Witches & Crows

“Alright, Miss, I think that’s all the questions I have for you today.”

The man interviewing you, one of the chairmen at EonCore Tech— also known as the wolf-man you saw last night stands up and reaches out to shake your hand. Valko was his name, etched delicately into the steel nameplate sitting on the edge of the large cherry-wood desk.

“We’ll be in contact with you if we decide to pursue you as a candidate.”

You give him a tight smile. That wasn’t what you wanted to hear. Usually that means ‘please leave, you’re out of the running,’ but you still shake his hand and thank him for his time.

As you approach the door, you pause, hand hovering over the brass doorknob.

Emotions run through your body. It almost feels supernatural. You feel angry. Confused. Did he not recognize you?

“Can I say something?” Your voice quivers a bit as you turn around. Normally, you’re not this confrontational a person, but your anger flares up quickly.

Valko had already busied himself by reading over some paperwork strewn on his desk. His eyes flit to yours, peering over his glasses. He clears his throat and sets the files down.

He leans back in his chair, waving his hand at you, waiting for you to speak. “Of course.”

You take a deep breath, your anger bubbling up. No way you’re just going to walk out of here without answers.

“W-was that not you last night? In the alley.”

Valko has the nerve to look puzzled, “Whatever do you mean? I was home last night. Did you not get that alert about a creature in the city?”

You hate how calm his voice is. Looking into his eyes, those golden eyes, was something not many people forget.

“Don’t try to play dumb with me. I know what I saw last night.” To literally anyone else, you would’ve sounded absolutely crazy, but something in the way his eyes narrowed told you he knew exactly what you were talking about.

Valko rests his head on his hand, seemingly bored with your accusation.

“What is it you think you saw?”

You march closer to his desk, high heels thumping softly on the carpet.

“I saw you.” You point a manicured finger at him. “You were beating some guy up!”

Valko tenses as your volume rises. The walls in this building weren’t exactly soundproof. His eyes darken, and he stands up, crossing his arms against his chest. His tall stature looms over yours.

“Lower your voice,” he says, much darker than the calm person he was two minutes ago. Almost as a warning.

The fear you felt last night… You felt so helpless and scared. The memory of being terrified only irritates you further.

“No! Not until you tell me what the hell it was I saw last night.”

“I’ll call security-”

“Then call them!” You yell, your finger continuing to emphasize your point. “I know I saw you in that alley with me last night. You had all this leather covering you from head to toe, and you had ears! Wolf ears. I wonder how the company would feel if one of their own was possibly the creature terrorizing Linkon. A literal wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Valko lets out an agitated sound, a snarl. His large hand shoots out to grab your wrist, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a message.

“Forget what it is you saw last night.” He tells you, switching back to a calm state, though his stare was menacing. “If you know what’s good for you, this will be the last time you speak of it.”

“Is that a threat?” You challenge, wrenching your wrist from his grip. “So that was you last night.”

“I’m afraid you are still mistaken, Miss,” Valko says, but that twitch of a smile on his face tells you differently. “If I were some terrifying beast, I’m sure HR would have found out about it by now.”

He pauses briefly, a ghost of a smile lifting to show you his pointy canines, “But even so, you definitely weren’t this brave last night.”

Your eyes widen, and heat rushes to your face. He dares mock you?

You grab your things. “That’s fine. I never wanted to work for this shitty company anyway.”

That was such a lie, but your pride had gotten the better of you.

You shoulder your purse on and march back to the door. Maybe there’s a bar you can drink your problems away… at 9 in the morning.

“So I take it you don’t want the job.” Valko’s voice cuts off your tantrum.

You stop, just for a second, as you open the door just a crack. He catches that ounce of hesitation.

“Ah, so you do want the job.” He nods his head and takes off the reading glasses.

“No,” you scoff.

Yes, you understood that it was very unprofessional and a bit embarrassing for you to act like a grouchy child who hadn’t taken their afternoon nap. You felt so out of character. You were usually someone who would just grin and bear it.

“That’s a shame. Your file was very impressive. Graduated with honors from college. Interned at some of the most prestigious companies in your hometown. EonCore would’ve been thrilled to have you.”

Shit. You just cost yourself the job you’ve been dreaming of since you moved to Linkon City.

Tears of frustration start to well up, and you use every fiber of strength in your body to hold them in.

If only you had kept your mouth shut when you had the chance, but then you always would’ve wondered about last night.

“I’ll make you a deal, Miss.” Valko steps around the desk and walks towards you. He reaches over and shuts the door with a soft click as he towers over you. Your back is pressed against the cold glass window of the door.

You refuse to look away from him, holding his eyes captive with a defiant gaze.

“The job is yours… if and only if you keep your mouth shut about last night. My business is my own, and I deserve privacy just as much as the next person.” He explains. “If you’d rather pass the opportunity up and go to the police about it, that’s fine. You can even say the chairman of EonCore Tech has sprouted ears. We’ll see who they believe.”

Valko’s head cranes closer to yours and his voice lowers to a whisper, “Though I doubt it will be the girl who cried wolf.”

The company has officially filed your paperwork into their system. It was official, you now work at EonCore.

You were elated, but also a bit nervous. You didn’t know how tensions would run with Valko. Maybe you’d get lucky and would barely see him.

Yeah, everything is going to be okay.

Today was your first day.

You scan your lanyard on the elevator, smiling at the grainy picture of yourself. It came out so much better than your driver's license photo. You click the twenty-sixth floor.

The same floor Valko’s office was on.

Who cares. The chances of you working with him should be slim.

The elevator was smooth as it quickly ascended to one of the top floors. Linkon City practically whizzes by quickly and turns the wandering citizens into ant-sized critters.

You smile at Veronica, the lady at the front desk.

“You ready for your first day?” She asks, handing you a clipboard and a flower pen to sign in.

“Yeah, a little nervous, though.” You tell her and scribble your signature down.

“Don’t be! Everyone’s actually really excited to meet you. Your resume was impressive, and everyone’s already talking about how sweet you are. They’ll love you, and they’ll help if you have any questions.”

A faint blush coats your cheeks at her words. That was actually really helpful to hear.

“Thanks, Veronica. What am I doing today?”

Veronica hums in thought as she turns and grabs a sheet of paper from the printer. Her dark red lips purse as she scans over the words under her thick black-rimmed glasses.

“It looks like we’re actually putting you with one of our chairmen. He’s the lead on the next big project, so you’ll be assisting him with that...”

Oh no. It can’t be-

“Mr. Valko will be mentoring you.”

Fuck. There it is. Your shitty rotten luck.

You plaster a fake smile and start heading for his office, “Great.”

“Good luck!”

Your pulse pounds in your ears with each footstep as you walk down the hallway. Dread fills your stomach when you reminisce about your little freak-out. In all fairness, Valko had the power to ban you from the premises, but he didn’t. No, he gave you the job in exchange for your silence.

He did say my resume was impressive, so it’s not like I didn’t earn the job.

Let’s just hope he takes me a little more seriously…

Your knuckles hover over the frosted glass of his office door. The stark black letters are printed boldly across the wavy texture.

Mr. Valko.

You let out a breath and rap your knuckles softly.

“Come in.”

Opening the door, Valko sits at his desk with a laptop in front of him. A sleek black long-sleeve button-up covered his arms.

His eyes flick up to yours when you open the door, and his body bounces as he holds in a laugh.

“Of course you’re with me. What are the odds?” Valko shuts the laptop and stands up.

“I’m not exactly ecstatic about this either,” you say, handing him the paper from Veronica.

Valko takes it, his eyes scanning the words quickly, brows shooting up in surprise.

“Oh, they want you on the Hyde project with me,” he says, “Impressive.” Valko sets the paper on his desk and grabs a white lab coat that was hanging on a coat rack in the corner.

He slips it on quickly, beckoning you to follow.

“Let me show you the lab. You can store your things down there. Not many people have clearance, so they’ll be safe.” He says, opening the door for you.

“You have a lab?” You ask, tilting your head. “I thought you were just one of the chairmen.”

“Oooh, easy,” Valko teases, raising a brow at your blunt implication. “I am a chairman, but I’m also still very involved in the company. I like to get hands-on to decide which direction I want EonCore to follow.” Valko says, buttoning the cuffs on his lab coat.

Oh, great. Now he thinks you’ve insulted him. One of the most powerful people in the company.

Good job.

You chew your cheek as you follow Valko down the hallway. He walks with such confidence, and you’re already planning to retire your heels after today with how many extra steps you have to take to keep up with him.

You smile politely at a few familiar faces in the halls as they wave at you. It makes you feel a bit calmer with how friendly and welcoming everyone has been.

Except for Valko. It’s not that he was rude or anything, but you could tell the vibe was off since you had first officially met. The anxiety in your stomach swirled with chaos as your brain could just picture how miserable this project was going to be.

You two stand together in the elevator, the awkward silence blaring as the machine hums.

Valko shifts a bit stiffly, coughing lightly. “So, I saw on your resume that a lot of your references are a few cities over… You just moved to Linkon?”

You glance at him, catching his eyes already looking at you. You clear your throat and nod.

“Yeah, I just moved like two weeks ago. There are a lot of opportunities for my degree out here, so I thought I’d give it a shot.” You answer, glancing back at your distorted figure in the reflective metal of the doors.

Valko nods, and he pauses a bit before his next question. “Do you like it here so far?”

“Yeah, if you count seeing the wolf-man when you’re walking home late at night.”

Valko narrows his eyes at you, but you don’t spare him a glance.

“Maybe you’d be safer if you didn’t walk alone in the dark. It can be dangerous out here when you’re not careful.”

“Tell that to the guy you beat up.”

Valko lets out a breath, and you can practically hear the frustration.

“He deserved it.”

“Did he?”

“Remember our deal.” Valko’s words were firm and left no room for you to want to continue pestering him with questions. “You’re still on probation.”

You shake your head, mentally scolding yourself. “Right, I’m sorry.”

It’s tense as the elevator continues down past the ground-level floor.

After a few awkward breaths, you try to reconcile.

“I don’t have my kitchen set up yet,” you confess quietly. “I’ve been eating takeout every night- and I found this great place, but money has been tight after the move. I’m tired of eating the same food, but I can’t afford to spend money on a crappy meal… do you know anywhere else that’s good?”

Valko lets out an amused exhale, tapping his foot.

“There’s a really good spot on the corner of 9th and Elm. It’s a sandwich shop, but they have huge portions and are not that pricey.”

Hmm, you haven’t had a sub in a while.

“Oh, thank you.” You give him a small smile, hoping to ease that tension.

Valko doesn’t respond.

The elevator finally dings open, and you step out. A security guard greets you both, nodding his head at Valko and giving you a small smile.

You smile back.

“This way.”

You turn on your heel and follow through a grand hall. Most of it was stark white, except for the silver metal of the machines.

One thing that was hard to ignore was that this floor wasn’t as welcoming as the others. No bubbly receptionist peering over a large desk, no phones ringing endlessly begging to be picked up, not even the constant ticking of an analog clock.

Valko stops at a door up ahead. His fingers dance along the tablet on the wall, then he scans the lanyard dangling across his neck.

“Let me see yours.” Valko reaches out a hand behind him. You quickly fumble to get the thing off, luckily avoiding it getting caught in your hair.

You hand him your badge, and he holds it under the bright red scanner. The machine chirps and flashes a green banner across the screen.

Valko messes with the lanyard strap while the machine loads. He turns the badge over, eyes lingering over the grainy ID photo longer than you’d like before handing it back.

You swallow hard as his eyes rake over your picture. That did not help your nerves.

“Just scan your thumbprint, and you’re all set,” Valko says. You press your thumbprint against the small glass pad.

‘Initializing data scan.’

The green lasers emit up and down the digit three times before it dings.

‘Scanning complete.’

“Now you have access to the lab whenever you’re working. However, your access is only authorized during office hours. We’ll get an alert if you try past 6 p.m.; that’s an hour past the workday to finish what you need to do.” He explains. The paneled doors shift open with a ‘whoosh’ noise. The cool air conditioning embraced you, along with the scent of cleaning chemicals for sterilization.

You stifle a gasp, and your jaw practically drops open.

The lab was huge. It seemed to stretch on for miles. Large monitors hung on the walls, all displaying diagnostics on whatever mechanism they were connected to. Dozens of machines and computers were flocked by the employees.

“Is access after hours prohibited?” You ask, genuinely curious.

Your eyes widen in fascination at a large mechanical arm holding a cylindrical case. Behind the protective glass structure, the case glowed a bright golden amber.

Almost like…

Valko’s eyes meet yours, passing by a few other people in white lab coats. They nod towards him. “Yes. You’re only a trainee at the moment, but even my regular employees follow the same rules. No one has access after hours except me.”

“Good morning, Mr. Valko!” A lady chimes from her workstation. Vibrant digital holograms are displayed around her as she types in a flurry. Looks like she’s coding.

Valko nods briefly at her.

“Chairman.” A man says, speeding past him while carrying an array of tools on a tray.

Another lady follows after him, “Sir.”

Valko leads you to a large white desk, barren of any work.

“This is Project Hyde.” Valko unlocks a drawer beneath the desk and slams a thick Manila file onto it. The sound makes you flinch a bit, and you grip the strap of your purse tighter.

“We’re trying to get approval from the hunters association for the Beta program. It’s going to take a few more meetings before we have the green light, but the plan is to sync their metaflux readers with our technologies, and after more development, we can send our bots out.”

Setting your things down on the desk, you take a seat in the cushioned swivel chair and flick through the pages in the thick file.

Various codes, plans, designs, and testing procedures were outlined in the packets. It was really impressive all the work they have put into the project so far.

“Combat protocols, emergency medical response calls, automated scanning frequencies,” you read off the headliners one by one. “What does it respond to?“

“Wanderers. It’s our newest creation. A robotic machine designed to hold off the wanderers in the city.”

Wanderers. There weren’t too many of them located where you were since your hometown was farther from the Deepspace tunnel. Just a sighting here and there, but nothing compared to what you’ve seen on the news in Linkon.

“What about the hunters? Don’t they normally handle the wanderers?” Your eyes scan over the blueprint drawings of the robot. The dimensions were pretty large, and it seemed heavily armored.

Valko hums, leaning over you, flipping to the section labeled ‘Hunters Association’. Dozens of their statistics were labeled.

“Yes, of course. This would simply be a roadblock of sorts. Something to distract the wanderer to limit casualties and damage to the city. Taxpayers aren’t too happy right now with the recent rise in wanderer activity, and most hunters’ response time is twenty minutes.”

Hmm, not a bad idea…

Valko explains the project in more detail, helping you become familiar with the robot's features and functionality.

Finally, Valko leads you to a sectioned-off part of the lab. “This is where we bring it to life.”

Unlocking the heavy door, Valko pushes it open for you and flicks on the light.

You gasp in amazement at the sight of the robot… or what will be the robot. A large skeleton of metal stands tall with careful craftsmanship.

It was almost double the height of Valko from the looks of it.

“She’s not much now,” Valko says, running a hand smoothly down the arm. “But it’s a work in progress.”

“Wow,” you exhale. It really was amazing. You walk closer, your eyes marveling at the precision in the welding and design. The joints were reinforced to withstand the impact of heavier attacks. A lot thicker than what was shown in the early-stage sketches.

The main circuit board resided in the ‘chest’ area, much like a human, even being protected by a spider-like structure around it, as if it were a ribcage. Every cable and pipe was meticulously routed and bent in the perfect place to sustain any damage.

“I take it you’re impressed?” Valko asks, looking at you fondly. He grabs a controller from the desk.

Hmm, that looked just like a controller from a gaming console.

“Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

Valko clicks a button on the controller, and the machine whirs to life. The frame shifts a bit as it fully wakes up.

“Hyde-01 ready to serve.”

You’re a bit spooked by the machine's deep mechanical voice as it echoes in the room.

Valko moves the joystick on the controller, and the metal flows smoothly with its movements, placing one thick, reinforced foot in front of the other.

You let out an excited laugh as the robot continues to move a few steps before Valko disengages its commands.

“Wow!” You turn to him, a big smile on your face. This day was quickly turning around. “What else can it do?”

The corner of Valko’s lips curls up into the faintest smile.

“That’s it for now. Baby steps with this thing. Our technicians inspect it daily to make sure the circuits can handle our commands without overheating.” He sets the controller down and watches as you inspect the robot more closely. “Besides the movement, all she can do is a quick medical scan to determine if civilians are injured.”

“That’s all she can do?” You repeat, shock in your voice. “This is insanely impressive, sir.”

Valko waves off your compliment as if it doesn’t boost his ego a bit.

“Would you like to see?” He picks up the remote again and presses the top button. Two bionic eyes blink a bright neon green as they shift towards you, the gears whirring in their chest cavity as they process the command.

Its eyes fade to an icy blue, and a flat lattice laser shoots out from them. It scans you from top to bottom, then back up to the crown of your head before the light strobes.

The robot's voice sounds off again.

“Subject: adult female. Heart rate: 135 beats per minute. Status: healthy, no signs of trauma detected.”

Incredible.

"Not such a shitty company after all, huh?"

Your cheeks flush at hearing your stupid words from earlier.

Valko soon activates the command to shut down the robot completely.  As it turns to head back to its power base, the robot suddenly stalls. The heavy groaning noise of the metal continuously scraping together makes you cringe as the machine glitches.

Valko curls his lip up at the noise, seemingly more bothered by it than you are.

“Hang on, she’ll do that sometimes.” He crouches down by the robot's leg, hands hovering over the joint where the knee is.

You inch forward, curious about what he was doing. You finally see the issue. A stray piece of metal had been poking the ball joint of its leg, and causing it to stutter and make that awful screeching noise.

Valko’s hand covers the piece of metal. A grey aura swirls around his hand as thin fragments of the jagged piece of metal begin to bend at his will. Slowly, the metal piece begins to diminish away from the joint. Your eyes don’t miss a second as the orbiting fragments seem to then vanish into thin air as if the mistake had never existed.

Valko restarts the command, and the robot moves again, this time with more fluid motion as its mechanical steps return to the charging base.

The gears whir and wind down, and the once neon green eyes dim down before powering off.

You look towards your boss with an incredulous gaze. “You’re an evolver.”

Not a question, no, from what you just saw, that was a direct statement.

Valko’s eyes remain locked on his hand, the tingly feeling from using his power slowly fading away. “I am.”

“That’s so cool!” You gush, stepping closer. “I’ve heard about a lot of people having evols in Linkon, but I haven’t met anyone with one yet.”

“It comes in handy, but only for work. Metallization isn’t really something I have any personal use for.” He stands up straighter, turning his back to you as he arranges some of the tools on the table.

Judging by his body language and tone, this might not be something Valko prefers to talk about.

How odd…

"Sir?"

"Hm?"

"What's that glowing thing in that canister? The one behind the glass."

Valko glances back at your briefly, "It's a protocore."

"What is that?"

Finally, he turns fully towards you, seemingly curious at the question. "You've never heard of them before?"

Shaking your head, you fiddle with the sleeve of your blouse.

"It's an energy source we extract from wanderers." He explains, leading you outside the room.

You follow him to the center of the lab where the canister was on display. It still faintly glows that wondrous shade of gold.

"They are extremely dangerous and incredibly powerful, which is why it's heavily guarded."

Almost like sunlight encased in metal.

Looking back at your boss and the canister, it's almost uncanny how close his eyes resembled the protocore.

Valko catches your glances and clears his throat, moving his gaze to the computer dashboard attached to the barrier. "Its power helps us move forward with our advancement in Linkon. Though they're still quite rare, especially this specific stellactrum. It took a lot of meetings for the city to let us keep it in our custody."

By the end of the day, Valko sends you off with one of the interns to introduce yourself and familiarize yourself with the rest of the staff. There were so many intellectual people, all of whom you were eager to work with.

The intern, Phoebe, makes small talk as she leads you back to your desk. She asked you a bit about your background, like what school you went to and other opportunities you had before starting at EonCore.

"...Yeah, and I graduate next spring. I'm just worried about finding a job after that. I would love to work with everyone here."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much," you say, giving her an encouraging smile. "I know you'll find a stable job after college. My hometown had lots of opportunities for people with our type of degree. If you can't find anything out here, I can definitely leave a good word with the institute I used to work for."

Phoebe's eyes light up, and you can tell she's trying to keep her excitement at bay. "You would really do that?"

You nod, "Of course! I knew I wanted to work out here too, but it definitely required me to bulk up my resume before doing so."

One of the scientists called Phoebe's name. Her short blonde hair bounces as she quickly turns her head and shouts out a quick 'coming!' The young girl thanks you again and hurries over.

Valko strides into view as Phoebe leaves, carrying his lab coat over one shoulder.

"Bribery won't get you friends here." He comments, handing you a tablet. You frown at him, taking the small device and reviewing it. It was a schedule.

And almost every hour was noted with some type of priority.

'Meeting with the lawyers.'

'Meeting with the Hunter's Association.'

'Testing for Hyde-01.'

"I was not bribing her." You say, trying to hide the disgust in your voice from the accusation. "I was just helping her out a bit if she needed it. I know what it's like to be scared about your career, especially when this world doesn't particularly cater to women in STEM."

Valko's teasing demeanor seems to soften a bit, then he clears his throat before changing the subject. "That's tomorrow's schedule. You'll be with me for the entire day."

You furrow your brows, scrolling through the long list on tomorrow's agenda. "I thought I would be working in the lab permanently."

The man only shakes his head. "Uh uh, I need you to be aware of all the things that need to be approved with Project Hyde. That includes the legalities, money, and research that go into it as well. There's already too much time and money invested in this project to lose it all to a simple mistake from a new hire."

Valko sees your expression drop and releases an exhale, "Believe me, if I could spend all my time down here, I would. Remember, baby steps. It'll all be worth it in the end."

Valko grabs the thick folder containing the project details.

“Study up,” he says, dropping the folder on the desk with a loud slam.

He must’ve really liked doing that…

“I need you prepared for our meetings tomorrow.”

Most of the staff had gone home by now, with only a few stations left with their lights still on. Phoebe and the scientist she was assigned to hovered over the computer, discussing the project in further depth.

When the chilly evening air hits your face, you shiver, clutching the file tighter against your coat. Checking the time, you let out a breath. Looks like you have enough time to stop by that sandwich place before catching the last train of the night.

Luckily, the walk wasn’t that far from the subway station.

I’m going to burn these heels later…

You follow the directions on your phone and step into the cozy sandwich shop. The smell of freshly cut meat and cheese greeted you the second you opened the door, and the little bell on top chimes upon your entry. The walls were painted red and covered with picture frames of the different generations who’ve worked in the past. Checkered tablecloths covered the small tables in the dining area, with little candles lit on each one.

The line wasn’t too bad, just a mother with two small children. The worker wraps up their sandwiches quickly when he notices the toddler balanced on the mother's hip started to become fussy.

You scroll on your phone while the worker finishes up with them. The bell above the door chimes again, but you don’t look up, too busy trying to respond to everyone’s texts before you forget again.

You send quick texts to your family about your first day and inform them you’ll call once you’re home. Your mother practically sends you every encouraging sticker she can find, while your dad and siblings respond with a simple thumbs-up.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Valko!” The worker chimes in as he hands the bagged sandwiches to the mother.

You freeze.

Are you kidding me?

Locking your phone, you turn to see none other than your boss standing behind you. He gives you a cocky smirk before greeting the worker, “Hey, Warren, I’ll just have my usual.”

Warren nods before looking over to you, “And you, miss?”

“Uh, I might need a minute,” you tell the worker, leaning back slightly to turn back to Valko. “What do you recommend?”

Your boss shuffles as his eyes rake over the menu. Valko hums and shuffles his stance before finally nodding his head towards the special.

Valko catches Warren’s eye, and your boss steps forward, “She’ll have the same.”

Your eyes follow and widen slightly when you read the menu.

Mr. V

“You seriously have a sandwich named after you?” You ask, wanting to almost laugh, but the shock gets to you first. “How much did that cost?”

Valko leans closer to you as his voice lowers in volume. “The place was in a bad financial spot and was on the verge of shutting down a few years ago. I really like this place and didn’t want to see it go under, so I made a donation.”

So, you did technically pay for it.

Man, why are you such a good person?

Warren finishes wrapping the sandwiches and moves over to the register. You quickly pull out your wallet to pay for yours, but Valko reaches around you with a gold card. The machine reader beeps as it receives the payment.

You turn to Valko, confusion on your face. “Sir?”

Valko places his wallet back into the pocket of his blazer and nods at you, “That was a reward for surviving your first day. Not many people do, believe it or not.”

Valko takes the bag from Warren and hands it to you, then grabs his own. He’s already moving to the door, pausing briefly to look back at you.

“Eight o’clock tomorrow.” The bell above him chimes as he makes his exit. “I’d like a hot mocha latte when you come in.”

“Hey, honey! How was your first day?” Your mom’s voice rings over the speaker of the phone. You sit on your small sofa, the pages of the project scattered across the cushions and coffee table. Your sandwich was somewhere under this mess.

“Uhh, it was good. Weird, but good.” You tell her, lifting documents and data sheets, looking for the damned thing.

“Tell me everything. I want to hear all about it.”

You chuckle at her excitement. You can hear your siblings faintly arguing over something mundane while your dad’s voice cuts over them, trying his best to diminish the fight.

Grabbing the remote, you mute the sitcom you had playing on in the background.

“Sounds busy there, everything okay?” You ask your mother, still looking for your sandwich.

Your mom yells at your siblings, and you can’t be bothered to hide the small laugh when it’s silent after.

There you are!

One of the throw pillows had ended up falling over it and you toss the pillow, practically snatching your dinner like an animal. The paper crinkles under your touch as you unwrap it.

“Oh, yes, just fighting over the remote again,” she explains. “But work was good?”

You take a bite of the sandwich. Mustard drips onto your lips as you savor the sandwich. The bread was toasted to perfection, the condiments complemented the smokiness of the meat and cheese, and the veggies were crisp and fresh.

Holy shit.

“Yeah, it’s really good actually.”

Chapter 1: here

Chapter 2: here

Chapter 3: coming soon!

Thank you guys so much for the love so far! ❤️

“Alright, Miss, I think that’s all the questions I have for you today.”

The man interviewing you, one of the chairmen at EonCore Tech— also known as the wolf-man you saw last night stands up and reaches out to shake your hand. Valko was his name, etched delicately into the steel nameplate sitting on the edge of the large cherry-wood desk.

“We’ll be in contact with you if we decide to pursue you as a candidate.”

You give him a tight smile. That wasn’t what you wanted to hear. Usually that means ‘please leave, you’re out of the running,’ but you still shake his hand and thank him for his time.

As you approach the door, you pause, hand hovering over the brass doorknob.

Emotions run through your body. It almost feels supernatural. You feel angry. Confused. Did he not recognize you?

“Can I say something?” Your voice quivers a bit as you turn around. Normally, you’re not this confrontational a person, but your anger flares up quickly.

Valko had already busied himself by reading over some paperwork strewn on his desk. His eyes flit to yours, peering over his glasses. He clears his throat and sets the files down.

He leans back in his chair, waving his hand at you, waiting for you to speak. “Of course.”

You take a deep breath, your anger bubbling up. No way you’re just going to walk out of here without answers.

“W-was that not you last night? In the alley.”

Valko has the nerve to look puzzled, “Whatever do you mean? I was home last night. Did you not get that alert about a creature in the city?”

You hate how calm his voice is. Looking into his eyes, those golden eyes, was something not many people forget.

“Don’t try to play dumb with me. I know what I saw last night.” To literally anyone else, you would’ve sounded absolutely crazy, but something in the way his eyes narrowed told you he knew exactly what you were talking about.

Valko rests his head on his hand, seemingly bored with your accusation.

“What is it you think you saw?”

You march closer to his desk, high heels thumping softly on the carpet.

“I saw you.” You point a manicured finger at him. “You were beating some guy up!”

Valko tenses as your volume rises. The walls in this building weren’t exactly soundproof. His eyes darken, and he stands up, crossing his arms against his chest. His tall stature looms over yours.

“Lower your voice,” he says, much darker than the calm person he was two minutes ago. Almost as a warning.

The fear you felt last night… You felt so helpless and scared. The memory of being terrified only irritates you further.

“No! Not until you tell me what the hell it was I saw last night.”

“I’ll call security-”

“Then call them!” You yell, your finger continuing to emphasize your point. “I know I saw you in that alley with me last night. You had all this leather covering you from head to toe, and you had ears! Wolf ears. I wonder how the company would feel if one of their own was possibly the creature terrorizing Linkon. A literal wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Valko lets out an agitated sound, a snarl. His large hand shoots out to grab your wrist, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a message.

“Forget what it is you saw last night.” He tells you, switching back to a calm state, though his stare was menacing. “If you know what’s good for you, this will be the last time you speak of it.”

“Is that a threat?” You challenge, wrenching your wrist from his grip. “So that was you last night.”

“I’m afraid you are still mistaken, Miss,” Valko says, but that twitch of a smile on his face tells you differently. “If I were some terrifying beast, I’m sure HR would have found out about it by now.”

He pauses briefly, a ghost of a smile lifting to show you his pointy canines, “But even so, you definitely weren’t this brave last night.”

Your eyes widen, and heat rushes to your face. He dares mock you?

You grab your things. “That’s fine. I never wanted to work for this shitty company anyway.”

That was such a lie, but your pride had gotten the better of you.

You shoulder your purse on and march back to the door. Maybe there’s a bar you can drink your problems away… at 9 in the morning.

“So I take it you don’t want the job.” Valko’s voice cuts off your tantrum.

You stop, just for a second, as you open the door just a crack. He catches that ounce of hesitation.

“Ah, so you do want the job.” He nods his head and takes off the reading glasses.

“No,” you scoff.

Yes, you understood that it was very unprofessional and a bit embarrassing for you to act like a grouchy child who hadn’t taken their afternoon nap. You felt so out of character. You were usually someone who would just grin and bear it.

“That’s a shame. Your file was very impressive. Graduated with honors from college. Interned at some of the most prestigious companies in your hometown. EonCore would’ve been thrilled to have you.”

Shit. You just cost yourself the job you’ve been dreaming of since you moved to Linkon City.

Tears of frustration start to well up, and you use every fiber of strength in your body to hold them in.

If only you had kept your mouth shut when you had the chance, but then you always would’ve wondered about last night.

“I’ll make you a deal, Miss.” Valko steps around the desk and walks towards you. He reaches over and shuts the door with a soft click as he towers over you. Your back is pressed against the cold glass window of the door.

You refuse to look away from him, holding his eyes captive with a defiant gaze.

“The job is yours… if and only if you keep your mouth shut about last night. My business is my own, and I deserve privacy just as much as the next person.” He explains. “If you’d rather pass the opportunity up and go to the police about it, that’s fine. You can even say the chairman of EonCore Tech has sprouted ears. We’ll see who they believe.”

Valko’s head cranes closer to yours and his voice lowers to a whisper, “Though I doubt it will be the girl who cried wolf.”

The company has officially filed your paperwork into their system. It was official, you now work at EonCore.

You were elated, but also a bit nervous. You didn’t know how tensions would run with Valko. Maybe you’d get lucky and would barely see him.

Yeah, everything is going to be okay.

Today was your first day.

You scan your lanyard on the elevator, smiling at the grainy picture of yourself. It came out so much better than your driver's license photo. You click the twenty-sixth floor.

The same floor Valko’s office was on.

Who cares. The chances of you working with him should be slim.

The elevator was smooth as it quickly ascended to one of the top floors. Linkon City practically whizzes by quickly and turns the wandering citizens into ant-sized critters.

You smile at Veronica, the lady at the front desk.

“You ready for your first day?” She asks, handing you a clipboard and a flower pen to sign in.

“Yeah, a little nervous, though.” You tell her and scribble your signature down.

“Don’t be! Everyone’s actually really excited to meet you. Your resume was impressive, and everyone’s already talking about how sweet you are. They’ll love you, and they’ll help if you have any questions.”

A faint blush coats your cheeks at her words. That was actually really helpful to hear.

“Thanks, Veronica. What am I doing today?”

Veronica hums in thought as she turns and grabs a sheet of paper from the printer. Her dark red lips purse as she scans over the words under her thick black-rimmed glasses.

“It looks like we’re actually putting you with one of our chairmen. He’s the lead on the next big project, so you’ll be assisting him with that...”

Oh no. It can’t be-

“Mr. Valko will be mentoring you.”

Fuck. There it is. Your shitty rotten luck.

You plaster a fake smile and start heading for his office, “Great.”

“Good luck!”

Your pulse pounds in your ears with each footstep as you walk down the hallway. Dread fills your stomach when you reminisce about your little freak-out. In all fairness, Valko had the power to ban you from the premises, but he didn’t. No, he gave you the job in exchange for your silence.

He did say my resume was impressive, so it’s not like I didn’t earn the job.

Let’s just hope he takes me a little more seriously…

Your knuckles hover over the frosted glass of his office door. The stark black letters are printed boldly across the wavy texture.

Mr. Valko.

You let out a breath and rap your knuckles softly.

“Come in.”

Opening the door, Valko sits at his desk with a laptop in front of him. A sleek black long-sleeve button-up covered his arms.

His eyes flick up to yours when you open the door, and his body bounces as he holds in a laugh.

“Of course you’re with me. What are the odds?” Valko shuts the laptop and stands up.

“I’m not exactly ecstatic about this either,” you say, handing him the paper from Veronica.

Valko takes it, his eyes scanning the words quickly, brows shooting up in surprise.

“Oh, they want you on the Hyde project with me,” he says, “Impressive.” Valko sets the paper on his desk and grabs a white lab coat that was hanging on a coat rack in the corner.

He slips it on quickly, beckoning you to follow.

“Let me show you the lab. You can store your things down there. Not many people have clearance, so they’ll be safe.” He says, opening the door for you.

“You have a lab?” You ask, tilting your head. “I thought you were just one of the chairmen.”

“Oooh, easy,” Valko teases, raising a brow at your blunt implication. “I am a chairman, but I’m also still very involved in the company. I like to get hands-on to decide which direction I want EonCore to follow.” Valko says, buttoning the cuffs on his lab coat.

Oh, great. Now he thinks you’ve insulted him. One of the most powerful people in the company.

Good job.

You chew your cheek as you follow Valko down the hallway. He walks with such confidence, and you’re already planning to retire your heels after today with how many extra steps you have to take to keep up with him.

You smile politely at a few familiar faces in the halls as they wave at you. It makes you feel a bit calmer with how friendly and welcoming everyone has been.

Except for Valko. It’s not that he was rude or anything, but you could tell the vibe was off since you had first officially met. The anxiety in your stomach swirled with chaos as your brain could just picture how miserable this project was going to be.

You two stand together in the elevator, the awkward silence blaring as the machine hums.

Valko shifts a bit stiffly, coughing lightly. “So, I saw on your resume that a lot of your references are a few cities over… You just moved to Linkon?”

You glance at him, catching his eyes already looking at you. You clear your throat and nod.

“Yeah, I just moved like two weeks ago. There are a lot of opportunities for my degree out here, so I thought I’d give it a shot.” You answer, glancing back at your distorted figure in the reflective metal of the doors.

Valko nods, and he pauses a bit before his next question. “Do you like it here so far?”

“Yeah, if you count seeing the wolf-man when you’re walking home late at night.”

Valko narrows his eyes at you, but you don’t spare him a glance.

“Maybe you’d be safer if you didn’t walk alone in the dark. It can be dangerous out here when you’re not careful.”

“Tell that to the guy you beat up.”

Valko lets out a breath, and you can practically hear the frustration.

“He deserved it.”

“Did he?”

“Remember our deal.” Valko’s words were firm and left no room for you to want to continue pestering him with questions. “You’re still on probation.”

You shake your head, mentally scolding yourself. “Right, I’m sorry.”

It’s tense as the elevator continues down past the ground-level floor.

After a few awkward breaths, you try to reconcile.

“I don’t have my kitchen set up yet,” you confess quietly. “I’ve been eating takeout every night- and I found this great place, but money has been tight after the move. I’m tired of eating the same food, but I can’t afford to spend money on a crappy meal… do you know anywhere else that’s good?”

Valko lets out an amused exhale, tapping his foot.

“There’s a really good spot on the corner of 9th and Elm. It’s a sandwich shop, but they have huge portions and are not that pricey.”

Hmm, you haven’t had a sub in a while.

“Oh, thank you.” You give him a small smile, hoping to ease that tension.

Valko doesn’t respond.

The elevator finally dings open, and you step out. A security guard greets you both, nodding his head at Valko and giving you a small smile.

You smile back.

“This way.”

You turn on your heel and follow through a grand hall. Most of it was stark white, except for the silver metal of the machines.

One thing that was hard to ignore was that this floor wasn’t as welcoming as the others. No bubbly receptionist peering over a large desk, no phones ringing endlessly begging to be picked up, not even the constant ticking of an analog clock.

Valko stops at a door up ahead. His fingers dance along the tablet on the wall, then he scans the lanyard dangling across his neck.

“Let me see yours.” Valko reaches out a hand behind him. You quickly fumble to get the thing off, luckily avoiding it getting caught in your hair.

You hand him your badge, and he holds it under the bright red scanner. The machine chirps and flashes a green banner across the screen.

Valko messes with the lanyard strap while the machine loads. He turns the badge over, eyes lingering over the grainy ID photo longer than you’d like before handing it back.

You swallow hard as his eyes rake over your picture. That did not help your nerves.

“Just scan your thumbprint, and you’re all set,” Valko says. You press your thumbprint against the small glass pad.

‘Initializing data scan.’

The green lasers emit up and down the digit three times before it dings.

‘Scanning complete.’

“Now you have access to the lab whenever you’re working. However, your access is only authorized during office hours. We’ll get an alert if you try past 6 p.m.; that’s an hour past the workday to finish what you need to do.” He explains. The paneled doors shift open with a ‘whoosh’ noise. The cool air conditioning embraced you, along with the scent of cleaning chemicals for sterilization.

You stifle a gasp, and your jaw practically drops open.

The lab was huge. It seemed to stretch on for miles. Large monitors hung on the walls, all displaying diagnostics on whatever mechanism they were connected to. Dozens of machines and computers were flocked by the employees.

“Is access after hours prohibited?” You ask, genuinely curious.

Your eyes widen in fascination at a large mechanical arm holding a cylindrical case. Behind the protective glass structure, the case glowed a bright golden amber.

Almost like…

Valko’s eyes meet yours, passing by a few other people in white lab coats. They nod towards him. “Yes. You’re only a trainee at the moment, but even my regular employees follow the same rules. No one has access after hours except me.”

“Good morning, Mr. Valko!” A lady chimes from her workstation. Vibrant digital holograms are displayed around her as she types in a flurry. Looks like she’s coding.

Valko nods briefly at her.

“Chairman.” A man says, speeding past him while carrying an array of tools on a tray.

Another lady follows after him, “Sir.”

Valko leads you to a large white desk, barren of any work.

“This is Project Hyde.” Valko unlocks a drawer beneath the desk and slams a thick Manila file onto it. The sound makes you flinch a bit, and you grip the strap of your purse tighter.

“We’re trying to get approval from the hunters association for the Beta program. It’s going to take a few more meetings before we have the green light, but the plan is to sync their metaflux readers with our technologies, and after more development, we can send our bots out.”

Setting your things down on the desk, you take a seat in the cushioned swivel chair and flick through the pages in the thick file.

Various codes, plans, designs, and testing procedures were outlined in the packets. It was really impressive all the work they have put into the project so far.

“Combat protocols, emergency medical response calls, automated scanning frequencies,” you read off the headliners one by one. “What does it respond to?“

“Wanderers. It’s our newest creation. A robotic machine designed to hold off the wanderers in the city.”

Wanderers. There weren’t too many of them located where you were since your hometown was farther from the Deepspace tunnel. Just a sighting here and there, but nothing compared to what you’ve seen on the news in Linkon.

“What about the hunters? Don’t they normally handle the wanderers?” Your eyes scan over the blueprint drawings of the robot. The dimensions were pretty large, and it seemed heavily armored.

Valko hums, leaning over you, flipping to the section labeled ‘Hunters Association’. Dozens of their statistics were labeled.

“Yes, of course. This would simply be a roadblock of sorts. Something to distract the wanderer to limit casualties and damage to the city. Taxpayers aren’t too happy right now with the recent rise in wanderer activity, and most hunters’ response time is twenty minutes.”

Hmm, not a bad idea…

Valko explains the project in more detail, helping you become familiar with the robot's features and functionality.

Finally, Valko leads you to a sectioned-off part of the lab. “This is where we bring it to life.”

Unlocking the heavy door, Valko pushes it open for you and flicks on the light.

You gasp in amazement at the sight of the robot… or what will be the robot. A large skeleton of metal stands tall with careful craftsmanship.

It was almost double the height of Valko from the looks of it.

“She’s not much now,” Valko says, running a hand smoothly down the arm. “But it’s a work in progress.”

“Wow,” you exhale. It really was amazing. You walk closer, your eyes marveling at the precision in the welding and design. The joints were reinforced to withstand the impact of heavier attacks. A lot thicker than what was shown in the early-stage sketches.

The main circuit board resided in the ‘chest’ area, much like a human, even being protected by a spider-like structure around it, as if it were a ribcage. Every cable and pipe was meticulously routed and bent in the perfect place to sustain any damage.

“I take it you’re impressed?” Valko asks, looking at you fondly. He grabs a controller from the desk.

Hmm, that looked just like a controller from a gaming console.

“Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

Valko clicks a button on the controller, and the machine whirs to life. The frame shifts a bit as it fully wakes up.

“Hyde-01 ready to serve.”

You’re a bit spooked by the machine's deep mechanical voice as it echoes in the room.

Valko moves the joystick on the controller, and the metal flows smoothly with its movements, placing one thick, reinforced foot in front of the other.

You let out an excited laugh as the robot continues to move a few steps before Valko disengages its commands.

“Wow!” You turn to him, a big smile on your face. This day was quickly turning around. “What else can it do?”

The corner of Valko’s lips curls up into the faintest smile.

“That’s it for now. Baby steps with this thing. Our technicians inspect it daily to make sure the circuits can handle our commands without overheating.” He sets the controller down and watches as you inspect the robot more closely. “Besides the movement, all she can do is a quick medical scan to determine if civilians are injured.”

“That’s all she can do?” You repeat, shock in your voice. “This is insanely impressive, sir.”

Valko waves off your compliment as if it doesn’t boost his ego a bit.

“Would you like to see?” He picks up the remote again and presses the top button. Two bionic eyes blink a bright neon green as they shift towards you, the gears whirring in their chest cavity as they process the command.

Its eyes fade to an icy blue, and a flat lattice laser shoots out from them. It scans you from top to bottom, then back up to the crown of your head before the light strobes.

The robot's voice sounds off again.

“Subject: adult female. Heart rate: 135 beats per minute. Status: healthy, no signs of trauma detected.”

Incredible.

"Not such a shitty company after all, huh?"

Your cheeks flush at hearing your stupid words from earlier.

Valko soon activates the command to shut down the robot completely.  As it turns to head back to its power base, the robot suddenly stalls. The heavy groaning noise of the metal continuously scraping together makes you cringe as the machine glitches.

Valko curls his lip up at the noise, seemingly more bothered by it than you are.

“Hang on, she’ll do that sometimes.” He crouches down by the robot's leg, hands hovering over the joint where the knee is.

You inch forward, curious about what he was doing. You finally see the issue. A stray piece of metal had been poking the ball joint of its leg, and causing it to stutter and make that awful screeching noise.

Valko’s hand covers the piece of metal. A grey aura swirls around his hand as thin fragments of the jagged piece of metal begin to bend at his will. Slowly, the metal piece begins to diminish away from the joint. Your eyes don’t miss a second as the orbiting fragments seem to then vanish into thin air as if the mistake had never existed.

Valko restarts the command, and the robot moves again, this time with more fluid motion as its mechanical steps return to the charging base.

The gears whir and wind down, and the once neon green eyes dim down before powering off.

You look towards your boss with an incredulous gaze. “You’re an evolver.”

Not a question, no, from what you just saw, that was a direct statement.

Valko’s eyes remain locked on his hand, the tingly feeling from using his power slowly fading away. “I am.”

“That’s so cool!” You gush, stepping closer. “I’ve heard about a lot of people having evols in Linkon, but I haven’t met anyone with one yet.”

“It comes in handy, but only for work. Metallization isn’t really something I have any personal use for.” He stands up straighter, turning his back to you as he arranges some of the tools on the table.

Judging by his body language and tone, this might not be something Valko prefers to talk about.

How odd…

"Sir?"

"Hm?"

"What's that glowing thing in that canister? The one behind the glass."

Valko glances back at your briefly, "It's a protocore."

"What is that?"

Finally, he turns fully towards you, seemingly curious at the question. "You've never heard of them before?"

Shaking your head, you fiddle with the sleeve of your blouse.

"It's an energy source we extract from wanderers." He explains, leading you outside the room.

You follow him to the center of the lab where the canister was on display. It still faintly glows that wondrous shade of gold.

"They are extremely dangerous and incredibly powerful, which is why it's heavily guarded."

Almost like sunlight encased in metal.

Looking back at your boss and the canister, it's almost uncanny how close his eyes resembled the protocore.

Valko catches your glances and clears his throat, moving his gaze to the computer dashboard attached to the barrier. "Its power helps us move forward with our advancement in Linkon. Though they're still quite rare, especially this specific stellactrum. It took a lot of meetings for the city to let us keep it in our custody."

By the end of the day, Valko sends you off with one of the interns to introduce yourself and familiarize yourself with the rest of the staff. There were so many intellectual people, all of whom you were eager to work with.

The intern, Phoebe, makes small talk as she leads you back to your desk. She asked you a bit about your background, like what school you went to and other opportunities you had before starting at EonCore.

"...Yeah, and I graduate next spring. I'm just worried about finding a job after that. I would love to work with everyone here."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much," you say, giving her an encouraging smile. "I know you'll find a stable job after college. My hometown had lots of opportunities for people with our type of degree. If you can't find anything out here, I can definitely leave a good word with the institute I used to work for."

Phoebe's eyes light up, and you can tell she's trying to keep her excitement at bay. "You would really do that?"

You nod, "Of course! I knew I wanted to work out here too, but it definitely required me to bulk up my resume before doing so."

One of the scientists called Phoebe's name. Her short blonde hair bounces as she quickly turns her head and shouts out a quick 'coming!' The young girl thanks you again and hurries over.

Valko strides into view as Phoebe leaves, carrying his lab coat over one shoulder.

"Bribery won't get you friends here." He comments, handing you a tablet. You frown at him, taking the small device and reviewing it. It was a schedule.

And almost every hour was noted with some type of priority.

'Meeting with the lawyers.'

'Meeting with the Hunter's Association.'

'Testing for Hyde-01.'

"I was not bribing her." You say, trying to hide the disgust in your voice from the accusation. "I was just helping her out a bit if she needed it. I know what it's like to be scared about your career, especially when this world doesn't particularly cater to women in STEM."

Valko's teasing demeanor seems to soften a bit, then he clears his throat before changing the subject. "That's tomorrow's schedule. You'll be with me for the entire day."

You furrow your brows, scrolling through the long list on tomorrow's agenda. "I thought I would be working in the lab permanently."

The man only shakes his head. "Uh uh, I need you to be aware of all the things that need to be approved with Project Hyde. That includes the legalities, money, and research that go into it as well. There's already too much time and money invested in this project to lose it all to a simple mistake from a new hire."

Valko sees your expression drop and releases an exhale, "Believe me, if I could spend all my time down here, I would. Remember, baby steps. It'll all be worth it in the end."

Valko grabs the thick folder containing the project details.

“Study up,” he says, dropping the folder on the desk with a loud slam.

He must’ve really liked doing that…

“I need you prepared for our meetings tomorrow.”

Most of the staff had gone home by now, with only a few stations left with their lights still on. Phoebe and the scientist she was assigned to hovered over the computer, discussing the project in further depth.

When the chilly evening air hits your face, you shiver, clutching the file tighter against your coat. Checking the time, you let out a breath. Looks like you have enough time to stop by that sandwich place before catching the last train of the night.

Luckily, the walk wasn’t that far from the subway station.

I’m going to burn these heels later…

You follow the directions on your phone and step into the cozy sandwich shop. The smell of freshly cut meat and cheese greeted you the second you opened the door, and the little bell on top chimes upon your entry. The walls were painted red and covered with picture frames of the different generations who’ve worked in the past. Checkered tablecloths covered the small tables in the dining area, with little candles lit on each one.

The line wasn’t too bad, just a mother with two small children. The worker wraps up their sandwiches quickly when he notices the toddler balanced on the mother's hip started to become fussy.

You scroll on your phone while the worker finishes up with them. The bell above the door chimes again, but you don’t look up, too busy trying to respond to everyone’s texts before you forget again.

You send quick texts to your family about your first day and inform them you’ll call once you’re home. Your mother practically sends you every encouraging sticker she can find, while your dad and siblings respond with a simple thumbs-up.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Valko!” The worker chimes in as he hands the bagged sandwiches to the mother.

You freeze.

Are you kidding me?

Locking your phone, you turn to see none other than your boss standing behind you. He gives you a cocky smirk before greeting the worker, “Hey, Warren, I’ll just have my usual.”

Warren nods before looking over to you, “And you, miss?”

“Uh, I might need a minute,” you tell the worker, leaning back slightly to turn back to Valko. “What do you recommend?”

Your boss shuffles as his eyes rake over the menu. Valko hums and shuffles his stance before finally nodding his head towards the special.

Valko catches Warren’s eye, and your boss steps forward, “She’ll have the same.”

Your eyes follow and widen slightly when you read the menu.

Mr. V

“You seriously have a sandwich named after you?” You ask, wanting to almost laugh, but the shock gets to you first. “How much did that cost?”

Valko leans closer to you as his voice lowers in volume. “The place was in a bad financial spot and was on the verge of shutting down a few years ago. I really like this place and didn’t want to see it go under, so I made a donation.”

So, you did technically pay for it.

Man, why are you such a good person?

Warren finishes wrapping the sandwiches and moves over to the register. You quickly pull out your wallet to pay for yours, but Valko reaches around you with a gold card. The machine reader beeps as it receives the payment.

You turn to Valko, confusion on your face. “Sir?”

Valko places his wallet back into the pocket of his blazer and nods at you, “That was a reward for surviving your first day. Not many people do, believe it or not.”

Valko takes the bag from Warren and hands it to you, then grabs his own. He’s already moving to the door, pausing briefly to look back at you.

“Eight o’clock tomorrow.” The bell above him chimes as he makes his exit. “I’d like a hot mocha latte when you come in.”

“Hey, honey! How was your first day?” Your mom’s voice rings over the speaker of the phone. You sit on your small sofa, the pages of the project scattered across the cushions and coffee table. Your sandwich was somewhere under this mess.

“Uhh, it was good. Weird, but good.” You tell her, lifting documents and data sheets, looking for the damned thing.

“Tell me everything. I want to hear all about it.”

You chuckle at her excitement. You can hear your siblings faintly arguing over something mundane while your dad’s voice cuts over them, trying his best to diminish the fight.

Grabbing the remote, you mute the sitcom you had playing on in the background.

“Sounds busy there, everything okay?” You ask your mother, still looking for your sandwich.

Your mom yells at your siblings, and you can’t be bothered to hide the small laugh when it’s silent after.

There you are!

One of the throw pillows had ended up falling over it and you toss the pillow, practically snatching your dinner like an animal. The paper crinkles under your touch as you unwrap it.

“Oh, yes, just fighting over the remote again,” she explains. “But work was good?”

You take a bite of the sandwich. Mustard drips onto your lips as you savor the sandwich. The bread was toasted to perfection, the condiments complemented the smokiness of the meat and cheese, and the veggies were crisp and fresh.

Holy shit.

“Yeah, it’s really good actually.”

You weren’t used to the city yet or the sounds and you had gotten lost twice on your way to the store. Luckily, you had read up on Linkon before moving out here. The crime rate was lower than neighboring cities- but that didn’t mean it was zero. At least you only had about twenty more minutes before you were due to arrive home.

Surely it wouldn’t be too bad… right?

The wind sweeps your hair over your shoulder and you shudder, pulling your coat tighter. There was hardly a soul on the streets. Once the work day had ended, many residents had hurried home to beat the small bit of rain that had left the city in a cold and wet state.

A noise rings out over the now distant sirens. Not just any noise; nothing like the typical city noises of car horns honking or the birds chirping.

A howl.

Not one of the neighborhood dogs could’ve ever made a sound like that.

Swallowing hard, you hesitantly crane your head over your shoulder but only see the empty downtown streets.

You pick up the pace.

You check the maps on your phone once again. The light blue line lights up as it zigzags through the city’s layout. The glowing route bent sharply to the right, not at the intersection over a mile away, but a dark alleyway.

You scoff, checking your surroundings briefly again for anything before clicking the ‘alternative’ route option. A few other blue arrows pop up, but they would’ve all added at least fifteen more minutes.

The phone rapidly buzzes in your hands as an alert covers the gps.

A warning.

Emergency Alert: A high-risk beast has been reportedly sighted within Linkon City. Residents are advised to stay indoors and secure all doors and windows.

Fifteen minutes was time you did not have.

The woods were miles away from Linkon City. There’s no way you should’ve heard a wolf this far out, then again, the alert didn’t mention a wolf… but a beast.

Besides worrying about the potential threat in the city, you still had a lot of unpacking to do and you needed to throw the new clothes in the washing machine.

Shit.

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you decide to follow the original path no matter how creepy.

The alleyway was deserted, which you were grateful for. Rainwater glistens across the cracked pavement and a large dumpster stands crooked off to the side with a few pieces of trash scattered.

A thin curtain of fog drifted towards the end of the alley, swallowing whatever was waiting on the other side.

Another howl.

Closer.

A crash was heard coming from a small and narrow turn. You stop cold, holding your breath.

The sound of something smacking metal ricocheted across the alley.

A muffled yelp.

Then a dull smack.

Oh no.

Everything in your body was telling you to turn around and take the extra fifteen minutes of walking, but the alley was too narrow to sprint back without drawing attention.

Cautiously you took one step forward, praying whatever was around the corner stayed there.

Then another.

Suddenly, a body. A man.

He crashes against the pavement and scrambles around to get up.

Another figure emerges from the same small corner, stalking over the first with a deadly gaze.

Neither has spotted you yet.

The larger figure stands over the man on the ground, his thick boots splashing against the small puddles.

The figure grabs the man by the front of his shirt with his gloved hands.

“If I ever see you around my territory again-”

He had stopped.

Shit.

Slowly, the figures head turned.

You’re silent for the most part- unless the guy can hear your heart beating rapidly against your chest.

Oh my god.

He wasn’t looking at the terrified man anymore. He was looking at you.

This is not how I die.

The man on the floor writhes underneath the figures hold. His loud grunts are the only sound cutting between you and the figures stare.

The man takes the distraction as an opportunity to bolt. He doesn’t even spare you or the mysterious figure another glance as he scrambles into a run and disappears through the foggy exit.

The hooded man stands up straight and watches the guy escape.

Run. Run right now.

The figure slowly turns back to you.

You quickly pivot on your heels, but then…

“Hey!”

The figures loud voice cuts off your movements. Every muscle locks and you swear your throat starts to get tighter too. Letting out a shaky whimper, your brain quickly tries to process the options.

If you did run, you had no idea if he was armed. He could catch you- kill you even.

Tears quickly lined your waterline like a burning dam about to burst.

I should’ve just splurged for same-day delivery.

Your watery gaze flickers up to him and from the moonlight beaming down through the clouds, you notice his bright golden eyes underneath the hood that covers most of his face.

Swallowing the thick knot forming in your throat, you shake your head and hold out your hands in defense.

“L-look, I didn’t see anything, I’m just trying to go home—”

The guy clicks his tongue and shakes his head, “You haven’t been watching the news, have you?”

His voice was deep, very masculine. He kicks a dented can across the floor. You practically flinch, taking a step back as he takes one closer.

This time, he raises his own hands. “If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t be talking to me.”

Your body positions itself to run if need be. There’s no way you trust him.

“I’m just a little pissed you interrupted my evening. You distracted me enough to let that guy go.”

Your eyes look away from his, heat filling up your face. What a great way this night is ending. This was so weird.

“Let me just go h-home, a-and you can find him again.” You say, failing to hide the tremble in your voice.

The stranger waves off your words, “Nah, he got the message.”

The stranger continues to stare.

You swallow again, the tears finally trickling down your face. A fat droplet dribbled down your cheek and falls to the ground, splattering across the pavement.

The stranger head raises, tilting towards the sky as he inhales deeply.

Is he… sniffing the air?

“Go home.” The figure says sharply.

Your head cranes to the side. Confusion has you furrowing your eyebrows as your gaze flickers to the length of the alleyway behind him.

“What?”

The man takes a few more steps closer, slow and deliberate. On instinct, you step back.

His voice lowers, “Go home.”

A gust of wind scatters the trash farther from the dumpster. The billowing breeze sweeps up, carrying your hair in its wake and even knocks the figures leather hood off of his head.

The material collapses against his neck and you could finally make out his features. A chiseled jawline and sharp cheekbones caught the full moons glow, but what held you captive was the sharp glare coming from his ominous golden eyes.

Above those captivating eyes was short kept hair that reflected strangely under the moonlight, almost the color of faded wine. Must’ve been a trick of the moon… Your eyes finally settle to what sits atop his hair.

A pair of wolf ears.

The same dusty auburn color of his hair.

Your breath gets caught.

It had to be a practical joke of some sort. You almost didn’t believe it until they twitched.

Finally, the stranger latches onto your wrist, his grip tight as those eyes of his bore themselves into your soul.

“Go home,” he grits, yanking you past him in the direction of the exit. “I won’t ask nicely again.”

Thousands of questions run through your mind and your brain couldn’t fathom an answer for a single one. None of this made sense.

You turn around to meet the stranger again, but he was gone. Your stomach tilts and your eyes scan the alley for any sign of him.

You blink.

Not a damn thing.

He just disappeared.

Then, another howl pierces the stillness of the night.

But it wasn’t as close as it had sounded before. If anything, it was farther now.

It takes a few minutes for you to move, your bones frigid with fear. Gripping the bag in your hands, you shakily put one foot in front of the other and continue your path home.

The next morning, the sun shines high in the sky, greeting Linkon with a warm morning despite the chill from last night.

You smooth over your pencil skirt as you step out of the cab. Dozens of people bustled loudly through the square with their briefcases and cellphones pressed tightly to their ears. An opposite reflection compared to last night.

You throw your empty latte cup in the trash as you enter the building to EonCore Tech.

The receptionist smiles at you as you approach the desk.

You give her the information about your interview and woman nods, her fingers scatter across the keyboard.

Her head tilts to the side, “Oh, Maria actually called in sick today. Poor thing caught a cold from the weather last night. We’re actually going to have one of our executives conduct your interview today.”

“Oh, okay, that sounds great.” It actually didn’t. One of the executives? Now your nerves were really shot.

“I’ll have one of our interns show you up.” The receptionist smiles again, before handing you a guest pass which you clip onto your blouse.

A lanky boy, looking no older than twenty, escorts you up the elevator. He makes a bit of small talk to cover the droning hum of the lift.

You were only half-paying attention, focused more on the scenery of Linkon City descending outside the glass window.

It wasn’t until he mentioned the emergency alert from last night, that you focused more on his story.

“Yeah, I kept hearing these noises, then I look out the window and the whole city seemed deserted.” The boy mentions, fiddling with the lanyard around his neck. “I could hardly sleep last night.”

You nod at his words, giving him a tight lipped smile, “you have no idea.”

The elevator chimes, interrupting your conversation and the boy leads you down the carpeted hallway.

“You’re interview will be taking place here,” he explains and knocks on the tinted glass door.

A deep ‘come in’ is heard and the boy peeks his head inside.

“I have your next interview ready.”

“Good, send them in.”

The boy opens the door wider for you, “good luck, Miss.”

You smile warmly at him and step in the office.

You take a deep breath as a mental reminder to relax, but when your eyes meet the man’s sitting at the desk, your stomach practically drops to your feet.

Those golden eyes…

Your pulse thunders in your ears.

Last night wasn’t some crazy nightmare. It was real. He was real.

A look of surprise jumps on the man’s face before he shakes it away and offers you a smirk.

Visions from last night replay in your head. Your eyes flick to the top of his head.

No wolf ears. Just those short wisps of faded wine-colored hair. He wasn’t clad in leather either. Instead, he wore a crisp navy dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows showing off his tanned arms.

He stands up and extends a hand.

You stare at the outstretched hand no longer covered by leather gloves like they were last night.

“Go on, I don’t bite.”

A light flush coats your cheeks and snaps you out of your frazzled state.

Be professional.

Cautiously, you reach out as well, shaking his calloused palm the coolness of the large ring he wore seeps into your skin.

“Let’s begin, Miss.”

————

You weren’t used to the city yet or the sounds and you had gotten lost twice on your way to the store. Luckily, you had read up on Linkon before moving out here. The crime rate was lower than neighboring cities- but that didn’t mean it was zero. At least you only had about twenty more minutes before you were due to arrive home.

Surely it wouldn’t be too bad… right?

The wind sweeps your hair over your shoulder and you shudder, pulling your coat tighter. There was hardly a soul on the streets. Once the work day had ended, many residents had hurried home to beat the small bit of rain that had left the city in a cold and wet state.

A noise rings out over the now distant sirens. Not just any noise; nothing like the typical city noises of car horns honking or the birds chirping.

A howl.

Not one of the neighborhood dogs could’ve ever made a sound like that.

Swallowing hard, you hesitantly crane your head over your shoulder but only see the empty downtown streets.

You pick up the pace.

You check the maps on your phone once again. The light blue line lights up as it zigzags through the city’s layout. The glowing route bent sharply to the right, not at the intersection over a mile away, but a dark alleyway.

You scoff, checking your surroundings briefly again for anything before clicking the ‘alternative’ route option. A few other blue arrows pop up, but they would’ve all added at least fifteen more minutes.

The phone rapidly buzzes in your hands as an alert covers the gps.

A warning.

Emergency Alert: A high-risk beast has been reportedly sighted within Linkon City. Residents are advised to stay indoors and secure all doors and windows.

Fifteen minutes was time you did not have.

The woods were miles away from Linkon City. There’s no way you should’ve heard a wolf this far out, then again, the alert didn’t mention a wolf… but a beast.

Besides worrying about the potential threat in the city, you still had a lot of unpacking to do and you needed to throw the new clothes in the washing machine.

Shit.

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you decide to follow the original path no matter how creepy.

The alleyway was deserted, which you were grateful for. Rainwater glistens across the cracked pavement and a large dumpster stands crooked off to the side with a few pieces of trash scattered.

A thin curtain of fog drifted towards the end of the alley, swallowing whatever was waiting on the other side.

Another howl.

Closer.

A crash was heard coming from a small and narrow turn. You stop cold, holding your breath.

The sound of something smacking metal ricocheted across the alley.

A muffled yelp.

Then a dull smack.

Oh no.

Everything in your body was telling you to turn around and take the extra fifteen minutes of walking, but the alley was too narrow to sprint back without drawing attention.

Cautiously you took one step forward, praying whatever was around the corner stayed there.

Then another.

Suddenly, a body. A man.

He crashes against the pavement and scrambles around to get up.

Another figure emerges from the same small corner, stalking over the first with a deadly gaze.

Neither has spotted you yet.

The larger figure stands over the man on the ground, his thick boots splashing against the small puddles.

The figure grabs the man by the front of his shirt with his gloved hands.

“If I ever see you around my territory again-”

He had stopped.

Shit.

Slowly, the figures head turned.

You’re silent for the most part- unless the guy can hear your heart beating rapidly against your chest.

Oh my god.

He wasn’t looking at the terrified man anymore. He was looking at you.

This is not how I die.

The man on the floor writhes underneath the figures hold. His loud grunts are the only sound cutting between you and the figures stare.

The man takes the distraction as an opportunity to bolt. He doesn’t even spare you or the mysterious figure another glance as he scrambles into a run and disappears through the foggy exit.

The hooded man stands up straight and watches the guy escape.

Run. Run right now.

The figure slowly turns back to you.

You quickly pivot on your heels, but then…

“Hey!”

The figures loud voice cuts off your movements. Every muscle locks and you swear your throat starts to get tighter too. Letting out a shaky whimper, your brain quickly tries to process the options.

If you did run, you had no idea if he was armed. He could catch you- kill you even.

Tears quickly lined your waterline like a burning dam about to burst.

I should’ve just splurged for same-day delivery.

Your watery gaze flickers up to him and from the moonlight beaming down through the clouds, you notice his bright golden eyes underneath the hood that covers most of his face.

Swallowing the thick knot forming in your throat, you shake your head and hold out your hands in defense.

“L-look, I didn’t see anything, I’m just trying to go home—”

The guy clicks his tongue and shakes his head, “You haven’t been watching the news, have you?”

His voice was deep, very masculine. He kicks a dented can across the floor. You practically flinch, taking a step back as he takes one closer.

This time, he raises his own hands. “If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t be talking to me.”

Your body positions itself to run if need be. There’s no way you trust him.

“I’m just a little pissed you interrupted my evening. You distracted me enough to let that guy go.”

Your eyes look away from his, heat filling up your face. What a great way this night is ending. This was so weird.

“Let me just go h-home, a-and you can find him again.” You say, failing to hide the tremble in your voice.

The stranger waves off your words, “Nah, he got the message.”

The stranger continues to stare.

You swallow again, the tears finally trickling down your face. A fat droplet dribbled down your cheek and falls to the ground, splattering across the pavement.

The stranger head raises, tilting towards the sky as he inhales deeply.

Is he… sniffing the air?

“Go home.” The figure says sharply.

Your head cranes to the side. Confusion has you furrowing your eyebrows as your gaze flickers to the length of the alleyway behind him.

“What?”

The man takes a few more steps closer, slow and deliberate. On instinct, you step back.

His voice lowers, “Go home.”

A gust of wind scatters the trash farther from the dumpster. The billowing breeze sweeps up, carrying your hair in its wake and even knocks the figures leather hood off of his head.

The material collapses against his neck and you could finally make out his features. A chiseled jawline and sharp cheekbones caught the full moons glow, but what held you captive was the sharp glare coming from his ominous golden eyes.

Above those captivating eyes was short kept hair that reflected strangely under the moonlight, almost the color of faded wine. Must’ve been a trick of the moon… Your eyes finally settle to what sits atop his hair.

A pair of wolf ears.

The same dusty auburn color of his hair.

Your breath gets caught.

It had to be a practical joke of some sort. You almost didn’t believe it until they twitched.

Finally, the stranger latches onto your wrist, his grip tight as those eyes of his bore themselves into your soul.

“Go home,” he grits, yanking you past him in the direction of the exit. “I won’t ask nicely again.”

Thousands of questions run through your mind and your brain couldn’t fathom an answer for a single one. None of this made sense.

You turn around to meet the stranger again, but he was gone. Your stomach tilts and your eyes scan the alley for any sign of him.

You blink.

Not a damn thing.

He just disappeared.

Then, another howl pierces the stillness of the night.

But it wasn’t as close as it had sounded before. If anything, it was farther now.

It takes a few minutes for you to move, your bones frigid with fear. Gripping the bag in your hands, you shakily put one foot in front of the other and continue your path home.

The next morning, the sun shines high in the sky, greeting Linkon with a warm morning despite the chill from last night.

You smooth over your pencil skirt as you step out of the cab. Dozens of people bustled loudly through the square with their briefcases and cellphones pressed tightly to their ears. An opposite reflection compared to last night.

You throw your empty latte cup in the trash as you enter the building to EonCore Tech.

The receptionist smiles at you as you approach the desk.

You give her the information about your interview and woman nods, her fingers scatter across the keyboard.

Her head tilts to the side, “Oh, Maria actually called in sick today. Poor thing caught a cold from the weather last night. We’re actually going to have one of our executives conduct your interview today.”

“Oh, okay, that sounds great.” It actually didn’t. One of the executives? Now your nerves were really shot.

“I’ll have one of our interns show you up.” The receptionist smiles again, before handing you a guest pass which you clip onto your blouse.

A lanky boy, looking no older than twenty, escorts you up the elevator. He makes a bit of small talk to cover the droning hum of the lift.

You were only half-paying attention, focused more on the scenery of Linkon City descending outside the glass window.

It wasn’t until he mentioned the emergency alert from last night, that you focused more on his story.

“Yeah, I kept hearing these noises, then I look out the window and the whole city seemed deserted.” The boy mentions, fiddling with the lanyard around his neck. “I could hardly sleep last night.”

You nod at his words, giving him a tight lipped smile, “you have no idea.”

The elevator chimes, interrupting your conversation and the boy leads you down the carpeted hallway.

“You’re interview will be taking place here,” he explains and knocks on the tinted glass door.

A deep ‘come in’ is heard and the boy peeks his head inside.

“I have your next interview ready.”

“Good, send them in.”

The boy opens the door wider for you, “good luck, Miss.”

You smile warmly at him and step in the office.

You take a deep breath as a mental reminder to relax, but when your eyes meet the man’s sitting at the desk, your stomach practically drops to your feet.

Those golden eyes…

Your pulse thunders in your ears.

Last night wasn’t some crazy nightmare. It was real. He was real.

A look of surprise jumps on the man’s face before he shakes it away and offers you a smirk.

Visions from last night replay in your head. Your eyes flick to the top of his head.

No wolf ears. Just those short wisps of faded wine-colored hair. He wasn’t clad in leather either. Instead, he wore a crisp navy dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows showing off his tanned arms.

He stands up and extends a hand.

You stare at the outstretched hand no longer covered by leather gloves like they were last night.

“Go on, I don’t bite.”

A light flush coats your cheeks and snaps you out of your frazzled state.

Be professional.

Cautiously, you reach out as well, shaking his calloused palm the coolness of the large ring he wore seeps into your skin.

“Let’s begin, Miss.”

————

he looked as excited as you felt, and you were sure if his tail was out it’d be wagging.

“will they hit us?” he asks out of curiosity more than fear.

you shake your head. “ash sometimes hits you, but only if you’re close-”

you’re interrupted by a ‘fwoop’ of a firework shooting into the air, followed quickly by a loud bang!

you turn and look at the sky as bright shades of reds and purples streak across the abyss.

valko’s hand tightened in your hair at the boom, but you just assumed it was because he was caught off guard. it wasn’t until they set off two more fireworks thag you started to worry.

valko flinched at every boom, his thighs beneath your head quivering and shaking like a leaf in a tornado.

you frowned and sat up, turning to look at him. “whats wrong? hey, oh gosh, it’s okay-”

your poor boyfriend was covering his ears and shaking all over, his eyes wide and full of terror. you’d never seen him look scared! not even when you fought a hoard of wanderers or when he almost choked on a chicken wing.

you were about to reach out and hold his face when they set off a bigger firework than before, the boom twice as loud as the previous ones. poor valko jumped up and ran away, much like scooby-doo in the cartoons, his feet moving but his position not changing.

you jumped up and chased after him, but damn your hour of daily cardio stood no chance against a werewolf in fight-or-flight.

you called out for him and searched for valko for 15 minutes before you found him cowering and whimpering in fear under a small bridge in the park you were at.

“valko!” you crouched down in front of him and pressed your hands on top of his, muffling the bangs and booms even more. “it’s okay, they’re not gonna hurt you- shit, i’m sorry, i forgot about your hearing sensitivity.”

valko whimpered and leaned his forehead against your chest, trying to hide. his body was trembling against yours.

a few minutes pass and he seems to have calmed down a bit, the noise muffled enough for him to relax. valko pulls his head away from you and looks over your shoulder at the fireworks lighting up the sky.

he flinches every time one explodes, but he still watches for you.

by the end of the firework display, he’s calmed down enough that he’s smiling. but that wasn't enough for you.

“valko, i am so so sorry, i’m a terrible partner, i didn’t even think about the noise-” you hug him, scratching his head.

valko hums at the sensation and nuzzles your neck. the sudden lack of noise makes the air sound like it’s buzzing to him, the only other noise being people chatting quietly as they walk to their cars.

“hey, it’s okay, i didn’t think about it either. i should've known it would be loud when i saw kids with headphones.” he pulls back and smiles at you, a hint of a smirk on his lips. “can we get me some of those for next year?”

you gawk at him. “next year? you seriously want to come back?”

valko nods and leans back against a supporting beam of the bridge, pulling you into his lap. “of course, you love them. and i kinda ruined your experience this year… i’ll make it up to you next year.”

you scoff. “‘ko, if anything I ruined your experience. i could've planned better, we could've watched them from the car miles away, i could’ve gotten you headphone, i could have-”

“shhhh, enough. there’s no point in ‘would’ve could've should’ves’, it’s over with. i had a good time.” he comforts you. “and you were right, there is a firework for everyone.”

you finally smile at that, the anxiety seeping out of you slowly. maybe, despite it all, valko actually did have a good time. “oh yeah? which one did you like?”

“i liked the ones that went up like…” he mimics it with his hand, dragging his fingers up and spreading them out, before ‘exploding’ them.

you laugh and nuzzle your head into his chest. “i like those too. which colors were your favorite?”

to your surprise, valko answers quickly. “i like the yellow and blue ones.”

you raise an eyebrow and look at him like he’s crazy. “really? that’s.. an interesting combination. i didn’t even see any yellow and blue ones together.”

valko frowns. “they were all yellow and blue.”

“what? no they weren’t! there were red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue, white, cream- how fid you only see yellow and blue?!” you ramble passionately. had valko somehow managed to only look up when they shot off yellow or blue fireworks?

uh, why was he looking at you like that? valko’s lips were quivering as he held back from laughing.

you growl lowly, annoyed, and flick his fuzzy ears that had popped out sometime in the whole ordeal. “what’s so funny, fuzzball?”

valko finally breaks, laughing in your face. “you’re forgetting a very important detail, sweetheart.” he points to one of his eyes.

your heart sinks and your face flushes with embarrassment. “you’re colorblind- oh my gosh, valko!” you smack his shoulder. “why the hell would you let me drag you to something that is too loud for you and not even pretty! uggghhh this was a waste of your time, i’m sorry.”

valko pulls you against him and laughs. “this wasn’t a waste of my time, you were so happy for those first few fireworks!”

“but you can’t even see what they’re supposed to look like.” you murmur against his chest, feeling deflated. this entire night had gone to shit, and you felt like a terrible partner for not considering his limitations.

valko shook his head. “i see the entire world that way- i see you that way. is that a waste?”

you grumble out a halfhearted ‘no’.

he smiles and pats your head. “see? then it wasn’t a waste. next year, we’ll have an even better time. maybe i’ll get some colorblind glasses to wear with my headphones!”

a/n: happy fourth of july to anyone who celebrates!!

tags: @colonelkaboom @sweetcalebb @heartyluv @rafayelkisses @wetforsylus @angeleclair @insidious-innocence @xaviersbunny @deepspacenova @silverianni @paintedperidot @luvleixo @gardenialily @xinghuisknight @theerogueprincess