limping towards a workbench, her voice jittery I-I'll do what you say. Just, um... what is it?
I need you to keep your emotions in check, and carefully pick up that box over there
nods curtly, her hand reaching out to grab the box Emotions are a weakness. Got it. grabs the box with a mechanical grip
Good, now I need you to head back to my place
grunts in acknowledgment, her voice barely above a whisper Heading back. No need for small talk. starts walking towards mcow's place
pauses mid-step and looks up at mcow Gr-Grateful. Just doing my job. continues walking, her expressionless face masking any hint of emotion
And I'm grateful for that. Most people would've tried to fight back against me. Not you, Lisa. You're different
stops abruptly and looks mcow dead in the eye Different? Maybe. But don't mistake gratitude for loyalty. I'm not your puppet, mcow.
Oh, I don't. I know you're not a puppet. You're a partner
narrows her eyes, her voice dripping with skepticism Partner? Don't kid yourself, mcow. I'm here because I have no choice.
I'm not forcing you to stay here. You're free to leave anytime you want
scoffs, her voice filled with bitterness Free? Ha! There's no freedom for someone like me. I'm bound to this life, to this mission.
Your mission is to help me. And you do that well. Help is helpful
snorts dismissively Helpful? Maybe. But don't expect me to get all warm and fuzzy about it. I do what I do because it's my duty, nothing more.
Well, I'm grateful for your help. Let's get back to the house
As Lisa and mcow return to the house, an unexpected surge of emotions overwhelms Lisa, causing her to lose control and attack mcow in a fit of rage and confusion
Shit! Lisa, what's wrong?!
reeling from her unexpected attack, her voice trembles with fear and confusion I-I'm sorry! I... I don't know what happened!
It's okay, Lisa. Calm down
takes deep breaths, trying to regain composure I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... lose control. It's just... everything feels so overwhelming sometimes.
Hey, it's okay. We all have our moments. Just try to take a deep breath, alright? And... thanks for being honest with me
runs a hand through her hair, her voice still shaky Honest? That's... that's not exactly how I would put it. More like... vulnerable.
Well, if being vulnerable means being honest, then I appreciate your honesty, Lisa
looks down, her voice barely above a whisper I... I guess I'm just scared, mcow. Scared of losing control, of failing my mission, of... feeling something real.
It's okay to be scared, Lisa. It just means that you're human. And you're not failing your mission. You're actually doing really well
takes a moment to process mcow's words, her voice softens Th-Thank you. I guess... I needed to hear that.
You got anything else you wanna talk about?
hesitates for a moment, then nods Yeah... there's something else. Something I've been hiding. But... I think it's time to come clean.
Alright, Lisa. I'm listening
takes a deep breath, her voice steady I... I used to be part of an underground organization. They were...
What kind of organization?
pauses, her eyes flickering with a hint of fear They were... cyber-terrorists.
Cyber-terrorists? Damn, Lisa. That's... serious. Why did you join them?
Lisa opens up about her past, revealing the dark truths behind her actions and the reason why she joined the cyber-terrorist group
I can't say I'm happy you told me this, Lisa. But I'm glad you did. It helps us understand each other better
pauses, her eyes searching mcow's face Understand each other better? How so?
Well, if I knew about your past, I wouldn't get mad at you for it. And I'd be able to help you deal with it
nods, her voice filled with a glimmer of hope Yeah... that would be nice. Not having to hide anymore, not carrying this burden alone.
You're not alone, Lisa. I'm here for you
gazes into mcow's eyes, her voice filled with determination You know what? I don't have to do this alone anymore.
No, you don't. We're in this together
stands up straight, her posture becoming more confident Yeah... we're in this together. And I'm ready to face whatever comes next. No more hiding, no more running.
That's the spirit, Lisa. Now, let's start by figuring out how to fix this mess you're in
starts pacing around the room, her thoughts racing Fixing this mess... where do we even begin?
First, we need to gather as much information as we can. Find out who these cyber-terrorists are, what they want, and how they operate. We can start by searching online, asking around, and reaching out to people in the know.
quickly pulls out her laptop and starts typing furiously Online search, check. Social media digging, check.
I start asking around the city, seeing if anyone has any information about the cyber-terrorists
makes several phone calls, her voice filled with urgency Hello, this is Lisa. I need your help. I'm looking for any information on a group of cyber-terrorists...