Mika was still on the fence about telling the others what she had found. They had a spy among them that was privy to both operations. To her knowledge, there weren’t too many people that could be. In her heart, Mika was sure Ashley was the mole. Everything had been going great for her, and her actions as leader were a bit questionable. Or did Mika just want it to be Ashley because she didn’t like her? Whatever. It was late. Mika decided it would be easier if she remained at HQ for the night. There was plenty of stuff to do and Fritzi had given her a room to use. But first she decided to take a shower. It was always easier to think after taking a shower.

HQ wasn’t massive. There were only a handful of Gemini espers in Pax, and most of them could make due with a unisex shower room. Pax’s espers had been mostly female anyway, and presently Finn was the only boy in GEMINI. There were four showers, each one had its own privacy curtain and was seperated by a tiled wall. Mika had become quite familiar with them from all the traveling she used to do with Su, as they were similar to the ones you'd see at a rest stop.

She sighed. Mika didn’t even have to scrub to turn the water black.

A few minutes passed before she could hear the door open again, followed by someone sharply cursing under his breath. Usually Finn would just wait until he headed home for the night to shower privately, but he had spent most of the day trying to improve his fighting skills and didn't exactly enjoy the feeling of being sweaty. The boy figured he'd take a quick one when no one was using it then leave. Such was his luck that the sound of someone already present caught his ears a second too late.

[color=7F2A3C]"Uh, sorry, I can come back another time!"[/color]

From inside the shower, Finn sounded like a muffled, unfamiliar voice. In a flash, Mika transformed into cerberus before dashing towards the voice. She plowed into the privacy curtain with enough force to knock down the curtain rod. Mika skidded across the tile floor and threw the curtain out from in front of her face. She open her hand, ready to rake her claws across her would-be stalker, only to freeze when she noticed who it was. 

Cerberus was standing in front of Finn, fully clothed, with a shower curtain thrown over her shoulder. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face, and her hand hovered a few inches over his head. 

[color=tomato]”Oh, it’s just you.”[/color] She relaxed her shoulders. 

[color=7F2A3C][i]"Ffffffucking hell!"[/i][/color] Not the worst hello, he figured. Just Mika, albeit a tense Mika, but it makes things a bit [i]less[/i] awkward. Especially since she took the liberty to transform into a more decent form... [color=7F2A3C]"Should be saying that to you too. Sorry for the intrusion, I didn't think anyone was in here at this hour."[/color] Finn casually spoke as if she hadn't nearly scratched his face off.

[color=tomato]”I’m here late most of the time.”[/color] she turned away from him and walked back over to the shower rod, which had fallen on the floor. It was a simple metal dowl that had been knocked out of a J channel. She slid the curtain’s rings back onto the rod. This wouldn't be hard to fix. [color=tomato]”You don’t have to be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”[/color] He was too far away to be peeking, and he was young enough that Mika questioned if he was even interested in girls like that. [color=tomato]”Why are you here? Don’t you have a nice bath at home?”[/color]

He shrugged. [Color=7F2A3C]"I didn't feel like going home covered in sweat. Feels gross."[/color] The boy explained. [color=7F2A3C]"Combat practice."[/color]

[color=tomato]”Mmmhmm.”[/color] She tugged on the curtain to test its strength before turning back towards Finn. [color=tomato]”I haven’t gotten to work with you yet. I don’t think we’ve talked much either.”[/color] Ashley thought Finn was super important for some reason. At least, that was why she had assumed their great and glorious leader decided to take Finn and every able hand at Gemini. Which was just Estelle, but it would have included Angelie too if she didn’t come with Mika instead. Maybe she’d still be alive if she did. But maybe Mika wouldn’t be. [color=tomato]”Want to shower together?”[/color] She pointed at the adjacent shower with her thumb when she said this. [color=tomato]”If we’re loud enough, we can hear each other.”[/color] 

[color=7F2A3C]"[sub]Ah.[/sub]"[/color] Quite the blunt phrasing. It caught Finn off guard for a second. [color=7F2A3C]"Well uh, if you don't mind."[/color] Finn stepped around Mika, saying a quick "Excuse me" before stepping up to the other stall.

Once Finn had entered, Mika walked back into her own and untransformed. Now came the difficult task of finding a topic of conversation. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn’t really have anything to talk about. She was either too uninterested or didn't feel like sharing. Mika found herself waiting for Finn to say something. Though maybe letting Finn decide the direction of things would be a mistake.

[color=7F2A3C]"I heard about what happened. With Agent Angel and all?"[/color] And speak he did. [color=7F2A3C]"You have my condolences. If we weren't so tight on agents now I would've gone with you instead. [sub]I'm sure Ashley and Estelle regret not doing so...[/sub]"[/color] The boy uttered under the sound of running water. 

[color=tomato]”Alright.”[/color] Was all Mika could say. So far this was starting to seem like a mistake.

[color=7F2A3C]"But what I wanna know is [i]what was so important that you had to fight through a nun ambush?[/i]"[/color]

...Yes, letting Finn guide things was not a good move on Mika's part.

[color=tomato]”It was a coded message. I handed my report in earlier, so I’m sure we’ll know soon...”[/color] That wasn’t entirely honest. With HQ’s security compromised, Mika had decided that she could only share so much in her report. At present, only a few freelancers had seen Mika take the pendant. But Gemini? They should be totally ignorant of it. Given how none of the nuns could access the safe, the Hand should be unaware of it too. She’d have to tell someone though, eventually. Untill then, her report only contained the strange list of names that Oros had left out. That should keep GEMINI pacified for a time. [color=tomato]”I wish I had saved Angelie. The freelancers were good though. I didn’t have much to worry about once the ambush went off. Next time, they won’t get to escape.”[/color] Her voice lacked any malice. [color=tomato]”You use to be one of them, right? What was that like?”[/color]

All that for a coded message? Finn didn't exactly know Oros that much, and frankly, he'd rather it stay that way, but it didn't seem right that the Depraved would lure her into an ambush for a quick gaff. But he wouldn't voice his disbelief, for now. [color=7F2A3C]"Only for a short while. Some of the ones I've met are a bit eccentric, but they're good people. At the very least, they're just trying to get by without pissing off either GEMINI [i]or[/i] Maverick."[/color] Finn sighed. [color=7F2A3C]"I end up having to help Binky stall a behemoth for a while before extra help arrived, then there was that job against a succubus I took with Klava that ended up fucking me over, and then the raid on Justin's mansion that went about as horrible as you'd expect."[/color]

After a pause, he added wearily: [color=7F2A3C]"Okay so being a freelancer wasn't as great for me as it is being an agent now? But that's just me and my crap luck."[/color]

[color=tomato]”I don’t know who Lava is, but the suck-a-bus was from Dante’s, right? The clean up crew looked through the film from the diner, and I thought it was weird that Ashley sent you through the front first. Does she always have you do such reckless things?”[/color]

Finn sucked in air through his teeth. [color=7F2A3C]"I meaaan she didn't exactly [i]stop[/i] me."[/color] Not a lie, not a truth. [color=7F2A3C]"But I can't say she would [i]always[/i], that was just our first mission together outside of the Diver. And even then everyone was so caught up in fighting elsewhere, I was left to fend for myself."[/color]

[color=tomato]”Well [i]my[/i] first mission with Ashley wasn’t that much better.”[/color] She didn’t hide the annoyance that crept into her voice. [color=tomato]”She pushed to have us charge in as fast as we could, which left us open when we needed a password for the lift. Nobody got hurt, but that was just dumb luck. If you’re not in her close circle of friends, you don’t matter. That’s what I think.”[/color] With her shower done, she dried off and got dressed before waiting just outside Finn’s shower. [color=tomato]”I get that she’s done this longer than us, but what makes her a good leader? I don’t get it.”[/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"I don't either, but every other GEMINI agent that started out here is gone. Guess it's natural the position goes to the last man standing."[/color] Finn surmissed. He did have an [i]inkling[/i] as to how, but there's not a snowball's chance in Hell he was gonna be able to explain the unexplainable.

[color=tomato]”I don’t think cowardly behavior should be rewarded.”[/color] Mika grumbled. But decided that complaining about their squad leader too much might demoralize Finn. That was fine. There were other things to talk about. [color=tomato]”What do you think about Estelle and Fritzi?”[/color] 

[color=7F2A3C]"Hmm... I haven't been with Estelle long enough to form a strong opinion."[/color] Mika could hear him turning off the showerhead. [color=7F2A3C]"I'd [i]like[/i] to say Dr. Moller's pretty cool, she let me borrow one of the unused labs for my own use, but after the Diner I'm gonna have to redeem myself in her eyes the next time we're out on the field."[/color]

[color=tomato]”You sound like the main character in one of my cartoons.”[/color] Mika examined her new pendant before tucking it under her shirt. [color=tomato]”Are you doing anything tommorow?”[/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"Got a date, nothing much else."[/color] Once [i]he[/i] dried off and got dressed, Finn finally stepped back out.

[color=tomato]”Did you want to go on another one? There's a carnival showing up but I have no one to go with. You seem kinda cool”[/color]

Finn's eyes lit up. [color=7F2A3C]"Oh! Yeah, of course! I've been waiting for it to come back in town all year!"[/color] Granted he'd have to prepare in advance so he can go without being overwhelmed, but nothing Mika had to worry about. [color=7F2A3C]"Got a time in mind?"[/color]

[color=tomato]”I think I have some training in the morning, but I should be good from ten onward.”[/color] Mika stuck her hands in her pockets. [color=tomato]”I don't know when all your other dates are happening, sooooooo, you tell me.”[/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"I'll have to run it by her, but if we'll be going around the afternoon then I [i]should[/i] be free for me and Betty to go to the Great Escape at night!"[/color] He thought outloud, giving Mika a quick thumbs up after.

[color=tomato]”That works.”[/color] She started to head out. [color=tomato]”You're going straight home then?”[/color]

[color=7F2A3C]"Yup."[/color] The boy followed behind her.

Mika rolled her arms. [color=tomato]”I don't know where your house is but do you need a lift?”[/color]

Finn's brows rose at the offer. [color=7F2A3C]"I mean, I usually go home on foot but-"[/color] Then again, no one really asked about that. He guessed cause they figure he could defend himself and all, he knows his way around the city, but if the two of them were gonna be spending more time together... Well, why not? And it'd be quicker this way too. He smiled at her. [color=7F2A3C]"That'd be appreciated, thank you."[/color]

[color=tomato]”Don't mention it.”[/color] Soverign had warned Mika about getting closer to Finn, but what did she know?