SPECTRE

7| DATABASE FOUND

On top of a building nearly three kilometres away, I stared up at the stars.

I'd messed up.

I'd messed really, really badly.

First, I'd revealed my identity to a complete stranger. Then, I'd tried to make friends and offended that stranger.

How could everything have gone wrong so quickly?

Her eyes...her hair...her smile...

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a figure swinging across the rooftops towards me.

Wait, that wasn't correct.

There were ten figures following me.

Heart racing, I shot off and jumped onto the next building, grabbing a pipe and sliding down. I knew the city — I'd been traveling through the city for at least three years — and this district was secluded and generally crime-filled, not a district anyone would want to live in.

The poor, homeless and street gangs all had shelter in this particular district — the Betsubetsuno district, far away from the colorful neon lights of downtown.

I would be safe here — safe from rooftop-swinging shadows that were not cyborg according to my sensors, at least.

Criminals and gangs were easily defeated. Usually, most of them had more cybernetic parts than everyone else I had seen.

And I had seen a lot.

Suddenly, someone rushed past me, chased by the same shadows I had seen earlier.

Someone with a familiar messy ponytail of bright red hair.

Isla?

I ran with her, not wanting whoever was chasing her to get ahold of me, too.

"What on Earth are you doing?" I hissed, panting, as I ran beside her.

"I'm being chas — wait, Spectre?" she said in surprise, just as we ran into an alleyway, a high brick wall blocking our way.

I glanced at her. "No time to think. Grab me."

She turned pink. "Wait, what — I —"

I rolled my eyes. "Hold on tight."

Still blushing, she hugged me tightly across the waist and I shot my grappling hook, the hook reaching across the wall and landing just near the ledge on the opposite side of the wall — at least, that's where the approximate sound of the thunk was.

We were flung into the air, both of us landing on the other side.

I didn't press the button that would retract the hook. It would make too much sound, and the objective right now was to not be heard.

We heard footsteps sounding into the distance and both breathed a very audible sigh of relief.

Then I got straight to the point.

"What on Earth do you think you were doing?" I exclaimed.

She shifted her weight from foot to foot sheepishly. "Sorry, I noticed a few anomalies in the system in my daily hacking practice and knew it was you, so I went and found nine guys chasing me."

Nine guys.

OPTIS...

Or SHADOW?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"How do you make such accurate shots with the grappling hook? How the heck can you parkour like that?"

Isla's constant questions kept going, and I let a dissatisfied grunt escape from my mouth.

"Oops, sorry! Would you like to stay with us?"

I was a traveller. "No thanks."

She pouted. "We have really good food, though!"

That caught my attention. When I was jumping around from house to house unseen, well...it didn't leave much time for a good meal. My stomach rumbled at the thought of free, tasty food — maybe some dumplings, like Dad used to make. Mum wasn't good at cooking — she was the doctor, not the chef — but Dad was, and his dishes were delicious.

I nodded tersely. "Make sure I won't be seen."

Isla grinned eagerly. "Deal! Also, can you please teach me how to program a virus like yours?"

"What, OPTIS didn't teach you?" I muttered.

"Nope! I guess I wasn't talented enough. Oh well. You can teach me!"

She was acting like a 21st century female anime protagonist. Honestly.

We swung across the rooftops, and finally arrived back at her home.

Isla jumped into her room, beckoned me to come in, and told me to stay put while she went to get dinner.

The last I saw of her was her hair swaying behind her as she closed the door.