Loonatics: United

Compromised system

Episode 154: The calm before the storm

"Have you ever doubted if you'd come back alive?" Akinyi asked Edison while stroking his cheek.

"What do you mean?" Edison inquired, caressing her arm lovingly.

"You know, from a mission." Akinyi responded.

Edison thought for a moment. "Sometimes." He said with a lost gaze. "I prefer to ignore it, though, pretend I'm not afraid at all. Even before we got into this, in my…previous job, I dreamed with myself buried in a pit, sometimes it was a coffin."

"That sounds terrifying." Akinyi said.

"It was, but I knew I deserved it." Edison grasped her arm gently. "I deserved to die, well…I still do."

"Baby…don't say that." Akinyi embraced him tightly, resting her forehead on his.

Edison got silent for a long moment. "What about you?"

Akinyi sighed. "I think about it all the time." She stroked his back with tenderness. "Not because of guilt, though." Akinyi closed her eyes. "Just because it's always a possibility." She kissed him. "One never knows what could happen."

Edison kissed her back. "It's better that way."

The Loonatics and Randy were in a big pool that was located several meters above the main one, having taken several sets of stairs and tunnels to get there. The pool was square shaped, with no walls or ceiling covering it, there was a small waterfall at one of the sides. The heroes sat down on one of the large underwater benches that were attached to the sides, right in a corner so they could all be together and hang out there.

"So, Randy, tell me how are you feeling with us, well with the team I mean." Rev inquired just to make some conversation.

"Uhm…cool." Randy replied shyly.

"Very cool, you mean." Duck added. "Being with us is the best thing that could've ever happened to you guys."

Randy nodded. "Yes I guess so." He smirked very briefly.

"We're almost twice as…capable now, this was a good idea." Tech said. "I mean, if we decide to continue with this partnership in the future."

"That's pretty much guaranteed, there are ads all over the network with the faces of us all, 'The team-up of the millennium to save Acmetropolis and beyond' they say." Rev chuckled. "That must be coming from your boss." He told Randy.

"Mhm, maybe." Randy shrugged.

Ace was sitting next to Lexi, surrounding her shoulders with his arm. "This would be perfect if I didn't know we're gonna…" He yawned, the warm water was making him somnolent. "…fight that thing."

Tech sighed as he got his hands behind his head, looking up while closing his eyes. "I think we shouldn't worry about it until we have to."

"That's in one day." Duck said. "I'm worried as well, honestly."

"We'll be fine man we always are." Rev said while patting Duck's shoulder. "Besides, it's just an AI, an illusion. We are more than an illusion aren't we?"

"Right." Tech replied firmly. "It might think, decide, calculate, but it can't feel, it can't live." He got silent for a moment. "It doesn't have a soul."

"That doesn't seem to matter nowadays, Doc." Ace said, now just resting his head on the pool's edge as Lexi was laying hers on his shoulder. "Not to many people, at least." His gaze was lost on the simulated night sky and stars above them. "But it matters to me."