The Babysitter

New Discoveries

Scarlet's PoV:

"It's my fault we're both stuck. If you didn't have to come find me, we wouldn't be in this mess" I mumble.

Coal seems dead against that idea. "No, don't blame yourself. It was my choice to go looking for you, and I would have never just left you alone."

This reassured me a tiny bit. Actually, quite a lot.

"Oh... I think I know how to get out!" I exclaim, having a sudden 'lightbulb moment'. "My mother took me to a maze for my 7th birthday... it's two years ago, but I specifically remember the trick she taught me. Reach out, right now, with your left hand. Touch the side of the vent, and don't let it come off. Just go forwards"

"Really?" He asks, sticking his hand out, and I do the same. "I trust you, Scarlet"

Hearing those four words made me feel happier than I had for a long time. Just four honestly spoken words, but it made such a difference knowing that someone trusted me. Trust is a special thing, in my opinion anyway. I don't give mine away easily, either - the only people I'd trusted within the first week of training were Lime and Teal, and therefore Cyan.

"I trust you too." Is my reply. However I also believe there's another verb that would fit quite nicely in the last two sentences that had been spoken between the pair of us.

Maybe it's just me... but perhaps, just possibly, maybe even hopefully, it might not be.

Blue's PoV:

This mission had been a complete disaster.

Yeah, there, I've said it now. Happy?

I'm sick of forcing a smile and saying that everything will be okay. Because you know what? Sometimes life is hard, okay? But the crew were relying on me, so I stepped up. I had to, it's kinda my job to keep the crew's spirits high, which had not been easy.
Heh, 'the crew'? Really? What even is the crew now?

Two. TWO. Only two people did I manage to save.

Still... it's better than most of the others would have been able to do. Anyway, this isn't on me, alright?.... surely this is NASA's fault for sending us on this mission. They should have known, surely?

I stop pacing around the halls of Mira HQ for a moment, just pausing to gaze out of the window. Reflecting on things is something you have to do a lot as a leader. I wouldn't expect Lime or even Black to understand, so that's why I was doing this at 4:00.

Honestly, I'd been expecting silence at this time. But apparently not.

Whispers coming from..... below my feet?

Oh that must be her - but who's she talking to?

Holding my breath, I listen closely. A vent creaks open in the next room. That's admin?

Any plans to remain hidden and listen in for information were completely abandoned as I raced into Admin, to see Coal and Scarlet clamber our of the air vent.

"H-Hey..... Coal....." Scarlet murmurs

"Yeah?" He asks, seeming quite worried about the level of fear in the other child's voice.

She just points. At me.

Before he could react or even turn around, I grabbed his arm and sharply pulled him away from Scarlet. "So you're one of them too, huh?" I snarl, but his facial expression was hidden behind his visor. I hope I'd scared him.