Wow, they're really going all out this year on the advertising. The annual Zoomer racing tournament was coming up and Keira had passed maybe….fifteen posters? She wasn't really counting, but it caught her attention; she didn't live terribly far from the stadium, and paper wasn't especially abundant. It just seemed wasteful. She rolled her eyes at yet another one featuring Erol's sneering face, advertising him as the "one to watch for." She hated that she felt even a little indebted to him; but then again, he was the whole reason she was out of that interrogation room. Sure, he had a crush on her, but she knew she really got his attention when she mentioned her impressive skills as a mechanic. The only thing he seemed like more than shoving his power in people's faces was winning races, and she modded the best Zoomers in town. I should mod the best, I invented them after all. Keira smirked to herself proudly as she undid the padlock.
She entered her garage and pushed her teal hair out of her face, ready to get to work. Thankfully she'd already finished the tweaks to Erol's Zoomer, so he shouldn't have a reason to come talk to her. She'd spend the day working on the Rift Rider. Fixing the thing is going to be the easy part. Getting home is the problem. And how the hell am I going to get Papa out of prison? I will not ask Erol for help. The precursors only know what he would ask for in return… Keira sighed to herself. One thing at a time. Focus on the Rift Rider, and hopefully Erol and Krew's new errand boy won't bother me today. She never bothered to learn Krew's lackey's names, they came and went too quickly. She had just finished her ritual of coffee preparation when she heard approaching footsteps and she was thankful her back was to the door. Erol didn't see her grimace when he walked in and spoke.
"Well hello there, Miss Mechanic."
She wiped the completely unpleasant look off her face and settled for an only slightly unpleasant one, turning to face him and leaning against the table. "Hi. To what do I owe this pleasure?" She couldn't hide the note of sarcasm in her voice.
"Ohh, I was just strolling through on one of my patrols when I thought I'd stop by, see how work is treating you." Erol always spoke so haughtily, arms behind his back. "You seem to be much…busier, nowadays. I've noticed a new face coming around. A plucky new racer, perhaps? Hmm?" His smile and cocked eyebrow indicated he was trying to pry.
He must be referring to Krew's new errand boy. Keira thought to herself as she poured the coffee. She did not offer Erol a cup.
"Oh, yeah, a new racer. Well, he's trying to be a racer. He's never raced before, not Zoomers at least. But he's done well with the Hoverboard design. I heard he broke all the stadium records." Some truth in her lie. Best to not mention she'd been working with Krew, and by extension, the Underground. Keira didn't want to give Erol any reason to come around more often. She noticed a twinge of irritation in his face at her last sentence. Erol wanted to be the best at everything, and she was sure he didn't appreciate her "bragging" about someone else in his presence. It probably didn't help that he'd been bugging her for a while to let him try the Hoverboard. She had declined his request before.
"I see. Well, I must say I do so hope I will see him on the race track. This city has become so stale, there is no talent here! None that can compare to mine, at least. And it's so rare to see new faces in the racing tournaments." She noticed him glance at her from the corner of her eye, presumably to see if she was paying attention. She barely was. Any attention was spent making sure he didn't bump into anything important as he slowly walked around the perimeter of the garage.
Erol continued, "While I am happy that I am not the only one in this pathetic city who has the brain capacity to recognize your skills, I must express my concern." Erol stopped in front of Keira, still holding her coffee cup. "I know you have your little team of racers, and I think it's adorable that any of them think they can beat me. However," he leaned forward slightly, as a means of intimidation, "I don't want you to forget where your true loyalties lie." She had a feeling this went beyond Zoomers and races, but she didn't want to get into the topic of her work with Krew.
Keira set her coffee cup down on the table behind her and stood to her full height, shoulders back, and arms crossed. He was only slightly taller than her, but with her attitude, you wouldn't have noticed the difference. "Well, considering I've already completed my work on your Zoomer, and you approved the final modifications, I really don't see how I spend my time is any of your business now." She wasn't outright hostile, but she kept a firmness in her voice that attempted to settle the matter. Yet, Keira also couldn't help but rattle the hornet's nest. She smiled a bit. "What, are you afraid that I'll make his Zoomer better and you'll lose? I'm a woman of my word, Erol. I promised you the best, I delivered the best! So if you lose," it was her turn to lean forward, forcing him to back up, "then it's on you."
To her surprise, he threw his head back and laughed. "You never cease to impress me, Keira! I eagerly await the first race, and we'll see how your new friend fairs." With that, he turned on his heel and sauntered proudly out of her garage.
She wanted to explode and throw the wrench that was sitting on the table. A couch sat in the corner of the garage for those long nights where she couldn't be bothered to go back to her apartment. She grabbed a pillow and screamed as hard as she could into it, muffling the sound of her frustration. She didn't want to work for Erol. She didn't want to work for anyone, really, or at least she wanted to have control over who employed her. If she couldn't be with her Papa, or with her friends, she at least wanted to work on something she loved with people she trusted, at least until they could all be reunited. Her screams turned to sobs as she sat on the couch, face buried in the pillow, hoping that something, anything, would change.
