In the days that followed the incident, hundreds of people flocked to the 1st Fleet facility from all over the world, Phaetons and Living Ones alike. Since it had been at the center of that gargantuan Exhaust formation, everyone who was curious about what had happened naturally went there to search for answers.

What’s more, the dry spell had mysteriously returned. So the Phaetons, having nothing better to do, dedicated their time to assisting all the new visitors and sharing gossip about the goings on. It was a regular carnival.

At the center of the festivities was Ten, who stood in the field and preached to anyone within earshot about ‘all that she’d learned’.

“This is the beginning of a new age,” she would say. “The days of fighting desperately to keep death at bay will soon be over. We will all be able to live…effortlessly.”

She drew large crowds. No one was really sure what she was talking about: she spoke in vague terms, and she was careful not to mention her own involvement in the events she described. But all of that just added to the intrigue.

Hundred ran laps around the field and watched Ten intently, thinking.

The other high-ranking Phaetons had mixed responses to Ten’s current behavior. 86 had made light of it, and 1225 had done the same (albeit with a slight hint of concern in her voice). 911 was unsure how to feel, and Fifteen seemed deeply disturbed. 404 seemed almost angry.

From those reactions, Hundred gathered that this, too, was nowhere near Ten’s original personality, whatever it had been. She herself was simply waiting for more clues. Trying to figure out what was going on in Ten’s mind was not a new task for her.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist from behind.

Hundred immediately turned around. Ten was standing behind her with that ever-present grin on her face.

She released her arm. “You never did know how to relax, Hundred. There isn’t any Exhaust right now. Why are you training?”

“Unused muscles will only get weaker with time,” Hundred replied. “We don’t know how long the Exhaust is going to stay away, so we should be prepared for it to return at any moment.”

“Should we?”

“It’s our purpose.”

“What will our purpose be when the Exhaust is gone forever, then? Have you thought about that?”

Hundred looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the crowd of eager listeners that Ten had broken away from. They were all staring and murmuring, probably wondering what she was doing and whether they should be listening to it, too.

Embarrassed, Hundred turned and began jogging away. “Just go back to your performance,” she said.

“Wait; I wanted to ask you for a favor,” Ten called after her.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Hundred reluctantly stopped.

Ten caught up to her and looked directly into her eyes. “Will you cut my hair?” she asked.

+++

A few minutes later, the two Phaetons were stationed in front of one of the washroom mirrors. Hundred tentatively held a pair of scissors. “I’ve never done this before…” she said.

“What are you nervous about? It’s just cutting hair. I don’t need anything fancy.” Ten ran her fingers through her long auburn locks. “I’m not quite sure how short I want it, though…”

“Shouldn’t you have decided that before you asked me??”

“I know, I know. For now, just go for your length.”

Hundred measured her own hair, holding it against her chest. Then she began to snip.

“…You’ve changed a bit, Hundred,” Ten mused.

Hundred didn’t reply.

“You’ve still got that poker face, of course,” Ten continued. “And you’re still so quiet. But somehow, it seems like…like you’ve got glitter underneath your skin.”

Hundred couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, there’s something more energetic about you now. You seem…content.”

Hundred remembered her flame. She decided that was too personal to explain to Ten. “I’ve learned to like it here,” she said simply.

“I’m sure you have. I heard they wanted you to be the new Point captain.”

“…I didn’t accept.”

“No, it’s okay! It doesn’t bother me. If I had to pick anyone to be my replacement, it would have been you. Besides, there isn’t a need for that kind of thing anymore.”

Hundred stopped snipping. “How’s that?” she asked, brushing off Ten’s shoulders.

Ten looked at herself in the mirror, turning and posing. “Shoulder-length does fit the new me,” she said finally. “But…I kinda miss the chin-length I used to wear…”

She turned to Hundred. “Do you think you could cut it in a slant? So I can have both lengths at once.”

Hundred shrugged and raised her scissors once more.

Ten settled back in her chair. “…You know, I only asked you to do this because I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” she said. “Alone.”

“…Why?”

“Because…well, first let me say that I WAS jealous of you before. Very jealous, and also generally depressed. I apologize for that. But now that I’ve had time to reflect on the brief time we spent together, I realize that you are…a formidable Phaeton.”

Hundred couldn’t help but blush. She looked down, hoping Ten didn’t catch a glimpse of her red face in the mirror.

“I mean that,” Ten continued. “You’re creative, driven; not afraid to walk your own path. And you’re discreet. It’s difficult to tell exactly what you’re thinking…or just how much you know.”

“In short,” she finished, “I think you’re just the kind of person I need.”

Hundred stopped snipping again. “…Need for what?” she asked tentatively.

“Some people are afraid of change. They’re afraid of losing control. By extension, they’re afraid of me.” Ten smiled. “Have you seen 404 around lately?”

Hundred slowly shook her head. Even though there were Living Ones all around, and it was traditionally the Management Phaetons’ job to interact with them, 404 had been suspiciously absent. No one even knew where to look for her.

“She’s undoubtedly trying to get a handle on this situation somehow,” said Ten. “Maybe teasing her about “clearance” was going a little too far…anyway, I’d really appreciate it if you could…mediate for the two of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“To tell you the truth, I’m a bit scared of her, too…but if I asked her what she was up to, she’d probably just get hostile. I was hoping you could ask her, and maybe try to reason with her if it turns out to be something…bad.”

Hundred was silent for a moment. She had never known Ten to be ‘scared’ of anyone. And what could a 5-Gear Point possibly have to fear from a Management Phaeton?

If Ten was trying to manipulate her, she wasn’t trying very hard. Which left the possibility that she wasn’t trying to manipulate her, and that 404 was capable of things that she simply wasn’t aware of.

In the end, Hundred decided to give Ten the benefit of the doubt. “…I guess I could try,” she said. “But I don’t know where 404 is.”

“In the meeting room, there’s a door in the corner marked ‘Staff’. I’m sure you’ll find her somewhere behind it. Just use your sword to cut through the lock.”

Before Hundred could protest, Ten stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said, flipping her freshly cut hair. “You won’t get in any trouble. Trust me.”