It’s been 19 years since Tammy and Avi met. The man Is 25, the woman is 26, and their adventures have brought them to an artillery-blasted wasteland between two steep mountain ranges. A wide, muddy valley, several miles north from where they accepted the old man’s contract. All remaining foliage has disappeared, blasted to bits by heavy ordinance until even the husks of trees were mulched. The valley is still with death; like even the wind has been killed.

Long past sunset, the large moon overhead casts a gloomy haze over the landscape of mud. A starry blue nebula shines brilliantly but is abruptly blocked by the jagged outline of mountains on the horizon.

Tammy and Avi lay atop one side of mountains, barely peaking over the rocks. Their movements are cautious and considered.

Tammy uses his telepathy as he peers through a pair of binoculars. “[Far side of the valley. A cylindrical, five-story bastion made of steel, no windows, but a lot of dishes and wires on the ceiling. The top of the mountain has been carved flat and turned into a concrete plateau. Around the listening station is a five-foot concrete wall. Two-story guard towers at each of the eight corners. No road, but I see a helipad on the left, most likely where they’re getting supplies from. I see at least 20 artillery guns in the back left, and metal crates of ammunition in the back right. The shells are cluster munitions. Surrounding the outpost is what looks like a hundred meters of flat concrete.]”

Avi lets her thoughts be transmitted. “[Hey, can I talk to you about something?]”

“[I’m sure you will.]”

“[I don’t appreciate you making a fool of me in front of the client.]”

“[It looks like there are 33 guards outside, probably more in the bastion.]” Tammy conveys before dismissing her concerns. “[Clients know you by the name ‘Gurant Slayer’, and ‘Reaper’. I doubt they care that you’re illiterate.]”

“[I’m not illiterate! It’s not about that!]”

“[Then what is it about? Use your words, Avi. I’m not a mind reader.]”

“[You’re literally reading my mind right now.]”

“[…shut up. Just transmit your thoughts and explain what you mean.]”

“[Calling me idiot, suddenly saying I should kill him, stuff like that. You’re supposed to be the serious, business-oriented one. It looks really bad if we’re not in sync, and it’s embarrassing to be berated by my husband.]”

He points to the far mountains. “[We’ll have to climb a steep cliff to reach the outpost. It’s a listening station, so they’re looking for radios, sounds, and seismic signals. I don’t want to accidentally pull out a lose boulder or something, so we’ll double back down the valley, climb up the mountains out of range, then circle around behind the outpost.]”

“[That should be easy enough. I can give you a piggyback ride, if you want.]”

Tammy ignores that. “[Why is it okay for you to make a fool of me in front of the client, but not the other way around?]”

“[What?! How’d I make a fool of you?]”

“[I said you should kill him, and you called me out on it. Made us look like idiots.]”

“[Wha-… but you never tell me to kill the client! You always play the good guy and reign me in, acting like it’s a grand favor to them that they get to walk with their lives.]” She folds her arms, “[you caught me totally off guard.]”

Tammy rolls his eyes and slowly puts away the binoculars. “[Exactly, I always say to not kill the client. Ergo, you should have known that I didn’t want you to kill the client.]” He slowly slinks away, passing between rocks and divots.

Avi follows. “[So you said, ‘kill the client’ and I’m at fault for not realizing that what you actually meant was… the exact opposite of that?]”

The pair’s movements turn swift. Their path will be about 17 miles in total. Traveling back through the mountain range, across the valley, up the mountains on that side, then sneaking up on the listening post from the rear. They’re wearing tight, dark blue bodysuits made of thick, bulletproof fabric. There’s no excess fabric and no rustling when they move, though both have pouches strapped tightly to their waists and limbs. Avi has a large revolver in a holster on her thigh, and Tammy has a foldable submachine gun in a pouch on his lower back. Their boots are soft, waterproof, and don’t click against the rocks. Their steps, honed by almost two decades of practice, are completely silent. Avi’s beautiful, silky, long black hair is tied in a ponytail, and Tammy’s soft, light brown hair is slicked back.

“[You’re at fault because…]” Tammy thinks for a moment, “[wait, nobody was at fault because there was nothing wrong!]”

Avi keeps her tail raised as they walk, the black cord inside stretched so the bone segments don’t clatter. “[Objectively, were we in sync in front of the client? Yes or no.]”

“[No,]” Tammy grumbles.

“[Did you call me an idiot who can’t read?]”

“[Yes.]”

“[Those are problems.]”

“[They aren’t problems worth discussing.]”

“[Well… I want to discuss them.]”

Tammy sighs breathlessly so the station can’t hear. “[Avi, I’m sorry for making a fool of you.]”

“[How did you make a fool of me?]” A blanket apology isn’t enough. She wants specifics.

“[Are you serious?]”

“[If you don’t know what you did wrong, how can you avoid repeating your mistake?]”

“[I’m sorry for stepping outside the script, then calling you stupid… in front of the client. Happy?]”

“[Very! Thank you, Tammy.]”

“Good, you fucking needy woman…” Tammy grumbles, out loud.

The two pause, their eyes wide.

They whip their heads around to the station, with Tammy silently pulling out his binoculars. Avi scoots over, pressing her cheek against his so she can see through the left scope while Tammy has the right.

With well-drilled discipline, a team of men run out of the bastion and take up positions on the artillery guns. Cranking gears and pulling levers, the guns turn their way.

“[Run!]” Tammy screams with telepathy.

The two run, leaping from rock to rock, each motion silent despite the urgency.

The distant mountains light up with coordinated fire, and the soundwave hits seconds later.

“[Wow!]” Avi thinks with a smile. “[Today just isn’t your day, is it?]”

He grits his teeth, “[I’m sorry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me!]”

With the cluster munitions overhead and ready to pop any moment, Avi grabs Tammy and dives for the deepest crevice she can see. With Tammy on his back and Avi’s body shielding him, the warheads detonate, and thousands of small explosives spread across craggy mountains. Fireballs light up the night sky, a burst of heat washes over the rocks, and smoke obscures the starts. There’s a second volley of artillery, followed by a third, with each successive blast spreading out in concentric circles from where the sound was detected. The Gurant Empire has no shortage of ammunition, so there’s no need to be conservative.

The cluster bombs pass over their hiding spot, with a small slice of hot shrapnel ricochetting into Avi’s calf. Even though the layered explosions would mask her yelp, she keeps her mouth shut.

After the eighth volley, the guns pause.

The two don’t dare move as the station listens for residuals sounds. If a wounded intruder so much as whimpered, the soldiers would hear and immediately fire another few volleys. But Avi doesn’t make a sound.

“[I think they’re done.]” Avi thinks, slowly pushing off her husband.

“[Are you okay?]”

“[Nothing that can’t be fixed with a kiss!]”

Tammy crawls out of the crevice behind her, her outline strongly backlit by the moon. “[…Sorry.]” He pulls his binoculars. “[The artillerymen are walking back into the bastion.]”

“[And the kiss?]”

“[…]” Tammy puts his index and middle fingers to his lips, then presses them against Avi’s.

“[Heehheehheeh,]” a messy giggle almost leaks out. Were she still a child, she’d be unable to prevent her tail from rattling in bliss. “[Let’s get over there and kill everyone inside!]”

“[Yeah.]”

“[And let’s try not to mess up on the trip over, eyy?]”

“[…Yeah.]”

The two continue south over the mountains, cross the mud, then climb back up the mountains to approach the listening station from the rear.