The warp pads were down.

  An announcement had been made over the school intercom that all the warp pads were currently broken and undergoing repairs. This meant that students who normally took warp pads home now needed to ride a shuttle.

  For Jasmine, this meant doing something that she had never done before. Her brother, Jameson, had decided to spend the night at a friend’s—a lady friend’s—house, so he was not going home with her. Well, it wasn’t like he would have gone with her anyway. Jameson did not like spending time with her. The only time they spent together was when he was telling her to be rude to Alexander.

  Thus, she had done her best to journey home by herself.

  She had gotten lost.

  She had no idea where she was.

  Jasmine had taken several shuttles already, but she didn’t know which shuttle would take her home, or indeed, if there even was a shuttle that could take her home. Now she was wandering Mars City. Buildings towered over her, gigantic structures that blocked out the artificial sun. The evening sky was growing dark as that same artificial light slowly became less bright, and the shadows cast by buildings were growing darker by the second.

  Jasmine wanted to cry. She didn’t, but only because her brother had told her that big girls didn’t cry. Yet for her, a just turned twelve-year-old girl who didn’t know the first thing about Mars City, crying sounded like the most natural thing for her to do.

  While she was sniffling, several dark shadows blocked her path. She looked up to find a group of older boys standing in front of her. They were much taller than her, and the one in the middle had scary red eyes, spiky hair, and wore a red leather jumpsuit. The tips of his ears ended in slight points.

  “You lost, little girl?”

  “L-lost?” Jasmine gathered her courage. “Oh ho ho ho! I am not lost. The one who is known as the Queen of the Compass could never become lost.”

  The boys looked at each other. Their amused grins unsettled Jasmine greatly.

  “Oh, yeah? Then what are you?”

  “I am… temporarily misplaced. I simply need to find my way again.”

  “That means you’re lost,” the boy said bluntly.

  Jasmine tried not to blush.

  The boys looked at each other again. There was something about their expressions that bothered Jasmine, that frightened her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as they leered at her.

  “Hey, I know! Why don’t we help you out?” the spiky-haired boy with pointy ears offered. “We can show you around, and then you won’t be so lost.”

  “O-oh ho! I thank you for the offer, but I think I can find my own way home.”

  Jasmine tried to run. They wouldn’t let her. She barely managed to turn around when a hand latched onto her arm. Two of the four boys appeared in front of her, further blocking her path.

  “Now, there’s no need for you to be afraid,” the boy said. “We’re all nice guys here.”

  “Dats right,” a fat boy said. “We’re not so bad. We know how to treat da ladies.”

  Jasmine wanted to reply with something snappy, but she couldn’t think of anything. Her mind had blanked with fear. No matter how hard she tried, she could not say a single word.

  A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth. Fear shot through her mind as she tried to scream. All that came out was a muffled shout, which was drowned out by the roar of exhaust engines from shuttles flying overhead. More hands grabbed her arms, and several others grabbed her feet. Jasmine kicked and struggled to no avail. Her captors were a lot stronger than her, and there were a lot more of them.

  Her captors carried her into an alley. Darkness engulfed her as the artificial sun was completely blocked. The people carrying her began to speak. Their words sent ripples of terror through her body.

  “I can’t believe how lucky we are. Check out this girl’s earrings and that necklace. This bitch has gotta be a noble.”

  “Hehe, yeah. Who would have expected a noble to be wandering around Mars City on her own.”

  “She’ll fetch a hefty price on the black market.”

  O-oh, no! These ruffians are going to sell me!

  Jasmine had heard all about the slave market on the holonews, and that several nobles had been captured and sold off as slaves. Her brother had always said that any noble who let themselves be captured was weak, that they didn’t deserve to be a noble. Did that mean she was weak, too?

  She struggled harder, fought to break free. Yet no matter how hard she fought, no matter how much effort she put into breaking away, they kept a tight hold on her.

  Tears gathered in her eyes. Was this it? Was she doomed to a life of slavery? Would she become one of those women that were used as sex slaves? She didn’t want that. She didn’t want any of that!

  Someone… please… help me. Please!

  Jasmine sent up a silent prayer as tears fell down her cheeks.

  Her prayers were answered.

  “What the hell do you people think you’re doing?!”

  Jasmine couldn’t figure out what happened. One second, she was being held by several hands, then the next, someone was screaming in pain and she was being held in someone’s arms.

  It took her a moment, but she soon became aware of the person holding her as though she was a princess in a holodrama. Messy raven locks with silver bangs framed his face. Blue eyes the color of ice glared at the boys who had tried to kidnap her. She recognized the person who was holding her. He was two years older than her, and it was said that he was close to graduating despite only being fourteen. It was Alexander S. Ryker, the boy who Jameson made fun of every single day. What was he doing here?

  “Who the hell are you?!” the spiky-eared boy asked, holding his nose, which Jasmine realized was bleeding.

  “My name doesn’t matter,” Alexander said, glaring. “The only thing you need to know is that I’m the one who’s gonna kick your asses!”

  “Fucking idiot. So, you wanna play hero, huh? That’s fine by me! Boys! Get ‘em!”

  Three of the boys charged toward them. Alex looked down at her, unconcerned by their reckless race to reach them. “Sorry, but I’m gonna have to put you down for a second.”

  Jasmine would have said something, but she was still trying to comprehend what was happening. In that time, Alex leapt back and set her against the wall. Then he turned back to the charging boys and cracked his knuckles.

  “All right! Here we go! Hero’s first rescue! Take one!”

  With his back to her, Alex bull-dozed into the horde of boys with reckless abandon. Jasmine watched in awe as he fought against superior numbers. More often than not, he’d get beaten down, but he always leapt right back up. He took a knee to the face and stood back to his feet. He was punched in the gut but rose again. He’d slam his head into their faces, kick them between the legs, and smashed their faces into the walls, eliciting girlish squeals of pain. To Jasmine, huddled against the wall, it was like watching a knight fight against a horde of monsters.

  “The hell are you fools doing?! It’s just one boy!”

  “Just a boy? Ha! I’m not some random boy, you jerks! I’m a hero!”

  And with those words, Alex pulled out a strange device, a sphere of some sort, which he slammed into the face of the fat boy. Seconds later, the metal ball ignited. The fat boy screamed as strange powder blew up all over his face, burning his skin and causing it to blister.

  “Huh… that’s not how this device was supposed to work. That was supposed to be my concussion grenade, not… whatever that is. Oh, well.” Alex shrugged. “Next!”

  They came at him again, but this time Alex pulled out a stun baton, which he liberally used to shock, beat, and bludgeon the other boys. One person had their face caved in, another received a whack across the shin followed by an uppercut to the chin, and the last one was jabbed in the chest. By the time he was done, the other boys were nothing more than a pile of moaning flesh.

  Alex looked at the unconscious people on the walkway, and then at his sparking baton, which had smoke pouring from it. He sighed and tossed the stick away. Then he turned around and walked back to her.

  Jasmine felt a moment of fear. Would this boy do something to her? After all of the horrible things she and Jameson had said to him, the verbal abuse they had hurled his way, it wouldn’t have surprised her if he decided to pick up where those other boys had left off. But then he knelt before her, and his smile was so soft and warm that she unconsciously relaxed.

  “Hey, you okay?” Jasmine could do nothing but nod. Alex looked relieved. “I’m glad to hear that. Don’t worry, I’ve already called the cops. They’ll come by to arrest these people. How would you like me to take you home?”

  Jasmine began to shake her head, but then she changed it into a nod. Tears stung her eyes as the last few minutes finally hit her. Unable to do anything about them, and wanting to seek comfort from someone, anyone, she lunged at Alex, knocking him to the ground.

  “Waaa!”

  “Woah! H-hey, are you—”

  “I was really scared!” Jasmine was unable to hold it in. “I was really, really scared! Those people were going to sell me on the slave market! I was really, really, really frightened!”

  “Yeah…” A hand rested on her head, gently rubbing her hair. It was rough and warm and felt so good she could have melted. “I imagine it must have been scary. Don’t worry. They’re not gonna lay a hand on you anymore.”

  Being held in the arms of a person she and her brother made fun of, Jasmine realized that this man, Alexander Ryker, was the only person she would ever trust with her heart.

  “After that, I knew there would be no other man for me,” Jasmine said. “Oh ho ho ho ho! You could say I realized that Alexander was the only man I could ever love.”

  “Uh huh…” Alice muttered, looking away. “How cliché.”

  “Did you say something, Alice?”

  “Not a thing.”

  They continued searching for Alex. As they wandered down the street, a group of three boys walked up to them.

  “Hey, girls. Would you like to come and spend some time with us? We’re going to sing some karaoke.”

  “Karaoke? How plebeian.” Flipping a blonde drill over her shoulders, Jasmine glared at the boys. “Please step aside. Neither I nor my friend are interested in going with you to sing karaoke. We’re looking for someone.”

  “Aw, come on.” The man in front put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be like that. I promise we’ll—woah!!!”

  The moment the boy placed his hand on her shoulder, Jasmine reacted. She grabbed his hand, yanked it off her shoulder, spun around and, using her own body as a fulcrum, tossed the boy over her shoulder. He hit the ground, rolled across the pavement, and came to a stop only after crashing into a wall.

  “Uther! What the hell was that for, you bitch?!”

  The other two boys charged at her, but Jasmine was in no mood for games. When the first boy came up and tried to grab her, she kicked him in the balls. Hard. As he grabbed his crotch and squealed like a pre-pubescent child, she grabbed his hair, spun around, and threw him into the other boy. Both of them went down in a heap.

  As the boys groaned, Jasmine flipped her hair again and clapped her hands as though ridding them of dust. “Oh ho ho ho! Maybe next time you shall think twice before touching a lady. Come, Alice. Let’s go.”

  Alice followed Jasmine, who continued to walk even though she had no destination in mind. She looked at her friend out of the corner of her eye. Jasmine felt the gaze, but she said nothing.

  “I didn’t know you knew how to fight,” Alice said.

  “Alexander taught me a few things when I asked him for help,” Jasmine answered. “I also know how to wield an electro-staff.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Last year.”

  “Huh…” Alice scratched her head.

  “Mistress, I have found Master,” Madison’s voice emerged from her IDband, ending Jasmine’s and Alice’s conversation.

  “Excellent. Keep track of him and tell me when I’m getting close.”

  “Of course, Mistress.”

  “Come along, Alice. We’re off to rescue your brother from that trollop.”

  Alice sighed. “Yeah, okay. Not like I have much choice.”

  “Oh ho ho ho!”

  Their quest continued. However, this time they had a destination in mind. It was all the better. Jasmine would be damned if she let that trollop continue to have her way with Alexander.

  6

  Alex had not realized that shopping could be so arduous.

  Jessica had taken him and Gabrielle into Mars Homespring Resort’s shopping district. While it was nothing compared to Mars City’s entertainment district, the shopping district there had its own appeal. While comparatively small in size, it held the appearance of a large, outdoor bazaar.

  Situated on a cobblestone street that wound, twisted, and curved, branching off in several different directions, the numerous shops present sold a variety of wares. There were stands that sold sweets, shops filled to the brim with clothing, and souvenir stores of all kinds. Numerous people wandered up and down these streets. He, Jessica, and Gabrielle became lost in the throng of humanity.

  Alex and Gabrielle turned their heads left and right, taking in the sight of dozens of shops and hundreds of people. He wished he had a dozen eyes to better take in this vision. In front, leading the two, Jessica walked with a confident gait and a friendly smile.

  “This is so cool,” Gabrielle said. “I didn’t know this city had such a place.”

  “Neither did I,” Alex replied.

  “It’s only natural that a resort town like this would have a place for tourists to buy clothing and souvenirs,” Jessica told them. “People who come here want something to remember the time they spent in paradise, even if it’s something as simple as a useless trinket. Now, come along, you two. We’ve reached our first destination.”

  Their first stop was a store that sold strange-looking dresses. Hanging from racks were dresses that Alex had never seen before. They had longer than average sleeves, and many of them had floral patterns dancing along the outfit’s entire length, though a few also had incredibly complex paintings—one depicted what appeared to be a supernova.

  “Jessica! It has been too long. How are you doing?” A man walked out from behind a counter. He looked… unusual. Dressed in stylishly feminine clothes, Alex would’ve mistaken him for a woman if it wasn’t for his lack of chest and deep voice.

  “What are you talking about, Francis? It’s been one week since we last spoke,” Jessica said as she and Francis exchanged kisses on the cheek.

  “One week is a long time in this business. Tell me, how is that old rascal, Nick, doing?”

  “Same as always. He’s in the process of writing the script for his next holodrama. You should watch it when it comes out. It’s sure to be… electrifying.”

  Francis laughed. “I’ll bet. Oh!” He exclaimed upon noticing Alex and Gabrielle. “And who are these two?”

  Jessica waved at them. “Francis, I’d like you to meet Master Nicolas’ grandson, Alexander Ryker, and his fiancé, Gabrielle Angelise.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you two.”

  Francis walked up to them and kissed both him and Gabrielle on the cheek. Alex assumed it was a standard greeting, so he didn’t do anything, but the urge to recoil was there. He was not used to men, or women, who he didn’t know kissing him.

  “Same here! Nice to meet you!” Gabrielle beamed.

  “Uh… likewise,” Alex said, somewhat creeped out. He didn’t know this man, but he didn’t like how affectionate this Francis acted toward him and Gabrielle.

  “Hmm…” Francis hummed as he looked over Alex and Gabrielle. “You two are quite the attractive young couple. Tell me, have you two ever thought about going into the modeling business?”

  “Francis is one of Mars’ most popular fashion designers,” Jessica informed them. “You may recognize some of his work. He’s the one who created the Colette brand of clothing.”

  “Isn’t Colette a popular clothing brand worn by nobles?” Alex asked, trying to remember what he could about it.

  “It isn’t just nobles that the Colette is made for,” Francis said.

  “I think Jasmine likes that brand. She has several of their outfits,” Alex continued.

  Colette was a popular clothing boutique found across the solar system. There were several stores in each city, and they sold everything from extremely expensive brand name clothing, to the cheaper, less extravagant but no less durable, everyday clothing for common folks. Alex had several pants and T-shirts made by them.

  “Which outfits does your friend own?” Francis asked.

  “Um, I believe she has the Spacer Series.”

  “Ah.” Francis’ eyes lit up. “Your friend has good taste. That is one of the series that I created two years ago. The clothing line has expanded since then, but the originals I created are still regarded as some of my best work, if you’d permit me to brag a moment.”

  Alex didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing. Gabrielle, on the other hand, was sparkling like a star gone nova.

  “That’s so cool! I’ve only made crisis suits before, but I know how hard making clothing is.”

  “Crisis suits, huh?” Francis looked at Jessica, who shrugged her shoulders as if to say that she didn’t know what Gabrielle was talking about either. “I don’t know what that is. You’ll have to show it to me some time.”

  “Alex is wearing a crisis suit underneath his clothes!” Gabrielle lifted up Alex’s shirt. “See?”

  “H-hey! Gabrielle, what do you think you’re—gya!” Alex screamed when Francis came up and ripped his shirt off. He tried to cover himself, but Francis pulled Alex’s arms away and studied him with a creepy gleam in his eyes.

  “What an interesting design choice, and this fabric…” Alex squeaked when Francis placed a hand on his stomach. “… I do not recognize this material, but it appears to be quite flexible and durable.”