Chapter 25: Lying Eyes
Helen's day at work seemed to drag on endlessly as she found herself stuck in debriefing meetings for hours on end. These marathon sessions were one of the less thrilling aspects of her role as a MAX-TAC operative, particularly the mission debriefs.
As she sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by her fellow enforcers, Helen couldn't help but feel a sense of monotony settling in. The debriefings were a necessary part of their job, intended to analyze their recent operations and identify areas for improvement. However, today's debrief was particularly frustrating for Helen, and not just because of its length.
The mission they were discussing had been a blur for her, a consequence of the drinking.
"All I can say is that it is a miracle that Agent Helen was there and responded so quickly." Ethan states
As Ethan praised her for her swift response during a critical moment in the operation, Helen managed a weak smile and a nod of acknowledgment. She was grateful for his support, but a part of her couldn't help but feel like an imposter in that room. How could she contribute meaningfully when her memories of the mission were so just not there.
"I would also like to say that the street camera had caught the whole fight, so let us go ahead and watch it," Ethan said, his voice laced with an oddly friendly tone.
Helen couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She wasn't sure if her handler's intentions were genuinely friendly or if there was an underlying message in his words. Watching the footage of the mission might provide clarity, but it could also reveal the gaps in her memory.
===========================================
As she walked down the bland, gray hallways of the MAX-TAC headquarters, Helen couldn't help but replay the embarrassing moments in her head. The awkward stumbles, the missed shots, and worst of all, that moment when she shouted RUN BOY RUN!
Her face was burning with embarrassment, she might even over heat some of her cybernetics at this current rate.
"They were praising me." Helen whispers to herself.
They had to be messing with her right? She could've ended that fight in an instant if she was sober. That first kick would've been to the head, either an instant kill or knock out. On top of that she didn't even use her gun, Detective Ward got off the finishing shot. Then that god damn karate pose she did at the end… WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING.
Helen had come to a stop in the hallway. Unable to contain her frustration any longer, she muttered, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" with each word punctuated by a sharp thump of her forehead against the cold brick wall.
Her reinforced skull and faceplate had won out against the brick wall turning the stone to powder.
Helen looks at the damage done to the wall before feeling a slight bit more embarrassed.
"At least Ethan said I was done for the day and could go home." Helen mutters.
================================
Helen stood in the small, dimly lit public elevator, her thoughts still swirling with frustration from the day's debrief. She absentmindedly tapped her fingers on the handrail, Staring at the illuminated numbers on the door count slowly upward as the elevator ascended.
The ride seemed to take an eternity, and the monotonous hum of the elevator's machinery did little to ease Helen's frustration. She glared at the doors willing them to open.
With a loud ding they did. As the doors slid open, revealing the hallway outside, Helen's intense glare continued unchecked. That was until her eyes met the wide, fearful gaze of someone waiting to enter the elevator. It was an honest to god genetically modified cat girl.
"Eep!" Her cat-like features seemed to tense up, and she instinctively took a step back, her eyes widening in a mix of shock and fear. It was an unexpected encounter, and neither of them were prepared for it.
Helen's gaze softened almost instantly as she took in the sight of the cute, startled girl in front of her. It was as if a switch had been flipped, and her irritation gave way to a warmer, more friendly demeanor.
"Uh, hey there," Helen said, her voice gentle trying not to scare the poor girl more.
"H-Hi…" The cat girl whispers looking away from Helen.
"I um, sorry I didn't mean to scare you." Helen whispers
The cat-girl, seemed to relax a bit upon hearing Helen's apologetic tone. She glanced back at Helen, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.Helen had just gone throught the most boring day in the world at work.
"No worries," the cat-girl replied softly. "You just seemed really angry is all."
Helen introduced herself with a warm smile, extending her hand for a friendly handshake. "I'm Helen. Nice to meet you."
"Elena," the cat-girl replied, a bit of meekly. "I'm kinda your neighbor, I guess." She chuckled nervously, as she tried to hide her face.
Helen was slightly suspicious, so she had already activated her cyberdecks and was running everything on the cat girl in front of her.
Name? Date of Birth? ID number?
Fake, all fake.
Address?
The apartment next to her.
Besides that all real information about her was gone.
Cyberware?
She only had a cyberdeck… Netwatch NetDriver MK3…
Was she here for Nyx or her?
As Helen stepped out of the elevator, she watched Elena get in to go down.
Her cyberdeck still running she caught something extremely worrying. The cat-girl upon getting into the elevator had immediately started pressing the close door button repeatedly.
"Nyx…" Helen mutters activating her Sandevistand and blitzing home.