Lydia kept her eyes fixed on that diskette. She needed to look somewhere other than the bustling underground city before her. All sections of the Colony were comprised of organized intersecting tunnels. But this was a city. Rather than smooth cement, the ground was cobblestones. Rather than the sure heat of the tunnels, this place was frigid. And rather than the safety of the all-knowing System, she was in the Lower-Levels, a place with laws of its own.

The wall which regurgitated her was one of the longest transport walls she'd ever seen. She half expected it to extend along the entire tunnel.

There was a problem with it however, to the right was pitch black darkness—the Deadzone—aptly named for the fact that the System didn't answer in the center of the Colony. It was also known as Impland, for the very fact that it inhabited mutants; man-made attempts at making Elementals that didn't pan out. As there were no animals below ground other than humans, imps culled their food from whatever hapless jackass might venture in. They didn't like lights, that's what the emergency drills at training said, but Lydia always wondered why they had drills in bright scenarios as well.

The Deadzone. She was actually by the Deadzone, an area which, rather than cushioned by several tunnels such as the end near her own section, was wide open with no warning signs or fencing.

That was what Lydia saw to her left. To her right was even more unsettling. The Lower-Levels looked as if a city had fallen right into the earth and nestled itself in the Colony. Structure after structure reached from the ground to the very top of the expansive ceiling high above.

This was the poorest area of the Colony, other than the Clusters. But the Clusters lay safely south of Lydia's area. It was by the border to Topside, but that was far better than this, far better than the Lower-Levels.

Lydia looked at the diskette again, telling herself that she had to do this; she had to come down here. She had to find Joshua and poor Osbourne, and she had to go home with not only that E, but with nothing less than the satisfaction of bringing her boot across that bastard Joshua's head.

But she didn't know how. She'd gotten this far on her own, only because everyone knew that it was illegal for E's to fight, and if it was illegal, it probably happened in the Lower-Levels.

Laughter filled the air and Lydia looked up in time to see a green-haired E fall from the ceiling. The female Elemental landed with a thud and a grin.

Ruckus.

Lydia wondered if that was a good sign.

She wondered something else, too; was this another one of Joshua's imp-shit pranks?

This is madness. Lydia considered walking away, turning around and heading back home to Dizzy. This could be one of Joshua's lame jokes.

Despite having caused a commotion upon arrival, Ruckus put her hands in her pockets and walked toward the crowd. The sea of people parted for her. She didn't go far at least, and of course, she went into the dingiest-looking place.

Lydia had no idea what the hell she herself was doing down here. She was a rich-acting pauper, months away from twenty, wandering around the gaw-ro Lower-Levels, looking for an immature nobleman and a broken E she was suddenly responsible for.

"I'm sorry, Osbourne," Lydia muttered. "I can only hope your brother can find you."

With a heavy sigh, she waited for the next wave of people to arrive before she turned to transport out. Unlike everywhere else in the Colony where portals were made directly into businesses, tunnels and homes, the Lower-Levels seemed more controlled. Even the E's who could make portals at will, used this designated area to arrive. Lydia wasn't sure about their leaving though. She judged from the small trams which scooted along the ground that the mode of travel here was a lot different.

She was going home; she was going to forget about Joshua—the bastard she wanted to punch.

And not just punch if she could get away with it. She took one step before her diskette began to flash. Bill or message, she dreaded accepting it. Joshua's call sign made her sigh. In an effort not to yell the most colorfully venomous greeting of Joshua's life, Lydia closed her eyes and counted down from five.

The screen came to life with a tap.

"I did it! You'll be so happy. It's the best one. Lydia, come to the Lower-Levels. There's only one way in. Just stick close to there and I'll send someone to get you. You're going to flip!" Joshua exclaimed.

"I've already flipped," Lydia muttered under her breath. "Where are you?" she asked.

"Where am I? Why...with our E, of course. I've got him an amazing fight. He'll earn more than those measly twenty years of credits and you'll be happily rid of him. Just hang on, you're going to want to kiss me, I assure you."

That much Lydia doubted. She turned however, surprised beyond words when two large men pulling a rickshaw came from the crowd. Their outfits were so over the top; that they were no doubt her ride.

Lydia's mind was blank as she rode the very short distance to her destination. Her mind was blank even as she was helped down. Several people glanced at her—she guessed she didn't look the part of a noblewoman—especially when she ran through the threshold as soon as the metal door slid open. As was common, the footmen, like any other servant charged with a noble, were on her heels. She'd never been in such a fancy looking lift, although she had played on the one in Joshua's house when they were children.

It was far too slow and it took a lifetime before a bing chimed and the door slid up. Instead of emptying out into a room, it led to a hallway. She traveled the crimson carpeting, not even pausing to admire all the color which was rare to see in the Colony.

At the very end of the hall, standing at an open doorway, was Joshua, who looked very pleased with himself. Lydia dodged the man, darting by, desperate to find the E.

Wearing the biggest, dopiest smile Lydia had ever seen, Osbourne sat, finger up his nose, right in the center of the room. The slab of metal under him gave Lydia pause.

He was safe though, he looked relatively unharmed. But how would she know, it's not like she could ask the poor thing.

"Hey," Lydia said, kneeling. "You're okay."

With a fat smile, Osbourne patted Lydia's forehead. The E's hand was so large it nearly encompassed Lydia's entire face. It must have hurt though, touching skin-to-skin, because the E winced and pulled away.

"Pretty Yule," Osbourne said.

A dab of drool fell down his chin and Lydia pulled her own sleeve down and used it to clean it up.

"Oh, you poor dear," Lydia lamented.

"Oh, I wouldn't touch one of dem, if I was you," someone said.

Lydia dragged herself up to her full height and turned to look at the doorway. A dark-skinned man sat on a chair, otherwise hidden until someone entered.

"Just some free advice, from one AeoD to the next," the man said.

AeoD was a term Lydia hated, and resented all the more because both of her parents were eoD; European descent. It wasn't the first time Lydia had been mistaken for AeoD; Asian European Descendants. Most people were usually too polite to throw such a loose term around, as AeoDs were usually the unwanted bastards of either an affair or a violation.

Lydia's expression must have been telling because the stranger's smile fell. "Guess next time I'll just charge. Howdy. I hear you've got an E you wanna fight."

The words swam around in Lydia's skull for some time before she could process them.

"This...this E's ill. I've just come to retrieve him."

"Jyeah. I can see that. But I'm not buying it." The man muttered to one of the footmen and said, "Call Ruckus up here. I need to know which way's down."

Joshua took Lydia by the arm, leading her away from Osbourne as he muttered, "Lydia. What are you doing? Be nice to the man. These are not people to trifle with."

The words sounded all too familiar. Lydia yanked her arm away. When she looked the room over, she started to doubt it. Doubt the setup, doubt everything, even the people. Even when she caught sight of Osbourne's curious expression, she felt queasy.

But why would she get dragged into this? And surely the High ELETE wasn't in on it. Joshua himself, sure, she could see that. Then she considered Osbourne. The loud thuds which Lydia almost mistook for footsteps made the green-haired E flinch. No, poor Osbourne the second wasn't faking it.

A loud voice rang out after the door slid open to reveal Ruckus, her shirt pulled up over her head.

"I'm getting you outta that skirt toot-sweet, Oli...." Ruckus's pace slowed until she paused entirely. Chest guarded by a harness, her lean yet muscular body, littered with scars, shown white against the dim light. She yanked her shirt down, her expression cold. "Sir, I'm sorry. I...I misunderstood. I thought it would just...be a private meeting."

The AeoD rubbed his face, combing his fingers through the short spikes of his hair.

"Jyeah, we've got to talk about that. But first, gander there. What ya think?" he asked.

Crestfallen, Ruckus took the room in then stepped back when she caught sight of Osbourne.

"Holy imp-shit. What the hell is he doing here?" Ruckus asked.

"Fighting," the man said. "Problem is. We can't tell which one that is. Is that the one they locked up for ten years? Suppose ten years in stone could do dat tah someone, then?"

Osbourne turned his head this way and that, wearing a strange expression.

"Nah," Ruckus muttered, turning to lean closer to the man. "You don't wanna fuck with him."

"I need a fight," the man insisted.

"Well you ain't getting one. Any Yule you put against him ain't coming out in one piece. You'll have War-gens down on you in minutes," Ruckus warned.

The man stared at Joshua who took a step back. If Lydia didn't know any better, she'd think Joshua intended to somehow hide his six foot frame behind her five-foot-four.

"What does it matter? He's in our debt," Joshua said. "My fiancée, Lydia here, she's that thing's master. So we're looking for a good fight, no less than seventy-five years' worth."

Lydia choked, for many reasons. Fiancée?

The stranger's thoughts were elsewhere; he whistled. "Dat's a lotta change. Might have to end up reclaiming your face if we can't get it."

Ruckus leaned closer to the AeoD and whispered, "Is seventy-five a lot?"

"E's," the man snorted. "This one here can't even understand de value of a credit. Seventy-five sounds good. There was a green-haired E a few years back, he gave one hell of a show. This one should, too. Seventy-five'll be fine." He looked up to Ruckus. "You can fight him, right? E to E should keep the Colony from poking around." Ruckus was reluctant and the man equally so when he said, "You can have what we agreed on last time."

Ruckus's blue eyes widened. "One week's worth?"

Dim light or no, Lydia saw the man's cheeks redden despite his dark skin.

"Jy—yeah. One's okay."

That satisfied Ruckus enough for her to turn and look at Osbourne again. With a shake of her head, she sighed.

"Well, better him than his twin. Him, oh, him I gaw-ro fear. All right. Next rep's in two hours. I'll get ready." Ruckus paused at the threshold and called back. "Starting tonight, right?"

Ruckus' once pale skin took on a considerable amount of color. The man didn't make eye contact when he nodded.

"If it's a good show," he said.

"Well, what would it be if the great Mitchellii can't give everyone a good show, huh?" Ruckus reached out to perhaps touch the man on the shoulder but he pulled away.

An awkward silence lulled between them until Ruckus walked out.

***

"Mitchellii! You owe money to Mitchellii?" Lydia fought to keep her tone level because each time she shouted Osbourne began to chew at his nails. As someone who hated hearing others scream and fight, Lydia could relate. "What in the hell are you gambling for?"

Joshua sat down on the bed, arms folded. "You jump to a lot of conclusions. I've paid Mitchellii off. And my family's not poor if that's what you're thinking. We're not going bust like other nobles. If you must know, when I was younger, I had wanted to get some...work done, and the old lady wouldn't pay for it. But that's all squared away now. This one is a sure thing because we're not gambling, we're simply giving him a job."

Lydia longed to leave that room. Not only because she couldn't stand being around Joshua anymore, but because this was really none of her business. It had nothing to do with her. She'd gotten up yesterday with the prospect of finding a damn job. That was all.

"I'm doing this for you," Joshua said. "Your family hasn't been active in anything for years. Your father leaves often, taking the maid, and your mother snubs all social events, even the ones in her honor. There is no way in this Colony that you can tell me you've got even one credit to your name. I'm doing this for you. An E just fell into your lap and you refuse to take advantage of that."

"Look at him!" Lydia pointed at Osbourne. "How can you ask someone like that to go up against a fighter?"

"Yes, look at him." Joshua exploded to his feet. "You think he got those muscles from heavy booger lifting? Even if he's not right in the head, so what? He'll no doubt forget any pain he sustains, and it's not like he'll sustain any, anyway."

Lydia couldn't answer. She was too disgusted to talk.

Letting out a sigh, Joshua flopped down again. "All right, I'll freely admit when he got assigned to you, I figured it was Midge, and that he was playing around, but now...." He looked at Osbourne and cocked his head. "I'll say that I honestly don't know. But who cares? It's just for one day, one short moment, and one little fight. Seventy-five years' worth is more than you'll see in your lifetime. Your family's ranking only provides about ten years each year."

Pacing back and forth, Lydia rolled the ball of her palms against her eyes.

"Lydia," Joshua said. It didn't sound snarky or condescending, it sounded genuine. "Lydia," he repeated. "I'm not the sort of knight in shining armor who can sweep you off your feet. But as I'm wooing you, I'm here to save you and if there's one thing I know, it's money. We Laurences have a head for numbers. Father was a genius, and you've seen my sister. It's just one time," he insisted. "He must only show up. One fight and E's heal injuries fast. You have to ask yourself if you can turn away from that much money in a situation like yours, when all you would have to do is bend those misguided attempts at being perfect for just a second. E's heal, and Ruckus knows him. She didn't say he couldn't do it. She seems confident and so should we. It's just one time, and it's probably at the expense a simpleton who doesn't even know where he is half the time."

Lydia froze. "You did not just say that."

Eyes cast upward, Joshua drawled, "Every once in a while, Lydia, it's perfectly acceptable to think of yourself. Besides, don't you need medicine, too?"