"That's what got you so worked up?" Miranda asked I'm amusement, her lips widening into a teasing smile.
Tyrone saw her smile and realized she'd misunderstood something. He opened his lips to explain, but as he saw her smile, he closed them again and said nothing.
"You could say that. But I am very much alive," Tiana replied; she didn't have the same teasing smile as Miranda, but there was some amusement in her eyes.
"I don't understand" Tyrone stepped forward, his forehead in a scrunch as he studied Tiana's body. His expression soon turned awkward and his gaze lifted to her face once more.
Tiana equally felt awkward but also relieved that her current state didn't allow her to be expressive.
Her lips opened, but Miranda was faster, "It's a clone," she said, attracting Tyrone's gaze to her.
"That's impossible," Tyrone blurted, and the two girls turned sharply towards him.
"Why?" Miranda asked. She had formed an idea of Tyrone in her head and felt he should be more accepting of new ideas, he didn't seem like the kind of person to deny the existence of the metaphysical.
"Because it denies a fundamental truth" Tyrone replied.
Before they could ask, he explained, "Human consciousness is not transferable and also impossible to duplicate. Meaning no person can be in two places at a time."
Miranda and Tiana were stunned for a moment sharing a look of pure confusion.
A ragged laughter ended the eerie quietness that followed, and the trio turned to Doc, who had awakened at some point. His abdomen had stopped bleeding and he seemed to have somehow recovered some strength.
"What's so funny" Miranda glared at him.
"You stumbled on a madman in this godforsaken country and I became the unfortunate one to hunt you with him."
"I don't think I appreciate your perception of me," Tyrone interjected, but his expression betrayed no annoyance.
"When faced with an impossibility, a challenge to everything you have ever known, instead of being stumped you try to explain it. That Master Tyrone is indeed madness" Tiana said and curtsied.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Lady Tiana, The Constant." she turned to Miranda and continued.
"I have arranged a way for you out of Saleria and back with me; everything you need will be delivered here in a few minutes. I'll take him with me and take care of the mess their presence in Saleria has caused"
She walked towards Doc who shivered visibly and shrunk back as if trying to melt into the wall. Tyrone especially took note of how he avoided Tiana's gaze.
He stepped closer to Miranda and asked in a low whisper, "How does a clone work?"
Miranda glanced at him and turned to Tiana who was busy surrounding Doc with duct tape. Seeing no reaction from the latter, she started to explain, "You are right about the human consciousness but you think too much and have too many complexities blinding you to a simple truth. Perception can be wielded. Like a VR reality environment presents the possibility for a person to be in two places at a time, so can clones. But there are limitations; she cannot perceive anything in her environment while operating a clone. Although Tiana is a little special so that's not a weakness for her." Miranda quickly explained, and instantly, Tyrone's eyes widened in realization.
He chuckled at himself and gently shook his head.
"Don't reinforce your self-doubt because of this event." Tiana suddenly looked up at him.
"What?" Tyrone asked his eyes wide in a mix of surprise and confusion.
"You wanted to go home because you thought something was wrong with your perception?" Tiana asked but Tyrone simply stared at her without responding. He wasn't acting mysterious, he simply had no reply. Instinctively he hid his weakness but not gracing her question with an answer because both an affirmation and a denial would provide her with information.
"Your perception was right, your information short, and thus, you made the wrong judgment. Your reasoning was at fault, not your perception" Tiana explained.
Miranda's expression turned weird, and she pointed at Doc, who had now almost turned into a grey ball with only his face visible and free.
"Don't you have things to do?" she asked, cutting short Tiana's interaction with Tyrone.
Tyrone glanced at Miranda but said nothing and waited silently as two hooded figures entered the shop to pick up the body and Doc each.
As the figures walked past him, Tyrone frowned again and suspiciously glanced at Lady Tiana who flashed a smile at him and winked.
"Okay... you should get going, I'll wait here with Tyrone. It should be safe now" Miranda quickly approached Tiana and guided her out with a smile on her face.
"I hope this isn't goodbye, Master Tyrone." Tiana nodded curtly at Tyrone before walking out with Miranda following her.
Once outside the shop, Miranda's expression turned cold.
"The hell was that?" she asked angrily.
"What?" Tiana asked back, her expression placid with a smile on her face.
"Stop doing that. It's creepy," Miranda glared at her. The face of a clone was ultimately not as expressive as a human's and even Lady Tiana's advanced technology did not provide her with a way to express emotions in a clone.
"You know what I'm asking. Why are you exposing secrets to a Commoner?"
"Why are you blaming me? You explained clones to him too" Tiana's tone expression her befuddlement.
"Yes, but I found him first," Miranda rebutted, and they both suddenly fell silent.
"So that's what this is about" the clone squinted.
"No- No!" Miranda gestured her frustration by fisting downwards.
"That's not what I mean!"
"What do you mean then?"
"I... I just, I'm looking out for you, you always complained about attracting that type of attention. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to introduce him to our world." As she explained, Miranda felt herself become more confident, and her tone expressed it.
"Our world? The world you denied? Miranda, I don't think I need to remind you about your situation. As for Tyrone, he is not as simple as you think, and he is a person; remember that. His life, his choice, and his decisions." Tiana's voice was cold at the end. An SUV pulled up in front of them, and she got in; the door closed, covering her from Miranda's sight, and the SUV drove off.
Miranda's eyes followed it for a while and she let out a sigh. Her eyes suddenly turned sharp and she cautiously glanced around before quickly heading back into the shop. Making sure to lock the doors from the inside, she stepped towards Tyrone who was sitting on the chair but had his eyes closed.
She knew he wasn't sleeping, but at the same time didn't want to disturb him. She wasn't in the mood for a conversation anyway, especially not with Tyrone.
'How could I forget? Even if it was just for a moment, how could I forget? What kind of a person am I?' she asked herself over and over again trying to find some explanation, some excuse for her thoughts. All she was left with was guilt and self-disgust without any explanation
A peaceful silence descended on the shop that had just a moment ago seen blood and a battle. The blood still soaked the floor, and on the wall where Doc stood, there was still that palm print from when he tried to steady himself and the ominous trail of blood from the print downward from when he failed.
Neither the atmosphere nor the gentle breeze from the slowly rotating ceiling fan revealed any tension. While the two people in the shop buried themselves in silent thought, the world outside continued just like it had yesterday.
Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Miranda, with the gun in hand, went to answer it while Tyrone stayed still like he was asleep.
She soon returned but Tyrone was no longer in the seat where he was.
"Wha-" Miranda looked around in confusion and soon saw Tyrone who was standing by the bathroom door staring at her.
"You're quite cautious." Her lips twitched at the sight.
She raised her hand to show him the duffle bag she was holding before setting it on a counter.
Opening it, she found two passports, some cash, two IDs and a gun.
"She prepared things for you too." She looked up at Tyrone, who raised his brows in surprise.