunted in pain and was sent crashing to the snowy pavement under the weight of three men and one woman all clad in formal suits. 

Before he could fight back his stomach was on the ground and his hands behind his back, a boot pressed firmly into his cheek from one of his attackers. He hurled insults at them and attempted to roll over before they could fully pin him to the snow. Fortunately he maintained control of his legs and managed to gain some leverage to buck one of the men off his back. 

“Get the fuck off me!” He shouted and swung wildly. His fist struck something that felt distinctly like a human nose, and he was rewarded with a warm splash of blood and a gasp of pain. Whoever he hit reeled backwards, which left three more. 

Temporarily free he looked up to see the woman dressed in white was gone, in her place was a swarm of her bodyguards. Many rushed towards him and barked orders in some foreign language with their weapons drawn. 

Then, without warning he felt all the muscles in his body tense up and an immense pain flare in his back. Distantly Thomas could hear the electric pulse of a high voltage taser. He went limp on the ground where two of his assailants immediately held him down.

From the corner of his eye he could see the woman who had first tackled him to the ground stand above him before her leg swung out towards his face. He squeezed his eyes shut just before her boot rammed into his temple. Everything went blurry and he briefly blacked out. 

When he came to a few moments later he was completely surrounded by the bodyguards. Perhaps twenty of them. While several kept his arms painfully restrained behind his back, others grappled his legs together until it was impossible to move an inch of his body. Helpless, the woman who had kicked him unleashed a flurry of brutal strikes upon his skull.

Mercilessly she stomped, smashed and bludgeoned his face into the concrete until finally someone pulled her away. Thomas gasped in pain, his nose now deformed beyond recognition and eyes both almost swollen shut. Blood poured from his busted up lips, which pooled next to a pair of familiar high heeled boots. 

Feebly he looked up into a pair of almond shaped eyes. He snarled with what strength he had left and spat in the direction of her shoe. “F-Fuck you.” Thomas cursed at her, his jaw most certainly fractured.

The woman in white cocked her head to the side in response. Behind her a few of her lackey’s attended to the man whose nose Thomas had broken. Next to her was the female bodyguard who had damn near kicked him to death. Her breath was ragged and she regarded Thomas coldly.

Who he assumed to be Tae opened her mouth to speak when there was a commotion behind her retinue. Several of her bodyguards spun around and began to shout, some of it in English and some in their own tongue. 

“Grace?!” He heard a feminine voice shout distantly. At that the woman in white finally tore her gaze away from Thomas and stepped away.

Grace? Thomas thought in confusion before his one working eye went wide. That… that wasn’t Tae Park just now?

Amidst all the other voices he recognized Claire. She appeared to be engaged in a tense stand-off with the bodyguards who had apprehended Thomas. He could hear her demands for them to drop their weapons, but even in his current state he could tell she sounded terrified.

Fuck… what have I done?!

Throughout her entire life, Claire had never been in trouble with the authorities. 

Not because she was an exceptionally well-behaved and law-abiding individual, no more so than the rest of society. Rather she was the daughter of a well-respected police captain and her mother a defense attorney with political aspirations. Although her parents were no longer on cordial terms with one another, they would move mountains to keep their eldest daughter out of trouble no matter the cost. She was their golden child after all, and a few deals ‘under the table’ which involved favors and a bit of money up until now kept her record clean. 

Claire tapped her foot anxiously and let out a nervous cough. The office she was asked to wait in was surprisingly dusty. She had assumed that the State Supreme Court would have adequate staff to keep everything spotless. Late on Christmas Eve perhaps they had the day off?

Of all the places she had expected to earn her reprimand, straight from the mouth of the State Attorney General was not one of them. Instead of dragging her in front of the Norwich district attorney for a slap on the wrist and a scolding from the police commissioner, she was directed to report to the state judicial building immediately. Boston was a lengthy journey, so she had to board a last minute flight across the state. 

The State Supreme Court was the highest authority in the state, and well beyond the reach of her parents, the commissioner, and quite frankly, everybody she had ever relied on to get her out of sticky situations. For the first time, Claire was at the complete mercy of someone else. Forced to pay the price for her actions. 

It was an unbearable feeling. One she hoped to never experience again. 

The door to the private office study creaked open. Claire straightened her back and gulped audibly, her foot came to a sudden halt on the ground. She had no mirror, but if she did then she was certain her appearance would be similar to that of a child in the principal’s office. The man who walked in calmly strolled past her and took a seat behind his desk.

Lukas Ehrenreich was a remarkably hale, handsome man despite his age. Although he was past his sixties the Attorney General could easily pass for half that. His cheeks and forehead were smooth, unwrinkled by age and his posture stout and firm. Thick, well groomed hair was styled neatly upon his head with not a single gray hair in sight. It was difficult to believe that he was the same age as Claire’s grandfather. 

He offered his hand towards Claire. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Officer Weaver.”

“And you also.” Claire replied hastily and grasped his hand to shake it. She felt how moist from sweat her palm was, especially when compared to his dry one. Hopefully he did not take offense to it. 

Lukas placed down a hefty file folder on the desk in front of him. Claire shivered involuntarily as he rifled through the folder. She recognized the document he eventually selected from the lot and read through. It was her official statement she had been forced to write. 

He scanned over it briefly. “Before we continue, Officer Weaver. I would like to make one thing very clear.”

“Yes sir?”

“By all means you seem to be a model police officer and outstanding member of law enforcement. I understand that what you have written here was possibly conceived while you were under a tremendous amount of stress.” Lukas explained and set her ‘confession’ aside. “You should be aware that I will take your performance up until this incident into account as I consider an approach befitting of the incident that occurred yesterday morning. So, you can be absolutely honest with me and tell me the truth, even if it conflicts with what you wrote in your statement.” He assured her as Claire felt an incredible weight slide off her shoulder. “Is that alright?”

She nodded several times. “Absolutely!” Lukas nodded and activated a voice recording device to capture her revitalized statement, before he bid her to explain everything that had happened.

And so Claire did. She told Lukas everything, and spared no detail in the process. There was no name, event, or time that she left out. If it meant keeping her job and potentially walking out of the Supreme Court building with a smile on her face and a slap on her wrist then Claire would do it. She told him how Thomas came to her, how he had his theories about something bad happening to his sister. Then he convinced her to try and investigate, which she did and the trail led them to a woman in Norwich named Tae Park. As for the incident itself, she shared her interaction with Park and also the ensuing scuffle outside and her standoff with the bodyguards of a bystander who Thomas had foolishly mistaken for their suspect. 

As she spoke, Claire did her best to pin as much blame as possible on Thomas. Truthfully, it was all his fault. She was just telling the truth. He came to her. He pushed her to investigate and to keep it all away from the department. He was the one who assumed something terrible happened to his sister. 

When she finally finished, Lukas looked up from his notebook which he had been keeping a record of his own notes. “Is that everything?”

Claire nodded. “Yes sir.”

“And you, Claire Weaver, do swear to have just told the truth and nothing but the truth?” Lukas pressed. “Bear in mind Officer Weaver, this recording is permanent and can be used against you in the court of law. If during an official investigation of the events you have described it is discovered that you have lied, then you will face severe consequences.”

“There were many people you claimed to have met to uncover more information during your search, while you were in liaison with Thomas Evans. People who we can question to verify the authenticity of your statements. Phone records, text messages… Are you absolutely sure, beyond a fraction of the doubt in your mind that what you have just said is absolutely everything you know and did in relation to the events of yesterday?” The Attorney General interrogated, his face stern. 

I’m sorry Thomas. But I spent way too long focused on you and not myself. 

She spoke with a confident aura of certainty. “That is everything.”

With that, Lukas deactivated the voice recorder that had been on his desk. Claire breathed a long sigh of relief. The pounding in her chest mercifully subsided, and for the first time she felt at ease since yesterday morning. 

Anybody would have done the same in her situation. If it saved her career to sell out Thomas then so be it. Besides, he came from a wealthy family with strong connections just like hers. Surely his father could pull some strings with his old army friends. 

She shook her head. It’s not my concern. Thomas doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. He was a shitty boyfriend with anger issues and a hyperinflated ego. He needs a reality check more than anybody. She thought as Lukas placed the recorder underneath his desk. As for Alice… I’ll keep looking on my own.

He glanced up at her. “Would you like a drink?” Lukas asked, to which she nodded in reply. Carelessly Lukas dropped the notebook he had taken notes in on the desk, where it flopped open to a random page. 

Claire frowned while Lukas made his way to his office door. 

Out of curiosity she peered over the notes the Attorney General had drafted about her situation, but to Claire’s surprise the page Lukas had written on was covered in miscellaneous doodles and nonsensical scribbles. 

Her stomach turned. Was this a joke?

The door swung open as Lukas retrieved a packet of cigarettes from his coat pocket, along with a lighter. “Sir?” Claire asked aloud and turned in her seat to see what he was up to. 

Instantly her face went ghostly white.

Grace Chen, the woman who Thomas had mistakenly attacked yesterday stood in the doorway with a broad smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. At her side was another familiar face; her female bodyguard who had almost smashed Thomas’s head in. The multi-billionaire scooched against the doorframe to allow Lukas to exit the room, where he vanished around the corner. 

In one hand, Grace held a pair of shot glasses and a bottle of liquor in the other.  “Do you take it on the rocks or neat?” She asked the bewildered policewoman.

It’s a fucking set-up! Claire realized.

Instantly Claire shot up to her feet. Her chair tumbled to the ground behind her as she frantically tried to reach for the pistol she kept concealed on her belt. While she fumbled to unholster her weapon, Grace’s bodyguard darted into the room. She knocked the gun aside where it clattered to the floor in some far off corner where it could no longer help Claire. 

Who the hell was this woman?! Claire’s face contorted with rage, she snarled and threw a wild overhand right which soared past the bodyguards’ jaw harmlessly. Before Claire could follow-up, she took a handful of Claire’s loose hair and pulled hard which elicited a cry of pain from the policewoman. She then drove her knee into Claire’s face, which busted open a gash below her left eye. 

It became quickly apparent that whoever the woman was, she was a far superior martial artist than Claire was, who had only received basic hand-to-hand combat training from the police academy. She was trained to forcibly subdue a target, this was something else entirely. With laughable ease Claire was pinned to the ground, her face forced against the floor and her arm restrained behind her back. She could feel an immense pressure on her shoulder joint, and became distinctly aware that the woman she was fighting could easily dislocate her shoulder if she so wished.

Evidently the bodyguard realized that too and held Claire firmly in place, helpless on the dirty floor. Above them, Grace chuckled.

“I’ll be just a moment Xiangling.” She said and stepped back into the hallway where Lukas Ehrenreich had left. 

Claire spat. “Let go of me you-!” She squealed before she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Her arm bent back at an odd angle, and she could feel the muscles begin to rip apart threateningly.

“Shut up.” Xiangling replied coldly, with a very strong Chinese accent. 

To emphasize her point, Xiangling placed her knee in between Claire’s shoulder blades and applied more of her weight painfully to her torso. Defeated, Claire rested her head on the floor miserably as Grace departed.

Aside from herself and Lukas, the hallway in the top floor of the Supreme Court building was entirely empty. It was Christmas Eve and the staff had been given the day off, and for once so had the security department. In their stead was her own team, of course. On high alert after yesterday, but soon that little problem would be taken care of. 

Grace approached Lukas, who lowered his head in a reverent bow. Rather than return the gesture, she instead passed him one of the two shot glasses in her hand, which he accepted obediently.

“Was she telling the truth?” She asked expectantly.

The Attorney General nodded several times and replied once she granted him permission to speak. “Yes ma’am. I swear she explained everything.” Lukas assured her, eyes still averted from her knife-like gaze.

And with the audio recording we can look back and tie up any more loose ends at our leisure. Lianfei will have her hands full with legal nonsense though. Grace said to herself and filled both shot glasses with baiju. Most importantly will be that bartender, Keira. We will need to arrange something special for her. 

From her purse, Grace produced a small gift box wrapped in glistening vermillion colored paper. “My mother was right about you, Lukas. You are rather useful.” He said nothing but watched with bated breath as she tugged the ribbon which secured the lid of the present. “Which is why we would like to keep you around for a few more decades.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He replied stoically, but she could hear the barely contained childlike glee in his voice. By now he had probably ascertained what she had brought him for Christmas.

Grace gently removed something from the box. A fruit, it’s vibrant color reminiscent of an evening dusk in the last moment before sunset. Short, almost imperceptible hairlike follicles covered the skin. 

Lukas couldn't help it. He looked up at the divine object in Grace’s hand with an unmitigated look of desire and need written across his face. Sweat formed above his brow, and Grace swore she could almost hear his heart thump within his chest. A knowing smile came across her face as she held it before him. 

“A peach. Plucked from my beloved grandmother’s garden.” Grace said softly, although Lukas surely did not need an introduction to such a thing. She could practically sense his desire to take it from her, to devour it whole and claim the heavens.

But to dare attempt such a thing would earn a slow, agonizing death under her foot seconds later. 

He watched enviously as Grace raised the peach to her mouth and took a bite, a small one to avoid even a drop of the juice falling to the ground below. The flesh was wonderfully sweet and pure. Immediately Grace felt an indescribable surge of power course through her veins. 

It felt incredible. So she took another bite. Then another. And another, until finally naught but the pit remained. Lukas looked ready to cry, until she leaned forward and allowed a single drop of juice which had collected on her fingers to drip into his drink along with the baiju, a type of liquor native to her ancestral homeland. 

“Drink.” She commanded. Eagerly, Lukas raised the glass to his lips and knocked it back instantly. He moaned in pleasure as he felt the single drop he had consumed spread like wildfire in his stomach, spurred on by the spirits. 

Grace returned the pit of the peach to the box and closed it carefully. “When Governor Rodriguez’s term is over you will have the privilege of replacing him. Then you and the others in the government here may lick our boots to determine who is worthy to replace President Bauchmann.”

“…truly?” Lukas gasped. She chuckled and drank her own shot as well.

If that is what Aunt Min desires, to have an insignificant leech like you run this glorified honeypot of a nation for her, then of course. You can be like a rooster, the proud king of a pile of shit.

With the wave of her hand Grace dismissed him, and turned her attention to more interesting things than politics. 

She opened the door to Lukas’s office, where Claire was still locked in a submission hold by Xiangling. How much of their conversation she had heard was irrelevant, soon she would be where she should be. 

Claire looked up at her and scowled. “You’ll never fucking get away with this!” A split second later her defiant face lit up in agony. Irked by her disrespectful attitude, Xiangling twisted her arm at the socket and was rewarded with a loud ‘pop’ noise as Claire’s shoulder dislocated.

Grace suppressed a laugh while Claire squealed in pain like a slaughtered pig. “Oh go easy on her, I want a chance to play later.” She mused smugly and placed her heel on top of Claire’s skull. 

Claire could feel the woman drum her toes atop her temple. Humiliated and in pain, she resigned to simply stop struggling lest Xiangling feel the need to snap something else. 

“Why don’t you do the honors?” Grace offered, in Mandarin. From her coat pocket she held out a syringe filled with golden liquid. 

Xiangling’s mouth opened in surprise, but she happily accepted it. It was a great privilege and even great honor to be offered such a thing. Careful so Claire would not be able to escape from underneath her while she seized the needle, Xiangling positioned the tip near Claire’s neck.

The policewoman’s eyes went wide with terror. “W-What is that?!” She shrieked and began to thrash back and forth. From the corner of her eyes she could see the smirk on Grace’s face grow wider as she began to struggle. 

“You’ll soon find out.” Grace assured her.

Before she could scream once more, Claire’s neck was alight with searing hot pain that burned like an iron pressed against her flesh. Although she opened her mouth to scream, it was overcome by a sudden wave of intense nausea. Instead of screaming Claire gasped for air. Everything went blurry, then pitch black. 

Distantly she could hear the voices of her two tormentors, but they sounded muffled. Distorted as though spoken underwater.

Claire realized that the pain in the center of her back had disappeared. Now she no longer felt the oppressive pressure from Xiangling on top of her, or Grace’s foot placed squarely on her head. Instinct drove Claire to move, and get away from this horrible nightmare in the darkness. 

Suddenly there was a new pressure, but this time all around her like a vise. She let out a distressed grunt but kept going, and crawled on all fours across what she assumed was the room. It was pointless and she most likely looked ridiculous, but she no longer cared about her dignity. Then she felt the sudden rush of air around her pull her body up off the ground a few feet before she crashed back into the Earth, thankfully not on her dislocated shoulder. 

It became far easier to breathe than it had been moments ago, and air swirled around her entire body. Claire felt a cool wind kiss her sweaty cheeks, but then felt a strange sensation when it did the same to her completely naked body. Weakly she ran her hand across her torso and confirmed that she was indeed entirely naked from head to toe.

Furthermore, the voices from before as they became sharper were not much louder. Almost deafening. Her head still pounded from whatever drug had been shot into her system, and Claire clamped her hands over her ears in a futile effort to quiet them. 

Unable to take it anymore she forced herself to open her eyes and face the two devils torturing her and see what they had done. Two sets of eyes stared down at her from above. Far, far above.

Dread filled Claire’s heart. “W-What?!” She squealed and began to scamper away from the two women who were now both the size of skyscrapers looming above her. 

Pain no longer mattered. Only survival.

Despite her injury Claire swung her useless right arm to the ground and pushed with all her might in order to stand up. Adrenaline kept the pain from driving her into shock and she began to run feverishly away from the two godlike figures who watched with amusement. 

The soft fabric of her police uniform was difficult to get a good grip with while she sprinted, and several times in her ‘escape’ Claire slipped and had to repeat the same process as before to stand up. Each time pain streaked through her body as her arm was used like a crutch to return to her feet. 

As her mad dash for freedom continued, Claire felt the earth beneath her begin to tremble. She screamed and tried to get away but was powerless as an overwhelming force pressed into her back, until her nude body was squished between the ground and Grace’s shoe. 

Grace smiled in satisfaction, and shifted her colossal appendage across the ground in order to roll Claire’s body over a few times beneath her sole. Her screams of pain only intensified when her dislocated arm was subjected to the abuse as well. 

“In a situation like this, adrenaline floods the victim’s mind. They don’t quite feel everything. So give them a bit of time to recover and understand their situation.” Grace instructed Xiangling, who was entranced by the display. 

After a few moments the frantic squeals and cries beneath her foot subsided, so Grace removed her shoe to reveal Claire, now caked from head to toe in dirt and grime from the floor and Grace’s shoe. 

It’s fitting that an animal like you is so filthy. But I don’t want to play with you all covered in shit. Grace thought. 

She inhaled and gathered up a ball of saliva in the back of her throat. Claire heard the familiar sound but could not react, too dazed from her ordeal and confusion by everything going on to think about it too much.

Grace leaned over slightly and spat a tightly congealed ball of spit directly onto Claire, which struck her like a cannonball. Claire’s vision blurred from the impact, as if she had just been slammed by a linebacker. Saliva found itself into every orifice, from her nose and mouth to Claire’s eyes and ears. Grace leaned over and picked her off the floor, then used her thumb to rub her spit into Claire’s body to clean it.

There was some annoying resistance when she tried to clean Claire’s dislocated arm, so Grace decided to lend her a quick hand. She squeezed her fingers around the socket and pulled slightly to force it back into place. Once more Claire screamed in pain, tears now flowed freely. 

Grace rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, I fix your arm and you start bawling? You should be thanking me.” With Claire now cleaned and their affairs settled at the Supreme Court, it was time to go home.

Xiangling watched as Grace removed her boot and set it to one side while she pulled her nylons down her well toned, muscular right leg. Unceremoniously her master dropped the newly created speck into the mesh fabric. She then wiggled her toes and returned her foot to the garment. 

The police officer’s tiny naked body was firmly trapped like a fish in a net, pressed face first against Grace’s five gigantic toes which wrapped around her like constrictors. Claire inhaled the pungent odor of Grace’s foot sweat built up from hours of insulation from the cold weather outside. Then she was introduced to Grace’s boot, where she was able to further marinate and cook in the moisture like a piece of meat.

It was going to be a long Christmas Eve for Claire.

With Christmas Day tomorrow, and with foresight as to how much she would probably eat and drink between now and New Years, Grace thought it was a good idea to get some exercise in. She had occupied the top floors of the most luxurious hotel in Norwich, so it was a long journey up the stairs and in heels no less. However whatever difficulty she faced to reach the top floor paled in comparison to the torment the ordeal inflicted upon Claire, who felt ready to pop like a grape at any moment beneath the impossible weight of Grace’s entire body.

Movement was restricted to wiggling her fingers and toes, and there was practically no air in the stuffy confines of the boot. With the insulation and Grace’s body heat, Claire felt like she was trapped in a fleshy oven that reeked of sweat and leather. Time seemed to pass at a distressingly slow speed, and each step was a nightmare on its own. 

Finally she felt the owner of the boot come to a stop. With a rush of air the enormous weight was lifted off Claire’s body, which left her a panting soggy mess in a pool of her own sweat at the toe section. 

She was granted no time to recover, for moments later the boot was flipped onto one side which rolled her out onto the penthouse floor like a pebble stuck in a shoe. Claire sucked in as much clean air as she possibly could, grateful to breathe clearly for the first time in what felt like hours of anguish.

The floor shook with every step the giantesses took. With a resounding thud Grace removed her other shoe and kicked it to one side. She took a seat on the couch and began to remove her nylons as well to expose her smooth, shapely legs which towered above Claire like twin pillars in a coliseum. Claire attempted to stand, but was quickly returned to her back by the sheer force of Grace’s mountainous feet as they came to a rest on the floor in front of her. 

Grace leaned over to examine her new toy for the first time. Her eyes were filled with animalistic fear, and desperately Claire began to crawl away on her hands and knees. “Don’t move.” She commanded sternly, and instantly the speck froze in place. Claire gulped as she hovered her foot a few inches above her tiny, shivering body.

The message it sent was clear. Try to run away, and be crushed.

Good pet. Grace thought as she lowered her foot, the terror still scrawled across the speck’s face. Rather than place Claire’s entire body underneath her sole, she instead left Claire’s face exposed between her big and second toe with the rest of her torso and legs firmly trapped beneath the ball of her foot.

Grace glanced over at Xiangling, who had watched with great interest since they returned to the hotel. She was a fantastic recent addition to her personal security, Grace thought. Despite her age, Xiangling possessed excellent judgment in intense situations, a strong sense of loyalty, and proved a formidable weapons expert and hand-to-hand combatant.

Of course, her other features made her Grace’s favorite bodyguard for other reasons as well. 

“After such a long day you must be exhausted.” Grace mused, in Mandarin. “How many shifts have you worked in a row?” She asked.

“Um… four, ma’am.” Xiangling replied. “Since yesterday’s incident.”

“Oh you poor thing! Your feet must be killing you. Why not kick off your boots and join me?” Grace suggested and wrapped her toes around Claire’s torso tightly.

Xiangling shifted her weight back and forth. “I would not want to impose.” She claimed, although the uncertainty in her voice implied otherwise. 

“Nonsense. You’ve done a magnificent job to keep me safe, and I would like to express my gratitude.” 

“Well… alright.” Xiangling replied and strolled towards the couch. To Claire’s horror, her assailant from earlier that day took a seat next to Grace and began to unstrap her work boots, which she noticed were considerably more worn than Grace’s high-end heels. 

With a pair of slams which deafened Claire, Xiangling freed her feet from the stuffy confines of her shoes and began to remove her socks. As soon as the thin fabric was pulled away, an intense odor overcame Claire’s olfactory senses. The smell did not seem to bother Grace in the slightest, although to Claire it was worse than tear gas. Moisture welled up in her eyes and her nose wrinkled as the pungent stench emanated from the sweaty flesh towards her nose. Whereas Grace’s feet were well-cared for, from pedicures and her luxurious lifestyle which left them smooth and flawless, Xiangling did not share the same privilege. 

Her soles were less plump and shapely compared to Grace, with patches of somewhat rough calloused skin especially around the heel. Although her unpainted nails were in good condition they were trimmed short. The owner of the colossal pair of feet rubbed them together, slightly embarrassed by the state of them compared to her master’s, and conscious of the smell.

Grace removed her foot from Claire to give Xiangling room. “Don’t worry about hurting her. She’s a veteran police officer, I’m sure she can take it.” She laughed and drove her toes into Claire’s midsection.

She was catapulted a few inches across the hotel floor until Claire rolled to a stop directly in front of Xiangling. Claire looked up just in time to see Xiangling’s foot carefully descend upon her like a meteor above the Earth and screamed before the wall of flesh smushed her flat into the cold, unforgiving ground. 

Xiangling moaned in pleasure as she felt a human body wedged beneath her foot for the first time. Of course she was familiar with specks, but had never actually touched one like this and was shocked by how good it felt. The knowledge that this was not simply a speck, but actually a normal person reduced to the stature of one only added to the intense pleasure she could derive from it. 

Grace wrapped her arm around Xiangling’s shoulders and admired the bodyguard enjoying herself, as slowly she acquired more confidence in handling the tiny woman. Claire was rubbed, squeezed, and bludgeoned by the two gigantic feet which continued to assault her until she was covered in bruises and felt sore all over. 

“Does that feel good?” Grace whispered, to which Xiangling nodded several times. She smiled and added her own feet to the mix, and began to playfully tug and pull at Claire’s flailing limbs. 

Claire felt the new pair approach and began to scrunch around her as well. Grace’s soles were thicker, and meatier than what she had grown accustomed to from Xiangling. It was frankly easy to tell which foot was which simply by the feel of them, between Xiangling’s rough ones and Grace’s soft ones. 

Both godlike women giggled as they enjoyed her struggles as if to punctuate the humiliation of Claire’s ordeal. 

As she continued to trample Claire, Grace also turned her attention to Xiangling herself. Her fingers crept across the shorter woman’s chest until she could feel a perky little nub of flesh beneath her shirt.

Xiangling let out a gasp of surprise. “Mmm, is that okay?” Grace asked as she began to rub and tweak Xiangling’s nipple. 

After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lip and nodded in response. Grace smiled and continued to stimulate her, until Xiangling found it difficult to focus on Claire due to the attention on her bosom. The speck flopped to the floor, bruised and covered in a thin film of foot sweat from the ordeal. Before she could flee, Grace expertly pinned Claire to the floor once again as she began to focus more on Xiangling.

Grace’s other hand went for Xiangling’s pelvis and slipped underneath her waistline. She could feel the wetness between her legs and confirmed her hypothesis Xiangling was already aroused.

Tenderly, Xiangling placed her lips on Grace’s neck and applied a bit of suction. “Just think. Right now that little speck is helpless beneath our feet.” Grace moaned in Xiangling’s ear.

The reprieve ended for Claire. Grace guided Xiangling’s foot back on top of her, and the two women began to absentmindedly squeeze her once more. Grace tentatively slipped a finger inside her lover, which elicited another gasp. She used the opportunity to envelop her in a kiss on the mouth. Grace pressed her tongue against Xiangling’s lips, begging entry which she was happily granted.

Down below, Claire realized what the two women were doing. It occurred to her just how meaningless and pathetic her existence was now to them. Her entire status was to be a little extra spice in the bedroom, no different than a cheap sex toy. Grace plucked her from the ground with her toes, and dragged her up onto the couch as the two giants repositioned themselves.

Clothes were sent flying across the hotel room haphazardly, some as far as the kitchen. Grace eagerly admired her bodyguard’s firm, rigid muscles and thick curves built by years in the gym or training. She placed Claire between Xiangling’s perky breasts before she descended. A muffled scream escaped the gap between the two women’s gargantuan bosoms, which sent delicious chills down Xiangling’s spine. 

The moans of her two tormentors grew louder, as Claire found herself lost in a world of cruel pleasure.

A full two hours later Grace stepped out of the shower and changed into a new set of clothes before she returned to the bedroom. After the couch proved too cramped for their tastes, the couple transitioned to the bed. The room was dimly lit, and Xiangling was passed out underneath the satin sheets. Clutched firmly in her hand and barely able to move, Claire took in slow deep breaths to recover from the nightmare she had just endured.

Grace strolled towards the bed and carefully pried Claire from her lover’s fist. It would be a pity if she was crushed in Xiangling’s sleep or fell to the floor and died on impact.

She left the bedroom and stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water, with Claire in tow of course. “You must be thirsty.” Grace noted with a chuckle and took a small sip. 

Claire eyed her enviously. Her lips were cracked dry from dehydration; she had lost a lot of body fluid due to sweat over the course of the day. Grace drank her fill, then tossed whatever was left into the sink.

Claire’s lip quivered. “Why are you doing this?” She eventually asked. Claire had stopped thinking about how she had been shrunk. It had been whatever she was injected with, obviously, but she assumed even if she was given an honest answer the chemistry involved would be above her comprehension.

Grace washed the glass clean before she answered. “You came knocking on my cousin’s door asking the wrong questions.” She replied. “Then you called my friend, who is also her boyfriend an ‘it’.”

“Boyfriend?! You mean the speck?!” Claire asked in disbelief. 

That made no sense, Claire thought. People didn’t date specks. Especially women as rich and beautiful as this woman or her cousin. With their resources they could have any real man they desired, why waste their time on specks?

So that was the same speck! The one at Tae Park’s apartment was the same one from Ginny’s. It’s the reason the bartender, Mikayla, was in trouble… and what led to her disappearance. Claire realized. Mikayla refused service, which made its girlfriend upset. So they shrank her as well!

She frowned. Everything made sense now except one crucial detail. “How does Alice Evans fit into all this? Where is she?”

“You won’t like the answer.” Grace responded with a cruel smirk. “Alice is the one who started all of this. She set off a bit of a chain reaction, she and her friend.”

What the hell is she talking about?! What friend?

“Alice saw a bartender refuse service to Eren, or ‘it’ as you have described him. She and her friend decided to try flushing him down a toilet, and wanted to take a video of it.” Grace revealed with her arms crossed. “My cousin, Ji-soo, overheard them from the next stall in the bathroom and stopped them in the act. Later when she sobered up she decided to get payback on all the people involved.”

Claire looked at her dumbly. “Your cousin wasn’t dating the speck? Then why even get involved?! Did she really murder a girl over a fucking speck?!”

“That sociopathic cunt simply got what she deserved. She tried to commit murder an film it.”

“It’s just a speck!”

“So he is about three inches tall, that’s it. Please. Tell me how that single difference somehow makes Eren or any speck for that matter the same as a cockroach or an ant? How is one human life any less important than yours?” Grace asked curiously. 

“Specks are not human. Biologically they are completely different from us, they have changed radically since The Diminution.” Claire justified. “Their lifespans are shorter than a guinea pig, it’s almost impossible to teach them how to do basic things like read. In cities they commit an extreme rate of crime compared to humans… they’re parasites. God made them that way.”

“If there is a God, he had no role in The Diminution that created specks.” Grace noted. “Believe me. I know.”

How else would you explain half the world’s population shrinking almost overnight? Scientists still have no idea what the Diminution was. 

“Everything else you just spouted is misinformation and propaganda, easily disproved with a bit of research. But frankly I don’t care to argue with you.” Grace murmured and effortlessly knocked Claire over with her index finger. “After all, you’re just a speck. So your opinion doesn’t matter, right?” 

Claire struggled to return to her feet. “What did you do to Alice? Where is she?” She demanded. 

“Hmm, wouldn’t you like to know? It doesn’t matter. You should probably focus on yourself right now.” Grace suggested. “I haven’t decided if I’ll keep you around or not.”

Fewer than twenty individuals worked for Eureka. With such a small number of employees, Maddie was able to organize one-on-one sessions with everybody to check on their progress. As time progressed Eren became more comfortable with his boss. He no longer dressed in business professional or casual when they spoke, and conversation would occasionally turn to their personal lives. It felt refreshing to speak with someone other than Tae or Grace, so Eren always looked forward to their chats.

Hence why he was a tad disappointed when she seemed to have missed their Christmas Eve meeting. Ten minutes had passed since the video call had started, and she had not joined.

Might be busy with family or something. Eren ruminated. He decided to wait out the duration of the call to see if she eventually showed up. 

After another fifteen minutes passed the screen suddenly changed. He perked up from his work desktop to the main screen, where Maddie appeared.

Eren frowned. Dark shadows outlined Maddie eyes, and her normally energetic and cheerful expression was gone. 

Still she offered him a weak smile. “Hey Eren, so sorry I’m late. A few things came up and I didn’t even notice the time.” She apologized and rubbed the matter from her eyes. “Merry Christmas by the way.”

“Merry Christmas… Are you alright?” 

“Not really if I’m being honest.” Maddie admitted and slumped back in her chair. 

Eren noticed that her home office was a mess, which was very unlike her. “What happened?” 

“It’s nothing that would affect you, but… we lost a couple key people in the past week. That email I sent out wasn’t received too well. People want Christmas bonuses for all their hard work, but we just don’t have the money to put it frankly.” Maddie said, almost ashamed. “Earlier this year before you joined I laid down a roadmap of when I estimated pay raises as we received more external investments but with quarter four coming up and not as much interest as I hoped…”

“I spent most of today writing good recommendations for everybody who had to leave Eureka. They deserve it, it’s not their fault I can’t pay them a reasonable wage.” Maddie informed him.

Eren remembered the email. Maddie sent it out last week along with personalized Christmas cards for everybody. The part about no Christmas bonus had not been particularly important to him, but he realized that for many of Eureka’s employees that was not the case. Tae took care of all his living expenses, the same did not apply to many of his coworkers who had families to feed, student loans to pay off, or rent to pay.

Ironic considering a speck is the probably the only one in this company who doesn’t have to worry about all of that. He thought.

Maddie yawned. “Other than recommendations, I’ve assumed all the work from people who quit. Otherwise our schedule will be thrown off, investors will freak out, and the situation will snowball.” 

“You’ve taken on all of that work by yourself?! No wonder you look so out of it.” Eren exclaimed. “Jeez Maddie, when was the last time you slept?” 

“I took a cat nap earlier today… but caffeine has been my best friend and worst enemy since about a week ago when that email went out.” Maddie murmured. “Reminds me of my college days during finals.” 

She took a deep breath. “Honestly Eren… I don’t know if Eureka will last after New Years. Every time I think we are taking a step forward something happens and we end up taking two backwards.” A pained laugh escaped her lips. “It feels so weird to say that out loud; I think you're the first person I’ve said that to.”

It felt terrible to see Maddie like this. She was normally such an affable, friendly person who could make the best of the worst imaginable situation. 

He couldn’t imagine the pressure she felt, coupled with how mentally exhausting this entire ordeal must be. Yet still she was taking on all the extra responsibility rather than relegate the task to another employee.

“…I appreciate you letting me vent. Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman, Eren.” Maddie lauded. 

Eren rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You know I managed to finish my work ahead of schedule this week, so I have a fair bit of free time.” He noted. “Why don’t I lend you a hand tonight?”

“What?”

“You assumed the responsibilities of everybody who quit. If we work together then we can double the amount of work we get done before New Years.” He suggested.

“…I can’t ask you to do that, Eren. It’s Christmas and you should be with your girlfriend and family.” Maddie stammered, shocked by his offer. “Really, I can do this on my own.” 

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Tae is running an errand and won’t be home until very late tonight anyways, I’m not missing anything.” Eren insisted.

She appeared reluctant, but after a few moments nodded her head. “Alright, but you can go to bed whenever you want. I’ll send you the stuff I was working on.” Maddie eventually responded and turned on her other desktop. She pursed her lips. “Thank you, Eren. You don’t know how much this means to me.” 

It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

Thomas had to be careful on his way up the stairs. Otherwise Bosco would notice and begin barking, which would alert the entire neighborhood to his return. Thankfully he had years of experience and still remembered which stairs creaked and which ones were sturdy enough to carry his weight without a sound.

From Robert’s whistle-like snores his parents were asleep. Alice’s room was still empty, even as the clock struck midnight and Christmas officially began. Unfortunately come morning he would be gone.

I just wanted my family to be safe. Instead I may have ruined Claire’s career, and have nothing to show for it. Thomas thought remorsefully. Now, I’m about to ruin my own.

Thomas had to disappear for a while. Before the police came to ask questions about the morning before yesterday, and the military issued him a dishonorable discharge. Such things would take time. Time in which he could not help his sister.

It didn’t matter though. Alice was more important than any of that. At least if he was AWOL Thomas knew he could continue his search.

He entered his room and carefully shut the door behind him. Out of caution Thomas refrained from turning the light on, which might alert his parents to his return. The thought of the conversation that would bring was too much to bear right now. In the corner of the room he picked up his bag and filled it with a few personal belongings. 

Finally, Thomas placed a letter on the bed. It explained everything his parents needed to know about why they would not hear from him for a few weeks. Maybe longer. For as much time as he needed to find Alice and punish whoever hurt her, trillionaire or not.

*creak*

Thomas stopped cold. He knew that sound. It was the sound of weight on one of the old stairs that creaked when you stepped on it. For years he thought his parents were simply psychic when they could tell he or Alice came home past curfew. All they had ever needed was that subtle sound just past the hallway.

The hairs on the back of his neck raised.

Like him, Alice knew that sound well. She always avoided those steps when she wished to remain undetected. And Bosco in his old age could barely make it up the stairs anymore. Thomas was absolutely positive his parents were asleep.

 

So who is that coming up the stairs to my bedroom door?

Thomas pressed against the wall next to the side of his bedroom door, quiet as a mouse. Someone was on the stairs which led to the second floor hallway, he was absolutely sure of it. He listened carefully for any footsteps that would give away the intruder's location. After many tense seconds the only thing he could hear was the heartbeat in his chest.

No way in hell that’s Alice. She would never hit that step. He mused. And it’s way too convenient for a common burglar to be here after yesterday morning. 

The next move he made would determine if he survived tonight, so Thomas knew he had to remain calm. Although it was tempting to seize the element of surprise from the intruder, with such little information it was too great a risk. For all he knew there could be more than one person here. And of course, they could be armed.

I can’t get to dad’s gun closet from here safely, since I would need to get into his bedroom down the hall. My only other option is the hunting rifle in the cellar. Thomas realized. 

Whoever was here, if they were experienced would want to clear the building room by room to keep their back secure. If they were on the stairs right now that meant they would pass Alice’s room first on the right, then his own, and finally his sleeping parents at the end of the hallway. So Thomas had until then to keep them safe. It was not much time but it was his best option other than sit and wait behind the bedroom door and pray they came alone. 

Swiftly but silently, Thomas crept across the room towards the window. He opened it and crawled out, careful to close it behind him gently. Years of military training allowed him to effortlessly scale the side of his parent’s house, until he dropped down into the snow-filled gap between his home and the neighbors. 

The first hours of Christmas were cold and dark, which hopefully provided enough cover from anybody who watched the house from a distance and reported to whoever was inside.

How did they get in? Surely Bosco would have heard something and barked… Thomas thought and snuck towards the cellar’s second entrance in the backyard. It was intended to provide an easier way to move heavy lawn equipment in and out of underground storage, since the Evans household did not have a shed per the homeowner’s association standard. 

To keep it secure as it led into the home also through another entrance, the basement was sealed with a top of the line padlock and a heavy duty chain. Fortunately Thomas had the key. He took a knee on the thick sheet of snow which covered the grass and began to fiddle with the old lock, which had not seen much use since the end of summer. Rust had developed, which made it squeak and rattle noisily. 

Whoever that woman was, she has serious connections. I fucked up big time. Best case scenario she just sent someone to beat the crap out of me. Thomas said to himself as the lock finally clicked open and the chain loosened. Worst case they’re here to kill me. Mom and dad too.

Successful, Thomas yanked the chain free to open the cellar door. A short set of stairs led to assorted lawn equipment, some emergency supplies, and Robert’s hunting gear. 

Alright. Now to-!

Just before Thomas took a step into the cellar, he heard the faint crunch of snow just behind him. Immediately he ducked aside as an arm swung through the air, which missed his head by mere inches. The glint of something metal in his attacker’s hand indicated that he was right about them having a weapon. 

He whipped around and snagged the heavy chain from the snow, then swung it like a flail behind him. It missed, but the chain cut through the air like a blade and forced the masked figure to retreat several steps into the center of the backyard away from Thomas. 

The person who had just tried to stab him wielded what appeared to be a syringe of some sort, filled with an amber colored liquid. Their features were disguised by a white hoodie, long winter pants and boots, and a strange fox-like mask. 

You don’t look like some ordinary hitman. Thomas thought and assumed a low-stance. Likewise his opponent prepared themselves, and brandished the needle in their left hand threateningly towards him in an ice-pick grip. And whatever drug that is can’t be good.

The assassin dashed forward across the snow. Thomas raised his guard and blocked the syringe. Intense pain flared around his midsection instead when the hooded figure raised their knee into his unprotected stomach.

Although he was much bigger and heavier than the fox, they somehow hit just like some of his buddies from boot camp. He endured the pain. It was certainly better than the needle. Thomas kept his guard tight and focused simply on defense. His face was still badly messed up from the day prior, but the painkillers he had taken as treatment worked to his advantage. 

He absorbed another blow. Then another even sharper than before. His opponent was a talented striker. They preferred knees and elbow strikes. 

The attacker seemed frustrated by his inaction. They threw a high kick at his skull. Thomas ducked low and dodged. His arms wrapped around the assassin’s legs. With a mighty heave he raised the hooded figure off the ground. With a sickening thud he slammed them into the snow. 

A muffled grunt came from behind the fox mask. Now with the upperhand Thomas snatched the wrist that held the syringe. He won the struggle that ensued via brute force. The assassin used their forearm to block his attempt to turn the weapon against them. 

It quickly became apparent that Thomas was simply stronger. The needle slowly lowered to the assailant’s neck. Their legs pressed deeper into the snow and slipped to the side of his torso. With their legs now free the fox turned their lower body. He felt their legs wrap around his arm. 

Shit, they can fight on the ground too! Thomas grit his teeth as the assassin moved to secure an armbar. His elbow joint was put under pressure. Any more torque and it would break.

Thomas lowered his hips to squat and forced himself to stand. Without the painkillers in his system it might not have been possible. He was perhaps forty or fifty pounds heavier than the assassin, which allowed him to slam them back into the ground. From six feet in the air. The syringe capsule exploded against the snow and the liquid inside immediately began to sizzle. Instantly their grip loosened and Thomas skirted away to a safe distance to recuperate. 

Both fighters returned to their feet, but it took longer for the intruder who glanced at where the syringe had broken. Now without the fear of poison, Thomas went on the offensive and lunged forward. 

The assassin sprang aside and threw a jab. Thomas blocked it. He countered and ripped into their abdomen with a nasty left hook. Before they could retreat he pressed forward. Several more blows like mortar fire smashed against the assassin’s guard. Punches up high were dodged or deflected. His focus turned to shots against the body. Some were avoided but most found their mark. 

Thomas unleashed a flurry of heavy punches. Pent up anger that had built up over the past month unfurled all at once through his fists. His face contorted with rage as once more he dove for a takedown. The assassin sprawled backwards until their back hit the backyard fence. 

“What did you do to my sister?!” Thomas snarled and tried to wrestle them to the ground. No answer. Enraged Thomas shot for the legs again. He scooped the intruder off their feet and dumped them on the ground. “Fucking tell me!” 

In a last desperate act in what had quickly devolved into a losing fight, the fox acquired a handful of snow from the ground. Thomas, consumed by his anger, was too slow to move aside. He received a face full of dirt, snow and ice which temporarily blinded him. A firm knee to the groin sent tidal waves of pain coursing through his body. 

Beneath him the intruder turned their hips and knocked Thomas off their torso, as he held his bruised testicles in pain. On shaky legs the intruder returned to their feet, dazed but still able to walk. Thomas latched onto their ankle but could not keep a grip, and was left to writhe around in the dirt as the failed assassin clambered over the fence and disappeared into the night. 

I underestimated him. 

Tae gripped her bathroom counter. Her clothes law strewn about, and her fox mask cast aside next to the sink. Ugly black and blue bruises adorned her abdomen from breast to pelvis, particularly around her back where she had been slammed into the earth several times. 

She winced as she turned around to diagnose the full extent of her injuries. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, pain coursed through every fiber in her body. One of her ribs was probably fractured. There could be some lasting damage to her spine as well if not treated now. 

I was arrogant. I thought I could waltz into the home of an American soldier who wrestled on a national level throughout high school and take care of him before bedtime with no preparation. Tae thought, ashamed of herself. 

After a few minutes her jacuzzi filled with warm water. Tae grunted in pain and rummaged through her medicine cabinet until she located the right bottle. She squeezed half its contents into the tub, and immediately felt the aroma put her at ease. The water stung her skin where she had been injured, but the pain quickly dissipated and was replaced by a nourishing warmth.

Amrita produced many marvelous concoctions. This particular high-end blend was suited for trauma victims to rapidly recover from accidents, but was also popular amongst professional athletes after a match. Tae leaned back and allowed the soothing waters to work it’s magic on her wounds. She would need the time to recuperate now, before the Christmas party tomorrow.

Now he’ll go to ground and be harder to find, and harder to surprise. I wasted my golden opportunity to get this whole mess finished by the end of the year. Tae thought regretfully. Willpower without strength to match it is meaningless. I’ll need to get back in shape, stop drinking so much…

Tae clenched her fist. When we next meet, I’ll be ready.

 But everybody in your year is getting an internship! Madeleine, are you sure this is a good idea? Why don’t you just volunteer at your grandfather’s nursing home on the weekends and worry about this robot idea after you get settled into a full-time job?

Well you are definitely the youngest person I’ve ever spoken to about a loan. I must warn you that for someone like yourself, a business venture like this is a considerable risk. I’m afraid I can’t do any better than a premium series of interest payments.

Maddie you’re always working, why don’t you take a break and come out for drinks! We hardly see you anymore… 

The last time Maddie had felt this exhausted was her senior year of college. She was a top student at Carnegie amongst a sea of fiercely competitive classmates. It took every ounce of willpower she had to persist each night in the library, but she had graduated valedictorian. 

But why? Why had she gone through so much hardship? 

It was because others insisted she did. That was always the path that had been laid out for her since she was a little girl. Always the smartest, with a bright future. So she would study hard to please everyone but herself. All the plaques, certificates, trophies, and awards she had won felt hollow. She didn’t really care about them. Nor did she care for the ‘path’ her parents demanded she follow. All of that work just to spend the rest of her life working on things she didn’t care about. Design artificial intelligence systems for massive corporations where she was simply a tool to be used. Or create robots to be sold at a premium for the ultra-wealthy. So she defied every expectation when she left Carnegie. Burned practically every bridge of her network to start fresh. 

I will make a difference. I will help people who need it. Those were the words that kept her going all week, and trudged past the finish line Christmas Eve when Eren offered to help her.

Truthfully, Eureka should have been doomed once the resignation letters began to roll in the week before. Even with all her talent and skill, alone she could not possibly hope to finish all the work left behind by her dissatisfied former employees and still meet the New Years deadline she promised her investors and the bank. The company would have bankrupted before it produced a single product, and Maddie would have been forced to walk shamefully back home as an utter failure.

Maddie laid back in bed, destroyed from fatigue with a pillow draped over her face. Her bedroom was pitch black. For the first time in a full week her desktop was turned off and she was ready to sleep and not take a thirty minute long catnap. Somehow, she would be able to spend Christmas with her family. The project was back on schedule.

All because of Eren. Her newest employee turned savior, who offered aid at the moment she needed it most like the climax of a cliche Christmas movie. 

His work ethic was incredible. He endured the full fifteen hours it had taken to finish all the leftover tasks without a single break or molecule of caffeine. Although she was the boss, he brought much needed energy and vigor to the all-nighter. 

Why is a genius like him wasting time with my little company? Maddie ruminated to herself sleepily. Maybe he’s like me. He wants to help people and not be the cog in a machine. Or maybe he sees a lot of potential with Eureka for rapid growth… Either way this company owes him everything. 

Maddie turned to the side and glanced at her phone, which was perched on a nightstand next to her bed. In the evening when she woke up, she would send a daily update email to all the Eureka employees.

The team has worked really hard. Maybe for New Years we can all meet up in person for the first time? Go to a bar or tavern? Maddie considered as she felt sleep began to take over. Hmm. Norwich honestly isn’t that far and a lot of employees are in the New England area. Since Eren is the one we have to thank, maybe we could host a get-together in his city? 

With those thoughts in mind, Maddie’s eyes shut and she mercifully eased into a much needed deep sleep. 

The medicine concocted by Amrita was truly incredible. By Christmas morning, the injuries that Tae had sustained from her encounter with Thomas the night prior had completely healed. Although Eren had been awake when she slinked back into her apartment, he was far too preoccupied with some late-night project for his boss to notice her condition. 

However the damage inflicted to Tae’s pride remained. And of course, a few aches here or there that lingered after the anodyne bath. 

It’s been a long time since someone overpowered me like that. The strength from the Peach of Immortality must be wearing off after all these years. Tae thought to herself as she went about her morning skincare routine as usual. Unlike most mornings Eren was not with her, since he desperately needed sleep after him and Madeleine worked throughout the night. 

She flexed in the mirror, and observed how her once sculpted physique had faded significantly from time spent away from the gym and active work. Hmph. Either that or I just let myself go… American food isn’t exactly the healthiest. After today I’ll get back into shape. 

That could be something Eren would be interested in. He worked out several times a day, but never with weights or equipment since public gyms barred specks from entry as a safety precaution. Perhaps she could have some things custom built?

A few hours were left until they would depart for Grace’s hotel for Christmas dinner. At a guess the final touches of his Christmas gift were being put together there also. Once Tae finished up in the bathroom she returned to her bedroom where Eren was still fast asleep. Gingerly she crawled onto the bed next to him, careful to not shift her immense weight around too much and disturb his slumber. 

Nightmares had plagued Eren, just as they had kept her awake for the months since her exile. But when they were together, things were different. His features softened as the horrible plight faced by specks on a daily basis vanished. He could always rest easy knowing that she was his guardian, ready to do anything it took to keep him safe. Likewise Tae found it easier to sleep with the knowledge there was one person in this world who didn’t see her as the monster she knew she was. 

Tae-yeon used to watch me like this from time to time. When I came home from school in tears or after dad finished screaming at me for whatever reason he could come up with. The world seemed a much brighter place knowing my big sister was there for me. Tae reminisced. 

For so much of her adolescence, Tae wanted nothing more than to be like her big sister. Usually it was just small things. Getting the same haircut, dressing the same way, using the same make-up, trying to play the same sports. Much to their father’s disdain. Tae-yeon was his true daughter. His pride and joy. Whereas Tae was just a thing that tarnished his reputation in more ways than one.

It was common knowledge that only a speck parent could produce specks. Therefore in the eyes of many, Byung-ho was not just a man of low-class for having a speck infest his home; he was also a disgusting adulterer who knocked up a speck prostitute. That was the story Tae and everybody else was led to believe. It was the story Byung-ho explained to his wife twenty-six years ago when he returned home one night with a crying baby speck. He had been unfaithful to the mother of his then two-year old daughter Tae-yeon and fostered another girl with a speck woman ‘in a moment of weakness’. 

And when he refused to flush his bastard daughter down the drain to save their marriage and put the entire affair behind them, Tae-yeon’s mother left. She left Byung-ho to raise his two girls alone. 

I remember everybody in school would make sure to remind me that even if my father was a ‘Brob’, my mother was still a nameless flesh-light speck whore. Tae recollected. I had no idea she was actually the daughter of the woman who changed the world. Or that she was pure evil to the core.

She clenched her fists.

Perhaps everything wrong with me… is because of that horrible woman. That evil witch who tried to destroy everything my grandmother and Grace’s great grandmother worked towards to fix this cruel world. I am a monster because her vile blood pollutes my heart. 

Clearly the night spent hard at work had taken a toll on Eren. He desperately needed sleep and Tae decided not to interrupt it too much. It was just a casual dinner with Grace, any clothes would do. When it was time to go she roused him simply to slip into something warm to wear outside then encouraged him to return to sleep. 

Kovit made sure to drive extra carefully on the way to Grace’s hotel to not disturb him. However the motion of the car must have done something to alarm Eren as it was not long after they reached the highway Tae felt him stir beneath her coat. She held back a giggle as he began to move, and tickled the skin of her bosom where she kept him under the cozy fabric of her sweater. 

Carefully she undid a few of the buttons on the coat and reached into the festive sweater beneath to pluck him from between her breasts where he had been slumbering. It was a surprisingly apt place to keep him. Insulated and out of sight from prying eyes beneath her clothes, she could easily feel him to ensure he was alright, and the chances of being squished if she bumped into someone was cushioned by her flesh and the outer-lying coat.

Still, her body heat made it rather humid in the crevasse so when she pulled him out a thin film of moisture had formed on his forehead which he lazily wiped away. 

Eren’s eyes slowly blinked open and he realized he was currently held in her palm. “Hmph. Good morning, beautiful.” He greeted and yawned, dark bags still beneath his eyes as if painted on.

“It’s a little past morning actually.” She chuckled and affectionately stroked his torso with a finger the same girth as a tree trunk to him. “We are on our way to Grace’s right now for dinner.”

“Oh…” He said numbly, and looked around. Evidently he had just realized they were in a car, which explained why he had woken up when it picked up speed on the freeway. 

Eren furrowed his brow and glanced around the backseat, as if looking for something. “Hey Kovit? Did you bring that thing I worked on?” He suddenly called out to the driver’s seat.

To Tae’s surprise Kovit responded in affirmative and reached for something that had been on the passenger’s seat. 

“Merry Christmas.” Eren murmured as Kovit passed a meticulously wrapped present to Tae. 

He got me a present?! Tae thought to herself, shocked. She inspected the luminescent green gift wrap. Had he managed to do it himself? How long had that taken? 

She held the box dumbly, still confused as to how Eren had accomplished such a thing. “I… Thank you. I didn’t expect you to get me anything…” Tae mumbled in disbelief. “What is it?” 

“Open it and find out.” He suggested coyly. 

It was a shame to undo what must have been incredibly arduous work over the course of the week for Eren, but nonetheless Tae began to unwrap the gift. As the box moved around she could hear something inside shift around slightly, it sounded like glass of some sort. 

There was a narrow cardboard box within. Tae removed the lid and rifled through some gift tissue paper. Immediately she recognized the item that was underneath it. Her favorite brand of scotch whisky. Aged for almost two decades in an oak barrel. 

This has been out of stock for months! How did Eren get his hands on this?

She ran her fingers along the smooth seal emblazoned to the front of the bottle. It was certainly genuine, and the dark golden spirits were testament to the liquor’s quality. 

“Eren I don’t know how you managed this but thank you so much! I haven’t had this scotch since I left Singapore.” She beamed. He smiled and hugged her thumb as she carefully returned the bottle to it’s container and set it on the seat beside her. Tae brought him to her lips and planted a kiss right on Eren’s torso, which lingered for many blissful moments.

“I love you.” He managed as her gigantic lips massaged his torso possessively. 

She mumbled back. “I love you too.” 

Xiangling watched the hotel staff tasked with preparation of her client’s dinner reorganize the penthouse living room to serve as a dining room. The pool table was set aside and replaced with a large wooden dining table to fit several dozen platters of food, drinks, and utensils. The aroma of the meal prepared wafted in from the hallway, which made her stomach rumble enviously. 

Ordinarily such services were not offered on Christmas. The staff would typically be given the day off and be allowed to spend time with family. However, nobody could reject the compensation offered by the Chen family. Their version of a holiday bonus for some exceeded half a year’s salary. 

Sometimes it dumbfounded Xiangling just how far the power of the Chen family reached. Just yesterday Grace Chen had strolled into the state Attorney General’s office and subjugated him like one might a petulant child. At the waggle of her fingers, even the most powerful politicians would move mountains if it meant appeasing her. 

And to think she’s only an operations specialist in the family. Xiangling thought to herself as the hotel staff finally departed, the feast set out. Her aunt has prime ministers and chancellors on their knees, like peasants before a god. 

She thought back to some of the things she had seen since her employment with the Chen family began. Although… with everything this family has done, perhaps they actually are just that. Gods. How else do you explain what they do?

Grace sauntered into the now empty kitchen, dressed casually in an untied bathrobe which exposed her bare torso and intricate tattoos. Of course draped around her neck, suspended from a necklace in a painful and intentionally awkward position was the troublesome police officer they had acquired the day prior. She bobbed up and down on her mistress’s bosom painfully, her joints bent and contorted to their physical limit.

The heiress explored the various dishes to pick from. “This all looks yummy.” Grace mused and plucked a cherry tomato from a garden salad and tossed it into her mouth. She beckoned Xiangling over, to which she obeyed. 

It was all local cuisine, nothing like the food Xiangling typically partook in but she thought a few things looked tasty. Grace perused the various options until she found another fruit, this time a brightly colored berry. 

“I do hope I wasn’t too forward with you yesterday, Xiangling.” Grace replied and slipped the fruit into her mouth. She licked her lips clean of the juice. “It wouldn’t affect your career in the slightest if it made you uncomfortable. I wouldn’t be offended.”

“It was actually… It was very enjoyable, ma’am. For me.” Xiangling replied sheepishly, unsure of how to express herself to her boss. She chose her words carefully, but expressed her true feelings.

Grace smiled. “I am very happy to hear that. However please understand this is strictly, well, shall we say pleasure. No strings attached.” She stated.

I figured as much. Xiangling thought with a very slight tinge of disappointment. Of course she had not expected Grace to enter a relationship with her, but admittedly some part of her found the idea of an easy life as her ‘favorite’ quite alluring. Really I’m just her plaything, I suppose. But it definitely has its perks… Her gaze shifted to the tiny woman imprisoned on a chain hanging from Grace’s neck, oblivious to what the two giants were saying. 

“I understand ma’am. I don’t have any complaints about that either.” Xiangling replied dutifully. 

Grace took a step forward and wrapped her arms around her waist. She was considerably taller than Xiangling, even while standing barefoot compared to herself who was in two-inch heels. Truly the woman was a marvel. Xiangling felt blessed to be considered even worthy to pleasure such a godlike being. 

Claire let out a gasp as she was sandwiched between the two women’s gargantuan bosoms, squished between the soft mammaries. Chills went down Xiangling’s spine. It was just a little taste, an extremely small fraction of the enormous power wielded by this woman and her divine bloodline. To bend and twist the people of the world into toys to be used, and savored. She could feel the pitiful excuse for a ‘woman’ squirm around between the two indomitable walls she was crushed between, and feel her pathetic struggles. 

Grace pulled away from their kiss. “We understand each other. Then, would you mind doing me a small favor?”

“Of course.”

“I have guests coming over. Please, keep this one hidden.” Grace stated and removed the necklace that Claire was attached to. She passed it to Xiangling. “And while you have her, I encourage you to enjoy yourself.” Claire shivered as she passed hands, and her new owner glanced down at her with ravenous intent.

Eren had never seen so much food in one place before. Literal mountains of buttery mashed potatoes, deserts of warm casserole, and forests of leafy salads seemed to stretch for miles. It occurred to him that since he had woken up so late, he had completely missed both breakfast and lunch. His stomach growled in voracious hunger and he eagerly began to dig in.

After such a long and difficult night, it felt great to be able to unwind like this. Between bites, he thought of something that had not occurred to him in some time. 

Northside will be shut down on New Years Day. By now it’s probably run through the last of it’s rations for the people left behind not relocated yet. And it’s a particularly brutal winter. Eren thought remorsefully. While I’m here, gorging myself silly everybody I’ve ever known is suffering.

He shook his head and bit into some roasted squash. That was his past. It was probably best for his own sanity and conscience if he moved on from those awful memories. A simple fact of life was that it was unfair. Accept it. Make the best of it. Not everybody could be saved. Eren turned his attention back to Tae, who was in the middle of a conversation with her cousin. 

“…so you’ll stay in the states a little longer then?” Tae asked after a sip of wine. They both spoke in English so Eren could follow along. 

Grace nodded and wiped her lips clear of crumbs. “Yes. I think I need a break from Singapore. I’ve already received permission from Aunt Min.” She stated.

So Min Chen is Grace’s aunt. Eren thought. Out of curiosity he had done a bit of research into the Chen family, the owners of the Amrita Corporation. Min Chen was the current matriarch of the family, and the wealthiest human of all time even adjusted for inflation throughout history. Much of that wealth was inherited from her grandmother, the founder of the Amrita Corporation. 

A woman named Baochai Fang.

Before he met Tae and Grace, Eren, like most people, only knew the Chen family as a whole for their accomplishments. Individual members and their shenanigans were better left for tabloids and the paparazzi to care about. After all, the family was quite large and the important members kept a low profile with a very skilled team of bodyguards. Even their names were not well known to the general public.

By comparison, practically everybody knew of Baochai Fang. A brilliant scientist who in her lifetime developed effective medicinal treatments for practically every disease known to man. If she lived any longer, some scientists believed she would have developed the perfect panacea. Her extreme wealth had always avoided controversy. It was difficult to argue that the woman who cured cancer should not be well rewarded for her work. 

And here he was, dating that woman’s descendant. He wondered how she would feel about that. Some people were disowned for even associating with specks, but so far her family were the nicest people he had ever encountered.

“I’ll be glad to have you around. Admittedly I’ve been missing home recently.” Tae lamented. “Norwich is nice, but it still feels foreign to me.”

“Well the door is always open to return.” Grace replied. She glanced over to Eren, who she noticed had just tuned into their conversation. “And Eren, I think you would love it. I think it would be good for both of you, honestly.” She suggested.

I’ve never even left this city, let alone thought about leaving the country… Eren said to himself. “What is Singapore like for specks?”

“It’s one of the safest places for them, if not the safest. Specks are considered full citizens and provided all the same protections and rights as everybody else. Crime against specks also carries severe punishments.” Grace explained.

Eren raised his brow. “Wow. That sounds… a little hard to believe in all honesty. Specks being treated like people.”

“You are people. And if you come to visit me in China or Singapore and anybody tries to tell you otherwise, I promise I will take care of it.” Grace declared. 

After they finished up it was time to open gifts. Eren’s was ironically the largest box, which Tae unwrapped for him with a giddy expression. His eyes went wide as she revealed a miniature house. Similar to a dollhouse, but with functions normally reserved for a real home. It included a functioning kitchen, bathroom, air conditioner, closets, and many other features. 

Eren strolled into the new home numbly, almost in disbelief to see such a luxurious space designed specifically for someone his size. He thanked Tae and Grace both, received a kiss from one and a big hug from the latter.

Grace murmured something in Mandarin to Tae, and she set one of her gift boxes aside to be opened later, presumably. The other one she received from Grace was in a small parcel, which as luck would have it happened to be another bottle of whiskey. 

Tae’s cheeks went bright red as her boyfriend and cousin both shared a laugh at her expense as she now sat on the couch with two top shelf liquors. “Okay! I have a drinking problem. I get it.” She mumbled and set the bottles down.

Grace inspected the scotch whisky that Eren had procured. “Wow, I know this brand. Haven’t they been out of stock for a while now?” She asked aloud. “This must have been a pain to get.” Grace remarked to Eren, who was perched on Tae’s thigh.

“It was for Tae, so it was absolutely worth it.” Eren replied genuinely.

The gigantic woman let out a chuckle and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Tae, please marry this man.” Grace quipped.

“You know, since I evidently drink too much according to you two, why don’t we use up one of these now? That way I am only bringing home one bottle.” Tae suggested and nudged Eren with her finger tenderly. She held up the whisky that Eren had given her as a gift. “What do you say?” Tae offered with a wide grin.

I forgot how damn strong this brand is… Tae thought to herself. With her higher constitution and alcohol tolerance, she was still lucid. The same could not be said for her cousin or boyfriend, who had not realized just how potent the whisky would be. Even with the large meal in their stomachs, both were clearly drunk. Tae watched Grace closely. Although she trusted her cousin, she didn’t want to risk any accidents with Eren while she was inebriated and plucked him off the couch for safekeeping. 

He stumbled and almost plunged off her palm, in his current state it was considerably harder to balance. “And you’re the one who teased me about holding my liquor.” Tae mused and playfully poked him in the chest. 

Eren toppled over in her hand onto his back from the impact. She giggled as he tried in vain to stand up, the slightly uneven surface too much for him. 

“Ugh… careful now… or I’ll puke all over you.” Eren warned and clamped a hand over his mouth. “At least I’m doing better than her.” He quipped and jabbed a finger in Grace’s direction.

“Grace had three or four glasses of wine with her dinner, she gets a pass.” Tae chuckled and coaxed him into a sitting position. She sat across from Grace, who was sprawled out on the couch lazily and ignored most of their conversation. 

Eren bristled and brushed his hair away from his eyes. It was a bit of a mess, more like a mop than anything currently. Dissatisfied, he removed the bobby-pins and hair bands which kept the ensemble together and let it flow freely past his shoulders. Sometimes it was easy to forget Eren’s hair was actually slightly longer than her own, proportionately, since he always kept it in a well-maintained bun. 

They sat in silence for a few moments until he piqued up. “You miss your home a lot.” Eren said pointedly. “If you want to go back, I completely support you.”

“You’ll come with me? Leave everything you’ve ever known behind?” She asked quietly. Tae tried to keep her voice neutral, but it was clear that she desperately wanted him to say yes.

He shrugged. “What has this city ever done for me? Or this country for that matter? Maybe it’s best to just leave it all behind and forget it ever existed.”

“I empathize with you. That’s honestly how I feel about Korea at times.” Tae murmured and took another sip of her whisky. She felt the fiery warmth flow down her esophagus and spread within her stomach. The bottle was almost empty now.

“You never said why you left in the first place, come to think of it.” Eren noted and scratched his chin. 

No. I never did. I haven’t told you much honestly. Tae thought. He’s willing to travel to the other side of the world to be with me. He loves me. He deserves to know. She sighed and checked to see if Grace was awake. Her stomach rose and fell at regular intervals, and she appeared to be asleep. 

Tae felt a chill go down her back. She was thankful for the whisky in her system, it gave her courage. “It has to do with my father… and my sister.” She admitted.

Her hands involuntarily clenched. She had to pick her words carefully. Once she spoke something into the world it could never be taken back. How would he react to the truth? Or rather, the extent of the truth she told him?

Eren blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know you had a sister.” 

“Well I was adopted into the Park family. But we used to be very close.” Tae replied longingly. “It doesn’t matter anymore I suppose.”

“What’s her name?”

Tae paused. There was no easy way to skirt around the reality of the situation if she wanted to answer that question honestly. Of course she could make up a name, lie about everything that happened, and fabricate it all. 

But I’m tired of pretending to be something, and someone that I’m not. I want Eren to love the real me.

She took a deep breath. “Her name is Tae-yeon. When I came to this country… I decided to use her name in place of my own.” She finally admitted.

For a few seconds there was total silence. Eren took a bit of time to register that bit of information, in his still drunken stupor that had slowly worn off as the conversation shifted it took time to process. She waited patiently to gauge his reaction. 

“So Tae… that’s not your real name then?” He eventually asked. She shook her head a few times. “If that’s the case, what is your real name, and why did you use your sister’s instead?” He asked curiously.

His tone did not seem angry. Or upset. That greatly surprised her. Did it not hurt that she had deceived him about something so simple as her own name? Perhaps this entire time she had completely misjudged the situation and could have trusted him with the truth from the beginning?

That thought encouraged her. “I chose to use Tae for a few reasons. It’s easier for Americans to pronounce. More than anything, I idolized my sister when I was growing up. She was everything I ever aspired to be.” She revealed. “So when I left home and had a chance to start over, I took it one more step and started to go by Tae.”

“As for my real name… my real name is Jisoo.” She said, the word after so long now sounded almost alien. Improper. Wrong.

Eren considered what she had said. “Ji-soo.”  He mused carefully. It felt odd to hear it come from his lips. “Am I saying that right?” Eren inquired, to which she nodded. “It’s a beautiful name. May I call you that from now on?”

“If you like. Honestly I don’t have a preference. I will respond to both.” Jisoo replied. Gradually the anxiety she had felt dissipated. Eren seemed remarkably calm about the reveal, so she felt no need to be quite as guarded. “As for why I left, it’s a long story. To summarize, I did something truly awful to my adoptive father. And I did many things that hurt my sister.” She went on. “I doubt either of them will ever forgive me. I wouldn’t blame them either.”

“I regret it dearly. If I could go back in time and stop myself from doing it I would. But needless to say, I don’t really see Busan as home anymore. The people there are not my real family anyways. Grace, and my other cousins are.” Jisoo declared. 

Eren listened closely. “I understand. And I appreciate your candor.” 

“You aren’t mad that I never told you?” Jisoo asked, curious to know why he seemed so relaxed about it all. 

“Not in the slightest. I figured you would tell me when you felt the time was right for me to know. And even if you didn’t, it wouldn’t change how I see you. Whatever you did to your adopted family in the past has no bearing on the wonderful person you are now.” Eren stated and nuzzled against her tummy. “I’m just thankful you trust me enough to tell me. Really.”

Tears welled up in Jisoo’s eyes. She wrapped her fingers around Eren like a blanket perched on her thigh. She had dreamt of nightmare scenarios which saw him dump her on the spot in this conversation. Somehow this had exceeded even her most optimistic expectations and fantasies. 

They sat on the couch together, and watched the lights on the Christmas tree across the room twinkle festively. Snow billowed outside in the clear night sky. It was too perfect, Jisoo thought. Too surreal to be the reality of her life. Cozy and warm with her boyfriend lounging on her lap and family cuddled next to her. 

 

Grace was right. I do need to marry him.

Norwich’s ports were closed during the winter season. Frequent snowstorms and ice often forced the harbor to close, so typically freight was shipped further south where the waters were warmer. Although the frigid air was like fire to the lungs, it made a morning jog along the boardwalk considerably more peaceful. Fewer pedestrians along the path meant an easier route too.

Jisoo came to a stop near a tree on the sidewalk she often used as a landmark to indicate when she hit the ten kilometer mark of her morning run. She exhaled and checked her time. 

Ten kilometers in fourteen minutes and thirty-two seconds. Jisoo read from the fitness tracker on her watch. Well… at least I’m improving.

The current world record for a ten kilometer run was set in 2093 by Kamarudeen Anyango, at an incredible twenty three minutes and forty nine seconds to establish the unbeaten men’s record. Relative to the fastest athletes on the planet, her own accomplishments seemed nothing short of unbelievable. However, put in context to her old times, only beating an Olympic gold medalist’s best time by a scant nine minutes was rather pathetic.

As she had suspected, the Peach of Immortality’s effects had faded considerably since she first consumed her first and only one. It would take time and patience to dig into her body’s reserve of the now dormant energy, or she would need to devour another Peach. Of course she could ask Grace and receive one right away, but that was the kind of mindset she wanted to avoid. This was her reckoning for getting out of shape in the first place. 

To a normal human, the divine creations of her family possessed innumerable benefits. A simple whiff from the garden they were cultivated in could cure diseases, and a drop from an unripened Peach would extend a person’s life by several decades. However these effects paled in comparison to the powers reaped by those who carried the Xírǎng. Only women directly descended from either Baochai, or her elder sister Daiyu carried it in their bloodline. As Daiyu Fang’s granddaughter and her only known descendant other than her mother, Jisoo was heir to that power as well. 

Nobody knew where her mother Keqing was. How she had escaped the prying eyes of the entire Amrita Corporation for decades was a mystery for the ages. Until she was found they could only hope she chose not to have more children other than Jisoo, and spawn an unknown branch of individuals with the Xírǎng who would need to be purged or potentially brought in for re-education if located.

Jisoo had a lot on her mind as of late. She intended on returning to the fold so to speak, and return to active duty as an operations specialist for her family. After she settled her affairs in the United States, Jisoo would return to Singapore. Moreover she would make a formal request to Min to enter an oath with Eren. That prospect admittedly frightened her. Eren would need to be screened as a suitable husband. 

It felt too soon for that. But ideally Eren would never discover how closely he was scrutinized. At a guess, Grace and two other cousins would be chosen to appraise him to deem him worthy or not. Then a majority opinion would be provided to Min, who would determine whether or not Jisoo would be granted permission to marry him one day. 

I shouldn’t be too concerned. Eren is by all means an ideal candidate for marriage, especially for someone with my role in the clan. Jisoo thought and finally took a seat on a park bench. 

To cool off from her run, Jisoo had taken a stroll through a nearby nature trail that cut through a large park in downtown Norwich. Popular with outdoorsy types and those who wanted a bit of tranquility to break up the high octane city environment. She removed a small pouch from her sports jacket. Inside she kept a little snack, usually a few nuts, seeds and dried fruit which would give her the energy needed to make the trek back to her apartment. There she and Eren would begin their core workout. 

Situations like Eren aren’t that uncommon. They’ll pick specialists who can groom him to learn things about us overtime and condition him to take the news better. Jisoo theorized. She had wanted to keep him in the dark about it all, but knew if she wanted to spend eternity with him there was only one way. And it was with her family’s approval. And one other condition…

A fit of laughter suddenly broke her attention. Then she heard something crack against a tree somewhere nearby. Jisoo wiped her fingers clean of crumbs and returned the sealed pouch to her pocket. She stood up from the bench and listened carefully. Her five senses were dramatically improved by the Peach’s latent power, and since her time spent trying to fully reawaken it, her hearing was greatly enhanced as well.

A small sob. Then another. And a whimper. 

Silently she approached the direction she had heard the noises from. Several dozen meters off the trail and through some brush was a small picnic site. Covered in snow and the benches, grill and other equipment frosted over from lack of use. In the distance on the other end of the private clearing, Jisoo espied four individuals. The smell of some kind of smoked drug was in the air.

She crept behind a tree and observed the situation. 

Three male. One female. All four of them appeared to be in their twenties. The woman and one of the boys had similar features. Most likely siblings. The other two had no such distinguishing characteristics. Their clothes looked new. Especially their boots. Brand new winter boots. Probably the first season they had ever been used. Tourists. 

“Your aim is off.” Jisoo heard one of them quip. He had his back turned to her direction, and observed another person in the group rummage through the snow. She frowned. 

What are they doing? Who made that sound I heard earlier?

The man shrugged. “Hey I was close that first time though. Let’s see if I can put some spin on it.” He assumed a pitcher’s stance and faced some of the tree branches. The other three backed away a few steps to give him some room. A rock was in his hand. 

Another whimper, full of terror. Jisoo tracked the sound upwards and peered through the tree branches. Her pupils dilated to fixate on the source of the noise, and quickly focused on a small bird’s nest in the barren branches. However there was no bird or eggs from what she could tell. Instead, there was a tiny, shivering speck woman cowering behind the twigs. 

Branches and dead leaves exploded in different directions. The man threw the rock at a high velocity through the thicket where it torpedoed into the bird’s nest where the speck was hidden, and the nest was struck on one side and tumbled down the branches before slamming into the ground. 

Blood and viscera exploded in different directions. A direct hit from the rock that was the equivalent of a high speed boulder striking the speck girl's body with the force of an express train. Any remnant of her fragile life was extinguished like a candle before a hurricane, quite literally smashed out of existence into a fine pink pulp.

Another round of laughter. “Bullseye!” One of them side as high-fives were shared between the group. 

Her expression hardened in fury.

Fucking degenerates! The outline of a bladed mechanism underneath her watch activated. Grace’s other holiday gift they had kept hidden from Eren. A more potent formula that only required a scratch. She took a deep breath and checked in all directions to ensure nobody was nearby. Unlike at Ginny’s, Jisoo was sober.

Which meant there would be no witnesses this time.

“…so we will be meeting at a place called Delphi’s Tavern. Have you ever been there?” Maddie asked with her pen behind her ear. With a few days to herself to recover and work at a more tempered routine the bags beneath her eyes had subsided.

Eren masked a grimace. “Yes, me and my girlfriend have been there before.” He replied.

It was official. On New Year's Day, the employees of Eureka would congregate and meet for the first time. Anybody who could make it was invited, and meet up in downtown Norwich. Maddie had already reserved a private room and made early preparations. She would be on a flight tomorrow.

“Great! Well you’ll have to recommend something for me, I love Mediterranean food.” She beamed. “I’ll see you then, and take it easy this week!” His boss encouraged before the video call ended. 

Eren sighed. He got up from his desk and moved into his new bedroom in the speck house that Grace and Jisoo had acquired for him. For the first time in his life he had new furniture and equipment. It almost felt wrong. 

If Maddie hadn’t declared me employee of the month I probably would have come up with some excuse to not go. But now everybody in the start-up wants to meet me. Eren lamented. What should I do? 

The front door to the apartment opened. A few seconds later, Jisoo strolled into the bedroom, drenched in sweat from her morning jog. Her dark hair was matted against her forehead from sweat, and her chest heaved with each labored breath she took. How she still had the energy each day to go to the gym and strength train right after an intense cardiovascular workout was beyond Eren. 

Jisoo smiled and walked over to plant a kiss on his back. “You look all grumpy.” She mused and wiped some sweat off her forehead. “What’s up?” She asked.

He informed her of the dilemma. Jisoo’s smile slowly faded as he explained the situation, and she bounced on her heels anxiously. For a few moments she remained silent, until finally she replied.

“Do you want to go?” Jisoo eventually inquired. 

Eren paused to think about that. “I… don’t really know.” He stated aloud. “All I’ve done so far is try to determine how to get out of it.” 

“I’m inclined to agree with that line of thinking.” She sighed and took a seat on the bed. Carefully she scooped him up and placed Eren on her shoulder where he reclined idly. “But if you want to go, then I would support your decision.”

“But do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Not really. But ultimately it’s not up to me.” Jisoo informed him and took a long draft of water while Eren contemplated his choices.

Part of him hoped Jisoo would have shot the suggestion down flat. That would have made things much simpler. Now it was in his hands what happened next. Normally such important, life-altering decisions were not up to specks. It was up to the powers at be to declare what happened to them. 

I put so much into this company in such a short period of time. Eren thought. And that much was certainly true, without him there would be no more Eureka at present. Even if I’m a speck… maybe they can look past that fact and appreciate what I’ve done?

He rubbed his temple.

But why am I thinking so optimistically? When has anybody other than Jisoo and her family ever seen specks as more than vermin to be stepped on?

The answer was rather obvious though. It was because it was simply hard to fathom Maddie as a prejudiced bigot. She simply oozed positive energy and a progressive stance. She had abandoned a sure fire path to financial success to help those in need out of a selfless desire to do good in the world. Surely if there was one person he knew who would have an open-mind, it was her.

Not once had he even seen her genuinely upset at another person. How could someone like that, so well-educated and nonjudgmental of other people look upon a speck with disgust because of how they were born? 

Maybe it’s time I start giving people more chances. The world might not be as awful a place as I think it is. Eren thought. My dad certainly thought so.

“I’ll think about it and give you a definitive answer tomorrow morning.” Eren decided. Jisoo nodded and set her bottle aside. “How was your run?”

“It was… nice.” Jisoo replied and subconsciously tapped her shoes against the hardwood with a little smile on her face. The action was rewarded with a satisfying bout of squirming from her little toys, trapped in her sweaty socks. “These new uh, insoles Grace got me really do the trick.” She lied.

It still pained her to lie to Eren so much, but it was only temporary. Little by little he would learn everything. Otherwise, he might misunderstand. She killed for a divine purpose. To repair this cruel world and reshape it the way it was always meant to be.

That was the ultimate vision of Amrita. And with every fiber of her being, Jisoo desired him to be with her when her family made their dream a reality. It would happen. Given time, of course. 

There was no point in a shower since she and Eren went straight to the gym after her run, so instead he simply got dressed for a workout. In the meantime Jisoo recovered from her combined twenty kilometer dash which had taken her less than thirty minutes in total. Although such a feat would have left any normal person in a heap on the ground, gasping for air, Jisoo simply needed a quick breather and a towel to wipe off some excess sweat to feel ready to do it all again if necessary.

She could feel just how moist her socks were getting, and chuckled at the idea of the quartet of bullies she had rounded up dying an unceremonious death, drowned in a pool of her bodily fluids as part of her workout routine. A most befitting demise from wretched cretins such as themselves. Once she had reduced them all into specks and shoved them into her shoes, where they belonged, Jisoo had carefully buried the remains of the speck girl they killed. Whatever she had been able to scrape off the snow, that is.

The only consolation she could think of was that she had most likely died quickly. Nobody should have to die like that. Alone and scared for her life as she listened the laughter of her killers. 

That could have easily been Eren, in a different lifetime. Jisoo thought as her boyfriend slipped on his athletic wear. She was probably one of the unlucky bunch kicked out of Northside to make room for their move. Thought she was safe in the wilderness, or a bird took her to the nest and she couldn’t get down… Eren might have even known her name if they are from the same commune.

It scared her to know how fragile life really was for normal people not part of her family. Those without the Xírǎng were so delicate. So easily broken. Each day Jisoo lived with the knowledge that even the slightest oversight on her behalf could simply squish Eren into paste. If for one moment she lost control when they had sex, or she lost her balance while he was on her shoulder, or she rolled over by accident in bed, his life would be extinguished. She shuddered at that terrible thought. 

He has to be approved. Min will give me permission for us to be together for eternity and he can consume a Peach. Then I’ll never need to worry ever again. 

Once Eren was ready to go they set out for the apartment gym. Although it was technically available to all residents, a few words to the property manager converted it into a private one for Jisoo and her selected guests. Sharply dressed bodyguards after the incident with Thomas Evans now patrolled the building as well, and two were stationed outside the gym when they arrived.

Jisoo bowed to both of them before she and Eren entered the spacious fitness center. 

As far as apartment gyms went, the one available here was on par with many high-class public ones. All of the typical equipment was present, such as lines of treadmills, different strength machines, and a few racks of dumbbells. However there was an abundance of free weights as well. Everything was ultra-modern of course, with state of the art machines and equipment designed to maximize performance. 

Most of it was just bells and whistles to artificially increase the price of the equipment, but what mattered was everything worked and was kept clean. Jisoo deposited Eren on the bench near the dumbbell rack while she stretched. 

Speck gym equipment was pretty much non-existent. Although restaurants by law were technically required to carry accommodations for them under disability regulations, gyms were not held to the same standard. It would take some time before anything she could custom order for Eren arrived, so for now they had to be creative. 

Not that Jisoo was particularly interested in changing the way they worked out together, of course.

“Ready to begin?” She asked as Eren completed his warm-up. A few push-ups and burpees to get the blood flowing were all he really needed. He nodded and waited patiently for her to get in position.

Jisoo snatched a yoga mat from a nearby wall and laid it flat on the ground. She then stretched out on it so her back touched the mat and her face was upwards. Then, she placed Eren at the soles of her shoes.

I wonder, can you hear them? Probably not… they’re barely even squirming anymore. Jisoo thought curiously and scrunched her toes around her playthings stuck in her socks. The sudden attention riled them up once more into a fit of struggling in the hot, muggy confines. Each breath she allowed them was inhaled from her sweaty feet, surely leaving them disoriented from the strong odor and lack of proper oxygen. 

Eren began his first exercise. A bit of high intensity cardio to start things off.

He scrambled to climb up the tread of Jisoo’s running sneakers, which had been cleaned meticulously before they began. The slots and divets intended to provide traction when she ran served as hand-holds for Eren to climb. Unbeknownst to him, mere inches away in that left shoe, two struggling whelps were fighting for their lives.

Effortlessly Eren reached the top of her foot, and gazed across the uneven landscape of his girlfriend’s titanic body. She peaked at him from between the narrow aperture between her bosom and stuck out her tongue. “Well? I’m waiting.” She said expectantly. 

He grinned back at her and began his sprint across the makeshift ‘obstacle course’. Eren slid down her shoe and landed firmly on her ankle, then began an all out sprint up her shin towards her thigh. This was the only easy part of this exercise, so it was important to make the best of the time. Once he reached Jisoo’s thick, muscular thigh things became considerably more difficult. Unlike her shin which was mostly bone to make a relatively even surface, her thigh fluctuated between soft and inviting to hard and strong whenever she flexed the muscle to throw him off. 

Wisely Eren kept his center of gravity low. It was less an upright sprint and more of a modified scramble which forced him to use every muscle equally.

I’m playing a little game while these little monsters suffer in my shoes… It was a delicious thought that drove her wild. Eren crossed her thigh and reached her love spot. She saw the slight confusion of his face as he realized not all the moisture he felt beneath his feet was sweat here. 

Nevertheless he continued his voyage, and began to cross her ridged abdomen. Eren hopped from the different peaks of her powerful abdominal muscles. By now he had memorized the locations, so didn’t trip and face plant like the first few times. Next came her favorite part, and probably his favorite too as he came to her chest. 

There were two options here. Either scale up one breast as fast as possible, or dive between them. Previously he had luck with clambering over them, so she was surprised when instead Eren dove right between the fleshy mounds. She giggled madly and almost threw him off balance as she felt him squirm and force his way through her sweaty breasts, and emerged covered in a thick film of moisture for his trouble. 

He came to a stop near her cheek. She spoke carefully to avoid bucking him off her face as her lips moved around. “Mmm, good work.”

“Pfft. Did you even start the timer?” He asked teasingly. She shrugged in response and he slid off her cheek onto the yoga mat below. Eren slicked his hair back and realized that he was almost soaked through with her sweat. “Damn. You’re gross right now.” He guffawed and took off his shirt to wring it dry.

She feigned offense at his quip. “Oh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Jisoo replied and sat up. 

Now it was his turn to shrug. “I’m saying you're a big, gross, sweaty Brob.” Eren doubled down cheekily.

With a rush of air she snatched him off the yoga mat with a wicked smile on her face. His arms were trapped on his side and despite his best efforts, he could not escape her indomitable grasp. 

She brought him closer to her face for proper inspection. This was his chance to say if he felt uncomfortable and would like for her to stop. Whenever she rough-housed him like this, it was of the utmost importance he knew he could tell her to stop at any time and she gave him the opportunity to ask. This time, like most times, he had a wide grin that screamed ‘do your worst’. 

“Oh, so you think I’m a disgusting, sweaty giant? Alright. I’ll show you gross and sweaty.” She declared forbiddingly. 

Eren’s eyes went wide as Jisoo brought him to the left side of her torso past the expanse of her cleavage. She raised her left arm in the air, exposing her recently waxed armpit. Next she opened her fingers a little so his full bare torso was exposed, and pressed Eren into her armpit like he was a stick of deodorant.

Jisoo hummed a tune to herself as she rubbed his body around, careful to make sure his face was not forced against the skin too much and breathing was not an issue. This was perhaps a little more extreme than their usual activities, but they had long since discovered a rather fun little game of cat and mouse with each other. Of course the game was rigged from the start, she could easily do whatever she pleased with him and in reality there was nothing Eren could do about it.

But the thrill came from how completely and utterly she could absolutely dominate him into submission without going too far. It made her feel powerful, to impose her will on a man smitten and transfixed by her godlike power. Consensually. However it would not be fair if Eren didn’t also derive an equal amount of pleasure from it as well. It drove him up the wall with pleasure too, to let her simply have her way with him and do whatever she pleased. 

It was a mutualist relationship. She loved to dominate others, he loved to be dominated by her. 

As long as there is consent, and I don’t go too far, it’s our little game. There was still a fight in her shoes from her captives. And today I can have even more fun.

She brought him away from the crevasse and observed Eren was now even more drenched than before. “Ugh… kinda proving my point.” He retorted and wiped his face clean of her fluids. 

“Oh I’m just getting started. I forgot my gym rag, so you’ll have to do, I’m afraid.” Jisoo chuckled and reached for his shorts. Effortlessly they slipped down Eren’s legs along with his boxers. They could finish the workout later, she had decided. 

Within her shoes, her prisoners continued to squirm endlessly against the full weight of her body pressed down upon them. Oblivious to the fun their tormentor used them for. 

Jisoo felt his previously flaccid manhood harden as he glided across her chiseled, olympian physique. She made sure to rub him against each and every bit of exposed skin, a bit more time under her pits, between her thick heavy breasts, and the firm mounds of her glutes when she peeled off her yoga pants. A little moan escaped his lips as she ground his body into her own.

By now she was quite aroused and decided to take things up a notch. Fortunately this was now their private space and she could do whatever she pleased. Jisoo laid back on the yoga mat and pulled down the rim of her tights past her crotch to expose her hairless womanhood. With how active she and Eren were, she had started waxing more frequently to keep it convenient for him to penetrate her.

Right now she didn’t care whatsoever how filthy he was, she needed him inside her. With a gentle bit of prodding she maneuvered his tiny body towards her slit and nudged him past the many folds. His little hands and tongue quickly discovered the location of her clitoris, and began to massage the area fervently. She moaned and her fingers tensed up around him, which encouraged him to continue.

As he licked and nibbled her most sensitive places, she slipped a finger deep inside of her for a moment to further stimulate herself. Jisoo’s toes curled in ecstasy around the victims trapped in her socks, a bit tighter than she should have.

Hmm… when I cum, my toes will crush them all to death whether I want to or not. In a way I guess that means Eren is killing them too? She thought. I was going to flush them down the drain later, but this seems more fitting I suppose. Eren’s avenging his fellow speck and won’t ever know!

That thought alone caused her hips to buck madly as Eren continued to ravish her.  With one hand on him to stimulate herself and protect him, she kept the other tweaking her nipple.

Help me kill them then, Eren. End their miserable lives. Jisoo’s eyes clamped shut and she began to gasp in pleasure, hopefully loud enough so the specks in her shoes would hear as well. I won’t kill them until you make me.

He noticed her intensity, and responded in kind zealously. The touch of a speck who knew what they were doing was simply impossible to match. And she had never had a lover quite like Eren who didn’t need any help to writhe in ecstasy.

Despite her best efforts to draw it out, Jisoo could feel herself about to cum. She did not hold back her scream, thankful the walls were soundproof or she might have alerted the entire top floor. Subconsciously she took hold of Eren’s torso, to make sure he would not be washed away in the tidal wave of her nectar when she squirted. 

And then, right as she expected, Jisoo’s toes instinctively curled as she came. 

Instantly the fragile, pitiful bodies of her playthings were trapped between the unstoppable digits and crushed into nothingness. Their warm blood and innards oozed from the gaps in between her toes. 

Eren felt another orgasm, and was taken along for the ride as Jisoo came once again in the aftermath of her first one. He nuzzled the soft, silky lips which held him in place lovingly. As her body heaved in the aftermath of two orgasms in a row, Eren continued to affectionately kiss and lick Jisoo’s clitoris. He wanted her to ride out a nice, long afterglow. 

Silence filled the gym. Jisoo laid back on the yoga mat, exhausted from the ordeal. She could feel Eren’s continued efforts and felt content to let him continue for a few minutes while she caught her breath. Absentmindedly she wiggled her toes, and was rewarded with a little squelch to confirm all four specks in her socks were no more. 

That was incredible… I need to bring toys more often. Jisoo thought. After she felt her breath return to normal, she slipped her fingers around Eren’s body once again to bring him up to her face. She sat up and noticed the stiffness still between his legs. He didn’t cum? Oh well, I’ll have to fix that.

Without a word her lips parted and her tongue slithered out towards his body. It flicked over his erection a few times teasingly, as if to appraise how much he desired the attention. He sighed and practically collapsed in her grip while she worked on his manhood. Content to let her get him off however she saw fit.

“Mmm, you seemed to really like that.” He mused between strokes from her tongue. She chortled slightly but did not stop. 

“Proud of yourself?” She teased and gave him a long, slow lick from underneath his scrotum all the way to his chin. Eren’s cock stood up straight, with his considerable size and girth it was easy to focus on it despite how small his body was.

Not many specks were well endowed enough to receive a proper blowjob from a normal sized person. Fortunately with Eren’s larger penis she could get it past her puckered lips, and with the pressure only a giantess could deliver, blew him gently. 

Already close to orgasm from his time spent between her legs, it was not long before he spasmed in her grasp and she tasted his seed on her tongue. Dutifully she swallowed his meager offering with a smile and kissed him.

He rolled his head back before he responded. “Very.”

Blood swirled down the drain, along with a mouthful of toothpaste. Thomas grimaced and realized that his injuries had not fully healed yet. The secretary in the lobby had noticed the bandages and stitches and very politely asked him not to bring any trouble to the motel. He promised that it was from a snowboarding accident, but could tell the old man didn’t believe him. 

The painkillers the doctors had put him on could not alleviate his body’s condition, just the discomfort. His face was still busted up from before Christmas Eve, and his arms as well from the assassin on Christmas Day. It hadn’t really set in yet.

An assassin was after him. Someone well-trained and knew his address. They had managed to slip inside his parents home undetected and leave in the same manner. One wrong move in that fight, and he would be dead. Although his parents had begged him to stay and involve the police, he knew better. 

If he stayed they would be in danger. This didn’t involve his parents. And he couldn’t inform the police, since that would tip off whoever was behind this. He had heard nothing from Claire, but had a gut feeling something bad had happened to her as well. Just like Alice.

He returned to the motel bedroom. A small, cheap room with a bed and creaky desk. Thomas grabbed a lukewarm beer from the countertop and took a seat. 

Those suits from the apartment building are behind the assassin, that much is pretty obvious. And that ‘Tae’ girl is the connection to Alice. She assaulted her, and after that Alice tried to hide it. But why did Alice just disappear then way after the fact?

Thomas took a sip of the beer. Even lukewarm it still tasted alright compared to the tap water at the motel. 

They found me almost immediately. So it’s not a stretch to say they knew how to find Alice. But does that mean… does that mean she’s still alive? It had been a dreadful thought, but the more time he spent by himself the more likely it seemed. Nobody had heard anything from her since she stormed out. That assassin with the fox mask could have killed me if he had a gun. But they chose to use some kind of syringe. A sedative maybe? Maybe he wanted to kidnap me instead? If that’s true then maybe they kidnapped Alice and she’s still alive.

It was wishful thinking. But Thomas could not bear to think that Alice was dead. Especially if that meant he drove her out and it killed her. The question was now how to proceed. One thing was certain, it was that he would be considered AWOL. The Air Force would undoubtedly come to his parents home and ask questions. So he left a false trail for them. He told his parents he would go to New York and stay with some old buddies. Inevitably they would crack and tell the Air Force exactly that. 

But for the foreseeable future, Thomas was a fugitive. He paid his motel fees in cash and turned his phone off. The motel staff thought his name was James. Eventually he would need to move on, when he had a more long term plan.

Who was that woman with all the bodyguards? He remembered her face well. There was something about her, a kind of presence that deeply unsettled Thomas. She didn’t look like some typical rich girl. Her name was Grace, right?

There was a small Internet cafe nearby. Alice used to go there frequently with friends either to study or hangout. It was dangerous to use his phone or laptop, who knew who had access to his data. Thomas flipped his hood up and strolled into the cafe.

He ordered something from the barista and took a seat, all the while he kept the hood up to keep hidden from prying eyes. Hopefully since he ordered something none of the staff would bother him either or think he was anything out of the ordinary. 

Let’s see… I have two names and not much else. Tae Park and Grace. Thomas thought and opened up a web browser on one of the cafe provided laptops. Damn, if only Claire was here. She’s good at this kind of thing.

A quick search of Park’s name did not provide much information. Apparently it was a semi-popular name in Korea. The two most popular searches he returned with that name were definitely not the woman he had encountered, one was a K-Pop idol and the other an Olympic gold medalist in archery. Probably not the kind of people to beat up college girls in an American bar even if they were in the States.

He figured there wouldn’t be much there, so Thomas went on to the name Grace. Frankly his searches were foolishly broad and simplistic. But he remembered her face well, and there was a chance she had a presence on some professional social media platform. 

This search pattern had more interesting results. 

This looks like her. Thomas thought. As he suspected, the woman he had encountered did have a profile online. However it wasn’t on a business or corporate related network. She had a personal social media account. He clicked on the profile and immediately recognized the woman from a few of the photos. Yeah it’s definitely her. But… not what I expected. 

Most of Grace’s account was just the typical content found on a young woman’s social media. Pictures of nature, food, cute animals, friends and family out together. There were a few inspirational quotes, albeit in Mandarin which he could not read. It was not exactly what he anticipated from a woman with so much personal protection. 

This entire account might exist to make her seem less shady. It would be more suspicious for such a rich person to not exist on social media whatsoever. Thomas frowned. Hang on… this company logo appears in a few posts. Isn’t that the Amrita logo? And her surname, ‘Chen’…

He cursed under his breath. 

Shit. So that’s who she is! She’s probably a relative of Baochai Fang which explains how rich she is. 

Thomas glanced over his shoulder. Suddenly he felt a lot more nervous than mere moments ago, with this knowledge in mind. The Chen family’s wealth was insane. It was hard to comprehend how wealthy they were. He could only imagine how powerful that made them, and how dangerous it would be to upset a member. 

One post caught his eye due to the location. It was from a few years ago. There was a period of time when Grace Chen was in either Busan or Seoul. Many of her posts from between 2104 and 2106 were in Korea. And they featured another woman very prominently.

That’s Tae Park! Thomas realized and almost spat up his coffee in surprise to see her. But she looked a lot different back then.

By comparison to the woman he and Claire had tracked down, this Tae Park looked much… wilder. Her hair was dyed a different color in every picture, always a bright shade such as pink, candy red or sky blue. Likewise her clothes were bold. Lots of flashy fishnets, short skirts, wedge heels, stockings, tights, and expensive accessories. A far cry from the deadly serious woman who Claire encountered, or the drunkard they had expected to find.

Most of the profile descriptions after translation described her as Grace Chen’s cousin. But he couldn’t find any more information about who she was. Had she deleted her profile?

What is going on here? Who are these people really?

 

Eureka should have failed. It was a bold idea in a fiercely competitive and inherently expensive industry, heavily reliant on large capital investment and strong connections with tremendous risks involved at every step. For a robot to be truly successful required it to be more financially sensible for a corporation than a human being. Anything less was simply a gimmick or a novelty with no real economic future. 

Maddie Lacroix was not the first person who attempted to bring robotic software into nursing homes, however she was probably the most dedicated and experienced in that field. 

Lots of people worked in senior care, who frankly were not equipped for it. Many elderly people required constant attention, and some suffered from debilitating illnesses that needed frequent medical treatment. Ideally the people placed in charge of their care would be well versed in psychology, medicine, and home-keeping with strong personal skills. Unfortunately such people would typically be attracted to loftier aspirations that paid better. Elderly people needed long-term relationships with their caretakers, who could learn their habits and needs.

These are the people who will make the world a better place. Maddie thought as she glanced around the private dining room she had reserved in Delphi’s Tavern. Many staff members had arrived early, and took the opportunity to chat with one another. For most outside the Assembly Team this was the first time they had ever met in person. 

It was hard to fathom that had things gone slightly differently in the past two weeks, this would not have been possible. Instead of a triumphant celebration to a bright future for Eureka, Maddie would have taken this time to reconcile her losses and return home in defeat. 

With all her heart she was grateful to every employee at Eureka. Without their hard work or dedication as a collective team, everything would have collapsed. However there was a particular employee who above all else had saved the company alongside her. It was not a matter of whether or not an employee would have been willing to help her finish weeks worth of work in a matter of hours. Rather if someone else could have accomplished such a feat. 

I hope he gets here soon. It would be nice to express my gratitude before dinner begins, everybody wants to meet him. Maddie thought. Eren is the reason everybody in this room still has their job after all. 

He deserves more appreciation than I can possibly give. 

Eren took a step back from the mirror and exhaled slowly. The reflection he saw seemed almost alien compared to the man he was just two months ago. A handsome, dark-haired man with an athletic build dressed well in a vest and blazer. His long hair was drawn back into its usual bun with a few loose strands exposed at the front above his forehead. Until the gigantic woman stepped into view in the mirror behind him, Eren appeared completely normal. Human. Not a tiny, insignificant vermin or leech on society. But a real person. 

Ultimately he decided to go to the Eureka celebration, and introduce himself to all of his coworkers who now spoke of him with nothing less than admiration after Maddie shared his accomplishments and credentials. They would learn who he truly was. The person who saved the company from disaster was a speck. 

Should I have come up with some kind of speech? Something to say when they find out? He thought anxiously as Jisoo made her last minute preparations. No. I don’t even know how they’ll react to begin with. 

What would happen when he first entered that room? What would they all say when they saw him? Would there be stunned silence and disbelief? What would happen afterwards? Or would there be anger? 

Not once had he considered that he would receive the most hopeful outcome. Acceptance. Gratitude. It just didn’t seem possible that even a single person would look at him, smile and raise a glass in celebration. 

How will Maddie react? He rubbed his temple and felt his legs become shaky. That had been at the forefront of his mind all week. How would she react once she discovered he was a speck? She of all people. Damn. There’s that feeling from before. That same fear I got when those two assholes at Delphi’s confronted us and I-!

“Hey.” A soft, nurturing voice boomed from behind him. Eren opened his eyes and noticed that Jisoo had lowered her chin to the table, her face full of concern. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” She proclaimed. 

Her voice was calm, yet firm. Eren believed every word she said, and felt safe with the knowledge that as long as she looked out for him, everything would work out in the end. He grasped her finger and leaned against it for support. 

She’s so strong. Just once in my life I need to be strong too, and see this through. 

Expertly he climbed into her palm, and was placed deftly on her shoulder. Her modified dress had handholds built into the straps for his safety, which prevented him from being flung off when she walked. Despite that he still clung to a few strands of her hair. For some reason that made Eren feel more secure. 

Kovit had the car ready for them when they made it to the lobby outside. He complimented both Jisoo’s and Eren’s elegant appearance as they stepped inside. The car began to move, and it hit Eren that this was really happening.

“What do you think they’ll say?” He asked after a long period of tense silence passed. 

She was quiet for a few moments as she considered a response. “I don’t know. Madeleine seems like a good person. She wants to help elderly people, which is a noble goal few people her age set their mind to.” Jisoo reasoned. “And of course, everybody in the company knows the good you have done. Prejudice against specks aside, that cannot be disputed.” 

Sound logic. I don’t disagree with anything she says, but I can tell she has her doubts too. When it comes to hatred of another group of people, sensibility isn’t really a factor. He sighed. All this thinking is pointless. I won’t know until we actually get there.

“Eren.” Jisoo suddenly blurted, as if she was lost in her own thoughts. Slightly startled he wobbled on her shoulder and tugged on her rope-like hair instinctively.

For almost a full minute after she spoke Jisoo said nothing, almost as if she regretted even speaking in the first place. Finally she forced the words to come out. 

“What would you do… if you were in Madeleine’s position?” She asked slowly, each word meticulously chosen. “If someone you thought you knew well turned out to be very different, and revealed themselves, how would you react?” Jisoo inquired. 

It was a rather unusual question, but fit the conversation. 

Eren pondered it carefully. “It depends on the circumstances. In this case, if I was Madeleine I would not be upset that my employee was a speck, or that they lied to me. But maybe if I would be bothered with the knowledge they didn’t trust me enough to share the truth from the beginning.” He remarked. 

Jisoo listened and contemplated what he had said. She seemed very distant, her mind clearly elsewhere as she considered the reply. “I see.” Her response came from somewhere far away. 

The trip to Delphi’s took less time than Eren remembered. Before he knew it the brightly colored sign out front was in view, as was the packed parking lot. Many of the cars had plates from other states in New England, most likely the Eureka team who had driven all this way. This was his last chance to back out.

Ironic that coming here has been the hardest part of my career with the company so far. And it’s supposed to be a chance for us to all relax.

“Let’s head in. I hope we aren’t late or anything.” Eren mused. The invite had specified sometime around seven o’clock, but he surmised a few people would come in either earlier than that to get settled.

Jisoo stepped out of the car and bid Kovit a quick farewell. Some of her hair hung in front of Eren like a dark curtain, which hid him from view to a casual observer. Distantly fireworks to celebrate the New Years illuminated the starry sky, dulled by the ruckus from the many patrons inside the tavern. 

The pleasant aroma from Delphi’s kitchen wafted into the lobby, from cooked meats and freshly baked bread intermingled with smoke from lit torches. A different hostess than the last time he and Jisoo went to the restaurant attended to new customers, and was quick to point them in the right direction. Ironically it was the same room Jisoo had once reserved for them weeks ago that Maddie had used. 

Not much had changed in the tavern so Jisoo could navigate just fine, although it was very busy so she had to push past several people. Few if anybody in the crowd noticed a speck on shoulder amidst all the fun to be had, but Eren was too anxious to really care. 

I recognize that laugh.

Somehow despite all the people crammed into the restaurant, Maddie’s laughter was still clearly audible. An infectious, melodious sound that normally put him at ease now came from an adjacent room as opposed to his computer screen. 

He heard other things as well familiar to him. The voices of a few other coworkers he had spoken with before all sounded so… thunderous. From the comfort of his own devices it was easy to forget each person he worked with was many times his own size. 

Jisoo gingerly brushed past the narrow curtain that led into the private dining room. Around a dozen or so people were inside, and many of the tables and chairs had been reorganized in order to accommodate the crowd. From his vantage point Eren recognized a few people by name, one of whom noticed the newcomer enter the room and approached with a broad smile. 

He extended his hand towards Jisoo and introduced himself. “Hello hello, so glad you could make it tonight.” Eren quickly recognized the man as Desmond Lewis, one of the Assembly Team employees who had been with Eureka since its inception. 

“Hi, so happy to meet you! I’m Tae.” Jisoo replied with a smile of her own and shook Demond’s hand. The portly young man did not notice the speck hidden behind her hair, neither did any of the other people nearby who overheard the introduction.

Immediately she took a small step back as a few people who had been chatting nearby took notice and went over to greet her. 

“Oh wow so you’re Tae?!”

“We’ve heard so much about you from Eren!”

“Would you like a drink or are you driving?”

“Is Eren outside? We have to meet him!” 

It was a little overwhelming for Jisoo at first, who became noticeably uncomfortable when she was practically surrounded on all sides by very friendly, if not a little too eager party-goers. Subconsciously she swept her hair to the side to keep Eren completely hidden, at least for now. 

Once she regained her composure, Jisoo maneuvered into the center of the room away from the congested entryway to make some space for herself. Behind her, a young woman with long curly red hair and fair skin stood up from the other side of the room. As usual a wide, toothy smile was plastered over her face. Jisoo turned and immediately recognized Maddie by description alone, and felt Eren tense up on her shoulder slightly. 

Nevertheless the two women were quick to shake hands and introduce themselves. As the two women spoke, the rest of the crowd around Jisoo gradually dispersed as the boss of the company formally greeted the newest arrival. Some small side conversations continued, albeit much quieter out of respect. Eren noticed that a lot of attention was still on Jisoo, the stranger in the room for most people who had only heard of her by name. 

“It’s awesome to finally meet you!” Maddie beamed with a small bow. “Eren talks about you a lot, I’m delighted to put a face to the name.” She peeked over Jisoo’s shoulder, her eyes flicking over his position obliviously. “Speaking of which, where is Eren? Is he still outside finding parking?”

Jisoo's smile faded slightly. “No. He’s… actually inside right now.” She said with an anxious laugh. A shiver went down her back, and she couldn’t help but wring her hands together. Eren felt it as well, and felt moisture develop on his forehead in trepidation.

“Oh! Well if he’s lost somewhere then why don’t we go get him? This place is kind of a maze.” Maddie replied and turned around to pick up her purse from a nearby chair. Jisoo raised a hand to stop her or anybody else from leaving to go find him and continued.

Eren could sense how tense she was, and felt her pulse race with each second that ticked by. This was almost as hard for her as it was for him. 

“That won’t be necessary. I already brought him here with me.”

The anticipation that had built up in the room slowly faded away into befuddlement from the various patrons. Maddie’s expression, while still elated was now clearly confused as well. 

She scratched her head. “You mean… I… don’t get it.” 

“He’s right here.” Jisoo said and took a long, deep breath as she flipped her hair to the side over her shoulder to expose the speck perched on the straps of her dress. Carefully she unhooked Eren from the fabric and held him in the palm of her hand in front of her for all the room to see. “Right here.” She repeated to the now completely silent room. 

Eren felt their eyes bore into his soul like a performer on a stage, or a criminal before a jury. His face burned bright red, but he forced himself to look up at an angle into Maddie’s wide eyes, who stood rigid like a statue. 

“Eren…” Someone finally managed to find the courage to speak amidst the sea of shocked expressions and dropped jaws. “…is a speck?”

Suddenly as if she had been slapped awake, Maddie staggered backwards several feet until she bumped into a table. Dumbly her fingers gripped wherever they could find purchase, the dexterity in her legs ripped away and for a moment Eren worried that she might faint. Instead she stumbled into a booth and crumpled into it. Not once did her eyes stray away from his tiny body.

Eren inhaled sharply and forced himself to stand up straight. He tore his gaze away from Maddie’s empty eyes and glanced around the room at his coworkers. 

It was hard to gauge their reactions amidst the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins. Some looked simply shocked, in utter disbelief of the revelation. Others averted their eyes as he glared around the room, unable to meet his gaze and hid their faces from view. Thankfully he thought to himself, none had the murderous intent he had feared above all.

One woman, Giulia, a mechanical engineer from the Systems Department spoke up when his gaze settled on her. “I-I this a joke?” She stammered and looked up at Jisoo, who remained stoic. “A New Year's Prank?”

“Are you really Eren?” Maddie’s soft voice finally broke the tension in the room and snapped him out of his thoughts. Her question was simple, and her voice distressingly calm despite how mortified she had seemed just a few moments ago. 

For several tense seconds silence encapsulated the room yet again. Until finally Eren spoke for the first time. His voice was equally calm. 

“Yes. I am.”

Maddie’s limbs felt numb and weightless. The only thing she could feel was the pit in her stomach which grew by the second as she stared blankly at the scene in front of her. Everything around her seemed to fade away, her fingers trembled uncontrollably. As if in a dreamlike trance Maddie stood and approached the diminutive man in front of her. He had to crane his neck upwards to meet her gaze, but said nothing as she got closer. 

This isn’t a dream…

How much of her company’s technology was of his design? As the primary contributor to Franklin’s power system, it was most likely that the entire electric grid and efficiency protocols of the robot were entirely custom designed by Eren. And that didn’t include everything he had done early on Christmas Day. A speck was responsible for the lion’s share of her life’s work.

…it’s a nightmare.

Jisoo took a careful step back as Maddie’s face suddenly contorted with rage. She finally found her voice and used it to let out a deafening shriek that cut through the festive music, fireworks and conversation in the background of the restaurant. It was less a scream of anger as opposed to a visceral release of all the raw emotions she couldn’t find any other way to express. Rage. Despair. Confusion. Hatred.

“You fucking bastard!” Maddie screamed hysterically and dropped to her knees as tears streamed down her face. “You ruined me! You’ve fucking ruined everything!” She cried and pounded her fist against the floor in frustration. 

Eren watched her outcry with a surprisingly reserved expression. He made no display of fear, or pain by what she said. Only quiet acceptance. This was the reality of his existence, regardless of what he did or how well he did it. Somehow he had convinced himself otherwise.

Meanwhile, Maddie continued to babble helplessly to herself as some employees nearby hurried to come to her aid. “We have to erase it. Redo everything he touched and start over.” She muttered tearfully to Giulia, who knelt down to lend her support. 

“Why?” Eren finally asked and spoke out for the first time since the reveal. His voice was calm in stark contrast to Maddie, who wept uncontrollably. Several people who had come to comfort Maddie shot him dirty looks in response. He felt Jisoo shift her weight slightly, but ignored the possible dangers of the situation. 

One exception was Desmond, who until now had held his tongue and not shown open animosity towards him. 

He took a hesitant step forward. “Hey, maybe we should all calm down-.”

“You want me to be calm right now?!” Maddie snapped at him. Her face burned bright red in anger, eyes bloodshot from sobbing. “Do you have any fucking idea what this means? We have to restart everything he did. Every damn thing he did has to be replaced and redesigned.” She shouted at Desmond.

“Why?” Eren asked once more, louder this time to be heard over the shouting. Maddie turned her gaze towards him and away from Desmond, her eyes now full of unfettered disgust and hatred. 

There’s that look again. Eren thought as he felt Maddie stare into his soul. That… repulsion. The same way people look at vermin in the gutter. 

He glanced around the room and observed similar, revolted glares from around the room. 

Is this what mom and dad saw before they died? All these disgusted faces? Eren returned his attention to Maddie. Why did I trick myself into thinking you would be any different? I keep making the same mistake over and over again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? So am I insane or just foolish? 

To come here and hope to be welcomed… I’m probably both.

“Get out.” Maddie hissed at him. “Leave… I never want to see you again.”

“Not until you answer my question.” Eren replied smoothly. The redhead’s eye twitched at his defiance. “Why do you need to restart everything?”

“Fuck you.”

“My work was exemplary. You said it yourself. Is there anybody in this room who could have done the work I did? Nobody else in Eureka is a qualified electrical specialist or engineer.” Eren said and ignored her. He looked back at the crowd of his coworkers. “Hell, I’m one of the only people here who graduated from a top five university.” He proclaimed.

That comment incensed one of the people near Maddie, who stepped towards him. “Why you worthless piece of shit-!” He growled.

Before he could come near Eren, Desmond put himself between the man and Jisoo. “Hey! Let’s all calm down.” As the two men bickered, Eren continued.

“If I was a normal person who walked in here, you would have showered me with praise. But now that you’ve found out I’m a speck, suddenly that same work that saved this company is suspect and has to be redone.” Eren said, pointedly. “Maddie, you’re an exceptionally smart person. You also genuinely care about people. Surely you see something wrong with that.” He reasoned. 

The redhead forced herself to stand up. “I said. Get. Out.” She demanded, her fists clenched tightly and her lower lip trembled. 

Eren refused to back down. “Of all people, I thought you would be different.”

“I said fuck off!” Maddie shrieked and lunged forward before Desmond could react. Her arm swung out wildly like a flail towards him, her eyes wide with murderous intent. Eren felt a rush of wind like a tornado, but refused to cower away like he always had. He would not give her the satisfaction of being afraid.

Before her hand reached Eren, Maddie felt an extraordinarily powerful force ram into her abdomen with the force of a freight train. The air was knocked out of her lungs and she catapulted backwards into a few people who cushioned her collision. She gasped desperately for oxygen and her arms flew to her stomach where she felt an immense pain below her rib cage.  

“You’re pathetic.” Jisoo scoffed angrily. She cracked the knuckles in the hand she had used to punch Maddie across the room into several other people like they were bowling pins. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. After everything Eren did for this company-!”

“Jisoo. It’s alright.” Eren cut in before the terrifying woman could press forward, where Maddie was on the ground helpless. She looked up with blurry eyes to see the taller woman looming over her and the rest of the staff who had been knocked down.

In an instant the anger in Maddie’s face dissipated and was replaced with fear as she looked into the malicious eyes of Jisoo who appeared ready to strike her again if Eren had not interrupted.

“Let’s just go home.” Eren requested quietly. “Good luck with everything Maddie.” He said as the woman carrying him spun on her heel and walked towards the door. 

“I hope Eureka does well.” 

That went about as well as I expected. Jisoo thought regretfully on the ride home. The streets were fairly busy with party-goers out to celebrate the New Year, which slowed down their commute. 

She had surmised that Madeleine would react with outright hostility once she learned the truth. Few people saw specks as human. Those that did made it clear. If Madeleine was one of those people then on the job application she would have welcomed them with open arms. Omission and acceptance were not congruent with one another after all, the first step towards equality was acknowledgement of the issue. 

If Madeleine could not even fathom that a speck could have applied to work for her, then odds were she did not view them as people worth consideration in the first place. That was the unfortunate reality of the world. When in doubt, one could trust the fundamental wretched nature of humanity to be consistently awful and wicked. 

Jisoo knew she could have protested Eren’s decision to reveal himself to Madeleine and the rest of Eureka. He would have listened, she was sure of it. And yet she had consciously made the choice to facilitate everything from his initial employment to tonight. 

I’m sorry you had to go through this Eren. But you needed to see what people are like even when confronted by that which is contrary to their own biases. You needed to see that no matter what you do, or how remarkable you are, you will never be seen as anything more than scum in this country. She mused. After tonight… you should have no qualms about coming home with me and leaving all this behind. 

Perhaps it was selfish. But frankly Jisoo didn’t really care if it was for the greater good. Overseas Eren could go on a nice walk outside without fear that somebody would step on him, either out of ignorance or malice. He could find a better job that paid him his worth, with management that treated him like a human. The more she thought about it, the more selfish it seemed to not return home. 

All that’s left now is to tidy up my business with Thomas Evans and we can leave. I am not as strong as I was before, but he is no longer a threat to me. She frowned. Although… Grace seems to have her own plans for him. 

It should not have surprised Grace so much when she learned that Thomas thrashed Jisoo in their first encounter. Her cousin had spent the better part of a year cooped up in her apartment either drunk or in tears in the aftermath of Busan. Fortunately her mental state seemed to have improved significantly. Now she acted more like the woman Grace remembered than when she had first come to visit. 

Eren is probably the reason Jisoo has returned to her old self. Grace thought and ran her fingers through Xiangling’s hair idly. The two women cuddled beneath the velvety covers of her hotel bedroom, with the shorter woman fast asleep pressed against Grace’s bosom. When they first met, I’m sure she just wanted to do the right thing and save an innocent man. But then they connected. He saw a lonely protective guardian in her, and she saw a neglected but brilliant soul in him.

Jisoo had partners in the past, after she ascended and went rather wild with her newfound power. All of the men in her life had simply been objects to her, who existed solely for pleasure. When she grew tired of their affections Jisoo discarded them. However, Eren was different. The way they looked at each other… the way they talked and laughed together was the most pure expression of love she could possibly imagine outside of a fairytale. 

She stifled a laugh.

Underneath the covers shrouded in complete darkness, Grace could feel Claire’s tongue between the wrinkles of her sole. The tribulations of her pet could be rather ticklish from time to time. Her time spent in her bodyguard’s clutches had broken the little thing. Now she obeyed commands without the slightest hint of rebellion. Any semblance of free will had been utterly crushed beneath Xiangling’s heel.

Although frankly she was such a bore now. That spark of resistance that distinguished her toys from one another was what kept them interesting. Once a person was robbed of their willpower, all that was left was an empty shell. A husk. A drone that obeyed orders mindlessly, so what difference did it make who they were before if their actions were identical?

Claire had been too easy to break. She was a privileged, soft and malleable creature who had never faced adversity in her life. Everything she had ever wanted came too easily. She lacked conviction or purpose beyond self-gratification. 

Nothing like her ex-boyfriend. 

Grace had high hopes for him. Never in her life had she seen such unadulterated vitriol in the eyes of another person. Passion burned in his heart like an inferno. To see those eyes alight with anguish as she ripped his willpower away, was all she had dreamt of since he first made the grievous mistake of crossing her. 

 

He can hide as much as he wants. She thought and squeezed her toes around Claire's body possessively. It won’t change a thing.

I’m going home soon. 

When Jisoo first secluded herself from the reality of her sins, she had never put any thought into what came next. All she had ever desired was to run and put as much distance between herself and the truth. Now she was almost ready to return, and despite her initial reservations felt at peace with herself. She hurt the people who were once family to her. That could never be changed or forgiven. There was no point in dwelling on what she did to Byung-ho any further. The only thing that stood in her way, or rather, the only person who stood in her way was unfortunately still at large. 

Thomas Evans was a surprisingly crafty individual. Thus far he had evaded detection from her family’s agents, which included an active manhunt by the local authorities as demanded by Grace. After her rather humiliating defeat at his hands early on Christmas Day, he had seemingly vanished. None of his relatives under surveillance seemed out of the ordinary. Likewise, none of the suspected contacts he would have such as old high school friends or brothers in arms within the military they had investigated turned up any results.

When fishing, the rod doesn’t matter. You could spend millions on the best gear, hooks and lines… but it won’t mean anything if the bait isn’t good enough. Jisoo recalled the advice of a distant cousin. 

Jisoo observed the tiny, worthless creature that cowered beneath her gaze. She had almost forgotten that Grace had taken it upon herself to make a new pet out of Thomas’s old flesh light. Claire Weaver was but a shadow of her former self. No longer a woman of authority in law enforcement, but rather a bone-thin and battered husk of a human that flinched at even the slightest move from either herself or Grace who stood alongside her. 

Nonetheless, Grace seemed rather proud of her subordinate’s work. “What do you think?” She asked with a devilish smile. 

“I think there’s a chance she betrays you.” Jisoo replied disdainfully, in Mandarin to keep their conversation hidden from Claire who said nothing as her godlike mistresses boomed from up above. “Or, she will be too incompetent. Both are equally likely.”

“Perhaps. Although it is certainly our best option right now.” Grace replied with a shrug. “Unless you have a better idea?” She asked.

Tsk! How did it even come to this in the first place? Relying on a worthless bitch to lure out a thorn in our side. Jisoo thought angrily and clenched her fists tightly. It’s all because I was too weak before. 

Jisoo sighed and rubbed her temple. “Unfortunately I do not. But still, I would feel better if we had more time to re-educate her. Your bodyguard broke her spirit, not her mind. There is still the chance she will lay a trap for us.” She mused and glanced at Xiangling, who stood in the corner of the room silently and watched the two women appraise her pet.

Truthfully her work was impressive, especially for someone not properly trained in subjugation or indoctrination techniques like herself or Grace. However, without more time there was no way to really know just how much of the old Claire Weaver still lingered in the emaciated shell of a person. 

There was a small part of Jisoo that felt pity for Claire, all things considered. Of all the individuals who had been a part of this grand mess, she was the only one who had been roped in. Had Thomas not gone to her for help, she would have been able to live a long life and enjoyed a successful career. If she so wished she could have moved on from law enforcement and into politics, or pursue a career as an attorney or detective. Some day she could have even settled down and had a family, and watched her grandkids play in her spacious backyard. 

Instead she was here. Bruised. Starved. Twisted and morphed to resemble a downtrodden thing that obeyed orders and licked the grime from her master’s sole in a desperate attempt to cling to life. 

However, it was clear to Jisoo that Claire was the same ilk as monsters like Sylvia Collins or Alice Evans. As a member of the police force, she swore an oath to serve the people and protect their best interests. If she could not even refer to a quiet, unassuming man who happened to be a speck with a pronoun, then surely she scoffed at her obligations to protect specks from harm as well. Therefore the pain she endured was simply a consequence of her failures to protect those most in need.

Specks existence was torture. She knew that much first hand. Because of killers like Alice and Sylvia, and their wretched enablers who did nothing to stop them like Claire and Mikayla. 

Ultimately, her grim fate was Thomas’s responsibility. He was the one who roped her into this mess in the first place. If not for him, Claire never would have suffered like this. No doubt Grace had made implicit suggestions to Claire that her anger should be pointed at her ex-boyfriend rather than herself or Xiangling. Whether or not she had come to that realization yet was unknown. At present the only thing they could be sure of was that this was unfortunately their best and only option to locate Thomas Evans in a timely manner. 

“Very well. I will trust your judgement on this one.” Jisoo eventually said in defeat and crossed her arms. “And I suppose since it is your plan… you should choose what to do with Evans when we confront him.”

“Oh? You don’t want a rematch with the man who managed to beat you while you were off your game?” 

“The only man who interests me right now is Eren. Thomas is simply a roadblock, I don’t care about him or what happens so long as he is dealt with.” Jisoo responded. Once there was a time when she would have ripped her honor back away from the man who humiliated her, but now she realized how pointless it was. The knowledge alone that she could beat Thomas if they fought again was enough for her. 

Claire cowered beneath the harsh glare of her masters, who carried on a conversation with one another with voices like the ominous roll of thunder. She had opted out of foreign languages in high school and never took Mandarin classes, and understood nothing of what was said. 

All she knew was that she had been presented a rare opportunity by her mistress. A chance to return to her service, and go far, far away from the terrible embrace of Xiangling who took delight in her pain. She could return to the warmth provided by her preferred master’s feet beneath the covers without fear she would be trodden on for even the slightest transgression or misstep. And above all else, she knew that Grace would actually feed her regularly. Never in her life had she been so hungry before. Her stomach was an empty pit, and she could count the meals she had eaten in the last week on one hand.

But that would change soon. Grace had forgiven her for being a bad pet, and even treated her to a sliver of cake earlier that day… and promised her an entire slice if she simply obeyed her instructions.

Whatever they were, Claire would do them. Not just for the food, but to demonstrate to her mistress that she could be a good pet and never needed to be sent away to be punished by Xiangling anymore. 

Finally the two giants appeared to finish their conversation, and their attention turned towards her. Instantly Claire went rigid and she bowed her head reverently. 

She felt an immense pressure around her midsection from a gigantic pair of fingers which clamped down on either side of her torso. Her legs dangled uselessly and she was brought up to the plush, soft lips of her heart achingly beautiful master who smiled warmly. Grace rearranged Claire so that she laid back in her palm, as if cradled in a cozy bed.

Her lips turnt up at the corners to smile. “Oh you poor little thing.” Grace cooed and extended her index finger to stroke Claire’s back affectionately. “Xiangling put you through the ringer, did she? That awful woman.” 

“I-I’ll be good… I promise!” Claire pleaded, her voice shaky despite the rare tenderness she was now afforded. She glanced at Xiangling, who still stood silently in the corner of the room like a sentinel. Claire shivered. “Please don’t send me back to her…”

“Hmm… but if I whisk you away, then who would keep Xiangling company?”

“I-I…”

“We will need to find someone to take your place at her side, so you may grovel at mine.” Grace surmised and scratched her chin. “Any suggestions darling?” She pondered.

Claire paused and thought about the question. Who could take her place as Xiangling’s pet? Whoever it was, they were a person who deserved pain and misery. Someone who needed to be punished, worse than she had been punished for her failures as a pet. 

You know who. A vindictive voice in the back of Claire’s head hissed. That bastard who got us into the mess in the first place. He deserves to suffer for dragging us into this. 

The man who was ultimately at fault for everything. Who had stolen her life away and then vanished while she suffered and toiled. The same man who broke her heart all those years ago when she thought they could be together forever, so he could gallivant across the world and pretend to be a hero. 

A hero who not once had tried to rescue her. Instead he slinked away and left her to the wolves. 

“Thomas.” Claire blurted. “Thomas should be my replacement.”

Before she attended Carnegie, Maddie had toyed with the idea of a career as a baker. What stopped her was ultimately outside influence from her parents who would have balked at the idea, and her own decision to pursue artificial intelligence which paid considerably better. Besides, she liked to experiment too much to ever master an exact science like baking. 

Nonetheless the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies or brownies eased the intense migraine that had dogged her for the past two weeks since…well, she would rather not think about it anymore. 

Of all the visitors her grandfather’s nursing home received, she was easily the staff’s favorite as well as a few of the residents. She always brought something for everybody, and remembered people’s preferences. And more importantly their restrictions or diets so the staff wouldn’t need to worry.

Once Maddie had handed out a few platters of homemade cupcakes, she located her grandfather’s ward.

It was a cozy room, and quite spacious. Although Franklin typically did not move around much on account of his age which made it too much of a hassle. Instead he preferred to watch the boats in the channel through the window or watch shows on a flat screen provided by the home. 

The old, withered man blinked as he heard his only granddaughter enter the room. A smile touched his face as he noticed what she had in her hands.

“Happy Birthday, grandpa.” Maddie said softly and set a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttermilk frosting and a single lit candle upon his lap. “Make a wish.” She insisted and took a seat next to him.

Franklin chuckled. “I wish that you won’t tell anybody that it’s my birthday… so I don’t have to listen to that awful song.” 

“Oh so you don’t want me to sing?” 

“Maddie you are a brilliant woman, but god almighty you weren’t blessed with a singer’s voice.” Franklin teased and laughed. Maddie laughed as well but her face quickly flashed with concern as the elderly man began to sputter and cough. 

Swiftly he covered his mouth with a nearby blanket to avoid spraying her or the cupcake with flecks of saliva as he heaved, for several seconds his face turned red until mercifully the episode calmed down. 

“Are you alright?” She asked and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was difficult to believe this was the same man who carried her on his shoulders effortlessly when she was a young girl and could run at the same time. Time had stolen more from him than she could imagine.

Franklin set the blanket to one side and nodded. “Ah don’t worry about it. I spent a bit too much time outside in the cold yesterday is all.” He frowned. “Although I could ask you the same thing.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Your eyes. You look exhausted.” He murmured and carefully picked up his birthday cupcake and blew out the candle. 

Is it that obvious? Maddie thought regretfully. Hmph. Somehow he can always tell when something is wrong with me. 

She crossed her legs and rubbed her temple. Her shoulder slouched a bit, now exposed there was no reason to pretend like she was in a completely jolly mood all things considered. Nor was there a reason to keep the truth from her grandfather.

Franklin listened to her tale and ate his cupcake. He had just finished and reached for a napkin to wipe the frosting from his lips right as she concluded with how she now had several investors begin to abandon her project after they announced another delay.

He set the cupcake wrapper aside and considered what she had told him. “Why did you fire that young man?” He asked curiously with his hands on his lap. “He seemed like a model employee.”

“Eren? Well… he’s a speck, grandpa.” 

Franklin arched his brow and clasped his fingers together. “I’ve never known you to be a bigot, Maddie. To hate someone because of how they were born…” He murmured in disapproval. 

Maddie bit her lip and looked away. She could handle a glare from her parents, but her grandfather had always held a special place in her heart. His disappointment struck a different chord within her. 

Still, she had her reasons. “I… I don’t hate Eren because he’s a speck.” Maddie eventually muttered. “I don’t hate anybody.”

“Then why did you fire him like that?”

“…the investors in Eureka would never accept a product if they knew a speck was responsible for the technology. And I can’t imagine many people would trust their elders in the care of a robot made by a speck.” Maddie defended. “It doesn’t matter how good his work was, so long as a speck is tied to my company it will always be tarnished on the eyes of potential customers.” She reasoned. 

Franklin frowned. “I didn’t raise you to care what others think of you Maddie. Or to put money and personal gain ahead of your ethics.”

“This is different, Grandpa! If Eureka doesn’t perform well, I can’t pay my employees. Don’t they deserve to earn a living?”

“Doesn’t Eren deserve the same thing?” Franklin shot back.

Maddie sighed and shook her head. It was hard enough to be a young woman in such a male-dominated field, to tack on the presence of a speck among her ranks would scare off any chances she had of sponsorship. 

And ultimately that’s what she needed. 

Money and connections, which was held by people who most often turnt up their noses at specks and silly little girls who chased after lofty dreams of helping people. “Regardless of what he deserves, he lied to all of us.”

“Did he lie? Or did you forget to ask? Did you even consider the possibility that a speck would apply to work for you?” Franklin pressed and crossed his arms. “It seems like you forgot specks existed outside of their internment camps in the first place.”

“I would hardly call a modern speck commune an ‘internment camp’, they are specially designed accommodations tailored specifically for them.” Maddie rebuked. “Everything specks need is provided by the state. I never thought one would work for me since they have no reason to work to begin with.” She said truthfully.

Franklin shook his head. “Maddie… have you ever actually seen a speck commune?” He asked. “And not one of the ones shown on the news or by the media. Have you ever seen one with your own eyes?”

“I can’t say that I have.” Maddie admitted. “I never really had a reason to.”

“As a birthday gift to me, visit the commune closest to you and see what it’s like.” Franklin requested. “If it is the freely provided paradise the media claims it to be, I shall owe you an apology.”

It was difficult to live off the grid for a prolonged period of time. The lack of contact coupled with the never ending anxiety from his current predicament was torture to Thomas, who spent the bulk of his time cloistered in his motel room. His only resource to touch base with the outside world was his occasional excursion to the Internet cafe near the motel.

Previously it had seemed like his best, if only option was to keep a low profile until he could plan his next move. Unfortunately as the weeks ticked by into the new year Thomas still was yet to think of anything. If his hypothesis was correct and the fox-faced assassin was dispatched by the almighty Amrita Corporation, then what could he really hope to do?

Maybe it was a mistake to go AWOL. He thought one day as he sat on a park bench far away from downtown. I would have been unable to help Alice, at least for now, but I wouldn’t have to worry about an assassin if I was still in the Air Force.

His emails were chock-full of warnings, fines and other such communication from military command who by now were very aware that he had failed to return to his post. Thomas only dared log into his accounts to check for updates on anything once a week, always in a different location as well. Truthfully he had no idea if his phone actually could be tracked but assumed it was better to turn it on for a bit every once in a while rather than build up a predictable routine with the cafe.

As he had expected, his parents were worried about him. The past few weeks had been rough for them as well. First Alice stormed out and now he was seemingly throwing away his entire life. All they wanted was for him to come back home and call the police about the assassin.

Just as Thomas was about to shut off his phone for the day after roughly ten minutes of screen time, it began to vibrate. 

At first he was ready to dismiss it as his parents or the military attempting to reach him for the umpteenth time, but furrowed his brow when he read the caller identification.

Claire?! He thought in shock. It had been weeks since they had spoken. The last thing she had told him before she cut contact with him was that it was all her fault that she was in trouble with the Attorney General’s office.

Thomas assumed she never wanted to speak with him again after that disastrous incident. Why would she call him now? He hesitated as the phone rang, his thumb hovered above the answer button.

I would have thought she was still in trouble with the police department, or something had happened to her when she never made contact. Thomas thought. Should I answer?

He let it ring for a while, and contemplated ignoring it. Something seemed off. 

But at the same time, it had been weeks since he had put any effort into his search for Alice or taken steps to move forward in some way. This was the first real sign of anything in a long time. And more importantly, it was Claire. It was his fault she could have lost her job to begin with. 

*click*

He held the phone up to his ear. “Claire?” Thomas asked cautiously.

“Hey Tommy. It’s been a while.” He recognized his ex-girlfriend’s voice almost immediately. She sounded normal at least, which put him at ease. “I have some good and bad news-.”

“Before you get into that,” Thomas cut in abruptly. “Where have you been the last two weeks? I thought something happened to you.”

“Thanks to you I was given a write up and a dressing down in the Attorney General’s office.” Claire shot back. “I have been forced to do community service hours, my pay was docked, and the Commissioner thinks I’m a moron.” She replied hotly. 

He could hear the bitterness in her voice. “I’m sorry Claire, I really didn’t mean too-.”

“Look, we can deal with that later. For now let’s just focus on getting your sister back, alright?”

“…thank you. I’ll make it up to you somehow.” He said with a smile and relaxed his shoulders. “So you said you had good and bad news?”

“I’ll start with the good news, if you can call it that. That bitch who was in the limousine also has a connection to Alice.” Claire told him.

I figured as much. Thomas thought dejectedly. “I did some research on her. I think her name is Grace Chen.” He said.

For a few moments there was silence on her end. “You… know about her?”

“Not much. I know she’s a part of the Amrita Corporation somehow, one of Baochai Fang’s great granddaughters I think.” Thomas said. “I dug around and found her social media accounts. That woman we looked into, Tae, was in them too so there is definitely a connection.”

“Well, all the more reason to be careful.” Claire replied simply. “But onto the bad news… there is an active warrant out for your arrest. It’s too dangerous for us to meet out in the open, or at all for that matter.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“I can’t keep up the investigation for much longer so I compiled all my findings. I’ll leave a dead drop with them somewhere and you pick it up. From there I’m afraid you’ll be on your own.” She told him. “I’ll text you the address. Be careful and keep your guard up.” She advised.

He took a deep breath. “Alright sounds good.” Thomas replied. 

With that, Claire hung up the phone and left Thomas to think about what she had said. He placed the device on his lap and patiently waited for the text in the meantime. 

Something happened to her. Was his first thought. She was furious when we last spoke, and she’s always been the type to hold a grudge. Why would she go through the lengths to help me out? 

A few seconds later he received the text. He checked the location and his frown did not go away.

And why a dead drop in such a secluded area… a warehouse? Yeah, not suspicious at all.

There were three distinct possibilities as far as Thomas was concerned. Perhaps Claire was honest and she genuinely just wanted to help him find Alice, but could not risk anything else to do so. But he was not stupid enough to believe that. 

This was a trap. The question was whether or not the people he would find at the warehouse would be an army of police officers ready to arrest him, or that assassin again. If it was the former, he would be arrested and sent to jail where undoubtedly he would be ‘killed by a cell mate’. But if it was the assassin, or other hit men, he at least had a chance. He won once, he could do so again. And now he had the upper hand, if he knew what to expect and could prepare ahead of time. 

Of course he could also run away, but that would go against his nature. Thomas was not the kind of person with enough patience or optimism to assume things would get better. He would be proactive, and face every situation head on regardless of the consequences, so long as he learned the truth of what happened to his sister. He failed Alice years ago when she underwent abuse. He would not fail her again. 

No matter what it took. 

Mandarin Chinese was the most commonly spoken language in the world. Due to the very high demand for fluent speakers and skilled translators also familiar with Chinese customs and business etiquette, it was very common for the language to be taught even in American schools. However, speck education programs which frequently underwent budget cuts limited applicants for classes.

Because of the massive discrepancy between qualified educators compared to the number of people, specks had to apply and interview to learn about different subjects even in primary and secondary school. Spots were very limited and fiercely competitive for entry into major universities so specks only applied to subjects relevant to their role in their communes.

Eren had applied almost exclusively to science and math based classes throughout his academic career, due to his natural affinity for the material. History, economics, literature, and language were unfortunately all outside of his range of what he had the skills to apply for. Which included even the most elementary knowledge of Mandarin Chinese.

Jisoo strolled past the kitchen counter and set down a cup of tea, and loomed over him to observe his work. 

She furrowed her brow in confusion. “What character are you trying to write?” She asked and took a seat on the stool behind the counter. 

Is it really that bad?! Eren thought shamefully and stepped off the sheet of paper so she could scrutinize his sloppy attempt. For several seconds Jisoo simply stared blankly at the character and tried her best to discern what it was.

“It’s supposed to be the character for ‘speck’.” He eventually confessed while she scratched her head.

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! Well… it’s very…” She bit her lip and paused for a moment. “It’s an excellent first attempt!” 

“I need a lot more practice.” Eren mumbled and picked the pen up once more. It was bigger than he was, which made it hard to copy down the exercises he had taken from an online beginner’s course.

His penmanship aside, it was an extremely complicated language to someone who had never had any experience with Mandarin before. It baffled him to know that Jisoo was fluent in four languages. She spoke Korean, Mandarin, English, Japanese and apparently ‘dabbled’ in Russian and Spanish. 

Meanwhile he struggled to make the word for his own people legible. 

 “I appreciate the effort, but honestly the best way to learn will be to walk around Beijing or Shanghai with me and read the signs.” Jisoo suggested. “Although we will spend most of our time in Singapore, so not too much to worry about since English is so common there.”

“I’m excited to go. It will be nice to meet your family and learn more about the culture.” Eren replied. “I just hope I make a good impression, there are a lot of customs and etiquette I don’t know yet.” He said. 

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about all that. When the time comes I’ll give you a hand, and I’m elated that you are eager to learn more!” She cooed and placed her hand on the table for him to step on. “Enough practice for today though. You need a break.” She told him. 

Effortlessly Eren did so, and leaned against her thumb for support as she rose from the counter. “How was the store?” He asked and bobbed up and down with the steps Jisoo took. 

“It was rather busy today so Mr. Wang was all over the place, but I did find the gochujang I needed for the sundubu-jjigae tonight.” She mentioned, and took a seat on the couch.

Jisoo’s home cooking was strictly vegetarian and employed extensive spices, chili pastes, and seasonings which she went to a local Asian grocer for. For most of Eren’s life, his meals were always very processed unless he braved a journey to a Brob restaurant and hoped he was not kicked out. Since he had moved in with Jisoo and ate mostly what she cooked, he had broadened his tastes considerably to be not only more varied, but much healthier.

I really want to cook for her just once. He thought remorsefully. Although she loved to cook and see his reaction to her dishes, Eren always felt guilty when she went through so much hassle for his sake. At least when he had his own income stream he could treat her to lunch every now and then and make it feel like their relationship was more ‘balanced’. 

In the mornings before her jog he would try to prepare her snack. It was difficult but he could just barely manage to use a gargantuan knife to slather some peanut or almond butter on bread or sling some boulder-like seeds and nuts into a plastic bag which would be ready for Jisoo when she was about to leave. If it saved her just a little bit of time and brought her even the slightest bit of joy when she saw it, then it was absolutely worth it. 

Jisoo sprawled across the couch and held Eren snuggled to her chest beneath a blanket. “What episode were we on again?” She asked and browsed the selections on her carousel of movies and tv shows until she found the k-drama they were both fond of. 

“Episode six if I’m not mistaken.” Eren recalled as Jisoo found the episode and hit play. “I still think Ki-jung was the killer, she clearly hated Mr. Choi.”

“Eh… I feel like that’s too obvious. More likely she’s a red herring.” Jisoo replied. 

Before the episode could begin, Eren felt a series of powerful vibrations from beneath the blanket. With his size, even something as banal as a notification on her phone felt like earthquakes. Jisoo fished it out from beneath the velvety blanket and checked who it was.

Immediately she rolled off the couch and placed him on top of the blanket. “I’ll be right back.” She told him and answered the call.

That seemed urgent. Eren thought as she hurried away. I hope everything is okay.

(Hours earlier)

The address that Claire had texted Thomas was a warehouse formerly owned by a shipping company that had been bought out years ago by a larger competitor. Since then it had been practically abandoned aside from the occasional vagrant. Secluded. Sheltered away from the city. The perfect place for a dead drop. 

Or a trap, Thomas surmised. 

It still looks deserted. He thought from the safety of a nearby boathouse which had served as Thomas’s lookout for the past few days he had staked the place out. For hours he would wait and watch to see if anybody came or left. Like watching for the eyes of crocodiles on the water’s surface at night, to see if any came up for air after several hours.

Not once had he seen another person enter or exit. No luxurious, unmarked black cars had come to investigate and determine whether or not he had checked the bait yet. As time went on, the less sure he was that something as obvious as several armed men awaited him inside. If so they would have surely made some kind of move by now since he was expected to arrive much earlier. 

Once more for his own piece of mind he checked the one thing he had taken from his parent’s house. His father’s old hunting rifle. Thomas had failed to acquire it to fend off the fox-faced assassin once, now if he encountered them or more he would have better protection. 

A single soldier against an unknown amount of hostiles, all potentially better armed and with a defender’s advantage. He thought and gripped the weapon tightly. I only hope it’s just the one.

The sun set on Norwich’s sea. Bright rays of light reflected off the water in beautiful colors of red, orange and purple. Once nightfall came the area became pitch black. Without any active street lights or dock workers to use lamps, the warehouse exterior and surrounding abandoned harbor was devoid of any light source except the moon. 

Thomas gave himself another thirty minutes to adjust to the dim conditions before he made his move. He had waited a full week to see if anything was suspicious around the warehouse and not seen anything out of the ordinary. It was time to act and see if Claire had indeed left anything. 

He moved quickly and kept low. His footsteps were astoundingly quiet despite the ground he covered in a short span of time. What Thomas lacked in battle experience in the military he made up for in years as a hunter to the north with his father. 

Follow the route you planned. Thomas thought as we weaved in between tight brick laden alleyways and courtyards on his way to the warehouse on the other side of the old harbor. For the past several days he had planned the optimal route to approach the warehouse that would provide the most cover from a gunman or a sniper. 

A cold sea breeze sent shivers down his spine. His eyes scanned over the cracked windows and ledges which might provide a sharpshooter with cover. Even after several hours not once could he locate anything with his own scope and figured out the best sight-lines long ago. 

Soon Thomas had arrived at the southern side of the warehouse exterior wall. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and scaled it as fast as he possibly could. A quick glance around before he jumped over confirmed his earlier observations that the inner courtyard of the warehouse was completely abandoned. 

No recent tire tracks in the snow. No footprints or anything like that. It seemed as abandoned as it should be all things considered. But even if Claire had told him the truth and she did leave a dead drop, wouldn’t there be signs of her entry? The warehouse had a gate which was from what he could tell locked. Perhaps the snow had covered her prints but still, shouldn’t there be some sign?

Moment of truth. Thomas thought and reached the warehouse proper. There was a loading dock intended for trucks and other large vehicles to deposit freight on the side of the building. Unfortunately it was sealed by a heavy chain and padlock. Shit, I can’t get this open. Unless…

The lock looked old and brittle. So close to the sea where it was exposed to a perpetual onslaught of salty seawater and frigid weather and taken its toll. He grit his teeth and used the butt of his rifle to smash it a few times until it broke. At the cost of deafening noise in the otherwise silent warehouse grounds. Once the lock was in pieces he heaved and raised the metal door off the concrete platform just enough to slide through and enter the dusty, moldy warehouse.

Empty? Thomas thought as he immediately shot back to his feet and scanned the interior. Aside from a few stray corrugated boxes, bits of rope and chain the entire facility seemed completely barren. Did I stake this place out all week for nothing? 

Still low to the earth, Thomas crept closer around the perimeter of the warehouse interior. He saw nothing of note until he noticed something beneath a stack of old cardboard, which caught his eye due to the bright color.

Perhaps not.

The parcel was in the center of the room, and although Thomas did not want to expose himself he was left with no choice. He walked slowly towards the toppled boxes and scrutinized the item more closely. Whatever it was, it had been wrapped in what appeared to be gift paper.

Thomas brushed the cardboard aside. What lay beneath it was a neatly wrapped gift box, complete with a bright pink bow and everything.  Attached to it was a small piece of folded paper.

‘For Tommy!’ It read mockingly, with a few hearts and smiley faces drawn next to the words.

With a perplexed expression, Thomas tossed the note aside and removed the festive paper. It was remarkably well wrapped and came apart very easily to reveal a small wooden box. 

*thump*

Thomas dropped the box in surprise when he felt movement inside the box through his fingers, and his heart all but jumped into his mouth. The box clattered to the concrete floor and split open on one side near the hinge. Instantly Thomas was on his feet and backed away, his rifle ready and aimed at the now open box.

For a moment he contemplated pulling the trigger and blasting the thing into smithereens, until he heard a faint, eerily familiar voice. “T-Tom…?” 

A speck crawled on her hands and knees to the aperture created by the damage taken by the prison. He recognized the voice and the general figure, but could not believe that it was the same person. If not for the tattoo and birthmark, Thomas would have never recognized her.

 

Or more accurately, what was left of her. So much of the woman's body looked molten, or melted away. Fingers, part of her leg and her face was disfigured. But there was no mistaking who it was by the platinum blonde hair and soft sea blue eyes full of suffering.

“Alice?!”

For the first time in his life, Thomas felt truly at a loss for words. He had finally found his sister. However the circumstances presented to him made it impossible to feel anything but shock and confusion. There was no mistake to be made or trick played on his mind. Only an impossibility made reality. 

His sister was now a speck. A three inch tall identical copy of a full-grown human.

Slowly Thomas lowered his rifle and let it hang at his side uselessly. With numb, clumsy steps he slowly approached the spot on the ground where he had dropped the wooden box that had held Alice Evans captive for who knows how long. Their eyes, both the same brilliant shade of ocean blue, met for the first time since she had stormed out of their parents house just a mere month ago. 

Now in place of rebellious anger and frustration at his efforts, was only terror and confusion similar to his own. Yet in those eyes there was something more, which Alice had not experienced in weeks since her disappearance. 

Hope. Hope that this nightmare was finally over.

 

 

“Alice, is that really you?” Thomas murmured and got on one knee to scrutinize the woman further. Although she was disfigured, like a wax statue imitation of the woman she was before, he could still recognize her most distinctive features. 

The mention of her name once more seemed to spark something in the speck. She nodded and forced herself to stand up on shaky legs. “T-Tommy… it's me.” Alice breathed with teary eyes. “Y-You actually found me…”

“I don’t… how…” Thomas stammered and rubbed his temple. His mind raced with questions. It was too hard to pick one of the many thousands he could think of. How did this happen? Where had she been? Who did this to her? 

Stop. Focus. Thomas shook his head from side to side and pushed all of those thoughts away for now. He had accomplished his longtime objective, but they were still in great danger. There was no time to wonder how this was possible or guess what sequence of events had happened without his knowledge. Before anything else they needed to find someplace safe. And fast. No way they just left her out in the open like this.

That syringe the assassin with the fox mask had… it must have been what shrank Alice. Did something like that happen to Claire too? Thomas wondered.

“We need to get out of here. Right now.” He muttered and slung his rifle over his shoulder. 

Alice nodded fervently. “Yes. But we can’t call the cops. This goes a lot deeper than you can possibly imagine.” She agreed and scampered towards him. “Let’s hurry, she could be back any moment-!” His sister encouraged.

Before Alice could reach him, the sound of old machinery and the whir of metal cogs and chain pulleys interrupted their reunion. The heavy loading dock door he had lifted open to enter earlier suddenly slammed shut behind them, activated by a remote controlled mechanism. Both siblings went silent and spun around to see that their only clear exit was now sealed off. 

Aside from the other metal overhead doors at various points around the massive warehouse interior, all locked from outside, their only other option would have been the front door which was unfortunately boarded up.

Alice quivered in fear as they heard the sound of a car engine somewhere outside. Thomas readied his rifle and cursed under his breath. He ran towards a window on the opposite side of the warehouse where they heard the car come from and peeked outside.

A familiar woman dressed sharply in a fashionable black coat with a fur scarf sauntered towards the warehouse. At her flank was another woman, also all too familiar to Thomas considering she had nearly smashed his skull into the concrete a month ago. 

Behind Grace and Xiangling, several other unmarked black cars quickly surrounded the warehouse. Thomas could see several armed men and women, many of whom wore bulletproof vests and body armor. None of them looked like police or federal agents. 

This isn’t good... Thomas thought, and realized his single-shot rifle was practically useless in this situation against so many combatants. Even with a defensive position there are too many of them. We’re completely surrounded.

The Amrita Corporation was much more than a simple pharmaceutical company. They also owned several corollaries under different names, most of which were not well-known to the general public. One such company owned many warehouses in New England, long abandoned and left unused. Perfect for operations such as this where there were no pesky witnesses or cameras. Fortunately there was one in Norwich.

Grace watched her security team establish a perimeter around the warehouse with a remarkable degree of efficiency. Most of her team were the elite of the elite, meticulously chosen by her family not only for the unwavering loyalty, but also years of experience either as bodyguards or in the armed forces. 

In less than a minute the entire warehouse and surrounding harbor was on lockdown. Sharpshooters got in position while others covered the exits. They had scrutinized every possible escape route for an entire week while they waited for Thomas to make his move, every potential risk for failure accounted for.

Xiangling walked alongside her and observed the trap play out. “The target appears to be armed with a bolt-action hunting rifle. He came alone and has no vehicle to escape.” 

“Hold the perimeter and do not interfere.” Grace ordered and slipped off her scarf. The cold was rather refreshing compared to the warmth of the limousine, and soothed her muscles as she stretched.

This is between me and him.

The storm of bullets Thomas had expected never came.

He frowned from the cover he and Alice had taken behind an empty crate in the warehouse interior. In a tactical sense, Thomas was in a terrible position, and his soldier’s intuition told him that the enemy had him in a crossfire. At any moment, one of the many snipers who had surrounded the warehouse could open fire and he would be dead. 

Instead, one of the overhead doors at the front of the warehouse near the boarded up entryway began to slide open. He could hear muffled Mandarin Chinese from the other side, which confirmed his earlier observation that these were mercenaries who worked for the Amrita Corporation. Next to his boot on the ground where he had placed her for safety behind the crate with him, Alice did her best to remain calm and not distract her older brother from the situation at hand. 

Still, she could not resist the temptation to peak out from behind the crate to see who had entered. Although, she already had a fair assumption as to who it was.

“No assassin or fox mask this time?” Thomas called out to Grace from behind the crate, his voice echoed throughout the warehouse and was surprisingly calm all things considered. 

Both siblings heard Grace chuckle in response. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see this reunion in person.” She replied with a smirk and crossed her arms. “I’ve waited for this moment for quite some time.”

“I hope I don’t dissapoint.” Thomas shot back. “Considering all the trouble you went through to make this happen.”

“On the contrary, you’ve exceeded my expectations.” Grace congratulated earnestly as she strolled towards Thomas’s position on the other side of the warehouse. “Few people have given me as much trouble as you.” She told him.

Her heels clacked forbiddingly against the concrete floors, which gave Thomas a general idea where Grace was. However, he could not tell if she was armed or not. He had not seen a weapon on her person earlier when she had first approached them, but was doubtful she would take such a risk without some kind of assurance.

Perhaps she considered the personal army that accompanied her sufficient to keep him at bay. Or Grace had something else up her sleeve. 

Or she knows I won’t blindly throw my life away since she still effectively has Alice in her clutches. Thomas realized. Even if I managed to kill her before her men gunned me down, they would still have Alice. 

Truthfully, death did not frighten Thomas. He was a soldier. Each time he strapped on a parachute or piloted a fighter jet, there was always the chance he would not come back. And as a soldier who understood the fragility of life, he had come to peace with that possibility.

However, he could not lay his life down with the knowledge that his actions led to the death of his sister immediately after his own. Especially now when she needed him to be level-headed more than ever. 

I’m not dead yet. There’s a slim chance we both make it out of this. I just can’t lose my temper like I did before. 

He could not win this fight with bullets. For once he would need to fight with words. 

Thomas took a deep breath. “Why did you do this to my sister?” He inquired. “Why did your cousin attack her in that bar?” He asked. 

Grace continued to walk towards them. She was almost halfway between the entryway and his position behind the crate by now. Soon he would be visible to her and Thomas would be forced to defend himself. 

“Ask your sister. She’s the one who started this all.” Grace replied coolly. “Isn’t that right Alice?” 

“I’ve learned my lesson!” Alice shouted back angrily, the sudden intensity of her voice alarmed Thomas at first. He bit his lip as Alice walked with purpose from behind the crate to confront her longtime tormentor.

Tears were in Alice’s eyes as her disfigured face flushed red with rage. “I know what I did was wrong. Nobody should ever have to go through this.” She muttered, her voice shaky yet determined. “I’ll admit it. I fucking deserved to be turned into a speck. It’s opened my eyes to how miserable their existence is. The past month of my life made my time as a punching bag for a drug addicted asshole seem like a walk in the park.” 

“But I’ve paid for my mistakes by now. You’ve tortured me every day since your cousin shit me out and made me realize what an awful person I am. Avenging the people I hurt before is just your excuse to be every bit as cruel as me and Sylvia were.” Alice accused.

Thomas blinked in surprise at Alice’s outburst. Everything that his sister had said was news to him. 

What is she talking about? Alice never hurt anybody! 

“I’m still confused.” Thomas admitted. “Who did you hurt? What does this have to do with anything?” He asked, this time the question was directed to his sister instead of Grace who had come to a stop in the middle of the warehouse.

Alice let out a heavy sigh and hung her head. Grace remained silent, curious as to whether Alice would finally confess what she had done to someone other than herself. 

Finally, she mustered the courage to just come out and say it. “This all started in that bar you were talking about, Thomas. Me and Sylvia went out one night and noticed a speck there as well. We thought it would be funny if we... “ Alice trailed off, her voice full of an unprecedented degree of shame. “If we flushed him down the toilet and recorded it.” Alice admitted.

Thomas felt his heart clench. “Alice…” He began as she turned away from him with her arms crossed. 

“You tried to kill someone?” He asked in disbelief.

“In her own words, that speck was not even a person. Just a thing. A bug. Vermin.” Grace said in disgust. “She’s murdered specks before too. Plenty of times with her little friend Sylvia, who sadly did not survive the trip down my cousin’s lower intestine.” She told Thomas. “Alice was rather greedy with the droplet…” She murmured.

Thomas suddenly felt nauseous. This was a lie. It had to be. Alice would never hurt anybody, she was simply not capable of it. Grace must have tortured her into saying such terrible things about herself. Surely that was the case.

Specks were tiny sure, but never in his life had Thomas harbored any resentment towards their kind. He agreed in their segregation out of concern that one of them might be injured in an accident, and considered their communes the safest place for them to be. They seemed to only live for a fraction of the time as normal people, but they were still people. With families, ambitions, livelihoods. How could his own sister kill one of them?

He shook his head. “Y-You’re just saying that. Alice, you would never-.”

“I did, Tommy.” She cut in. “After everything I went through with Mark… I felt so weak and useless. I wanted to feel powerful. Stronger than someone. Anyone”

“I…”

“I never saw them as human, a lot of people don’t. I didn’t consider it murder or anything like that.” Alice went on quietly. “Nothing I can do can make up for that I suppose. But… but nobody should have to suffer like this.” His sister declared. 

Silence filled the room as Thomas was left to digest what his sister had just told him. 

His own sister was a murderer. A serial offender at that, who took pleasure in what she did. She recorded the acts on her phone like it was some kind of sick and twisted game. Thomas dared not ask how many she and Sylvia had killed together, for he could not stand to think of the number. What had she been up to while he was away with the Air Force?

How many innocent people had seen his little sister’s face before they died? How many children around Norwich were orphans because of what she did? How many families spent years in mourning because of the lives she stole?

Alice… I don’t even know who you are anymore.

There were three Speck Communes in Philadelphia, one of which was scheduled to be downsized and its inhabitants merged into the largest of the three sometime next year in order to accommodate the construction of a new highway. Apparently that was a common trend in the United States nowadays. They took up a lot of space that could be used for other things.

At the time of the proposal to build the new road, which would cut through part of the Jefferson Commune, there had been some debate in the news about the project. It was impossible to design the highway around Jefferson, which was on the border of a public park also scheduled for destruction. However the mayor had made assurances that he had worked closely with the community leaders of the Jefferson Commune to safely relocate their families in a safe, efficient, and timely manner. 

Once Maddie had heard that, she and pretty much everybody she knew in the city all voted in favor of the bill. It would drastically reduce traffic which was awful in Philadelphia, and the speck community leaders all seemed in favor of it too so there didn’t seem to be any issue with it. 

It just so happened that the Jefferson Commune was also the closest one to Maddie’s apartment, about twenty minutes away.

Honestly, Maddie still did not know what her grandfather hoped to accomplish with this little field trip. But she decided to humor him and used one of her days off from work to take the subway to the Commune after lunch. 

It really upset him when he found out about the whole Eren fiasco. I didn’t think he would have that reaction. Admittedly Maddie had hoped her grandfather would have offered some kind of advice or comfort, instead of scolding her like he had.  Maybe I could have handled it a little more delicately… but it still had to be done one way or another.

Since that night, Maddie had come to regret how abrasive she had been. If she could take anything back it would have been her attempt to slap Eren out of his girlfriend’s hand. There was simply no way to justify that. Had she not been stopped it could have ended with him injured. She was happy Tae had stopped her.

Regardless, she had no other qualms. Eren had lied. And his work would never be accepted by an investor. Those were the facts she had to care about if she wanted Eureka to grow.

Once she was off the subway, it was just a light walk through an old park to reach Jefferson Commune. Like most speck domains, it was constructed in what had once been a secluded area in the city, now surrounded by expansion projects. Ripe for new development. Most often they were in public parks or on the edge of town where there were less people to risk accidents. Maddie had never actually been near a speck commune, so she had no idea what to expect when she got there. Was there an online visitation form she had to fill out? If so she had not been able to find one online when she visited the city website which did not even make mention of the Commune.

It had actually been quite difficult to find any information of the place online. Or anywhere for that matter. Every link had just taken her to a generic government operated website, similar to the kind used by national parks and the like. Most of it was just history about the commune, it had no resources to facilitate a visit.

All things considered it was a pleasant day in the park. Few people came here since the Commune was so close by, in favor of the bigger ones with snack bars and playgrounds popular with children. 

Huh. Well this complicates things. Maddie thought as she approached a large fenced off gate at the perimeter of the Jefferson Commune. She could see no gate or anything. Well at least I tried. I’ll go back to Grandpa and tell him that I…?

From the corner of her eye, Maddie noticed some kind of movement. Instinctively she turned towards it and peered underneath a park bench nearby. She frowned when she saw nothing there, she had been almost certain that something had moved. 

Curious, Maddie strolled towards the bench and got on her haunches. 

A speck was there. A girl perhaps a year or two younger than herself, with short unkempt black hair and pale skin. She cowered behind one of the legs of the park bench, hidden.

Before Maddie could apologize for trespassing so close to the woman’s home, she realized something was very wrong with her. The girl’s right leg was bent the wrong way at the knee. Bone protruded from her thigh. Tears were in her eyes, but she had a hand clamped over her mouth to keep from squealing loudly in pain. She realized that Maddie had discovered her, and suddenly turned around. 

Desperately she began to crawl away, her broken leg dragged behind her uselessly. A smear of blood from the break in the skin trailed behind her.

Maddie’s eyes flew open in alarm, her stomach turned at the sight. “Hey! Wait, are you alright?!” She asked in concern as the girl continued to crawl away. 

“Stay away from me!” The speck screamed at her when she felt Maddie’s hands get close. “Just leave me alone!” She cried.

Why is she so frightened? What happened? Maddie thought and pulled her hand away immediately as if she had touched a flame. The girl was further away now, and moved about as quickly as she could, but was still far away from the safety of her Commune perimeter fence. And who knows how much further past that it was to her home. 

Maddie felt her cheeks flush red. She didn’t know what to do, not once in her life had she ever learned about speck first-aid. “Umm… I’ll call an ambulance for you! Just please stay put.” She decided and pulled out her phone. 

Although she gave the girl some room, Maddie still loomed nearby to keep a close eye on her as she reached the grass. The adrenaline seemed to have worn off, and now she was much slower than before. Pain from her destroyed leg prevented her from moving any faster. 

Soon after she called the phone number there was an answer. “Hello you’ve reached nine-one-one what is the nature of your emergency?” Came the voice on the other end of the line.

“Hi, um, I was walking in the park and I found a woman with a badly broken leg. She seems to be in shock and I don’t know what to do!” Maddie babbled. Never in her life had she needed to call for an ambulance before.

There was a brief pause. “Alright ma’am stay calm, help will be on the way soon, I just need your address.”

“I’m right in front of the Jefferson Speck Commune.” Maddie told the dispatcher. “The woman is a speck, early twenties, I think she’s in shock she won’t respond to-.”

“Wait, ma’am did you just say the woman is a speck?” The dispatcher cut in. 

Maddie furrowed her brow. “Umm… yes? She’s hurt really badly.” She said, a little more impatient than she intended but given the circumstances did not think it was unjustified to be frustrated.

Another pause. “Ma’am I am very sorry about this… but I will have to transfer you to the speck emergency hotline instead since this is not a situation our department is equipped to handle. Please hold for a specialist.” 

“Wait just a minute-!” Before she could finish her sentence the line cut and began to ring again. Maddie listened carefully to it continue for several more agonizingly long seconds while the girl on the ground continued to writhe in pain and try to move further and further away from her. 

For almost two full minutes the phone continued to ring, before finally it went to a voicemail of all things. Maddie looked at her phone in disbelief. 

This is a fucking emergency number! Why isn’t anybody answering?!

She contemplated calling again, but realized there would be no point if she had to call a different number. If specks had their own emergency number, then why didn’t she know it? Shouldn’t that kind of thing be common knowledge? It was certainly the first time she had ever heard of something like that. 

By now the girl had forced herself to stand up even on the broken leg since it was faster than if she crawled away. Maddie stood over her and watched the pitiful display with a pit in her stomach. This was wrong. All wrong. She had just wanted to do a quick tour of the Commune and maybe take some pictures with the locals. Not wind up in a situation like this. 

She needs medical attention right now… the Commune has to have a hospital right? One with equipment to help specks? Maddie reasoned. I have to get her to one of them. It’s my only choice.

Maddie felt a twinge of guilt as the girl wailed once more when she picked her up. She had never touched a speck before, she had no idea how to do it. Her body was so light, and fragile. The most she could do was provide some support for the broken limb to abate the pain somewhat. 

“Hey now, I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help!” Maddie insisted as the speck trembled in her hands. “Please calm down. I… I have never done something like this before and need your help. Can you tell me where I can take you inside the Commune that can help you?” She asked.

The speck noticed the fear in Maddie’s eyes as well. She was just as terrified as she was, and did not seem to bear malicious intent. 

She nodded slowly. “T-The infirmary. It’s not too far…” 

“Can you show me where it is?” Maddie asked, to which the speck nodded and pointed to the northeast. The redhead hurried towards the fence that separated the Commune from the outside world and began to scale it. Years of gymnastics lessons in high school finally paid off and Maddie reached the other side of it fairly easily and dropped down into unfamiliar territory. 

I’ve never seen a break that bad before. Maddie thought as she jogged deeper into speck territory. What on earth happened to this poor girl?

Thomas took a deep breath and slowly rose from his position behind the discarded wooden crate. There was no point, since he had nowhere to run and nothing left to say. 

Ultimately his sister was correct about one thing. 

Nobody deserved the kind of pain and misery that had been inflicted upon her. Her crimes had long since been avenged, her life stolen away and any remnants of respect she had forever lost. And regardless, Alice was his sister. He would not allow any more pain to come to her. It was his duty as her family and most capable protector to fulfill that role.

Above all else, he would never break his promise to keep her safe from harm. This was all his fault. Alice became the person she was because of his failures. Had he seen the signs when they were in high school, and stopped her abuse before it twisted her mind out of shape, perhaps she never would have tried to murder that man at Ginny’s. Now all he could do was face the consequences of his actions.

Thomas looked up at Grace, who continued to smirk as he chose to reveal himself from cover. “I don’t care what Alice did. She’s my sister and I won’t let you hurt her.” He asserted.

“A bit late for that, don’t you think?” Grace replied. “Even after all she’s done, you would still lay down your life to protect her? Hmph. You’re loyal, I’ll give you that.”

“Why am I still alive, Grace?” Thomas asked. 

If she wanted to kill him outright, she could have ordered her men to open fire. Instead she had come alone and taken an enormous risk. He doubted that it had been a decision taken out of ignorance.

“Few people lack your willpower. I hope you’ll provide me with a reasonable challenge.” Grace told him. “It’s been far too long since someone was strong enough to amuse me. Perhaps you will be different.” She mused.

Thomas looked her up and down. 

Grace Chen was a very tall woman, with an athletic physique visible even dressed in formal attire and a coat. However, she was still a woman perhaps a hundred pounds lighter than him. And she did not carry a weapon that he could see. 

Yet she seemed rather calm even when her opponent was a burly soldier equipped with a firearm he had wielded since he was a little boy.

Despite the circumstances it would feel wrong to simply gun her down where she stood. “You’re unarmed.” Thomas noted, and gripped his rifle more tightly.

She stifled a laugh. “Oh? I believe you misunderstood me. The challenge I referred to was how long your spirit will survive before I break it.” Grace replied. “If you mean how well you would fare against me in a fight… well I’m afraid you are hopelessly outmatched in that regard.” She told him. 

Is she that arrogant or just foolish? Thomas thought and arched his brow. 

In high school he competed in the heavyweight division in wrestling. He could have been a collegiate champion if he hadn’t joined the Air Force. And there he learned even more combat techniques from the second most powerful military in the world. What chance would this rich girl have in an outright fight against him? 

Would her security agents even allow such a thing to happen? No doubt they had been commanded to hold their position and kill him the moment she appeared to be in any form of danger.

Still… I can use this to my advantage. If I can take Grace hostage I can leverage that to get me and Alice out of here! Thomas thought and glanced at the bodyguards outside in front of the warehouse. It will be tricky, but it’s definitely my best option. 

Thomas got on his haunches to set his gun down. To his surprise Grace raised her hand to stop him. “Keep it. Maybe it’ll give you a fighting chance.”

“Are you insane?” Thomas asked, still low to the ground. “You’re not bulletproof.” He warned her.

“Such a gentleman you are, reluctant to attack an unarmed woman even if she is your enemy.” She responded. “I acknowledge your strength of character, Thomas.”

“And it is for that reason that I shall make it my personal mission to crush your willpower until you are nothing more than a soulless husk of a person… like Claire.” Grace said with a sadistic smirk.

The gunshot was audible for miles. In the total silence of the abandoned harbor and nearby snowy roads, Xiangling surmised it would have been like a signal flare in the night sky. Fortunately they had picked the location well and knew there was no residential area nearby for at least fifteen or twenty miles. 

Once Thomas discharged his firearm, most of the team moved to breach the warehouse and secure it. Xiangling barked over the radio to hold their position and obey Grace’s orders. Unless Thomas Evans left the building, they were to remain put and not interfere. 

Xiangling switched to the radio channel used by the sharpshooter team. “Update me, what happened?” She inquired of one of the snipers who had perched on a nearby rooftop.

They were the only ones with a good visual inside the warehouse and an indispensable asset in this situation.“The target fired a single round. Miss Chen is unharmed.” One of them reported after a brief pause.

Xiangling’s shoulders relaxed a little at the confirmation. “Did he miss, or was it a warning shot?”

“…he didn’t miss.”

Thomas lowered the rifle in disbelief. 

That shot had hit her, he was absolutely sure of it. Even though he had fired out of anger and not taken much time to aim, at this range it would have been harder to miss. Thomas was also confident that the weapon had not malfunctioned in some way. 

Yet somehow, Grace still stood a few meters away from him completely unscathed with an amused expression. She had made no effort to move out of the way. Nor had she flinched when he suddenly pulled the trigger. 

T-That’s impossible. Thomas thought as Grace dusted her coat off, unharmed by his earnest attempt to kill her outright.

She undid the first few buttons on her winter coat to reveal a silky white dress shirt. 

“Hmph. I liked this outfit too.” Grace pouted and observed a coin-sized hole just below her collarbone. 

Beneath what he realized was the entry point for his high caliber round, her skin was perfectly fine. Not even a drop of blood despite evidence he had shot her close to the heart. Grace turned her attention towards something shiny on the ground and giggled. Thomas looked towards the floor and noticed what she had seen.

Is that my bullet? He thought, dumbfounded. It’s completely crumpled. Like it struck a slab of hardened steel. 

From next to him, tiny Alice quivered in fear as she realized what had happened. She watched in horror as Grace began to walk forward casually, unfazed. By instinct alone Alice ran for cover once more behind the crate.

Grace brushed her hair behind her ears. “You would be wise to surrender.” She told him as her heels clacked against the concrete menacingly. “There is no shame in it. Accept your place in the new world as my pet.” Grace commanded.

New world? Thomas thought and fumbled to reload his rifle. What is she talking about? 

He raised his rifle once more towards her, this time aimed directly at her skull. By now Grace was at point blank range when he fired again. 

As he pulled the trigger, Grace’s hand shot out and clasped around the muzzle of the gun and squeezed. Instantly part of the firing mechanism imploded from the sudden pressure applied with nowhere to escape from the barrel, and Thomas could feel something inside break. The second bullet struck her hand but had the same effect as the first, which was to say none whatsoever. 

Although the gun was now completely useless to Thomas, Grace still made a point to remove it from his grasp and snatched it away. Effortlessly she tossed it over her shoulder where it clattered out of his reach across the warehouse. 

Instinctively Thomas lashed out now that she was within melee range. He had seen that bullets had no effect on her. A rational part of his mind told him that nothing he could do would hurt her . But he had no other option. 

Grace easily sidestepped his right hook. His fist sailed harmlessly past her jaw and into empty air. Immediately Thomas followed up, this time a left aimed at her midsection. He could not allow her to gain momentum.

A tremendous pressure squeezed around his wrist to the point Thomas thought his hand would be popped off. Grace caught his punch before it reached her abdomen and gripped his wrist tightly. 

Before he could comprehend what she did next, Thomas was in the air and felt his back slam against the ground several meters away further into the warehouse. He rolled across the floor a few times before mercifully his body lost momentum and he came to a stop beneath some discarded industrial equipment. Thomas looked up and realized he was now on the other side of the gigantic room.

Did she throw me this far?! He thought, bewildered. The distance between them now was at least thirty feet.

“What the hell are you?” Thomas muttered and forced himself to stand up. Alice watched on as her seemingly indomitable older brother was rag-dolled like a petulant child. 

Grace removed her coat and let it fall to the ground. “You’ll find out soon enough.” She replied and lunged for him. 

Thomas grunted and tried to get out of the way but was far too slow. Nobody should be able to move that fast. Grace was a rapid blur and was quickly upon him. She delivered a torpedo-like kick with the force of a bullet train to his midsection which broke a rib or three. He could taste blood in his mouth, and Thomas realized something had ruptured internally.

This isn’t a fight… He realized and feebly tried to protect himself with his arms. Tears welled in his eyes from the agony within his torso. Grace continued her advance, slowly as he stumbled away. 

Unlike the assassin from before with whom he had been on even footing, Grace was a different beast entirely. He now realized why she had been so confident when she entered the warehouse with him alone. 

Again Thomas tried to strike her, but was thwarted by another powerful blow to his stomach. He hunched over in pain before she sent him across the warehouse once again with total ease with her knee. 

Thomas gasped for air as blood pooled in his mouth. It felt as though a sledge hammer had been taken to his abdomen for several hours. From the corner of his eye Thomas could see her approach him once again like a wolf gleefully stalking an injured sheep.

It’s a fucking execution. 

Thomas’s vision became blurry until Grace appeared in a foggy haze. The adrenaline in his system began to wear off and the shock stripped his muscles of what little strength he had left. It was difficult to breathe, one of his lungs had been punctured in one of her earlier attacks. Thomas was no stranger to pain, but had never experienced something like this. 

Tiny footsteps roused him from unconsciousness. Alice ran towards him, tears in her eyes.

He perked up slightly. “F-Fucking run!” He barked at her with what strength he had left. “Just run away! Alice!” Thomas hissed and tried to stand up but his legs would not respond.

Alice ignored his pleas and put herself in between her brother and Grace, who turned her attention to the speck in front of her. Trapped beneath the titanic woman’s shadow, she looked truly insignificant. No doubt she was absolutely terrified, but refused to abandon Thomas.

“Please stop!” Alice begged as Grace put her hands on her hips. “I-I’ll do whatever you want! Please just don’t hurt him anymore!” 

“It’s much too late for that I’m afraid.” Grace dismissed and strolled towards the diminutive girl. “Your brother made his decision.” She said and raised her foot over Alice.

Fear overwhelmed Alice and turned to flee, but was immediately caught and pressed against the sole of Grace’s shoe. She screamed as her body was forced to the ground and held firmly in place beneath the unbelievable weight of the giantess’s titanic foot planted atop her feeble body. 

Thomas watched his sister vanish beneath Grace’s foot and let out a roar. His body was almost destroyed but it did not matter. Until his last breath he would defend Alice. 

By sheer force of will Thomas wobbled to his feet and charged Grace. There was no form or semblance of technique anymore, only brute force and willpower. He could feel his balance waver but continued his rush until he bowled into the godlike woman. His shoulder rammed into Grace’s stomach and carried the full weight of his body and the added momentum behind it from his mad dash. Any other person would have been sent to the ground.

Instead, the attempt only served to loosen Thomas’s shoulder from the socket. He cried out in agony and clutched the now dislocated joint. Everything in his right arm was now completely numb and motionless. 

Grace observed her new pet fall to his knees in defeat. Or perhaps it was simply his body which could no longer withstand the torment inflicted upon it. Regardless, the result was the same. Beneath her shoe, Grace could feel Alice’s struggles intensify despite the obvious futility behind her fight. Thomas meanwhile still tried to strike her with his still functioning left arm, which she doubted would have carried enough power to knock over a lamp in his current condition. 

I’ll give these two credit where it is due… They have spirit. Grace thought. Effortlessly she pushed Thomas onto his back where he landed with a thud at her feet. Resilience. Rebellion. Whatever it is that keeps them fighting against the inevitable.

She removed her foot from Alice and gently nudged the pathetic girl aside with her heel. Alice watched helplessly as Grace lowered herself to the ground and straddled her brother. 

Thomas looked up into her eyes hatefully. 

There it is. That same look from before. Grace thought, reminded of her first ever encounter with Thomas from last year. Somehow he retained that same delicious malice and hatred. He would not break so easily. That was good. Jisoo once had that look all the time when she was still a speck. 

Her first punch shattered Thomas’s nose. It had still not fully recovered from when Xiangling had broken it before, and was now deformed and out of place. Blood squirted from his nostrils and splattered across Grace’s shirt. Unfortunate. A bullet hole could be patched up, but blood never really came out of fine silks. 

People like you have only one place in the future our dynasty will forge. 

The next blow fractured his jaw, and sent some of his pearly white teeth across the warehouse floor. After that she broke his jaw entirely until it simply hung open, no longer under the control of Thomas’s mind whether it could shut or not. 

Your will to fight must be utterly crushed into nothingness, to be an example to safeguard others from the folly of resistance. 

Next she targeted his eye. Each time she struck Thomas, Grace had to hold herself back significantly. It would be far too easy to smash his skull open like an egg and let his synapses run like a river across the floor. She could feel his orbital bone cave in.

Only then can there be a shred of hope for peace in this cruel world. 

With one final strike to sever his consciousness, Grace smashed his skull directly into the concrete floor. The light abandoned Thomas’s bloodshot eyes and he was left motionless on the ground, his face beaten beyond the point of recognition. 

Over the sounds of broken bones, Alice continued to wail and scream helplessly. Blood from her older brother’s face showered over her puny form on the ground as she pounded relentlessly at Grace’s shin. It was rather pitiful really. 

Although she had nothing to worry about. Grace had no intention to kill either of them. Carefully she pinched Alice’s torso between her elephantine fingers. 

The speck struggled incessantly. “Get off him! You’ll fucking kill him you bitch!” 

“This is all your fault Alice. If not for you none of this would have ever happened.” Grace replied before she stuffed Alice way into her shirt pocket.

Grace inspected Thomas’s dented and battered skull. Shallow breaths confirmed that he was still alive, just comatose. 

She wiped the blood from her knuckles on his jacket. “Xiangling, I’m finished here.” Grace called out.

Dutifully her security leader and the rest of her men outside entered the warehouse. One of them was kind enough to offer a scarf for Grace to clean herself off, while Xiangling retrieved Grace’s coat from the floor.

“Has anything changed?” Grace asked and shifted her weight to sit on Thomas’s broken ribs while she tidied herself up. They crunched beneath her buttocks like a bag of chips.

Xiangling shook her head. “No, nobody has been seen within twenty miles of the harbor.” 

“Good. Bring me the serum. And a peach droplet as well for my new pet.” Grace ordered. “When you get the chance, call Jisoo and let her know her problems here have been dealt with.” She added. 

After the woman went away to fulfill her commands, Grace crossed one leg over the other and let herself relax. The physically destroyed soldier made a surprisingly comfy chair.

Thomas sputtered pathetically in his sleep. She scoffed and slapped his face in the other direction. It would be a shame if he choked on his own blood.

I should probably prepare a nice homecoming gift for Jisoo when I get the chance. Ooh, and something for Eren as well. Grace thought absentmindedly while she waited for Xiangling to return with the peach droplet. Something more thoughtful than a bottle of soju…