Mardock Scramble

The cold night air was drawing in, and the spot was quiet, with not a Hunter to be seen.

She crossed the police cordon and stood on the still charred ground. She looked up to the skies and succumbed to the overwhelming desire to shout with all her heart—but all that emerged was a breath that sounded like a draft leaking through a crack in the wall.

–There’s nothing that I really want to do. Everyone—all the girls I know, anyway—don’t get to do what they want, they just live without, until their lives are messed up by drugs or men. All I want is an explanation as to why we should want to live, even when we’re subjected to all that.

Balot closed her eyes, took her time, readied herself, and snarced straight at Oeufcoque.

–Love me.

“Erm… What’s that, now?”

–Give me an explanation, an excuse to live. I want to do that for you. It’d stand up in court as proof of your usefulness, and anyway, you’re supposed to do whatever I ask. So, love me.

“You mean…like a family? The way Queen Bee and the manager loved each other?”

–Shell told me he loved me. That’s why I got in that man’s car. I want to be loved by someone like you.

“Wait a second. Would that give you closure? Satisfy you?”

–What am I to you?

And with that, it happened. Oeufcoque turned back into a mouse with a squelch.

Balot had snarced him—forcefully, completely. Oeufcoque’s eyes opened wide, and he took a step back in Balot’s hand. He was trembling.

“M-my primary defenses…you can penetrate them? In an instant, just like that…”

–Won’t you answer me?

“Uh…um…wait a moment—so—well, you’re my client, and you’re the official Concerned Party in this case, so it’s my responsibility to protect you. And if there’s anything unsatisfactory about my conduct then you’re free to file a complaint at the Broilerhouse at any time.”

–Whatever. I don’t care about that sort of thing. That’s not what I’m asking you.

“Look, hang on a minute. As you can see quite clearly, I’m a one-of-a-kind all-singing all-dancing mouse. Nothing more. I think there’s some sort of misunderstanding. Do you think that all it takes is a wish from you and I can turn into a full-fledged human—a grown man—for your convenience? Impossible, I’m afraid. I don’t have the ability to become another living creature.”

–I know. You’re a mouse. A cute, kind, talking mouse. Do you think I’m crazy too? Like the Hunter I told you about?

Oeufcoque breathed a deep, exhausted sigh. So deep his suspenders seemed to slacken. “Look, do you think of me as some sort of pet? The sort that you can buy in a shop, complete with a cage and a wheel?”

Balot’s face fell. She looked sadder than ever before. It was almost as if this was the first time Oeufcoque had properly seen Balot’s facial expression.

–That’s not what I meant. Just that…

“As far as you’re concerned, whatever I may be, I’m here to protect you, to become your weapon in order to keep you out of harm’s way. Whereas you—you need to keep yourself alive and win the right to survive, to live.”

–“A new buddy.”

“What…”

–You said those words to me right on this spot. When I was all burnt up. You said that I’d be your new partner. As you looked into my eyes.

Again Oeufcoque’s red eyes grew wide.

“You can remember that? In the state you were in? You were aware of your surroundings?”

–Drugs don’t really have much of an effect on me. Something to do with my genetic makeup. Uppers or downers. They justmake me feel a bit woozy and put me to sleep. That’s how I avoided turning into a drug addict like my mother.

“Even so, we’re talking out of the ordinary here. You had third-degree burns over pretty much your entire body. And yet you maintained consciousness. To the extent that you can remember precisely what other beings were saying.”