Let's Run Parallel

"Huh…? What do you mean?"

We sat in a booth at the Waving Kitty, Soho and I.

"Did I hear that right? Did you really just say that?"

I made sure Soho had a bit to drink before I broke the news to her, all so it could be easier for her to take. But it wasn't looking too good right now.

"Are you seriously telling me that you don't want me to join you in your missions anymore?!" She nearly slammed the table.

"Calm down," I told her. "Please, just listen, Soho."

"I can hear you loud and clear!" She shouted in my ear.

Maybe the alcohol in her system wasn't a good idea.

I tried to settle her down. "It isn't because of you—"

"That's a fucking lie!" She looked me in the eye, her own full of anger. "You're telling me that after 71 perfect executions, all assisted by me, you're dropping me just because I burdened you with a single target?!?"

"No! No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what else could it possibly be about? What else? Tell me!"

I stuttered. "It's complicated. No matter how I put it, you won't like the sound of it. But you have to hear me out."

She scoffed. "Of course I wouldn't like the sound of it! Even after I'd told you about what Enzo did to me, and how it affected me, you're going to do the same exact thing!?"

"No!" I immediately denied her. "It isn't the same thing, not at all."

"What is it then!? Because you're making it sound a lot like I'm getting in the way of your success, just like how Enzo felt!"

I couldn't tolerate being compared to that greedy, narcissistic bastard. "I'm not like him! That isn't how I feel!"

"Do you just think I don't 'contribute to your aspirations'? Is that what it is?"

"No! No!"

"Then why? Why are you letting me go all of a sudden!?"

"Because I care about you!" I finally yelled back. "I care about you."

My words had stunned her, somehow, finally quieting her down. "You're so stupid. That makes no sense, Klyson."

"The letter… Ian's letter. He threatened me in it. He threatened me with your life."

Soho's eyes widened. I could tell that even she was surprised.

"All because of that one target, Dante…?"

I nodded. "It doesn't help that he also achieved a Fractal Activation…"

Soho covered her mouth with shock. "He did?"

"Yeah. We left him unchecked with an Activated Fractal. Though, apparently he's imprisoned right now at least, but that's not the point. To Ian, it's the fact alone that we helped him achieve what we were supposed to prevent in the first place. We went against Heathen's ideals."

Soho leaned back in her chair, her face flushed with red from tipsiness and stress. She didn't say anything, so I continued.

"I'm not letting you go because I don't care about you, or because you aren't useful to me. It's because Ian thinks you could be to blame for my falter in finishing off Dante. Whether or not that's the case is not what matters. What matters is that he sees you as disposable, but I don't want anything to happen to you."

Soho stared at me as I said all these things. But I could tell that her timer was ticking out before she would crash from all the booze. I tried to get everything across that I could.

"You've done nothing but be the best for me until now, Soho. But I'll be okay from here on out. You don't need to push yourself for me anymore. I couldn't lose you over anything. I would never forgive myself."

"Really…?"

I looked at her intently. "Yes, really."

She now closed her eyes, finally looking like she'd come to some sort of understanding. "Okay…"

And like that, she'd dozed off.

Phew. Rough start, but it ended well.

I went to the bar to pay for the food and drinks. Draz noticed me and greeted me. 

"Everything good, brother? Sounded a little heated over there when I passed by."

I gave him a thumbs up. "All good now. Just a little banter over something that happened at work yesterday."

"A little coworker dispute?" He then gave me a smirk. "Or a little lover's quarrel?"

I flushed red. "Come on, Draz. You know it isn't like that."

He waved it off with laughter. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, brother."

I paid my due and took off for the night. Even though Soho was asleep at the table, I knew Draz would look after her. When I got home, which was just past midnight, I found an envelope on the floor inside my unit. I was surprised, as Ian had told me he'd assign me the next target the next day. But seeing as it was midnight—technically the next day—I understood he was being quite literal.

{ I hope you've reflected enough by now, Klyson. If something similar happens with your accomplice in this next mission, I will take matters into my own hands.

Make sure you know that.

However, you're lucky that Dante has been imprisoned in a high-grade security prison meant for powerful Fractal users. So as of right now, he won't be a problem. It's not to say that he won't be a target again in the future when the time is right, although that goal will be much more difficult to accomplish than if you had just ended things yesterday.

Nonetheless, this takes us to your 73rd target— }

As I looked into the details about my next victim, planning the execution in my head as I read, I realized just how much harder it was going to be without the support from Soho.

But this is for the better.

I tried to convince myself otherwise, as hard as it was. After finishing the letter, I chose to block out all the heavy thoughts in my head before finally falling asleep that night. There was only one thing that remained in my mind.

I'm on my own, again.