Her words, if i was honest, had completely made me want to jump out of my seat.
How the heck had she learned about Angel, and when did she even hear that name?!
I had been very VERY careful when it came to keeping Angel a secret and whenever I spoke with her.
It has always been after I thoroughly double checked the area we were in and that any form of surveillance or evasdroping was impossible.
I kept my expression neutral, raising only my eyebrow in a questioning look.
I would not confirm that I did or did not know what she was asking.
"Don't play dumb with me, I knew you always locked yourself in your room all the time doing all your experiments. So I had one of my own sneak its way into the vents and spy on you briefly before that damn field of yours broke my drone."
"!" Ah, that's how she found out.
I always did put up a EMP type field up specifically for anything that doesn't have a trace of Angel's code alterations in them, and that drone was one of them.
Though she must have caught me mentioning Angel's name just before it went up one time, I'll take this as a lesson moving forward.
"She's a friend."
"Oh? Come on then what else?"
Serana rested her chin against one hand.
I simply ignored her and refused to elaborate any further. I was not going to reveal anything, especially when The Seer could possess Serana and possibly even me as of now.
I was even contemplating erasing the memory of Angel from her mind.
I cannot afford to have any loose ends.
The handful of beings I am wary of is The Seer above all else, The Seer seeks to free The Destroyer but as for why remains unknown.
As for The Watcher, while 'it' had been in the Pre-sequel to help the Lost Legion use the Vaul of The Sentinal to forsee the future, and prevent Jack from using it to uncover The Warrior, which failed.
The Watcher seems to have an active involvement to prevent The Destroyer from escaping it's prison of Pandora.
Without a Siren as powerful as Nyriad the PhaseLeech, then there would be no hope in re-imprisoning The Destroyer, as killing it is not an option.
"I'm not going to say anything further about this."
Serana was going to say something but my stone cold gaze shut her up instantly.
"Jeez, you sure know how to kill the mood. You spend so much time working that I worry you'll forget how to be around people. Well if you have a friend you don't want to talk to me about that's fine."
She looked away, but sneaked a peek to gaze my reaction but I didn't have any except looking at the menu to order my desert.
I knew she was trying to reverse mind game guilt trip me into talking about Angel but I was a thick skinned bastard.
The food arrived after a short while later.
Serana thanked the server and immediately stole one of the strips from my plate despite having an identical serving in front of her.
I stared at her hand.
"Why did you take mine?"
"Older sister privilege."
"That isn't real."
"It became real when I used it."
"You have your own."
"Yours looked better."
"..."
Instead of arguing back, I took two strips from her plate.
Serana gasped.
"Raime!"
"Compensation."
"That's theft."
"Younger brother needs, I am still growing. You wouldn't want me to grow up malnourished and underdeveloped, unlike one of us I intended to be 'complete' when im am adult." I grinned as I had my ears go down for a second for her to catch on.
"Why you!" She clearly got the message as she was flush red with embarrassment and anger, despite being a girl born on a planet that is centered around biological improvements and implants, a washboard chest was not one someone was often born with here.
───
After I had gotten smacked on the head and had a few of my servings stolen as punishment for the insult.
We continued with our day.
The central market was far more crowded.
It occupied several connected plazas filled with shops, temporary stalls and public demonstration areas where researchers displayed consumer versions of recent inventions.
Serana stopped at nearly every stall that caught her attention.
Clothing.
Jewellery.
Holographic art.
Decorative domestic drones.
At one point, she placed a wide-brimmed hat on my head and stepped back to inspect me.
"No."
"You haven't even seen it."
"I can see its reflection in the window."
"It suits you."
"It blocks thirty percent of my peripheral vision."
"That's not something normal people measure."
"I do, if you want to get something, maybe a mask or a rear headpiece will do."
"What are even going to wear something like that for even, at this rate you'll end up a bounty hunter."
"And this hat doesn't?"
"Hm uh..."
"That's what I thought."
I removed it and placed it back on the display.
Serana picked up another one.
This one was bright blue and projected tiny stars around the wearer's head.
I stared at her with a deapan stare.
She looked a bit sheepishly before she then slowly returned it to the shelf.
"Even I have limits," she admitted.
We passed a small stall selling mechanical pets. Most were simple companions designed for children, though a few contained surprisingly sophisticated behavioural systems.
A silver creature resembling a mix between a fox and a cat approached the edge of its display and sat in front of me.
Its artificial eyes tracked my movements.
I crouched.
The machine tilted its head.
Serana stood beside me.
"You like it."
"It's a machine."
"You like it."
"It's an impressive design."
"You want to pet it." The stall owner asked.
"..."
I reached forward and placed my hand on its head.
The artificial animal leaned into my palm and emitted a soft synthetic trill.
Serana made an unbearably affectionate sound.
I withdrew my hand.
"Don't."
"My brilliant little brother likes cute animals."
"I was testing its response algorithm."
"Of course."
She purchased a small replica before we left the stall.
It was a keychain-sized version of the same creature.
When she handed it to me, I frowned.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Keep it."
"I don't use keychains."
"Then put it in your laboratory."
"..."
I looked down at the small silver animal.
Its eyes glowed faintly when I touched its head.
"...Thank you."
I wasn't a heartless person. I have been putting a indifferent expression to everything as I will need to distance myself and I dont want my family feeling bad.
While I could just sit idle and enjoy my life in the hopes that plot armour and the story will play out and everything will be fine.
I knew that it wouldn't, so I had to be the one to make sure every primary Vault Key is gathered and locked away permanently to prevent The Destroyer from escaping and destroying the universe i now live in, at least until I can live out my days in peace and die from old age.
I could give a fuck for the future of this chaotic universe.
Serana's smile became gentler.
"You're welcome."
Though, maybe I might need to re-evaluate my priorities and goals.
I had a brother in my past life though we had grown distant over time.
Maybe in this life a sister wouldn't be bad.