Eliza was down here, as usual, working on her machine. She was humming a Christmas jingle though, trying to be festive, though as a few words slipped free of her lips, it was clear that she was singing "all I want for christmas is a dual-injection over-clocked capacity resonator" instead of the usual words.
Junior arrived through the ceiling and since he didn't want to spook her he replied to her song. "You know we know people who can get one of those for you right?"
"Not many people willing to though"
Eliza sighed, mopping her forehead with a piece of spare cloth she had lying around. The cloth was grey with age and damp with sweat. She'd been working harder and harder since Waya... well, since the dream.
"Ahh you can build one."
Junior said taking a look around her workspace. He wasn't down here often. He always felt useless when it came to technology. "You interested in taking a break for a few hours? Maribel kinda wants to invite everyone sledding in the Danger Room and maybe a little pre-christmas get-together in the red room... We made gingerbread houses."
"Sounds nice. But I really shouldn't"
Eliza frowned slightly at the machine, reaching forward and trailing a hand across the wires that sprouted from one mess of mechanics, following them around slowly, until she found the plugs and the sockets. She pushed hard, making sure they were dug in. When was the last time Eliza really had fun? Or slept?
"Oh now come on Liz..."
Junior took her hand and led her away from the work station. "When was the last time you had any fun or even eaten a proper meal? Just step away from this thing for a few hours, maybe get some sleep and who knows, when you come back you might be able to plow right on through with your work... You can't let your brain go all out all the time." Sometimes he cursed Lyra for handing down her incredibly large brain to her daughter. Liz was too smart for her own good, but sometimes she just didn't know when to stop. "Besides... who else can help me convince Waya to come?"
Eliza blinked, almost flinching at having her hand touched but managing to resist. "Waya?" she said, then sighed softly and scratched her head with the other hand. Her own well being, no, she wouldn't bother pausing for that. But Waya... "You... had the dream too right?" she asked softly, shuddering and tensing as she remembered.
Emotion flickered in
Junior's eyes. It was a mixture of sorrow, hatred and out right confusion. "Yeah..." he said. "Yeah I had the nightmare too." nightmare... anything like what had happened in that dream fell well within the parameters of a nightmare. "She can't just sit in there and let it eat at her. She needs some human contact... Besides, I said I would try... I didn't say anything about being successful."
Eliza sighed gently, then pointed straight at Junior and said "I'll give this a shot. But if Waya doesn't want to come, I'm staying with Waya, and I'm trying to talk to her, alright?" She sighed, shaking her head and running a hand slowly through her hair "It's... nothing against you guys... really... I wish I could play with you, like we used to, specially on Christmas. But... I'd want to keep Waya happy first."
"Waya hasn't been happy in nearly a year now."
Junior said, but who in their little group had been happy? Those who didn't have family ties to what had happened. Phinagin, Jeremy and Maribel. Even Rhydian, who'd gotten here when he was eight had grown quite attached to Waya's dad and this had become his home. "But we can try... And depending on how this goes down you may not be welcome... word is she nearly left the twins in that shadow world of hers for..." Junior stopped right there. The only person who had any inkling about what they'd done was Jeremy and he was keeping his mouth shut like a good teammate. Junior didn't have any intention of spreading that little kernel of information around.
"For...? You know what, I don't want to know what for. Unless it's off of Waya or the twins themselves"
Eliza sighed, rolling up her sleeves slowly, as if she was going to attempt to do something very disgusting and difficult "Shall we go find her then?"
"After you."
Junior said, stepping out of the way.
Eliza sighed, then nodded. Might as well try lower parts of the mansion before going to see if she was in her room. Eliza had no idea where she was, after all.
Junior knew exactly where to look. The control room of
the danger room3
Stumble!