Inevitable Confrontation

Zephyr turned another page in the morning light and rolled his shoulder, trying to bask in a rare moment of daylight relaxation. He still felt like he hadn't earned this much idleness, but it was inevitable, cause if he didn't unwind Audra would throw a fuss.

The mystery of the novel had made it a little easier at least, drawing him in line by line as it slowly came together. The story was just the newest of a popular series, 'Detective X Familia'. Sure, it wasn't the most original premise, and its detective work required suspending a ton of disbelief, but he was a sucker when it came to these types of stories, and a part of him resonated with it.

There were three main characters: a grizzled detective with a traumatic backstory, a femme fatale turned undercover agent, and girl who'd fallen from grace, all crammed together to form a crime-fighting found family. Their latest hijinks involved getting to the bottom of a string of crimes targeting the 'daughter' of the trio.

The story was nearing the conflict's climax now. They'd tracked down the culprit—a vigilante linked to the detective's past—and cornered him on a windy rooftop looking for answers.

***

"You really think you've won, Darian? It'd be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic."

The detective levied his pistol at his old colleague with a cautious eye.

"It's the end of the line, bub. Just come with us quietly and—"

"And what? What'll happen? You think that solving this will magically make up for all the shit you've done? You really think doing a few rights can wash your sins?"

The two's gazes burned together, rain pelting without pause.

"I'm not under any illusion that this'll free me, but maybe—just maybe—I can give that girl a future."

"Hah, is that really it? How altruistic~"

The barrel glinted as the detective took a shaky breath.

"I'm done playing your games, Dubitare. I won't ask twice. Put your hands behind your head or—"

"You know that this won't bring her back."

Lightning flashed as the man grinned.

"That's not what I—Never mind. Just… put your hands behind your head now!"

The man smirked and stepped back toward the edge.

"You want answers that bad? Sorry to burst your bubble, Darian, but I don't give them to killers."

***

Zephyr flipped to the next page.

"…" A cliffhanger ending on a gunshot.

He stared, still comprehending the scene. Of course it wasn't that simple. There were several chapters left to figure things out though, so perhaps he could learn what they did before—

The workshop's garage door rumbled, creaking open.

—never mind.

Zephyr sighed and set down his novel as Audra pulled in on Sleipnir. Her face was flushed, her hair was windblown, and her clothes were disheveled—she was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a dark grey long-sleeved jacket that Minerva had gotten for her for Christmas.

Looks like someone had fun on the open road.

"Welcome back. How'd the test drive go? Any problems with the controls or the battery life? Cause I was thinking—"

Audra walked past him and into the kitchen, shoulders stiff.

"There weren't any issues. The trike's good to go."

"Really? Erm, that's great to hear."

She avoided eye contact and fidgeted a ton. He followed as she shakily poured herself a glass of water.

"What about you though?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"…Mostly," Audra replied, taking a sip. "Ran into something, but… it'll probably be fine."

His lips quirked downward at the deflection.

"You talking literally or something else? You can tell me regardless, even if it may not seem like a big deal."

Audra sighed, sitting down with her glass and letting the last of her hesitation fade.

"Sorry… I just met this weirdo at the beach. He uh, mentioned my missing case from Oregon."

Zephyr's heart blared in alarm.

"Crap. Did he do anything to you?"

"N-no. I… left as soon as I could."

A half-relieved breath. "Thank goodness. Was there anything else you remembered? Like what he looked like or where he was from?"

She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Um, tall and muscular, but not in a bodybuilder way. Dark skin, hazel eyes. His hair was short and curly on top, buzzed on the sides. He had this uniform too. Mostly red and grey with some sort of symbol on the chest."

Zephyr frowned as the mental image took form. The more defined it became, the more anxiety ramped up.

"Did the symbol look like a red snake wrapped around a staff?"

Audra shook her head, grimacing slightly.

"It was more like a… bird with fire."

Zephyr's stomach sunk below sea level.

That could only mean one thing; Audra had run into a member of the Phoenix Corps: a paramilitary organization in the Bygone. His hands clenched as he thought of what they could want with Audra—and the possibility of another headache that worked for them.

"Did the guy tell you his name?"

If it was him… bad would be understating things.

"Yeah. It sounded like 'nephew' without the ew. Neph. What kind of name is that?" She uncomfortably laughed. "W-why, do you know him?"

Silence validated the claim before he could.

The thought of 'Neph' getting near Audra made his blood boil. The betrayal, the disrespect, and the wounds he'd inflicted still lingered in Zephyr's heart.

Guess this was karma for not doing better—for failing them all and not using his time right. That's how it'd always been. First his daughter, then his wife, then every other soul who'd been relying on his research. All damned because of his inability to—

"Z-Zeph? Can you hear me?"

Her voice jolted him back. Crap. He couldn't afford to get lost now. He couldn't fail again. Audra needed him.

"Sorry." Zeph shook the stupor off. "I uh, know him. His name's Nathan, though most call him Neph—short for nephilim."

"Nephilim? Like the half-angel, half-human things from the Bible?"

"Something like that. His mother had complications while pregnant. Used experimental gene therapy to save his life. It worked but… it gave him some quirks. His body doesn't age like normal, and cuts, bruises, broken bones all disappear in a day or two."

"Holy hell. Superpowers?! How screwed am I?"

"He doesn't kill. But… he's the type of man to use force to get his way."

Audra audibly swallowed, echoing through the otherwise quiet room.

"W-what should we do then?! I can't call the police! Do I hide or—? Shit. What about you and Third Chances?"

Zephyr ran a hand through his hair with a grimace.

"Calm down. Just… give me a bit to think. Some things aren't adding up. Like, why is Neph the one tracking you down?"

"H-huh?"

"The States avoid working with the Phoenix Corps, the org he works for."

"…And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means besides CPS, is there anyone who might be looking for you? Someone who could afford a bounty hunter service?"

"Bounty hunter?"

"Yeah, think carefully. Did your family have enemies? Do you owe someone cash?"

"The hell. N-no. My parents were well-liked, and we didn't owe anyone."

"What about your inheritance? Do you have anything?"

She paused a bit longer this time.

"I don't know. The only inheritance I think I have is the antique shop, but that's pretty much a burnt husk right now. Might be a few other things, but erm, why do you ask?"

"Because anything helps—even the smallest detail. Last thing. Did you have any relatives or friends who might want to bring you back home?"

"Not really. My grandparents on both sides died before I was born, and my relatives don't care about me. But…"

She trailed off, her expression troubled.

"But what?"

"Maybe my granduncle? We weren't super close, but he was the only one who kept in touch. He lives in New Zealand though, and I haven't heard from him recently, not even for the funeral. I doubt he knows that I'm gone, let alone hired someone to find me."

Zeph nodded, processing what that could mean.

"Do you trust him?"

"W-what? Trust? I… I don't know. I just can't imagine he would want to find me that badly. He was nice, but never more than—Wait. Are you thinking of handing me over?!"

She backed away trembling, but Zephyr put his hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"No. Like I said, I would never do that unless you wanted. I just… need to know how far he'd be willing to let Neph go if he's responsible."

Calmness returned as they locked eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean to doubt you. I just… ugh, damn it."

Her pulse raced beneath his palm, clearly struggling.

"Audra, it's fine. Like I said, I'm here for you. No matter what, I'm not letting—"

Something in the back of mind clicked into place midsentence—a feeling between suspicion and dread.

"Audra… do you think Nathan followed you back?"

"Followed me? I um, don't think he did. Kept checking behind me and came straight back. Pretty sure I lost him."

Zeph pinched his temple. Something felt off. Nathan wasn't the type to back off so easily.

"Where did you see him again?"

"The beach, the one that's on the way to Minerva's scrapyard."

"Sorry, I mean, where on the beach did you see him? Was he ever near Sleipnir?"

"Yeah. He was in the parking lot. I saw him leaning against the Upcycle. Why, is something wrong?"

Zephyr immediately turned and headed toward the workshop.

"I need to check something. Follow me. Quickly."

If his suspicions were correct and Neph actually went through with that…

"There's a black device on that top drawer. Could you pass it over?"

Audra relayed the item. His heart thundered as he activated the electronic sweeper.

"Z-Zeph, what are you doing?"

"Checking something. Quiet for a sec."

He scanned every nook and cranny of the vehicle until he reached the rear. A rapid beeping filled the air. Zephyr crouched down and saw it: a small black box with a blinking red light, magnetically attached beneath the trike's frame.

"Figures. Of course he would."

"I-is that a tracking device?! Crap, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't blame yourself. This is scummy."

He did his best to reassess things.

If Nathan already knew where she was, then it wouldn't take long before he came knocking. He would have to prepare for an encounter. But how should he do it? Should he be diplomatic or aggressive?

A bunch of plans entered his head until he settled on one.

"I think I might have a way to salvage this."

"Thank goodness. H-how?"

"You haven't been here for too long, so if we leave now, we could throw him off your trail."

"Wait, what? Leave?!"

"Trust me. We can make the shop seem like just a pit stop to the city or something. It's a big place with a lot of people, and a carwash there could help us remove the tracker. If we destroy it there, it could be blamed on the water, and it could make it seem like you're staying in the city."

"I-I guess that makes sense. You're uh, really good at this."

"I just read too many novels. Anyways, we have to leave now. He might show up any time, and if he does, we'll have no way to leave without a—"

Loud knocking interrupted him, echoing from the front door.

"—Confrontation."