Sector B

36

Decha had spent a few days at the Agency, recovering from the injection of the drug that immobilized him for a brief time. The Science and Research team at the Agency took a blood sample from him to find out what the drug was.

Decha's arm still felt itchy, but it was more bearable than before. He went home to meet Jessica to go over plans for Rory's surgery. But he barely had the chance to make it down the hall toward his mother's office before a pair of black combat boots was shoved in front of his face.

He stopped right before walking into them and looked down. Rory was standing there with a confident smile plastered on her face.

"It looks like you have something to tell me." Decha didn't feel like asking her why she was holding his shoes while suspiciously grinning.

"Yeah, I made these, and I wanted you to test them." Rory was holding her latest invention. The boots were very similar in design to the ones Decha wore to complete his uniform. On the bottom was a vertical strip of white, made with the same material used for roller blades.

"You made me... boots?"

"Yes, but these aren't just regular boots. I've constructed them with polyurethane, and they're lighter in weight than your standard ones. It'll allow you to move faster."

Decha didn't like that she worked on another project when she was supposed to be resting, but he decided not to delve into that. "Why?"

Rory bit her lip and brought the boots down to her side. "The other day when you were attacked by POYO, it terrified me. I know you say you're trained for a serious battle, but it makes me uneasy when something I created was reprogrammed to hurt people. Or worse. I don't think I'd be able to go on if POYO killed you."

"Rory, that machine isn't—"

"Just Listen," Rory pressed her finger against his lips, cutting him off abruptly. "I looked at the footage. You were at a disadvantage because POYO is much faster. And I've thought about it. I want you to take that droid down. Don't hold back because it's something I worked hard to make. I realized that you've made a lot of sacrifices for me, so I want to repay you." Rory finished.

There was a long silence after her statement. Decha was sorting his thoughts, he didn't know how to respond. He snatched the boots out of her hands and gazed at them blankly. "You think too much. I'm starting to think your mind goes wild whenever I'm not around."

Rory blushed and looked away from him. In a way, he was right. She thought a lot about Decha in the last few days. So much that it was embarrassing.

"So are you just gonna stand there or teach me how to use these things?"

Rory's eyes lit up with joy. Her change of reaction briefly startled Decha. "I'll teach you."

"Outside." Decha turned and walked in the opposite direction of where he was originally headed. Rory followed Decha out the front door of the large home. He led her to the open driveway and took off his regular boots. "Does it work on all roads?"

"It should."

"It should? You should know as the inventor."

"I do. Sort of. They work very similarly to rollerblades. But I made them light so your speed is increased. I also constructed the strip while thinking of the Cheetah. They're very fast—"

"You don't have to give me animal facts."

"Right. But they work very similarly to the way it runs. Stretch your legs far with each step, and your speed will increase. To activate the strips, tap the small button on the front of the boots with your toes facing the ground."