Nora scowled and held up the disc; she would have turned away from this program, but didn't trust to have her back to him.
"Do you think we can fix it, Bit?" she asked softly.
Bit zipped around her outstretched hands. Yes.
"Good." She and Bit started restoring the data, carefully taking out the corruption. When it was done, without a word, she rezzed in her lightcycle and zoomed away, still clutching the disc, Bit riding on her cape.
Cor shook his head at her attitude. He could understand it, sure, but he didn't necessarily like being on the receiving end of it. Though he had to admit that trust was a dangerous thing in his line of work. He sighed and stood up, rezzing in his bike and driving back to the bar. He really wanted to see Aya getting her disc back and what she was like.
Nora, who had taken a shortcut to the bar, walked in. A curiously blank-faced Aya was sitting at the counter, with her friend still clinging to her shoulders. A series of curious programs had clustered around them, quite a few of them worried.
Nora, who still had her helmet on, strode in, slipped through the crowd, and handed the disc to Aya's friend. "Here."
Aya's friend looked up, wide-eyed. "Are you sure it's the right one?"
Yes. Bit floated over to the disc and caused the code to come to life, revealing Aya's face. The friend had no reaction, her hands shaking as she put the disc back on Aya's back. "Here…"
A few tense seconds passed, and then Aya looked curiously up at her friend.
"Aya?" the friend asked. "Aya? Remember me?"
Aya blinked up at her. "Mari? What - what happened? I was…" Suddenly, she jumped up, panic taking over her face. "My disc! Someone stole my disc!"
"Shh, honey, we've got it right here," Mari said, hugging Aya. "Someone brought it back."
Nora smiled. This was the best part of vigilante work - seeing the good she'd done, the happiness she'd caused.
"Who?" Aya said, looking around, but Nora had stepped away already, melted back into the crowd, and changed back into her helmet-and-cape-free, Siren-clothed self.
Cor took all the same shortcuts to get back to the bar as he did to get the disc back and made it back just in time. He quickly changed back to his usual appearance and walked into the bar. He had to push his way through the crowd and smiled softly as he saw Aya acting and looking like a more normal program. He was tempted to call out to her but decided not to. They didn't even know each other.
Nora, Bit floating by her shoulder, stepped back into the crowd and spotted the same program from earlier. She hesitated for a split second and then went over to him, saying, "Looks like someone found her disc."
Cor jumped slightly when he heard a voice at his shoulder but nodded when he recognized Nora. “Yeah.” he nodded. “She’s lucky. I can't imagine what it's like to have your disc missing for so long.”
"Mhm." She nodded.
“I saw you left earlier. When did you get back?” he asked casually. Cor wasn't going to ask where she had been since that seemed a little hypocritical considering what he had just done.
Nora felt her shields going up. "I didn't see which way the programs went, so I came back in." She hoped the lie was believable. Bit bobbed up and down next to her head. Yes.
Cor froze for a moment at that and hoped she didn't notice that he had been missing because that would make his comment complicated. “Oh. Well, I'm glad Aya got her disc back anyway.” he said, sounding like he accepted her answer.
"Mhm," Nora said, and then realised that she should probably check how the workers were coming along with the club. They had better have made progress; if they hadn't…
"I've got to go check something," she said brusquely, stepping away from him towards the elevators.
“You just got back.” he pointed out, a little confused why she was telling him that. And why she had to leave again. Cor didn't think he looked like a program that had to be reported to. Though he had to admit he would have asked anyway, even if she hadn't told him.
"I have something to check on," she said, pressing the up button. The upper floors were off-limits to most programs, but she wasn't most programs. She would be back soon, if the construction workers had made an ample amount of progress, but she wasn't going to tell him that. Don't trust anyone. Shield your heart.
Cor couldn't help chuckle, shaking his head. “You just said that.” he told her, not making any move to stop or follow her. It was her business, not his. He would admit he was curious as staying informed was very helpful in both his jobs. And he was naturally an inquisitive program. He just knew when to ask certain questions… Even though he didn't always ask as many as he used to.
"I know I did," she said shortly, stabbing at the up button; the elevator doors opened and she stepped in, pressing her wrist to the code blocking the buttons to the upper floors; it dissolved, and she pushed the button for the top floor.
(Omg she's so cute! uwu Wish I could draw like that.)
Cor shrugged and gave a small wave as Nora left before heading back to the bar. Assuming the bartender didn't bite his head off for his earlier suggestion about security. He let out a brief sigh as he remembered how that program reacted to Nora and her Bit. This guy definitely holds a grudge…
What Nora hadn't realised was that the doors had closed on Bit, who was left floating helplessly; then it zoomed through the crowd towards Cor, flying around his head a few times.
Nora, meanwhile, had made her way up to the top floor. Some progress had been made, but there were still enormous holes in the roof and floor; the wind gusted, and she scowled, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. Kama was still standing in the middle of the club, giving instructions to the workers.
“Hey, Bit!” Cor exclaimed when he noticed the small companion circling him a couple times. “What are you doing here with me?” he asked, knowing that Bit's could only answer with Yes or No. “Did Nora leave you behind?”
Yes, Bit said, bobbing up and down.
"Well, you've gotten something done," Nora noted dryly, to which Kama nodded.
"Yes, yes, we've been making plenty of progress, I hope it's satisfactory."
"So far," Nora nodded, pushing her bangs out of her eyes again. "Get the roof fixed first."
“Sorrry about that little buddy.” Cor said gently. “Guess I annoyed her so much she just ran off, huh?” he suggested with a soft huff.
No. Bit floated above his head, then floated a few feet towards the elevators and hovered in midair, as though wanting him to follow.
Cor tilted his head slightly at the action but stood and followed the Bit to the elevator. “I’m guessing you know what floor she went to.” he said calmly, pushing the call button.
Yes, Bit said, floating near the top of the floor buttons.
Cor shook his head, seeing where Bit was hovering. “I can't go up there. It's restricted.” he explained. Though he was absolutely capable of hacking into the elevator to get up, it just wouldn't be very smart to do. Especially when so many programs could just look over and catch him in the act.
Yes, Bit insisted, whizzing around his head a few times. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
“Ok, alright. Calm down.” Cor insisted. He stared at the buttons for a moment before speaking again. “Does your code work to get us up there?”
Yes. Bit floated closer to the elevator buttons; the code flashed once and then dissolved. Bit floated closest to the button to the top floor. Yes, yes, yes.
“Ok.” Cor nodded, secretly relieved. “That’s doable, then.” he said as he hit the button Bit specified.
The elevator began to rise, slowly at first, and then speeding up. It climbed and climbed to a dizzying height, far above the city, where a thousand pinpricks of light shone, ghostly blue, against the dim black shapes of buildings. It was a beautiful sight; one could almost forget about the corruption and the chaos and the confusion going on down below.