Teamwork is a skill we lack. (II SUPERHERO AU FIC)

53

After some mild observation from some more doctors, and a day more at the hospital, Taco was discharged. Physically, she seemed fine now, but nothing could really be done about her mental strain, other than some psychiatrist recommendations. In which Taco would ultimately discard as her and Microphone slowly walked along the streets, back to the base that the two of them shared, that Taco hadn't been in for... Well, she can't quite remember how long it's been, but she was sure it had been a while. The silence as the two walked was comfortable. Well, until Microphone struck up a conversation.

"So um... I ran into that Candle lady on my way back to you. Um... She said she had gone to see you first, about where the hero's base was, why did you tell her you couldn't remember?" Microphone frowned, thinking it had just been Taco lying, but unfortunately, it seemed like there was more to this.

"I... er..." Taco stopped walking for a moment, her gaze frustrated as she strained to think. Microphone stopped walking now too, turning to look back at Taco with nothing but patience.

"I really don't recall where the base was... I fear there seem to be a lot of gaps in my memory."

And this was exactly what Microphone had been dreading. She had picked up on Taco struggling to remember certain things-- most of them being the job itself, but Mic had originally just chalked it up to being traumatic or something... But it was more than that now.

"It's just very frustrating. I know I knew these things, and now that they're gone, now that I just... can't remember, it's as if the world is taunting me. That this is my punishment for being such a foul--"

"Taco, it's... it's not fine, but don't finish calling yourself horrible things. Maybe it'll all sort itself out in a few days." Mic gave a hopeful thumbs up, but an unconvincing grin that she knew Taco wouldn't fall for, but she kept it up. At least one of them had to stay positive.

Taco would just sigh, and continue walking. She couldn't recall where the other's base was, but she at least still knew where hers was...

Right?

"Um... You're going the wrong way." Microphone gritted her teeth, realizing this was much worse than either of them had thought.

"I-- Knew that." Taco groaned, turning to follow Microphone as she took the lead. The silence now was much less comfortable for Taco, a tension in the air that felt like it could strike her down at any moment. There were a lot of small details that she just couldn't wrap her head around. Yes, most of it was just job related, working with cobs and all that just felt like a confusing blur, but there was so much more she couldn't process... But all this could surely wait. Right now she just wanted to get into her own bed. Her own room. It was as if she had blinked, and time had passed that she couldn't process, as one moment the two of them stood on a sidewalk, the next the two of them were outside the base. The thought alone made Taco's head hurt as she let out a slight, pained groan.

"Is everything okay?"

"Just fine." Taco gave a pained smile, trying to dismiss the headache, as the elevator door opened. Just before Taco had moved to step in first was when the sky lit up.

"Oh great, I'm hallucinating now." Taco grumbled under her breath as the both of them looked up to the sky.

"Uh... Well I see it too, that's the thing," Microphone's eyes widened at the sight of a... spaceship?? Floating over a distant section of the forest.

"This... Can't be good." Microphone frowned.

"How about we just... Go inside. It doesn't have to be our problem. Haven't we been through enough?" Taco begged, moving to carefully put her hand in Microphones.