Relena threw up her hands, cutting through the thick silence. Her eyes, sharp and unforgiving, swept over them all.

  ?"Okay, you two. Babe, you know I hate this passive-aggressive bullshit, so let's get it out now and break," Relena commanded. "Drake, I love you, but shut the fuck up until I say so. Understand?"

  ?The look on Drake's face was pure confusion—what the hell? But Noko just smiled, her eyes fixed on Lazerlot. She knew Relena had just given her the green light. Noko moved before anyone could react.

  ?She snatched the chef's knife from the counter and, in a blur of motion, she leaped onto Lazerlot's chest. The blade was instantly pressed against the large, glowing crystal embedded in his chassis. Lazerlot sat perfectly still, his robotic eyes reflecting the chaotic kitchen light. Lazerlot just watched, the look on his face saying, What is going on?

  ?"I don't have a clue what this thing is," Noko hissed, pressing the knife point harder into the crystalline surface. "But I know it’s the thing that brought you back online. So let’s see what happens when I pop it off."

  ?She stared into those unblinking robotic eyes. "So you do feel fear."

  ?A slow, unsettling smirk spread across Lazerlot’s metallic face—a look that was somehow both superior and dangerous. "You want to know more? Let me show you."

  ?Before Noko could tense up, Lazerlot raised a hand and casually placed it directly on her chest. A massive surge of energy and heat shot through Noko’s body. The sudden power was overwhelming, vibrating deep in her bones, chasing through her veins. It was a dizzying, exquisite rush, like the nervous, ecstatic feeling of her first kiss. Pure pleasure.

  ?But this was more than physical.

  ?The sensation intensified, and suddenly, she was no longer just Noko. She saw and felt everything of Lazerlot—every brutal battle, every wrenching heartbreak, every desperate calculation he had ever made. His entire history was violently pouring into her mind. Lazerlot slowly removed his hand. Noko fell back against the counter, panting, gripping her phantom-pain-ridden shoulder.

  ?"Noko? Noko, what the hell?" Relena shouted, finally moving.

  ?Lazerlot straightened up. "I showed her what was necessary. I showed her the cost."

  ?Noko’s head snapped up. She looked at Drake, her face pale. "Your grandfather, Drake. He was there. They were in a war."

  ?She pushed herself upright, ignoring the searing ache in her shoulder. "How many in your boat crew?" she demanded, her voice flat.

  ?Lazerlot stared at her, recognizing the veteran's query. "My 'boat crew,' as you call them, was eight total," Lazerlot answered, his mechanical voice cool. "Your grandfather, myself, and six other combat units. The final mission was to extract your grandfather and preserve the core. Only two of us succeeded."

  ?Noko gasped and dropped straight to her knees, the memory flood finally crushing her. Not because of the number of losses, but because of the unmistakable, raw scent of betrayal that had flashed in the vision. The vision had unlocked her own hidden past, leaving her shaking and vulnerable.

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  ?Relena saw the look on Noko’s face—the shock, the fear, and the distant, haunted memory in her eyes. It was a look Relena hadn't seen since Noko's time in the Coast Guard. Relena didn't pause for words; she was too pissed off that this new threat had successfully forced Noko back into her own trauma.

  ?She launched a powerful roundhouse kick that snapped straight into Lazerlot's jaw. Before he could recover, she followed through with a Superman punch to his head, driving him down, and finished the combination with a knee strike to his face.

  ?Lazerlot was slammed back against the wall of the bus with a sickening sound of twisting metal and snapping servos. Relena stood over him, chest heaving, her eyes blazing with protective fury.

  ?"That," Relena snarled, pointing a trembling finger at the damaged robot, "is for making her remember!"

  ?Drake yelled out, "Stop, stop, stop!" jumping in between Relena and Lazerlot. Looking at Noko, Drake knew this was not the place for this, so he looked around at his friends and at Lazerlot. He then rushed to the front of the bus and looked out the door. The parking lot was empty and no one was around. He walked back, looked at everyone, and said, "Okay, this is what we are going to do. We need coffee and something strong," as he pointed to Noko, Relena, and himself.

  ?"But I need to know if you can step as quiet as a human. I don't need my downstairs neighbor to hear a giant robot stomping around."

  ?Lazerlot understood and nodded yes. Drake said, "Fine. We go two by two. Relena and Lazerlot; me and Noko. You two first. Relena, open the door."

  ?Relena understood and nodded also, as she and Lazerlot ran out of the bus and up the stairs to the apartment. As soon as they opened the door, Drake grabbed Noko’s waist and she leaned into him. "Okay, Coasty, on your feet."

  ?Noko smirked at him and they both walked quickly to the apartment. When they got in, Drake sat Noko down in a chair at the table. Relena was already in the kitchen making Irish Coffees—more whiskey than coffee and cream, her years of bartending kicking in. She looked at Lazerlot and asked what he wanted.

  ?He said, "Just black coffee. I'm in recovery."

  ?All three of them looked at him with an expression of: A robot in recovery? Now we have seen it all. As Relena served the cups of coffee, Drake pointed Lazerlot to the chair, which the robot knew what to do. Lazerlot sat down, and as he did, Noko took a swig of the bottle of whiskey and then a sip of coffee to help melt away the pain.

  ?Drake sat down also, placed his hand out front, and started to ask Lazerlot a question. But before he could get the words out, the crystal fell from the compartment in Lazerlot's chest. Drake then looked at Lazerlot and said, "Okay, so this is how it’s going to go. As far as chain of command: Me, then Relena, then Noko. Got it?"

  ?Lazerlot looked puzzled, then Noko chimed in and said, "She has more of a level head than I do. Too many demons in here," as she pointed to her own head.

  ?He nodded. Drake then held up the crystal and asked how much it was worth. Lazerlot told him that the power core's energy was equivalent to a galaxy full of stars exploding all at once. Drake whistled. Relena started to do the rough calculation in her head and said, "How?"

  ?Noko looked at the object and started to think of the severity of keeping it safe. Lazerlot told them they were all safe; the only way the power is released is with "crystal core pockets." As he said this, he opened his chest to reveal swirling lights looking like a nebula. "This is what you would call my soul," he said.

  ?Drake sat there and said, "Cool-ish."

  ?Both Noko and Relena looked at him with a look of: That is all you can say? Drake then asked Lazerlot, "You and my grandfather were the only two to survive, right?"

  ?Lazerlot said, "Yes and no. There was one more—a member of my team. He survived because he betrayed us."

  ?Drake stood up, his jaw set. He walked around the table, embracing Relena first, then Noko, giving them both a kiss. It was a brief, silent promise that they were in this together.

  ?That was the key. He looked at the crystal one last time, the glowing power core a secret ticking bomb in his apartment. He was no longer a guy with a boat; he was a gatekeeper, a target, and a general of a two-woman, one-robot army.

  ?Drake turned and headed for his room. He needed a moment to process the fact that his grandfather hadn't just died—he'd been running. And now, the betrayed enemy was coming for what was left. Drake closed the door, leaving the galaxy-level power core and his two fierce, worried women behind, to think.