Chapter 7: The Magus Defense Agency

“The Transit Train from Miami to Nexus will now be reaching its final stop at Mackenzie Central Station. Please remember to take your belongings and mind the gap.”

The intercom voice over alerted the passengers to the train’s last stop, with Layla nervously clutching the handle of her suitcase, as a new chapter of her life was about to begin.

Beside her was her Mother. A tall lady with long blonde hair covering one eye. She had the appearance of a proud, confident and glamorous supermodel, unlike Layla who just looked like a sweaty dork, by comparison.

She placed a comforting hand on her shaking daughter’s shoulder. “Are you okay, Layla?”

“Well… now that I’m here? I’m a little scared. If I wanted to come home from University I could just take the train, but now, I’ll have to cross an entire ocean.”

“Dramatic changes in life are always scary, but I’m positive you’ll do just fine. You’re my daughter after all and I didn’t raise you to be a quitter.”

“No way! I just… What if my coworkers don’t like me? What if they’re better than me, or stronger than me? What if I’m just a burden on them? I can’t come home this time… I’m on my own.”

“I had a few words with Mr. Quaero before letting you take this job. Apparently the other recruits are around the same age as you and just as inexperienced. You’ll all be starting at the same level. So, there’s no need to feel inadequate.”

“We’re all starting at the same level? That’s reassuring. But, I wish I could have seen Dad before we left. He always seemed to know how to calm my nerves…”

“You know how funny your father is about travelling. Being a famous hero makes him a magnet for trouble and unwanted attention.”

“I know, but I’ll miss him…”

Her mother suddenly scowled at her.

“I-I mean… I’ll miss you too, Mom! It’s just… you know…”

She sighed. “Yes… Abner always did the talking for both of us.”

The train came to a halt. The time had come for Layla to take her leave and journey into Nexus City, alone, with nothing but her two suitcases and directions to Magus Manor, where her new life awaited her.

“W-well, this is it.” Layla muttered.

“Hold on.” Her mother turned her around, fixing her hair and shirt, to ensure she looked presentable. “Layla. I know I don’t say this enough, so before you go, just remember. I’m rooting for you, sweetie. Me and your father.

I know, buried underneath that bundle of nerves and doubts is the wonderful, strong girl we raised. A loyal, kind hearted girl who’s only just beginning to tap into her full potential. You are the daughter of a great hero and a powerful healer, but most importantly, you’re the daughter of two very proud parents, who both love you very much.”

“Th-thanks Mom.”

“Now, go clean up this city. Show them what happens when they mess with the daughter of the great hero, MacKenzie-Ray!”

“Right!” She turned to the doors, ready to leave the train. “I’ll see you soon, Mom. Oh, and try to get Dad to come visit sometime, okay!?”

“I can only try, Layla. Take care.”

With that, Layla exited the train, as it soon pulled out of the station, leaving her completely alone.

She took a deep breath. Her next step was to head to Magus Manor, now known as the Magus Defense Agency. Layla pulled out her phone and used a map to find the location of the manor.

“Let’s see… the city is split into six major sectors. The rich suburbs of the southern Mackenzie District, the south western middle class suburbs of the Nuan District, the south eastern agricultural district of Enid, the inner city industry sectors of Millicent, the north eastern nature preserve of the Zahrah District and the poor, rundown, dingy alleys of the northern district of Veritati.

I’m in Mackenzie right now… and the Manor is located here too, so I’ll just zoom in on this area and… there it is! It’s a long walk, but I guess it gives me some time to look over the city.”

As she curiously walked through town, dragging her wheeled suitcases behind her, she looked over the area and was surprised by how peaceful it seemingly was. Being around midday she could hear children playing in the schoolyards, citizens having lunch together and people generally enjoying life.

“I thought Nexus City was supposed to be riddled with crime, but this area seems perfectly peaceful to me.”

She soon entered the very south of the district, into a wealthy neighbourhood. A suburb with large gardens and mansions surrounding a cul-de-sac. At the end of the luxurious street lay Magus Manor.

“What the-?”

Above the front gate was a crudely drawn sign. A large wooden arch with “Magus Defense Agency” sprawled across it.

“That’s… certainly an advertisement, alright.”

She pressed the button on the intercom at the gate. A screen flickered on, as she was greeted by a woman with black hair and a scar on her face.

“Yes?” She asked. “Are you one of the new recruits?”

“O-oh, yes. I’m Layla MacKenzie-Ray.”

“Hair’s a bit different, but your appearance otherwise matches the photo. Okay, I’m letting you in.”

The massive gates slowly screeched open, revealing the path through the large garden to the fountain and benches just outside the manor’s front door.

“We’re still making preparations on our end, so please wait outside with the others for now.”

“O-others?” Layla thought as she entered the garden. “Oh no… they’re already here? Oh no… what if they’ve already made friends? Oh no… what if I’m intruding on them? Oh no… what if I have to… mingle!?”

Fighting her nerves, Layla entered the courtyard and spotted three girls waiting outside. To her right was a short, green haired girl sitting on a bench, nursing a cup of coffee, staring into the distance in a daze. Lying on the bench to her left was a girl with long, black and red hair, reading a book and just beside her, kneeling down by a bush was a girl with long brown hair wearing a sunhat.

There was a tree just beside Layla, with suitcases leaning against its trunk.

“I guess I’ll just leave my stuff here.”

After leaving her belongings under the safety of the luggage tree, she awkwardly walked over to the girl reading on the bench to introduce herself.

“U-um, hi.” She stuttered.

The punk looking woman merely grunted, fixated on her book.

“Are you here for the job, too?”

“Yeah…” The punk sighed.

“Oh… yeah… me too… u-um, I’m Layla Mackenzie-Ray.”

“Neat.”

“Yeah… u-um, I use Light Magus and was a student at Shining Uni-”

“Hey, dipshit. Can you go be a sperg somewhere else? I’m reading.”

“O-oh, I’m sorry…”

Layla’s heart kicked into overdrive, she had only interacted with this person for thirty seconds and she had already embarrassed herself.

“Darn it. Why was I talking about myself instead of asking about her?” She thought. “I’m so stupid. Now she’s upset.”

Layla looked over at the girl happily staring at the flowers by the bushes.

“D-do you know what she’s doing?” She asked the punk.

“Nope.”

Layla called to the flower girl. “Excuse me! What are you doing over there!?”

“What the hell are you doing!?” The punk snarled. “Go talk to her over there instead of shouting in my fucking ear!”

“R-right! S-sorry!”

Despite embarrassing herself again, Layla tried to psych herself up. She wasn’t going to befriend anyone unless she was more direct with them. She headed over to the bush and knelt down with the flower girl.

“U-uh, what are you doing?”

“These flowers seem a little meek, so I’m healing the soil to make them feel better. Although, the only way they’ll fully recover is if they’re properly watered.”

“You have Healing Magus?”

“No, just Earth.”

“Oh wow. I’ve read about this technique, but I’ve never actually seen anyone use it in person.”

“Most people think Earth Magus is just hitting people with rocks, but it’s more than that. It’s about being one with the Earth itself.”

“Right… so, what’s your name?”

“I’m Elizabeth, but most people just call me Elle.”

“I-I’m Layla, but most people call me Layla.”

Layla’s stomach dropped like a rock, she couldn't believe what she just said, but thankfully Elle didn’t seem to notice. Layla hesitantly reached out for a handshake, which Elle happily accepted.

“Your hand is pretty sweaty, Layla.” Elle commented.

“Oh, i-it’s just really hot today. I’ve been living in England, so I’m not used to this heat.”

“Maybe you should wear a hat, that always helps me fight off the heat.”

“Maybe…”

Layla looked over at the punk, who hadn’t budged.

“Do you know the girl reading the book?” She asked Elle.

“She was the first person here. I think her name was Faye.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Not much. I only learned her name. She’s been reading that book ever since.”

“Book, huh?”

Layla returned to the punk, a little more confident now that she had successfully spoken to Elle.

“So, your name’s Faye?”

“Yep.” She answered, still lost in the book’s pages.

“Cool, I’m Layla.”

“You said that already.”

Layla laughed awkwardly. “Yeah… I did, didn’t I… so, what book are you reading?”

“Predator’s Paradox.”

“Is that an action story?”

“It’s about a guy working in a murderous pedophile ring who tries to get the ring shutdown, but ends up becoming their next target instead.”

“O-oh… that sounds… like a story…”

“A story I’d like to read without someone sweating all over me.”

“S-sorry… I’ll just… go over here…”

Layla assumed their interest in reading would help them bond, but the book’s harsh subject matter was far too uncomfortable for her to bear. She turned her attention to the girl sitting on the opposite side of the garden. Her face peered at the floor in what could only be described as bewildered focus.

“I can’t tell if she’s busy or bored.” Layla thought. “Well, I’ve already forced myself to interact with two strangers, might as well go for a third.”

She headed over to the green haired girl. “Hi, I-I’m Layla.”

The girl didn’t respond.

“Um, hello?”

Concerned, Layla snapped her finger in the girl’s face to break her out of her trance.

“Whu-?” She grunted, finally noticing Layla.

“I’m Layla, I just got here. Are you okay?”

The girl yawned, stretching her arms and legs, before taking a swig of her coffee.

“No.”

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“Sleepy.”

“I’m a little jetlagged myself.”

“Jetlagged? I just took the bus.”

“Oh? You’re from Nexus? Then why are you so tired?”

“I was up all night.”

“Doing what?”

“Shitposting.”

“Excuse me?”

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘shitposting’?”

“You know… shitting up threads with asinine posts designed to piss people off and derail their conversation until the thread devolves into a black hole of mindless shit flinging.”

“Threads…? Like, sowing?”

“Am I hallucinating? I’m talking about internet shit.”

“Oh, of course! Wait, you were up all night making fun of people on the internet?”

“Yep.”

“Wha-? Why?”

“Because it was funny.”

“I don’t- Why would-?”

There was a loud clap as the woman from the intercom had appeared outside.

“Everyone! Over here!” She ordered as the girls turned to her. “Grab your things. I want to do a quick roll-call before we begin the tour of the manor.”

She pulled out a piece of paper and read from it aloud, as the girls lined up before her.

“The Light User, Layla MacKenzie-Ray?”

“I’m here.”

“The Wind User, Winifred Brunhild?”

“Ugh.”

“I’ll assume that was a yes. The Fire User, Faye Fiammetta?”

“Yo.”

“The Earth User, Elizabeth Arbor?”

“Hello.”

“The Water User, Juanita Kaimana?”

There was no response.

“Miss Kaimana? Juanita? She’s still not here? How? She was the first person Akachi recruited, how could she possibly-”

A loud crash suddenly shattered the ground beneath them, as the girls dove away from the impact, with water briefly raining down upon them.

“Fuck!” Winnie cried, now wide awake. “What happened!? What’s going on!?”

Sitting in a circle of damp dirt was Juanita, complete with her own sunhat and suitcases, like she just arrived for a vacation.

“Hola, amigas!”

“Good lord!” Cried the intercom woman. “Where the bloody hell did you come from!?”

Juanita leapt to her feet and pointed behind her. “I leapt from the roof, over there.”

“Why did you do that!?”

“Because the gate was locked, silly.”

“Why didn’t you-? You could have just-? Forget it. You’re here, that’s all that matters. We can begin the tour now.”

“Shouldn’t we wait a minute?” Layla requested.

“What for?” The woman asked.

“I thought there were supposed to be six of us, but only five showed up. Shouldn’t we wait for the last person?”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, but there’s no need. I’m the sixth recruit. My name is Darma Melanie, the Dark Magus User.”

“You’re a Dark Magus User?” Faye questioned. “You don’t act like one.”

“And I intend to keep it that way. Now, let’s head inside. Akachi is waiting for us.”

Once they were at the front doors, Layla got a closer look at the manor and noticed its appearance was atypical of a wealthy mansion. It looked sleek and sterile, rather than rich and grand.

The inside of the manor had a similar aesthetic. Everything was white and sleek, looking more like a laboratory than a home. Standing in front of the stairs in the foyer was Akachi Quaero, the man behind the Magus Defense Agency. Their new boss.

“Hey there ladies! Girls! Gals!” He greeted them. “I’m not sure what to refer to you collectively as, yet.”

“Hello, Mr. Quaero.” Elle waved while the others examined the manor, skeptical.

“Well, at least one of you was kind enough to humour me. What are you all looking at anyway?”

“This isn’t how I pictured the manors in Mackenzie would look.” Winnie explained.

“Sí. Looks more sciency than fancy.” Juanita added.

“Care to fill them in, Darma?”

Darma pushed up her glasses and turned to her coworkers, ready to lecture them.

“In 2077, this city was nothing more than a flat crater, from when the Black Death was defeated a century ago. Although its body was completely vaporised, its power stained this land, but once the technology and funding became available a research facility was set up in the southern part of the crater to study the effects of the strange essence left behind by the Black Death.”

Faye was completely lost. “What does that have to do with-”

“After the research concluded, this manor, as well as others like it, were converted from these old research facilities, remodelled and repurposed into living spaces, becoming the Mackenzie District. So, if you’re wondering why this mansion looks like some research lab, that’s because it was.”

“A-and over time.” Layla added. “As the research project expanded and more people were brought on board, the area soon grew its own self-sustaining community and when the old research facilities were converted into mansions and leisure centers, it brought in massive tourism, especially from the rich, eventually expanding into the Nexus City we know today.”

“Hey, someone did their homework.” Akachi praised, as Layla blushed.

“Can you show us to our rooms already?” Faye asked. “I’m tired of lugging this suitcase around.”

“But, I haven’t even shown you the rest of the downstairs rooms yet.”

“There’s not much to show, Akachi.” Darma intervened. “To the left of the foyer is the living room and next to that is a storage room. To the right is the dining room and kitchen. The big room behind the staircase is a meeting room. Upstairs are guest rooms, Akachi’s office, and our rooms.”

“Just blew the wind right out of my sails.”

“You’re welcome.”

Akachi led the girls upstairs, opening a pair of large double doors to a lobby. The room was much more inviting than the sterile environment of the foyer.

It had a small kitchen to the left, with a cosy lounging area decorated with two sofas, a TV and chairs. The back of the room had a large window looking over the manor’s back garden. The kitchen was situated between three doors. Two to the left and one on the right, which was mirrored on the other side of the room. A total of six doors, leading to six rooms, perfect for the six new recruits.

“This, girls, will be your living quarters.” Akachi announced. “So, what do you think?”

“Oh, thank God. A sofa to pass out on…” Winnie expressed with relief.

“Mira esto!” Juanita cried. “We have a mini kitchen. With a stove and a fridge and cupboards and a coffee mug rack!”

“A little dusty, isn’t it?” Layla questioned.

“That’s nothing a little spring cleaning won’t fix.” Elle responded.

“Neat, but can we see our rooms already?” Faye asked.

“Oh, right.” Akachi replied. “Go ahead and pick one. The card key should be inside.”

“Card Keys? Muy sciency.” Juanita laughed.

“Yeah, well don’t lose it. Those cards ain’t cheap.”

The girls entered their rooms. Layla picked the one right near the lobby entrance by the kitchen, with Juanita living next door. Faye and Winnie chose to be neighbours in the rooms by the lounge, with Darma choosing the room at the end of the lobby, by the kitchen, with Elle in the room across.

Each room looked virtually identical. They were small, but cozy. With a bed, desk, closet, shelves and a door leading to a small, personal shower.

“Huh, so it’s just like student accommodation, back home.” Layla noted.

“Why do you have all these rooms in your manor, anyway?” Faye asked.

“These rooms all belonged to my colleagues during our research days.” Akachi explained. “Of course, they’ve all moved on and retired now.”

“Do you think they left behind any sciency equipment for us to find?” Juanita asked.

“Nah. I cleaned this place out years ago. They’re completely empty now.”

“I found this porno mag under my closet.” Winnie announced.

“Oh for god’s sake! Gimme that! Goddammit, Millicent! I should have known you had one of these still stashed away somewhere!”

Each of the girls made themselves at home. Layla, meticulously placing each of her books on her shelf. Winnie dumped her clothes in the closet, like a garbage disposal. Faye hung her outfits in order of least to most punk. Elle, set up pots on her shelves and windowsill, ready to fill her room with the beauty of nature. Juanita simply left her luggage in her room, too excited to waste time unpacking. Finally, as Darma had already arrived before them, her room was perfectly neat and tidy.

Once the girls were settled, Akachi called them to the lounge to discuss their work. They gathered together on the sofa, except Faye, who immediately claimed ownership of the big chair in the corner and Winnie, who found a bean bag to slump into. Darma stood beside Akachi, acting as second in command.

“Alright, ladies. It’s time I discussed how your workflow is going to, um… work.” Akachi explained. “At first I’ll focus on finding odd jobs for you to do around the city. Fighting low level thugs, like the ones Elle and Winnie already faced. This will help you get used to the job and gauge your performance. Of course, it won’t just be me sending you off on missions, we’ll also be open to accepting requests from the public.

When not on missions we’ll be hosting training sessions where you’ll spar together, working on learning each other’s fighting styles and improving your skills. You may be strong for your age, but you still need to learn how to make use of that raw potential and mold it into something more reliable and disciplined.

To briefly summarise: Fight low level thugs. Polish up on your Magus skills when off duty, oh and spread the word of the agency to those you help. Hopefully, with enough elbow grease, both you and our little defense agency will grow bigger and stronger, as we slowly clean up this city.”

“What about payment?” Faye asked.

“Well, being one of the founders of Nexus City and Magus itself, I’m pretty wealthy, so the profits will mostly go to you girls. Food, bills, weekly pay cheques. I didn’t set this place up to make a quick buck. I’m providing a much needed service.

“Weekly pay cheques. Got it.”

“How long will we be working here?” Layla asked.

“As long as Apathia are still around. So, who knows? Could be a few weeks, months, even years. Assuming you don’t quit.”

“When do we get time off?” Juanita asked.

“When you’re not on a mission. Training will be mandatory at first, but once I’m satisfied you girls have a firm grasp of your Magus, it’ll become optional.”

“Hey… is there a reason you only hired girls?” Winnie asked.

“Not really. Just sorta worked out that way.”

“Do we have any jobs we need to do today, Mr. Quaero?” Elle asked.

“I do have a laundry list of grunts that could use a good talking to, but right now I think you girls should focus on making yourselves at home. It’s gonna take me a few days to get my shit sorted out, so for now, I’ll leave you in Darma’s care.

In the meantime, why don’t you take the opportunity to get to know each other. You’ll be working together from here on out, so try to make friends.”

“Hold it!” Faye called. “Where’s Crystal?”

“I’ll make sure to find her new address and give it to you as soon as possible.”

“You better.”

“I’ll see you ladies, later. You’re in charge, Darma.”

With that, Akachi left the building.

“Now what?” Juanita asked, to the bewilderment of the others.

“I’m… not sure.” Darma replied. “We’ve got nothing but free time until Akachi returns.”

“Salgamos! I wanna see the Nexus Point! I heard it’s muy famoso!”

“The big tower?” Winnie responded. “Sure, why not? I can always waste my time playing video games later…”

Faye was less than enthused. “Do we have to go all the way out there? We’re in Mackenzie, there’s plenty of shit to do here.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Rich people stuff. Golf, croquet, the casino.”

“Lame! Boring and lame! So fucking lame!”

“Shut up, tiny tits.”

“You shut up, emo slut!”

“The fuck did you say!?”

Faye jumped out of her chair and confronted Winnie, with Winnie glaring back, standing her ground. She didn’t care if Faye was larger than her, she wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, in fact she got a kick out of seeing her so upset.

“Watch that fucking mouth of yours, shorty, or I’ll squash you like a cockroach.”

“What? With those big lesbian boots of yours?”

“At least I have some sense of fashion, unlike the store brand trash you’re wearing.”

“At least I don’t cake my face in goth makeup to hide my daddy issues.”

“You piece of shit!”

Winnie smirked, having just discovered a goldmine of amusement in Faye’s reactions.

Elle looked over to Layla, seemingly oblivious to the tension between them. “We have such lively coworkers, don’t we?”

“Y-yeah…” Layla could only laugh nervously, as the realisation of who she was working with slowly seeped in.

“That’s enough, you two!” Darma ordered as black tendrils wrapped around Faye and Winnie’s limbs, preventing a fist fight from breaking out. “Apologise! Both of you!”

“Fine. I’m sorry, Faye.” Winnie pouted. “That you’re such a fucking tool.”

Unimpressed, Darma lifted Winnie into the air, dangling her upside down.

“Faye, please be the adult and apologise, properly.”

“Fuck off.”

Faye was suddenly flipped upside down along with Winnie, peeking through her long hair like curtains.

“Hey! What the fuck are you-!?”

Faye’s rant was cut short when she saw Darma’s eyes suddenly change to a glaring white, that pierced straight to her soul. She had fought many Dark Users in Veritati, but Faye had never experienced such a terrifyingly fierce glare before. She didn’t know what beast lurked behind those eyes, but she didn’t want to find out.

“Listen to me you little hooligans! We’re supposed to be working together, not fighting each other! If you invoke one of your little pissing matches in the middle of a fight you’re going to get yourselves killed! You are not children! I do not want to be babysitting you because you can’t keep your own damn egos in check! Now apologise!”

“I… I’m sorry… there…” Faye muttered.

“Yeah… me too… sorry.” Winnie responded, equally as scared.

Darma returned to normal, dropping the delinquents on the floor.

“Good.” She smiled. “Now then… a bus to Nexus Point runs from here every thirty minutes, or so. I assume you all have money to pay the entry fees. Go grab whatever you think you’ll need for the journey and we’ll head to the bus station together.

And for God’s sake, try not to fight on the way…”

Exasperated from breaking up such a childish spat, Darma returned to her room.

“She seems nice.” Elle commented.

“U-um… were we watching the same scene?” Layla asked.

“Scene? Were they only pretending?”

“Nevermind…”

While Faye and Winnie refused to talk, Juanita grabbed both with one arm each, pulling them together for a group hug.

“I like you girls!” She laughed. “You’ve got alma!”

“You’re… choking me… ” Faye cried.

“What? Can’t I give my friends a hug?”

“Friends? We barely know each other.”

“So? It’s not like we need to wait around for time to pass. We’re friends now!”

“We are…?” Winnie questioned.

“Sí. It’s been so long since I’ve had amigas to go out with. You are coming, right?”

Winnie’s face turned beet red. She couldn’t remember the last time she went out with friends either. “Y-yeah… of course.”

“Excelente.” Juanita suddenly leapt over to the other two girls patiently sitting on the couch. “You’re coming too?”

“Most certainly.” Elle answered. “It sounds fun.”

Juanita turned to Layla, startled slightly by the sudden attention.

“Y-yes?”

“Yes?” Juanita parroted in confusion.

“I-I mean, yes! I’ll go too!”

“Great! A new job with new friends, living in a new city. I’m so excited!”

Juanita returned to her room, still giddy with Layla still embarrassed by her poor reply.

“Are you okay, Layla?” Elle asked.

“I-I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“It is our first day. Maybe you’ll feel better once we’re at Nexus Point. You’ll be too distracted to feel overwhelmed then.”

“I-I hope so…”

Once the bus arrived, the girls took their seats with Layla straddling behind. Being the last one on board she looked around only to find just one seat left. Darma had forced Winnie to sit with her, while Juanita and Elle sat comfortably together. In front of them was Faye, sitting next to the only open seat.

Layla’s anxiety left her shaken, she didn’t want to bother Faye, but had no other choice but to sit with her. She awkwardly shuffled through the bus and stumbled into her seat.

“What the hell took you so long?” Faye asked, resting her face on her hand, staring out the window.

“O-oh… I-I still had stuff to unpack, t-to find my purse… but I got a little sidetracked.”

“With what?”

“U-uh… I-I couldn’t leave such a disorganised mess in my room. So, I made sure my clothes were sorted properly for when I got back.”

“You really are a sperg.”

Layla let out a pained laugh, unsure if Faye was joking. Thankfully, she didn’t seem upset and merely returned to staring out the window. Layla’s heart was racing, her anxiety skyrocketed when around Faye. She desperately wanted to befriend her, but was afraid of Faye’s abrasive personality.

“Why am I so scared? It’s not like Faye is going out of her way to bully me, but… she reminds me so much of the students from University… always so cold and distant. Am I really so difficult to talk to? I don’t understand… what am I doing wrong?”

As the bus drove down the road, Layla grew more and more uncomfortable. Terrified that Faye was silently judging her for her lack of social skills and could snap at any moment.

“So… read any good books lately?” Layla asked, forcing out anything to get a conversation started.

“Yeah, the one I was reading earlier. You know, about the pedophile ring.”

“Y-yeah… how could I forget… so… what got you interested in that kinda thing, anyway?”

Faye gave her an odd look, like she just received an absurd accusation.

“I-I mean… not that you’re into that… th-that’d be weird… and gross… and illegal. I-I mean on a storytelling level… Do you like dark subjects… l-like that one?”

“Yeah.”

“Um… why?”

“It feels more real and seeing real assholes get fucked up is a lot more satisfying than some cartoony super villains. Even if it’s still just as fictional.”

“I see… well… I really like… Bonds of Fate…”

“You mean those little kid’s books about friendship?”

“N-no…! Y-yes…! They’re written for adults too, you know…!”

“Alright! Fuck! Spare me the lecture!”

“I-I… I’m sorry…”

Layla silenced herself out of shame, while Faye returned to staring out the window. After an awkward few minutes, Juanita suddenly popped her head over their seats to check on the girls.

“What do you wanna do when we get there?” She asked, looking over to Layla.

“W-what? I-I’m not sure…” She replied, startled by the sudden question.

“What about you, Faye?”

Faye just continued staring out the window. “Whatever…”

Juanita could sense some slight tension between her new friends.

“Did something happen?”

Layla stuttered, she didn’t know how to answer and didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but Faye wasn’t so hesitant.

“We don’t have a lot in common, so we’re not talking,”

“Ya veo. Why not talk about things you don’t have in common instead?” Juanita suggested.

“Like what?”

“Huh…? I didn’t think about that.”

Faye sighed, as Elle gave her input. “Layla, what did you do before joining the agency?”

Elle’s calm, soft spoken and friendly demeanor was much more inviting to Layla than Faye’s judgemental condescension.

“I-I was a student at Shining University, studying Magus Theory and Combat.”

“That sounds interesting. It’s no wonder Mr. Quaero scouted you with your fighting experience.”

“A-actually… learning Magus theory and applying that theory in real combat are two completely different things. I’m not very good at fighting…”

“So, you’re the brains then?” Juanita added.

“I-I wouldn’t say that…“

“Then why are you here?” Faye questioned.

“I-I’m… j-just here to help…”

“What the fuck is Magus Theory, anyway?”

Layla suddenly perked up. “Finally, something I have confidence in… Magus Theory is the study of the basic Magus techniques used in combat. Armour, Movement and Zoning. As well as their origins and the evolution of their styles, founded in the basic principles of-”

“I don’t need the video essay, I got the jist.”

“O-oh, alright…”

As nervous as she was, Layla felt that interaction went relatively okay.

“What about you, Spanish Flea? How’d you get here?” Faye asked Juanita.

“I beat up a Magus Knight.”

“What?”

“Sí! Those guys are muy fuerte.”

“Fuerte?”

“Strong.”

“If you say so.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I guess they’re okay, but they’re not as deadly as the Apathia guys I’ve had to fight my whole life.”

“Oh!” Elle gasped. “I fought Apathia, too.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but they were very sweet, once you got to know them.”

“Sweet? Are we talking about the same organisation?”

“I think. They use Dark Magus and wear suits, right?”

“You were probably mistaken.”

“I’m pretty sure they were Apathia. Maybe you need to learn to talk about your problems instead of resorting to violence.”

“Violence is the only way you can survive in Veritati.”

“Wait!” Layla spoke up. “You’re from Veritati?”

“Yeah, got a problem with that, Miss Higher Education?”

“No. When I researched the six main elements of Magus, Dark Magus was the hardest to write about. There weren’t any Dark Users in Shining City that I knew of, so all the information I could find was online, but no matter where I looked, one name always kept coming up: Veritati in Nexus City, USA.”

Faye was intrigued by this information. “Are you serious?”

“There are Dark Magus Users struggling all over the world, especially in places with high crime rates, but Veritati is a special case. It almost seemed like a breeding ground for darkness. A place where criminals ruled unopposed. I saw countless threads from people who live or once lived in that district describing how awful it is.

You either joined the seedy underbelly or did your best to avoid it. Most people worked with the criminals just to stay on their good side and avoid trouble. All the while, they would ask, why? Why wasn’t anyone helping? Why were they abandoned? Where did this corruption even come from? And how do we stop it from spreading to other parts of Nexus City?”

The girls sat in silence, listening intently.

“Oh god!” Layla gasped. “I was rambling again… I-I’m sorry.”

“You know…” Faye suddenly sat up. “I was one of those kids bitching online about how shitty Veritati was. I guess it’s nice to know someone out there got the message.”

“It’s partly why I joined the agency. No, why I wanted to hone my own Light Magus skills. I want to help people fight back against those who abuse Magus.”

“In that case, once we get back to the manor, we gotta whip your ass into fighting shape.” Faye smirked.

Layla wasn’t sure what just happened, but Faye seemed slightly less scary now. Almost approachable.

“This sucks!” Winnie complained. “Why do they get to talk and have character development while I’m stuck sitting here with you?”

“Next time, don’t antagonise your coworkers.” Darma answered, bluntly.

As the bus pulled into its last stop, just outside the ticket booths for Nexus Point, the girls hurried to get in line.

“This is Nexus Point?” Layla gasped in amazement.

The area was a giant fairground, surrounding a massive tower in the center. The futuristic buildings housed stores, merchandise and attractions, with rides scattered all around the park.

“Yep… this is it…” While Faye seemed fine on the bus, the moment she stepped outside, her attitude shifted back to miserable.

“You okay…?” Layla asked.

“Fine…”

Faye’s approachableness from earlier had suddenly faded, but instead of being plagued with anxiety, Layla was instead worried. Once the girls were in, Darma gathered them around a map of the park for a brief talk.

“Let’s stick together and head for the ground floor of Unity Tower. We can use it as our meeting point, then we can split up however we want. Understood?”

The girls agreed.

“Remember to get each other’s phone numbers and don’t go off on your own. You never know where Apathia is lurking around, especially with such a crowded area.”

“Oh, come on.” Winnie laughed. “Apathia aren’t that stupid. They’re not just gonna attack us with literally hundreds of witnesses around.”

“Hey, boss.” A hooded individual called into his phone, hidden among the crowd of people. “I found her.”

“But you haven’t left the park.”

“I know. It looks like she came to me. What do you want me to do?”

“Your job. And try not to make a mess, or you’ll be the one cleaning it up.”