Currently, you could see Clemencia and Dr. Slug wearing aprons and latex gloves while cleaning the destroyed lab.
'Damn her! My beautiful lab… RUINED! It's all that little…' – Dr. Slug thought as he scrubbed a black stain from the floor.
"Nyeouwwww!" – Clemencia made this noise and made him turn around.
She was holding a broken desk lamp like it was a plane as she spun around and eventually let it go in the trash can. She then went to a pile of burned cables, checked to see if they were still connected to the electric board and started moving them around as if they were snakes. Slug was getting annoyed. At some point she even put brushes on her feet and started skating over some oil spots.
"Will you stop that?!"
"What?" – Clemencia asks as she throws a bent bolt into the trash like it is a ball.
"This! You are making noises and playing around! You should be cleaning!"
"Who says cleaning can't be fun? I do work just fine." – she stuck her tongue at him.
"Oh, hahaha, real mature. Fucking brat-"
"HEY! It's not my fault you can't have fun! You have been too sour recently, Sluggy."
"Stop calling me that stupid name, you glitter for brains!"
"Don't wanna!" – she blew him a raspberry.
"Why you little!" – he threw the sponge he was using at her head.
Clemencia ducked and it landed on the floor with a wet smack.
"Hey!" she shouted and Slug turned to look at her "Take your stuff back!"
She had picked up the sponge and hit him straight in the back with it.
"That's it!" – he threw the bucket of water at her but she rolled to the side and shot a latex glove at him.
A fight had started but not with food.
….
White Hat walked down the hallway with a pensive look. He had sent both Dr. Slug and Clemencia to clean the lad, choosing this as a form of punishment and not letting anybody else touch it or help. After drinking a cup of tea, he had felt a bit guilty, so he was now going to check on them.
'I hope they are getting along… If they had cleaned it to an extent, maybe I can let them go…?' – he mused.
Before realizing it, White Hat stood in front of the lab doors. He took a breath, entered the password and prepared to greet them-
SMACK!
A wet, dirty rag hit him straight in the face.
"Oh…" – Clemencia had an 'Oh, shit!' look on her face.
"Clemencia… Dr. Slug… A word with you, please." – White Hat said with an ominous smile.
They both gulped but followed him out of the lab.
===A few LONG hours of scolding later ===
Clemencia and Dr. Slug were out of the White Hat manor and heading into Bombe city, the only city on Hat island.
Dr. Slug dreaded the visit. With all the cleanness, happy carefree faces and the big, fat 0% crime rate… it was no place the doctor would willingly visit. Clemencia on the other hand was super happy do go there, even if it was part of her punishment. She loved the place, especially the park and sweets shop! Now, after the fiasco in the lab, White Hat had finally released them with a task – they had to deliver a package to an address and smooth thing out by the time they were back, otherwise, he'd leave them without dinner and make them sleep outside, plus no more personal experiments for Slug and no more pocket money and TV time for Clemencia.
"You have been to this place before. Where's the damn address, so I can get back to my research as soon as possible?" – Slug growled.
"Stop being MR. Grumpy Pants! I also don't want to lose my TV time! Also…" she looked at the label on the package "I have NO idea!"
"WHAT?!"
"Hey~ Chill. I've never been to many places in the city but I am sure we'll find the place!" – she gave thumbs up.
The evil scientist groaned, dreading the trip and fearing for his personal, secret project.
They walked through the city, friendly faces greeting Clemencia and she returned the greeting with even more enthusiasm. She even stopped at an ice cream shop and was currently licking a triple scoop with an amount of chocolate and toppings that made Slug feel sick.
"So… How long until White Hat punishes us?" – his annoyance was dripping from his voice.
"I dunno? We just need to walk a few more blocks down, turn left from the fountain and go straight until we reach hotel Pita. The package is for the house across the street in front of the hotel." – she took a bite from the cone and chewed.
"Wha-Bu-HOW?!" – he sputtered.
"Oh, Mr. Casim, the guy that makes the best ice creams told me. I asked him when I was ordering." – she finished her cone and licked her fingers.
"Good, now let's go!" – Dr. Slug hurried forward.
"Hey! You don't need to hurry so much! Something might happen!"
"Yeah, right." – he didn't listen to her.
"So… Why are you so grumpy all the time?"
"…"
"Hey~ Sluggy? What is your favorite food? Mine is pie!"
"…"
"Then what is the best movie you've watched?"
"Why are you so annoying all the time?! I don't like this place and if I could, I wouldn't even be here! You are childish, immature, a pure menace, you spread glitter everywhere! Your socks also dyed my lab goat pink last week. PINK!" – Dr. Slug continued stomping forward.
"Aw, I said I was sorry. That was very dirty clothes day, so I threw my socks in without thinking. You shouldn't mix socks and underwear in the washing machine, yanno."
"NO! And I don't care! Why are you even bothering to try and butter up to me? Let me tell ya, it won't work."
"Because White Hat want us to get along! I will try for his sake, even though you are a meanie most of the time. White Hat is the best and I think he has a reason for us to get along!" – she pumped her fist up.
The scientist scoffed and continued forward, side-stepping because of a white and orange net.
"I honestly don't understand what you like so much about the guy. You speak as if he's some all-knowing, divine being. If you ask me…" Slug stopped and turned around to look at Clemencia's face "He's more like a d-"
*Creaaak~ SNAP!*
A crane had been lifting a steel beam up when the rope broke. It was going to fall on Dr. Slug but Clemencia saw the whole thing happening, so she jumped and pushed him away from the danger.
The sound of clanging and tearing, shouts from the construction workers…
Slug groaned and sat up. As he affixed his glasses again, he froze. The realization that he would have been a red splat on the pavement hit him like a train. Besides him laid Clemencia, curled on her left side.
"MR! MISS! Are you OK? Were you hurt? Oooh! I-I'll immediately call an ambulance! Does anybody know first aid here?!" – one construction worker immediately ran to their side and began fretting over them.
"Ugh… I may be a bit scraped but I am fine! No need for ambulance for me! What about ya, Sluggy?" – Clemencia looked at him, trying to look nonchalant.
"I am fine." – Slug stated.
"Oh, thank goodness!" – the construction worker sighed in relief.
Slug however was not paying attention to the fretting man. His eyes were drawn to Clemencia, more accurately to her torn sleeve. It must have been snagged on something and now it was showing her upper arm. She never wore anything that was above her elbow but he had thought nothing of it. Why would he care? Now, he saw that her upper arm was covered in scars. Some were smooth likes, like cuts from a knife, some were circular, as if something round and very hot had been pressed there. Clemencia had been hurt, repeatedly and for a long time, seeing how many of them were overlapping.
"…No probs! Me and my friend have to go now, we have some stuff to deliver for White Hat!" – she smiled.
"O-OK. Good luck."
"Thanks! C'mon Sluggy! Let's finish this delivery!"
He stood up and followed after her, sneaking glances at her exposed forearm, the sight reminding him of his own scars…
"OK. Spit it out. Your paper bag is practically screaming that you want to say something." – Clemencia gave him a sideways glance.
"The scars-"
"Ah, these old things? It's nothing special to talk about."
"Why? How- How can you be so cheerful and annoyingly oblivious?! I would have destroyed whomever did something like this to me."
"Well, that's you. I have decided to smile and be nice." Her face dropped the smile and it became somber, surprising the doctor "To be honest, I had almost given up."
Her right hand gripped the torn sleeve and she squeezed.
"I wanted the pain to stop, I wanted it all to end and even…" she shook her head "BUT! White Hat came in and saved me! He was like the firs sunshine I've seen in a LONG time. It felt nice… So, that day I decided to become who I am now! I promised I would never cry and help everyone I can! To always look things on the brighter side and see the good in the world! Now, let's stop talking about gloomy stuff and deliver this package!"
"Yes, yes…" – Slug said without much enthusiasm but followed the hyperactive girl.
The delivery went well and they returned without any other incidents. Clemencia got to watch her cartoons and a lollipop while Slug immediately ran into his lab to check on his project. A new light was shone on the enigma that Clemencia was for the doctor. She still annoyed him though.