"Honey, you're not... dating Freight Train, are you?"

Azadeh shook her head frantically, her braided hair whipping back and forth. A more cynical parent would've assumed she was lying to cover her ass, but I knew my daughter; she didn't play games when it came to my line of work. I sighed, traded my white chocolate latte for my sword, and got off the couch as I remarked, "So much for mother-daughter time."

Freight Train knocked down the door to the sunroom, prompting a pair of robotic ravens to shoot out from the ceiling and catch it before it could crush anything else. As the ravens started putting the door back in place, Freight Train pointed his finger at me and growled, "Let her go, Dr. Valkyrie. Now."

"No self-respecting parent would let their kid anywhere near someone who just broke into their house. Now back the fuck up."

Freight Train looked at Azadeh. "You're her daughter?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Azadeh whimpered and hid behind me--something she hadn't done since she was five years old. My expression turned stone-cold as I asked her, "What did he do to you?"

Azadeh gulped before shakily replying, "W--We went on a date at the s--start of the month. We got d--dinner, and when he got up to use the b--bathroom, he got a text, and I saw the background on his phone. It...It was a picture of me. I panicked, and g--got into his phone like you taught me, and there were--" Azadeh let out a terrified sob and finished, "There were so many fucking pictures of me."

I turned back to Freight Train and yelled, "You've been stalking my fucking KID?!?!"

Freight Train growled. "Shut up! If she'd told me who her mother is, I never would've--"

"YOU'RE TRYING TO PIN THE BLAME ON HER?!! Oh, that is it, you sick fuck! I'm done putting up with you!!"

I snapped my fingers, prompting an automated turret to pop out of the wall and blast Freight Train with an almost blindingly white beam. Freight Train fell to his knees, struggling to articulate his words as I strolled over to him. After I had Azadeh close her eyes, I kneeled down next to him and hissed, "Hurts, doesn't it? That's the Pertho Gun, whittling away your life force into nothing. Clearing you out like the namesake rune."

Freight Train's breathing turned heavy as I poked my sword against his back. "I had this built a while ago, right around the time you got onto the scene. Never used it until now because I had hoped we could have some degree of professionalism between us. But then you did this. So you know what? No more."

I turned off the Pertho Gun and plunged my sword into Freight Train's back before he could recover. I dragged the blade along his spine to ensure he wouldn't survive and let out a whistle once I was done. My genetically-enhanced wolves trotted into the room and started ripping up Freight Train's body as I walked back over to Azadeh and softly said, "It's over, honey. You can open your eyes again if you want."

Azadeh opened her eyes slowly and collapsed into my chest. "Can I...can I stay here tonight? I don't feel good enough to go back to campus."

I tenderly held Azadeh's head and replied, "Of course, kiddo. You stay here as long as you need."