Griff and Tau exited a classic car into a parking lot at dusk. As Griff pulled out a wine-shaped bag from the back, he bemoaned of how the car used to sound, before being converted to electric. Tau’s agreeable nods conveyed a conversation he’d already experienced many times. Griff followed Tau out onto the street while the sun set. They made their way along a middle-class neighborhood with apartments and a few small stores lining the street. Several times store owners attempted to give Tau food or strike up a conversation, to which he would politely decline after introducing Griff. Soon, they made their way up some stairs into an apartment building. The building had a simple, modest quality to it, not particularity nice nor shabby.

“Sorry about that, sir,” Tau said. “Our neighborhood can be a bit overbearing, but they’re good people.”

“You spike their water supply or somethin’?” Griff discarded a cigarette butt into a can they passed as they ascended. Tau slowed in confusion. “Never seen a pig so liked. I’ve been spit on more times than I care to remember.”

“Ah. Well…”

“Easy,” a woman’s voice said from above. “He doesn’t talk down to everyone, for one, like pigs love to.” Griff and Tau reached the floor. A pregnant middle-aged woman stood halfway out an apartment door, with one hand holding a see-through measuring cup of some spice. “And the foolish boy ensures this’ the safest street around, patrollin’ late hours like some damned alley cat.”

“Good evening, Marcia,” Tau said. She gestured to him. They had a slight embrace and kissed each other on the cheek. “Everything well?”

“As well as they can be, being part-whale.” Marcia chuckled. “Ran out, so just borrowed some from Jasmine. Thank her again.” She gestured the cup.

“Of course.” Tau flashed a smile.

Marcia looked to Griff. “Usually pigs don’t call themselves pigs, but this boy keeps too busy to have friends, who’re you?”

“Oink, Ma’am.” Griff gave a gentlemanly nod.

Marcia laughed. “Heh. I like you.”

“I should’ve introduced you both,” Tau said. “Griff, Marcia, our wonderful neighbor. She’s helped Jasmine and I a lot. Marcia, Griff, my senior detective and partner.”

Marcia opened her mouth until a beep rang from her apartment. “Ack. Always the flatterer. These’re for Sunday, don’t forget Tau dear. Gotta go. Watch over Tau, Griff.” She shot Griff a glance. “You have a nice night now.” The door closed as she moved with surprising speed.

“Spry one, ain’t she?” Griff asked.

“Yes, very. She helped us with Jake in the early days and many other couples here, too.” Tau moved toward a door. “She’s finally getting one of her own after trying for a long time with her husband. We’re pretty happy for them.”

“Seems loud, but a far cry better than mine. Pretty sure fucker’s stolen some delivery boxes.”

“Why not set up a camera or something if you really think that? That’s a serious offense.” Tau opened the door.

“Eh.” Griff shrugged as he followed.

Tau’s apartment looked simple and pristine, yet had a welcoming atmosphere.

“That you, Tau?” a woman’s voice called from another room.

“Yeah, Jaz,” Tau said.

“Sorry but, work emergency. I had to put Jake to bed early. He’s got practice in the morning. Could you make sure he’s asleep? And welcome, Griff. I hope to be done with this mess soon!”

“Apologies, sir, please have a seat. I’ll be back.” Tau gestured to a table with food on it, then disappeared into a hall.

After a brief time, Tau returned and apologized again before getting glasses for the wine Griff had brought. Jasmine urged they start without her. They ate in relative silence, sipping at the wine. About halfway through their plates, a young woman appeared alongside Griff before he noticed.

“It wasn’t cold, was it?” Jasmine asked. Griff stood up, a bit startled, to face her. Tau then stood.

“It’s been fine, Jaz,” Tau said.

“Just ‘fine’?”

“You know what I mean. Griff, this is my wife, Jasmine.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Griff.” She reached out her hand.

“The fuck, Tau?” Griff asked, startling the other two. He shot Tau a glance. A grin crept over his face as Jasmine exchanged a worried look with Tau. “If you’d told me your wife was such a looker, I’d have come a lot sooner.” He reached for her hand, pulled it close, then kissed it. She softly chuckled, followed by a smile. He withdrew.

“Tau warned me of your behavior around ladies.”

“How d’ya like my icebreaker? Was the kiss too much? Always a bit of a gamble. Some ladies like it. Some not so much.”

“Oh really? I’m fine with it.” Jasmine gestured they sit.

“Let’s just say I’ve been called a creep and slapped more than once.” Jasmine laughed, as did Tau, albeit he tried to stifle it. “So, you do laugh.” Griff looked at Tau.

“Mr. serious’ tongue’s probably been loosened by the wine.”

“I see.”

“I’ll admit, you startled me for a moment with your ‘icebreaker’. Didn’t know what to think.”

Griff chuckled. “Truthfully, I was gonna do it even if you weren’t so pretty.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Not sure how to feel about that. It’s a shame you couldn’t meet our son, and my delay.”

“No big deal. Not fond of kids, anyway.”

“Knowing Tau, he didn’t try to strike up any conversation. How don’t you like kids, though? Jake’s pretty great.”

“Most parents think that. Well, they should, at least. Let’s just say getting beat up by a young girl can sour you on brats.”

“Well, now you have to explain.”

“Heh. Maybe another day for that tale.”

The trio ate together in earnest whilst sipping wine, then beer once they’d run out. Jasmine guided the conversations between them, prodding Tau to speak more. He slowly did; his speech grew less and less formal. Griff shared some random anecdotes and stories. Jasmine tried to explain what she did as a programmer, working from home, to which neither man really understood when she boasted of solving the recent emergency. Once the meal wound down, Griff wanted a smoke. Jasmine directed him to their balcony. He left as Tau cleaned up.

“I’m going to check in on work.” Jasmine pointed to the balcony. “Go on, now. Here’s your chance. You can have one.” Tau nodded, and they kissed before he went to stand by Griff outside. Griff’s cigarette already had lost a third.

“Mind if I bum one?” Tau asked.

Griff turned to him in surprise, then offered the pack. “Since when do you smoke?”

“Did in my dumbass years. Keep it to a few a year only now.”

“You calling me a dumbass?”

“Uh, no, I—.”

“Just fuckin’ with ya. Course smokers are dumbasses. We accept the risk.” Griff glanced over Tau as he lit the cigarette and gave him a hard pat. “Thought you’d loosened up a bit tonight. You’re back to looking annoyingly tense.”

Tau coughed, following an inhale and the pat. “Aight. Grifff, here’s the thing.” His words slurred some. “’sides Jaz wantin’ you here, I’ve anotha ult…ulttt—.”

“Ulterior?”

Tau snapped his fingers at Griff triumphantly. “That. Motive. Y’see, I wanted ya ta understand where I’m comin’ from. Jaz’s advice. She’s tooo good for me.” He shook his head. “They assigned me to ya to spy, but I want ya to know I dun’t give a fuck bout the brass, hear me? I know yer legit. Ya need to get I’m legit, too.” He stood at attention as he looked at Griff, who casually puffed at his cigarette while gazing at the city view. “Need ya ta hear me, aight?”

“I’m listening.” Griff gave a dismissive wave. Guy sounds like someone else entirely all of a sudden. I’m curious.

“That dumb bitch.” Tau pointed into his home. “Fell for a dumbass piece of trash.” He slapped his chest a few times. “We from same ‘hood. I was part of the thirty-second street killers. Real fuckin’ original, I know, embarassin’ to even say that shit aloud, but they long been swallowed up, anyway. When she pregnant, I didn’t bitch out, but I didn’t leave the gang neitha. Then when I was out bangin’, Jaz got jumped for some fuckin’ groceries. Groceries. I was lucky they didn’t have any blue. That woke me up.”

Blue? Ah, right, that was slang for Excalium-edged weapons before ‘transarms’. Maybe still is? Eh, Griff thought.

“Wasn’t easy, but I got out and got us away.” Tau rambled about joining the police force. He conveyed how much he wanted to protect his family, all while taking swigs of his beer. His speech at times became incoherent. Griff went through a few cigarettes. When Tau stopped talking, Griff looked over.

“Listen, kid, I ain’t been withholding much from ya. I—.” Griff realized Tau had passed out. Jasmine came out onto the balcony.

Jasmine sighed. “This dumb bitch does like to think she sensed this Tau all along.” Jasmine gently ran her fingers through Tau’s hair. “Could you do me a favor, please, Griff?”

“Maybe?”

“Don’t bring up how he’s been talking. It’s become a complex of his, leaving behind that hood speak. He worked really hard to stamp it out. It’s why he’s such a lightweight now.” Jasmine grabbed the beer and took a swig. “Alcohol loosens him too much.”

“Sure does. Was kinda nice at first, not hearing that nonstop politeness. Sure became gibberish though as he went on.”

“I’m hoping he won’t remember. He was real nervous about tonight. He thinks you’ve been keeping him in the dark, only letting him know enough. That you don’t trust him. If that wasn’t clear, from his rambling.”

“Yeah, I got that much.”

“Whether or not that’s true, he has talked highly of you. So I hope at least you understand his loyalty is to protecting others, above anything else. I know that’s what he wanted to really get across.”

“Hmm.” Griff took a drag.

“Truthfully, I’d rather him quit the force. Worst, he patrols the area even though this is a safe neighborhood in the first place; it’s not like we’d be able to live here off his salary. Oh. Sorry.”

Griff laughed. “Nah, painfully true. Doesn’t take being a detective to realize you’re the money. If I can’t make heads or tails of a job description, they’re probably making a lot more than me.” They shared a laugh together. “Least the guy recognizes you’re too good for him, ay?”

“Mmm.” Jasmine brushed Tau’s hair.

Meanwhile, in Reina’s basement room, Yuna groaned as she passed a preoccupied Reina-cat. She followed a gesturing Dante into his room.

“I said sorry, didn’t I?” Yuna asked. “I don’t feel like doing ALTR crap.”

“Just trust me, alright?” Dante asked.

“I don’t trust you to be nice without an ulterior motive.”

“Fair. I do have one. But you trust Reina, right?”

“Grr.”

“You know her, working up to the last minute. She’ll come soon as I confirm the setup.”

Dante guided Yuna to an ALTR chair. Its superior quality would be apparent to anyone comparing it to the one he’d been using, which laid dormant nearby.

“Well, it’s more comfortable, at least.”

“Heheheh.” Dante had a mischievous excitement to him.

“Reminder that if you pull any avatar nonsense again, I will hit you hard. There won’t be an apology.”

A short time later, in the ALTR dojo Dante had brought Yuna prior, a decrepit old man with a long gray beard bounced on their feet. He stretched and made loosening gestures as they moved to one side of the area. He then sprinted forward, followed by several gymnastic flips and springboards down the length of the dojo. He twisted and turned his body with superb control until culminating in an extensive spinning backflip. He landed effortlessly, then shadow boxed before catching his appearance in a wall mirror. The athletic Dante approached. The old man shot him a glare.

“Dammnnn, Yuna,” Dante said. “Guess being able to do that stuff IRL really translates.”

“Alright, this’ pretty fuckin’ insane. It’s like I’m controlling my actual body, maybe better.”

“See? I told ya. And your sync rate’s already maxed. Crazy. If I try stuff like that, it just really doesn’t work as well.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get why you’ve wanted your stuff back so much, but.” The old man gestured at themselves. “I warned you.”

Dante made a pleading motion. “Hold on, I’m not messing with you this time, I swear. That’s my avy for Mortal Fighter. A lot of people go for cute animal boy/girls, ripped solider types or just generally attractive avys. So, I went the opposite. Trust me, it’s pretty damn funny watching an old dude whoop ass.”

“If I choose to believe you, why though?” Yuna looked at her wrinkled hands.

“My motive, aandd two birds, one stone. I’ve hit a wall in Mortal Fighter. Always lose to this stupid fox boy.”

“‘Fox boy’?”

“You know, just a young boy with fox ears and a tail, real cocky sonuvabitch. Infuriating.”

“Don’t you have avys like that?”

“Yeah… was hoping you forgot and it might annoy you.”

“Not really.”

“Fine. Anyway. Point is, he’s one of the top fighters in the world. Meanwhile, you’re super… not pleasant IRL right now. But with my ALTR, you can unleash Yuna. Maybe even stronger than the real life one. Have the fight you wanted with my brother, but probably better!”

“Well…” Yuna watched herself shadowbox in the mirror as the old man. A grin crept along her face, growing as she sped up more and more. I’ve felt so fucking restless. Can’t figure out why. Thought I’d feel better after beating down Nero, which didn’t happen, of fucking course. Still won against The Legion, but it barely means anything? I’d wanted those credits for Reina after all…

Reina approached, glancing between them. “Yuna?” Reina laughed.

Yuna stopped, then nodded, still grinning. “I get it.” She turned, then jogged toward the laughing Reina. “Hug?”

Reina backed away. “What? No.” Yuna opened her arms for an embrace and playfully chased a fleeing Reina.