Tara and Lila navigated the labyrinthine passages of the underground city, tracking Milo’s trail. The underground market was louder and more crowded than other areas, with layers of small shops hanging like a beehive around the central light pillar.

  Tara led the charge, her steel blade tucked at her waist, her steps so hurried it’s like she’s about to stomp holes in the ground. She muttered as she went, “Catching a kid’s gotta be this much hassle? When I find him, I’m gonna give him a beating—teach him what happens when you stir up trouble!”

  Lila shrugged, eyeing the market’s dazzling array of goods. "According to Otis, the mechanical parts section. I’d guess it’s over there." She pointed toward an area glinting with metallic sheen.

  The market was teeming with people, stalls overflowing with all sorts of oddities—from homemade energy batteries to fluorescent dried mushrooms, you name it. Tara shoved through the crowd, her gaze sharp as an eagle’s, until she spotted a skinny figure in a corner of the mechanical parts section. The boy had a homemade magnifying lens perched over his right eye, squatting on the ground fiddling with a pile of gears and springs, completely oblivious to the commotion behind him.

  “That’s him!” Tara charged over, her voice booming like thunder: “Hey, kid! You’re Milo, right? Stand still!” She grabbed his shoulder, her grip so strong she nearly lifted him off the ground.

  “Hey! Put me down! What’re you doing?” Milo yelped, startled, thrashing hard but unable to break free from Tara’s strength.

  “Run? You still dare to run?” Tara’s temper flared up like wildfire, glaring at him as she roared, “You tied up Otis, made us search the whole damn world for you, and you think you can just run off? Behave yourself and come back with me!” Her tone was fierce enough to eat him alive, scaring a few nearby vendors into pausing their work to gawk.

  Lila rolled her eyes. “You’re scaring him. Maybe we should talk to him first instead of pouncing like he’s a fugitive.” She crouched down, glancing at the scattered parts by Milo’s side, her tone lazy but tinged with interest. “Yo, kid, this pile of junk’s your work? Pretty neat. That magnetic jammer was yours too, right? Not bad skills.”

  Milo, pinned by Tara’s grip, froze at Lila’s words, his eyes shifting from panic to wariness. He swallowed hard, muttering under his breath, “You get this stuff?”

  “Whether I get it or not’s none of your damn business!” Tara snapped impatiently, yanking Milo to start walking back. “Less talk, let’s go—Otis is waiting!” Her rough tug nearly tripped him up.

  “Let me go! I’m not going with you!” Milo finally snapped, seizing a moment when Tara’s guard was down to twist free, wrenching out of her grasp. He snatched his backpack from the ground and bolted, quick as a rat, vanishing into the crowd and down an alley in the blink of an eye.

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  Tara stood stunned for a second, then exploded, jumping in fury: “That little punk! I’m gonna catch him and beat his ass!” She started to chase, but Lila grabbed her arm to stop her.

  “Forget it, your temper’ll just make him run faster,” Lila said, rolling her eyes with full-on disdain. “You stay here and cool off—I’ll go get him.”

  “Fine, you do it then,” Tara grumbled, clearly annoyed.

  Lila wandered alone through the fringes of the underground market, where the crowds thinned and the lights grew dimmer. Her instincts drew her to a small stall in the corner, piled with an assortment of homemade electronics. The stall owner, a wrinkled old man, sat silently repairing a tiny communicator.

  She strolled over, pretending to browse the goods while secretly scanning for Milo. As she picked up a hand-welded signal booster, she faintly heard the clink of metal from behind the stall.

  “Impressive tech,” she said to the old man, holding up the device. “You make this?”

  The old man lifted his cloudy eyes to glance at her. “Not me, the little guy’s work.” He nodded toward the back. “If you like it, talk to him.”

  Lila circled around the stall and was surprised to find Milo squatting there, completely engrossed in assembling what looked like a miniature robot.

  “Hey,” she said, stepping closer, her tone lazy but teasing. “You run pretty fast, kid. This yours?”

  Milo jumped, nearly dropping his parts, and looked up warily, ready to bolt. “You’re with that crazy woman!”

  Lila snickered, crouching down and casually picking up a gear to toss in her hand. “That crazy woman’s scary, sure, but she didn’t come along—just me. You’re a quick little punk, got some guts.” She glanced at the mechanical toy in his hands. “What’s this? You made it?” She eyed the mechanical spider. “Not running anymore? Parts jammed?”

  Milo frowned, looking down, and sure enough, one of the spider’s legs was stuck in a spring. He muttered, “Damn it, busted again…” He tried to fix it, but only made it worse.

  Lila rolled her eyes, reached over, and took the spider. In a few swift moves, she loosened the spring, adjusted it, and handed it back. “There, spring’s too tight—just ease it up. You’ve got skills, just need some practice.”

  Milo took it back, stunned, and pressed the trigger. The spider sprang up with a “whoosh” and landed steady. His eyes lit up, all wariness gone, replaced with admiration. “Too cool! Can you teach me? I’ve always wanted to learn more, but there’s no one to hang with in this dump. Grandpa just nags me to read those boring FTC exam books.”

  Lila watched the enthusiasm burst across his face, and something soft stirred in her chest, a memory of her own childhood hunger for tech. She said lazily, “Maybe I can. But first, you’ve gotta take me somewhere.”

  “Where?” Milo asked, instantly wary again.

  “Relax, not back to your grandpa,” Lila said, catching his concern. “Heard there’s a mechanical fight pit in the underground city? I’ve been wanting to check it out.”

  Milo’s eyes sparked instantly. “You know about the fight pit? That place is wicked cool! I go there all the time!”

  “Then lead the way,” Lila said, standing up and brushing the dust off her pants. “And on the way, you’ve gotta tell me how that magnetic jammer works.”

  Milo grinned wide, stuffing the robot and tools into his ratty backpack. “Follow me! I’ve got even cooler stuff to show you!”