Rainfall under shelter can be therapeutic, the knowing of the harsh or at least inconvenient conditions yet simultaneously the safety from such conditions, the reassurance of a haven that only a home could bring in knowing that despite the unforgivingness of the world there is at the very least one place that can remain pure.
The purity of the place does not need to be judged by its own condition either, as despite the erosion on the wall mostly white albeit clearly not meant to be judging the brown paint clutching on; small cavern entrances by the floor of wooden planks although not ones perfectly laid flat as some noticeably jut out above others; or the wooden furniture of the room not in the greatest shape as they too show erosion additionally with scratch marks and missing features like the hollow dressers, there was still at the very least some semblance of home to be had at least when protected from the harsh rains of the grayish yellow world beyond the windows stained albeit not artistically.
At the very least, even if on the floor with the only cushion being a thick blanket and the only cover being a thin sheet made of a nylon material devoid of inherent warmth, there was tranquility on the face of the young girl deep in sleep, her head resting on an additional sheet folded several times to give it the lift simulatory of a pillow. She was far below that of teenhood, not even a decade of life through, her amber hair short nearly to a buzzcut for she was not too far from bald.
Gently she slumbered beneath the rainfall, shielded all but for the slit that dripped droplets down from the ceiling, least being absorbed in the wooden floor although that wetting had a clearly damaging effect given the general softness that deprived it of its strength. The dripping was not terrible at least, it was certainly not pouring like it sounded to be outside, and it wasn't too intrusive given that the girl was still capable of rest.
Yet even the combination of the unsuppressed dripping sound and the smoothed but overall more intense shower outside could not conceal the shuffling from below that instantly awakened the light green eyes of the girl, her face transformed from peaceful to anxious in an instant, pupils expanded to gather her surroundings to her fullest potential.
Any serenity from rest had no effect as there was nothing but haste in the swift motion of her sitting upright with one hand throwing off the white sheet to expose herself in a white tank top albeit dirtied brown and gray as another reached underneath the folded sheets of the pillow to unsheath a small knife with a blade longer than her forearm which she raised up with an extended arm and aimed in a panning gaze around the room.
However there was no such immediate cause for defense, least not in the room, as it was barren but for her, sized to a closet as while her smaller body made it appear larger it would hardly have enough room for a full sized adult to rest, the furniture miraculously able to squeeze in the deceptively compact space.
There was a door behind her, shut but present, wooden and eroded. It was where the girl glanced again to confirm no reason for immediate panic, almost getting her return to calm as her breathing slowed down and she reeled her head back around.
At the very instant of hearing more shuffling beneath however she threw herself up to her feet, her scrawny form now completely out of the sheet's comfort, her gray shorts visible although with fabric strands poking out. Nonetheless she faced the door and raised her knife up, creeping towards it.
Slow and steady the girl made steps to the door, her bare feet gripping the tilted planks nearly silent, impressive given the state of the wooden floor giving way to creaking, which it definitely did but below a threshold audible from realistically distant.
Past the dripping fountain she only needed a few steps to reach the end, stopping in front of the door with a position of slightly bent knees ready to sprint, her breathing only audible to herself as despite its rapidity it still remained hushed.
In front of the door the girl first just stared for a few seconds in anticipation, almost as though waiting for someone to take the first move so she'd only need to react, an easier motion to make. However seconds passed and that anticipation led nowhere, the looming wooden door still shut, no shadow even in the crevice beneath.
Cautiously one hand was allowed to extend to the door's surface while the other tightly gripped the hilt, the blade's tip facing the barrier that with just a slight push against began to move with a rotation.
Out the door swiveled which set the girl back to a defensive stance, only to be met with an entrance to a narrow corridor with samely eroded brown walls and wooden floors, but nothing especially incriminating. Still the girl was steady to glance both ways, not letting herself fall to haste but instead making every move careful and methodical, fixing her gaze to the left and beginning her way down the hallway with every step just ever so slightly creakier.
Two hands now on the hilt for additional support, the blade still held out but tight and close to the body to allow for a swift strike, the girl crept down the hallway which had a few other doors majorly closing other rooms, although also noticeably without much restraint as they were passively swung shut but without any locking mechanisms.
Every step was pronounced with another delicate creak, one that could be suppressed but not fully removed, but a risk that had to be taken for the sake of exploration down the corridor. There was some doubt over exactly how effective the child could be with the weapon regardless though, her figure was little to that of a fighter's given the thinness of her arms, her clothing baggy for her despite them not being too long as instead she just simply didn't have the mass to properly fit them in. Sure she had the stance to drive more power from her legs and the readiness to drive her arms forth in a second's notice, but there was only so much that could be done in compensation.
Such truth was clear to her too by the panic of the turn towards the substantially louder shuffling, this time with human grunts which she pointed her blade towards, leading her gaze to a flight of stairs leading down, narrow yet steep stairs which spiraled in, concealing any sight of the lower level. There was however just the faintest source of yellow light creeping up: a direction.
Maintaining the upper body of the stance was the most the girl could keep as she had to loosen her legs in order to maneuver down the steps, every crawl requiring a degree of precision that wavered as her foot would hover past the next step before honing in on the next point, her support waning and especially the sound of the creaking intensifying much more.
She clenched her teeth from the screeches of the creak, knowing in truth the steps weren't so loud they could be heard from too distant yet to her they were thunder announcing her presence to every life form on the planet.
Still she persisted in the downward spiral, only given sight for a few feet ahead of her, putting her on higher alert given the subtle raising of the knife and sharpening of the glare, subtle changes that ultimately would not make a difference.
At every step the light got brighter, creeping up her legs and higher, slowly consuming her as she made her way to the beast's belly, her eyes squinting from the lack of assimilation given the recent awakening.
She kept on nonetheless, onward until the final step where in front of her was a larger room resembling a living room with there being furniture, sofas grounded with tables, but ones with leather ripped up to let the stuffing pop out and ones with wood chipped and decaying past life. Beyond the room encased in crippling walls was a corridor onwards leading to another door but further away, and beside the corridor were multiple doorways leading to other rooms, the light emitting from one of the closer ones to the right.
Abruptly from that very doorway stepped out a towering silhouette huge and menacing.
Eyes lit in terror but also determined boldness, the girl stepped forward and began to let out a cry like a warrior's yell, ready to lunge forward and thrust the blade without hesitation.
"Breadhead?" perplexedly asked the voice of a man doused in fatigue, immediately halting the girl whose eyes shot expanded, her mouth hung open and stance frozen before she in the next instant pulled her arms behind herself.
Quick the girl hid the knife behind her back–the blade almost as long– as in front of her turned the towering figure that of a man of middle age, although it wasn't as clear as while he did have the build for a man around thirties he was scarred with wrinkles that advanced his apparent age more to the fifties or sixties. His voice also had a slight rasp although soothed as he spoke in a way that felt like a directed whisper, clear but gentle, almost reluctant.
The man was dressed in thick cargo pants with holsters on both hips and straps along his knees which carried other pockets that kept knives, and above he wore a vest over a black half shirt which had multiple pouches over the abdomen and more on the chest. Around his neck was a grayed silver chain with a small disk sitting over the collar like a pocket watch but closed, and on his neck was a scruffy dark brown beard, the same with the lower half of his face. His actual hair atop his head was shorter though, not to the extreme of the buzzcut but given some waves albeit nothing that'd be defined as long. He had a solemn face mixed with puzzlement, his mouth a flat frown beneath blue eyes.
In his hands was a small hand towel that was being used to wipe his hands, his arms exposed to be heavily scarred with marks all over, some that seemed to have stuck for a long time given their darkness but others a bit brighter, more fresh.
In the same voice he inquired, "What are you doing up this early?"
Both nervous from the near rage she flew into but also visibly assured now to know the source of the shuffling, the girl put out a smile and answered innocently, "I just wanted to. What are you doing so early?"
A sigh already tired, the man glanced back at the kitchen and muttered, "Wishing I wasn't," before then turning back to the girl and announcing, "I readied you some tosses on the table when you want, not now though else you'll be too awake to go back to bed."
Afterwards he turned around and began walking down the long corridor towards the distant door, facing away from the girl thus allowing her to slip her knife against the wall by the couches to conceal them, embarrassed clearly by her near assault.
That embarrassment showed on her reddened face and lowering of the head before she ambled forward a few steps, next to the light source and twirling towards it.
In front of the girl was another small room the size of a closet, a bit larger than the bedroom at least although far denser with furniture as a wooden table sat along the wall and on the other was a countertop with cabinets beneath, all of them with handles that jutted out traditionally.
The furniture much like the rest was degraded and worn, yet there was a population of platter and bags over the surfaces, many of them not visibly sanitary though the lack of a visible sink gave some justification. One of the plates did have a handful of white pills spread out, as in fact there wasn't much substance other than pills inside the bags that were exposed to her sight, some of them different colors but most the same.
The sounds of shuffling ahead turned the girl's attention again, now at ease knowing where it's from but still drawn to it in curiosity.
To the source the girl walked as from her position in the corridor the man was no more, but it wasn't very many steps in a straight line that a turn to a wide doorway revealed him instead in another room akin to a living room but with a triangular table in the center accompanied by wooden chairs with legs, one on each side, the surfaces at the height appropriate for a dinner table.
Rather than food being exhibited however there was instead a wild assortment of an arsenal with a few metal pistols with traditional designs albeit for one which lacks a standard grip but instead is built into its butt, its reasoning clear the instant the man picked it up, able to handle it smoothly before slipping it into one of his holsters. Among the pistols there were also a few sticks and canisters, grenades of some kind, and clear bags containing what looked to be golden pellets.
On one of the chairs, that being the one on his side, a large coat was slung over brown leather but jaded, and over that was a belt with multiple pouches, some soft and closed but some open and rigid, at first empty.
That belt was picked up next by the man who ran it around his waist, handling it from the back for a few seconds before a clicking sound allowed his grip to be released so he could then reach for a few small black metal magazine sticks which he started to grab and slot into his belt through the rigid pouches.
Gazing hazily straight at the magazine slotting into the pouch, the girl curiously albeit apprehensively asked, "Where are you going…?"
Placing the pellet bags inside the soft pouches on the belt, the man continued the process even while answering somewhat unfocused, "Daddy has to go to work for a little bit, but don't worry, he'll be back before you wake up."
He raised another pistol–more traditional in shape like a Colt– up by his face, holding it with one hand as with another he grabbed onto the slide and jerked it back, although at first it suspends only an inch out, clearly not as it should given the concerned gaze of the man as he jerked it back several times before more keenly inspecting the slit separating the slide from the rest of the body while the girl again questioned, "But didn't you go last night too? Can't you take a break for one day?"
Another more cautiously gripping the slide and pulling back, gently at first before driving in some strength, the man at last pulled the slide back several inches more to a length that looked more proper, and after one last inspection with the tilting of his wrist he stashed it inside the other holster.
"Well you see, Daddy needs to go to work so he can get you more tosses. Daddy didn't want to say this now but he might even be saving up to get you a new hoodie so you're not so cold in the winter," again offhandedly assured the man before he then patted his vest, seeming just about done with the loadout.
In spite of the explanation, the girl just frowned and pleaded, "But sometimes when you go out, you come back hurt. Like bad things happen to you when you're gone."
Finally able to face the child now, the man took a few steps forward before dropping one knee, leveling his eyes with hers to alleviate more soothingly, "That's nothing to be worried about. That's just what old age does to a man, but you have nothing to worry about with that."
Unconvinced, the girl lowered her head with a frown for a few seconds until all the sudden an idea popped up, a bright one gleaming like her eyes and smile as she raised her head back up and suggested, "Ooh, why don't you bring me with you? Then maybe I can help you and you won't be so hurt!"
A visible frown cracked across the man's face as he just stared back at the child, his pacific blue eyes gazing on her own, bright like a field, and after a deep sigh he raised one hand and placed it atop the girl's short amber head.
"That would be fun, wouldn't it Breadhead? But I can't do that, not for you," he rejected before pulling his hand back and standing up, turning around and walking away.
While the man approached the chair and grabbed the leather jacket off the back, slipping his arms through its sleeves the girl in a voice more assertive prodded, "What, do you think I'm weak? I'm very strong you know, I can fight anyone! Just let me show you!"
Despite some difficulties in passing his arms through given the noticeable aching of his back, the man threw on the leather rider jacket, the brown skin faded and smoothed, open to reveal the vest underneath.
"Exactly, that's the problem," jested back the man, although turned away, "you'd be too strong and hurt everyone."
Without such a convincing humorous tone which could be due to the lack of any true smile on the face, the girl only frowned as the man tugged at his sleeve cuffs to straighten the coat in final preparations, pleading again but in a tone more defeatist: "Can you just please…come back earlier today?"
Again turning around, the man once more paced up to the girl and knelt down in front of her, his arm sitting on his knee more earnest as he picked up on the understanding that such light attempts at swaying her attention wouldn't be so easy to execute.
In front of him the girl just continued to gaze, standing in the place she had been without a step back or towards, caught against the invisible barrier that would not let her any further but she could not stray from.
Another hefty sigh past, the man just stared soberly, not a smile but not a frown, and in a voice not as forcefully jestful he more sincerely promised with an equally genuine gaze of those mellow blue eyes, "Tell you what, why don't you go back to sleep, rest up that beautiful big brain of yours, and when you wake up it'll be as if I never left the house. That'll be your mission, can you do that for me?"
Still not completely satisfied but not as resistive either, the girl just frowned and lowered her head, her green gaze mirroring back with the reflection of yellow as she ultimately surrendered but in a voice clearly disappointed, "Fine dad…if you say so…."
Through the arid desert of his face the man managed to open up a gentle smile, not one super wide and enthusiastic but at least pronounced enough even if only for himself. He drew himself back up to his feet, beginning to walk away although at first moving backwards to maintain eye contact with the child as he offered, "And when I get back, we can have first meal together! Deal?"
Although clearly downcast to the inevitable departure, the girl couldn't help but feel a slight smile on her face as she acknowledged in a tone lightened up even if just subtly, "Okay dad."
Flashing back that smile for one more moment, the man finally turned around to face his way to the door, off on his journey.
It's only a few steps forward before he suddenly stopped, turning to face the living room he was just stationed at, not completely emptied of the arsenal but mostly now.
His focus wasn't on the arsenal however, but rather one of the chairs, not the one he had his jacket and belt on but one of the other ones of the triangle, the chair that wasn't angled directly towards the girl either but the one in between, the one that faced the man back.
The man had a silent stare with the chair for a few moments, a sentimental expression worn by his worn face, and after a brief nod to it he turned back to face the door on his way out, pushing against the door with the creaking sound of the swing followed by the flooding of the shower no longer subdued by the shelter.
More light of yellows was cast on the girl from the direction of the door, the silhouette of the man carved out in front of her but one that walked away, steps slow in a stroll but only for a few seconds.
Her amber hair only a thin trim on the head, her green eyes wide with childlike innocence but one with a certain numbness, the girl just watched as another shadow started to sweep over the light in front of her, enveloping the silhouette of the man before then consuming the rest of the light followed ultimately with the loud banging shut of the door.
It was just about as loud as the beeping that repeats twice to prompt the woman to raise her hand up just as a bright blue light shines onto it–although the light isn't too bright comparatively to the decently lit white room encompassing her–, flashing away seconds later to leave behind a mug with a handle already gripped by the fingers, the mug's body clear like a glass which allows for visibility of the brown liquid inside with a hue like chocolate, steaming out of the top opening at first hot.
The aroma is brought in with a single sniff, calming the woman whose green eyes continue to gaze forwards, her amber bangs parted to her side professionally at least more than usual as there is a special occasion to justify such treatment.
Although upon closer inspection forward, the woman notices a single strand of hair poking out from by her ear, one hair but one that brings all her attention in as with her other hand she tries to push down on it, bringing it back to her ear only for it to bounce back up.
Irritated slightly, she pushes down again only for it to spring, then again to the same futility, slowly annoying her more before she finally slots it in between her ear and head where it sticks, relieving her with a sigh of content before bringing the mug's edge to her lips, tilting the mug up to let the liquid pour into her mouth for a sip before tilting it back down and pulling the edge away for her to let out a satisfied sigh as from the corner of her eye behind her in the arched doorway there appears a figure in blue.
In an instant jerking motion the woman swivels around away from the mirror sitting against the peach wall to face the man standing at the doorway, exclaiming in both surprise and somewhat of panic from the unalerted entrance, "Oh hey, Medit! Didn't see you there!"
For in the doorway stands the man in the blue suit, the pencil emblem on the chest illuminating in azure which branches in streaks coursing through the body up the golden pauldron and to the back hidden by the black chainmail fabric cape.
The only part of the body exposed out of the suit is the head given that the hood rests down, letting the wavy black hair out and the natural starry azure eyes to gaze although in a weary haze, one maintained as he steps into the kitchen and mentions, "You're here early."
Walking her way up to the island table along the center of the room where sits a white plate with a loaf of white bread used as another plate for cheesy bright yellow scrambled eggs, she takes another sip from her mug before declaring, "Well what can I say, I'm going on a date-,"
"No seriously," immediately shuts down the man, instantly next warranting a frown and riled rebuke, "Hey okay you didn't let me finish!"
Standing in front of the oven, the smooth black top unique to the white top of the rest of the counters similar to the frame around the oven to give it further differentiation, Dana recites again in an ironically eloquent tone of voice, "As I was saying, I'm going on a date with a team from X-Prints, we're going on a little mission!"
All the sudden hit with a genuine intrigue, Meditat raises one eyebrow and paces down the kitchen before stopping by the far corner of the table which he leans his back against before inquiring, "A business trip? What's this about?"
In a childlike grin as Dana holds the mug by her torso with it no longer her focus, she playfully sneers: "That's classified."
"Dana," sternly calls Meditat.
"Okay okay," assures Dana in recoiling from the barrier, sighing and shaking her head with the raise of her mug as she rebukes albeit not entirely seriously, "Jeez, you're making me spill top secret reports out in the open like this huh?"
Focusing her gaze back on him more earnestly she then explains, "I was finally able to get this goahead on a project I've been pushing for, sending satellites to the Rim for public use since many people down there don't have much themselves. It took a while but finally I was able to get things going, so a team and I are going up there to test the deployment of one of them. We're only allowed to put one and it's basically just a test to see if anything happens, because of course they need to make everything so much more complicated."
After an annoyed sigh partially exaggerated she uplifts, "But at least if this works and nothing bad happens then we'll be able to move forward with a more useful deployment, and if this all works out that's going to be billions of people impacted. It's going to do so much for those people who've been rejected by everyone else, they'll finally not be shut out of the other worlds!"
More intrigued but also noticeably agitated, Meditat crosses his arms over his chest and queries in a genuinely stern tone, "Wait excuse me, what? I thought I read mention of that but it seemed it was an idea that ended up being shelved, you mean to tell me you're going ahead with that?"
Visibly shocked by the doubt radiating from the man, Dana blinks twice and steps forward, raising her hands up and protesting, "Wait why are you saying it like that, Medit don't you know how good this is? I mean the people of the Rim may be the most neglected in all the Superverse, for centuries they've been abused and stripped of everything they had, I mean there's people there living lives outdated by a millenia!"
Stepping forward again she argues with one hand on her chest and another, which holds the mug, pointing forth: "This is the first time they'll have the opportunity to grow with us. They'll be able to finally reach out to us, and sure maybe that's not going to fix everything but it's going to open them to conversations they've never had the option of, this could be the catalyst for something even bigger!"
One more step forward, she lowers her arm to the ground and in a voice not as raised although just as if not more passionate she declares, "We'd be doing something truly heroic Medit…something that takes a problem that's existed for so long that nobody's tried to make a real resolution to and do just that. So I…,"
She stays in place but lowers her head with a frown, her volume reduced more as she somberly whispers, "I thought you'd be happier to see what I'm doing…."
Taken aback too but more from the sudden outburst, Meditat almost staggers back, or at least his head does. He blinks twice and unfolds his arms, stepping forward now too but at a casual pace up in front of Dana before stopping and using a more sentimental tone to assure, "Hey I wasn't trying to discredit you or anything I'm sorry it's just…I mean this sounds positive it does like I thought it was shelved because it read off as too ambitious but not in a bad way I'm glad this is happening it's just that…well…you know…it's dangerous."
Moving his hands somewhat awkwardly by his waist which he glances down to, he clarifies in an attempt at redemption, "The people of the Rim have been neglected, I won't contend that, but you know it's due to the infestation that renders it a toxic environment. Going straight there…it's unsafe."
Raising her head back up with a frown, Dana turns around and begins strolling towards the oven away from the table, her head facing the other direction from the one she delivers her refutation to in the form of: "Well…it's not like it's something you haven't done before."
She stops by the oven and tilts her head down to the side before appending, "And I'm just overseeing a short trip there and coming back to safety…it's not like I'm antagonizing the entire Superverse to come after me from both sides. Really, it's fine."
Behind her Meditat contemplates for a few moments with a head tilted down before ultimately arriving at his response which with a raised head and extended arm he offers, "Then let me accompany you?"
Around Dana turns to face back at the man to giggle sarcastically and mention, "Medit, don't you think walking in by my side would make maybe a little bit of a scene? Are you trying to get a crowd to overrun us and get the trip canceled?"
Chuckling although nervously in the realization of his own idea's naivety, Meditat shakes his head and acknowledges, "Right…."
However he rebounds back with the fixing of his gaze and revised proposal: "Then if I can't go with you as Rohan…why don't I tag along as Meditat?"
Her eyebrows scrunched up from the utter bafflement of the horridly terrible idea that couldn't have realistically been passed off as anything but a joke, Dana nearly refutes back before being interjected by the man's continuation: "At a distance I mean, at a distance."
"But you know, I could help escort you there and back, keep guard for any suspicious activity, I've done that countless times even when I was meant to be present officially," clarifies Meditat, raising both of his hands casually to quell, "Nobody will know of my presence unless something that warrants it transpires, but if this really will be a safe trip as you promise then it'll be as though I never tagged along to begin with."
From just about to explode in a reprimand of such a mindless idea to now more sincerely ruminative of the proposal, Dana pauses to let herself think with gentle rolling of her wrist to let her drink slosh around subtly.
She continues to do so while she mentions gently, "It's not just me and a few employees, we'll have an entire military guard escorting us. So we have protection already, official protection. It just wouldn't be necessary."
"But Dana you can't-," asserts Meditat who begins approaching her before stopping short in realization of her own advance that Dana recoils by, demanding he stop and sigh to clear his own buffer and recalibrate his tone.
He places his open palms together to more carefully articulate, "It would be additional protection, just a failsafe. In that case if they seem to be handling any problems adequately I'll remain hidden, but in the event that there's a greater obstacle I could be of service."
"Medit, we're not going THAT deep in the Rim, only the edge where most 'threats' wouldn't go. The worst that would happen is perhaps a few strays and in the event of any interception we have our orders to retreat, it wouldn't become a full scale ambush," explains Dana in a tone defensive albeit gentle, trying softly to let him down regardless of the repetition needed to succeed.
"But Dana think about this," pleads Meditat with one hand waved out, "I mean after what happened last night, I mean Dana I synced him to a Matter Tether, he shouldn't have been able to use any means of nonlinear transportation but you saw what he did."
Throwing both hands in the air he admits, "I don't even understand what he did, I've been trying all night but I've never seen any technology capable of bypassing a Tether and certainly nothing with that effect, it wasn't even like he was using a device…but I've never seen any effects of that variety from an Exhuman either."
Taking one step forward he again proposes with a voice perhaps not as outwardly emotional but still passionate, "He knows all of you, he's still out there, that means none of you are safe. I don't want to lock you in this base, I know you'd rather go back out. But with all the factors occurring here the least I could do is at least ensure your safety when you're out…I mean if you're going to the Rim and something happens I don't have any way to get there quickly, least not in time."
"But if you do that, what about the other two?" queries Dana next, bringing up a reasonable debate with the raise of her head, standing her ground with the mug still in hand, the vapors of the cup just about gone entirely as it's dissipated by now.
"At the very least I'll have protection on my trip, Exitium doesn't know where I'm going but he'll know where they are," she reasons before thanking sincerely, "I do appreciate your offer, I really do Medit, and I'm happy you care this much about the trip. But you don't need to worry about me, I have this handled and your protection is perhaps best spent elsewhere. You forget I've kicked your ass a fair share of times too, I can handle myself."
She smiles a bit more lightheartedly and playfully knocks her free hand into Meditat's chest before walking around him in a swirl to keep him centered in her gaze although getting further as she strolls backwards to the exit, sneering again in a forced conclusion: "If you want I can try to grab some shots of the view for you, I mean I'm not sure if I'm legally allowed to but I'll see!"
She then takes one swing of the mug to her lips and chugs the entire remaining liquid down her throat, gulping only a few times before pulling it off her mug and placing it on the edge of the table with a satisfied sigh, continuing her way to the doorway and down the flight of steps impressively given she lacks any sight of her own path. Off she vanishes around the corner from the man's gaze, leaving the kitchen on her way to her trip.
Gradually the footsteps dampen quieter and quieter the further she walks, yet the man just stands in place facing the doorway in silence, his hair not rustling given the lack of major current in the room, his body instead completely still.
All the sudden the footsteps leap in pace and volume before from that very corner swings out Dana in heavy breathing, peering back into the kitchen and realizing between breaths, "Oh wait I just realized the only pod we have is a stolen government vehicle so I probably shouldn't take that, uh could you help me please eheh."
That request is directed straight to that man just standing on the other side, gazing forward with an expression at first stunned by the abrupt return, then amused by the familiar clumsiness in display never to have changed, but finally somber in acceptance as he closes his eyes shut and lowers his head.
He keeps his eyes shut but raises his gloved hand which projects a blue flame brightly lit like the white walls a substantial distance far with no other furniture behind. The ignition of the fire rustles and blows his black hair back, his cape being brushed too albeit far less noticeable as the azure fire streams about ten feet ahead of him over the metallic white floor before suspending where the tip morphs widened into a shape that becomes that of the familiar frame of a wheelless smooth SUV which then materializes into just that, given a shell almost black but with the faintest hints of glittery emerald only visible from the bright lights coming from all directions of the hangar-sized garage.
Next to the manifested pod stands Dana who glances at him, her amber bangs swaying with the turn of her head.
Creation complete, Meditat gently lower his arm back to his side and raises his head up, opening his starry blue eyes as his hair calms back still again.
In front of the man in the blue suit hovers the dark SUV pod and beside it stands Dana who after a brief inspection of the vehicle from her position flashes to him a cheery smile before walking up to the driver's side which triggers the door to dematerialize open into a cloud, revealing the sleek but comfortable black interior, the dashboard slick with a reflection and the chairs cushioned well.
She throws herself in through the door and slides into the seat, letting the door materialize back to properly enclose the pod, also completely obscuring any sight of her from outside which includes the man's perspective.
The man just remains in place while the pod levitates passively in silence for a couple seconds, but that silence is ruptured by a roar from that very pod as it suddenly comes alive, the roar an initial outburst that tapers down to a hum.
A few moments after the pod gradually begins ascending up further from the floor, only latitudinally which the man tracks with the slow raising of his own head, watching the pod reach closer to the white ceiling that upon the nearing proximity of the pod opens a diamond shaped gate that bleeds in an overwhelming cyan light from the sun along with the rage of the high winds that instantly blasts the man's black hair back same as the cape this time, waving back although unwavering the man remains.
Instead he just stares as the pod exits through the diamond gate higher up the sky, and after reaching a safe additional altitude it then pulls forward and races off away from view, which after a few seconds passed allows the gate to shut and the ceiling to lock once again.
Immediately next all the current is dispersed away with no feeder, causing the man cape's motion to wilter to a stop same as the hair, and in only moments following his figure freezes again motionless like a statue, his gaze's angle stuck the same, the width of his astral eyes and the curvature of his frown fixed.
Despite there being no audible hum from the engine as it's long gone now he just remains standing and staring at where he saw it depart.
Despite there being no operations left to execute in the garage, no requests left to fulfill, he just remains standing and staring at where he saw her depart.
Despite there being no true reason to remain stationed where he is now as there was nothing left that he was to do, he just remains standing and staring at where he saw his old friend and former assistant depart.