Globe Tracers 6: Chaos Storm

Chapter 43: Talking

Frace:

The sun was slowly coming up over the horizon as I walked the perimeter of both camps once again. Looking at the tent in the second camp where the girl Jessica was sleeping, I couldn't help having to fight a pang of guilt.

The girl had a group of friends around her ready to fight for her both physically and mentally, friends that she obviously trusted and valued right back. In my camp, we were like her physically, but few of us cared for her and none of us knew her. Even though our physical similarities were crucial, I wasn't sure I could ever replace those emotional connections.

Even if everyone over there was a half-measure.

I had also never met Nadine, but I knew the pain of losing a child, so was I sure I wanted to inflict it on someone else?

But, ultimately, I knew I was in the right. Jessica would either kill her friends, or they would end up using her as a weapon.

She clearly already defended them. She was already a weapon.

If she had calmed down, I wanted to speak to the girl, maybe to understand more of her view on things- to at least understand what she would think she was leaving behind.

I walked over to the girl's tent on the side of her team and gently scratched on the canvas until Quarteen answered by opening the flap. "I wish to speak to the child."

"Gonna have to be more specific than that," came a voice from beside me. I looked to see the girl named J-Star leaning up against the tent, standing near to me. "We all have names after all."

"Jessica, of course," I said.

"Well if that's who fronts, okay, if not, you can go away. Seeing as you can't be bothered to note both personalities not sure why we should bother permission to talk to either," she then shouted into the tent, "Hey, Jess, you awake? Are you Jess?"

"Knock it off Jay," came the young storm walker's voice. "I appreciate the thought but remember we all resolved a long time ago not to make a giant stink about my split to outsiders."

"They don't mean to remain outsiders," the teen pharaoh noted.

"You're not even outside the tent-" J-Star's image disappeared as I heard a few shrieks inside the tent, followed by laughter.

Quarteen just looked back at the two roughhousing girls with a sleepy smile. "I'll send her out in a minute okay?" she finally said.

In minutes the girl Jessica did join me, but with a rather discontent look on her face. Wearing nothing but a t-shirt and jeans, she started up her powers and fought through a few shivers as she marched over the snow and to me. "I thought we agreed to work with representatives for a while."

"And we can continue- I just figured we're in a truce anyway and... well do you object to a small conversation?"

"Depends on the subject." She raised her eyebrows. "I mean if you want to discuss the possibilities of bunnies practicing martial arts, for some reason that has my attention right now and I want to figure it out- think it's possible?"

"I... I'm really not sure how that would work."

"Bunnies fight with honor!" she said, pumping her fist in the air. "No opposable thumbs, no pronating wrists, and only minimal bipedal interactions- they just bite and head-butt." I looked at her with confusion. "You have to admit, that is brave. You try fighting with only your face."

"I don't... I don't..."

"It's a joke... never mind. If I have to explain it, that kills it anyway." She buzzed her lips. "What did you want to discuss anyway?"