invisible man: whenever i discover that i am wrong, i  change. but i am never wrong.

KEIRA COULDN'T STAND PRETENTIOUS MISFITS, and right now, she was stuck with two human ones and a robot. She wasn't sure if she could trust this Villain guy not to kill her, but he had provided for the Shnoc, so she was willing to be a little less cold toward him—for now. As long as he wasn't planning anything drastic. The problem was, she couldn't read him at all. He was like an open book with blank pages, written in invisible ink.

Villain was just doing it for the money, she knew that. He probably didn't even know why they wanted Axelle Henderson, but it was still wrong. He was tearing her away from her family and no one should ever go through that.

"You can talk to the girl. If you do anything out of place, I will call the guy who placed the bounty and I won't be responsible for what happens after that. Understood?" Villain said, pointing to the robot he called Jessie.

"Thank you," Axelle whispered, and Keira felt a pang of guilt for being so hostile to her. Axelle was in so much danger compared to her, and it felt like she owed her something.

Maybe an escape plan.

Think, Keira, think.

Jessie, the bot, moved in front of Axelle, floating in mid air. Keira gaped as steam flew out of the bottom and kept propelling up in the air.

So cool, she thought.

"I know what you're thinking," Villain said, shocking her and she jumped in her chair. She was still strapped in, but the restraints started to loosen over time. She wondered if it was planned or...

It was planned. She could tell from the smug look on his stupid face.

"You think Jessie's cool!" he exclaimed and Keira looked at him like she sucked a sour lemon. This was quite a personality change. Maybe this guy had a personality disorder.

"I made Jessie when I was six, actually. At the start, she was just basic. Only kept reminders and rang alarms but my father helped me with it. He's a scientist, or well, used to be one."

"What makes you think I care?" Keira asked, rolling her eyes.

"You can pretend all you like, but I saw you looking at Jessie." He walked back to his podium-like stand near the front and glared at her.

"Yeah, I was thinking about the best way to crush it."

Villain gave her a death glare as Jessie beeped. "Death threats to my life detected. Wylan, I can't believe you let her go for that."

"Jessie, do you really think she can hurt you? She can't even move." He pointed to the restraints stopping her from moving.

Keira smiled to herself. She finally got his real name. "So, your name is Wylan huh?"

Wylan, the Villain glared at his sidekick robot. "No, my name is Villain."

"I think I trust your robot more than you," Keira said, giggling.

"Wylan is right. His name is Villain," Jessie said and Keira laughed more.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart," she said. She didn't know why there was a part of her that wanted to laugh, even if this was the worst place for her to be. It was like a part of her knew Wylan wasn't going to do any harm, even though he seemed like a tough guy—or tried to. Looking at him, she didn't see evil. She only saw a survivor and a kid. Someone who was her age. This was what the Disease did to them. It turned humans into criminals.

Keira watched as Wylan's face turned red as Keira continued laughing, and for a moment, she thought he might actually lose his cool. But he clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and forced himself to look indifferent.

"Keep laughing," he muttered. "It's the only entertainment you'll get around here."

Keira leaned back, smirking as best as she could in her half-restrained position. "Oh, I'm having a blast. Between your 'villainous' threats and your talking toaster, this is practically a comedy show."

Axelle, sitting quietly beside, gave Keira a tiny, almost imperceptible smile. Keira was glad she was able to bring a small moment of comfort to her, a momentary distraction from the fear of the unknown.

Jessie hovered closer to Keira, its eyes—or sensors, or whatever the hell they were—blinking in an almost steady rhythm. "I am not a toaster. I am a highly advanced multipurpose artificial intelligence with an emotional algorithm. My primary function is to serve Wylan and—"

"Villain," Wylan interrupted sharply. "Her primary function is to serve Villain."

"Are we still keeping this up?" Keira asked, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "No, I totally get it. It's supposed to be...menacing." She glanced at Axelle and winked. "Totally scary."

Wylan ignored the taunt and turned his attention back to the console in front of him, tapping in commands with precision. He must have been doing this for a very long time. Keira watched him, studying his every movement, hoping to catch something that could give them an advantage to escape. He was careful, annoyingly so, but she caught the flicker of the screen that displayed what she assumed was their destination. If only she had the right prescription for her glasses...

Jessie beeped, startling her out of her focus. "Keira has an elevated heart rate. Possible signs of stress or agitation. Wylan, would you like me to monitor her further?"

"No," Wylan replied, barely glancing up. "She'll be fine."

Keira felt her blood simmer as she bit her lip. "You know," she started, feigning nonchalance, "if you're just doing this for the money, why don't you let Axelle go and ransom someone else? Someone who doesn't have a whole family searching for her."

Wylan's jaw tensed, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something behind his arrogant facade — doubt, maybe, or a hint of regret.

But just as quickly, his face hardened again. "You really think I care who she is or who misses her? I take the job, I get it done. It's that simple."

"Really? Because you don't look as heartless as you're trying to act," Keira shot back, her gaze piercing. "I think you're trying to convince yourself as much as us."

For a brief second, Wylan's mask slipped, and she caught a glimpse of vulnerability in his eyes. But he quickly turned away, muttering something under his breath as he focused on the control panel.

Jessie, oblivious to the tension, floated between them and chirped, "Perhaps Wylan—sorry, Villain—would like to share his feelings. Studies show that talking about emotional conflicts can lead to better decision-making and mental clarity."

Keira stifled a laugh, and even Axelle covered her mouth, trying not to smile.

"Jessie," Wylan snapped, "you're a robot, not a therapist."

"But I am programmed to detect emotional distress and—"

"Turn it off!" Wylan's voice was sharp, and the laughter in the room died instantly. Jessie went silent, hovering back a few inches as if hurt. The air grew thick with tension as Wylan gripped the edge of the console, his knuckles white.

Keira saw her chance. "Listen, Wylan," she said softly, dropping the sarcasm. "This doesn't have to go the way you think it does. You're not some soulless 'villain.' You're... just a guy doing a job. But this? Taking Axelle away from her family? You don't have to go through with it. Even if they're offering an insane amount of money. Like, how much could it be? A few thousand units?"

"Actually, a million units."

Keira blinked. A million units.

A million damn units.

What the actual—

"Are you actually serious?" Keira asked. She'd only heard of that much money in theory, never realized it was actually real.

A million units.

Wylan's gaze flicked to her, conflicted. For a moment, she thought he might actually consider her words. But then his face hardened, his usual cold mask slipping back into place. Keira couldn't exactly blame him—it was a million units after all. He would make it to the West, where he could get a happily ever after.

Wow. For a brief moment, Keira saw herself in the West, never having to go hungry, never being sick.

"It's too late for that," he muttered, almost to himself. "We're nearly there."

Jessie's sensors blinked again, cutting through the silence. "Bounty collector approaching destination in 15 minutes."

Axelle's face paled, and Keira felt her own heart rate spike as she realized they were running out of time.

Think, Keira, think. Her eyes darted around the room, her mind racing. They were trapped, restrained, and outnumbered. But Wylan was wavering, and maybe—just maybe—he wasn't as heartless as he pretended to be.

"Fine," she said, leaning forward as much as her restraints allowed. "Do whatever you want. But remember, Wylan, you're making a choice right now. And whatever happens... you'll have to live with it."

For a split second, his gaze softened, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to say something — but then he straightened, the vulnerability gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Jessie, activate the final approach sequence," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion.

Keira's heart sank, but she held onto a spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she'd planted a seed of doubt in him.

"Okay, please can I just talk to Alissa? For a moment?" Axelle asked, her voice cracking. Maybe, Wylan might feel sorry after Axelle breaks down in front of her sister.

Wylan hesitated, his fingers hovering over his VeriPad. Keira held her breath, watching him intently.

Say yes.

His stoicism faded ever so slightly, and his gaze softened as he looked at Axelle, who was blinking back tears.

"Please," Axelle whispered. "I just need to say goodbye."

Wylan sighed, glancing over at Jessie who floated beside him, blinking silently. For a moment, he looked like he might say no, but then he rubbed his temples, muttering viciously under his breath.

"Fine," he said, his voice gruff. "One call. But if you try anything—anything at all—I'll cut it off."

Keira exhaled. Wylan pressed a few buttons and Jessie whirred. A moment later, a holographic screen flickered to life in front of them, displaying a waiting dial tone. The screen glowed blue as it connected, and then—

"Axy?" A young girl's voice crackled through the speakers. Her face appeared on the screen, wide-eyed and innocent, her features absolutely nothing like Axelle's to show they were sisters. The girl looked almost as confused and scared as Axelle, and Keira's heart clenched for them.

"Alissa!" Axelle cried, reaching her restrained hands toward the screen as though she could touch her sister. "Alissa, are you okay?"

"When are you coming back?" The girl looked young. She couldn't be more than ten, and if Wylan had a soul, he would let her go.

Keira could tell it wasn't going to happen, though. Self-preservation drove this guy.

"I'll be back soon, Just...be strong, okay? Don't leave the house. At all. No matter what happens. Don't tell Mama anything."

Keira watched Wylan out of the corner of her eye. His jaw was tight, his face expressionless, but something in his posture changed. Maybe hearing Axelle's desperate goodbye brought back some pre-Disease memories.

It did for her, anyway. If only she had the time to say goodbye to her parents and Miles...

"Why did you leave, Axy? You never leave" Alissa asked, her eyes swimming in tears.

Axelle hesitated, glancing over at Wylan, who was watching them. Keira watched Axelle swallow hard, choosing her words carefully. "I just had to. But listen to me. You don't make the same mistake, alright?"

Keira admired Axelle's strength, even as her own heart ached for her. Axelle was holding herself together, even with the certain threat of being torn away from her family hanging over her.

Wylan cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "That's enough," he said, reaching to cut the call.

"Wait!" Alissa cried, her voice breaking as she clutched at the hologram. "Axy, don't go! Please, don't go! Come back."

Axelle's face crumpled, but she forced a brave smile. "I love you, Alissa. I'll see you again. I promise."

With a cold finality, Wylan ended the call, and the holographic screen blinked out. Axelle's shoulders slumped, her face filled with pain as she stared at the empty space where her sister's image had been.

"Happy now?" Wylan asked, his tone clipped, though he refused to look directly at either of them.

Keira leaned forward, her eyes burning into him. "How do you live with yourself?" she asked quietly. "How do you listen to something like that and still go through with it?"

Wylan clenched his fists, clearly fighting an internal battle, but he didn't respond. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his expression a hardened mask.

"You're just another victim, aren't you?" Keira continued, not backing down. "You're not some heartless villain. You're just a kid trying to survive like the rest of us. But this? This isn't surviving, Wylan. It's selling your soul."

His face twisted with anger, but Keira could see the uncertainty lurking in his eyes. She knew she was pushing him, but they were running out of time. She had to get through to him before whoever wanted Axelle showed up.

"Look, maybe I don't know what you've been through," she said, her voice softer. "But I know what it's like to feel trapped. To think you have no choice. But there's always a choice, Wylan. You can still do the right thing."

He looked away, swallowing hard, and for a long, tense moment, there was only silence.

Finally, he spoke. "It's a million units."

"A million units and your conscience," she said, her tone cutting. "Which one do you think will last longer?"

The room went still. Wylan's hand hovered over the controls, and he stared at them, as if weighing something heavy. Keira held her breath, hoping against hope that she had reached him.

"Shut up, or I'll cover your mouth as well," he snapped and Keira knew nothing was going to make him realize how immoral this was.

It was all Keira could do though, just as the creak of the door welcomed a visitor that was about to decide their fates.