Growing up, I would see people in American TV shows punch through walls and, not knowing Americans build their houses out of paper mache and duct tape instead of actual building materials, twelve-year-old me, of course, decided to do the same thing in front of my jr. high school class. Part of me would like to organize a class reunion again today, just so I could actually punch through a proper brick wall and then ask them if they would like to keep laughing at me for breaking my hand back then.

-- Foxfire

I walk around the undercity, still in a bit of a daze. I mean, the shield being used by a Samurai isn't likely right, not with the corporation having excess to Samurai tech now. But the seed has been planted, and now I can’t unthink the possibility. Even, if in this case, it is not caused by a samurai; how many disasters out there in the world are caused, or are about to be caused, by Samurai?

“You should watch your step. You’re about to walk into a building,” a voice in my head warns me.

I pause in surprise, glaring at the offending wall covered in posters of a bar with an almost naked serving girl. “Thanks.” I mutter under my breath.

“You know there is not much point worrying about it; it is not like we can be the Samurai police.” Maniac says, in a tone that makes it all sound like a joke.

“And why can’t we?” my annoyance now being thrust entirely at her.

“Because if we want to police them, we would have to be perfect or near perfect. Even though the protectors might think that our situation isn't weird, I doubt that most of the world would think the same.” For some reason, when she says that, it makes it sound like we are the only normal ones in this world, and the rest of it is crazy.

“So what should we do then?” I ask as I keep walking further into the undercity. honestly, this undercity is not as bad as what I would have expected hearing the stories. Sure, the people don’t look all that rich, and there is basically a brothel on every corner, but it lacks the violence and brutality you would expect from such a place.

“We stick to our morals or code, whatever you want to call it. We are part of PsyCo, and they are people we can trust, so we should definitely listen to them as well. We don’t have to make every decision alone.”

“What about other samurai?” I ask, coming back to the idea that this place might have been set up with the power of a samurai.

“Well, if they do something we are morally opposed to, we talk to them.”

“And what if they don’t listen?” I say, looking around for a place that is a bit more private to have this conversation.

“Then we either ask for help from other samurai organisations to take them down, or we take them out ourselves.” Maniac says, sounding like she much prefers the second option.

“Isn’t that kind of wrong?” I have heard of conflicts between samurai before, but as far as I know, they never really turned bloody.

“Maybe, but we live in a broken world, and we are tasked to help it, not to give a good example.” Maniac says without any emotion, as if she has given up on the world at large already.

I give up on finding a good location at street level, instead teleporting up to the top of a building. “That sounds kind of tyrannical.”

“I mean, if we could talk stuff out, that would be great; but we live in a world where the difference in power is somewhat astronomical at this point.” She says, but I don’t really feel she is convinced. Deep in our mindscape. I can feel her just sulking on the couch, the problem bothering her just as much as it does me.

“So the strong rule the weak?” I ask, feeling a bit weirded out by the conversation.

“Uhm, fuck, maybe. I don’t know. I'm not good at this stuff. You do the thinking. I do the punching. I thought we had that worked out.” I feel distress wash over me but not my own; it is Maniac’s distress coming back to me.

“I don’t want that. You are smart in your own way, and I don’t want to yank you around like an attack dog. You’re my sister, and I think your opinion matters.” I say, smiling at her as I am balance myself on the edge of a building.

“Thank you.” I feel warmth and closeness radiate from Maniac. That makes me smile involuntarily.

“But I'm not good at these kinds of things.” she admits.

“Neither am I. That is why we have to learn, and I would like it if we came up with a plan together, so what's your idea?”

“I would say, if it is an immediate threat, we act with aggression, and if it is not immediate, we consult Glowstick on it.” Maniac says.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Magenta? What does she have to do with any of this?” I jump over to the next building, still amazed at my own strength.

“She is an internet personality. She understands people better than the both of us combined. If you really want someone who really knows all the facts, then asking her is way better than us knocking our heads together for a week.”

I nod. “Yeah, that makes sense. Fuck, we must be really homesick if we are starting to miss Magenta.”

“Yeah, well, she might be a bitch, but she is good at her job, and I think she is on our side.” Maniac breathes out loudly. “And we did watch her a lot when Foxfire was presenting with her.”

“Oh fuck, that was her. She used to be so small and scrawny; second puberty did her good.” I pause, spotting someone familiar walking on the street below. “You see that too?”

“I can see the exact same thing as you.”

I take a closer look at Skylar as she walks hand in hand with another girl. “You think they’re on a date?”

“Probably. She did say that she was going out with someone from this area, right?” Maniac says, leaning in closer.

I nod “Want to do some snooping?” Both Maniac and I have big grins on our faces.

“Just make sure you’re properly hidden.”

“Sure, sure, they will never know I'm here.” I say, as I teleport to the next roof.

I follow them around for the next few minutes, but nothing exciting happens. They stick to the main roads where the lighting is good. Just hanging unto each other, kissing sometimes when it is not that crowded, genuinely looking really happy.

“I kind of miss our girlfriends.” I say as I stare down at them.

“I can feel that, but we will see them soon.”

“Are you sure? I feel like this whole mess is not going to end any time soon.” I say, as I sit down on the edge of the roof, overlooking the two teens having fun.

Maniac stays quiet for a long while before answering “At the longest, we are here for a month, which sucks, but it is not the end of the world; we have people to protect.”

I nod in understanding. “That's for sure. What is the first thing you are going to do when you are out of here?”

“Well, that is an interesting question.” She takes a deep breath. “I want to say I would hunt down whoever put up the shield and knock some sense into them, or take a baseball bat and seriously remodel the fucking bitches face that got us into this mess in the first place; but honestly, I don’t really want to do any of that. I just want to go home to our place and hang out with the people we care about. Maybe check how much Cierra likes being on the bottom.”

“That would be interesting to watch for sure.” I say with a slight smile.

“Watching? You pervert!”

“Ihave your memories, asshole. It is not like I have a choice in the matter, so I might as well enjoy it.“

I can feel the smirk on her face from a mile away. “Talking about that, can I give you some pointers? You and Bubbles were cute, but so vanilla.”

My face starts to turn red at the memory. “No, you may not, not now, not ever.”

Maniac just shrugs. “Your loss. Anyway, what would you do when we get out of here?”

“Take a vacation for at least a week, hang out with Sam, play games, cuddle with my girlfriends, just relax.”

“That is a good idea, but make it a month. We don’t really have a job, and we deserve the rest.” she says.

“Sold! A month of vacation sounds perfect.” I say with a smile. “So, I have a question. Should I start calling you Melody?”

“I mean, maybe it is more of a name than Maniac is, but you know, call me crazy or something. I kind of like Maniac. It is a name I was sure was there to mock me, but I like it. It's mine, and no one can take it from me.”

“That makes sense, and honestly, I like it too,” I say, giving the maniac a mental pat on the back.

Just as I am enjoying this feeling of closeness, I notice something strange: people are quietly following Skylar and the other girl. It looks like Skylar has noticed it as well and is quietly freaking out. I sent her a quick text telling her that I am there, and that she should slowly start to walk home.

I slowly follow them across the roof, trying my best to figure out why these people are following her. Just before they reach the orphanage, they are stopped by an even larger group.

“So where do you lovely girls think you are going, all alone?” their leader asks. He is a small wiry man with some kind of prosthetic arm that looks more like a hammer than an arm..

“We were just going home, sir.” Skylar says, her voice a bit shaky.

“Oh, but it isn't safe out. Let me and my friends escort you home.” The man says.

“You don’t have to. The Saints have made the undercity safe.” the other girl cuts in, pulling Skylar in close.

“Pah, those saints just sit in their fancy towers all day doing nothing. Yesterday the aliens got inside the wall. It's only a matter of time before another breach comes and where would those Saints be then?”

“Right behind you.” I say as I teleport behind them, my mask half covering my face.

Suddenly, all the men whip around, aiming their guns at me. “Who the hell are you?”

‘Lyssa,I am going to need one of those shielding gloves or something, to keep the girls safe in case of a shootout.’

On it.

“Me? I'm a Saint. My name is Maniac.” I say, doing a little bow.

“There's no Saint going by that name here.” the man says, looking a bit unsure.

I just shrug. “I don’t owe you an explanation for my existence. Just let the girls go home and we can be civil about this.”

“I don’t think so.” the man says, sneering at me. “I don’t care for some hopped-up joy-toy playing hero.”

I sigh turning to Skylar and her friends “Girls I need you to close your eyes and cover your ears. This next part wont be pretty.”

The man comes even closer to me. “Don’t just ignore me, bitch! Don’t you know who I am?”

Instead of answering, I just punch the guy, sending him flying into his fellow gangsters.