Rift

Chapter 4: Silver and Grey

"And... You're sure it'll be safe there?" Colin asks May from across the kitchen table.

The woman nods. "It should be. J says it's safe and as far as we know, the Imperium doesn't know about it. Should be as good a place as any to lay low now that all hell is breaking loose over the continent," she says with a careless shrug.

Edith's face deadpans. "'J says it's safe'? That's not exactly reassuring."

"Not even a little?" May asks.

"Nope. If anything, I'm more worried now than I was before I asked," Colin states.

May sighs and rolls her eyes. "Well, it's either this or stay here and wait for the Imperium to find us. Or really, to find you. Lemme remind you, I'm now harboring three wanted criminals of the Imperium. One of which that just turned all of Eutria into a chaotic hell pit," she motions her thumb towards Regan.

"So, I'm going to the island whether or not you're coming with. Not gonna risk my hide and hair to save you assholes."

Cree shrugs and looks between Edith and Colin. "I mean, it sounds reasonable enough. Whoever this 'J' is, she can't be that bad."

Edith and Colin, in unison, frantically shake their heads with a look of downright terror.

Regan sighs. "It's better than sitting still. If this place is more or less off The Director's radar, I'd say we go for it. We need somewhere to go to start thinking of a plan without having to constantly look over our shoulders. This island sounds like it might just fit the bill," he states.

"Who even is this 'J' anyway?" Cree asks.

Colin winces and shakes his head again. "Careful... don't say her name too loud, or else she might—"

"If you have a problem, the solution is J! And J is here to save the day!" The pink explosion of smoke poofs out on the table and J appears in the center with her hands above her head and a proud gleaming smile.

She flips off the table to place herself between Regan and Cree, wrapping her arms around them both and looking between them.

"OooooOoo are these the new members of our merry little band? Delightful! Are y'all ready to take some ass and kick some names?"

May sighs and stares deadpan at her. "Wrong order, J."

"No it's not, bend over boys!" she claps Regan and Cree on their backs.

Regan squeaks and looks back at her. "Wait, what?"

J giggles and boops him on the nose. "Aw, I like this one. He's adorable and innocent. I would very much so like to fix that!" she winks at him.

Edith snorts and rolls her eyes. "You may wanna rethink that, J."

"Why?" J takes another look at Regan and the flustered look on his face. She steps back, looks him over slowly, examines his hat, then grabs his face and squishes his cheeks, her own scrunching up in confusion. She steps back and places her hands on her hips, then she snaps her fingers and her energetic expression returns.

"Ooooh! He's a fruity little cutey!" she pinches his cheek and giggles when he flinches back and lowers to Cree's side.

"Cree, she scares me," he whispers.

Cree pats him on the back. "We survived Aramora. We can survive this."

Colin looks to J, trying desperately to keep the topic on their next step. "Before this deescalates any further into madness, J, May says that you've got an island that we can lay low on while we work out a plan?"