After the events of Those Who Left Us Behind...
Cyber the Canary parked her and Jack's van in one of Station Square's many underground parking lots. It was a beaten up old thing, still bearing its camouflaged paint job from the war, but for something they just barely managed to snag during the transition between Resistance and Restoration, it was fairly reliable...So far.
Cyber put on her heart-shaped sunglasses and adjusted her cap in the mirror before exiting her vehicle. She'd gone basic with her outfit choice today, a simple yellow hoodie, black and yellow Tails shirt, and some jean shorts. Nothing fancy, but she thought it looked cute, and as an added benefit, the shorts had pockets! Despite not getting out that often, Cyber had made sure to maintain a decent sized closet of various matching combinations.
But today was a rare occasion. Normally, Jack was the one to do the grocery shopping, with Cyber tagging along sometimes, but after an injury he sustained on a "business trip," Cyber had volunteered to do it all for him. He had taught her everything there was to know about ingredients, after all. She knew how firm tomatoes were supposed to feel, what the prime freshness for an avocado was, and what types of seasonings perfectly enhanced the flavor of a beef risotto.
She chuckled to herself over this. She couldn't eat regular food, but the way Jack talked about it always entranced her so much. She wondered if the day might come when she could learn what food tasted like...
Walking down the street, Cyber saw a mother stop her child from pointing at her as she passed. Lots of people seemed to take notice of her as she walked, in fact. She lowered her head as the attention began to bother her. A common question she got from other ECS Units was whether or not her cyborg parts ever seemed strange to her. If her hands and feet not being real bothered her in any way, like it did with them. Truth be told, she never felt weird about it, because she couldn't REMEMBER having real limbs. The mechanical limbs were always a part of her, as far as she was concerned. Perfectly normal.
But that didn't stop people from making her feel self-conscious about it sometimes.
After getting her groceries, Cyber took a brief stop to chat with the Burger Shop Owner and his wife, before heading into a local store to peruse the toy aisles. Wispon Warriors had been approved for a second season, which meant that the current figure assortment was going to be shifted around again. But before that happened, she needed a Yellow Drill figure for the main line-up. She groaned internally as she saw the pegs still flooded with Red Eagle and Lord Phantom figures. Why were the female figures always so hard to find? Still, she did her best to flip through the cardbacks until she felt a sudden tug at her head.
Turning to face the tug, she saw a boy running off with her cap. "!" She shouted after him, chasing him around the corner to his mom. "Mom! Can I have it?" The boy said, waving the hat at his mom's face in an attempt to draw her attention away from her phone. She just turned her head slowly to face Cyber. "What do YOU want?"
Cyber composed herself, and began signing towards the mother to explain the situation. "Speak normally, or leave me alone!" The mother said, smacking her hands away mid-sign. Cyber froze up, unsure how to proceed with the situation. "What's the matter, robot girl? Cat got your tongue?"
"I think you're talking enough for the BOTH of you, lady!" A familiar pink hedgehog said as she joined the conversation. Amy quickly snatched the hat out of the kid's hands and handed it back to Cyber. "And while you're yapping anyway, maybe take some time to teach your kid some manners!"
"Don't tell ME how to parent my child!" The woman screamed, before grabbing her child and storming off. "Why not? You could clearly use some lessons!" Amy shouted in return, before turning back to Cyber, who was quietly putting her hat back in place. "Hey, are you okay?" Cyber nodded, responding with a shaky "!"
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Most of the people around here are fairly nice, but others..." Amy said, before trailing off and shaking her head. "Oh! Though I guess it's a good thing I ran into you! I heard you've been looking for one of these!" With that, Amy pulled an action figure on cardback out of one of her bags. The Yellow Drill Wispon Warrior. Cyber thanked Amy in sign language and hugged her before finishing her shopping and loading everything up into the van for the long drive home. Sitting down and taking off her sunglasses, Cyber breathed a heavy sigh of relief. This day hadn't been the greatest, no, but the yellow action figure in her passenger seat reminded her that even in her darkest times, she had friends she could count on, and turn to in her times of need.
And that, she thought, was a good note to end the day on.
