"You could have said something!" Mary cried.
"Like what? Thanks for stoppin' by, 'Mare, oh, by the way, I'm an alien'. You wouldn't have believed me, and if you did, you would've shot me or taken me in for a reward." Doc countered.
"That's bullshit, and you know it! We were friends, and friends don't fuck each other over like that, they help each other!" She slammed the door in his face. She'd heard enough from him, and looking at him just made her angrier.
Mary Eng never had many friends, one or two in school, but they all left eventually, some moved, others betrayed her, and some just got sick of her. Doc was the only one who had stuck around so far, she wanted to think Adi and Kamy would stick around too, but that had to be proven still.
Before all this, before she tried to rob Aditya, she would come to visit Doc at least twice a week. They'd shoot the shit, Doc talking about who he sewed up that week and Mary telling him about her latest score. Agnes had always been there too, but she never did anything except stare, she felt more like furniture than a person, and now Mary knew why.
She is just fucking furniture. A goddamn robot!
Mary slumped against the cheap door of the motel and let herself sink to the ground.
Stupid. So stupid. Who the fuck is that color? No one's skin is that fucking color. You live in New York, you've seen literally every shade people come in. You should've known something was up, stupid!
There was a knock at the door.
"Go away!" Mary shouted, cradling her head in her own arms.
"Mary? It's Aditya, can I come in?" Adi wavered on the other side of the door.
"Look, I'm not in the best mood right now, so—"
"Please, let me help." Adi demanded.
Mary pulled herself back into her feet and wiped away her tears, composing herself. She took a deep breath, then opened the door. Adi jumped like a deer who just spotted a hunter and she had to stop herself from laughing. Heinrich barked 'hello'.
"Ehrm...may I...well..."
"Come in before I change my mind." Mary sighed.
The dog entered before its master and Mary guided the pup to the bed with her.
"R-right." He nodded, hurrying inside.
"I'm not going to talk to him, if that's why you're here."
"Oh, heavens no. He blew right past me when I was coming over. I just...well, I wanted to see if you're ok."
"My best friend just told me he's an alien, do you really need to check if I'm good, guy?" Mary forced a bitter smirk as she threw herself on the bed.
"Right, of course, I meant...I just want to help."
"I'll be ok, Adi. It's not the first time I found out someone close to me was lying." Mary grumbled, eyes affixed to the ceiling, hand absentmindedly scratching behind Heinrich's ear.
"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's whatever. Besides, you should be happy, now that Doc is on my shit list, you move up to number one. You're my best friend now."
"Oh...wow. I mean, I'm honored, but we've only known each other for a little while..."
"I know, kinda sad, isn't it? The guy I tried to mug just a couple weeks ago is now my best friend."
"Well, you've got family, don't you? Your grandmother and your brother."
"Sure. Granny is the best, but she's like, seventy-something, she just doesn't get it. And I don't ever really see my brother."
"Why not?"
Mary sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. She chewed on the corner of her lip and fiddled with her jade bangle before speaking.
"He's embarrassed to be seen with me. He won't admit it, he'll tell anyone who asks that it's all because of his mom, but that's not true. I mean, a lot of the reason is because of his mom, but still."
"Then...why is he really embarrassed?"
"Because I'm a hapa. He and I have different moms, mine was white. We have the same dad, but he was already married to Xiao's mom. That bitch hates me, and the feeling is mutual. But, because I'm proof that our dear old dad was fuckin' around, and because I'm what the idiots call a 'half-breed', Xiao takes a lot of shit about me. I can't really blame him for not wanting me to be around." The room was silent for a few minutes, and Mary was thankful for that, she didn't want his pity, she just wanted to complain.
Whining about her problems never solved them, but it helped her.
"So what?" Adi finally said.
"The fuck did you just say?" Mary asked, she wasn't angry, but that was the last thing she expected him to say.
"I said 'so what?'. Your brother is embarrassed by you and Eric lied to you, so what? That's their loss, they're not friends with a badass anymore. You didn't lose anything, you're still you, and like you said, you already have more friends."
"Thanks, Adi. I get what ya mean." Mary snickered. She felt a bit better, still hurt, but he took the edge off.
"No problem, friends look out for each other. Besides, aliens exist!" His eyes went wide and she knew he was bursting with excitement. She laughed again.
"Yeah, guess I forgot to be excited about that." Mary realized.
"I know, I thought you'd gone mad. Aliens and Superhumans, what a world!" Aditya exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's pretty fucked up!" Mary laughed. "You know what's even worse? Doc and I watched documentaries on aliens and he told me there was no way they ever came here."
"And you didn't think 'that's exactly what an alien would say'?"
"I didn't! I just let him get away with it, he must've used his powers on me or something!" They both laughed then, and Mary felt herself calm down, the anger and hurt that had been burning in her heart subsided.
"So, what did Kamy say we're going to do next?" Mary asked when the laughter died down.
"Well," Aditya shifted awkwardly in his seat on the bed, "he says the only way to change anything is to kill every member of the Majestic Twelve. He says they're too deeply rooted for the police to do anything, even with all the evidence on Jae's dad's hard drive. This evening, he says we're going to storm Rossi Tower." He finished.
Mary sat stunned, mouth frowning and agape, eyes fixed on Aditya.
"No shit," Mary broke her paralysis, "think we'll win?"
"I don't know," Aditya shook his head. "We've gotten into buildings we weren't supposed to be in before, but these Majestic fellows, who knows what they have up their sleeve?"
"Oh, don't be such a pussy, Adi! We got Kamy the soldier. Jae, Speedy McStabby himself. You, well, you can throw shit at 'em with your fucking mind. Oh, and me: one tough bitch with one big gun. We'll be fine." Mary jokingly shrugged.
"We also have Eric."
"What's he gonna do, tail whip 'em ta death?" Mary snapped, harsher than she meant to.
"Well...I mean, he is a genius. Priya looked up all the names on the degrees and pictures of Eric came up on college websites. That's got to count for something." Adi tripped over his words.
"Tch, yeah, I guess. Plus he's got that robot bitch too, she did a number on us." Mary bitterly mentioned.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right, we should be ok." Adi agreed, as a knock sounded at the door.
Heinrich began barking at the door, Mary got up to answer the slow, heavy pounding at the door. She turned the lock and swung the door wide, talking before it was fully open.
"Hey th—holy shit!" Mary's casual greeting transformed into an expression of horror.
On the other side of the threshold stood a man in an ill-fitting jumpsuit, a man with grey hair and a youthful, clean-shaven face. A man whose head disappeared behind the top of the frame, as he stood over seven feet tall.
"Fucking Russian!" Mary squeaked as she backpedaled away from the door, gripping blindly for her dad's gun where she left it on the bed.
"Pardon me. I am look for man named Ahn Jae-Yoon, he is your friend. He is fast, with the cruel eyes." The Russian's voice was unnaturally deep and heavily accented.
As Mary found her gun, she turned to see the giant bend down to get through the doorway, his oversized feet like clown shoes on the carpet.
"Fuck off, freak!" Mary shouted, wheeling around and pointing the barrel of her dad's revolver at his chest she let a shot go and pulled back the hammer as soon as she could to fire another.
Both shots struck home, dead center of the Russian's barrel chest. His body barely shook from impact and the giant didn't take a step back. The blood from the bullet wounds stopped immediately and turned to dust. Heinrich jumped up and bit the man's arm as Aditya cried
"Fasse!"
"Please, I just need talk with—" A blade erupted from the man's chest before he could finish, he looked down and touched the tip of the blade.
Only then did Mary notice the gust of wind that blew through the room with the arrival of Ahn Jae-Yoon.
The pop idol pulled his sword from the Russian's back with inhuman swiftness and delivered a blow to the back of his leg, knocking him to one knee.
"Ibdagchyeo, why are you here?" Jae asked, with the calm of a man having tea with a friend.
"Hello, Mr. Ahn. I've come to speak with you." The Russian explained as if there weren't three bleeding wounds in his torso and a mad dog in his arm.
Mary saw the wound in the giant's chest closing, the blood spilling from it turned to ash almost as soon as it hit the carpet.
Kamy came around the corner with an SMG, Agnes followed soon behind him, her hand separated and exposing the robotic weapons beneath.
"'The hell is going on here?!" Kamy barked.
"That's what I'm trying to find out." Jae said, his sword poised at the back of the Russian's neck.
Mary realized that she should do something to help, and pointed her dad's gun at the man's chest.
"I've come to speak with you, Mr. Ahn." The Russian answered, prying Heinrich's jaws off his arm only for the dog to reattach himself.
"We don't have anything to talk about." Jae said.
Mary saw the sword push closer to the Russian's neck.
"Yes, we do. I believe we are have same enemy. After you beat me in your father's building, is first time I am taken by men in van to mountains, I meet doctor who say he make me believe god is speaking to me, make me kill many men...women...and even children." The giant began to weep.
The fuck is he talking about?
Mary lowered her gun a bit, The Russian sniffed and continued.
"I fail god. I break sixth commandment, I am murderer. I would not know this, if god didn't send Mr. Ahn to cut my head off, force me to grow new one, free me of chemicals and implants, I am think freely for first time in....long time. The building I go to in Russia, I make soldier open computer, show me files. The man who trick me is one of four Nazi science group. At end of war, America get three, Soviets get one. Three more to kill, I am thinking they make monsters here, too." The Russian finished, showing remorse the whole way, before switching to righteous anger that scared Mary at the end.
Mary looked up at Jae, for the first time ignoring his beautiful features and instead, staring into his cruel, grey eyes.
He's thinking about it? No, his creepy eyes always seem to cut through the bullshit, no way he's falling for this.
Jae sheathed his sword.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kamljit growled, moving into position beside the Russian for a better shot.
"Lower your weapon. He's telling the truth. Call the dog off." Jae said.
"Heinrich, hacke." Adi commanded.
Heinrich let go and got some water from his bowl to get blood that turned to ash out of his mouth.
The Russian got to his feet and everyone, even Mary, got jumpy.
He just got stabbed through the leg, and he's walkin' around like nothin'!
"Thank you, Mr. Ahn." The Russian said, extending his arm to Jae.
The idol pulled a glove from his jacket pocket and put it on before shaking hands with the giant. Mary watched Jae's hand be swallowed whole by the beastly paw of the Russian. They shook, and Jae let go.
"If you're going to help us fight, stay here and our soldier will debrief you. Eric's robot can translate."
Jae motioned to Kamy as he walked past the bodyguard.
He can't be fuckin' serious.
"Robot?" The Giant asked.
"Ahn! Get back here!" Kamy shouted, going after the pop idol.
After he left, Adi, Agnes, and Mary were all alone with the giant.
"Sooooooo, pinky promise not to kill us?" Mary held out a pinky to the Russian, still kneeling, and still taller than her.
The Russian began to rise until he was at full height again, with Mary staring up at him as she would stare up at the skyscrapers in Times Square.
Heinrich growled at him.
Oh fuck, he's gonna squash me like a bug....!
To Mary's surprise, the giant didn't squash her, but instead raised one of his frying pan hands and extended a pinky, locking the massive digit with hers.
"I harm no more children. No more good people. God as my witness, I be good again." The giant looked directly into her eyes as he spoke.
Mary could see all the sadness and hurt in his pale blue eyes, she saw it every day when she looked in the mirror.
If he's lying, I can't tell. Maybe I should trust him, but if I do, he could do some serious damage. Doc is all stringy and weak, he couldn't kill any of us so it wasn't so bad when we found out he was lying. But this guy could tear our heads off whenever he wants!
Mary let go of the Russian's pinky and backed away, she turned to see Adi paralyzed in fear.
"Oh Christ, how long have you been like that?" She demanded.
Adi quivered, his eyes locked on the Russian.
"S-s-since y-you opened the door..." he squeaked.
She couldn't blame him, the man was an imposing presence, so she held back all the barbs she wanted to throw his way and instead wrapped him in a blanket from the bed.
"You stay here, guy. Agnes, can ya take this guy to Doc? If he stays here any longer, Adi's gonna piss himself and I do not want to get stuck with the cleaning fee." Mary smirked.
"Certainly," the maid bowed with robotic grace. "Сюда, пожалуйста." The maid gestured for the Russian to follow and he obliged.
Mary caught up with them.
"Woah, you speak Russian?! Is there anything you can't do?" Mary wondered.
"Whatever Eric forbids me from doing." The maid answered.
"Hmph, we're gonna have to change that." Mary replied, feeling the needles of resentment for the young doctor irritate her soul.
The Maid said nothing.
Mary followed the giant and the maid into Eric's room making sure to not look at the young doctor sitting in the corner of the room scratching his head with a revolver.
"Holy shit, it's true. Pleasure to meet you, I'm Eric Quintius Vahlt." Eric stood up and walked right to the Russian, hand outstretched and pronouncing his last name in a strange alien accent.
Mary watched from the corner of her eye as the giant enveloped Eric's hand and shook.
"I am Misha." The Russian introduced himself in his peculiarly deep voice.
"Oh, a touch of gigantism I think." Eric said, looking over Misha like a lab experiment.
Gross, why does he always have to 'examine' people?
The first time Mary met Eric, he told her she had sclerosis before he even told her his name.
"What do you think, Vahlt?" Kamy asked.
"Well, it's like ya said, my guy. If he came to take us out, we'd be goners already."
"And when we go to Rossi Tower?" Kamy continued.
"Oh, yeah, the maid should be able to babysit. Agnes!" Eric shouted.
"Yes, Master Eric?"
"When we go into the tower, you stick to this guy like white on rice, ya get me?" Eric said, pointing to Misha. "And if he does any suspect shit, blow his fuckin' head off."
"Yes, master." Agnes agreed.
"Do you have to talk about him like he's not there, or are you just that much of an asshole?" Mary interjected.
Eric looked dumbfounded that she spoke to him, he actually froze.
"Focus." Kamy ordered. "Where's Aditya?" He asked Mary.
"He's back in our room, cuddling Heinrich. Still frozen because Misha's all scary lookin'." Mary explained.
"Well, unfreeze him. We have to go, Eric needs to get closer to the tower so we can have a better look inside." Kamy ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Mary did a mock salute to accompany her best soldier impression, Kamy almost rolled his eyes.
In her room, Mary found Aditya still wrapped in the blanket, though much less paralyzed.
"Is...is he gone?" Aditya trembled, clutching his dog.
"Nope, he's comin' with us. Kamy says we need him to help us kill all those dudes in the tower." Mary laughed.
"What?! Has he gone mad? That bloody giant can kill us all anytime he wants!" Adi cried.
"Oh, don't be such a piss-baby. He's fine now, Jae kicked his ass so hard that he made him a good guy, I'm sure he could do it again if Misha acts up. Plus, since everyone knows Agnes is a funky robot, Doc won't stop her from backing up Jae."
"Misha?" Aditya asked.
"Yeah, I know, guy's big as shit and strong as hell, but he's got a name like that?" They shared a laugh, and Mary thought Adi looked a touch less pale.
Kamy forced everyone, except for Misha and Agnes, to wear two vests, one soft thing that felt like hard sand, and another worn over that had a special pouch for a plate that looked like it was a broken piece from a vase. Before she knew it, they were in the van again, outside Rossi Tower.
"Kamy, what is this shit?" Mary asked as they parked across from the building. "It's uncomfortable as fuck and it doesn't look like it could stop a nerf dart."
"Shut up. You're wearing a trauma pad under a ballistic vest with level-four rifle plates. It'll protect you from most firearms." Kamy said from the front seat.
Mary had the misfortune of being sandwiched between Adi and Misha, the latter of which took up nearly the entire bench. Across from them sat Jae, Agnes, and Priya. Jae kept Ms. Soo back at the hotel to watch their things, even though the poor woman begged to come.
"Well, whatever it is, it sucks. When can we go in?" Mary demanded.
"When Eric completes his security check. Once we know who is where, we can make our move."
Mary sat back in defeat, she always hated waiting. She petted Heinrich, the attack dog's tail wagging at her touch.
It's a couple a crusty old dudes! We can just kick down the door and peel their wigs back, no problem! Kamy is too damn safe. Still, I've been following his orders and I ain't dead yet, so maybe I should just relax.
Mary tapped her feet against the floor, her well-worn pixie boots making a pleasant tapping sound against the floor of the van. She never could sit still, Grannie took her to the doctor once and they said Mary had ADHD, they gave her Ritalin but it made her sick, so she'd been selling the pills ever since she was twelve.
Hope Grannie isn't too worried. I've been gone longer than this before, so I should be ok.
Gertrude Johnson had raised her granddaughter, Mary Eng, since her parents died.
Daddy was a gangster, Ghost Dragon Triad. Mama was a waitress but tried her damndest to be a singer.
Mary thought of her parents often, she didn't know whether to consider herself lucky or unfortunate that she was able to remember bits of them, though the memory of eating ice cream sundaes with her father while they waited for her mother to get off work made her smile, the memories always had a bitter after taste.
Just like that damn medicine...
Mary's strongest memory of her mother was a few days after her fifth birthday, she'd come down with the flu and her mother took the day off work to take care of her.
We watched cartoons and I made Mama sing Billie Holiday. She made me take some cherry-flavored syrup from the pharmacy. Tasted fine, until you swallowed it, and then it was like your whole mouth was squirming to get away from the taste.
Mary felt her eyes well up at the memory so she quickly hid her face by resting her eyes on her hands, a motion made difficult by the presence of a man over seven feet tall occupying the space next to her.
Can't shoot straight if you're crying, idiot... Mary told herself, trying to think of anything else to occupy her mind. Her brother, Xiao, came to mind, he always did.
Stupid jerk, why does he always come up? He hasn't talked to me in months! He just dropped off my birthday present and ran like hell, barely even said two words to me...at least the bracelet is nice, though
Mary pulled at the thick Jade bangle around her upper wrist. Heavy, and cool to the touch, the bangle would plonk back down whenever Mary pulled at it.
"It's real, not that fake, plastic shit they sell in Chinatown. This came straight from Peking." Xiao had promised.
"No shit? This is pretty cool, thanks."
"I'll see you again soon, ok?" Xiao said, then it was Mary's turn to roll her eyes. She had gotten up and walked away from him, turning the bangle in her hand. "What?"
"You say that every time!" Mary complained. "'Yeah, Mary, see you soon.' 'I'll be back soon.'" Mary mocked her brother's accent, his mother raised him with Mandarin as his first language. "And then you disappear for like, weeks or months!"
"I'm sorry, it's just—"
"Business. Yeah, I know. We have the same damn argument every time you come over. When are you gonna stop fucking around and let me join the gang?!" Mary had demanded.
He looked ashamed, suddenly becoming interested in the ground.
"It's not that simple..." Xiao reminded her.
"Whatever! Get out of here. Thanks for the bracelet, see you 'soon'!" She didn't have to ask him twice, she never did, sadly.
Granny had emerged from the room after the door sounded shut, she never liked being around Xiao.
A couple tattoos, dyed hair, and some designer clothing is all it takes for Xiao to look like the devil himself to Granny. At least she never bothered me about my clothes, except for half a million comments...
"Bang! Got it." Eric proclaimed from the front seat, snapping Mary back to reality and making her realize that her condition had spirited her away again.
It was time to go.