“What’s this thing?” Eddie asked.

  “It’s called the Space Needle,” Alan explained, as he inspected the strangely shaped building. “It was apparently a famous landmark from old Seattle. Once they finished building the megacity, the government apparently salvaged the structure and moved it here.”

  Jennifer tilted her head to the side. “So, why is it on the top of a megabuilding?”

  “Well, according to the guidebook, it’s because it was originally built as an observation tower that looked out over the city,” Alan said, reading from the guidebook. “When the megacities were first developed, the buildings were built on an entirely different scale than what people were used to before. If it was built on the ground, the view would have been obstructed.”

  “Why is it so ugly?” Issi asked, hugging her new plush.

  Alan paused and looked up from the book. “That… I have no answer for. I guess that’s what people liked in the old days?”

  “Alright, you lot, that’s enough gawking. We’re not here to critique the ancient architecture but to meet my friends and enjoy the view. To do that, we need to get to the top!” I declared. “Let’s head to the lobby and see if we can find the elevators.”

  As I shooed everyone towards the entrance, Bandit slipped up next to me.

  “We’re being watched. Two different groups. They don’t appear to be hostile, though,” he whispered.

  “Why do you think I’m trying to move everyone inside?” I growled back. “I don’t know why they’re here, but I doubt it’s a coincidence. Take direct control of the foxes, and keep a close eye on Jane, Alan, and the kids. The instant you see something suspicious, let me know.”

  After the fox nodded and ran off to take command of the security detail, I stood up straight and stared at the nearest group of observers. Even a casual observer could tell they were samurai, the girl had bubble gum pink hair and was wearing a skintight white bodysuit under a long, white trench coat with fur trim. I probably could have dismissed that as some sort of high-class fashion if the bodysuit didn’t have glowing pink circuitry and she wasn’t trying to conceal a high-tech submachine gun under her coat.

  Her companion was even less subtle than she was. He was bald, close to seven feet tall, with purplish-blue skin, deep black eyes, and gills. If anyone fit the description of ‘fish man’, it was him. Even though his heavy leather jacket was zipped up, there was a suspiciously large bulge in it. Probably a pistol, a really big one.

  When the girl saw me looking at them, she instantly broke into a wide smile and blew me a kiss. Even though the pair knew they’d been identified, they didn’t move from their position. Apparently they were content to just watch, for now.

  After turning away from them, I jogged to catch up to the family while briefly glancing at the second pair.

  To their credit, they were at least attempting to be subtle. At a glance they appeared to be a lovey-dovey couple, so distracted by flirting with each other that they were taking a while to cross the parking lot and approach the building.

  While they might have been actually flirting, it was obvious to me that they were intentionally delaying their approach. Trying to look somewhat natural, while also keeping their distance.

  The problem was, even though the pair looked natural together, their attempts to surveil me were anything but. They’d stop every few steps, fall into each other’s arms, and start kissing. When they did, they always turned so the man had most of his back to me, and the woman could watch me over his shoulder.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I might have bought their act a little more if she didn’t stare at me so blatantly while they were supposed to be in a passionate embrace.

  At least the lovers didn’t appear to be as blatantly armed as the other two.

  I caught up with everyone just as the elevator arrived. The car had a large plate glass window along the back, so you could look over the city as it took you to the top, and, more importantly, it was large enough to comfortably fit both the family and all my bears. It even had enough capacity that Bob could join us in the car. That was impressive.

  Jane glanced up at me as I slipped inside, just barely making it before the doors closed. “Is there a problem? You seem distracted.”

  “No problem,” I replied cheerfully. “Just being cautious after what Claire told me earlier.”

  She studied me suspiciously for several seconds before finally nodding.

  While the kids pressed their heads against the oversized window, staring at the view, I glanced down at my pursuers. The two groups had apparently noticed each other and were in the midst of a confrontation. Hopefully it didn’t turn violent--it would be difficult to evacuate the kids from the top of the tower.

  Eventually the elevator rose high enough to block my view of the squabbling samurai, leaving me nothing to look at but the Seattle skyline. I did my best to concentrate on the buildings, but since the Space Needle towered over the surrounding area, it was hard to ignore the open sky.

  I pulled my hood down as low as possible and slunk back into the car. Leaning back against the elevator doors, I stared at my shoes and attempted to steady myself.

  “Are you alright?” Jane asked as she stepped over and placed herself directly between me and the window.

  “Fine…” I muttered. “No problem.”

  “You know, even though you're a samurai, you don’t have to handle everything yourself or pretend everything’s alright,” Jane whispered. “After what happened on the beach, we know how hard this must be for you… Why did you agree to come up here?”

  “Because Maggie suggested it as one of Seattle’s greatest tourist attractions, and she wanted to bring her wife out to see it. Besides, I can handle it,” I growled.

  “Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to,” Jane sighed, bonking me lightly on the head. “You know, you can be a really hardheaded idiot sometimes.”

  “I’m aware,” I grumbled as I rubbed my head.

  “Nyx, can you whip up something Evelyn could wear while she’s in a situation like this? Maybe a pair of glasses that make it look like there’s hexplates overhead or something?”

  One of the security foxes turned and nodded. “Of course! It wouldn’t even require her to unlock a new catalog, just some Class 0 AR glasses and some creative programming.”

  Nyx wandered over and flicked their wrist, causing a pair of rimless glasses to appear in their paws like some sort of magic trick.

  I glanced up at my AI. “I didn’t authorize that purchase.”

  “It was a minor amount and fits into both the rules you established and the limits you put together for the family’s monthly point budget. It’s on Jane’s tab,” Nyx replied, pushing the glasses towards me.

  I hesitated for just a moment before reaching out and accepting the strange glasses. They were small, and didn’t feel like they could make much of a difference, but at this point I was willing to take a chance. After slipping the glasses on my face, I looked up. Slowly. Hesitantly.

  I honestly didn’t know what to expect… Maybe some sort of half-baked, fake hologram that blocked my view of the sky, or some sort of censor bar that prevented me from looking up too far.

  What I found instead was a fully realized, simulated hex grid hovering just over our heads. I turned my head back and forth, trying to get the illusion to break, but the plates didn’t move no matter what I did. It was like the plates were actually there.

  “I’ve created a global map, so the plates won’t move and ruin the illusion, and the polarization allows me to adjust the light levels to match the undercity spotlights,” Nyx explained.

  It took me a moment to realize that Jane was still standing over me, studying me.

  “Better?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I admitted quietly. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. The family and I appreciate everything you do for us, but you really need to look after yourself better,” she said. “All you need to do is treat yourself to a couple little things or buy something to make your life easier. Not everything needs to be about improving your bears. Understand?”

  “Yes,” I muttered. “And I promise to try and treat myself better going forward.”

  “Good,” Jane replied, smiling softly, “ because I’m not going to stop nagging you about this going forward!”

  I nodded just as the car came to a shuddering halt. There was a quiet ding, and the doors slowly split open.

  Pushing my new glasses back, I gestured towards the observation deck and raised my voice so everyone could hear me. “Now, who wants to meet my friends?”

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