“They’re breathtaking,” Jane gasped when we arrived at the Badlands.

  I glanced around the dry, lifeless area around us, then back at Jane. “What is? All I see is a bunch of rocks.”

  “They’re not just a bunch of rocks,” Jane huffed. “They’re a geological marvel. They’re a result of layer upon layer of soft, sedimentary rock being deposited here over millions of years. The rock then gets eroded by the infrequent rainfall, exposing the different layers for us to marvel at!”

  “How the… heck… did you know that?” I asked.

  “I made sure I did some research before we came down here,” Jane explained. “I wanted to give this place the respect that it deserves.”

  “What’s there to respect? It’s just a bunch of rocks! This place is so dry there isn’t even grass, just the occasional bush,” I grumbled.

  Jane turned and glared at me. “Wasn’t this your idea? Shouldn’t you have known what we were getting into before we arrived?”

  “It was Nyx’s idea, and I trusted their judgement,” I muttered. “I just thought there’d be more to see than just rocks.”

  “Well, if you don’t like it, it’s your own fault,” Jane said. “I think it’s lovely.”

  “Me too!” Issi exclaimed. “It’s cool! I wonder if we count the layers if we can figure out how old the mountains are!”

  “I don’t think that’s how it works,” Eddie said.

  “It’s how it works with trees!” Issi pouted. Before Eddie could reply, she turned on her heel and marched towards the nearest hill. “I’m going to count all the layers and figure out how old the hills are!”

  “I still don’t think that’s how it works,” Eddie muttered as he marched after her.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye…” I started before I was interrupted by Bandit clearing his throat extremely loudly.

  “Bob can watch them for a minute. You, Deadbeat and I will catch up in a later,” he declared. Bob stood next to him, nodding for several seconds, apparently completely oblivious of the elbow pokes that Bandit was delivering to his knee. The Fox finally gave up trying to be subtle, and looked up at the big bear. “The kids are getting away, Bob.”

  The black bear’s eyes went wide in realization.

  “Right!” he snapped, before trudging after Issi, Eddie, and their escorts.

  “Is there a problem?” Jane asked suspiciously.

  “Nothing you need to be concerned with,” Bandit assured her. “I just noticed a couple things and wanted to let the boss know. You and the kids are perfectly safe… This is more of a precaution than anything else.”

  “Uh huh,” Jane replied. I could tell she didn’t completely believe the fox, but she still turned and walked after the kids. “Come and find us once you’re finished with your discussion. We have a ton of other sites to visit in the surrounding area.”

  “Alright!” I called after her, waving lightly. As soon as she was out of earshot, I turned on Bandit.

  “Nothing to be concerned with my ass,” I grumbled. “You never would have interrupted our trip unless you noticed something important. Now spill.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He glanced over at Jane, making sure she was a sufficient distance away, before pulling Deadbeat and me into a huddle.

  “There are Antithesis pheromones in the air, but they’re strange...” the fox explained.

  “There are Antithesis in the area, and yet you looked Jane directly in the face and told her there was nothing to be concerned about,” I growled. “You better hope the kids don’t run into anything, because if they do…”

  “They’re not around here,” Bandit declared, taking a step back and throwing his hands up between us. “Or at least, they haven’t been here in the last day or two.”

  “But they have been here,” Deadbeat muttered, reaching up and rubbing her chin. “Which is concerning. What should we do? Investigate? Notify the nearest megacity?”

  “What is the nearest megacity?” I asked.

  This area is very sparsely populated, Nyx said. The lack of surface fauna and vegetation meant that any incursions that didn’t land directly on top of a town or city still made a b-line directly towards them. They were the richest source of biomass in the area. Most settlements were abandoned by the early 2030s, before the samurai had a chance to establish themselves. If you wanted to call in backup or someone to deal with the issue, you’d have to reach out to someone in Denver, Kansas City, or Minneapolis, which are all over five hundred kilometers away.

  “So we’re in some sort of samurai deadzone? Wonderful,” I muttered, before glancing over my shoulder at Jane and the kids. Issi was busy trying to count all the lines in the rock, and since most were narrow, faded, and indistinct, I had a feeling she’d be at it for quite a while. “How sure are you that there aren’t any Antithesis in the area?”

  “Very. I can’t tell what they were doing, but if you give me enough time, I can investigate and find out,” Bandit replied solemnly.

  “Do it then. I don’t particularly care what they were doing, but I want to know which direction they came from and which direction they went before we leave here,” I said. “Bring down backup from the Stratocarrier if you need to. Just keep them out of sight. I don’t want to worry Jane and the kids.”

  “And after we figure out where they came from?” Deadbeat asked.

  “Then we rearrange today’s schedule and slowly move the family away from the area. Nyx can you please identify a bunch of local landmarks so we can update our plans as soon as Bandit finds something?” I asked.

  Of course, I’ve already identified several dozen new vistas for your family to explore. There is plenty to see in the area.

  “Good,” I said, turning towards Deadbeat. “Once Bandit has identified where the Antithesis came from, I’d like you to assemble a strike team. Go into the hive, and wipe it from the face of the earth. Most of our forces are just sitting up there on the Stratocarrier, so don’t pull any punches; take whatever you need.”

  “Jane will definitely notice if we both disappear,” Deadbeat said. “You want us to come up with an excuse, or…”

  “I’ll handle it,” I muttered. “Just do me a favor, and remind me to contact the Family, or whatever Samurai organization is in those megacities, when you’re done. Even if you take an entire battalion of Badgers and burn everything to the ground, we don’t have enough time to do a thorough sweep. We’ll need someone to come in and clean up when we’re done.”

  “I can do that,” she promised.

  “Good, then get to it,” I declared, shooing the pair away. Once they’d disappeared around the corner of the nearest hill I sighed and turned back towards the family. Issi was down on her hands and knees, slowly counting the striations, while Eddie bounced around her.

  “Everything okay?” Jane asked as I wandered over.

  “Yeah, Bandit just discovered some… unusual traces in the area,” I explained, trying to avoid saying anything that would clue the kid in on the situation. “They’re old, so there’s nothing to be concerned with. Still, the fact that we found anything out here is a little concerning, so I sent those two off to investigate.”

  Jane bit her lip. “Are you sure it’s safe? We can always cut the trip short. Better safe than sorry.”

  “That won’t be necessary. Once Bandit discovers which direction they came from, we’ll just start moving in the opposite direction. I might not find this place exciting, but I’m not going to cut the visit short for the rest of you,” I said. “

  “Eleventeen, twenty-seven, eighty, twelve, sixty-six point six six repeating!” Eddie yelled as he bounced around Isabelle. The little girl’s brow was furrowed in concentration, and she continued counting for several more seconds before sitting up.

  “Eddie, you’re a butt! You made me lose count,” Issi shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.

  “Finally! You’ve been counting for minutes. I want to explore some more,” Eddie whined. “Now that you’re done…”

  “Now I have to start again,” Issi declared, sliding down to the bottom of the hill.

  Eddie slumped. “Why?”

  “Because I have to know how old the hills are,” Issi said. “Now shush, let me concentrate, or we’ll be here all day.”

  I just grinned at their antics. I’d do everything in my power to make sure they could continue to enjoy their day out, undisturbed. I wouldn’t want to miss their squabbling for the world.

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