.HackRelapse
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached concepts and characters do not belong to me.
Notes: Takes place during Outbreak. Parentheses indicate thoughts, brackets for writing or text. Thus ends the first half of Relapse; as before, the next chapters concern Kite's half of the story. To everyone who wrote in a review, and everyone who read... thank you all. Like I said in the notes for Heist, good feedback can mean the difference between a finished story and an unfinished one, and you guys just flat-out rock in that respect.
With that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter. There's more to come soon! :)
Chapter 14 - Acclimation
------------------------
"...at last report, the number of dead stands at nineteen, with dozens more injured. Police have cordoned off the area surrounding the warehouse, and continue the search for others they believe escaped in the shooting."
A feeble groan snaked past parched lips, escaping into the air unheard beneath the woman's voice.
"The details behind the incident have not been released, however it is known that the assailants were U.S. citizens, several of whom have been identified as members of the Central Intelligence Agency."
He heard a faint beeping to his right, matching the pace of his heart as he breathed slowly, weakly. His entire body felt stiff as a board, unused and tired at the same time.
"President Coleman, under pressure from the State Department, as well as the United Nations Security Council, has promised to lead a bipartisan investigation into the agency's activities. Director James MacDowell, who was appointed by the previous administration, could not be reached for comment."
He forced his eyes open, as if the lids were made of lead; obscure white blurs replaced the pitch darkness, and slowly the room began to take shape.
"This comes at the end of an already turbulent week, as the recent rise in cyber-terrorism - culminating with the blackout at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday - has local police and federal investigators on high alert."
As his vision cleared, so too did his memory. His mind sought out his most recent recollection, and gasped aloud at the image. Escaping from an abandoned warehouse; being chased by men in a white van; a car crash, several gunshots. An uncomfortable numbness tore a hole in his senses, extending from his right flank to his upper back.
"Aww," groaned the detective, slowly taking stock of his surroundings. "What... where am I?"
"Stollis-san?" asked a quiet, female voice, and Dean became dimly aware of the woman who approached the bed, clad in a nurse's uniform and carrying a clipboard.
He caught on quickly, if tiredly. "Is this a hospital?" he murmured, trying to sit up.
The nurse raced up to him, placing an arm across his chest, admonishing him with a shake of her head. He squinted up at her in mild confusion, her auburn eyes staring down at him with equally mild concern.
"Please do not move," she said slowly, her English somewhat broken and clearly forced.
It was then that Dean noticed the state of his person: his clothes were gone, replaced with a light blue, wafer-thin hospital gown; the noise on his right came from an EKG machine, several wires trailing from it to his chest, monitoring his heartbeat and pulse; a plastic respirator wound its way beneath his nose, providing him with air as he slept; an IV drip solution hung from a rack next to the bed, its needle firmly planted in his forearm. Across from the bed, a TV set hung from the ceiling, displaying a news broadcast, translated via voice-over to English.
"Sumimasen," said the nurse, bowing her head slightly before exiting the room, shoes clacking lightly against the tiled floor.
Dean let out a soft groan, pressing his head to the pillow beneath it and allowing his eyes to droop shut again.
-
"Mmph... fo what'th the wor'?"
Masamoto chuckled. "Remember to breathe, ace. You're trying to get better, remember?"
Dean gulped down the mouthful of cheeseburger, and wiped his lips with the back of his free hand. "Sorry. Been a while since I had real food. Doc said I was out for a couple days, but I should be out of here by tomorrow," he said, shuffling slightly against his bed, which had been raised to allow him to sit up. The EKG and IV drip had been disconnected, though he remained in his hospital gown, and white bandages still covered the wounds to his back and side.
The lieutenant nodded, leaning forward in his chair. "Well, all of the agents on the roster have been accounted for, one way or another. There was a lot of evidence on that laptop you gave us, and it's pretty damning. There's a big investigation going on in D.C., everyone's calling for the CIA head to resign. Our government's demanding an explanation... suffice it to say it's one hell of a mess."
"What about, uh, Cyber Connect? Morganna? What's the story on them?"
"Doesn't look like they're talking much about that... the big issue is that the CIA was here in the first place, not on what they were after. CC hasn't come forward with anything; nothing we've publicly released ties them into this anyway. Looks like the big secret about "The World" isn't going anywhere for the time being."
"Just as well," said Dean before taking a small bite from his burger. "I doubt anybody would buy it. I know I wouldn't."
"Me neither. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"
Dean shook his head. "Ehh, I don't know... still kinda tired, and it itches a little now." He lifted the cheeseburger again, but stopped short, staring as though it wasn't even there. "Been a while since I've been shot... with a real bullet, anyway. Almost ten years..."
"You sure you'll be okay to leave?"
"Yeah, I'll live. Said I was lucky; an inch more, and it would've popped my lung like a balloon." The sandwich trembled in his hand, his arm shivering briefly. His head twitched as he snapped out of his momentary trance, and he turned to Masamoto. "Hey... I never got to say thanks, for back there. Y-you saved my life, Mas, I... I owe you one."
Masamoto nodded. "Well, you might have saved this city with what you dug up. We cracked this nut with your help, Dean." He smiled, warmly. "Don't forget that."
"Heh heh. We'll buy each other beers and call it even, what do you say?"
The elder man raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "I don't drink. Make mine a coffee."
"And you call yourself a cop?" queried Dean with a slight grin.
"Not in English," answered Masamoto.
The two shared a chuckle, Dean pausing to take another bite. After swallowing, he asked, "Hey, what happened to Miku and Seijiro?"
"Bump on the head, minor cuts and bruises," explained Masamoto. "They left a day after the accident. Seijiro worked with us to track down the other CIA agents, and he said he was going to help Cyber Connect with Morganna. As for Kurasawa... probably getting her place fixed up and her stuff replaced, but I personally haven't seen or heard from her since."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Dean remarked flatly.
"What about you? What will you do now?"
"Well," began the detective, "the kid's got it covered as far as I can tell, but you never know. I think I'll stick around and see what happens. Maybe see if I can't do something for him. And besides," he continued, "I think after this I'm officially persona non grata back in the States. Better sit tight 'till things die down. Can't say I've got anything better to do."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Masamoto said, parroting Dean's earlier tone. "But I guess I'd better get going," he added, rising from his chair. "I've got a ton of paperwork to fill out. Take it easy, detective."
"Hey, Mas, there's something I've been meaning to ask."
"Yeah?"
Dean took another bite and swallowed, then cleared his throat as he turned to face the lieutenant. "Whereabouts are you from? You're a little more no-nonsense than most people I've met here."
Masamoto cocked his head at Dean, brow furrowing for a moment. The clock ticked thrice before his expression cleared, a slight smile on his face. "New Jersey."
"New Jersey," repeated Dean. He smiled back. "This explains everything. Well met, lieutenant. Well met."
Aniki nodded, offering an informal salute as he turned and left. "See you, sergeant."
-
"Anyway, that's pretty much it."
A simulated breeze whistled as it drifted past the island, ruffling cloth and hair alike. Silent once more, they stared in opposite directions, Stolls towards the horizon, Kite into the back of the shop.
Stolls cocked his head back, gazing up at the sky. Reminded of the graphical glitch over his head, he frowned. "Guess things are only getting worse here, too…"
Kite turned away from the shop window, peering at the Wavemaster through a few loose strands of azure hair. "Yeah... but at least now we know what we're up against. That thing... Morganna... it really is behind all this."
"Looks that way," affirmed Stolls with a nod. "Guess it's just a matter of finding the boss and beating it then, huh?"
"Yeah," said Kite. "I think that's it. We just have to do what we think is right."
Stolls let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Only you, my friend, could make it sound so simple." He smiled. "You're right, too. I don't get much of this techno-junk myself, and politics is just as Greek to me… but this," he gestured vaguely with one arm, "adventuring, sleuthing, I can do that. And, I trust, so can you."
Kite smiled back. "I can, and I will."
The Wavemaster stood up, facing Kite. "Glad to hear it. You're a good man, Hiro."
He didn't have long to dwell on the praise; a glance at the clock in his display forced him away from the item shop. "Oh, I'd better get going. I promised I'd meet with BlackRose and Gardenia right about now."
Stolls' reaction was not unlike that of a cartoon character, eyes widening considerably and jaw agape. "THE Gardenia? You know her??"
Kite tilted his head, giving Stolls a puzzled look. "Yeah, we met back when I started playing. Do you know her?"
"By reputation," said the Wavemaster. "There's a ton of webrings to this game, one of 'em is this huge fansite her little groupies put up. Crazy stuff." A grin crossed his lips. "Guy gets into the game by chance, he's here a few months, and he starts rubbing elbows with legends and meeting girls left and right. I get into this, what do I get? I get shot, that's what I get. You suck, man."
Driving home the point was a smiling emote, which spurred Kite to reciprocate with one of his own.
"Speaking of which, how are things with you and that Heavy Blade, man?"
"Heyyyy! Kite!"
The shout was attached to a slender thorn-tattooed, pink-haired girl, two islands away. An obscenely large sword was slung over her shoulder, which she held with one hand. Her other gauntlet-covered arm shot out over her head, waving to get Kite's attention, and a closer examination would have revealed a smile on her tanned face.
"Oh, she's here!" exclaimed Kite as he began to sprint away. "I'll see you later!"
"What?! Wait a minute, what happened??" he heard Stolls shout after him. "C'mon, man, you're killin' me here!"
Kite stopped long enough to turn around and glance back at Stolls; he swore he saw the boy wink at him before resuming his exit from the shopping island.
Stolls couldn't help but sigh as he leaned against the shop once more. He watched as Kite joined BlackRose across the way; his silver eyebrows jumped a full inch when he saw the two join hands and leisurely stroll away, as if they didn't have a care in The World.
(Bravo, Kite-san, bravo,) he mentally congratulated.
The clock on his heads-up display brought another thought to his mind. (Ah, good, that field should have respawned by now. Time to harvest more Piney Apples.) With that, he snatched up his staff and started towards the bridge. (Stupid misprinted Grunty FAQ...)
Resting the staff against his shoulder, Stolls stepped onto the bridge, whistling an improvised tune off-key. His eyes wandered away from his intended path when another Wavemaster started on the opposite side of the bridge; a tall woman, with long blonde hair and dark eyes. Her robe was a dark green and short-sleeved, with a mint-colored section running the length of the garment on the front; emeralds decorated her earrings, and the amulet around her neck bore a hue of the same color.
They both stopped; her eyes caught his, a distinct quality to them that Stolls swore he had seen before, and not just in other, similar avatars. Set evenly over her thin nose, they appraised him silently. "Something wrong?"
Stolls shook his head, averting his eyes. "Nah. Sorry."
She raised a curious eyebrow, but continued on her way, and he on his. They passed each other without further conversation. He reached the end of the bridge, and half-turned to look back at the Wavemaster, a small smile on his face. "Excuse me, are you BT?"
The smile vanished when he saw that the Wavemaster had not done likewise; she stopped long enough to answer with a curt "No," before stepping off the bridge.
"Hmm," he muttered, furrowing his brow. (All right then... that was productive.)
With a shrug, he resumed his path towards the Chaos Gate, his boots crunching grass, scraping dirt and clunking against wood as he walked. Within seconds he was in arm's reach of the spinning blue gate; he summoned the field menu and began scrolling through the history, searching for an earlier field.
A momentary stinging in his back pulled his senses from the game, and he took a hand off the controller to rub the injured area, wincing slightly as the week-old wound throbbed.
(Bogart, you made this all look so much easier... how do you do it, man?)
The sound of someone gating in to his right caught his attention; the color green entered his vision first, which took shape into the robed figure of a female Wavemaster, her body very similar to the one he had seen earlier. The only differences were the sleeves, which were separated from the robe itself and covered only her forearms, and the jewel set in her staff, which was as dark green as the outer sections of her robe. Also decorating her was a golden circlet that sat on her forehead, partially hidden by a few long strands of her blonde hair.
The Wavemaster looked around for a second or two before noticing Stolls. "Yes?" she asked, her voice soft, yet with a hint of firmness.
Stolls closed the window, and turned to face the newcomer. "Pardon me, miss... are you BT?"
She took a few steps forward, closing the gap between them. "That would depend on who is asking," she said. After a beat, she added, "detective," a sudden touch of playfulness in her tone.
Dean smiled. "Nobody important. Just a geek with a gun."
She smiled back, chuckled softly. "Is that a fact?"
With a push of a button, he sent a party invitation her way. "Care to go for a stroll?" he asked, extending his free hand to her.
The invitation was almost immediately accepted; her stats appeared on his HUD, though she made no move to take his hand, instead taking a step closer. "Lead the way, Mr. Stollis."
- End of Chapter 14
A .Hack fanfiction by Renfro Calhoun
Disclaimer: Project .Hack and attached concepts and characters do not belong to me.
Notes: Takes place during Outbreak. Parentheses indicate thoughts, brackets for writing or text. Thus ends the first half of Relapse; as before, the next chapters concern Kite's half of the story. To everyone who wrote in a review, and everyone who read... thank you all. Like I said in the notes for Heist, good feedback can mean the difference between a finished story and an unfinished one, and you guys just flat-out rock in that respect.
With that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter. There's more to come soon! :)
Chapter 14 - Acclimation
------------------------
"...at last report, the number of dead stands at nineteen, with dozens more injured. Police have cordoned off the area surrounding the warehouse, and continue the search for others they believe escaped in the shooting."
A feeble groan snaked past parched lips, escaping into the air unheard beneath the woman's voice.
"The details behind the incident have not been released, however it is known that the assailants were U.S. citizens, several of whom have been identified as members of the Central Intelligence Agency."
He heard a faint beeping to his right, matching the pace of his heart as he breathed slowly, weakly. His entire body felt stiff as a board, unused and tired at the same time.
"President Coleman, under pressure from the State Department, as well as the United Nations Security Council, has promised to lead a bipartisan investigation into the agency's activities. Director James MacDowell, who was appointed by the previous administration, could not be reached for comment."
He forced his eyes open, as if the lids were made of lead; obscure white blurs replaced the pitch darkness, and slowly the room began to take shape.
"This comes at the end of an already turbulent week, as the recent rise in cyber-terrorism - culminating with the blackout at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday - has local police and federal investigators on high alert."
As his vision cleared, so too did his memory. His mind sought out his most recent recollection, and gasped aloud at the image. Escaping from an abandoned warehouse; being chased by men in a white van; a car crash, several gunshots. An uncomfortable numbness tore a hole in his senses, extending from his right flank to his upper back.
"Aww," groaned the detective, slowly taking stock of his surroundings. "What... where am I?"
"Stollis-san?" asked a quiet, female voice, and Dean became dimly aware of the woman who approached the bed, clad in a nurse's uniform and carrying a clipboard.
He caught on quickly, if tiredly. "Is this a hospital?" he murmured, trying to sit up.
The nurse raced up to him, placing an arm across his chest, admonishing him with a shake of her head. He squinted up at her in mild confusion, her auburn eyes staring down at him with equally mild concern.
"Please do not move," she said slowly, her English somewhat broken and clearly forced.
It was then that Dean noticed the state of his person: his clothes were gone, replaced with a light blue, wafer-thin hospital gown; the noise on his right came from an EKG machine, several wires trailing from it to his chest, monitoring his heartbeat and pulse; a plastic respirator wound its way beneath his nose, providing him with air as he slept; an IV drip solution hung from a rack next to the bed, its needle firmly planted in his forearm. Across from the bed, a TV set hung from the ceiling, displaying a news broadcast, translated via voice-over to English.
"Sumimasen," said the nurse, bowing her head slightly before exiting the room, shoes clacking lightly against the tiled floor.
Dean let out a soft groan, pressing his head to the pillow beneath it and allowing his eyes to droop shut again.
-
"Mmph... fo what'th the wor'?"
Masamoto chuckled. "Remember to breathe, ace. You're trying to get better, remember?"
Dean gulped down the mouthful of cheeseburger, and wiped his lips with the back of his free hand. "Sorry. Been a while since I had real food. Doc said I was out for a couple days, but I should be out of here by tomorrow," he said, shuffling slightly against his bed, which had been raised to allow him to sit up. The EKG and IV drip had been disconnected, though he remained in his hospital gown, and white bandages still covered the wounds to his back and side.
The lieutenant nodded, leaning forward in his chair. "Well, all of the agents on the roster have been accounted for, one way or another. There was a lot of evidence on that laptop you gave us, and it's pretty damning. There's a big investigation going on in D.C., everyone's calling for the CIA head to resign. Our government's demanding an explanation... suffice it to say it's one hell of a mess."
"What about, uh, Cyber Connect? Morganna? What's the story on them?"
"Doesn't look like they're talking much about that... the big issue is that the CIA was here in the first place, not on what they were after. CC hasn't come forward with anything; nothing we've publicly released ties them into this anyway. Looks like the big secret about "The World" isn't going anywhere for the time being."
"Just as well," said Dean before taking a small bite from his burger. "I doubt anybody would buy it. I know I wouldn't."
"Me neither. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"
Dean shook his head. "Ehh, I don't know... still kinda tired, and it itches a little now." He lifted the cheeseburger again, but stopped short, staring as though it wasn't even there. "Been a while since I've been shot... with a real bullet, anyway. Almost ten years..."
"You sure you'll be okay to leave?"
"Yeah, I'll live. Said I was lucky; an inch more, and it would've popped my lung like a balloon." The sandwich trembled in his hand, his arm shivering briefly. His head twitched as he snapped out of his momentary trance, and he turned to Masamoto. "Hey... I never got to say thanks, for back there. Y-you saved my life, Mas, I... I owe you one."
Masamoto nodded. "Well, you might have saved this city with what you dug up. We cracked this nut with your help, Dean." He smiled, warmly. "Don't forget that."
"Heh heh. We'll buy each other beers and call it even, what do you say?"
The elder man raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "I don't drink. Make mine a coffee."
"And you call yourself a cop?" queried Dean with a slight grin.
"Not in English," answered Masamoto.
The two shared a chuckle, Dean pausing to take another bite. After swallowing, he asked, "Hey, what happened to Miku and Seijiro?"
"Bump on the head, minor cuts and bruises," explained Masamoto. "They left a day after the accident. Seijiro worked with us to track down the other CIA agents, and he said he was going to help Cyber Connect with Morganna. As for Kurasawa... probably getting her place fixed up and her stuff replaced, but I personally haven't seen or heard from her since."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Dean remarked flatly.
"What about you? What will you do now?"
"Well," began the detective, "the kid's got it covered as far as I can tell, but you never know. I think I'll stick around and see what happens. Maybe see if I can't do something for him. And besides," he continued, "I think after this I'm officially persona non grata back in the States. Better sit tight 'till things die down. Can't say I've got anything better to do."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Masamoto said, parroting Dean's earlier tone. "But I guess I'd better get going," he added, rising from his chair. "I've got a ton of paperwork to fill out. Take it easy, detective."
"Hey, Mas, there's something I've been meaning to ask."
"Yeah?"
Dean took another bite and swallowed, then cleared his throat as he turned to face the lieutenant. "Whereabouts are you from? You're a little more no-nonsense than most people I've met here."
Masamoto cocked his head at Dean, brow furrowing for a moment. The clock ticked thrice before his expression cleared, a slight smile on his face. "New Jersey."
"New Jersey," repeated Dean. He smiled back. "This explains everything. Well met, lieutenant. Well met."
Aniki nodded, offering an informal salute as he turned and left. "See you, sergeant."
-
"Anyway, that's pretty much it."
A simulated breeze whistled as it drifted past the island, ruffling cloth and hair alike. Silent once more, they stared in opposite directions, Stolls towards the horizon, Kite into the back of the shop.
Stolls cocked his head back, gazing up at the sky. Reminded of the graphical glitch over his head, he frowned. "Guess things are only getting worse here, too…"
Kite turned away from the shop window, peering at the Wavemaster through a few loose strands of azure hair. "Yeah... but at least now we know what we're up against. That thing... Morganna... it really is behind all this."
"Looks that way," affirmed Stolls with a nod. "Guess it's just a matter of finding the boss and beating it then, huh?"
"Yeah," said Kite. "I think that's it. We just have to do what we think is right."
Stolls let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Only you, my friend, could make it sound so simple." He smiled. "You're right, too. I don't get much of this techno-junk myself, and politics is just as Greek to me… but this," he gestured vaguely with one arm, "adventuring, sleuthing, I can do that. And, I trust, so can you."
Kite smiled back. "I can, and I will."
The Wavemaster stood up, facing Kite. "Glad to hear it. You're a good man, Hiro."
He didn't have long to dwell on the praise; a glance at the clock in his display forced him away from the item shop. "Oh, I'd better get going. I promised I'd meet with BlackRose and Gardenia right about now."
Stolls' reaction was not unlike that of a cartoon character, eyes widening considerably and jaw agape. "THE Gardenia? You know her??"
Kite tilted his head, giving Stolls a puzzled look. "Yeah, we met back when I started playing. Do you know her?"
"By reputation," said the Wavemaster. "There's a ton of webrings to this game, one of 'em is this huge fansite her little groupies put up. Crazy stuff." A grin crossed his lips. "Guy gets into the game by chance, he's here a few months, and he starts rubbing elbows with legends and meeting girls left and right. I get into this, what do I get? I get shot, that's what I get. You suck, man."
Driving home the point was a smiling emote, which spurred Kite to reciprocate with one of his own.
"Speaking of which, how are things with you and that Heavy Blade, man?"
"Heyyyy! Kite!"
The shout was attached to a slender thorn-tattooed, pink-haired girl, two islands away. An obscenely large sword was slung over her shoulder, which she held with one hand. Her other gauntlet-covered arm shot out over her head, waving to get Kite's attention, and a closer examination would have revealed a smile on her tanned face.
"Oh, she's here!" exclaimed Kite as he began to sprint away. "I'll see you later!"
"What?! Wait a minute, what happened??" he heard Stolls shout after him. "C'mon, man, you're killin' me here!"
Kite stopped long enough to turn around and glance back at Stolls; he swore he saw the boy wink at him before resuming his exit from the shopping island.
Stolls couldn't help but sigh as he leaned against the shop once more. He watched as Kite joined BlackRose across the way; his silver eyebrows jumped a full inch when he saw the two join hands and leisurely stroll away, as if they didn't have a care in The World.
(Bravo, Kite-san, bravo,) he mentally congratulated.
The clock on his heads-up display brought another thought to his mind. (Ah, good, that field should have respawned by now. Time to harvest more Piney Apples.) With that, he snatched up his staff and started towards the bridge. (Stupid misprinted Grunty FAQ...)
Resting the staff against his shoulder, Stolls stepped onto the bridge, whistling an improvised tune off-key. His eyes wandered away from his intended path when another Wavemaster started on the opposite side of the bridge; a tall woman, with long blonde hair and dark eyes. Her robe was a dark green and short-sleeved, with a mint-colored section running the length of the garment on the front; emeralds decorated her earrings, and the amulet around her neck bore a hue of the same color.
They both stopped; her eyes caught his, a distinct quality to them that Stolls swore he had seen before, and not just in other, similar avatars. Set evenly over her thin nose, they appraised him silently. "Something wrong?"
Stolls shook his head, averting his eyes. "Nah. Sorry."
She raised a curious eyebrow, but continued on her way, and he on his. They passed each other without further conversation. He reached the end of the bridge, and half-turned to look back at the Wavemaster, a small smile on his face. "Excuse me, are you BT?"
The smile vanished when he saw that the Wavemaster had not done likewise; she stopped long enough to answer with a curt "No," before stepping off the bridge.
"Hmm," he muttered, furrowing his brow. (All right then... that was productive.)
With a shrug, he resumed his path towards the Chaos Gate, his boots crunching grass, scraping dirt and clunking against wood as he walked. Within seconds he was in arm's reach of the spinning blue gate; he summoned the field menu and began scrolling through the history, searching for an earlier field.
A momentary stinging in his back pulled his senses from the game, and he took a hand off the controller to rub the injured area, wincing slightly as the week-old wound throbbed.
(Bogart, you made this all look so much easier... how do you do it, man?)
The sound of someone gating in to his right caught his attention; the color green entered his vision first, which took shape into the robed figure of a female Wavemaster, her body very similar to the one he had seen earlier. The only differences were the sleeves, which were separated from the robe itself and covered only her forearms, and the jewel set in her staff, which was as dark green as the outer sections of her robe. Also decorating her was a golden circlet that sat on her forehead, partially hidden by a few long strands of her blonde hair.
The Wavemaster looked around for a second or two before noticing Stolls. "Yes?" she asked, her voice soft, yet with a hint of firmness.
Stolls closed the window, and turned to face the newcomer. "Pardon me, miss... are you BT?"
She took a few steps forward, closing the gap between them. "That would depend on who is asking," she said. After a beat, she added, "detective," a sudden touch of playfulness in her tone.
Dean smiled. "Nobody important. Just a geek with a gun."
She smiled back, chuckled softly. "Is that a fact?"
With a push of a button, he sent a party invitation her way. "Care to go for a stroll?" he asked, extending his free hand to her.
The invitation was almost immediately accepted; her stats appeared on his HUD, though she made no move to take his hand, instead taking a step closer. "Lead the way, Mr. Stollis."
- End of Chapter 14