Chapter 39: No Rest for the Wicked
"Fuckin' Mondays..."
Rubbing his eyes as he rolled out of bed, Levi stretched, scratched in a few places, and started his morning routine.
A quick workout, followed by a short sparring session with Timmy. He liked waking early—timing the end of his training with breakfast being ready.
After working out in his room, he made his way downstairs, careful not to let the floorboards creak as he stepped through the basement door.
Further down, inside the mine, he stretched again, warming up while eyeing Timmy. His vision adjusted, zooming in without effort, picking up tiny details.
"Gettin' easier. Not quite reflex yet."
He'd tried sparring the night before but barely made it through—dizziness hit fast, and he ended up vomiting before making any real progress.
He cracked his neck, slapped his arms to wake himself up.
"Sparring mode. Hand to hand."
Pssstt!
A burst of vapor hissed from Timmy's joints as the bot jerked to life, settling into a stance.
Levi smirked.
"Let's see if I'm professional or not. Shall we?"
Boom!
The ground beneath them shattered as they each charged.
Clang!
Arm to arm, steel met steel.
"C'mon, Timmy! That all—?!"
'Shit!'
Woosh!
Levi barely ducked in time, a metal fist slicing past. Grinning, he swept low, forcing the bot back.
But beneath the grin, he was still struggling.
His vision—too clear, too precise—kept throwing him off. His fighting style relied on constant movement, quick shifts, adaptability. But now, every motion was crystal sharp. No blur. No lag.
Like spending your whole life underwater, only to wake up on dry land.
BAM!
Levi crossed his arms as he braced, skidding back, his Vaporguard vibrating as it dispersed the shock.
He felt the difference—and felt like an idiot.
He'd been ready to jump straight into professional with Timmy, but that was before his body changed. Now, he was forcing himself to adapt the hard way.
Edmond would approve.
The thought of the old man smirking made Levi grit his teeth as he charged back in.
They went at it for a good half hour. By the end, it wasn't training anymore—just pride. Levi swinging wild, throwing everything he had just to land a hit.
But the result was clear.
Professional was a whole different level.
Drenched in sweat, bruised all over, Levi threw up a hand as Timmy came charging in.
"End spar!"
Pssstt!
Timmy skidded to a stop, his foot inches from Levi's face. Slowly, he lowered his leg. Gears ground to a halt.
Plop!
Levi dropped onto his back.
He was beat. Literally.
Panting, doing his best not to move, he just lay there—grinning.
"Plenty... of room... to grow..."
Levi rolled over and pushed himself up, legs shaky. Resting a hand on Timmy's shoulder, he groaned.
"Did ya have to hit so damn hard? Feels humiliatin' when I gotta clean ya up after you beat the shit outta me. Follow for maintenance."
Timmy clicked to life and followed as Levi made his way to the workbench beside the barrels of oil. Grabbing a rag, he got to work—cleaning, greasing, tightening bolts where needed.
At the end, when he was finished, he hesitated.
"Nah."
He decided against smacking the bot's head and just headed upstairs.
As he reached the top of the mine stairs, stepping into the main stairwell of the house, the door at the top swung open.
"Levi! Bre—oh! Sorry, didn't see you. Well, breakfast is ready."
"Thanks, Kati-bird."
He started limping up the steps. She frowned, arms crossed.
"I wish you'd at least start washing your own laundry if you're gonna dust yourself up every single day."
"Sorry. If you'd like, I could maybe cook breakfast every—"
Her hands shot up.
"Sorry I said something! Just try to dust yourself off better before you come inside."
Levi blinked. Was it that bad?
He'd made flapjacks for the house a couple of weeks back, and ever since, everyone seemed hellbent on keeping him away from the stove.
"Yes, Kati-bird."
He stepped inside—
"What'd I just say?!"
"Oh, Sorry."
Backing into the stairwell, he brushed the dust from his pants and boots.
Kati-bird, all of ten years old, had somehow become the boss of the house. No one questioned it.
"Hmm. Better."
She gave him a once-over, nodded, and turned back toward the kitchen, already barking orders down the hall.
Figuring he should go the extra mile, Levi headed to the washroom, scrubbing off more dust before making his way to breakfast.
By the time he stepped into the dining room, the conversation was already in full swing—Nathan and Rufus arguing.
"You take that back! You don't know!"
"Might as well start kneelin' now, boy. Trust me, you're definitely on the naughty list."
"Take that back!"
Nathan nearly lunged before Edmond put a stop to it.
"Why do you have to start so early?"
Edmond sighed.
"Nathan, you know he's just winding you up. Quit giving him what he wants."
Levi sat down, suddenly feeling his mood dip.
He remembered.
Christmas was coming.
Halfway through November now—only a month and a half away from one of his most hated days of the year.
"Don't worry."
His voice cut through the chatter, drawing everyone's attention.
"All you kids are gonna do just fine. Can't see a single one of ya not gettin' somethin' nice."
"I hope I get a Pope Julius card!"
"I'm hopin' for my first augment! Then I can go on hunts too!"
"You'd piss yourself the first Waster you saw."
"Shut up!"
The energy at the table skyrocketed. Excited voices overlapped, speculating, dreaming about what they'd get this year.
Levi barely listened.
He just ate his oats and kept quiet.
Mind stuck in old memories.
He really, really hated Christmas.
Even as a kid—the only time in life you were supposed to enjoy it—Levi had always found himself at the top of the naughty list.
He remembered the ridicule. The stares. The judgment.
Standing in front of everyone—his whole town gathered—as each child was awarded gifts from the church based on their year's merits.
The Blessing of the Worthy.
Some got toys. Some, clothes or food. The exceptional—or the children of rich men—might even receive an augmentation from the Church.
Levi got nothing.
Just beatings.
To him, and to every struggling adult, Christmas wasn't something to enjoy. It was something to fear.
For the children, it was simple: do good, and no matter your parents station, the Church would reward you.
For the adults?
The Tithe.
The Tithe of Flesh and Faith.
Every year, the faithful were expected to give. To prove their devotion. To sacrifice, to offer everything for the glory of the Church.
Millions dreaded it.
Unless you were wealthy, it was a desperate scramble. A fight to prove your worth. To offer more than the year before.
Levi used to hate watching the poor grovel, handing over what little they didn't have, only to be mocked—told to do better.
Meanwhile, the elites were exempt. Their purity was unquestioned. Their tithe was different.
The whole spectacle built up to the grand parade—
The Grand Procession of Sanctification.
The Church's finest, its military might, and the local elites would march to the largest open square. High-ranking clergy delivered sermons. The faithful were honored.
The rich, the powerful—they celebrated.
The poor?
They endured.
The night always ended with public executions.
In the larger cities, they lasted until morning.
Heretics burned to keep the celebrations warm.
BAM!
Rufus slammed his cup down, expression sour.
The sharp crack broke Levi from his thoughts.
Rufus kicked his chair back and stood, roughly tossing his plate into the sink.
"Gonna go feed the mule."
The kids soured at his abrupt exit, but not wanting the children's moods to dampen, Edmond leaned forward, voice lighter than usual.
"Let's just make sure we all do our best. I wanna see high marks from every one of you. Okay?"
A chorus of eager voices answered back, excitement returning.
Breakfast wrapped up quickly after that, Kati-bird pulling a few ears to get the dishes done. Soon, the kids were off getting ready for school, leaving Levi and Edmond alone at the table.
Edmond leaned back.
"You realize this is a problem."
Levi exhaled.
"With Christmas? Yeah..."
"So you know you gotta—"
"I know..."
Levi rubbed his temples.
"I'll start this week. Just—ya sure this is a good idea? I mean—"
"We talked about this."
Levi sighed again.
"I know... I'll start this week."
Today sucked.
Levi regretted getting out of bed. First, he got his ass beat. Now, he had another problem staring him in the face.
No matter how much grown-up work he did, he was still fifteen.
Even though he hadn't stepped foot in a church like he promised Sister Moira, there was no way the Church didn't know about him by now.
If he meant to stay in Denton, he had to attend service. Had to gain some merit before folks started asking too many questions.
His gaze drifted to the window.
Maggie's cream would keep people from noticing. Even if someone held his wanted poster next to his face, all they'd see was a resemblance.
With his scars hidden, it was damn near impossible to say much more than that.
"What's the plan for today, then?"
"Was thinking we'd take you down and get you registered. If you've made up your mind yet."
Levi's heart thumped.
In fact, he had decided. For now, he'd do both. Bounty hunting when necessary, working the shipyard in between.
But if he really wanted to officially become a bounty hunter, he had to register with the Frontier Guard.
Which meant heading to the Sheriff's Office.
Which meant walking straight into law enforcement. A wanted Waster.
Edmond must've noticed his hesitation because he nearly laughed.
"You look like you did when we brought Crimson Song in."
Levi scowled. He remembered.
They'd stopped at the Sheriff's first, and he'd stayed frozen in the cart, panic clawing at his gut.
The cream Maggie had given him held up fine, but after that fight, after everything, he'd been so on edge that he was ready to tear into anyone who tried to get him off that seat.
"Sheriff Carter ain't someone you gotta worry about. Man's still lethal as hell, but outside a fight? Let's just say it's his deputy you gotta keep an eye on."
Levi's brow furrowed.
"That Silent Dart fella?"
"That's the one. That Chinaman's got better eyes than most I've met. Good man, though."
Levi took a breath.
"Alright. It's gotta get done. Just—leave Rufus, yeah? Don't need him pissin' me off while I'm doin' this."
Edmond smirked.
"Good idea. Just remember—unless you plan on running the rest of your life, you gotta settle somewhere. Don't think you got a much better shot anyplace else."
With that, Edmond stood and walked off to update Rufus.
Levi watched him go.
His heart pounded.
This was it.
Once he did this, it was official. He'd be stepping into this life.
It wasn't just the risk of being caught that made him hesitate.
To him, home had always been something you lost.
But he'd have to risk it.
There wasn't much choice.