IT'S HAPPENING...?!

Milo rubbed his eyes, but no matter how long or how hard, he couldn't banish the vision of Lucianna perched on the bed before him. The lace robe she wore provided little more than a veil between him and what lay underneath. His pulse throbbed in his neck as he licked his lips.

The candlelight danced in her violet eyes. A single bang drooped across her face, as if she had just woken up from a nap. She beckoned him again, curling her finger and giggling.

"Come now. What was it you said? 'Only when we were sober?'"

His mouth flopped open. A knot formed somewhere between his chest and stomach.

(I thought she'd be too drunk to remember!)

Lucianna pouted, her bottom lip glistening with freshly applied lip gloss. She leaned forward and pushed her chest together. His breath caught in his throat.

(That robe is so thin! I can see them!)

"There's something between us, Milo. I think I know what it is."

"O-oh yeah? And, uh, what would that be?"

She stood from the bed, and Milo had never seen such an imposing figure before him. The candlelight gave her outline an almost demonic glow, and as she stepped toward him, her hips swinging pendulously, Milo curled in on himself, hoping to make himself as small as he could.

(She looks like a predator and I'm her prey! No no no! This is all wrong!)

She stopped just in front of him, her smile growing wide. Flames danced in her eyes as she wet her lips.

"Milo, darling~"

He tilted his head up, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

(S-SHE'S REALLY NOT WEARING ANYTHING?!)

Lucianna tilted her head, another strand of hair curtaining across her face. Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him with half-hooded eyes.

"Stand up. Embrace me. I want to feel your touch so bad~"

Milo wanted to stand, but not to embrace Lucianna. He wanted to run as fast and as far away from her as he could. His legs sang with fright, twitching and cramping beneath him, refusing to listen to any command his rational brain issued. The heavy scent of pumpkin and vanilla now made his stomach churn, and he dug his hands into the stone floor.

"T-this isn't funny, Lucianna. I'm not…I don't…"

She squatted down, getting eye-level with him. Her smile shrunk into a playful, cat-like smirk that somehow made his stomach hurt worse.

"Is it because you've never been with a woman?"

His mouth hung open, and no matter how much he willed his vocal cords and lungs to coordinate so he could speak, he could only muster a zombie-like groan.

A familiar pain hit him in the chest, just beneath his throat. Like an icy grip wrapped around his throat. The agonizing chill spread to his shoulders and down his arms. The pain hadn't visited in a while. He thought he had gotten rid of it. Or, at least, buried it deep enough that would never claw its way back out.

Lucianna cooed, reaching out and stroking Milo's cheek. He jerked back, his eyes wide. Tears budded at the corners of his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. It would honor me to be your first~"

(Would I care if she was? M-maybe not…but…I just…I can't…)

Lucianna hooked her hands under his armpits, and with no difficulty, lifted him into the air, carrying him like some sort of large house cat. His toes tingled with pins and needles as she turned and carried him toward the bed. He glanced over his shoulder.

(I need to struggle. I need to say something. I need to get away from her.)

(But maybe this will be for the best? M-maybe it'll help us out. Just let her do with me as she pleases…)

She set him on the edge of the bed, and with a single hand planted on his chest, pushed him onto his back. That hungry smile returned to her lips as she crawled on top, leaving only inches between them. The heat from her body radiated up and down his own, and he shivered, wrenching his eyes shut.

She stroked his face with her hand, her eyes smoldering with lust as they bore into his face.

"Open your eyes, darling~"

With a shuddering gulp, he somehow obeyed, stars swimming in his vision as he tried to re-focus on her.

She leaned back and undid the waistband on her robe, the only thing sealing away her nude body.

Milo's hand shot out, grabbing both of hers.

"W-wait! Please stop!"

Lucianna cocked a brow.

"What is it, sweetie~? Do you want to take it off yourself~?"

He shook his head. His breaths came in short. Choppy. His heart knocked against his chest, ready to burst out of him.

"I-I can't. No more. P-please. I can't do this."

His eyes fell, and his hands drooped down to his sides.

"Maybe it'd be better if Faith cut off my hand. I can't be useful to you. Not if it involves this."

Her face grew blank. The only emotion resting in her features was that of a curiosity, as if a monster had granted its prey last words.

"Why do you think that? What's the reason?"

He wrenched his eyes shut.

(USELESS. UGLY. LOSER.)

His mother's voice started alone, but as his shoulders tensed, his body electric with anxious energy, other voices joined in, a hellish chorus of jeers and insults that ping ponged in his head.

(PAYPIG. BROKEN. WEAK.)

Each additional voice belonged to every girlfriend he had ever dated. How many had it been? He had lost track. He couldn't resist trying to make things work. Sacrificing himself over and over, like Prometheus stuck on the rock, having his liver eaten.

(It's me. I deserve it. I let them do this to me. I like it.)

(That's why I can't be your right hand, Lucianna.)

She sighed, rolling herself off of him and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Well, I can't say it's the first time I've been rejected. But when you reach my age and experience level, there are few who would resist me. Though…I'm not sure your resistance was all voluntary."

Milo curled into the fetal position. The anxiety attack sinking its claws deeper and deeper into his chest and head. His breathing gave way to wheezing, gave way to whistling. Each breath caused his upper body to shake and rattle like a junky car.

Lucianna glanced over at him, her features indifferent to his suffering. After a few moments, she sighed.

She pressed two fingers to the base of his neck, and a red light heated his skin.

The voices grew distant, becoming nothing more than mosquitoes buzzing in the night. A heaviness took hold of his limbs, and without realizing it, his eyes fluttered close. His chest returned to a normal rhythm of breathing. After Lucianna pulled her fingers away, Milo had started snoring. His face radiated with a peaceful bliss that he hadn't known in a while.

Lucianna stood with a grunt and stretched out.

She snapped her fingers.

Her body bubbled like dough, shifting and rolling in on itself. The color and tone of her skin darkened, and she grew a few inches taller. Her hair grew and grew until it touched the back of her knees. Its blue hue shifted and changed, a bright pink hue exploding from the roots and traveling to the ends like fire. She blinked, and her violet eyes glowed golden.

Riosae crossed her arms, her scale armor clanking as she turned back toward Milo's sleeping form.

"This will be more complicated than I thought."

***

Faith clicked away at a screen, entering numbers to a spreadsheet for future adjustments to the ship. Krol moved around some machines in the lab, creating a space for him to work on whatever Faith asked of him. She appreciated the help, but Krol's mouth hadn't stopped running since he entered that morning.

"Mistress is training Milo and Lucianna, and Rivra ran off to do her own training, so I thought I'd come and visit you! You know, you're quite beautiful. Not sure if you're familiar, but I'm the creator of the Scrappettes! You know, the cards that capture the beauty of Scrapster women of all shapes and sizes! Well, I'd like to expand my horizons and seek beauty from all corners of the universe! The female form deserves to be studied and admired!"

"Uh huh. Do you mind moving some of those machines around? It will clear space for you to work. I already have several projects in mind which can utilize your talents and skills."

"Oh, uh, sure! Of course. Just think about it. I'd love to have you model as my second Universal Scrapette!"

"Second?"

"Well, Tereine volunteered for first place!"

"That fits with her personality."

Despite his motor mouth and questionable hobby, Krol posed no threat to her or the Herald. He even seemed to be a bit more conscientious of the machinery and how he handled them. That was certainly a plus, as Faith couldn't move the heavy machines without having Lucianna use telekinesis, which could end with explosive results. And Rivra handled everything so roughly, Faith had forbidden her from ever handling anything in the lab ever again. Having Krol as an assistant would prove beneficial, she concluded.

The door to the lab whooshed open, and the heavy stabbing of heels on the metal floor already told Faith that the Captain was in a foul mood.

"Krol, please inquire if Albany or Tereine need assistance."

He blinked and looked at Lucianna. Her darkened eyes and deep-cut scowl gave him plenty of warning. Gently setting down the equipment in his arms, he gave a small bow and lumbered out of the lab.

"Of all the annoying bullshit!"

"I assume training is going well?"

"No! The exact opposite! This Riosae is so insufferable! Acts like she knows everything! What does she know? Huh? She says she's never seen an ability like ours before!"

"Your fusion is unique. The only comparison that comes to mind is the melding ability of technophirs. Even then, technophirs possess machines, not other bio-organisms."

Lucianna threw her hands up.

"She said something like that, too! Ugh! Such a know-it-all!"

Faith turned from her screen and faced Lucianna. She crossed her legs and leaned toward her captain.

"I sense there exists a deeper issue than your dislike of this mentor. Do you wish to elaborate, Captain?"

She crossed her arms, huffing, as her eyes fell to the ground.

"What's there to elaborate? It just feels like I'm screwing up more and more. At this rate, I think Milo will hate me again."

"What makes you say that? Has he said as such?"

"Well, no! But…I don't know. It feels like he's hiding something from me."

"Everyone possesses secrets, Captain. Including yourself. And I doubt you have elaborated your past in its entirety to Milo."

She leaned back in her chair, scratching the back of her neck.

"Riosae mentioned something about a barrier. Between Milo and me. Apparently, this barrier is what's stopping us from lasting more than a few moments. It's also choking the flow of power, so I can't even use my full strength effectively."

"If my memory is correct, you never wielded full control of your power."

"Ouch. Why with the blunt words?"

"Simply an observation, Captain. I only offer them to help you achieve your goals."

Lucianna sighed, her hands falling into her lap.

"This barrier…why does it exist? How can I break it down? I want to be close to Milo. Not just because he has my gem of power, but because…well, it doesn't matter."

"Perhaps it does, Captain. You and Milo…are quite an odd pair. Not in a bad way, but you are outgoing, sometimes brash, full of life. Milo keeps to himself, does his best to not stand out. The only thing you share in common, personality-wise, is your habit of rushing headlong into danger."

Lucianna grinned, sighing dreamily.

"Yeah. We do, don't we?"

"That was not a compliment. May I ask, Captain? Do you trust Milo?"

"Huh? Trust him? I mean, I guess?"

"Yet you suspect him of hiding something?"

"Well, I mean…"

Faith held up a hand, and a screen filled with a diagram of a robot.

"When technophirs meld, we must have a capable host. Not unlike your fusion ability, melding depends on the two parts being compatible. If one or both participants are flawed beyond an acceptable margin of error, then the meld will prove too unstable to maintain."

"I understand that. But what are you getting at?"

"Among other prerequisites, technophirs require an intact anchor point. This completes the circuit of melding and allows a technophir to possess and control a machine. Perhaps the barrier between you two is more of an issue of anchoring. You must allow him in, and he must willingly complete the circuit with your gem of power."

"So, what? You're telling me I need to get an anchor point in my body somewhere? I'm already one-third robot, here."

Faith shook her head.

"For this situation, I doubt the anchor point is so cut and dry. It is more, as some say, metaphorical."

"Metaphorical?"

"I require more data to be certain, but I imagine there is an anchor point within you already, but its condition is variable. In the context of technophirs, a host could be scrap, but if the anchor point remains whole and perfectly operational, a technophir can move their conscious into the host. It would serve no function, of course, but it could be done."

"So you're saying it's not just the connection, but how we're connecting?"

"It is a possibility. I lack sufficient data to provide a concrete answer. I apologize."

Lucianna waved her hand.

"No, it's fine. Talking to you helped me calm down a bit. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Captain. But what will you do? Our next move hinges on your ability to maintain fusion with Milo."

She jumped from her seat and stood, jutting her chin out. Her smile reminded Faith of a memory from long ago, when she had first encountered Lucianna and her sister, Salopheia.

"Milo and I will find a way. If our anchor point's broken or whatever, then we'll just need to fix it!"

"That is a massive oversimplification."

She folded her arms behind her head, beaming down at Faith.

"Sometimes you gotta look at things simple-like, you know? For me…I have to put more faith in Milo. I know he's weak, but I think he's growing stronger every day. Bit by bit, he's becoming more of a crewmember. I don't want him to get hurt…I don't want to lose him…but, none of that will happen if I trust him."

A small grin formed on Faith's lips. She rested her chin on one hand.

"Your optimism never ceases to amaze, Captain."

Lucianna gave her a thumbs-up and turned for the door.

"Thank you for listening, Faith. I'm really going to give this training all I've got!"

She disappeared from the lab, and after a few moments Faith turned back to her screen, clicking away.

She paused a moment, her fingers suspended just inches from the screen. Her eyes drifted over to a camera feed, and she watched as Lucianna walked down the hall toward the ship's exit.

"It is rare for the Captain to put forth effort. If she puts her mind to it, she can awe us all."

She pressed a button on her screen, and another screen lit up with the video feeds of Milo's fights in Coalwatch and against Rivra.

"Milo also possesses potential. For being a human, he is wrapped in mystery."

She bent over her screen, furiously clicking away.

"I will unravel his secrets and help the captain in her goals."