[h1][color=orange]Archie Davis[/color][/h1]
[hr]
[b][i]Present day, within the Microcosm[/i][/b]

Most of the day had come and gone. Arianna and Reyna had left to handle their business with RAVEN.

Archie was situated in the concrete atrium, seated beside one of the surrounding pillars. One pillar over, Jiver had set up his drum set, providing a soft, pleasant rhythm for people as they passed through the junction. Though not everyone passing through was in all too pleasant a mood - word of the riot in Baybridge had come around. Most passed it off as not their problem, others stayed worried regardless.

Archie was watching a video report of the issue on his phone. He didn't even hear the sound of a wheelchair rolling up next to him.

"Shouldn't you be checking up on the bag?" Came the same female voice from yesterday. Archie turned his attention towards the Secretary. He switched the phone over to his texting application and began typing - he never used the TTS around her, she once commented that she found it annoying. Maybe it was a joke but, now he only texted or gestured to her purely out of habit.

[i]I'll handle it in a bit.[/i]

The Secretary looked down at the message on her tablet, and then back at Archie. "I can feel that hypocrite in you coming out." She said, "Hiding in the Microcosm while you still try and get everyone else to leave."

Archie didn't respond. She was just right on the money.

"I get it." She continued, "The riot's working against you. You wanna relieve yourself of the responsibility of keeping hundreds of people safe, but every time you feel like you found a place that looks perfect for meta-humans, something comes up."

Still right.

She sighed, and continued speaking. "Archie, I promised you I'd be one of the last people out of here. That I'd help you get all the rest out and on their feet. But [i]you[/i] have to stop packing up and hopping a bus for the next city over the moment you see someone toting a sign that says "fuck all metas". You are [i]deliberately[/i] holding back your own agenda, and you are [i]running out[/i] of places to go."

Still no response from Archie.

"A lot of the people around here have families on the outside. A lot of them are adults who can handle themselves just fine. The rest? The rest have to just figure it out, and you [i]don't have[/i] to babysit them anymore. You have to man up, play the landlord, and tell them to file out."

Still quiet. Jiver had stopped playing his drums, turning his head over to listen to the conversation.

"DOVE and RAVEN are meant for this sort of thing. They're not gonna lock everyone up in a maximum security prison because they missed their checkups - stern talking-to's, slaps on the wrist, that's it. And if you're worried about the Allegiance or, the Pure, don't be. They're just assholes who stir things up because they feel like they [i]have[/i] to. You brought these people together, and they've learned how to deal with all this kind of shit. They will [i]not[/i] resent you for anything."

A moment of silence followed.

"No one's gonna call you a bad guy for making people do their own things, Archie. But this system? The Microcosm? It's gotta end. Soon. Before something happens and you can't stop it."

She waited for a response this time, but none came. She sighed once more, and motioned for her glass assistant to wheel her out. "You wanna really get started, let me know." She called to him, as she was moved away.

[i]When are you gonna tell me your name? It's been six years.[/i]

She looked down at her tablet as the message came up, motioning for her assistant to stop.

[i]I'm tired of calling you Secretary.[/i]

She paused for a moment, turned her head, and replied, "Bye, Archie." And with that, she was rolled out to the Obsidian Plaza, leaving Archie - and in company, Jiver - on their lonesome. Archie nodded his head a bit before standing up and making his way towards the Microcosm's exit. She was right - he had to check on the bag.

Jiver began playing his drums again as he made his way out.