Misdirection

Part I, Chapter 4: A Fateful Encounter

MARIBEL

"What are you doing back here in Myna?"

I asked a single, simple question. And yet, she already looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Both her and those poor lost innocents behind her looked incredibly uncomfortable.

But for now, I didn't really care. I deserved an explanation.

Edith's lips finally parted. "...It's nice to see you again. Do you know where the Professor is?"

"Seriously," my voice cracked. "That's all you have to say, after two years of nothing."

Edith flinched. "Maribel, there are a lot of more important things going on-"

"You packed your bags and you left. That was it. There was no way to reach you. No email. No social media. Me and Remmy were worried sick about you. I filed police reports. I searched for you for literal months  before giving up."

Remmy let go of Edith and shot a look of betrayal at me. "Hey, you told me she went on a vacation!"

"Yes, I did. And I'm sorry for having to constantly come up with excuses for you, little buddy, I really am," I glanced back at my former best friend. "But the truth is, she abandoned us, Remmy. And all she left behind was this."

I reached into my coat pocket, where I had always kept the note every single day ever since I found it. I unfolded it and read it aloud.

"I'm off to do great things somewhere else. Don't look for me.' Signed, Edith."

There was a solid silence. Edith just stared at the floor, her lip quivering. Remmy slowly backed away from her. He stared up at her, waiting for an explanation.

But she just kept deflecting. She slowly raised her head, having the nerve to make another stupid statement. 

"...Listen, Maribel. I completely understand how you feel-"

"Do you, though?" My pitiful, scratchy voice echoed through the empty hall. I was barely in control of my own words. I felt like I was talking to a stuffed doll.

The towering hulk of a man and his wife beside him eyed us cautiously. But the slender, quiet man in the graphic tee looked as if he were genuinely worried for me. These people had nothing to do with what was going on, and I was beginning to feel like I was making a complete clown out of myself for losing it in front of them.

Suddenly, all their eyes shot up at once in excitement. I turned around, wondering what the big deal was.

Marissa and Lazzari had come out of hiding. I had told them to stay behind in case it was another attacker, but I guess they had decided these random people were no threat.

"Miss Pendleton?" Lazzari's voice was hushed and worrisome. "Is all of this ...true?"

Her face was beginning to become bright red from embarrassment, and she quickly changed topic.

"...Ah, sir! Good to see you again safe and sound! All the other staff are upstairs heading to the recreational dome for the briefing. I was actually heading there now, if you'd like to join us."

This was so unlike her. I couldn't believe it.

The professor just stared on at his assistant, his forehead coated in wrinkles. He looked like he was thinking hard. I only wished I could read his mind, because he had been paused like that for a while.

His face suddenly straightened back into a sly smile. "...Of course, Miss Pendleton." He walked away, gesturing for her to follow. "Yes, let's head onwards to the briefing. I'm sure they'll be absolutely relieved to see us."

"Miss Jefferson," Marissa whispered, rushing between me and Edith. "We don't have much time, dear."

I heard their words, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Edith. What happened to her?

I remembered all the times we spent planning school events and watching movies together, occasionally bringing my little brother along for the ride. She always had a warm and welcoming feeling about her, always easygoing, honest, and easy to talk to. There were even times where I felt like Remmy liked her more than me.

I gently brushed past the tall Amazonian looking woman, and walked straight up to Edith, looking into her sea-green eyes, searching for any semblance of my old friend.

I had thought I was over it by now. The madness of everything going on around me, coupled with worrying for my brother's safety.

But after seeing her again, the dark pit in my stomach had opened once more. I was mixed up inside. It felt as if I were standing in front of a ghost of her. A shoddy representation of my best friend.

But even still, it was her. And I had to accept that from now on.

I brought her in for a hug. I hadn't felt her touch in years. My eyes began to water uncontrollably, and I had to fight to keep them in.

"...Don't do that again," I squeaked through my pitifully wobbling vocal cords. "I don't have any family to spare, you know."

Edith hugged back. She was completely silent, but she hugged back. That was all that mattered to me. At least, for now.

...

After a while, we parted ways. Professor Lazzari followed Edith and the lost group of people, and his wife and I began to walk further down the hall.

Remmy trailed behind us, still just as disheveled from that encounter as I was.

"Mari, do you still think she's going to come back home?"

I waved a hand. "Rem, please."

I didn't feel like dwelling on that. I still wanted to know what exactly was going on with everything else. The fatal chaos in the streets was a bigger worry than seeing a long lost friend, and the fact that we had to navigate all the way to the deepest reaches of the headquarters just to get an did not do well to ease my anxiety.

We eventually reached a rusted steel door, locked with a PIN pad. Marissa punched a code in quicker than i could follow, and it swung open. 

I peered inside, only to see a wide, rusted elevator shaft gleaming amongst the darkness. It looked like it had been built a long time ago.

"Okay," she sighed, her deep voice filled with a sense of foreboding. 

"I don't understand," I said, making my doubts known. "...Where are we going at a time like this? What about the safety briefing? What about the Professor?"

The towering lady put a hand on my shoulder.

"Maribel. Darling. I know this will seem like a threat, and I promise, it isn't. But from here on out, I will need you to do exactly what I say, when I say it. Otherwise, we are not  going to make it out of this alive."