Quoted By:
<span class="mu-r">“If ‘shiny’ is what you're looking for, I know a guy whose whole body is made out of crystal.”</span> you said, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. <span class="mu-r">“How would you like to meet him?”</span>
Betty’s eyes shot open, and her mouth fell slightly agape, revealing four dangerously sharp canines poking past her lips.
<span class="mu-r">“I would like that. Very much!”</span> she eagerly insisted, craning her neck forward until her face was right in front of yours. You didn’t pull away, but you hoped that Ana wouldn’t get the wrong idea from seeing the two of you whispering like this.
After a moment, though, Harpy’s expression grew skeptical, and you could see the inklings of suspicion lurking within her dark eyes.
<span class="mu-r">“But…I would need to help you first.”</span> she said, not phrasing it as a question.
<span class="mu-r">“I'd let the two of you meet even if you decided not to.”</span> you said, giving her a nonchalant shrug.
Confusion clouded her expression, and you carefully avoided saying that you were mostly doing this because you thought it would be funny.
<span class="mu-r">“Why?”</span> she asked.
<span class="mu-r">“Well, we had a fight, we fought side by side right afterwards, and you called me ‘strange’, but you're still talking to me.”</span> you said in an even tone. <span class="mu-r">“By all accounts, that pretty much makes us friends. I've met some of my best friends that way, actually.”</span>
Harpy leaned back a bit, clearly taken by surprise, judging by her expression.
<span class="mu-r">“And friends help each other out.”</span> you continued. <span class="mu-r">“So, if you don't have any attachments to this place, you can come back up to the surface with me and Cindy. I'll find you a place to stay, you can get some fresh air, and we can decide what happens next after you've adjusted to the change.”</span>
Betty's mouth fell open once more, and she seemed to be genuinely at a loss for words.
<span class="mu-r">“So…I get to meet the shiny man. Yes? And you're giving me a home.”</span> Betty reiterated, just to be sure that she wasn’t misreading anything. <span class="mu-r">“All because you want to be...my friend?”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Well that, and I think we can help each other. I mean, a brilliant scientist <span class="mu-i">and</span> a Gamma fueled bird lady? Who wouldn't want a friend like that?”</span> you said.
As you expected, Betty seemed to relax upon detecting the hint of an ulterior motive. And you honestly couldn't blame her. People rarely helped others without an ulterior motive behind their actions.
If anything, benevolent behavior could be seen as unsettling if you didn't know anything about the other person. Suspicion was an appropriate reaction in such cases. At least now, she'd know that you would be getting something out of this deal.
And she really was something. A flying, intelligent Hulk that shot lasers out of her mouth? How often were you going to run into someone like that?
(Cont.)
