The night was cold, the rain long gone but the presence of it still lingering in the damp air. Umbrellas were put away but bright rain coats and rain boots could be seen for miles. The roads were scattered with puddles, the drains on the underside of the sidewalks unable to collect it all.

Texas stood on the balcony of a bar, her arms leaned against the railing. The clatter of dishes and laughter of families rang in her ears. It was like torture. All her life, she'd wondered what a family was like. What did they do? Did they always laugh out loud? Were they always so fun?

She felt an emptiness in her chest. One that she couldn't fill. Taking a swig from her drink, she leaned forward and looked down at the bustling world below her. Out of a job. It wasn't my fault, so why am I taking the fall? True, I'm not the only one who got laid off, but it still hurts the same. After all the work I've done for them, all the bad guys I hooked. Lappland is to blame, but it's not like she planned to blow the facility up.

Texas sighed. Calling her a workaholic would be an understatement. After spending so many years waking up and going to work, how was she supposed to wake up and not do anything but feel miserable? That emptiness inside her grew. She didn't know the source of it, but it'd been with her for years. It was one cause of her loneliness and another cause of her wanting to avoid conversations with most people. She didn't like talking because sometimes it revealed too much of a person. She wasn't hiding anything; she just had nothing to say.

She took another drink and swallowed, the dark liquid burning as it went down her throat. Perhaps I could become a mercenary. Technically, it'd be noticeably similar to what I did as a Logistics operator, but I'd get paid a fair amount to either secure or neutralize a target. Either way, I'd still be doing what I love: fighting.

She leaned back and reached into her pocket, taking out her package of chocolate Pocky sticks. While chocolate is normally a dangerous substance for canines, Texas never got sick from eating them. The taste and flavor calmed her down and almost made her happy. She popped on into her mouth and stashed the rest in her jacket.

"You know, drinking away your sorrows has never done anyone any good." A voice said from behind her. Texas turned to see Exusiai and Lappland.

She frowned and turned back to the city. "I'd prefer to be left alone."

"Too bad." Lappland came over and leaned on the railing, her shoulder bumping Texas's. Texas opened her mouth to interject but as usual, Exusiai and her motor mouth beat her to it.

"We got laid off from Logistics, too. There's nothing to do at night, really, so we thought we should come make you feel better. Well, it was my idea, I just dragged Lappland along so she could apologize properly." Exusiai gave Lappland a look, and Lappland rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, fine. I'm sorry I ruined your precious job, Tex." Lappland said in a satirical voice.

"Thank you. Was that so hard?" Exusiai said with a grin. Lappland just shook her head.

Texas knew they were just being friendly, or, at least Exusiai was. But she really didn't feel like talking. What she really wanted to do was go home, sit on the couch, and surf through the internet until she came across some job opportunities. She ate her Pocky stick and backed up, wiping her hands together. "I'll just head home. See you later."

"Wait, you can't go yet! We didn't get to cheer you up!" Exusiai whined, grabbing Texas by the arm.

"Hey, if she wants to go, let her." Lappland said.

Exusiai shot her a look. "No, we came here for Texas, and we're not leaving until she says that we've cheered her up."

Texas sighed. Exusiai meant while, even on her overbearing days. She was friendly to everybody, even strangers. It amazed Texas how open she was to try new things and make other people happy. Her bright smile and cheery personality made her a good choice for Logistics. If Texas were given the choice, Exusiai would be the face of Penguin Logistics.

Lappland groaned. "Look, she doesn't want out company, so let's make like a tree and leaf our way outta here."

Exusiai opened her mouth to argue when a small voice spoke. "Excuse me, but did I hear that right? Are you from Penguin Logistics?"

They all turned and saw an elderly woman, grey hair falling to her ankles. Her pale blue eyes showed signs of stress and anxiousness. Texas looked between Lappland and Exusiai, then nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I have a problem."