Rosa completed her second lap, her tracking device held in front of her. She looked up and down at the series of buildings that she passed, watching for anything out of the ordinary. The device's buttons flashed green, and the numeric display remained at a steady 1.0. So far, nothing either visual or otherwise, to suggest any presence of what she was looking for.
"I honestly think they've been fully rooted out and disbanded," came the voice of her godfather on Rosa's comms.
"You're probably right," Rosa sighed. She continued her slow paced walk. The only trace of anything World Corps-related over the past couple months was the rare discovery of an old bunker, sometimes containing AMA parts, but more often than not, completely gutted and an empty husk. Justifiably, BADGE resources were laser-focused on the threat from Echidna; but there were several independent groups - Rosa's among them - that continued to investigate the remnants of any World Corps forces. The last thing anybody needed was to see their resurgence.
"If they're gone though... then what?" asked Rosa. "If Trailene was among those entranced by Lady Echidna, what next? Do we get the band back together?"
"I've thought on it a lot, Rosa. As has your mother, as has Aflima," came the soft response.
"I... trust you guys completely," said Rosa, trying to hide her doubts.
"Yes, but you're also a grown woman now, Rosa, and your insight is just as valuable. Don't think of yourself as a kid always needing guidance. You've found your niche, your role. And not too long ago, you proved you're fully capable of handling your own business. What do you think?"
Caught off-guard, she paused.
"I think I'm not going to rest easy until we know the truth of Trailene. Preferably alive, and locked away," she shrugged.
"I'm happy you're honest with yourself, although I'm sad this burden still weighs on you. Just don't let it send your anxiety and stress levels sky high," said the voice on the other end.
They soon said their goodbyes - with a promise to meet up soon. Rosa disconnected and continued onto her third and final lap of the course she plotted out. The tracking device showed zero change.
She soon sensed the presence of someone nearby, then smelled a faint aroma. It was oddly pleasant. She turned around, smiling.
"Hi, Krystal!" Rosa said, delighted.
"I was in the area and spotted you across the bridge," said the red-haired female, known to most as Krystal Fae and once known in another realm as Acidburn, to her friend. "You look well, but you were certainly the picture of concentration and determination a minute ago."
Rosa shrugged, but her smile didn't dissipate. "Krystal! How is baby Guinevere?"
"Baby?" laughed Krystal. "My word, she is definitely not a baby anymore. Her growth is that of a raging river. One day you'll have to see her in person."
"I'll hold you to that promise. Meanwhile you look young still, maybe younger! Almost too young to be a whole mom!"
"That's very kind of you, Rosa. To be fair though, the aging process of fae is somewhat different than of humans. People have speculated and theorized on the differences for centuries, but even among us, there are differences and variations."
"Back in S.H.C. I don't think you were much older than me, but even though you look young, you still are miles more mature... and wizened. I wish I was wiser," Rosa confessed.
Krystal snapped her fingers gently. "Wisdom isn't some finite marker in one's life. It's ever growing and I wouldn't want you or anyone to fix themselves on trying to get wise before their time. Remember that."
Rosa smiled, then hugged her friend. "I promise I won't rush."
---
Quite a distance away, Sticks had a long-range scope focused on Rosa's ongoings. His sniper rifle was slung across his back in plain sight, but there was nobody in the vicinity to notice the potential assassination.
"Do not engage," came Trailene's voice. "Just monitor. Let her complete her task then report back."
"Ten-four," Sticks replied calmly. His smirk was huge.
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OOC: The memory of Chris Evans, creator of Krystal and Alex, will long remain an inspiration to myself and I believe many of the other current RP and fan-fiction writers in this forum. I wish we could have chatted more about the things that unite us when it comes to story-writing, art and the games in which we interacted over the years. Rest well.
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