The warm sun was beating down hard on the concrete below. Kids were running around with their parents struggling to keep up. The sweet smell of ribs and steak wafted through the air, making Texas's mouth water. It had been awhile since she had a full meal. But eating was the last thing on her mind.

Lappland shuffled lazily behind her, her swords hanging loosely from their sheaths on her hips. Her attitude and expression could not have been more bored. Texas knew she was a restless person, always wanting to keep moving and swinging her swords. Taming her would take some time.

The two made their way across the crowded street. While it was hot, an occasional brush of cool wind chilled Texas's neck and blew her hair over her shoulder. Lappland noticed this and for some reason couldn't stop staring.

Huh. I've never seen the back of her neck before. She usually has her hair behind her at all times. I'm surprised she's not hurrying to fix it right now. I'm glad for that. She has a pretty neck. Lappland realized what she was thinking and froze. Whoa. That was weird.

She jogged to keep up and decided to start a conversation to shake her strange neck thoughts away. "So. Where are we going?"

Texas didn't answer. Instead she kept her gaze straight ahead, her expression set. Lappland stared at her for a few seconds, then sighed. "You're gonna ignore me now?"

"No. I'm focusing on the mission." Texas said without looking at her. Her sleek black hair reflected the sunlight as if it were silk.

Lappland groaned. "Wow. You are boring. You're like a rock. There only good company if your clinically insane."

"I'm not insane. I'm just trying to get this done. I intend to rescue this child with as few casualties as possible."

Lappland chuckled and crossed her arms. "What, you don't think we'll run into any danger?"

"Oh, I know there will be danger," Texas said plainly. "And I intend to eradicate that danger with zero casualties."

Lappland rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you sound like a talking computer."

Texas tuned her out and fixed the strap of her bag that hung across her chest. All the unfamiliar faces and strange surroundings were getting hard for her to adjust to. She was used to knowing where she was and where the best attack locations were. But here, in Boston, she had no clue.

Meanwhile, Exusiai and Croissant were having a hard time keeping an eye on Sora while navigating in unknown territory.

"Look at this! No, look at this! Oh my sweet tarts, look at this!" Sora bounced from store front to store front, her tail wagging with every new sight and smell.

Exusiai hurried after her, pulling her away from the biggest shoe store she'd ever seen. "We have to pay attention, Sora. Texas would be mad if we came back with nothing but a bunch of shoes."

"Not if we got the shoes for her!" Sora whined. She tried to wiggle free with no luck.

Croissant leaned over and patted her head. "Don't worry, Sora. After we rescue Click, I'll get you any pair of shoes you want. As long as the price range is reasonable."

Sora looked contemplative, then gave in and bounded down the sidewalk.

"Nice job, Croissant." Exusiai whispered. "I thought we'd never pry her from the window." Croissant only shrugged.

                                ***

"Excuse me, but I would like some information on a missing person."

To say that to a random person would probably not be the smartest move. But Texas was getting impatient, and walking in circles was doing nothing for them. Sweat was dripping from her forehead. She could only imagine how hot Lappland was in her long and thick black coat.

The person she walked up to looked confused. He was slim and wore a stained shirt with baggy pants. His brown hair was messy and wavy, a dusty orange color. He looked between the two girls, then slowly stood straight. "Uh...what?"

Texas repeated her statement with her patience now running even thinner. "I'm looking for-"

"Missing kid, creepy grandmother, scary man. Seen any of them?" Lappland snapped, cutting Texas off. Texas glared at her but remained silent.

The man nodded. "Oh, yeah. You should try that place over there. It deals with missing people, but it'll cost ya a pretty penny."

"Huh?" Lappland and Texas followed his finger to a building that looked abandoned. Nobody was around it, and the windows were blacked out, so no one could peer in. Texas found it a little suspicious, but Lappland just started to it with her head held high.

As much as I don't trust that place, it's not looking like I'm going to run into any clues. She sighed and gripped the handles of her swords, reluctantly following after Lappland.