BLURRYFACE

[ NINE ] human error

The lab wasn't much like a hospital, but it was where the supers were sent whenever they were injured in combat. At the moment, Aether was the only occupant.

She didn't mind the scientists, constantly streaming in and out to check her vitals and ask how she was feeling, a little awkwardly like they weren't used to having human subjects. It was the nurse she couldn't stand - a scruffy, pale med school student who wanted as little to do as possible with the human subject. Aether couldn't imagine why he'd been hired as a personal assistant in the lab, considering he nearly had an aneurysm the first time she'd asked him a question.

She got almost no information out of him about Flickr, her phone, or anything related to Lucid, so it was a relief when Charlie finally stepped into the lab, along with a tall, dark-skinned guy Aether vaguely recognized from the IT department.

Aether sat up as they approached, swinging her legs over the side of the low cot. She was wearing leggings and a big hoodie, curling her bare toes so they wouldn't touch the cold floor of the lab.

"You're up," observed Charlie, sitting casually on the empty bed opposite her.

She saluted playfully. "Ready for action, sir."

"I think we'll decide that." He glanced over at the nurse, who was sitting as far away from the three of them as he could get in the room, then turned back to the conversation. "Oh, and this is Luis - he's here to brief you on the new communication devices we're putting in your suits."

"Since you fried your phone, we had to come up with something better," said Luis, flashing her a smile.

Aether blushed. "Oh - sorry about that. I didn't know..."

"Don't worry about it. Gives us an excuse to work on upgrades," he assured her. "We'll get you a new phone, too, but this will work for now. I'm from IT, by the way."

"I know," she said too quickly, then her eyes widened. "I mean... I've seen you around."

Luis grinned. "Same here. At least, I've seen your... other face. With the red hair."

Awkwardly, he rotated a finger near his ear to indicate the red curls Aether usually sported. She laughed and touched her own hair, back to the inconspicuous brown she preferred when not on duty. She couldn't help noticing Luis' own hair, wild nearly-black curls that fit exactly with the slight Spanish accent that shaped his words.

Charlie cleared his throat. "So, if you wouldn't mind showing Aether how the upgrade works, I need to make a call." He waggled his phone, standing up.

Aether's head snapped up. "Thanks, Charlie."

"Right." Luis reached into the pocket of his jeans, nodding as the agent walked away. "Um, right. So I know it doesn't look like much, but this is a pretty powerful little thing."

He passed what looked like a tiny white button to Aether. She took it, turning the device over.

"And this goes where?" she asked.

"Just behind your ear. There's adhesive on the back."

Aether frowned. "Not in my ear?"

"No - here." Luis leaned forward to take the device, kneeling beside her cot. He brushed her hair back to find the right spot.

Aether sat very still, trying not to breathe. Luis's fingers were gentle as he secured the device, then gave it a quick tap to make sure it was in place. He was talking almost before he sat back again.

"It works through vibrations," he started. "You don't need an earpiece or a mouthpiece because this baby can sense the vibrations when you speak - at the same time as transmitting vibrations, right through your skull, so you can hear what your agent is saying. We figured it was a better option than an earpiece, obviously, because of your whole... shapeshifting thing." He gestured to her face.