Crane smiled faintly.
"Oh. No, that's the whole story."
Singed blinked once.
"I think you confused 'story' with 'sentence.'"
Crane gave a casual shrug.
"A story doesn't have to be long," he said, wandering across the lab. "And 'story' isn't a fixed word anyway. It bends. It breathes."
He paused by a cabinet, trailing a finger across the metal.
"I probably shouldn't have told you that story at all," he added lightly. "But I want to help. If it can help."
He made his way to the door, turning back just before exiting.
"Do you mind if I leave early? No pay required. That story should cover it."
Singed regarded him with a cool, unreadable look.
"Your work so far has been satisfactory," he said with a nod. "Do as you please."
Crane smiled.
"You recover fast from a scare. But worry not—I'll be helpful on other days too."
With that, he slipped out the door, leaving nothing but silence in his wake.
————————————
—Elsewhere, in Jayce's quarters—
Heimerdinger sat across from Jayce, hands curled over a blueprint. His whiskers twitched in concentration.
"I've been reviewing these designs," he said thoughtfully, "and the more I look at them… the more intrigued I become by that Jonathan boy."
Jayce let out a short chuckle, folding his arms.
"Yeah. He's… unusual. Smarter than I gave him credit for when we first met."
Heimerdinger tilted his head.
"Do you think he might be commissioned to assist with other projects? Not that I wish to steal him from you, of course. You two are partners, in a sense."
Jayce nodded slowly.
"He's capable, no doubt. Could probably handle more than just that one assignment. But…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"In his eyes, I saw something else. Not just intelligence. Ambition."
Heimerdinger nodded in agreement, tapping a hand against the blueprint.
"Yes… a desire to prove himself. Perhaps to leave a mark."
He sat back, contemplative.
"When the next academic term begins, I think I may enroll him. See where that mind of his takes him."
————————————
—Somewhere in the Undercity—
A gang of kids picked through scrap piles, gathering bent rods, busted gears, and panels warped by rust.
Ekko crouched beside Powder, both sorting metal with purpose. Vi and the others weren't far behind.
"So, can anyone explain why we're picking up trash again?" Mylo asked, holding up a cracked clock. "Is this what we're doing now? Under-city clean up?"
Powder turned and frowned at him. "It's not trash. Me and Ekko are just making his roundy-thing safer."
She gave an approving nod. "Yeah. That's it."
She glanced at Ekko. "Hey, why didn't you name it yet?"
"I did," Ekko said, scooping up some copper wire. "You just didn't like it when I called it the Sphereinator."
Powder stared, then snorted. "Wait—you were serious about that? I thought you were joking!"
Vi grinned as she hefted a chunk of sheet metal. "Doesn't matter what it's called. If it keeps you guys safer, I'm in. No questions asked."
Suddenly, Claggor straightened, his head tilting. "Hey—do you hear that?"
Everyone paused. Vi raised a fist instinctively, scanning the shadows.
A few seconds of silence.
Mylo glanced around, frowning. "I dunno. Maybe you're hearing things, man."
"I could've sworn I heard—" Claggor began.
"Everyone quiet down," Vi snapped.
A faint sound drifted from a nearby alley—soft, lilting, and strange.
"Here I come gathering nuts in May,
nuts in May, nuts in May…"
The voice was getting louder.
Closer.
"Here I come gathering nuts in May,
on a cold and frosty morning…"
Everyone froze.
Claggor and Mylo gripped scraps of metal, ready to swing if needed.
Ekko and Powder ducked behind two jagged plates, holding them like makeshift shields.
Vi raised her fists, ready for a fight.
Then—out from the alley—stepped Crane.
He was humming the rest of the rhyme to himself, holding a bag in one hand.
Calm. Unbothered.
He looked at them.
Tilted his head.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Everyone slowly relaxed.
Mylo and Claggor dropped their scraps of metal.
Ekko and Powder let out a breath, lowering their makeshift shields.
Vi kept her eyes on Crane as she lowered her fists. "We're looking for scraps. What does it look like?"
Then she added, squinting at him, "What about you? You spying on us or something?"
Crane's eyes widened. He shook his head quickly. "What? No. I'm just taking a shortcut. And why would I spy on you?"
Vi narrowed her eyes. "You showed up right after we met you. And then again. And again."
That made everyone pause.
"…You know what? Yeah," Mylo said, frowning. "How come we never saw you before?"
Crane blinked. Then shrugged. "I used to live in a worse part of the undercity. Honestly? This area's kind of nice."
Mylo scoffed. "Yeah, I heard there are places down there crawling with lunatics."
Vi narrowed her eyes. "Still doesn't explain why we keep running into you more than anyone else."
Crane smiled.
"Oh, that's because I am following you."
.
.
.
Powder's eyes went wide. "Whoa. Unexpected."
"Unexpected indeed," Ekko muttered.
Vi, Claggor, and Mylo just stared.
"…Huh?" Mylo said.
Vi's confusion shifted into caution. Her fist came back up, slow and steady.
"You think that's funny?" Vi asked, her tone flat, guarded.
Crane tilted his head, smile still unbothered.
"I'm not joking."
He raised a hand, fingers curling into exaggerated air quotes.
"After I 'lost' my fight against you, I decided to follow you."
Ekko coughed. "Wait—you lost? You told me you won!"
Powder grinned. "Why would you ever think Vi would lose?" She shook her head like it was the dumbest idea she'd heard all week.
Claggor muttered, "So… revenge?"
Vi turned to Crane sharply, fist tightening.
"That what this is? You followed us for payback?"
Crane shook his head, soft and slow.
"I don't want revenge," he said.
His eyes met Vi's.
"I want you."
———————————
Sleeping without a fan should be blasphemy.