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The Morlocks, or at least those who’d initially been wary of interacting with outsiders, had refreshed looks on their faces. Everyone had taken this opportunity to unwind, and were rewarded with a feeling of fulfillment one could only get from engaging with their community.
And when you told them that they didn’t have to bother cleaning up all the webbing you shot out to make those improvised courts, you could practically see the stress bleeding out of them. Some even looked a bit disappointed to hear that it’d be disappearing soon. They must have wanted to keep playing, even after you were gone.
With that, you gave Ember a meaningful look, and she rolled her eyes in response. But, despite her defiant, bratty behavior, she promised to create a new court for them as soon as this one finished dissolving.
Immediately, some of the more outgoing Morlocks ran over, grabbed hold of her, and lifted her into the air. They threw her up and down repeatedly, celebrating her as if she were some sort of superstar. Screwball looked a tad bit jealous from all the attention she was getting.
And somehow, none of them seemed to notice, or care about Ember’s protests as she was man-handled by a mob of mutants. You, on the other hand, found the entire thing to be hilarious.
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Sometime later, Abe sent you a text saying that he’d see Cindy and Wanda back to their dorms. You sent them a text thanking them all for coming out, before mercifully reminding yourself to send something to Chef Ameyama as well. Her catering service was insanely reliable for such a small business. You’d definitely be using her more in the future.
With that in mind, you said your goodbyes to the Morlocks, promised to meet them in the morning for your meeting with Madame Webb, and swung your way home. It was only after you’d collapsed on the couch and recounted the events of your day to Flint, that you remembered about Mantis being there. No one had mentioned seeing her leave.
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The next morning, you were up and out of bed earlier than usual. Mostly because Iara had thought to set some particularly annoying alarms on your phone without your consent. In your own groggy, half-conscious mind, you swore bloody vengeance...and then immediately forgot about it after a hot shower, a fresh pot of coffee, and a warm breakfast. You feared for the fate of this city if any super-powered menace were to roll out of bed without any of those luxuries. It was thanks to them that the streets weren't running red with blood on a regular basis.
Interestingly, neither Araña nor Benga were here this morning. They must've been hard at work today.
Ember, on the other hand, was still fast asleep on the couch. And Flint had said something last night about meeting with your sister to make plans for when they went to space. So, you and Ember had the warehouse to yourselves for the time being.
(Cont.)
