Russels

I woke up to some chatter in the kitchen. Gab was not next to me, and I could hear the bassy whispers of his voice interspersed with the muted giggles of the kids.

"...and three, two, one, go!" Gab said right before the kids ran into the bedroom with a scream. David's red tussle of hair was shoved in my face as he threw himself at me while Erica ripped the covers off my legs to pull at my leg hair.

"Wake up, Robin!" David shouted. I grabbed him by the armpits and heaved him above me. He kicked his little legs in the air, still in his dino pajamas, and smirked mischievously. At the first tug at my leg hair I almost dropped the little fellow in my hands right on my own face, twitching my leg away.

"Stop, dad, you're making it more difficult!" Erica whined.

I just chuckled and looked towards Gab smirking in the doorway.

"Did you put them up to this, Gab?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. They just wanted to make sure their dad got to work in time."

"Of course."

I got up and put David underneath my arm while Erica clung to my leg, still pulling the hair. I heaved them both into a hug and felt their warmth close against me. They must still be warm from their beds, considering their body temp.

"Thank you, both. I promise I'll try to come home early tonight, and maybe I could bring some ice cream with me to make up for last week. That alright?"

They nodded excitedly. I ruffled David's hair, leaned in to kiss his forehead and then turned to Erica.

"And Erica?"

She focused.

"Make sure to keep your little brother out of trouble, okay?"

She just nodded profusely and blushed a little.

"Okay dad."

There was a knock on the door only seconds later. I tensed up for a moment, but Gabriél put a hand out with a calming smile.

"It's just Maria, mi amor. It's fine."

I took a deep breath and started getting dressed while David and Erica ran for the door with excited giggles. The door swung open while I fastened my belt.

"Aunt Maria! Aunt Maria! Look what I learned!" Erica said. A damp thud could then be heard, and then applause.

"That's awesome, E! Who taught you that?"

"I did!"

Then came David.

"Aunt Maria! Aunt Maria! Robin said he'd be home early tonight!"

"Did he now? Then you've gotta make him read you that dino book for you too, right?"

"Mmhmm, I will!"

"I reckon your dad doesn't want anything more."

Gab spoke up.

"How are you, Maria?"

"A little beat up. Last gig was really rough, but it paid well, so I can't really complain. Is Rob here?"

"Yup. Getting dressed. Had the kids surprise him this morning."

"Naw… lucky guy."

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

"You done in there, dirtbag? I have a ride for you, and it can't wait all morning."

"Two seconds!" I shouted back.

"Oh, by the way, do you want anything? A coffee or a sandwich?" I heard Gab say.

"A cup of coffee would be great. Save the bread for yourselves though." Maria replied, likely with her usual kindly smile.

When I stepped out of the bedroom, dressed in my usual black suit and tie, Maria and Gab were sat having breakfast in the kitchen. I joined them at the table and reached for the deck of cards on the countertop before handing it to Gab.

"Good morning, mi amor. Sleep well?"

"Sort of. Woke up once, but it was fine."

I then turned to Maria with a smile.

"How are you, Maria?"

"Good enough. Still aching a little in the thigh after the firefight, but fine."

David sat behind her and suddenly lit up.

"How was it? Did you save anybody? Did you get to use an axe and break down a door like on TV?"

I couldn't help but adore him as he dropped even the dinosaur figures he played with on the floor. Still, I felt bad for him not understanding. None of us really had the heart to tell him, and neither was he old enough to understand if we did.

"I saved two little girls, just a little older than you. And yeah, I did use the axe."

"Can't I go with you next time? I promise I'll be a good boy!"

How could you say no to such adorable little eyes? I certainly couldn't, but Maria was colder than me.

"It's too dangerous. Fires are not to be played with. That's the number one rules of firefighting, remember?"

"I do, I do! But I've practiced a lot with daddy!" David said and pointed to Gab, who defensively raised his hands.

"Have you now?" Maria said, giving Gab a stern look. David nodded.

"I can blow out four candles all on my own now, and he promised I'd get to practice with the extiggusher in the yard when I'm seven!"

"Becoming a firefighter takes lots of practice, and sadly you can't come with me yet, but when you're older you might. So keep at it!" Maria said and shook David's little hand.

Gab then turned to David.

"You better get ready for school now. Have you brushed your teeth?"

David blushed and looked away.

"Then you better get on that, don't you?" Gab said with a stern smile.

"Yeah yeah..." David said and ran to the bathroom.

I kissed the kids and Gab goodbye once me and Maria left, and as soon as the door closed behind us she pulled forth her dogtags from beneath her shirt. We made our way down the stairs to the garage below the building. The grafitti-sprayed concrete box smelled of mould and cat piss, and it contained multicoloured vehicles of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see. We quickly hopped into Maria's black Volvo and she took off. The gate opened, and the grey light from the sky above reached us. That endless void above us.

"So... how are the studies going?" she asked to break the silence once we rolled onto the road. I just shrugged.

"Not the best. Don't really have a lot of time nowadays, and with the new workload from the boss... it's not easy."

"I know what it feels like. Hopefully you can get back to it when this hard period is over."

"I can only hope."

Maria dropped me off right at the foot of the office building. The black metal walls felt like they were leaning over me and looking down on me instead of reaching for the skies like the other skyscrapers, but whether the feeling was wrought onto me because of the emotions tied to the building or because of the architecture itself was a mystery. I stepped out of the car, straightened my tie and took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Maria. Will you be visiting tonight too, or are you busy with work?"

"Neither. I'm sorry, but I need sleep and recovery tonight if my leg is ever to heal."

"It's fine. We'll see each other on Sunday then."

"Yeah. See you."

I didn't turn around as she drove away, and I walked straight up the concrete stairs to reach the front doors to the imposing skyscraper. The doors themselves were glass, and they swung wide inwards as I approached. The foyer was like an ant colony, alive and organised within the chaos. Students on a field trip, engineers with glasses and trenchcoats, secretaries in white button-ups and pencil skirts, all creating a sort of delta of crossing streams that all melted together in one harmonious cacophony. With swift steps I picked my usual stream and followed it across the white and grey marble floor, below the ten art deco chandeliers of gold, and right to the circular chrome elevator. I got off at the fifth floor. Fifth of two hundred and fifty seven. As soon as the doors opened I stood in front of Russels. He looked like his usual self. White suit, black tie. Dirty blonde hair in a combover and his glasses far up his nose bridge. When he saw me he lit up, but not in a smile or even something more dastardly. In a dry way, as if he had just received papers on his desk. There was also a flicker of blue and green in his normally brown eyes that disappeared once I stepped out towards him.

"Ah, mister Hawke. Just the man I was looking for." he said, reaching out towards me and placing his hand on my back to guide me with him. I flinched, and I could feel his eyes bore into me for a moment.

"Why, sir, if I may ask?" I said behind clenched teeth.

"Well, I want to congratulate you on your designs for the infrastructure network. They were very well-made, but unfortunately it is also very expensive. I'm afraid you'll have to scale back the power access to only include the higher levels of the city, as reaching any lower will be too risky for our crews, and affording security is such a drain on the old wallet."

"But, sir, isn't this our job? To provide power to the denizens?"

"Yes, it is, but it is my job to also turn ideas into reality, and unfortunately it isn't realistic to provide power down there for us right now."

"Okay... but surely we must have the resources. I read the budget for this year. We have billions of dollars at our disposal for this operation."

"I'm sorry, but we can't. Not if our clients down there don't want their bills raised."

"Do you mind if I take this problem higher?"

"Already have. I'm not a monster, Hawke. I just recognise when it is hopeless to continue the fight."

I had to restrain myself not to laugh in his face. This whole restriction on power was likely even his idea from the beginning.

"Well then. Nothing I can do about it then."

He clasped his hands and looked a little relieved.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement. I will see you around."

As he walked past me and took the elevator up I clenched my fists in seething rage. If there was one man I wished I could kill, it would be him.