Repair crews in Acadia worked fast; a week after Sarah assessed the damage caused by her own fight with Chymera, it was as though she'd never brawled the bestial shifter at all. She walked down smooth asphalt, up a sidewalk pale with newness, and briefly touched a spot of bricks on the café wall that were just a little out of place. Her own unblemished reflection stared back at her in the big window. When Jane popped into being behind her with a coffee, Sarah grimaced at the scabbed bite marks peeking out of the other woman's collar.
"Here," Jane said. Sarah turned to accept the coffee the teleporter held out to her. "I--already ate the muffins. Sorry." They both looked back into the café. "Sure you don't want to go inside? Get more muffins?" Jane asked. "She didn't let him out." Sarah turned away as a woman began stepping out from behind the counter inside.
"I know," Sarah said. "But I want somewhere less crowded, anyway. Come on."
"Nope," Jane said fifteen minutes later. They'd settled in one of the downtown parks. Sarah sat on a bench. Jane paced in front of her, teleporting mere inches at a time whenever she turned. She took sharp bites of the apple--or banana, or donut--in her hand as she moved. "Not happening. This is the worst idea in the history of worst ideas."
Sarah shrugged. "Yeah, probably," she said. The hero rose to her feet; Jane teleported again, and Sarah was perfectly placed to grasp Jane's free hand. Jane's eyes fell to their twined fingers while Sarah continued speaking. "But I'm doing this either way. I just need someone to keep an eye on me, that's all."
"Sarah, she tried to eat your dog!" Sarah's jaw clenched as Jane pulled away. She began to move, and then took a slow breath.
"I thought you of all people would understand being that hungry," Sarah said. The younger woman frowned at the apple core in her hand.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do." Jane flicked out of place. She reappeared with a handful of fries. "So," she said around a mouthful, "What are we going to do?" Sarah settled on the bench to dig out her phone.
"Hi, Ben," she said once he answered. "No, everything's fine. I just wanted to let you know--I'm going to need a week or two off. Yeah, I have this thing, I'm just giving a friend a hand with something, so I need the time. Alright, thanks. I'll let you know. Thanks. " Sarah tilted her head at Jane's expression. "What?"
"That's Silverlake, right?" Sarah nodded. "Silverlake, the guy who runs three-em-pee? The smart guy?" Sarah nodded again. "He's gonna know what you're doing, Sarah. He's--if he's your boss, he's gonna find out, and he's gonna stop you. He should stop you! 'Cause, this is crazy. He's going to see right through you."
Sarah stretched her arms out along the back of the bench. "Probably," she said. "In fact, I'd bet he'll know exactly what I'm doing. But he won't stop me. You know she said there were people trying to help her but it kept being bogged down?" Jane nodded. "I bet there'll be soylent green or something like it on the shelves--or, in the prisons--within three months," Sarah said.
It took two.
"Here," Jane said. Sarah turned to accept the coffee the teleporter held out to her. "I--already ate the muffins. Sorry." They both looked back into the café. "Sure you don't want to go inside? Get more muffins?" Jane asked. "She didn't let him out." Sarah turned away as a woman began stepping out from behind the counter inside.
"I know," Sarah said. "But I want somewhere less crowded, anyway. Come on."
"Nope," Jane said fifteen minutes later. They'd settled in one of the downtown parks. Sarah sat on a bench. Jane paced in front of her, teleporting mere inches at a time whenever she turned. She took sharp bites of the apple--or banana, or donut--in her hand as she moved. "Not happening. This is the worst idea in the history of worst ideas."
Sarah shrugged. "Yeah, probably," she said. The hero rose to her feet; Jane teleported again, and Sarah was perfectly placed to grasp Jane's free hand. Jane's eyes fell to their twined fingers while Sarah continued speaking. "But I'm doing this either way. I just need someone to keep an eye on me, that's all."
"Sarah, she tried to eat your dog!" Sarah's jaw clenched as Jane pulled away. She began to move, and then took a slow breath.
"I thought you of all people would understand being that hungry," Sarah said. The younger woman frowned at the apple core in her hand.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do." Jane flicked out of place. She reappeared with a handful of fries. "So," she said around a mouthful, "What are we going to do?" Sarah settled on the bench to dig out her phone.
"Hi, Ben," she said once he answered. "No, everything's fine. I just wanted to let you know--I'm going to need a week or two off. Yeah, I have this thing, I'm just giving a friend a hand with something, so I need the time. Alright, thanks. I'll let you know. Thanks. " Sarah tilted her head at Jane's expression. "What?"
"That's Silverlake, right?" Sarah nodded. "Silverlake, the guy who runs three-em-pee? The smart guy?" Sarah nodded again. "He's gonna know what you're doing, Sarah. He's--if he's your boss, he's gonna find out, and he's gonna stop you. He should stop you! 'Cause, this is crazy. He's going to see right through you."
Sarah stretched her arms out along the back of the bench. "Probably," she said. "In fact, I'd bet he'll know exactly what I'm doing. But he won't stop me. You know she said there were people trying to help her but it kept being bogged down?" Jane nodded. "I bet there'll be soylent green or something like it on the shelves--or, in the prisons--within three months," Sarah said.
It took two.
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