She was already helplessly annoying. I could almost deal with the clunking limp with her cast, but the questions were getting on my last nerves.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"My place." I answered, wishing for the sweet blessing of an unexpected aneurysm.
"Why?"
"Because the head of experimentation needs you to be in a clean environment where she can gather more samples if necessary."
"Why not just keep me in the lab then?"
"You're not small enough to fit in the cage with the rats."
"Very funny." she huffed, fully intending the aggravated sarcasm in her voice.
"I thought so as well."
"I didn't." She retorted. I wondered if she was a redhead.
"I didn't want you to. It's much funnier that way."
"Is this the real reason you made me leave my promotion? Have some lab coats molest me so you could pester me like some kid?"
"I would apologize, but I'm not sorry. It was hilarious."
"How would you know? You're blind," she grumbled.
"I don't need to see something to know it's amusing. You should have heard how those security guards laughed. You must have looked like a frightened child in the middle of a family reunion. Aunts and uncles pinching your cheeks and touching your hair, must have been a hell of a picnic."
"Picnic? That was an absolute nightmare!"
"You obviously have never had a nightmare."
I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. How old did she say she was again? Whatever it was, I wished she would stop acting like a child. She was lucky she wasn't in that fuel room right now. They could have cared less if she had a broken bone. Hell, she could have been 9 months pregnant and in a wheelchair and they still would have brought her in for testing.
"So where exactly is your place?"
I shouldn't have relished in the silence. Of course this nitwit would decide to drop it and break it.
"Upstairs," I answered. " You can't access it through the main elevator or stairwell. We have to go through the engine room and unlock a door to a private stairwell."
"For security reasons, right?"
I nearly rolled my eyes. "No, everyone quite obviously loves me here. Absolute heartthrob. Why would anyone plan to assassinate me?"
"Are any of the sentences that leave your mouth NOT sarcasm or something spiteful?"
I felt myself smile. "No. This is basically what I do for a living."
Thankfully, she shut back up as soon as we entered the engine room. This was the only place I could see everything around me. Everything was making noise all at once, with steam hissing and cogs churning and coals crackling. It always smelled metallic and ashen, but in a good way. I always dreaded having to put in the pin code to go into the nearly silent stairwell.
"Make sure to close the door behind you." I told the Annoying Girl. She did so obediently.
'Good,' I thought. 'At least she isn't stupid.'
I feel Kingsley brush his muzzle against my knee, signaling that we had gotten to the door of my apartment. I scratch his head with a silent gratitude, and unlock the door. I hear the Annoying Girl sharply inhale , and take a step back as indicated by a quiet tap against the wooden flooring. Commoners were such funny little people.
"You live here?" she asked, barely audible.
"I do. Stop gawking. It's horribly rude to stare."
All I had to do was step over the threshold for a scurrying to start a few rooms away. Rapid, high pitched barking started softly, but became louder as a small beast ran into the room. He slammed into my shins at high speed, still yapping happily on impact.
"Hello, Brixton." I said, greeting the clumsy dog.
The Annoying Girl made a noise that only the dogs should have heard, and started speaking utter gibberish to Brixton, who was laying across my feet. He ate it up like I didn't give him any sort of attention at all, rolling off of my feet and scampering around the room again. Whatever this girl was doing to my dog, it would have been great if she stopped. She was living up to her nickname a little too well.
I closed the door again, and hoped that whatever malevolent being commoners believed in nowadays would grant me the blessing of her being too stupid to walk in, her being smart enough to stop squealing, her being anything that wouldn't give me a migraine. Sadly, this nonexistent benevolent being did not grant my silent wish and she had followed me in.
Still.
Squealing.
She had to be a juvenile. She had to be. There was no possible way that she was just a short woman. Her voice came from below my shoulder when she spoke, her steps weren't overly heavy so she couldn't weigh too much. Had to have the metabolism of someone younger than I was (Twenty. I feel much older some days, however.) That was, unless, she was anorexic or had been starved in Pipeworks. First option? Unlikely. The doctors would have kept her if so, or at least mentioned it. Second option? Very plausible. Paid to work, not eat.
My thoughts were interrupted as a soft white light flashed in my vision. It took me aback, silencing everything in my body. My heart stopped beating. I stopped breathing, holding my breath, waiting for it to happen again. Begging for it to happen again. I hadn't seen light in 7 years. If there was a chance that I could just see that flash, just one little burst, I'd stop breathing forever.
It took me a second to realize that the Annoying Girl had stopped. Had she seen it too? No, that couldn't be. She would have said something, wouldn't she? I listened for a moment, waiting for some audible signal of snooping or wandering. There was a light giggle from across the room, followed by the sound of Brixton sneezing.
"What the hell are you doing to my dog?" I asked, entirely confused.
"Rubbing his belly," she chirped.
"Little traitor. After all I've done for you?"
"You threw me in a lab of crazy scientists!" the Annoying Girl objected.
"Not you, the dog."
