Fourteen twelve pm. Room 2-3-R.

Here lies a girl at her desk snoring like it was her own bed. Ash white hair glistening over her caramel skin like the fresh coat of snow of the first snowday after a long dry and desolate summer. The white bear's fur coat draped over the girl’s head as if it were protecting her as she listlessly slept the day away.

Swoosh! The door gently slid open, followed by the steps of an adult. Despite her curiosity, she went back to sleep when the adult came closer to her.

Plip. From what she could tell, they placed a metallic object on her table, then a lid lifting off of a metal box. Suddenly a salty meaty explosion of smell so enchanting that she jumps up.

Her eyes meet with a meatball pasta dish dancing in front of her, seducing her into devouring it without hesitation.

“Consider this a peace offering. I just want to talk.”

“Names Kyrie, by the way.”

“I knew that.”

“Sure, ya did.”

The decadent meal held such an overwhelming hold on her she had completely forgotten about the person standing beside it. When the girl looked at the man, she immediately eyes his matching blue scarf and gloves with envy.

“Gimme that.” She points.

“Absolutely not.”

“Darn.”

“Has that ever worked?”

“More often than you’d expect.”

“Really?”

“Yuppers.”

This was the first time she’d ever met him, but at a glance she could tell that he carries himself oddly. She really couldn’t describe it, but he was off. Like his smile, his posture, and even the words he spoke seem like an act.

“I could’ve poisoned that food, you know.”

“Eh,” she shrugs, “I’ve eaten poison. This ain’ it, chief. Speakin’ of which, what was that?”

“My daughter made it and more leftovers at our home if you’re willing to listen to my proposition.”

“Hmmm.”

“See, nothing nefarious. I just want to discuss something with you.” Pulling a chair and sitting in front of her.

“Then discuss away.”

He hands her a napkin, and she wipes her mouth with the napkin and hands it back to him. After taking it back, she noticed he didn’t reel with disgust, just stuffing it in his coat pocket resuming the conversation.

“When did you get back?”

“Yesterday.”

“That’s quite the coincidence.”

“Yuppies. And?”

As he spoke, she knew the man was examining her from head to toe.

“Where have you been?”

“Places.”

“Is that so?”

“That it is.”

This was the first time she’s ever met this man, but she knew who he was.

A creature posing as a man wearing a thousand faces and millions of titles, ally too few and foe to masses.

But to her none of that matters because to her; he is a person she should feel anger or rage towards; and yet she couldn’t feel anything for him. Not anger, sadness, or even joy.

She just felt nothing for him.

“How did you survive up till now?”

Kyrie stays silent.

“Not talking, well just listen then. I have a proposition I believe you would be quite interested in.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She remains silent, but it piqued her interest with what he had to say.

“I want you to be an ally for my sweet girl, simply put. I need you to be my eyes, sword and shield that will protect her in my stead if I am not present. My girl wants a friend, but right now she needs a trusting ally by her side, and I am personally assigning you for that position. Of course, it comes with its fair share of benefits. Take shelter in our lovely home, eat as much as you need and all I ask is that you stay beside my precious little girl when she travels to and from school for the rest of this month until we leave for our vacation.”

Kyrie really didn’t see any drawbacks with his offer, but she could feel in her guts that she was missing essential information. It was not as if this man lies nor use anything as cowardly as deceit. She just felt like there was something important that was absent, but rather than think about it, she just bluntly asks him.

“Why? Ya knows who I am and what I could do to her, then why? I seriously doubt you trust me.”

“Correct! I don’t trust you.”

“Obviously.”

“Let’s just say I’m willing to take such a risk.”

Kyrie knew he knew she didn’t really care about the other girl. There was no reason for someone like him who cares so much about his kid to ask her for help. It was only going to add more trouble.

“Why the risk now? I know ya can handle her yourself. “

“I can’t say much about that.”

“Then forget about it.” Kyrie stood up out of her seat. “I don’t make deals with guys who play in shadows. All on the table or no deal.”

The man let out a sigh. “Fine, I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say that I’d rather manage things differently this time; you see; that girl is quite important to you as my daughter is to me. Or am I mistaken?”

“Who?”

“Black hair. Teleporter. A fond family member of your less than lively half.”

“Sophia!” Kyrie slams the desk. “If ya so much as touch her I’ll! I’ll!”

Snapping his finger. “Exactly! If I were to oversee the situation well, dreadful things would happen to those in my way and, as fun as that would be, I have an image to keep. So…”

“That’s where I come in. If I pretend to be her friend, Sophia won’t do somethin’ stupid like today and you stay retired.”

He snaps his fingers again with a faux smile etched on his face. “And there you have it. With you around, that child can’t or won’t do anything, be it my Ophi or you. So, I need you to pretend to be my baby girl's artificial friend for the remaining time this place has. After that, we can go our separate ways.”

“We both know I ain’ goin’ nowhere.”

“True as it may be, do we have a deal?”

“Where are they now?”

“On the rooftop.”

“That girl…”

This was the exact line of thinking she knew of this man. She had never met him in person, but in her gut, she just knew what kind of person he was.

To him, everyone else was a tool for his own use and it didn’t matter if they agreed or not because his focus was solely on the one he called his child. There wasn’t any room for Kyrie and this alone should make her feel saddened yet understanding of him. But in the end, no matter how much she tried to force a feeling out, she just couldn’t feel anything. She only saw it as a logical step that this man was taking and, on a level, she agreed with him. But something was bothering her about his reasoning, so again she asked the first question that popped into her mind.

“Why can’t you two leave now? I doubt you have any meaningful connections here, and it’d be easier for her to live in the Southern world. Am I wrong?”

The smile drops from his face for a moment then bore its way back. “Don’t worry about the trivial details. Do we have an agreement?” He extends his hand to shake.

There was something fishy there, but she wasn’t getting the answer, so she returned to it later.

Right now, she couldn’t argue with his logic. Being a cloak that protected his kid would be the best chance for that girl and her survival. Without an I.S.D to retrieve food pills along with the lack of any life outside of Progressia’s residents, a long-term shelter with resources to keep her afloat meant that as long as she remained with him it was the perfect solution to solve all those issues. Yet, as tempting as this deal was, Kyrie knew she couldn’t agree with this man. It wasn’t a question of whether she could, but one if she wouldn’t out of principle.

“Sorry, can’t do it.” She responds.

“May I ask why?”

She really didn’t have an excuse and her reasoning was even more stupid. Something that a child would earn the mockery from their peers and adults.

“Simply put, I can’t lie to someone that cute. So, I can’t pretend to be her friend.”

“Understandable, but you realize the consequences if you or anyone else get in my way.”

Kyrie heads towards the doorway.

“Whatever. Ya got yer answer.” As soon as Kyrie lost his sight at the turn, she madly dashes for the stairs, leaping up six steps at a time, scaling the stairs, a building ten stories high in less than ten seconds until bursting through the metal rooftop door with her shoulder.

She sees Sophia holding a concrete slab with an unconscious girl under her.

“What are ya doing Sophi? Y’know, this ain’ gonna end well if ya do things like that.” Sophia meets her gaze, then quickly averts her piercing glare. “Put it down and let’s talk it out.”

Sophia, still avoiding Kyrie’s gaze, clenches her fists and responds. “Why do you care? An imposter like you can’t poss—”

“This ain’ about me. Its ‘bout what yer gonna do to this little girl and what’ll happen when he catches wind of it. Put it down. Step away. Now.”

Sophia couldn’t respond. All she could do was face away from this person, gritting her teeth and, in her frustration, toss the slab to the ground.

“Sophia we ain’!” But before Kyrie finishes, Sophia disappears. “Finished.” Kyrie sighs. “Sophi, what am I gonna do with ya?”

She turns to the unconscious girl.

“What am I gonna do with her? I mean, I could leave her here and he will get her. Yup. He’ll always be there for her no matter what, so really it ain’ even my problem. A little cold couldn’t hurt anyone and he’s definitely nearby, so I won’t do anything. Yup. Definitely…won’t.”

The young girl shivers as another powerful gust of wind blows throughout the rooftop.

“Just go. She’s fine. Just. Just.”

Kyrie let out a long exhale, knowing the mistake she was about to make and still acting on it.

“Yeah, yer right. I guess it can’t be helped.”