(Jeanette Rothwell)

Jean was sleeping in her bed when her phone rang. She groaned and rolled over trying to ignore it. It kept ringing. She growled and rolled back over turning it off. It started again, she swore and turned it off again. Once more it rang and she thought about turning it off or throwing it against the wall. Whoever the hell this was is going to get an ear full of the words that her mother would not be proud of. She looked at it and saw a number she didn’t recognize. Pressing the little green phone button, She put it to her ear. She had to move her mop of bed head out of the way first. If this was another scam call, she was going to shove this phone up the ass of the guy who sold her it. She had apps that should block all scam calls.

“Go check your email right now. This call will continue until you check it.” A deep older man’s voice said. She hung up and tried to go back to sleep. It was three in the morning for the love of god. The phone started ringing again and she stared swearing.

“Fine. Freaking fine. I’m up.” She answered and heard the same message. Hanging up angrily, She opened her email. The file was labeled “My sins” and this set off alarms in her mind as she opened it. It had a large file attached and the more she read through them, the wider her eyes got. This was major. She ran to her computer, shock and horror reflected in the black screen. She looked at her mop of long brown hair and less than appealing lack of makeup and shook her head. “later Jean, worry about that after you take care of this nuke dropped in your lap.” She fired up the computer, downloaded the file and pulled it up as she called the director Kevin. He picked up and sounded groggy.

“If this is a drunken booty call, you’re fired. It’s three in the morning.” His voice growled into the phone. She looked at the phone and frowned. Like he would ever turn her down. She knew he was sleeping with the makeup girl who liked to wear those short skirts.

“Kevin, get your ass up and get the station ready NOW.” She heard him get up and yawn. He was fully awake now and scratching as he looked at his phone.

“What is it? What happened?” He asked and she could hear the worry in his voice. She gave a grin that the cheshire cat would envy.

“Let's just say this is big. Like a big mega scandal.” She said, careful not to give too much away. You never knew who was listening.

“Come on girl, give me a bone to chew on.” He said and she could hear him getting dressed.

“Let’s just say people may be going to jail and maybe a hospital or two are going to be closed down.”

“That big. I’ll make the calls. Get your ass to the station. I’ll get everyone else there.”

Two hours later, just as the morning crew was coming on, the heads of staff were gathered in an office, each had a tablet and were going over the packet she had been sent. Keven looked over the group. “Jeanette, this is your baby. You get to report on it.” He said as he crossed his arms. She looked up at him shocked.

“What? Why me? Wouldn’t Turner or Kayla be a better choice?” She asked. This was too big for her. He shook his head not listening to her.

“No. This was put in your lap, your problem. We are doing fact checking now and so far this story is legit.” He shook his head and looked at the file on his tablet. “Hell, This Winters woman alone is going to set off fires around the city. We need to get interviews and set up a full two hour story on this. I want it ready in one week, you hear me. This is an all hands on deck, five alarm fire. Get out there and go.”

 

The first rough report went out and an hour later police showed up to arrest Maxwell Martan only to find him dead. The poor man had died in his home of a stroke just after sending the file. Other stations were picking up the story and it spread like wildfire around the world. Millionaire buys people only to use them in an illegal experiment. Who wouldn’t read that. Bloggers were up in arms asking how this could happen. Jeanette felt a bit overwhelmed, but tried to hide it. She felt bad for the old guy as he seemed fairly cool. He gave everything he had away and helped a lot of people when he was alive. 

At the end of the day she was about to leave when Keven called her into his office. He closed the door and sat on his desk. He held up a finger and pressed the speaker button on his phone. “I have her with me now. Go ahead.” He said as he crossed his arms.

“Ms Rothwell, this is David Crag. How are you today?” He asked. She sighed and gave Keven a question look. Both knew a lawyer when they heard one.

“I’m okay. What is this about?” She asked, crossing her own arms.

“Oh, I’m the late Mr. Martan’s lawyer. I am inviting you to interview two of the test subjects.” She just blinked at the phone, not sure what to say. This had to be a joke.

“How? I thought they were locked in?” She could hear the smug smile in the man’s voice.

“New technology. We are offering you free run of the place. No NDA for you and a camera person. Are you in?” Keven looked at her, his eyes wide. He nodded frantically at her. She knew if she said no, she may not have a job in the morning.

“Okay.” she sighed. “When?”

“How about in the morning?” The lawyer asked. 

“Like tomorrow? Where is the lab or what ever you have set up?” She was starting to get SAW vibes. Last thing she wanted was to be in a reverse bear trap.

“A plane will be waiting for you at five AM. Just be at the airport. I will be with you every step of the way.” He hung up and Keven looked at her beaming. She was worried the man would start dancing.

“Story of the freaking life time. Jeanette you are flying.” He was jumping up and down with excitement and she sat there with her arms crossed not really feeling the joy he felt.

“Calm down. Who is going with me?” She asked hoping she could get Crow. He thought for a moment.

“You work well with Crow, right?” Crow was a tall Native American man. His real name was Harry Smith, but someone, somewhere started calling him Crow and the name stuck. She nodded and turned to the door. “Where are you going?” Kaven asked. She turned and gave him a dirty look.

“Home to get some sleep. I have to be up early… again.” She growled.

Five in the morning Jean and Crow were driving to the airport. There was a pop song on the radio and Crow drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as his head bobbed along with the song. He seemed to be in a good mood. The man didn’t talk much and that is one of the things she liked about the big man. She was trying not to freak out. Her power bar breakfast just wasn’t sitting well and threatened to jump out at any moment. The rain yesterday had led to clear skies and pleasant weather. Nice part about working as a reporter, she had a thumb on all the latest news and that included weather. She would much rather be running right now, not flying off to god knew where. Now she was being treated like a top reporter and the strange part was she was the only one not okay with it. Well she didn’t want to handle this bomb either and she was the low man on the totem pole. They pulled up to the short term parking and a tall well built man in a suit approached their car. He singled for Crow to roll down the window and leaned in.

“Dude I’m not your Uber, sorry.” Crow said with his deep booming voice. The man just chuckled as though this was a big joke.

“Nope. I’m yours technically. I’m David Crag. Can I get in?” Crow unlocked the car and Mr. Crag sat in the back seat. “If you could kindly follow the instructions on my phone, I’m going to close my eyes for a moment.” He pressed a button on his phone and a female voice chimed in,

“In 300 yards merge into the left most lane.” Crow just shrugged and a short while later the three of them were boarding a plane that sat outside a private hanger. Jeanette had never been in a personal jet and Crow just kept looking around, his eyes wide. They had pulled out all the stops to impress them. Mr. Crag guided them to their seats. She tried not to freak out as the plane moved to the runway.

“Now I do have a basic plan for you two today. When we land, I will be driving you to the lab where you are able to meet with Subject 02 aka, Lu-Shi, aka, Lulu, aka, Samantha Winters.” He rattled off like he rehearsed it. Jean’s jaw just dropped as his words sunk in. He was starting her off with the biggest, baddest part of the bomb. “I take it you have your recording equipment?” He asked. Crow nodded and smiled.

“My cameraman, Crow, doesn’t talk very much.” Crow smiled at her, a grateful expression on his face. “I have read the file so we will be meeting with Ms Winters and Mr Edwards? The other two are in a long term facility elsewhere?”

“You are already doing better than me. I didn’t read the file the first day when I came on site. It was a bit awkward.” He said as he straightened his suit.

“I do have a question. Why me?” She asked not sure she wanted the answer.

“Mr. Martan saw your report on the small town bakery. He liked the part at the end when you didn’t notice the icing on your nose.” She blushed and looked down a bit of shame on her face.

“I begged Keven to let me do another take, but we were live.” She hid her face in her hands now knowing why she was selected and it was just too embarrassing.

“I know. It made you look like a real person. Someone who is okay being real.” She looked up into his honest eyes not sure where he was going with all this. “He wanted someone who could show his friends the humanity they deserve or at least that is what he said in the message he sent me.” He said the last part with a chuckle. She got the feeling that he was thinking of an inside joke that she wasn't part of. Crow just nodded and raised an eyebrow at Jeanette. Was Crow agreeing with the lawer? She almost had to run to the bathroom to throw up. Now it felt like there was even more pressure on her, pressure she didn't need. “Now as far as meeting Steven. I’d like to recommend you go to see him where he lives. That may require some trust on your part.” He said folding his hand in front of his face. It lended an air of power to his stance and made someone focus on his eyes. 

“How so?” Her voice was cold not liking where this was going. He was making a powerplay and she hated people playing her.

“He’s in a long term coma and lives in the game. If you are not okay with this, we can pull him into a room and let you talk to him through a screen, but I know in person interviews tend to do better.” He said looking into her eyes. Somehow she had become the one who called the shots.

“How can we record the interview inside a game? How can someone live inside of a game? The file only hinted at some new tech.” Everything he said seemed to bring up more questions and she was having her fill of everything.

“That is the magic you will have to wait to see for yourself.” He said, leaning back and closing his eyes. The rest of the flight was fairly peaceful, but quiet. Jean took the opportunity to put in her headphones and relax a little.

 

When they landed, Mr. Crag drove them to a large facility set deep in the woods. Crow rode upfront and Jeanette took a back seat. She was listening to indian pipe music as it helped her relax and focus. The facility looked like something out of X-Men. “This was once a college for wealthy children. Once it went bankrupt, Mr. Martan picked it up and turned it into what you see now. The place is run by Dr. Florence Rose. She will be meeting us when we get there.” He said as they pulled up. A tall thin stern woman sood in the driveway, her arms crossed behind her back. Rose looked like a ball breaker and Jean liked her instantly. She opened the door for Jean and helped her out. The older woman dressed in a lab coat had surprisingly soft hands.

“Welcome to Tir nAill.” She said coldly. It was like they were intruding on her land and Rose wld have much rathered them leave. Crow lifted a small box and put on a pair of glasses. The right lens was replaced with an HD micro camera that only looked out of place if someone looked closely at them. A wire ran down to a box on his belt and he quickly tapped the side of the glasses and stood still looking at the two women.

“Dr. Rose, before we start I have a question. What is Tir nAill?” Jeanette asked her mind switching into reporter mode. Her nerves vanished and her mind became solely focused on showing her best side as she spoke with Dr. Rose. 

“It is a game we are working on, but also the name of this place. Mr. Martan had a love of fantasy. Old celtic held his interest so he named this place after one of their afterlives.” She had a strange sad look in her eye. She actually missed him. Jean gave Crow the hand sign and he moved slowly to where all of Dr. Rose’s face could be seen. “Come with me and I can take you to Lulu.” Rose said coldly. Her mask was back on and she was back to being all business. 

“Can I ask why Ms Winters has so many other names?” Jean asked, hoping to regain that feeling.

“Yes. Lulu, started as Winters before her accident. When she came to us, she was...” she took a deep breath. “Broken. With the help of Steven she is now on the road to recovery. In the game she was Lu-Shi and now she is Lulu. My advice to you is if you want to get on her good side, call her Lulu. Also, never speak harshly about her around Steven. He is very protective of her and she loves him like a father.” Jeanette just nodded and smiled. She led them  and talked about the program as they walked to a path where they saw a wheelchair. A woman sitting IN it, her eyes closed, a peaceful look on her face as she enjoyed the sun. She was in her early forties with short black and gray hair. She was a bit on the thin side, but healthy. Like someone who had been sick for a long time and was now mending. Rose waved them over and stood back. Crow and Jeanette walked up to Lulu not sure how this was going to go. She opened her eyes when she heard them coming and looked over.

“You must be Jean and you Sir?” the older woman asked Crow. 

“My cameraman, Crow, is a bit shy. Sorry” Jean said to Lulu. P

“I wonder how long it will take dad to crack that egg?”She laughed at her own joke and Jean thought she was going to like this assignment. 

“Dad?” Jean asked.

“Steven. He became my dad, somehow.” She smiled as she looked out over the green grass to the budding flowers. “He has a gift that tends to put people of guard. That charm worked on my daughter.” she said the last part with a sweet smile. Jean was a little confused. 

“Your dad charmed your daughter?” She asked slightly worried as sweet home Alabama played in her mind.

“It’s complicated and even gives me a headache if I try to think about it. Also, there are no blood ties between Steven and I. He just helped me heal.” Lulu said, turning to look Jean in the eye. 

“I get it. He took on a fatherly role to you. I imagine if someone did that with my mom, I’d struggle not to see him in a good light.” Lulu smiled at the younger woman's words.

“Your file said you were locked in. Are you okay telling us what happened?”she knew she had missteped as Lulu's face fell.

“They were able to fix my body after an issue. If you meet Heather, please don’t bring it up. She is still sensitive about it. Don’t ask me about the hospital, I’d rather not think about that right now. It is a happy day and I’d like for it to stay that way.” she said look back at the budding flowers. Someone came to tend to them and she looked away. 

“Can I ask you about Mr. Martan.” Jean asked. Lulu smiled and her voice shifted up into a childish tone as she grinned, her face showing pure childish joy.

“Grandpa.” She blinked and looked a bit startled at her own outburst. “Sorry about that. I viewed him as my grandfather. He was kind and made sure that both Steven and I were well taken care of. I know it hurt him deeply that he bought us and worked hard to make sure we didn’t want for anything.” She ended her sentence with a sad smile. Jean could feel the hurt rolling off her words.

“I saw a picture of him and Santa seemed to be fitting.” Jean said, hoping to lift her mood and keep her talking. She was a gold mine of information and clips. The older woman started laughing and Jean gave Crow a hand sign to focus on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him move slowly.

(Herry Smith, Crow)

“He did have the look and the laugh too.” She started crying and her voice and grief started reaching Jean, reminding her of her own grandfather who had died last year. “He will be missed by everyone he knew.” Jeanette leaned down and gave the woman a hug as she started crying. For some reason it felt like she needed a hug as much as Jean did. Lulu clung to her and Crow made sure he got a shot that showed Jeanette couldn’t fight her own tears and a tear rolled down his own face, but the camera stayed stable. He had worked hard for years to be professional no matter the issues. That being said this was a moment he couldn’t fight the feelings leaking out. The two women spoke and cried for a while with Crow just standing still. Somehow he faded from both of their minds as he just became a part of the background. It was a skill he worked hard on. Even his plain clothing made him almost invisible. He was just someone who your eye naturally moved over. In his own mind it was a superpower and something he worked hard to keep.

(Jeanette Rothwell)

A nurse came down the path and interrupted the two women. She was a short young woman wearing a pair of lime green scrubs with  a kind cute face. Crow noticed that Mr. Crag wouldn’t take his eyes off the nurse woman and made a small hand sign to Jeanette. She caught it and turned to her.

“Hello, can I ask how you know Mr. Crag?” Jean asked, turning to the new woman. She blushed and looked over at him with a slight smile on her face.

“If you must know. I am seeing him.” Lulu cooed at her words and gave a strange girlie giggle. It was odd and both women looked at her as she recovered quickly.

“Love is a wonderful thing.” Lulu grabbed the nurse's hand and the two women hugged and smiled. It was clear these outbursts were normal and she made a hand sign for Crow to remind her to have those erased. It wouldn’t be right to let others see that. “I must go. This body won't just rebuild itself. I have to put in the hard work or so they tell me'' Lulu said as the nurse got behind her and pushed her up the path back to the main building. Jeanette turned to Crow and smiled.

“Thanks for the heads up on that. Did you get my reminder?” Jean asked Crow. He nodded once he turned off the camera. 

“You pay me to be your backup.” He said speaking for the first time in hours. She held a fist up to him and he knocked hers with his own. She had done it to him on the first story they had done together. Ever since then he became her favorite and she asked for him every time. Once she got Dennis and he tried to ask her out. She shook slightly at the memory of his belly hanging out under his cartoon shirt. The two smiled and walked back to Rose and Crag who were waiting. Rose led them through the main building. She took them to a small room with two expensive looking recliners. On the table between them sat two strange looking kickboxing helmets. They had a plastic visor over their eyes that looked interesting. Mr. Crag spoke up, drawing their attention.

“Now is the part that requires trust. If you two would kindly sit down and place the NARV gear on. It will allow you to interface with the system.”

“So it’s like VR?” She asked. He shrugged and smiled.

“It’s not like that at all, it would take a long time for me to poorly explain it. Mr Crow. We will be using your point of view as a recording. You will be given the raw data and video to play with when you two get back.” The lawyer said as he turned away from the. Crow just nodded and took his seat, placing the helmet on his head. Jeanette was a little worried as she went to her chair. She laid it back and placed the helmet on her own head. Text popped up in front of her. She looked over at Crow as he started snoring. He must have been very tired as he never relaxed this much when on a story. She looked back focusing on the text.

 

WELCOME NEW USER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOG ON (YES) NO. PLEASE LOOK AT THE WORD FOR THREE SECONDS AND LAY IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION. IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME USING THE SYSTEM, I CAN PLAY RELAXING MUSIC TO HELP YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME MUSIC (YES) NO.

 

She heard a soft violin in her ears and felt tired, but could fight it if she wanted to. She found herself drifting to sleep.

She woke in a strange room right out of a renaissance fair or Robin Hood movie. Jumping a little, she saw a strange beautiful woman sitting on her bed. Long blonde hair framed her face and was wearing a very low cut gown that had a golden belt around a waist so narrow that anyone at the station would kill for. Huge white wings fluttered behind her. “Relax and welcome.” Her voice was calm and Jeanette found that despite the strangeness of all of it, she felt more relaxed. “Good. Now we can start. What can I call you?”

“My name is Jeanette Rothwell. Where am I?” The angel made an X with her arms and tried to mimic the sound of a buzzer.

“You are in Tir nAill and you can’t use your name from the other world.” She said with a strange laugh. Jean found herself smiling with the weird angel.

“Am I dead?” She asked and the angel laughed.

“Me no. you are alive in both worlds. Maybe I should introduce myself. I am Sirona the Goddess of healing springs. You are in my world and so long as you can play nice, you can stay as long as you like.” Jeanette looked around trying not to freak out. She was in a game, but this wasn’t VR. She could feel the bed below her, smell the room. It all felt too real. “Can I know your name or rather who you would like to be known as?” Jeanette had watched anime when she was little and loved the summoned to another world trope. Was this what was happening? She took a deep breath.

“If I am here, You can call me Jean.” the goddess clapped and pointed at a mirror.

“I know you are only here as an observer, but I love seeing what people from your world do when they alter their appearances. Just walk up to the mirror and pull and push on your body to alter how you look. The bubbles are something called sliders to help you and the one in the top right will let you choose your race. Play with it as long as you like.” Jean walked up to the strange mirror and picked the race menu. So many choices. She scrolled down and found Beastkin, animal human hybrids. She selected it and then could choose any animal she wanted. She chose donkey and altered her feet into hooves. They actually turned to hooves before her eyes and walking on them felt comfortable. Like heels, but felt more stable. She added a tail and watched a long one sprout from her pants. She could actually feel it sway behind her. Lastly she added a pair of ears to the top of her head. Short spade like ears popped into place. She loved Eeyore when she was little and now she was making herself a sexy one. She pulled the ears down until they were long and floppy, framing her face. She brought her stomach in a little and made her back side a little more plump. She looked over at the goddess who was watching fascinated.

“You could say I’m the ass with an ass at eleven.” she laughed, slapping her own now plump butt and the goddess rolled on the bed laughing. She could feel the slap, but it felt slightly dulled. That being said she could feel it.

“I love it. Now if you poke the upper left you can change your clothing how you like.” Jean did just that and was soon in a white tank top, short shorts to show off her new assists, she giggled at her own joke and a long sleeveless red brown jacket because it looked cool. She turned to the goddess who clapped and laughed. “Your friend Crow is waiting. I have been asked to put you near the cottage where Steven is living.” The door opened and she walked outside. She saw Crow leaning against a wooden fence. She had to whistle at him. He looked tasty here. His chest was broad and covered in mussels and his face belonged in a model’s web page. Black feathers covered abnormally long arms and made it look like he almost had a mullet. He had gone from being called Crow to being one. Black chicken-like feet popped out from shredded linen pants.

“Damn Crow you look hot as hell.” She said whistling at her cameraman. He smiled and nodded.

“I’m a male harpy. You?” His voice was deeper and yet more musical.

“Beastkin. Can you fly with those things?” She asked as she clopped her way to him. A huge smile lit his face as he opened his arms wide. Suddenly he was flying through the sky swooping this way and that. Dude knew how to move through the air. Only about thirty seconds later, he landed panting hard.

“Need more stamina. Fun as hell though.” He said, puffing up his feathers.

“Looks like it.” Both turned to see a tall well built man in an oversized straw hat walking to them. “Come on in. I have tea ready for you.” Crow shrugged and followed the man she watched his head staying stable. Even here he was on the clock. The human pulled off the hat and placed it on a hook near the door before leading them to a table. He wore a simple white tunic and linen pants with strong, but simple work boots. His head looked mostly shaved with a thin stubble on top. A five o clock shadow gave him a kind of rugged farmer look. That being said his face looked kind and like someone who worked hard to smile and make others smile.

“You must be Steven.” Jean said, holding out her hand. He smiled and took it.

“I love the beastkin look. Suits you.” The man had an easy going nature That she found herself drawn to. She didn’t want him, but wanted to be his friend.

“Thank you.” She said, pulling at her long ears.

“My big friend, you may want to hit the tavern up if you get a chance. Maggie is a harpy too and I bet she would talk your ear off. Well if you had ears.” Crow just smiled and stood against the wall just looking at Steven.

“Well let,s light this fire. The sooner we get in, the sooner we get out.” he said, setting three wooden cups on the table before pouring tea into each. He set down a plate of cookies, fresh mint and a small jar of honey to round out everything. “Help yourself, there’s plenty.” He picked up his cup, added a little mint and honey before blowing on it and taking a sip. Crow took a cookie and sniffed it and took a bite. His eyes went wide and he turned to Jean. This was a game. How could you actually eat anything?

“You have to try one. They are amazing.” Crow said as he pushed the plate to her.

“I take it no one told you what to expect.” Steven said as he watched them.  Jean picked up the tea and sniffed. It was jade. She could actually smell it. So weird. How could she smell in here? She added her own mint and took a tentative taste. It was amazing. She could taste everything. It was so real. Steven laughed at her ears lifting in surprise. Her long tail started swaying behind her. “Yeah the tail thing takes a lot to get used to. Lupa still struggles with that.”

“Is Lupa, Lulu’s daughter?” Jean asked, getting her mind back on the job. He leaned back and laughed.

“I know. I’m my own grandpa.” he sang. She looked over at Crow and saw him smiling and chewing on a cookie. Lulu called it this man had a gift.

“Could you tell me about your time in the lab?” She asked hoping to guide him. He smiled and took a breath.

“Well it was a freaking blast...” He said before explaining everything.

 

They talked for about two hours and talked about everything. The tests, the staff, and even his crops. At the start Crow would stand against the wall, by the end he was sitting at the table laughing and talking with them. Near the end, she asked about Martan. Steven teared up and looked right at the two of them. Even his tears seemed natural and fitting. Like a man who wouldn’t be ashamed by crying.

“Popcorn dude will be missed. He left a lot of friends behind and no matter where he is, I hope he is happy.” He wiped his eyes and stood. “Sorry to kick you guys out, but I need to look after my crops before the sun sets. We are going to have a party for him tonight at the tavern. You are welcome to join us if you want.” He said standing and reaching for his hat. Crow walked out and asked Steven to stand leaning against the fence post with the sun framing him. It was the first time she had ever seen Crow do something like that, but it was sweet. A door opened in the field and the goddess waved.

“I’m sorry you two, but it’s time to go. Normally you would just log out, but as you are observers, I have to help you. Walk through my door and you’ll be back in your own world.” She said, Jean felt sad as she looked out at the world. It was a shame to leave it and go back. Crow had the same look on his face. Both walked through the door and everything went black.

 

She woke in the chair and pulled the helmet off. Crow was doing the same thing next to her. He had a sad smile as he looked over at her. “He was a cool dude.” Crow said with a weird smile. Jean just nodded feeling a little overwhelmed. Rose came out with Crag and the two looked at them.

“See why I couldn’t explain it properly.” Mr. Crag said with a smile on his face. Both Jean and Crow nodded at him, unable to talk. “We are making you a flash drive now. Once it is ready, I can take you back home.” 

The ride back was quiet. Crag half way through the car ride turned on an earpiece and started listening to music. It was the same on the plane. She felt shell shocked and a little off kilter. It was more than clear that Crow felt the same. He just sat there looking around. Back in his old beat up car, he sat there for a long moment.

“Crow. That was real, right?” She asked him, a stunned look on her face.

“Yeah. Crazy.” He said blankly. She nodded unwilling to move in case the dream she had would pop like a balloon.. He sighed and started the car after shaking his head. He dropped her off and went to his own place and she took a long shower before a strong drink. She needed to clear her head before she could write the story. She wasn’t sure where to start or what to write, but she knew she had to make it work.

Two days later they watched the broadcast. It was a beautiful exposay that showed everyone in a positive light and ended on a picture of Martan who was laughing, a small child on his knee. He was dressed in a Santa costume and looked every bit of the part. She heard her own voice talking over the pictures. “A man so honest and good that even trying to save someone’s life, he lost his own due to the grief and stress.” The screen shifted looking right into Steven’s eyes as he leaned against the post, the sun framing him.

“Popcorn dude will be missed.” She gave a sad smile and wiped her eyes. Keven just stood there smiling at the two of them.

“Freaking epic.” He just smiled and sighed. “What the hell do we do now? The other stations are going after the hospitals and we are trying to track down Betty, but no one has any clue who she is.” Jeanette just frowned at him feeling more than drained.

“I’m going to get some Chinese. Crow you down?” She said not sure what else to say. He nodded, following her out. Both of them made it to the door when a black car pulled up. Mr Crag rolled down the window.

“Hungry? I’m buying.” He said with his normal business smile in place. She leaned in the window and frowned at him.

“If you are trying to pay us off. The program has already aired.” She said frowning at him.

“I know. If I offered you a job before it aired it wouldn’t have looked right.” He said with a smirk. She scowled at him not sure what he was talking about.

“What are you on about?” She said putting her hands on her hips. 

“Do you two want to go back in as players?” Suddenly his back door opened and Crow was jumping into his car without warning. Jean just looked shocked as she turned to him.

“Jean you in?” He asked and she could see the joy in his eyes. She threw her hands in the air before opening the door.

“Why the hell not? Where is your nurse friend?” Crag just smiled and put the car in drive. They were going back in.

{ZeroGiven40}

This is all I have in this story so far. They may be more added later and a crap ton to be added to this universe. If this story made you smile, leave a rating. If it made you laugh, or cry leave a review. If it made you do all three... assume I'm e-begging here. I'm just happy you liked my story. That being said, any money sent me will be wisely spent on whiskey and model kits. I have my eye on a Wargraymon and Exia kits. lol. I mean it, thank you for reading and stay awesome as you are an amazing person who needs to be in this world.

Feel free to check out my other works or just have a glass of wine tonight and take time to relax and remember you are worth it. You just have to see what everyone else clearly sees.