Millie the Gunsinger

Day Four - Evening

The drive home was uneventful. We stayed on the backroads and byways until we reached the comforting suburbs of the Spit. The sun set as we came into the City and it was dark by the time we got to our street.

Daniel-san dropped Twenty and myself outside of our apartment. Chang got out too as he had his own transport nearby. Thorsfeldt got in the front beside Daniel-san.

Most of the gear got left in the van, although Twenty grabbed her black bag and the long case for her railgun. I tossed off the helmet and looked for my Akubra. I was sure it had been thrown in the back when we first got ready.

It was Twenty who found it, wedged under a seat. I asked Daniel-san how it had got there and he refused to answer. I rammed it defiantly on my head and we closed the back doors.

We stood beside the passenger side door as Daniel-san told us to come to the office in a couple of days. I also promised I would get a doctor we knew to check out all my various knocks and bumps. Lord, if he wanted to be my dad he should have adopted me properly.

I did wonder why it turned out that Daniel-san was now driving Thorsfeldt home all by himself. Always the cunning strategist my boss.

The van drove off and Twenty and I trudged into the foyer. Mr Singh was nowhere to be seen so we hurried across to the stairs and made our way up to the top floor.

We were both so beat up that we just dumped our gear to one side of the room. Even Twenty could only manage to neatly place her railgun case carefully down before collapsing on the bed.

She just lay there with her arm thrown over her eyes. I quietly took off my boots, then hat, shorts and t-shirt. Twenty had not moved so I went over and removed her boots.

“Do you want me to take off your uniform?” I asked her gently. She barely nodded but did not resist as I took off her outer clothes and belt. I got her to stand up so I could I put her under the bed covers.

I went to tuck her in but she looked at me with tears glinting at the edges of her eyes.

“Please, Millie” she whispered. So I got in next to her and held her in my arms. She pulled in close and rested her head on my chest. I stroked her short hair and kissed her on top of her head.

Soon I heard her gentle breathing turn to sleep. I stroked her head for a while and then drifted off myself.

It had been a hell of a day. I think it counted as a win.

=====

Day Six

Twenty and I had spent most of yesterday sleeping. Late in the day we had gone to see my doctor. He had tut-tutted at my injuries but agreed there was nothing life threatening.

He had shot me full of stuff to help with the bruising and to manage the pain. Twenty was fine – he had been very surprised about her elevated body temperature so we said she had a bit of a fever. Suitably armed with medicine and pain relief we had retreated back to our lair.

Today we spent the morning visiting Di at the Coffee Coffin. Twenty was in her new black uniform but she still looked way too much like a Guard. After some initial confusion, Di accepted her as my new partner. I was not game to tell her she was also my room mate.

The coffee and food was a hit with Twenty. Turns out she loves toasted ham, cheese and tomato too. She also eats way too fast, just like me.

Afterwards we went and did some shopping for Twenty at the mall. She is so big we ended up having to get her a lot of men’s clothes such as shirts and pants. It was no bother to her and my fashion sense tends to tomboy anyway.

The hit of that expedition was a knock-off sports shirt with the Pan City Demons logo on it. Her shirt and matching cap is now her favourite outfit.

She also insisted we get some running shoes each. Her plan was for us to run and exercise together every morning. I tried to protest but she insisted I had promised to do this with her. Guess I won’t be sleeping in late anymore.

Last stop was a second hand furniture store. We picked out a decent sized bed that would fit Twenty and a bedside table and cupboard. I wanted her to get a closet as well but she saw an old army surplus foot locker. Apparently it reminded her of the one she had at the squad barracks. She paid for it all out of her little purse of Pandas and we arranged for delivery the following day.

In the early evening, after the Bonds office closed trading for the day, we went and saw Daniel-san together. Erika was just leaving as we arrived so she let us in.

I could see she was dying to ask all about this tall Japanese woman with me but I did not give her the chance.

“We’ll see you tomorrow Erika” I promised her. She just nodded and left. I could swear there was a look of concern etched on her face. Maybe she really did like me, underneath all that utter hatred. Would I have to start being nice to her? Another worry for another day.

Daniel-san was in his office as usual. He looked tired too but he smiled at Twenty and I as we entered.

“This came for you today” he said and pointed to a small package on the desk. I picked it up and it was just addressed to “Millie and Twenty” care of the office. There was no return address. “It was hand delivered by a courier” he explained.

I opened the package. Inside was a hand written note that just said “Thanks. J” and a phone number. Like I was going to call him again in any hurry!

I examined the items with interest.

There was a formal discharge for me from the Pan City Little Angels Orphanage. I was no longer a runaway. So Daniel-san missed his big chance to have me as his daughter.

For Twenty there was an Ident card showing a mug shot of her. It gave her name as Twenty Camelia Hargreaves, age 25. She was born in Pan City apparently. With that was a sanctioned Bounty Hunter licence, valid in the Zone, under the same name.

“What the hell!” I exclaimed as she showed the Ident card to me. “Does that make you my sister or something?”

“I think that makes her your older sister in fact” added Daniel-san.

“You may call me big sister if you want” suggested Twenty.

“No way. I am older than you, no matter what some card says” I yelled back. “I am the senior one in our partnership”.

“OK Millie, whatever you say” agreed Twenty but I don’t think she really meant it.

Daniel-san told us that the funds had come in for the mission. He sent ten thousand Pandas each for Twenty and I. It all went to my account, but I realised we could set up one for Twenty now she had an official existence.

“Let’s all go for a celebration dinner!” I suggested, but Daniel-san declined. He had a previous dinner engagement he said.

“Would that be with a certain blonde headed Freelancer?” I suggested coyly.

He actually turned a little pink and told me it was none of my damn business. Aw, maybe Daniel-san was getting sentimental in his old age.

Twenty and I were ushered out of the office and put into the street.

“Just go enjoy yourselves for a couple of days” he told us. “Come see me next week and we’ll see what jobs you two can handle”.

“All of them” replied Twenty and I in unison.

Day Whatever

So it has been three months since that run to get Otaki and Emily away from Yamaguchi.

We have settled into a comfortable routine. A run most mornings followed by some exercise to strengthen me. Twenty is strong enough already but she keeps me company.

Once a week I go to an indoor firing range with Daniel-san. He has been teaching me how to handle firearms safely and accurately. I can’t match Twenty for precision but I am very enthusiastic. Apparently emptying the magazine as fast as possible is not recommended in a firefight.

Mrs Singh, the wife of our building supervisor, turns out to be a music and singing teacher. I have been going down to her apartment once or twice a week for singing lessons. She says I am getting better but Twenty still plugs her ears when I practice.

Twenty was told by Mrs Singh she has an amazing baritone and could sing opera if she wanted to. She has now started singing lessons as well, making me jealous of how much better at it she is than me.

Every day we try and have coffee with Di. I am reasonably flush with Pandas at the moment but she insists on giving me discount still. She has warmed up to Twenty and we are all a close group now. We even spend time socially when Di has a day off.

I was uncertain what to get Di as a gift to thank her for all the help she had given me over the years. I confessed as much to her and offered to buy her anything she wanted. She thought about it and said she already had everything she needed. So all she wanted was one of my hugs. I think I love her even more now.

Erika and I still bicker at the office. Daniel-san tries to keep us civil, especially in front of clients. Only Twenty is game to step in between us, which is fine as Erika is terrified of her. Gotta love the small wins.

We have run a few bounties down as partners. Daniel-san was duly impressed and is now sending us on some jobs with Chang and even Thorsfeldt. She has been appearing at the office a lot more often these days but I am told that is sheer coincidence.

I have been practicing a lot more with my Gunsinger. Twenty comes along and spots for me and some days Daniel-san joins us. We use some waste land out near the Hole, safely out of the way of any bystanders. I summon up shields and fire off my bullets, but also try and use some finer control of my Aeromancy.

My little monster still scares me, but I am learning how to use it without losing control. Mostly.

At our apartment I put up a notice board and on one side I labelled it Wins. Under that I stuck up prints of the bounties we had successfully collected. On the other side Twenty put a column for Losses. She only put one entry there – the numbers B-6, B-7, B-10, B-11, B17 and B-19. She had stared at that for a while until I came up behind her and hugged her around the waist, resting my head against her back.

She had finally patted my hands and moved away. That was all the comment she ever made about that run and the squad members that she lost.

I guess the final piece of important news was a hand delivered envelope to our apartment. It just came in under the door one morning.

Inside was a printed photo. It showed Hector Otaki sitting next to a young Japanese looking girl, maybe ten years old. Her head was all bandaged up but she looked healthy and was smiling at the camera. Her eyes were a vivid green.

There was a printed note on the back. It said “Emily says thank you. She hopes to see you soon”. It was signed Emily & Hector. I looked again at the photo. They could have been anywhere in the world.

I showed it to Twenty and she was really happy. “She looks just like me” said Twenty and I realised she was right. It was like a photo of a ten year old version of her. I guess that explained where Jericho had been able to find a body – it was a young clone form.

I wondered what that all meant but was soon distracted by how excited Twenty was.

“I have a little sister” she kept saying.

We put the photo in pride of place at the top of our Wins board.