FRAGMENTED SYSTEM CORE

Iora fumbled in her jacket pocket. Her fingers brushed a crumpled wrapper and she dug deeper. Her phone buzzed insistent against her hand. She yanked it out.

Ryn's name glowed on the screen. She blinked. "Ryn?" Her thumb hit accept. "Hey. I can't remember the last time you called me."

His voice crackled through. "Iora. Get over here. Quick." He sounded tight, clipped with something urgent.

She shifted her stance. "What's going on?" Her brow creased. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

"Just come over." He cut the line and silence hummed in her ear.

She stared at the blank screen. Her stomach flipped. "What the hell's he up to?" she muttered. She jammed the phone back in her pocket, her long dark hair swinging as she turned and headed out.

*^*^*^*^

Iora shoved Ryn's workshop door open. It banged against the wall.

"Ryn? What's happening?" she asked, her voice bouncing off the cluttered space. Tools glinted faintly on the workbench and wires were sprawled everywhere. She stepped inside.

Ryn spun around. His goggles sat crooked on his nose. He grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her close. "Why'd you ask me those questions?" His brown eyes bored into hers. "The questions about Cores with multiple abilities? What's behind that?"

She pulled back slightly and studied him with a frown. "Wait. Is that why you called me over?" Her tone sharpened and she crossed her arms. "Did you drag me here for a quiz?"

He loosened his grip, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Not just that. Word's buzzing in the underbelly. A shifter with an irregular Core. Malfunctioning bad. People are talking loud." He leaned in. "I thought maybe you knew something. Do you?"

Iora gasped softly. Her breath hitched. Karl. Her mind spun fast as the realization hit. He'd bolted to the underbelly. Alone. Scared. If his Core flared down there, he'd light up like a beacon.

She had seen it clear, his antlers sprouting wild, fire bursting from his hands, and lightning cracking. Her chest squeezed tight. He was in trouble. Probably causing it too. Scavengers would sniff him out. Rogues would hunt him. Enforcers might already be closing in. She'd left him weak, and now he was a target.

She cursed loudly. "Damn it!" Her fists clenched hard, her nails biting into her palms.

Ryn stepped closer. "Hey. What's wrong?" He tilted his head. His goggles slipped more. "You're pale. What's hitting you?"

She cursed again. "Shit." She paced a step and started speaking. "I know him. The guy. We are not close but I was there when his core went off hours ago. It was total chaos." She met Ryn's eyes.

Ryn's face lit up. "No kidding!" He grinned big. "That's wild! We could get him here. Hide him safe and run some experiments."

Iora stopped cold. "Experiments for what?" Her voice sliced through the still of the space. "What's the goal?"

He leaned closer. "To figure him out. What he is. How that Core ticks." His eyes gleamed brightly. "Maybe balance those powers and get him steady. You see it, right?"

She frowned. "Balance how?" she asked. "You don't even know if that's possible?" Her tone was tensed as she imagined Karl spread under a table, undergoing crazy tests.

Ryn shrugged. "Guessing some. But I've got tech. Scanners. Data." He tapped his chest. "We could help him. You want that?"

She blew out a breath and nodded slowly. "Yeah. If we can find him." Her jaw tightened. "He's out there. Lost."

Ryn grabbed a blaster off the bench. "Then we go to the Underbelly right now." He slung it over his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

She exhaled sharply. "Yes, I am ready."

*^*^*^*^

Iora's heart pounded as they stepped into the underbelly. The afternoon sun barely touched the gloom. Shadows draped heavily over rusted hulks and she stayed glued to Ryn.

His wiry frame was way in front of her. She hadn't walked these streets in years. Too long. The air stank of oil and sweat and her pulse raced wildly. She remembered running here, dodging fists, and slipping through alleys. But that was a long time ago. Her skin prickled with impending danger but she shook it off.

"Where do we find him?" She kept her voice low. Her green eyes darted around. "This place is a maze."

Ryn turned. "Not sure yet. We keep moving." He pointed ahead. "Let's check the markets first. Rumors spread there fast."

She frowned. "That's it? Are we supposed to wander until we trip over him?" Her tone was a bit sarcastic when she said, "He's not just sitting out, Ryn."

"Nah. But he's loud. Someone must have seen him. You said chaos, right?" He glanced back. "What does he look like?"

She thought quickly. "Tall. 6'2". Dark hair. Blue eyes that cut through you." She paused. "Probably shaky. Messed up."

Ryn looked around them, checking for potential threats. "Good. That sticks out." He kept walking, trying to allow Iora to catch up. "You trust me to lead?"

She snorted softly. "I trust you enough but don't get us lost." Her lips twitched. "How long do you think he's been down here?"

Ryn shrugged. "Hours, maybe. Long enough to stir shit." He turned a corner. "Are you worried that he's hurt?"

She tensed. "Yeah, a little worried. He was weak when I left." Her voice dropped. "He was also scared."

He glanced at her. "Then we hurry. The market is just ahead."

Footsteps suddenly scattered around them and soon about six scavengers closed in.

"There is a little trouble," Ryn said, but Iora had already seen them.

One of the scavengers grinned, displaying his yellow teeth. "Lost, huh?" He cracked his knuckles loudly.

Another of the scavengers swung a baton. A third pulled a blade. Iora's eyes narrowed.

She moved swiftly and ducked the pipe. Her fist slammed into Yellow-teeth's jaw. He reeled back and she spun fast, driving her boot into Blade's gut. He gasped and dropped to the ground. Her shifter strength surged. She grabbed Pipe and twisted his arm hard, slamming him down.

Ryn fired his blaster. It grazed a scavenger's leg. Ryn aimed at the last two.

"Stay down!" he barked at the others who were trying to close in and subdue Iora.

Iora took some steps back and shook out her fists. Blood had already smeared her knuckles. "The guy with the malfunctioning Core," she started, panting. "Tall with crazy powers. Where is he?"

Yellow-teeth groaned. "My people met him once. Freaky bastard. Had deer horns, fire, and all that." He groaned at the pain in his body. "I don't know where he is now."

She loomed over him, flexing her fingers. "Take us to where you had an encounter with him."