>>5372476A much-appreciated silence settles over the van, and, soaking up the silence like a piece of metal out in the burning sun, you relish in the small mercy that is the peace and quiet.
“So how’d you get into the hero biz?” The Healer asks, turning in her seat to look at you.
“Didn’t have much of a choice.” You grunt out an evasive reply, even though you were the one who came up with the idea in the first place after FutureLabs’ band of suited dumbshits tried to kidnap Ellie. There was no way in hell you were going to let them get away with that!
“Lady, can we not do our whole life-story thing right now? Trying to get out of this shithole, and I’m not trying to be an ass here; but I really need to focus on the road…” You say pointedly, not wanting to get into your tragic backstory with someone you only met a couple of hours ago.
At your words, however, the Healer looks abashed, no better than if you just up and slapped her.
“Alright, alright! I’m sorry– it’s just I like listening to what other people have to say.” She stammers out, slinking as far down into the passenger seat as she possibly can. ”I wasn’t trying to b-be a bother or a-anything!”
“...no big deal.” You mutter, keeping your eyes on the road and not on the woman who looks ready to burst into tears. You really wish you were back at the farm right now.
But frig. Now you feel kind of bad for blowing up at this weird, possibly-emotionally-immature woman, enough that you make the sole, biggest mistake of your life.
“So how did you get into the healing business?” You ask, dread already worming its way into your gut as you brace yourself for the incoming storm that is the Healer’s chattering mouth.
The Healer’s face positively lights up.
—-------
Your name is Elise. Elise Martins.
And you really are getting tired of this stupid data center.
“What are we supposed to be looking for?” Julia speaks up, crystalline gaze boring into your back.
“Something important-looking.” You reply. While you don’t have a clear picture of what you’re looking for at the moment, from experience, it’s always something distinctive, convoluted, or out-of-the-ordinary. Even without Matt’s technological know-how, that train of logic’s never failed you before, and why should it now?
You ended up knocking quite a few unsuspecting engineers out along the way, their safety gear doing little to protect them from fists or brainwashing.
Some of them try and make a break for it, while others are too far into “the zone”-- crouched down with their faces pressed so far into the servers that they’re working on that they don’t even see or hear you coming. No matter, it doesn’t seem like any of them thought they’d be getting a visit from some of Konigsburg’s most notorious mutants.
Too bad they’re going to be out of a job in just a little bit…
>(2/?) 