Inner Demons, Pt 2: Critical Mass
by Timesprite & Alryssa
Set: A few seconds (days) after Inner Demons, Pt 1.
(Rated PG-13. This story deals with adult themes. Please proceed with maturity.)
"Robin?"
Perl walked through the Principal Office's main garage in search of her friend. It was getting late in the second - most of the staff had already gone home to their families. Only the night shift and those who had no one to go home to remained.
"Robin?" she called again.
"In here." Her friend's voiced drifted from one of the adjacent, smaller rooms. Perl followed the sound and found Robin bent over a heavily damaged CPU, eyeing its innards with a look of disgust.
"No luck?"
"Salvaged parts, maybe." She kicked the hulk in annoyance and straightened up, towering over Perl at her full height. She wiped her hands on a rag and tossed it on a nearby bench. "Something the matter?"
"Nope. My staff's just all gone home an' for once there's nothing that needs fixing. Thought I'd see what you were up to."
Robin gave Perl an incredulous look. Their friendship was a tenuous one at best, reliant mostly on both women's obstinacy and respective damage.
"Where's Dennis?"
Perl scowled. Robin took every opportunity to take jabs at her relationship with the Command.Com - out of envy maybe, she didn't know.
"Working late. Again."
Robin snorted. "What else is new."
"Look, I was just wonderin' if *maybe* you wanted to go out for a drink. If not, I'll just go home, but I thought I'd extend the offer."
Robin eyed the smaller woman for a long moment, before grudgingly agreeing.
* * *
The bar wasn't in the best sector of the system; but it was the only one open this late in the second. The two sprites ordered their drinks and settled in a corner, Robin putting her booted feet up on the table as she produced a pad and began perusing a technical readme file, Perl opting to sit with her back against the wall, assessing the bar crowd - such as it was - with a critical, somewhat wary eye.
"I thought you wanted to relax," Robin murmured, not looking up from the pad. She was well aware of the second looks in their direction, but chose not to acknowledge their presence. They'd get bored soon enough.
Perl frowned at the Guardian. "You're staring at schematics again. Don't lecture me on relaxing. Do you ever do anything else?"
Robin downed the contents of the shot glass before responding. "It beats having to pull your ASCII out of the fire."
Perl snorted. "I can take care of myself."
A raised eyebrow, as she refilled her glass. "So you keep telling me."
Amethyst eyes narrowed. "I can take care of myself," she repeated.
Robin's face remained impassive. "I thought you said you were here to relax."
"I am!"
The pair drank in silence for a few nanos. Perl barely registered the battered jukebox in the opposite corner, churning out obscure mp3's. Robin wasn't much of a conversationalist. Every topic became a battle, almost always descending into awkward silence or veiled insults. She wasn't sure she could call herself friends with the abrasive Guardian; it was more an acquaintance based on mutual respect of each other's personal space, and a need for company.
Perl sometimes wondered if Robin even wanted that much, as she rested her head in one hand and watched her poring over the readme files, in her own world as usual. Around them, the bar's less-than-savoury customers exchanged glances and spoke in lowered tones. She knew what they were talking about, but tried to ignore it.
"I should have stayed at the Principal Office," she muttered, reminded of her boyfriend's workaholism.
Robin glanced up from the pad. "I never said I was good company," she replied, but turned off the device anyway and eyed the cadet with a slightly guarded expression on her face. "I'm assuming you're about to launch into the usual rant about Dennis?"
Perl scowled, as she pulled her dark purple hair from its ponytail. Robin simply sighed, and rolled her brown eyes. She'd guessed right.
"What do you *want* me to talk about?" Perl shot back, irritatedly. "How much code I had to hack this morning to get the security grid back online? How many times I told the idiots on second shift to log off their workstations before leaving?"
"If it means I don't have to listen to you whining about Dennis not paying enough attention to you again, go right ahead."
"You're jealous," she snapped.
Robin looked amused. "Oh, yeah. I'm jealous of you. Give me a break. You've got someone who cares about you and all you do is moan."
"At least I've told Dennis I care about him. It's more than you ever did for Bob."
Perl regretted the words the nano they came out of her mouth, and flinched, knowing what was coming next. The Guardian froze, and stared at her, cold fury burning in her dark brown eyes.
"Robin, I'm so sorry..." She'd overstepped the bounds and she knew it.
Robin set the glass down, her gaze never wavering. Perl bit her lip, as the tall sprite stood.
"I'm going home," she said, with some considerable effort. The hacker closed her eyes, knowing that she may well have ruined in that brief moment the one friendship she'd had.
"Please, Robin, I'm sorry..."
But the Guardian had already gone.
Perl could suddenly feel the staring eyes of the bar flies burning into her like branding irons.
* * *
Perl muttered under her breath, wishing she hadn't started the tiff in the bar with Robin. She could have used a ride home. Most of the street lamps were out in Backup, and the little light that did exist cast strange shadows all around her. She also fervently wished she hadn't left her gun back at the Principal Office. Something stirred in the dark and a shiver crawled its way up her spine, heart leaping into her throat.
"Stop being an idiot," she muttered to herself. "There are no viruses left in the system."
"It's not the viruses you need to worry about, hacker," a voice hissed as a form melted out of the shadows, grabbing her and clamping a hand over her mouth. "No, you'll have much worse things to worry about..."
She tried to scream, but the hand stayed clamped firmly over her mouth. She kicked furiously, but her captor didn't give an inch, dragging her back down the alleyway. There were other voices laughing, voices she recognised from the bar, though she couldn't make out faces in the darkness.
"What'd ya say I teach her just whose system this is, huh?" her captor called out. There were jeers and taunts from the others, and she found herself shoved roughly against the ally wall. She tried to jerk away as his hands pulled at her clothing, but he slammed her head against the wall, causing what little sight she had in the near-pitch ally to swim dangerously. A knife pressed against her neck, and she froze, biting back a strangled sob.
"That's right. Not a sound, hacker," he spat, throwing as much contempt behind the word as he could. "This will teach you. You and the Command.Com. He'll see what he gets for shacking up with a worthless whore like you."
Clothing was shoved away roughly and she swallowed hard, dread and fear overwhelming her. She knew all too well what was coming next.
* * *
by Timesprite & Alryssa
Set: A few seconds (days) after Inner Demons, Pt 1.
(Rated PG-13. This story deals with adult themes. Please proceed with maturity.)
"Robin?"
Perl walked through the Principal Office's main garage in search of her friend. It was getting late in the second - most of the staff had already gone home to their families. Only the night shift and those who had no one to go home to remained.
"Robin?" she called again.
"In here." Her friend's voiced drifted from one of the adjacent, smaller rooms. Perl followed the sound and found Robin bent over a heavily damaged CPU, eyeing its innards with a look of disgust.
"No luck?"
"Salvaged parts, maybe." She kicked the hulk in annoyance and straightened up, towering over Perl at her full height. She wiped her hands on a rag and tossed it on a nearby bench. "Something the matter?"
"Nope. My staff's just all gone home an' for once there's nothing that needs fixing. Thought I'd see what you were up to."
Robin gave Perl an incredulous look. Their friendship was a tenuous one at best, reliant mostly on both women's obstinacy and respective damage.
"Where's Dennis?"
Perl scowled. Robin took every opportunity to take jabs at her relationship with the Command.Com - out of envy maybe, she didn't know.
"Working late. Again."
Robin snorted. "What else is new."
"Look, I was just wonderin' if *maybe* you wanted to go out for a drink. If not, I'll just go home, but I thought I'd extend the offer."
Robin eyed the smaller woman for a long moment, before grudgingly agreeing.
* * *
The bar wasn't in the best sector of the system; but it was the only one open this late in the second. The two sprites ordered their drinks and settled in a corner, Robin putting her booted feet up on the table as she produced a pad and began perusing a technical readme file, Perl opting to sit with her back against the wall, assessing the bar crowd - such as it was - with a critical, somewhat wary eye.
"I thought you wanted to relax," Robin murmured, not looking up from the pad. She was well aware of the second looks in their direction, but chose not to acknowledge their presence. They'd get bored soon enough.
Perl frowned at the Guardian. "You're staring at schematics again. Don't lecture me on relaxing. Do you ever do anything else?"
Robin downed the contents of the shot glass before responding. "It beats having to pull your ASCII out of the fire."
Perl snorted. "I can take care of myself."
A raised eyebrow, as she refilled her glass. "So you keep telling me."
Amethyst eyes narrowed. "I can take care of myself," she repeated.
Robin's face remained impassive. "I thought you said you were here to relax."
"I am!"
The pair drank in silence for a few nanos. Perl barely registered the battered jukebox in the opposite corner, churning out obscure mp3's. Robin wasn't much of a conversationalist. Every topic became a battle, almost always descending into awkward silence or veiled insults. She wasn't sure she could call herself friends with the abrasive Guardian; it was more an acquaintance based on mutual respect of each other's personal space, and a need for company.
Perl sometimes wondered if Robin even wanted that much, as she rested her head in one hand and watched her poring over the readme files, in her own world as usual. Around them, the bar's less-than-savoury customers exchanged glances and spoke in lowered tones. She knew what they were talking about, but tried to ignore it.
"I should have stayed at the Principal Office," she muttered, reminded of her boyfriend's workaholism.
Robin glanced up from the pad. "I never said I was good company," she replied, but turned off the device anyway and eyed the cadet with a slightly guarded expression on her face. "I'm assuming you're about to launch into the usual rant about Dennis?"
Perl scowled, as she pulled her dark purple hair from its ponytail. Robin simply sighed, and rolled her brown eyes. She'd guessed right.
"What do you *want* me to talk about?" Perl shot back, irritatedly. "How much code I had to hack this morning to get the security grid back online? How many times I told the idiots on second shift to log off their workstations before leaving?"
"If it means I don't have to listen to you whining about Dennis not paying enough attention to you again, go right ahead."
"You're jealous," she snapped.
Robin looked amused. "Oh, yeah. I'm jealous of you. Give me a break. You've got someone who cares about you and all you do is moan."
"At least I've told Dennis I care about him. It's more than you ever did for Bob."
Perl regretted the words the nano they came out of her mouth, and flinched, knowing what was coming next. The Guardian froze, and stared at her, cold fury burning in her dark brown eyes.
"Robin, I'm so sorry..." She'd overstepped the bounds and she knew it.
Robin set the glass down, her gaze never wavering. Perl bit her lip, as the tall sprite stood.
"I'm going home," she said, with some considerable effort. The hacker closed her eyes, knowing that she may well have ruined in that brief moment the one friendship she'd had.
"Please, Robin, I'm sorry..."
But the Guardian had already gone.
Perl could suddenly feel the staring eyes of the bar flies burning into her like branding irons.
* * *
Perl muttered under her breath, wishing she hadn't started the tiff in the bar with Robin. She could have used a ride home. Most of the street lamps were out in Backup, and the little light that did exist cast strange shadows all around her. She also fervently wished she hadn't left her gun back at the Principal Office. Something stirred in the dark and a shiver crawled its way up her spine, heart leaping into her throat.
"Stop being an idiot," she muttered to herself. "There are no viruses left in the system."
"It's not the viruses you need to worry about, hacker," a voice hissed as a form melted out of the shadows, grabbing her and clamping a hand over her mouth. "No, you'll have much worse things to worry about..."
She tried to scream, but the hand stayed clamped firmly over her mouth. She kicked furiously, but her captor didn't give an inch, dragging her back down the alleyway. There were other voices laughing, voices she recognised from the bar, though she couldn't make out faces in the darkness.
"What'd ya say I teach her just whose system this is, huh?" her captor called out. There were jeers and taunts from the others, and she found herself shoved roughly against the ally wall. She tried to jerk away as his hands pulled at her clothing, but he slammed her head against the wall, causing what little sight she had in the near-pitch ally to swim dangerously. A knife pressed against her neck, and she froze, biting back a strangled sob.
"That's right. Not a sound, hacker," he spat, throwing as much contempt behind the word as he could. "This will teach you. You and the Command.Com. He'll see what he gets for shacking up with a worthless whore like you."
Clothing was shoved away roughly and she swallowed hard, dread and fear overwhelming her. She knew all too well what was coming next.
* * *