The Undoing of Sidekicks | ✓

thirty four

(a/n: this gif represents 1) us heading toward the finale and 2) us zooming out of april and suddenly into may? where did the time go)

thirty four

AS THE factory went up in smoke around us, we decided to sit back and watch the show. The two of us were surprised to hear alarms going off in response to the fire, not really believing a place as decrepit as this one would have functioning alarms.

There were, luckily, no sprinklers, which allowed us to remain dry (both clothing and humor) as we kicked back and watch the bonfire. When we were satisfied over the way the fire was spreading, we decided to fan out and search the factory space for possible places where Mistress might stash chemicals she'd already produced.

"I don't think we'll be lucky enough to burn it all in one go," I remarked as we went up another flight of dusty stairs, " — though that would be nice."

"She probably has some type or storage unit, perhaps a warehouse. She might keep it all in here, for all we know."

I side-eyed him, "Mistress isn't an idiot."

"Imagine how easy this would've been if she had been one, though." Josh fired back, shouldering another door open as we went in to scout another room for suspicious crates.

It's not like we needed to lug around any matches, though, since I had a portable flamekeeper with me. Brann really did come in handy for this one, I had to admit, and not just because he'd saved my ass from being choked half to death.

Well, fully to death.

"Nothing here," I said, eyes swivelling across the space once more, "Next one?"

"Yeah, sure. Nothing else to do but wait, either way," Josh stepped out of the room, " — reckon your ex-mentor will be here soon?

"Emphasis on the ex," I shot back, following his footsteps, " — it's not like I'm here actively working against her because I'm still her sidekick, or whatever."

"Wouldn't fare well for our partnership, either way." Josh's lip curved as we rounded the next corner of the hopelessly maze-like factory floor.

"You can rest assured you're a way better partner than she was a mentor." I turned silent for a few moments, mind sifting through old wounds, " — she was an awful person, all around."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, "You know who she is? Her identity?"

I met his eyes, "Yes. I do."

"You've never considered exposing that?" Josh said it carefully, tone wary as if he was toeing a line.

He was, actually, though it wasn't a very sensitive one.

"Well, she knows who I am, too." I said, watching as Josh shouldered yet another door open, " — I think it's a common moral event horizon for the both of us."

"The one line that none of you cross?"

I nodded, "I think it's the small shred of respect we both have for each other. A mutual agreement, in a strange way."

"I can see it. It's the one thing that can destroy both of you, and so you choose not to reveal it."

"I don't get how people can live with revealing it. Blaze really must've been on some other type of chemicals to have the energy for it, really." Josh smiled at my comment as we went inside.

I strode a few steps forward, turning over a few crates to glance inside them. Dust and grime coated an odd number of scrap metal parts, while cobwebs littered the corners of the crate. I grimaced, pushing it away.