Krissy didn't know what to make of this, Jesep Zian. She stood on the other side of the two-way mirror studying him. She had hoped to get some answers, after speaking with him, but found herself more puzzled then ever. Even though he didn't have a stone, she had thought she might get some sense of him.
She could sense Eyo's presence now, even though he was still unconscious. She could also feel Keyoko's ever so faintly, she must have been newly awakened. There was also another, but she couldn't be sure who, just yet. It became harder to differentiate, when there were so many of them in one place.
Perhaps that is why she hadn't felt anything, when sitting across from Jesep, or maybe, just maybe, he was a true survivor. Yet how had he survived such an event, with only minor injuries? Why didn't her scanner detect him, when she'd gone over the area? They were suppose to alert her to even the slightest signs of life. Had they malfunctioned? Perhaps they needed to be adjusted? Maybe he was just too far down that hole, or it was something else altogether?
Krissy didn't like inconsistencies. She groaned and looked over Jesep's file once more. His ISAI scores were off the charts. He seemed to be a highly intelligent person. His name had also come up on a number of lists, military, special interest groups, and various think tanks. He also held several seats on boards that were connected to top officials.
His citizenship and permits had been given high priority. Most people's citizen application took a year to vet and approve, his citizenship was granted after only a few days. He seemed to have lived all over, never staying in one place, for more then a few years. She had a team looking through his fiances and assets, but so far nothing connected him to the cursed.
Still, there was something about him she couldn't quite put her finger on. She ran him against the profiles she had on the cursed. He could match up with Urel. They were both intelligent and rich. She also recalled there being something about Urel's eyes. They were a particular shade of blue or something. Krissy didn't like to rely too heavily on physical characteristics, given each new life came with a new form. Urel could look like anyone these days.
While Jesep fit several of the requirements, this was not the first time she had run across a potential Urel. There were others that were far more intelligent and richer. She called one man who had strange blue eyes, and a high IQ. They'd kept a close eye on him, for more then a year, especially when he came into money. In the end, the man's eyes color, turned out to be contacts. He also lost all his money and his life, in a matter of weeks. She supposed it could have been a trap. She recalled lives where Urel had set up someone else to appear as him so that he could distract them. Think of every nasty trick in the book, and Urel had probably done it at some point.
She rubbed her temples and thought over the interview again, wondering if Jesep had been honest with her. It was possible he was being evasive. Several times during the interview, he seemed to have wandered off, but that could also be due to the injuries, and the overall trauma he'd sustained. Maybe he really didn't know anything. Maybe he'd just been very fortunate. Maybe, but Krissy still had her doubts.
So far the medical staff had only been focused on keeping him alive. She wanted them to do a full work up on him, and see if he had any infinity marks. If he still showed no signs of being a cursed, then she wanted to know if there was anything that made him different. She hoped to find something that would explain how he had survived, when so many others had not.
There was a sharp knock on her door, then someone came in. Krissy vaguely looked up seeing it was Burger. He shut the door behind him then stepped up next to her. He looked at Jesep in the next room before he asked, "How did it go?"
"He claims to have little memory of the event" said Krissy.
"You don't believe him?" asked Burger.
"Right now, I don't know what I think. I've ordered several tests and for now he seems willing to cooperate."
"You think he'll become a problem?"
"It's possible, we might be able to hold him for a day or so, but he's already started asking to make calls. Given the type of person he is, and his connections, I don't think we'll be able to keep him here, much longer, unless we have something solid."
"Hmm," said Burger as two soldiers entered the interview room. He swallowed then swayed on his feet. Krissy knew that body language, he was up to something. Without looking at her Burger asked "I...ah, I was wondering if you'd eaten. Maybe, we could uh discuss this more and get something to eat?"
"No," said Krissy sharply. She closed Jesep's file and let out a heavy sigh, before asking "Was that it or was there something important you needed?"
Burger let out a groan then said "Yeah, the woman you found, she's awake,"
"What!" said Krissy turning to him. "Why didn't you start with that! I told you to notify me as soon as she woke!"
"And I just did," snapped Burger, "Give me a break, she's only been up for like five minutes."
Krissy gave him a stern look, but didn't say anything. She didn't have time to argue with him. She took another look at Jesep as the soldiers wheeled him back to his room, then stormed out into the hall. She went to the elevators and found Burger was not far behind her. She pushed the elevator button and the hallway lights flickered. She pulled back agitated and decided to take the stairs instead.
She went for the stairwell, but Burger got there first. He opened the door for her, with a smile. She barley glanced at him as she entered the stairwell. She hurried down the stairs and he continued after her. It would seem he was determined to follow her the whole way. She swallowed, finding the silence between them unsettling. There had never been silence between them, in the past he was always rattling on about something or other. Thoughts of the past made Krissy's chest ache. She caught herself, breathed in sharply, then squelched the feelings.
"How are they doing on the power issue?" she asked, trying to keep her mind busy.
Burger yawned before responding, "Ah, latest reports say the grid was overloaded, but their fixing it. Backup generators should keep us going until then."
"Do they know what overloaded it?" asked Krissy as she went down another flight of stairs.
"No, do you think it has something to do with the event?" asked Burger.
"I wouldn't rule anything out at this point." said Krissy. "Keep a close eye on it, and notify me of any strange occurrences."
Burger nodded. "Alright, what's your plan with this woman?"
"Her name is Genoa Weller. I plan to talk with her, and see what she knows."
"You're gonna take precautions, like sedate her or secure her before you do, right?"
"No," said Krissy
"But she is one of- well you know. She has powers, you still remember Kurth right?"
Krissy paused for a moment on the stairs, like she could ever forget Kurth. She breathed in deeply responding "It wont be like that with her." She clenched and unclenched her fists before descending the stairs once more.
"Why not?" asked Burger. He sounded like he was almost at her ear.
Krissy stopped again and turned almost bumping into him. She glared up at him and said "This one is different, she's a friend."
"Supposedly," said Burger, "But, isn't she also the one who caused the event? The lock down team should prep for her as well"
"Not yet, we don't know the circumstances." said Krissy. "She might have been under attack."
"Whether she was under attack or not! I think it's pretty clear she's dangerous. I don't think you should be in the same room with her."
She glared at him and spat "Did you forget who your talking to? I can handle myself."
"Right," he said but it was clear he had his doubts.
"Listen you- You can't keep treating me like your friend. You need to start treating me like your superior. That is all I am ever going to be to you, do you understand."
Their eyes connected for a moment, once again she was reminded of the old days, when she would reprimand him for getting too familiar. She could see the pain in his eyes, he looked down at her sadly. Seeing him like this made her chest sting, on the day that she had dumped him, she hadn't made eye contact. She'd just done it and gotten it over with. She turned away from him, steeled herself and hurried down the stairs once again.
Burger quickly followed after her calling out "Wait! Who- Who says I'm not treating you like my superior! Can't I worry about the health, and safety of my superior!"
Krissy paused once again, this time she kept her back to him. "There is worry and then there is questioning? "said Krissy. "I am in charge! I make the decisions, you don't question them, UNDERSTAND!"
She waited for him to respond, expecting him to say "yes mam" but instead he said, "No."
She turned to look at him finding he'd stopped a few steps above her. When she was looking at him he continued, "I don't understand, how you could just throw us away, like what we had was nothing. It wasn't nothing!" Her breath caught as his voice shook with emotion "I wanta to know why!"
Her gaze slowly dropped, thinking of his question. She knew exactly why. She felt unsteady, her mind blazing with the past. She couldn't afford to keep revisiting it, to keep thinking of him...them. She needed to be focusing on what was going on right now.
She turned back around, decided he needed a break or at least she did. She acted as if she hadn't heard his question. "That will be all for now Argent Burger, you're dismissed for the next six hours, I suggest you get some rest."
She continued on once more and he follow after her, he grasped hold of her arm, turning her to face him. "Kriz"
Kriz! her breath caught. No one had called her that in years, of course he was the only one who would ever.
"Don't," she said finding her eyes watering.
"I love you." said Burger staring into her eyes. "I LOVE YOU KRISSY! Tell me why. Why don't you love me?"
She looked at him, really looked at him, losing hold of herself for a moment. She moved, brushing his cheek with her hand, his head easily turn to her palm as if not a day had passed between them. "Because I can't afford to," she choked.
His eyes widened, even as dense as he was, she knew he could see, she still loved him that she had never stopped, that she had lied all those years ago. She froze him in time, before he could respond. Again she was using her powers for her own selfish purposes. For a moment, she held his cheek, his words repeating in her ears…"I love you. I LOVE YOU! Tell me why...why can't you love me." The fool, she understood why, she still loved him, but she had thought after how cruel she'd been, how she'd just tossed him aside, without reason that he would have been angry or even have moved on. "I love you too," she said, "But we can't be together. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry my love."
Krissy shook her head clamping down on her emotions. She really couldn't afford to love him, not when there was so much was at stake. She needed to be at the top of her game, to always be ready, to fight at a moments notice. Her duty, her responsibility, came beyond herself and beyond him. She could hear one of her father's long winded responsibility speeches radiating through her ears.
She pulled her hand from Burger's cheek and somberly collected herself. She reversed time on him, moving him back up the stairs back to when he said "Right," but it was clear he had his doubts.
She got back into position and unfroze him, she sternly responded, "I'm your superior, ARGENT. BURGER! You will not question me! You either follow my orders or I will have you removed from this mission! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"
She glared at him, his eyes shifted, clearly he didn't want to be removed from the mission, "Yes mam!"
"NOW! That will be all Argent Burger, you're dismissed for the next six hours, I suggest you get some rest." She hurried down the last few steps.
He came after her, rushing past her "I'm fine," he said getting the door for her.
"It's an order," she said.
Burger gave her a look but let go of the door. He turned and began to walk back up the stairs. She watched him until he was gone. Alone she closed her eyes and shuttered. She clenched and then unclenched her fist. She straightened herself and adjusted her uniform, then she grasped hold of the door. She moved into the hall and as she made her way to the holding area, every soldier she passed saluted her.
She recognized them with a nod and realized Burger hadn't addressed her properly earlier. She noted once again to be more stern with him going forward. She knew now if she gave him an opening he'd take it to ask why. She didn't plan to let them get in such a situation again, but if it happened again, she'd need to be ready with an answer.
She made her way to the monitor room, realizing she'd let her mind slip onto him yet again. She grinded her teeth as she greeted several soldiers. She looked over the monitors determined to focus on the mission. She saw Keyoko was indeed up. They had every single angle of her room on a live feed. She was sitting on the edge of her cot with her head in her hands. She had a look of anguish about her, given the extent of the devastation she'd caused, it was understandable.
Krissy watched her for a few minutes, reminding herself she couldn't get personal with this. She needed to stop letting her emotions rule her. She needed to asses Keyoko's status, determine if she was an asset, or a threat, and most of all find out why she had done this. This was a mission, not a reunion! She ordered several men to escort Keyoko to an interview room, hoping this time she'd get some answers.
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