Act 1: Groundskeeper: Chapter 15

“Gardener Lucy?” I approached Lucifer from behind. She was hunched over, checking something on a tablet. When I said her name, she jumped, seemingly startled, and turned to face me with sweat dripping down her face.

“Oh, Twin… Haha… How can I help you?” She said while laughing nervously while quickly shoving the tablet behind her back, obstructing my view of it.

“I was wondering if you could give me an update on the analysis of the dress?”

“Oh yes, that. I sent it over to Storm in Maintenance Team, so I’d check with her. She should most likely be done with it by now. I also understand you and Maintenance Team have a history together?”

“Yes, we do. Thank you, Gardener Lucy.” I said as I turned away to leave.

“Twin? One more thing,” She called out to me. I stopped and turned back to face her. “Did anything… weird happen while you were in the Hexagone? I lost contact near the end.”

I looked at her, thinking, lost deep in thought. Did I tell her? Did I even trust her? Did I want to tell her? And what about the fact that whatever was controlling Wren was the same kind of smoke that the monster that killed the rest of Prune Team 6?

“Twin?”

“Umm, no. I didn’t see anything strange. Lale and I managed to kill each other; I just held on a little longer than he did.”

She looked at me suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. “Well, if you remember anything, let me know, m’kay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I said, managing a quick bow before turning back and heading toward the elevator, wondering how my lie would come back to bite me, and oh boy, I could have never been prepared.

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As the elevator doors opened into Maintenance Team’s workshop, I was immediately greeted by the sound of metal clanking and a large amount of whimsical expletives. (What is a whimsical expletive? You know, stuff like ‘gosh golly gee whizz,’ stuff like that.) In front of me, rummaging around in piles of broken machinery was the spunk of Maintenance Team, Delany.

“Hey Delany!”

I saw Delany’s head pop up and look towards me, caught off guard but with a blank stare on their face. I could never tell if their stare was of the good kind or the bad kind, and to be honest, that scared me. But I was genuinely happy that I wasn’t on their bad side. They're known to hold grudges for a very long time and act upon them; they enjoy putting bugs in the beds of people they dislike.

“Hello, Twin.” They said, staring straight into my eyes. “If you are looking for Storm, she’s in the analysis room in the back with Ody.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling. “By the way, are you and the rest of Maintenance Team still up for going to poker tomorrow night? I don’t wanna miss a chance to hang with my old gang.” One of the first teams I worked with was the Maintenance Team, and most of them considered me an honorary member of the team.

“I still wish to go, and I know Storm and Odysseus do too, but I’m not sure about Tide, Ark, or Chain. Though I think you can guess Chain’s answer.”

“I’m afraid that I can indeed,” I said, grimacing. Remember when I said most of Maintenance Team considered me an honorary member? Chain wasn’t most. Chain didn’t like me. “Anyways, thanks for the help, Delany.”

At that, Delany turned back to rummaging through the piles of scrap around the room.

As I walked to the back room, the sliding automatic doors opened to reveal Odysseus, the rugged, well-tanned, and charming Maintence Team leader with dark blue hair, and Storm, the tall, imposing, buff, resident sweetheart of Maintenance Team. They both looked up from a hologram of what looked like a watch, what I assumed was the next iteration of our Holowatches, and saw me.

“TWIN!” Squealed Storm, as she rushed over and hugged me. “Are you okay!? Why didn’t you come visit us after your mission yesterday?! What happened with you, Song, and the rest of Prune Team 6?”

My face dropped at the mention of my late team. “They… They’re gone.”

Storm gasped, putting a hand over her mouth, and Odysseus walked over and joined the hug.

“What happened?” Asked Odysseus.

“I’m not exactly sure what it was. It was this weird monster made out of black smoke.

“How did you get away?” Asked Storm frantically. “Are you okay?”’

“Well, the thing is, I ran into The Anomaly and he helped me out.”

There was silence for a second before they both screamed. “WHAT!?!?”

After explaining everything that had happened to them all the way up to this morning, they both looked at me with a mixture of emotions on their faces, some good and some bad.

“That… That’s crazy.” Odysseus said, dumbfounded.

“Yeah, so the dress?”

“Oh yeah!” Exclaimed Storm. “Lucifer just gave it to me and told me to analyze it, but she didn’t say what for. But it’s clean, so you can have it right back.” She rumaged through a drawer before pulling out the dress and handing it to me.

I took it from her hands gingerly, like it would dissolve at the slightest touch. “Thank you, Storm.”

“No problem, Twin, anything for my sister.”

“By the way, Ody, can I bring someone to poker tomorrow night? My new roommate could use some social exposure.”

“Sure, any friend of Twin’s is a friend of Maintenance team.”

“No one’s gonna ask me what I think?” Leaning by the door was no other than the childish, punk rock aesthetic rocking brat of Maintenance Team, Chain.

“Hello, Chain.” I said, rolling my eyes

“Chain, be nice. Besides, who knows, maybe you can be friends with this new person.” Said Storm sternly

“You actually need to stop acting like my mom.” Said Chain with a huff in her voice.”

With this argument unfolding in front of me, I turned to Ody, quickly offering him a promise that I’d see them at poker night after my mission tomorrow, and then I dipped out. Now, I had to go talk to Wren. I had some questions for her.uestions for her.