I was supposed to be safe in Two Dawns.

Apparently, no more. A suit found me in the hydroponics lab.

"What the fu-" James cursed, also appalled by the sight of a suit, but stopped himself.

The suit sent to murder me was fully clothed just like a human being would. I could've passed by it in the street, and I wouldn't've noticed anything wrong with it.

James filled the robot's entire body with bullets, until he ran out. The suit staggered backwards, but it was still standing and aiming at us.

James pulled another gun, hidden in his coat, and blew off the suit's key body parts: both hands, both knees, and the other eye. "Die already!" he shouted, panting.

The suit fell on its back, defeated. But with the remains of its right wrist—now a blasted piece of bent metal with sparking wires coming out of it—it pushed something on its chest. A beeping sound came from it.

"Bomb!" James yelled at us, as he tried to shield us with his body and his wheelchair. He pushed his body forwards, leaving the wheelchair behind as he crashed with his legs on the floor.

He had just enough time to hug Pearl and me, his forehead and nose touching mine as the subsequent explosion engulfed the air, its temperature rising and burning my nostrils and mouth when I tried to breathe. The fire claimed the nearest plants, their precious healing qualities consumed in less than a second. The air pushed their ashen remains onto us as we tried to shield one another.

I closed my eyes. Pearl's cry endlessly echoed inside my ear canals and brain. But somehow, we were not burning up. I was just feeling uncomfortable, but safe in James' arms.

I opened my eyes and saw James smiling at me—and his astroguard uniform doing a wavy, iridescent glow, creating a huge shield which forced the explosion's tongues of fire to bend in every possible direction but ours. The blast that should've killed us outlined his well-built frame. He looked invincible like that.

Leaving my mouth open in amazement, I couldn't help but picture him like one of those attractive angels made of coloured stained glass that decorated many churches' windows in Purple Rock. James remained glued to us, shielding us from harm like a battle-hardened angel indeed. He was leaning on me for support due to his condition, but his strength was truly otherworldly at that moment.

Over the loud noise of the metal and plants burning up on either side of us—and also the maddening, hectic rhythm of my heartbeat—I heard James say, "Fireproof electromagnetic shield. Specially customised for the Two Dawns' astroguard elite team!"

Wow. Thank God for that!

His face was poised, giving me reassurance. He emanated confidence that everything would be fine. And that was how we spent quite a few minutes like that, until the fire would die out.

When that burning hell subsided, a firefighter team approached us.

"Are you okay?" one of them said as he knelt beside us. "Oh... James De Jong. Um, hello, there."

The firefighter's awkward intonation pattern didn't come as a surprise. It earned a silent glare from James, though.

"Just... help my sister, please," James replied after several uncomfortable seconds. "She needs immediate medical attention."

The firefighter nodded and took the preteen from my arms. As he carried her away in bridal style, I saw her bullet wound, lodged in her right thigh. She would survive.

"Help me get to my chair, Mia, please," James told me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. You?"

He nodded.

I sprang to my feet and helped him up while the firefighters put out little fires left and right. Some piled burnt debris up, while others took the workers of the hydroponics lab to safety outside the facilities.

I pushed James' wheelchair until we were outside. The cool air refreshed my mouth and nostrils. I took a deep intake of air and sighed, glad to be alive.

I took a look at the paramedics a few feet from us. Pearl was being taken care of in an ambulance. James saw her and smiled.

"Her wound is superficial," I told him. "I could see that immediately. It's gonna be fine."

"But you won't be. Someone tipped Suit Robotics off," James said then in a grim voice, staring at the dark grey smoke coming out of the main doors with a furrowed brow. "But who?"

"The hacker?" I whispered. "Either he sold the info to them, or he got sloppy."

"Or we were too late to cover it up."

"Maybe some doctor at the hospital? I pushed hard to get you those appointments for tests and the surgery. Some were mad at me. And my blue hair is hard to miss."

"Or Thiago. He's an idiot who only thinks with his dick."

I rolled my eyes.

"Rosa?" I asked. "Nah. She's a friend. The same goes for Patrick. He's good and discreet, right? Like your father and Sir Khan."

"Yes, but my... my stepmother isn't," he whispered with a venomous voice.

Damn.

"And Vanessa," he added, massaging his right temple.

Double damn. Why is it so difficult to keep a secret? Besides, what would all these people have to gain if my secret came out? Was I a threat to them? That was ridiculous.

The intermittent blue and red lights from the firetruck shone on his facial features. He looked exhausted with those half-lidden eyes and dropping eyebrows. I felt proud to see him in action, and I thought it endearing that he'd do anything to protect me. He was fiercely loyal. It was his most attractive feature.

"I'm... I'm sure we can figure it out," I replied. "But right now, what's really important is that your dear sister is badly wounded because of me."

James' eyes were shot open as they stared at me. "No, this is not your fault, Mia."

"Don't lie to me. It is." I sighed deeply as I massaged my forehead with a shaky hand, accidentally staining it with Pearl's blood. When I noticed it, I scoffed and shook my head. "Damn."

"Mia..."

I said, "I got your sister almost killed... and you. Thank God for your fireproof shield." I chuckled. "I'm a doctor, for Christ's sake. I don't get people killed—I'm supposed to save them."

"Don't beat yourself up over this. I should've done a better job."

"How could you have possibly known?"

He found no words to answer.

"Today's shown the darkest sides of us, James," I went on. "I should've taken extra precautions. And you... you've killed a suit."

"Thank God I eventually did. For a moment, I thought the motherfucker wouldn't die."

"That moth-... that suit was a person once, James! You killed a person! Don't you see?" I put my hands in my dishevelled hair like a mad person.

I stared into his eyes. He noticed my unrest and sighed.

"I can't let a suit live on account of any possible moral dilemma, Mia," he replied with sad eyes. "It was it or us—and I chose us."

I shook my head.

"We get to live," he added. "Besides, it died the moment it signed the contract to become a suit to begin with, if you ask me. Don't you agree?"

I stared into the grey smoke clouding the area and sighed. "In a way." I made a brief pause and said, "James, I'm sorry. It's just that–"

"Hey, I understand. You're a doctor. You said it before. You're supposed to save lives. Anyway, it's been a hectic day," he whispered with tiredness. "Why don't we head home and rest?"

I nodded. "Yes, let's."

We started walking back home. Well, I walked—he wheeled his way ahead, as usual.

"Thank you, James. For everything." The gentleness in my voice took him with his guard down.

"I'm being the worst bodyguard you could ever have, Mia." He had a hesitant, shaky smile on his lips. "What a shitty job I've done so far to protect you."

Responsibility weighted hard on his shoulders.

"Don't say that," I replied, smiling as the wind combed my hair backwards. "I disagree. But if you insist on it, I might have an idea for you to compensate me."

He raised an eyebrow as he turned his face to me. "And that is...?"

"Oooh, wait and see," I whispered.

"Are you okay, Miss Tan?" Lord Commander Melnik asked me with worry. "The attempt on your life will not go unanswered."

"I'm fine, my lord. Thanks for asking."

"Thank the Lord we have you among us, Miss Tan," Lord Commander Melnik said, smiling widely at me as he stood in the hall of his home later that evening. "I know what you did to save that paramedic's life the other day, outside the hospital. That was outstanding."

"I did as I had been taught to do, Lord Commander," I simply replied. "I'm happy that you value my presence here, in Two Dawns."

I was eager to see his face when James would deliver the news to him about his surgery and his highly probable ability to walk again. Now, that would be truly impressive—or so I hoped.

"Maester Khan holds the same opinion," he went on. "When he gets here, I'm sure he'll praise you even more than I can during dinner."

"There's no need to," I whispered shyly.

James was smiling broadly.

Despite the recent crisis at the hydroponics lab, we were in a joyful mood. There was a lot to look forward to, or at least that was what James convinced me to focus on a bit earlier.

"Come, let's have dinner," his father said, motioning us to enter the dining room.

Lord Commander Melnik, James, and I entered the aforesaid room.

Right then, Patrick, Lady Melnik, Thiago, Athena, and Pearl went down the stairs and approached us.

"Before we eat, I'd like to give you all some news," James said. When the group had their attention on him, he went on, "Mia has found a way to make me walk again."

A loud round of gasps ensued. The Lord Commander's face lightened up and a broad smile appeared on his lips.

"She examined both my spine and the tests performed on me," he explained, "and found out that I have got a deformity on my spine as a consequence of the accident, not a permanent injury. With surgery, the deformity can be removed and my spine will function as expected again."

"Oh my God, James!" Patrick exclaimed. His smile was wide and hopeful. He slammed a hand on James' shoulder with enthusiasm. "Congratulations! This is amazing."

Ugly wrinkles appeared on Lady Melnik's face, deepening the ones she already had. Thiago's defiant smirk appeared on his face, as usual. Athena's expression was cold, as opposed to her twin sister Pearl, whose joyful expression matched that of a truly caring sister. Thankfully, the wound on her leg had been dutifully taken care of. She walked with the help of a crutch.

"Mia has made all the arrangements already," James added. "In a few days, I'm having a nerve study done to confirm the diagnosis, and after that, I'm meeting the anaesthetist. Surgery and genuine rehabilitation will come after that."

"That's wonderful news, son," the Lord Commander said. "I'm... I'm speechless."

"I hope you are not mad at me, Lord Commander," I said.

"Why would I be?" He rose his arms and hands on either side of him. "This is fantastic!"

"I beg for your forgiveness," I explained. "I used your name to push the hospital workers to schedule it all—and fast. Since James' social condition isn't the best around here, I thought it best to use the authority that your name and title carry to get the job done. After all, he's been waiting for two years already."

"Ah, I see. This could've been done sooner if they had done their job properly. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"In a polite way, yes, Lord Commander."

"No needn't worry, Miss Tan." He nodded. "You acted wisely and out of concern for my son's health. There's nothing to forgive." He put a hand gently on my shoulder, a reassuring gesture I welcomed.

I let go of a sigh of relief and smiled.

"As soon as Maester Khan arrives," I added, "I'd like to veto and appoint some professionals at the hospital to treat James properly, if you think it wise."

"Indeed. Miss Tan, I trust your judgement."

"Thank you, my lord."

Lady Melnik walked to us and glared at him. "Honey, may I talk to you in private for a moment before dinner?" she asked her husband.

The Lord Commander's frown appeared, marring the joyful expression on his face. Nothing good would come out of that conversation.

"May we be excused for a moment?" the Lord Commander said to the rest of us. "Please, wait outside for a few minutes, if you don't mind."

We exited the dining room. Despite closing the doors, their conversation could be easily overheard. Patrick soon suggested we moved to the living room instead, but Lady Melnik's sudden outburst caught everybody's full attention—and nobody dared to move further away from the dining room's doors.

"How can you let a foreigner use your name and title like that?!" she exclaimed with anger. "Can't you see that our honour might be at stake?"

"This is of no concern to you, Serena."

"On the contrary. She's been using your name and the title you possess to push people to abide by her orders. Her orders? More like whims!"

"You're speaking nonsense!"

"She will taint our family with dishonour, and then your name will be tainted too. So will ours. Our daughters and Patrick. Think of them and what this means! Can't you understand?"

"Miss Mia Tan will not taint our family name with dishonour. She's proven her skills and her loyalty. You have nothing to worry about."

"I hate that you treat her with such... naivety. Can't you see that she's using you?"

"Using me? For what? She hasn't stolen anything from us. She's polite. Her research is key to saving her colony as much as the others. The future of our colonies is at stake here! And now, she's found a way to cure James. If anything, she's an outstanding young lady!"

"Yes, outstanding no matter what. And her next step will be to lure Patrick with her charms and her accomplishments—and seduce him to marry him."

Everybody present in the hall almost choked on that comment. I blushed—and so did Patrick and James.

Lord Commander Melnik chuckled. "You must be kidding. Miss Tan has no such plans."

"How can you know for sure? Can you read minds?" Lady Melnik asked defiantly, a lot more than she already had.

"She's closer to James than Patrick. Besides, our eldest son is constantly by my side. He hardly ever sees her apart from family lunches and dinners." He sighed loudly. "I know why you're this mad right now. You're disgusted because she has found a way to cure James—and you hate that."

"What?!"

That was a private argument we had no business listening into, and I hated that to the core. But my feet refused to move, like everybody else's.

"You've disliked him ever since I came home with him as a baby in my arms," the Lord Commander said then. "I get that he's not your biological son, but he's certainly mine—and you should've respected my wishes a lot more than you did. You've mistreated him at every chance you got. You know how much I hate that!"

"I've always respected your wishes!"

"No, you haven't." He groaned. "We've talked about this—extensively—for years. I hate that you don't listen to me."

"Honey, don't say that." She tried to sound more apologetic as she put the emphasis on that pet name, but it felt wrong to me.

"Don't try to hide it." His voice was huskier than before, and more menacing. "Your contempt achieved its peak when James suffered that accident. His condition made you happy—I've seen the way you smile every time the subject is mentioned. It's a public display of disrespect—to me, not to him. I warn you: I will not tolerate any sign of rejection and resentment now that James is going to get cured."

James put a hand over his face, but I could see the tension in his arms and jaw. Thiago and Athena were openly displaying uneasiness, since both had openly and unapologetically shown disgust towards James too, just like Lady Melnik. Patrick glared at both of them then.

Oh boy, that was awkward.

"Erik, you misunderstand," Lady Melnik gently said.

"What is there to misunderstand?" he asked, still mad. "Everybody knows this. It's not just me or what I think. Many people have seen your behaviour. They have approached me with these same opinions as yours in mind, worried that our marriage was no longer happy, questioning as a consequence that my usually steady hand at governing the colony might not be as steady as it should be."

Oh, dear God. The domino effect of her actions was totally unexpected to me.

"I've had to face many aspiring nobles who would be more than glad to take my place—all because of you and the way you behave towards James," he added, annoyed. "If anyone has put our family name in jeopardy... it's you."

Wow. Burn.

"No, they misunderstand the situation too," she explained. "James should've never been accepted in our house. He should've been given up as a regular orphan. He should've never enjoyed the benefits that being your son entails. The education he received was over what he deserved. The job he got..." She chuckled darkly. "That was all you, wasn't it? It's impossible that a bastard could aspire to become an astroguard—much less a captain, with such a level of responsibility. These nobles have witnessed how you've favoured him over the years. That's why they question you. You don't respect traditions."

"You're wrong! Besides, this tradition is bullshit!" he yelled. The doors even thundered.

"He was slotted in—and everybody knows that!" she yelled back. "Patrick should've had more attention and favours from you. He's your true heir!"

"He is, but that doesn't mean I have to disregard the rest of my children. Otherwise, Savanah and the twins should've been disregarded too, right? Since our society is traditionally patriarchal."

"Oh, please!" She scoffed. "The girls' education and happiness are my thing—and I don't complain about that. And as far as James is concerned, such a high standard of medical attention is way above what he deserves. His mere existence is a humiliation to our family. Why should he receive special care at the hospital?"

"Special care?! He should be treated like everybody else—and he wasn't." He slammed a hand on a hard surface, probably the dining table. "Nobody ever treats him like a regular person! It's about time someone did. I'm glad it's Miss Tan. She will give him the chance he needs to rebuild his life."

"This is nonsense." She sighed. "If you ask me, you should rekindle your friendship with the Federal Governor—and hand her over. You can't fight against progress. Suits are the future. When he comes here in less than two weeks, he's going to change your mind, either with his charms or by force. I bet it's gonna be the latter. I can already see it.

"He's more powerful than you, with his position and his shares in the company which makes those robots. This foreigner will become an inconvenience soon enough, especially after the attempt on her life earlier today."

What? What shares?

Me? An inconvenience to the Lord Commander?

Why am I in this enormous pile of shit all of a sudden?

"If James wants to walk again," she then added with malice in her voice, "let him become a suit, as he requested a long time ago. He'll be happy to walk again. He'll get adopted as a servant in a noble family in the capital, and we won't see him anymore."

She was despicable. I clenched my fists.

"None of us will bully him anymore," her voice went sweeter and vile. "Everybody wins."

Hello, my sugar cubes!

Will Lady Melnik influence her husband's opinion?
How will this argument end?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar