Side Effects

10 - Revelation

Ursa entered her office with dragging feet and a face like thunder. She had seen many tough days at work, but yesterday truly was one.
"Sir?"
"We knew you'd come back, Cheif."
"What, no we didn't!"
"Quiet, rookie."

Actively avoiding the bothersome sounds of her inferiors' voices, Cheif Kirralain passed them and plodded into her seat in exhaustion. Somehow still standing was rookie Tyche, alongside the cool but shocked co-chief Barnabus, who stared into space trying to deduce how Ursa survived.

"How did you..." Tyche began, but stopped himself as he noticed his Chief clearly wasn't listening. It was also clear that she wanted to act as if the previous day never happened - today was the same-old - and it made his eye twitch.

Forceful but incredibly agile fingers typed on the laptop and sent shivers down the inferiors' spines. There was something cold about this room - and it couldn't have been the air conditioner - or the air from outside. For a few seconds, it was like the only noise that existed was Ursa's fingernails tapping on the keyboard.

"Sir, what are your orders?" Barnabus inquired, gaining no answer from his leader. "Your orders, sir!" He deliberately repeated in an irritated manner.

Kirralain gave him the beady look of a thousand daggers, and answered with an order she had never asked of either of them before.
"Sit down."

A strange request indeed, considering her usual missions. Having worked with her long enough, though, Tyche never really knew what to expect of her. Only yesterday had she disappeared from thin air and now she was sat in her office disregarding it.

"I have taken it upon myself to continue the search for AU7 alone."
Tyche opened his mouth to speak. "Do not ask why, Lafayette. All you need to know is that yesterday I have found that my powers have finally come into use."

It was at that moment when Tyche actually realised that he never knew what ability Ursa possessed.
"May I ask what this power is?" Tyche inquired politely. Ursa gave them both that dreadfully stabbing stare again and for once, refused to let herself speak, returning to her paperwork.

"Nice conversation," Barnabus crowed lightly, "so what do you suggest we do now, Chief? Sit around? Ignore the prison escapes? Get involved with a petty theft investigation while you decide to act like the lone wolf?"

Clearly, Ursa had muted him from her ears for the time being, and proceeded to fill in documents and type on her computer every so often. Barnabus gave a sharp breath from his nose, almost like a laugh. "Very well then."

And with that, he left the room.

"Um...Sir?" Tyche's entire body quivered at the negative thoughts than ran through his head. Ursa was good at hiding her emotions, but she was clearly angry at the way she had been spoken to; Tyche was surprised that she hadn't shot Barnabus on the spot.

Even so, Tyche had a good point to make, and he was preparing himself for the verbal beating of a lifetime afterwards.

"Barnabus has a wife and family...he needs to work. I can understand if you dismiss me from this search, but please, at least let Barnabus stay with you."

"So you're telling me how to do my job now?"

"No, Sir, I'm only...suggesting."

"My word stays, Lafayette."

"I understand that, but can you at least consider it? Barnabus is useful, his ability is to track people. Yesterday in that hospital, we wouldn't have found Gadolin if it wasn't for hi-."

"And I wouldn't have almost died."

Immediately, he felt like he had been completely insensitive. After all, Ursa was not exactly in the best place with everything that had happened. His face felt pale with guilt.
"...Sorry."