TO MEET ONE'S MAKER, pt.1

Lucianna threw her head back in a fit of laughter. "I got so excited, you know? I guess using my power after so long made me so cocky." She bowed her head between her legs. "And now Rivra's pissed at me on top of it. Not to mention she hates your guts."

(I can't argue with that.) Milo cupped his chin in his palm. (I thought she was kinda nice when she saved me…but she could've been putting on an act. Just to please Lucianna.)

She kicked at the floor, her foot thudding on the linoleum. Milo reached out an arm to her but pulled back at the last moment. "Can I ask what's going on? Between you and Rivra?"

"Wish I knew. She's been treating me like a little kid for a while now, even though I'm way older than her." She winked at him. "Not that it stops me from getting up to shenanigans! The best way to stay young is to have fun!"

(Your definition of fun might be a little off…) Milo chuckled.

"Oh? What's so funny?" She leaned in close to him, blasting him with that overwhelming mixture of hot cinnamon and apple. "You know, you're literally my right hand now…you could start acting like it!"

"A-as if I know how!" He raised the wrist with the diamond, which sparkled brilliantly. "Last time it happened, we were about to die."

It came back to him: the darkness, the room, the touching of Lucianna's shoulder. He wasn't sure, but he had a hunch that somewhere in that jumbled mess of memory had to be the key to combining with Lucianna again.

She huffed and leaned her head back against the wall.

"You know, I don't think she wants to go."

Milo cocked an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Rivra. She keeps insisting we go to her father. But the thing is, I rescued her from him. Years and years ago." She shook her head. "She was happy out in space, going on adventures. Even if she had to protect me sometimes. And now she's really trying to act like my big sister. All because I've chased so many dead leads."

"There's nothing wrong with her wanting to protect you." He fiddled with his fingers. "And I even understand some of her hate toward me. I've done nothing to prove myself. And of course there's my father…"

She grinned. "You're quite the detective."

Milo scratched his chin. "I got good at reading people. Especially women. I've dated so many." He froze. (Maybe I shouldn't mention that…)

A vein twitched in Lucianna's forehead. "Oh? You dated a lot of women?" She turned her nose up and shot him a smug grin. "Well, isn't that nice?"

"I never got far with any of them! Even Iris…" He could still hear her scream. The laser rifle. "Well, she turned out to be one of the worst ones."

She shook her head. "Anyway, we got off-topic. We've been trying to sniff out Waylon for so long, we were scraping the barrel for ideas."

"Earth was scraping the barrel? Shouldn't have that been the first place you looked?"

"When your daddy traveled with us, he constantly said he despised Earth. Not in any malicious way. He didn't want to blow it up or anything. Just loved the open universe more. A free spirit looking for the next thing to learn."

She lifted her prosthetic. "Then he did this. He stole my arms and the gems of power along with them." She pointed at his wrist, at one of her gems. "And then, somehow, he put them in you."

"Yeah. The last time I saw him was when I was four years old. I don't even remember his face."

She grunted. "Well, that's a small blessing. That bastard's face is all a see in my nightmares. But…" Her features softened, and she reached out a hand, cupping Milo's cheek. "I'd rather dream of your face, honestly~"

He yanked himself away. His face felt like it had sustained third-degree sunburns. His heart pounded in his throat. (She's so childish…But…no other girl has said that about me. Honestly…she's the first to even say I'm cute.)

"That's the reddest you've gotten yet! Wonder how red you'll get before you pop?"

"Anyway…" He clenched his right fist. "We're getting nowhere. Rivra is expecting us to fight her. But we don't even know how to do that combining thing." He reached out and touched his hand to her shoulder. But nothing happened. "Last time, this was all it took. But…last time I felt strange."

"Strange? How so?"

"I don't know…it felt like my arm was trying to tear itself from my body. Then when we were about to die…my hand moved on its own. And then we ended up in that room."

Lucianna's eyes lit up. "You remember that room, too?"

He furrowed his brow. "Yeah, of course I do. Why do you ask?"

Now she was the one to blush. Her left hand twirled a lock of hair around itself. She lowered her gaze to some far-off corner of the room.

"That was my childhood room. At least, what I remember of it. And to think, now you've seen it…" She shook her head. "Not that it matters, I guess. It doesn't tell us anything. If you touching my shoulder isn't enough for us to combine, then I'll just need to figure something out."

"But what will you do? Aren't your powers limited without a gem to channel them?"

"Yeah, but what choice do I have? I won't let Rivra keep doing things just for my sake."

Milo crossed his arms. "That's fine, but you're at a huge disadvantage. Then you have me as dead weight."

She grimaced. "You're not dead weight. Look, you could still figure out how we can combine! Then we can beat her!"

"You can say that, but right now we have now clue. I really won't be able to help."

"I feel bad about everything. We wouldn't be in this situation if I'd just listened to Rivra."

Milo reached out. This time, he laid his arm across her shoulders. She jumped and looked at him, her pupils dilated.

"I don't know you very well. Not yet. But I can tell you chase after what you believe in. You try to give your all for everyone else."

Lucianna's lips parted. Her sweet breath washed over in warm waves.

"Aren't you…mad, that I ruined your life?"

"A little. But there wasn't much of a life there." He grinned. "I don't have anywhere else to go. So I want us to win this fight."

"Oh, if you say so!" She smacked him on the back. Milo coughed and sputtered as she jumped to her feet and stretched.

According to the screen hanging on the opposite wall, they had about half an hour before their duel with Rivra. She wheeled around and offered a hand to Milo. He let her pull him up.

"Rivra can't see. So I confuse her senses, then perhaps I can get the upper-hand."

"Well, I can distract her senses. Then you can restrain her!"

"But what if she gets a hold of you? She gets one hand on you and you're done. It's best I fight her myself."

His mouth flopped open. "But we're supposed to be fighting her together." He hung his head, clenching his fists. "I want to help."

She squeezed one of his hands and smiled. "Having you by my side is help enough."

Milo's chest fluttered.

(I really hope so.)

***

The training room was a large, rectangular room with a tall ceiling. Rivra had cleared the weight machines and practice dummies to one side, leaving an open space in the middle.

Clapping her hands, chalk dust exploded in all directions. She pursed her lips.

(She's been this way ever since…) She shook her head. (No point thinking about that. Going to my father is the only way. Not that I'm looking forward to it. One thing's for certain: Father would be the only one in the universe to put a bounty on my head. The fact the reward is for live capture only…)

The doors whooshed open. Tereine and Albany walked in, the latter having ditched her apron in favor for a pair of overalls. Rivra's nose could pick up the dish soap and pomegranate perfume Albany preferred. Of course, Tereine's natural pine tree scent was unmistakable. Rivra crossed her left arm over her chest and stretched.

"I don't recall asking for an audience," she said. "This is between me, the captain, and her little pet."

"Aye," Tereine said. "We're here to make sure nothing goes too far."

Albany fiddled with her horn, her tail between her legs. "Faith asked us to watch."

Rivra switched arms, grunting. "So be it."

(Faith…thinks I'll go too far? What about the captain? She thinks finding some loser on Earth is going to change everything.)

(Well, we won't have to worry about him much longer.)

***

Milo rubbed his sweaty palms together. No matter how many times he licked his lips, his mouth was entirely too dry. Lucianna's movements were rigid as they walked down the hallway to the training room. They tried psyching themselves up in Milo's room, but having failed to figure how to combine again, the weight of their task made both of their shoulders slump.

"Whatever you do, don't get caught by her," Lucianna said. "You're frail. She'll break you. All I have to do is confuse her senses. I should be able to do that without breaking my arm."

Milo gulped. "And if that doesn't work?"

"It has to. I don't have a choice."

His eyes darted to her right shoulder—still lacking a replacement arm. The first time he'd met her, she destroyed both arms. He frowned.

"There has to be something I can do."

Lucianna stopped and turned toward him. Her chin quivered. "I don't want you to get hurt. This is my fault. I already messed up your life. I won't let anything else happen to you." She reached out and squeezed his arm. "I'm sorry. But let me handle it."

Milo looked at the ground. But he nodded. He needed to trust her.

(Having you at my side is help enough.)

They reached the training room. Albany and Tereine looked up from their spot on the sidelines. Lucianna walked up to them, removed her cloak, and handed it to Tereine.

"Good luck, Captain," Tereine said.

Albany offered her a double thumbs up.

Rivra snorted, planting both hands on her hips. "So you and the runt didn't run off and elope?"

Lucianna glared at Rivra, her eyes fixed on her as she stepped into the improvised ring. Milo went to follow her, but Lucianna raised her hand. She shot a glance back over her shoulder. Tereine cocked a brow as Milo hung his head like a sad puppy.

"Why's the coward hanging so far back? It's you two against me, right?"

Lucianna grinned and shifted into a wild-looking battle stance, her legs spread wide, her left hand raised in front of her. (She looks so cool!)

"This beef has nothing to do with Milo," Lucianna said. "This is to prove to you I'm worthy of being the captain."

Rivra let her hands hang by her sides. "Is that so? To be clear, I agreed to a handicap match. Both of you are still fair targets in this fight." She licked her lips. "So, I'll take care of the weakest link first."

Milo blinked, and in that instant the giant woman loomed over him, her chin jutting out.

She cocked her fist back.

Tereine and Albany jumped to their feet. "Whoa, Rivra! Stop!"

Milo's stomach dropped out from under him. He could only remember how easily this warrior woman had plucked the arms from that giant robot. With her bare hands. And now one of those hands aimed for his head.

Yet he couldn't move. His legs and feet weighed more than his entire body at that moment. The breath sat trapped in his throat.

Rivra bellowed, "I hope you've made peace with your maker! Goodbye, Son of Waylon!"