Two years ago
That night, Ben couldn't sleep. Every passing thought of Renee's parents sent a jolt of awareness through him. He tossed and turned until eventually, he decided he wasn't sleeping at all tonight. It was her mother and father for crying out loud. Even if they were strangers, they meant something.
He had to tell Renee.
Ben crawled out of his bed and slipped into the living room, where Renee was sleeping on the couch. There was only one bed, so they swapped every week. He nudged her a few times before she groggily opened her eyes and stretched. She then gave him an inquisitive look.
"I gotta show you something," Ben said.
Renee tilted her head. At this hour?
"It won't take long, I promise."
Renee sighed, rolled backwards, and launched herself off the couch. Ben was used to it by now not to be startled. She gestured to her shoes by the front door, silently asking whether this thing he had to show her required going outside. Ben nodded, so she headed to the door. Ben glanced at her voice box sitting on the coffee table by the couch. So often forgotten. However, Renee never talked out loud when she was alone with Ben. It was more natural for her.
Centium kept tabs on the apartments, and all texts could be traced to an NID, so Ben needed to take them somewhere private. Luckily, he knew just the place: a prayer ground in the sakura neighborhood. Cam had shown him the path long ago. The few religious people left in the sector had set up secret lifts and trails through the sewers to help others reach the site.
Ben was twelve the first time Cam took him there. Cam still visited often, four years later. At first, he'd been looking for solace after his brother had gone missing, most likely killed by the Manhunters. Now, Ben suspected there was another reason: assurance that he was on the right side. That staying in Centium was the right thing to do.
It took fifteen minutes to get there. Renee didn't seem to mind trekking through the sewers, as they'd both been in far worse places, but she did look more concerned as the minutes ticked by.
"We'll be there soon," Ben reassured her.
And soon enough, they reached a door in the side of the tunnel. Through that door, they entered the basement of a house. They then climbed to the second story, found the farthest bedroom in the hall, and opened the window. Ben smiled as he saw the ladder still set up beneath them, leading down to the enclosure.
As Ben reached for the handles, he noticed Renee had paused. She was staring at the tree, which was faintly glowing from all those prayer tags. The golden hues seeped into the stone walls and bits even spilled onto the pink sakura leaves.
And something else. A woman standing beside the tree, looking up at them. Black suit, black pants, military boots, and red cybernetic goggles.
Ben felt his heart in his stomach. The Manhunters had been contesting Centium's territory for a while now. If this one found out he and Renee were with the enemy…
"I won't bite," the Manhunter called.
Ben cursed under his breath. He could only hope this woman would leave soon, or he would've taken Renee here for nothing.
The two of them cautiously climbed down the ladder, keeping the Manhunter in their periphery. When their feet landed on the rough gravel, the Mannunter approached them. In the light, Ben recognized her as Veronica, one of the highest-ranking Manhunters. Her face was always plastered next to Jacques, the Manhunters' leader.
Renee looked at Ben. What do we do?
Ben tried to keep his calm. Get a tag. Write something. Say whatever Veronica wants to hear.
The truth was, the Manhunters weren't a threat. They were a joke compared to Centium.
It'll be fine, Ben told himself.
"A little past your bedtime, no?" Veronica said. She held out two wooden tags and gave it to each of them. Ben frowned but accepted it.
"Kids these days," Ben said. A stupid joke he came up with on the spot. It was alright. "How are you?" There was nothing wrong with being cordial.
"Frustrated. I'm looking for someone," Veronica said. "It'd be wonderful if you two could help."
"Yeah, sure," Ben said. He looked down at his tag. "You got a pen or something?"
"First, let me know if this face looks familiar." She unfolded her tablet and showed a grayscale photo that had been taken on some street camera. The subject was blurry and his face was half hidden, but Ben recognized him right away.
Don't react. Don't react.
It was Cam. For some reason, the Manhunters were after Cam.
"They said he's a regular here, but I've been waiting for him all day," Veronica said.
Ben forced a confused expression onto his face. "Sorry, never seen him," he said.
The Manhunter shrugged. "I didn't expect you to have." She handed Ben and Renee pens and stalked over to the stone bench.
"You're gonna keep waiting?" Ben asked.
Veronica nodded.
Great. He'd have to spill the news to Renee another time.
Renee poked him in the arm and waved her pen around. It was a more complicated sentiment, and Ben sadly could not understand. Renee typed it out on her tablet.
Couldn't you have shown me this at another time?
"It, um, only glows at night," Ben said. Which was true, but also really stupid. The judgemental look he got from Renee proved it.
He glanced at Veronica, perched on the bench, patiently awaiting her prey. She'd stay there for another day, probably. These cyborgs were something else. Ben would warn Cam immediately after this.
A scratching noise from his right got his attention, and he turned to see Renee writing on the prayer tag. Does she even know what to do?
Ben looked at his own tag, wondering what to write. It had to be somewhat genuine. Cam visited this place because he was looking for peace after his older brother's passing. Other people did so because they were terminally ill, or had gone through something traumatic. What reason did Ben have?
Just then, a second wooden tag entered his vision. It was Renee's, with a few words written on it: I feel like there's something you need to get off your chest. I hope you can find the strength to tell me, or anyone else.
Ben's initial thought was, What kind of sappy ass request is this? until he realized that it was meant to look like a prayer. A message subtle enough to not seem suspicious if anyone saw it.
That's genius! Ben put pen to wood and hesitated. He needed to phrase this correctly. Something that would look like a prayer to anyone else. Unfortunately, explaining that someone's parents were alive was much harder to put in such a format. Plus, Ben had never been much of a writer. Anything he put on that tag—even a genuine prayer—would sound silly.
Just try your best, he thought. Better to get it off your chest this way.
And so, under the amber blanket of the prayer tree, he began to write.
-----
It had been a day since Marvin and Ben were imprisoned. After Ishaan had left, they'd talked a bit more about Ben's history in Centium. Then Ben got drowsy and wanted to sleep. Marvin could not, of course, so he drifted in his thoughts for a few hours. At some point, a stray Sawblade entered the workshop and Marvin asked her what time it was. She didn't reply. Asked her where Ishaan was. Still no reply.
Eventually, Marvin began to zone out. His sensors' inputs dulled and his vision went as dark as it could. Thoughts still ran through his head, but they were vague and minimal. This was the closest he was going to get to sleep.
After what felt like hours, Marvin was drawn out of his half-coma. From the rustling behind him, Ben had awoken as well. When Marvin's vision focussed, he found himself looking at a familiar sight: Jacques, still in his pearly white suit, standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Behind the leader of the Manhunters stood Mantis, backhand blades folded, compound eyes staring into Marvin's soul.
No one else was in the room. A solo visit from the leader himself? This must be important, Marvin thought. Or he has something confidential to say.
The latter was enticing. Some crazy news two days before he died wouldn't hurt.
"I'd like to clear something up," Jacques began. "What you said yesterday. About Marvin Yao."
Marvin widened his eyes and was about to press him on, but paused as he noticed the rest of the room. The machines were dead, and the ceiling lamps were dim. Several machines' lights, including the laser box's, pierced through the darkness.
Is it still nighttime? Marvin wondered.
"You must be wondering why I care so much," Jacques said. "What does it matter if two kids think I killed Marvin Yao? You probably won't be leaving this place, anyways." He paced around to Ben's side. "But there's a chance that you will. And I can't allow my organization to be known as the one who broke a fifty year streak of anti-corruption."
"Why?" Ben asked.
Jacques scoffed. "It's shameful. The de facto leaders of Nagatown sabotaging a street fight just to earn a few extra bucks."
"Who else would've done it?" Ben asked.
"You're saying we had the best motive."
Ben didn't reply.
"It's true the Sawblades were indebted to us," Jacques said. "And acquiring their mech was a move I don't regret. But it would've happened on that day regardless. None of us expected Marvin Yao to be killed."
That's not much of an excuse, Marvin thought. But then again, in that case, why would Jacques even tell them? If he was truly hiding such a crime, he could simply kill Marvin and Ben at the end of the two days, no matter if Sangeet showed up or not.
So was it confirmed then? The Manhunters weren't the killers and it was some more powerful organization or corporation?
Strangely, Marvin felt… the same. Like he'd always known. His body was still out there, undiscovered, no leads on where it might be. He might as well have been in that claustrophobic Nagatown alleyway again, nothing but a chip and camera on Caroline's shoulder. Completely helpless.
The answers are in that stadium, he thought. Ishaan and I are gonna infiltrate it and find footage. It won't solve everything but it'll be better than whatever we've been doing the past few weeks.
He just had to survive until then.
A beeping noise pulled him out of his thoughts. Marvin looked around. Nothing that was dark before had turned on. But there was one thing on his right… Was it just him, or had the laser moved?
Jacques and the mech also caught the sound as they began scanning the room. Before Marvin could even speculate what was happening, a high-pitched hum pierced the air. Something red flashed past him. Mantis swiped a blade upwards, then stepped forward as Jacques stumbled back. The mech wrapped itself around the leader.
Marvin instinctively ducked as a second hum resounded. He caught a glimpse of Mantis rushing to the laser box and impaling it straight through the eye. On the other side of his periphery, he saw Jacques brush himself off and mutter a slew of curses.
Someone fired the laser, Marvin realized. An assassination attempt.
He felt a strange bubbling in his chest—a mix of fear and hope. If a fight were to break out, he and Ben could use the chaos as a cover to escape.
"What was that?" Ben asked frantically.
"It's fine," Jacques said, stalking over to the mutilated laser. Mantis followed close behind, purposely putting itself between its leader and the captives.
"Veronica's faction must've hacked it," Jacques replied. "Two weeks ago they killed my second-in-command and seven others."
Kai, Marvin recalled. Killed with some incendiary bomb, apparently.
But in this case, Marvin doubted it was anyone but Gerard. He controlled the Sawblades garage, after all. It made sense that he would stage something like this.
"Tell them to secure the channels," Jacques ordered Mantis.
The mech's speakers cackled to life. "What about these two?"
Jacques considered Marvin and Ben for a minute.
It would be so easy to tell him about Gerard. Get rid of that psychopath that stabbed Ishaan. We'll be doing everyone a favor.
But Marvin couldn't bring himself to speak. Getting rid of Gerard would more or less seal their fates; only he could incite chaos within the garage and give them a cover to escape. Besides, Jacques was a killer, too. Why did he have to be morally superior?
Maybe he'll let us go if we tell him.
But before Marvin could deliberate on that idea, Jacques replied, "Keep them here. Veronica won't harm them."
The leader of the Manhunters turned to leave, Mantis following on his heels. With each step, each thud of metal against concrete, Marvin grew increasingly urgent.
Say something! This could be your chance to get out of here!
But the footsteps kept on. The uncertainty was too great.
What do I do, Ben? What would you do?
The boy was silent.