She walked into the lower level wearing a freshly cleaned dressed. In her arms was a present she had wrapped carefully the night before. With a smile gracing her face, she stopped at the door that led to his lab and took a deep breath. It was time.
Carefully, Kim opened the door and slid into the semi-dark room. At the far corner he sat leaning over a microscope. She knew Duncan was at it again, trying to find a cure to the flux infestation within her body. It was nice of him to put so much effort into this one pursuit, but it also worried her a great deal. He was shutting himself away, sleeping and eating little the past week. It was her hope that the box in her hands would bring the fun-loving scientist back.
The woman brushed a stray strand of black hair behind her left ear before walking toward her friend and mentor. She knew that if he was in a bad mood, this could go terribly wrong. Still Kim had to try. She had to get him to take a break even if it was just to open her gift. Stopping a few steps away, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Happy anniversary, Duncan!"
The yell caused the scientist to jump, knocking over two beakers as he did. Duncan watched at the corrosive substances collided and caused smoke to boil up into the air. "Shit!" he yelled as he dove toward Kim and knocked them out of the way. A moment later a small explosion took out the table where he had been sitting.
Duncan hardly paid attention to the position he and Kim were in as he moved off top of her and stood. "Damn it!" His hand found a chair and lifted it. He tossed it toward the smoldering ruin of his work station. "What the fuck were you thinking, Kim? All of my progress... down the drain."
Kim sat up and stared at him, fighting back the tears that were filling her eyes. "I'm sorry, Duncan. I... I just wanted to give you the gift that I made you."
"Gift? For what?"
Kim watched him, noticing how he refused to look at her as he spoke. The anger in his voice made her feel even worse. "One year ago today, I fell into the fountain at your old castle. You took me in and began teaching me everything you knew. I wanted to give you something to say thanks."
"You came in here and scared the hell of me just because of that? Don't you realize what I'm trying to do here?" Duncan spun around, his face red from the anger that he felt. "Don't you realize that you've ruined my work with your nonsense?"
The woman stared at him, unable to say a word. His words cut her deep, made her feel worthless. She looked away and say the box sitting carefully to the side, the purple wrapping untouched. "I..." She slowly stood and pointed at the box. "That's yours if you can get down off your pedestal long enough to see that I was trying to get you to take a break. I thought you would want to celebrate this day, but obviously I was wrong."
Kim spun around and stormed out. She was not going to allow him to see her cry, to know that his words hurt her more than she cared to admit. Once she got to the elevator, she jumped and continued to do so until she reached the top floor. She thought about laying down on her bed, but that changed the moment her eyes fell upon his bed. Grabbing her backpack and the rest of her equipment, she gathered her supplies. She needed time away from him, from this place. It was a perfect time to go out on an adventure.
She walked down the steps and toward the door. Kim paused and glanced back to the elevator, hoping to see Duncan arrive to apologize. When he didn't appear, she sighed and walked out of their base. She left no note because in her mind he didn't deserve to know where she was going. He hurt her, and now it was her turn to find something that would take away the pain for the time being.
Activating her jet pack, Kim rose into the air and enjoyed the cool touch of the wind as it circled around her body. When she reached the right height, she brought out her hang glider and soared away eastward. And for the moment, her sadness was forgotten.
Carefully, Kim opened the door and slid into the semi-dark room. At the far corner he sat leaning over a microscope. She knew Duncan was at it again, trying to find a cure to the flux infestation within her body. It was nice of him to put so much effort into this one pursuit, but it also worried her a great deal. He was shutting himself away, sleeping and eating little the past week. It was her hope that the box in her hands would bring the fun-loving scientist back.
The woman brushed a stray strand of black hair behind her left ear before walking toward her friend and mentor. She knew that if he was in a bad mood, this could go terribly wrong. Still Kim had to try. She had to get him to take a break even if it was just to open her gift. Stopping a few steps away, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Happy anniversary, Duncan!"
The yell caused the scientist to jump, knocking over two beakers as he did. Duncan watched at the corrosive substances collided and caused smoke to boil up into the air. "Shit!" he yelled as he dove toward Kim and knocked them out of the way. A moment later a small explosion took out the table where he had been sitting.
Duncan hardly paid attention to the position he and Kim were in as he moved off top of her and stood. "Damn it!" His hand found a chair and lifted it. He tossed it toward the smoldering ruin of his work station. "What the fuck were you thinking, Kim? All of my progress... down the drain."
Kim sat up and stared at him, fighting back the tears that were filling her eyes. "I'm sorry, Duncan. I... I just wanted to give you the gift that I made you."
"Gift? For what?"
Kim watched him, noticing how he refused to look at her as he spoke. The anger in his voice made her feel even worse. "One year ago today, I fell into the fountain at your old castle. You took me in and began teaching me everything you knew. I wanted to give you something to say thanks."
"You came in here and scared the hell of me just because of that? Don't you realize what I'm trying to do here?" Duncan spun around, his face red from the anger that he felt. "Don't you realize that you've ruined my work with your nonsense?"
The woman stared at him, unable to say a word. His words cut her deep, made her feel worthless. She looked away and say the box sitting carefully to the side, the purple wrapping untouched. "I..." She slowly stood and pointed at the box. "That's yours if you can get down off your pedestal long enough to see that I was trying to get you to take a break. I thought you would want to celebrate this day, but obviously I was wrong."
Kim spun around and stormed out. She was not going to allow him to see her cry, to know that his words hurt her more than she cared to admit. Once she got to the elevator, she jumped and continued to do so until she reached the top floor. She thought about laying down on her bed, but that changed the moment her eyes fell upon his bed. Grabbing her backpack and the rest of her equipment, she gathered her supplies. She needed time away from him, from this place. It was a perfect time to go out on an adventure.
She walked down the steps and toward the door. Kim paused and glanced back to the elevator, hoping to see Duncan arrive to apologize. When he didn't appear, she sighed and walked out of their base. She left no note because in her mind he didn't deserve to know where she was going. He hurt her, and now it was her turn to find something that would take away the pain for the time being.
Activating her jet pack, Kim rose into the air and enjoyed the cool touch of the wind as it circled around her body. When she reached the right height, she brought out her hang glider and soared away eastward. And for the moment, her sadness was forgotten.
