Chereads / Variant Comics’ Stitches and Burns / Chapter 6 - May 20, 1999

Chapter 6 - May 20, 1999

I rushed into HQ, suit not properly fixed. Agents were staring at me, I just gave them all an awkward smile and rushed away.

I found May in the inventory. She was there, not really the place I would expect her to be. I checked all the usual places to find her but she wasn't there. I bumped into a newbie, a light-blond haired female agent. I deduced she was a newbie because she asked for directions to the cells, something everyone should know.

I entered the inventory and saw May. She was in a flesh suit. Not that it was anything special, I mean she wore it most of the time like it's her favorite suit or something.

I pushed back a box of grenades into the shelf as I walked in. I was still fixing my shoe so I was hopping. Me hopping led to me knocking over a box full of dummy bombs like the one May made me defuse yesterday.

Well... yesterday then... years ago for me now, well at time of writing.

I knocked over the boxes and May watched as I awkwardly put back the boxes. After I finished she looked at me like a mother watching her child clean up the mess he just made.

Harlan: May.

May: Harlan. Good morning.

I sighed.

May: Quite a night was it? You finally won a bet, you then brought me to a pub, ordered some drinks, a little too much drinks, got drunk and-

Harlan: I woke up with no memory of what happened...

I looked at her, an annoyed smile on my face... then it changed into a face of fear.

Harlan: Oh god... did I?

May: Did you what?

Harlan: Did I...?

May: Did you what?

Harlan: Did I...?

May looked at me.

May: Oh.

Her face changed to a more joyous face.

May: OOOOOOH! You mean-

Harlan: Yes!

May: And you think that you-

Harlan: Maybe.

May: -did something...-

Harlan: Did I?

May bit her lower lip holding back her laughter. She got some files and laughed as she walked away. I followed her.

Harlan: C'MON! TELL ME!

May: I don't know Harlan... Do I know?

Harlan: Don't you?

May walked in front of me and stopped.

May: I mean... maybe you did something, maybe you didn't. It won't be fun if I just told you right now. I wanna keep you guessing.

I looked at her, then my eyes moved down to the papers and folder she was holding.

Harlan: What were you doing in there anyways?

I grabbed the papers and the folder from her and read them. It was the inventory list. Everything in the inventory and how many of it this base of T.H.E.P.A. has.

I skimmed through it, all normal except one part.

Harlan: Some bombs have been taken.

May: Says here twenty-five bombs were delivered and added to the inventory.

Harlan: Remote?

May: Yeah. But no change... no twenty-five new bombs.

I checked the other pages, nothing else was taken.

May: I dunno, maybe a delay on the shipment and some idiot forgot to put it down.

May chuckled.

Harlan: Huh. And what's this...

I was going to open the folder but May grabbed them from me.

May: Ah-ah! I'm afraid that's classified.

Harlan: And what is so classified that-

May: My next case, that's what's so classified.

Bullshit. I was calling bullshit.

Harlan: Bullshit! You weren't assigned-

May: Well I was. Well this morning. My dad called me a while ago. The agent assigned dropped the case and no one else was available so... just till someone picks it up.

May smiled.

Harlan: And we're sure you didn't get them.

May: Excuse me?

Harlan: The bombs. Are we sure you didn't take them?

May: What the hell are you-

Harlan: I don't know... for someone who is really good at disarming bombs... don't you get bored with dummy bombs and just wanna-

May slammed the papers on my head. She knew I was joking but still.

Harlan: Sorry.

May: Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I've got shit to do.

May started walking away. I rushed to get in front of her.

Harlan: Where are you going?

May: I just told you, got shit to do.

Harlan: Like?

May stopped and sighed.

May: Look, I just gotta interrogate someone for today. Hopefully. My dad said he'll pass it on to someone as soon as possible. But I think I'll just try to get it over with.

Harlan: Why? So you can base your next fanfiction on this?

May: IT IS NOT-

Harlan: Kinda is fanfiction.

May: IT IS NOT FANFICTION! These are real original stories created and written by me-

Harlan: Heavily influenced by ideas and events you've seen or encountered. You just change things like names and dates to-

May: Well this one is new.

Harlan: What is it? Guy sees an alternate timeline version of himself, who is a lady, and they both fall in love?

May was the type who would quickly have a comeback, but she didn't. She just opened her mouth as though to say something, but she said nothing.

Harlan: It is?!

May: OH SHUT UP!

Harlan (laughing): HOLY SHIT, IT IS!

May rolled her eyes.

May: So... any reason why you're here?

Harlan: Yeah, Forster came back from his mission-

May: Oooh!

Harlan: -yeah, and he's...-

A door was opened. Me and May looked to see what was going on. Two T.H.E.P.A. agents came out with a prisoner. A lady.

Clair Delvey.

I looked at Clair. Dark-blond hair, pretty face, beautiful eyes. Sbe looked at me, then winked. The agents dragged her away towards, past me and May. I turned back to watch as they dragged her away.

May: Hey? Earth to dummy! You still here?

I turned back to May.

Harlan: Yeah, I'm good. I'll- I'll see you later.

May: Harlan, where the hell are you-

Harlan: I'll see you later!

May: Harlan, I-

I patted May on the shoulder, and left May. May yelled something at me about her case but I didn't hear it. My mind was focused on the agents and the dark-blond woman.