Byul’s heart thumped in accordance with slow, shallow breaths. Serenity was plastered across her face as she slept. At peace, her consciousness swirled in the land of dreams, oblivious to the physical world. Moonbyul hadn’t slept so well in awhile and she relished every second. When she was asleep she lay as still as a brick. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of her chest. Moonbyul rolled and tumbled in her dreams. She sees Seulgi smiling at her constantly trying to reach her as she faded away. 

“No Seulgi!”~Byul thought

She looked  around the empty room to see a figure.

The figure approaches her slowly, and as it got closer she realized it was Solar. Confused, Moonbyul stood frozen as Solar walked up to her and held her gently around the waist. She got a good look at Solar and was in awe at her beauty. Shifting her head sideways, Solar looks at Byul, her eyes glistening like a diamond. Byul knew what was coming and glanced away, then shyly look back. Solar’s hand reaches under Byul’s hair below her ear, her thumb caressing Byul’s cheek. Suddenly they embrace closer, Solar’s eyes revealing more than her words can express. Byul’s lips part and their breaths mingle. Byul’s heart flutters as Solar draws their lips closer. Though her lips are pretty, it is the feel of them that sends her mind into a sensual state of intoxication. That’s why she reach toward Solar’s face, to touch them lightly before the urge to kiss her takes over.

“Aaaah!!!!”~Moonbyul screamed as she shot up in her bed, waking up from the strange dream. She scans around her room hearing strange noises come from her kitchen.

“Are you OK Byul?!”~Solar yelled from the kitchen.

“Yeah.... Yeah...... I’m good, bad dream”~Moonbyul shouted back as she got up to change her clothes. She had completely forgotten that she invited Solar to live with her after the precinct ambush. As Byul puts on a pair of pants, she smells something peculiar in the air.

“Wait are you cooking?”~Moonbyul asked while looking for a shirt in her mess of a room.

“Yes Byul, I read that people need breakfast as nourishment to function better”~Solar shouted from the kitchen

“Oh ok thanks babe.......”~Moonbyul said as she quickly put her hands over realizing what she said.

“What did you say?!”~Solar shouted thinking she misheard Moonbyul.

“I said ‘Thanks’ “~Moonbyul said slapping herself across the face for thinking so stupidly 

“Trying to be kind now huh Detective”~Solar asked with genuine excitement

“No no it was something I was trying out, don’t get too used to it”~Moonbyul said as she found a nice shirt. She made her way towards the kitchen as the smell of eggs and fried rice. She turned the corner to see a plate of food laid out for her. Byul sat down and began eating as she heard Solar walking towards her from the hallway.

“Hey Sol...... OH MY GOD!”~Moonbyul screamed while she covered her eyes. Solar walked in....... , completely to be precise. Her s weren’t giant monsters, they were average, perfectly shaped and to Byul’s eye, cute but highly inappropriate. They were in proportionate to her small frame and bounced gently as she moved. She walked without shame or false modesty as she made her way to Byul and patted her on the back.

“How do you like the food Byul?”~Solar asked a very confused Moonbyul.

“WHY THE H*LL ARE YOU ?!”~Moonbyul trying to avert her gaze.

“Well my clothing became dirty during the raid at the police station, so I’m currently washing them”~Solar said smiling back

“Doesn’t explain why you’re right now”~Moonbyul said growing more and more uncomfortable.

“”Well you sleep , I thought it was OK”~Solar retorted

“That does not..... wait did you watch me while I sleep”~Moonbyul 

“Synths don’t need sleep so.....I got kinda bored and.... yeah”~Solar said as Moonbyul looked at her in disbelief 

“Ok you need clothes”~Moonbyul said as she ran to her room

“Does my body, frighten you Byul”~Solar said, giggling 

“No No it does n........aaaaaht”~Moonbyul mumbled as Solar accidentally walked into her. Her s freely pressing against Moonbyul’s chest. 

“Does their size scare you?”~Solar said shaking her chest back and forth.

“No no just not used to seeing a woman prance around my apartment”~Byul said walking over to her closet

“Wouldn’t surprise me”~Solar sarcastically said making Byul cough

“Oh ok stop”~Moonbyul said throwing Solar an entire outfit. A phone ring can be heard as Solar is putting on the outfit. Byul makes a dash to her room picking up.

“Hey, you got Moonbyul”~Moonbyul greeted the call

“Byul, we have an emergency call in the Ren District”~Hwasa 

“What about the precinct case?”~Moonbyul asked worriedly

“We have many officers on that case right now, I lost a bunch of patrollers, I need you to help”~Hwasa

“Ok, I’m on it Anh”~Moonbyul said hanging up

“Who was it Byul?”~Solar said entering the bedroom, now fully dressed in one of Byul’s outfits.

“Later we gotta discuss clothing etiquette around my apartment but we got work to do”~Monbyul said as Solar nodded. The duo made their way into the car and were off. Driving smoothly through the streets, mingling through the journey.

“So Byul, if you don’t mind me asking, do you ever talk to your parents, it’s just that I never had that experience”~Solar asked timidly

“Well my father’s dead and mother is in prison for life for trying to sell and buy illegal narcotics”~Moonbyul said wittingly 

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know”~Solar apolgized

“It’s ok, Seulgi’s parents were more like a mother and father to me than anybody”~Moonbyul

“How are they?”~Solar asked curiously 

“Well I haven’t seen them since Seulgi died”~Moonbyul

“You should visit them Byul, it may help you get some closure”~Solar suggested making Moonbyul shudder a bit at the very though

“I.... can’t..... I just can’t”~Moonbyul said in a hushed tone

“Byul, sometimes to move on, you can’t leave things open”~Solar said as the car stopped as they got to their destination.

They made their way to the Ren district right before noon. The girls reach the building, the location the call was made looked very unassuming. It was a big hotel named ‘The Black Lotus’. Moonbyul walked up to the door ready to enter as she noticed something off. She looked behind her to see Solar bending over, speaking to a two little children, a boy and a girl.

“So you are a robot”~the little girl asked

“Yes I am”~Solar said proudly 

“Cool! What can you do?”~The boy asked excitedly. Solar’s hair began to change the pigment of her hair pink, blonde, then back to brunette again.

“Awesome!”~The girl said as Moonbyul walked over

“Are you a robot too?”~The boy asked as Moonbyul stared at him

“No, I’m human”~Moonbyul said crouching down to their level

“Oh, what can you do?”~The girl asked energetically, making Moonbyul think

“Watch this”~Moonbyul said as she stood up. Byul grabbed her right upper arm and twisted it clockwise. A click could be heard followed by a clank. Her mechanical arm detached itself from her body as she showed the children.

“Ahhhhhhh”~The girl screamed in unison with the boy. The two kids ran away as Moonbyul reattached her arm.

“Hey! It doesn’t hurt. I got... I got a synthetic arm!”~Moonbyul tried calling out as the children disappeared from sight.

“I haven’t even been a child, and I know that would scare one. What’s the matter with you? You have such negative energy”~Solar said giggling to herself

“My energy’s great.”~Moonbyul said as they began walking towards the hotel.

“Why don’t you like kids?”~Solar

“I never said I don’t like kids. You said I don’t like kids.”~Moonbyul

“Children can sense electromagnetic fields, Byul”~Solar said while Moonbyul tried brushing it off

“That’s a bunch of baloney.”~Moonbyul said as they entered the main lobby

“They can sense discomfort, frustration and bad energy. As do dogs. I bet you have an issue with dogs, too, am I right?”~Solar said sarcastically

“Hey. My issue with dogs has nothing to do with my “energy”. I’m allergic to dogs.”~Moonbyul 

“Maybe the dogs are allergic to you”~Solar

“Ladies?”~The hotel manager said interrupting their conversation 

“Oh hello, I am Unit SLR and this is Detective Moonbyul”~Solar said as Moonbyul shook the manager’s hand

“Nice to meet you both, we have a big problem”~The manager said as he started leading them down a hallway. Byul’s got her emotional hurricane in full force today. As she walked Solar’s words earlier really resonated inside her.  She had always felt guilty about Seulgi’s death and couldn’t face her parents. When the guilt comes it takes Byul down the old familiar path. It was like gasoline in her guts. Her insides died slowly in the toxicity, needing no more than a spark to set it ablaze. The fire burnt her out so badly there was nothing left but a shell, an outline of a person. She finally clicked out of her slump, getting back to the case at hand.

“So whats the problem”~Moonbyul asked straightly 

“One of our employees stole a bunch of ethanol from our delivery trucks”~The manager said, making Moonbyul’s eyes grow wide. She and Solar looked at each other and nodded.

“She’s in the garage right now, I dont know what she’s doing”~The manager said as he pointed them to the garage. The female employee was loading something into her car when the girls walked in on her.

“Hey Molly, I’ve called the police to have a talk with you”~The manager said as Employee looked stunned at Moonbyul and Solar

“ I am Synth Unit SLR......”~Solar said as the employee started running off.

“Maybe you shouldn’t introduce yourself as a synth”~Moonbyul said sarcastically 

“The chase is on then”~Moonbyul mumbled chasing the employee. She runs, feet kissing the concrete. Perhaps a little while ago Byul would have balked at idea of chasing a criminal, now she relishes the prospect. Her feet were made to travel with speed and swiftness. The woman doesn’t get far as Byul catches up with her, tackling her to the ground.

“You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence”~Byul said as she hand cuffed the woman. She stood up as another patrol car showed up.

“Detective Moonbyul, I’ve come to assist”~Officer Yeri said getting out of her car.

“Good you can save me a trip”~Moonbyul said handing over the suspect to Yeri. Solar appears as she drives their patrol car over

“Ready to go to the precinct Byul”~Solar asked Byul who shook her head.

“No.... You were right, I need to handle things.... come on”~Moonbyul said as she got into the driver’s seat. She drove off leaving the Ren district a blur in the rear view mirror. The city zoomed by like a wet painting at the speed she drove. After half an hour of driving they finally reached a relatively old house building. It wasn’t run down but it did seem older than the rest of Seoul.

“Where are we Byul?”~Solar

“This..... this is Seulgi’s parents’ house”~Moonbyul said nervously 

“Oh ok”~Solar said as she followed Moonbyul. It was strange, being here again after so long. Despite how long Byul had been away, She still remembered everything about the place. The old  mahogany door with a rustic look. The flowers that lined the balcony, always kept looking fresh. Byul walked up to the door, almost dragging herself to it. She raised my hand to knock, but she stopped. Byul feared that she would ever have to do this. 

“You can do this Byul”~Solar said placing her hand on Byul’s shoulder

Byul took a deep breath, and forced herself to press the doorbell. She heard the “ding-dong” sound coming from inside, and someone running to get the door. It opened slowly, and Seulgi’s Mother stood there.

“Byulie?”~Seulgi’s mother said in disbelief 

“Hello Umma”~Moonbyul said as she gave her a hug.

“It’s so nice to see you”~Seulgi’s mom said smiling

“Yeah, you too”~Moonbyul said as she walked in Solar tailing behind.

“Oh and who are you pretty girl”~Seulgi’s mom asked going in to give Solar a handshake

“Oh I’m uh S.L...... Im Solar”~Solar said as she shook her hand. 

“Papa would love to meet you, He’s in the kitchen”~Seulgi’s mom said to Solar

“Oh...... ok”~Solar said as she walked to the kitchen

“It’s so nice to see you again Umma”~Moonbyul said bowing her head as Seulgi’s mom sat down in the living room

“You should of visited sooner, I missed you so”~Seulgi’s mom said as she grabbed a cup of tea

“Well..... well...”~Moonbyul said nervously 

“Look, we don’t blame you for anything”~Seulgi’s mom said as Moonbyul looked at her in shock

“But....”~Moonbyul

“No if’s ands or buts now, I’m just glad to see you again”~Seulgi’s mom said taking a sip of tea

“Well It was Solar’s idea”~Moonbyul said as Seulgi’s mom’s smile grew wider

“Seulgi would be happy that you’ve moved on Byulie”~Seulgi’s Mom said making Byul do a double take

“Yeah...... Wait what?”~Moonbyul said confused

“You’re girlfriend there, she’s really sweet”~Seulgi’s Mom said gesturing towards Solar, who was talking to Seulgi’s Dad

“Oh... She’s umm”~Moonbyul tried saying as she stared at Solar. Solar quietly stood in place as Seulgi’s dad told her a story. She stood with a hip jutted to one side, her right arm draped across her slender body, clasping the elbow opposite. Her head lolled down to one shoulder casting her brunette hair onto the faded tight t-shirt that Moonbyul gave her. It hung so that her skin only just peeked below the hem, a fringe of denim cut-offs. Moonbyul hadn’t felt this way in a long time about anyone.

“Byulie? You were saying?”~Seulgi’s mom said making Byul turn back.

“.......Yeah she is a sweet one, I’m a lucky gal”~Moonbyul said hiding a smirk

~Later~

At a hidden warehouse deep in the city, Jackson was struck across the face for the fifth time, making him recoil from the pain.

“You know Jackson, There are 206 bones in the human body. 8 pints of blood, 24 ribs, and 21 feet of intestine. So much to play with, so little time.”~Momo said striking Jackson in his ribcage. The metal pipe crashing with incredible force, rupturing many of his muscles and breaking a rib. Jackson screamed in agony, the pain running through his body harder than anything he’s experienced.

“The ribs, are the easiest to start with, of course. They take so little pressure. One hit on the ribcage and the lungs are crushed, a moment of weak pain, the breathing...stinted. More pressure, and the oxygen levels decrease, the eyes dim, the lungs burn in longing... and the heaviness on the chest becomes so... unbearable. Bone grates against panting organs and then as weakness overcomes the body there comes the irresistable snap, muffled under layers of tissue. Searing pain as muscle parts from melded bone, the quiet muscular rip, and then the weight is lifted.”~Momo taunted as she saw Jackson gasping for air

“Please......Momo.....”~Jackson murmured through a mouth of blood

“Oh Jackie, you disappointed me”~Momo said waving her hand hand.

“Please I’m sorry, I just didn’t know what to do”~Jackson pleaded with a shaky voice

“Its not me you have to apologize to oppa”~Momo said as she turned towards the woman who just walked into the room. She wore a white suit and a mask to hide her face. Jackson quivered at the mere sight of the woman.

“Please...... boss....I didn’t mean to squeal”~Jackson begged as the woman approached him. 

“Oh well I guess if you didn’t mean to then thats ok”~The woman said as she placed her hands on Jackson’s shoulders.

“Well.......boss I.......”~Jackson tried saying before he was cut off. The woman kicked his chair forward making him fall face first into the concrete.

“You see Jackson, I’m not a bad person, No no no”~The woman said as she reached for something Jackson couldn’t see

“......... I’m something much worse”~She said while the cocking of a gun echoed.

*BANG*

“Clean this up, And get the other girls working on the next job”~The woman said tossing the gun to Momo