Maybe this really is home now. You moved out of your old apartment soon after the museum attack; with the way your powers have grown, there's no need to stay close to your puppet. In fact, it's risky to do that now that there are people in your life interacting with Derana. You don't want anybody making the connection.
You've got space to spare, so why not live where you work? You've got the money for everything you need, soft carpets, a luxurious bed, a bathroom without mirrors, and the best air-conditioning money can buy.
Above all, you've got your privacy.
You really can't overstate how practical it is to be living in your hideout; you don't have far to go to get some sleep. But first, you need to get out of your armor.
Stripping off the various pieces, you make a note to run a diagnostic once you've had something to eat. You might still rely on Dr. Mortum for major repairs, but you have worked hard to make sure you know enough to do regular maintenance.
Dr. Mortum. You don't like relying on someone else, especially with Derana getting close to Ortega. The good doctor knows many things; if he's got contacts who would tip him off that Derana has been flirting with a member of the Rangers, it could get awkward.
You could explain, sure, but it's still a risk.
Regardless of your reservations, you need him and his genius.
You are confident that you have taken Dr. Mortum's measure and found him wanting.
You know you might be getting too close to Dr. Mortum, but you are telling yourself that it's just in the interest of business. Sure, you can enjoy his company, he's not without his charms, but if push came to shove, you'd cut those ties like strings.
He might think he's friends with Derana, but it's a friendship of convenience. Nothing more.
Right?
You can feel it now; your first instinct after this current mess was to call him. Talk about what happened. Vent your frustrations. Stop the wheels in your head that just keep turning.
Has Dr. Mortum become more than a tool for your plans? The answer to that is, unfortunately, yes, and you've accepted that. But what's more worrying is that you feel as if the walls between you and Derana have started to become muddled. Is that true?
Sometimes it's hard to remember the difference. But there is one. A big one.
This kind of relationship is something you can only have through your puppet. You can let your guard down with him; there's no risk of being found out, no need to keep careful track of physical boundaries.
You can just be friends.
It's liberating in a way you hadn't expected. With Ortega, there was always an undertone of danger. Of him finding out. You were risking yourself in ways you are not doing now. It's just Derana.
And that lets you be yourself in a new way. No baggage. An imaginary life.
A better life?
Maybe.
You once told Dr. Mortum that he was not a job. It might even have been true at the time, or it might have been a lie. Things change.
You change.
What does that say about your connection? Maybe more than you'd like. It has survived. Despite everything. Despite your lies.
Sometimes survival is the best you can aim for.
One Month Later
Los Diablos, the Millennial Span Bridge. Three months since Garrett Helton X's debut.
Don't.
Don't fall.
There's a low rumbling beneath your feet. Another earthquake, just significant enough to be felt in the steel structure you're perched on.
Just another busy morning in Los Diablos.
Below you, the traffic flows over the Millennial Span bridge like a river; if anyone notices the undulating surface of the road, they certainly don't slow down because of it. The bridge makes a perfect vantage point, not just because of the location but also because of its impressive stature. Unlike the smaller, plainer bridges of Los Diablos, this is a modern, gleaming span of steel, arching high across the fractured bay. It was built to be a symbol of Los Diablos's rebirth, as much for show as to connect the broken coastline.
The Millennial Span is a sign of confidence that the city could build something strong enough to withstand both quakes and tidal waves. If the Golden Gate bridge had still been standing, they say this bridge would have dwarfed it. They probably added a few feet just to make sure they drove that point home. No cost is too high for bragging rights.
You can understand that, you're no stranger to illogical emotions. Like your rivalry with Ortega.
Do you still feel the same, or is there a new target for your ire?