[Ariston Industries Center, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 3:00 PM, May 7th, Tuesday 2025]
As Cathy and Amelia stepped out of the elevator they saw two familiar faces.
Broc Saeger and Carrion Murata were both at the front desk waiting for the receptionist to arrive.
The ground floor—the lobby—seemed otherwise entirely empty, it was beautifully decorated with couches on both sides of the room, chairs, two vending machines down the left hallway, potted plants and various pieces of art on the walls, which were painted in black, gold and purple.
Carrion looked over as the elevator opened. His eyes widened.
Carrion Murata: "You've gotta be— It's the two girls from the mansion, they followed us?!"
He looked over his shoulder at Broc, who pretended to be checking a watch, there was nothing on his wrist.
Broc Saeger: "It looks like it's headache after headache with you…"
He reached into his pocket in an instant, grabbing his gun and firing three shots towards Cathy and Amelia.
Cathy Ariston: "What the hell?!"
Cathy moved immediately, stepping in front of Amelia, her arms extended.
The bullets stopped against her aura, seemingly inches from her face.
Broc Saeger: "Huh, that's interesting… She must be Gravity."
Carrion Murata: "Don't engage unless you're meant to, Saeger, we don't know why they're here!"
Carrion unsheathed his katana, pointing it towards Cathy.
Carrion Murata: "Hey! Why are you here?!"
Cathy Ariston: "What's it to you, jackass?! Let us go, this doesn't have to happen…"
Cathy grabbed the three floating bullets in front of her with gravity and threw them onto the floor.
They began submerging into it, like quicksand, until they fully fell through.
Cathy Ariston: "What the…"
Broc Saeger: "You're lucky that aura stopped those bullets, they would've fallen through your body, hitting multiple organs and causing a slow painful death."
Cathy felt anger building up within her at his statement.
"Why are they all so willing to attack everyone on sight?! It's like we're not humans anymore…" Cathy thought to herself as she glanced back at Amelia who stared up at her with a hopeful expression.
Amelia Orwell: "We'll be okay, r-right? Miss Cathy…?"
Cathy sighed and cracked her knuckles, turning back to face the two agents.
Cathy Ariston: "The name's Cathy Ariston, don't you forget it."
She brought her palms together, pointing them towards Broc and Carrion.
Cathy Ariston: "Gravity: Spearhead—"
The elevator dinged.
The doors opened behind them, The Overseer stepped out, his large eye in place of his head blinking twice in surprise, before chuckling.i
The Overseer: "Oh, what a surprise this is! My two agents forgot that they were supposed to see me in my office directly instead of reporting to our receptionist and then coming back down here to get rewarded. I really have to get that through to you boys, you're not from here so that makes sense but…"
He stepped around Cathy, a strange green aura began glowing around his hands, he began using Flow.
He grabbed Cathy's hands and gently lowered them.
The feeling of having Flow against her aura was a constant boiling sensation, it was very hot but not enough to hurt. Her aura flickered around her, dimming.
The Overseer: "It's still really infuriating, right? Miss Cathy Ariston."
Cathy pulled her hands back from him, his presence sent a shiver down her spine in a way that made her irritated and scared.
Cathy Ariston: "W-what are you doing here, sir?"
Carrion Murata: "Yeah, you told us to report to Asia the moment we came through the doors!"
The Overseer: "No."
He made a clicking noise, despite having no visible mouth or face or tongue, stepping closer to Carrion as the green aura around his hands disappeared.
The Overseer: "I said after you report to me, the moment you come through the doors, you can report to Asia… Who as you can probably see—"
He pointed to the receptionist desk, there was nobody there.
The Overseer: "—Isn't even here."
Carrion nodded, sheathing his katana and holding up the Primordia.
Carrion Murata: "It won't happen again sir. Here's The Primordia, as per mission request."
Cathy had no idea what to do, there were too many risks.
She couldn't fight any of them without putting Amelia in serious danger, as well as other people.
She couldn't fly past them as she'd probably get caught easily; there wasn't enough room.
She could only watch and wait, feeling anxiety build within her.
"This bastard knows my full name now, fuck his super hearing! I shouldn't have said that. If he connects the dots together and finds out I'm related to Obadiah Ariston, they might not let me go…"
Cathy felt a small push against her back, it was Amelia, trying to get her attention.
Cathy Ariston: "What?"
Amelia Orwell: "Why don't we just walk out of the front door? He said we'd be allowed to—"
The Overseer: "—The girl is right, Miss Ariston. And so are you."
The Overseer turned around, so did Cathy.
She met his one-eyed sinister gaze.
The Overseer: "You are now valuable employees of this company, nobody will stop you. Everyone operates based on their given contract and mission, while not on a mission no one employee can utilize their abilities without repercussions from Headquarters…"
He stepped closer, hands behind his back, his pupil seemed to dilate the closer he got to her.
The Overseer: "Or the respective facility manager… That would be me. Isn't that right, boys?"
He glanced back at Carrion and Broc.
Carrion Murata: "Yes sir!"
Broc Saeger: "Mhm, correct."
The Overseer: "Good, that's good… Well, off you go. Work starts tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. Don't be late."
He walked back towards them, taking the Primordia from Carrion and putting it on.
The Overseer: "Fits like a glove, or in this case a gauntlet."
He handed it back to him.
The Overseer: "Alright, I'll go and call Asia here, otherwise you're all dismissed."
Cathy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she grabbed Amelia's hand with gravity, dragging her along as she floated towards the doorway.
The Overseer: "Oh, and remember—Enjoy life."
Enjoy life. The company slogan. The phrase Obadiah used to say to her when they were still happy, when Yoshio was there reading her bedtime stories, when she played with Normand outside for hours, when her mom used to make her smoothies.
When life could be enjoyed.
It made her stop and glance over her shoulder, shooting him a look that said "I hate you".
The Overseer didn't even react, he stood and watched her turn back around, grabbing Amelia and going out of the building.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh thank goodness, that was so terrifying… I don't like this place! Ngh… L-let's go, please?"
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah, we'll take the back alleys, I know the way."
She felt determined. To do what, she didn't know. But she felt determined.
They quickly made their way through the alleys of the city, the journey to her apartment was quiet.
Amelia was closer to her now after all that happened but they were still practically strangers, a maid from a family that was destroyed and a daughter to a corporate monolith of lies.
All they could do is walk next to each other, thinking of the future.
[Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 3:20 PM, May 7th, Tuesday 2025]
After a while later, they finally arrived at the edge of a large brick apartment building.
There were stairs leading out into the alleyway, leading into the back of the building.
Cathy Ariston: "Alright, well, here we are…"
Amelia Orwell: "It looks so much dirtier than I imagined! Which is okay, because I'm not used to this."
Cathy Ariston: "Used to what?"
She asked as they walked up the stairs and into the building, the room inside was the elevator room, up ahead she saw the main entrance and to the right the door to the basement.
Amelia Orwell: "Well, outside of chores, I've never really gone into the city… I've never been in an apartment building before! It smells like detergent and… um… Is that rat smell?"
Cathy let out an amused huff, pressing the elevator button.
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah, well, you get used to it. This isn't exactly the best part of town."
Amelia nodded, stepping closer and standing next to her.
Amelia Orwell: "Um… I… I wanted to say thank you."
Cathy glanced at her from the side, crossing her arms.
Cathy Ariston: "For what? For letting Erika die? For letting my friends be heartbroken and disappear? For being so…"
She paused, looking down at her hands.
Cathy Ariston: "So useless… I can control gravity, but can't make an impact. That's so fucked up! Agh!"
She yelled in frustration, slamming her hand on the wall of the elevator, it didn't do much due to her aura softening the blow.
Amelia Orwell: "Thank you for taking me in… T-thank you for trying so hard! Thank you for being kind and gentle and protective! For laughing with Master Jack, for sharing a meal with Mistress Erika, for teaching me how to be stronger…"
She paused, a big grin breaking out onto her face, she turned and wrapped her arms around Cathy, enveloping her, aura and all, in a hug.
Amelia Orwell: "Thank you for being my friend, Cathy Ariston…"
The sheer sincerity of the action and the look in Amelia's eyes made Cathy instantly tear up.
The tears fell before she even realized it, reaching up to swipe one with her hand.
Cathy Ariston: "Holy shit… That's the nicest…"
Her voice cracked, her face scrunching up as she began sobbing, wrapping her arms around Amelia.
The aura seemed to flare up, like her heart, enveloping the both of them.
Cathy Ariston: "That's the nicest fucking thing someone has said to me in a week, and that includes James's shitty pep-talk… Hah…"
She chuckled weakly, pulling back to look down into Amelia's eyes.
Cathy Ariston: "You're a bloody national treasure, sweetheart."
Amelia giggled, the sound soft and tinkling like a bell.
Amelia Orwell: "You're welcome!"
The elevator doors opened just in time, Cathy wiped her eyes and hovered inside.
Cathy Ariston: "Come on. I want to keep practicing that meditation thing Erika showed me, I've got to get rid of this aura already…"
Amelia Orwell: "Okay… Do you mind if I make some lasagna? I'm really good at it!"
Cathy's lips curled in a gentle smirk.
Cathy Ariston: "Raid the whole damn fridge."
Despite everything, only now she felt like she could finally breathe.
This is what home meant to her.
They were both home.