Sunny led Locke down a narrow hallway with doors on either side. Locke noticed Sunny's stride was a beat quicker than normal. Sunny abruptly stopped at the end of the hallway. It split into a "T" causing him to look to his left and right before leaning against the cool concrete wall.
"It can't be that bad kid." Locke spoke calmly to the young man he had raised for as long as he could remember.
"Listen, Locke. We're going to find Stella's killer. That I'm sure of. But, what happens after?"
Locke stared at Sunny for a second. "What do you mean Sunny?"
Sunny sighed. "Stella thinks…She doesn't want him to be tried. Prison isn't an option, she says."
Locke paused, a curious glint in his eye. "And let me guess, you have a problem with this."
"Yes, and no. I'd like to see to it personally that he is taken care of, but he's not a phantom, Locke. We're not allowed to kill humans." Sunny looked at Locke, his eyes begged for guidance.
"He's not human, Sunny." Locke growled. "You know what he's been doing to those women. You know anybody who's human that would do that?"
"No." Sunny said, deflated now. "So, you're with her on this?"
"Listen." Locke said, walking towards Sunny and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, Sunny. Rules are rules, sure." He ruffled Sunny's hair playfully. "Let's face it, son. Ever since you showed up the game has changed, the rules were made during a different time." Locke removed his hand from Sunny's head and finished his speech. "Let's catch this piece of shit first and we'll sort the rest out later. Now, let's go check on our friend."
Sunny nodded and led the way. Locke spoke from behind him.
"That reminds me, have you heard anything about our killer lately?"
Sunny thought for a minute. He had certainly had an eventful day. He tried to recall if he'd heard anything. "No, Locke. Nothing so far."
"We'll see."
They got into the small room and made small talk for a moment, waiting for Stella and Dr. Rose to step back into sight. Councilman Licht sat in a revolving chair, grinning widely. Occasionally he would press off the floor to spin a few times with his uncrossed leg. What's he so happy about? Sunny couldn't help but wonder at the possibilities.
"Wait for it," Licht said as a knowing smile appeared on his mug.
Sunny sighed and took a look at his wristwatch. Time had flown by quickly. He thought about the things they had not yet gotten around to do. Bring Locke to The Fool's Remedy, find who repaired my hallway, talk to residents, finish unpacking, do some writing. Find Stella's murderer. Sunny kept revolving around the last item on his mental list.
The sealed compartment opened up and from inside Dr. Rose stepped out first. In her hand was a small black box which she held gingerly. She approached the two Vanguard holding out the box with restrained glee.
"Now, one of the reasons we gave Stella the suit was to find out what her powers were, and how we could maximize them." She smiled slightly and continued. "Another reason was to shorten the time it took for her to become tangible again."
Sunny nodded stiffly. His eyes narrowed, he couldn't stand the suspense.
"What's in the box, Doc?"
"I'll just be a moment, Alldust. You should learn to let a lady have her fun." She turned towards the sealed off compartment and said loudly. "Stella? Could you please come out now?"
Locke and Sunny shared a wary look. Not like she'll pop out and kill us. Locke shrugged. The transparent plastic ruffled and Stella stepped out. Sunny gasped at the sight of Stella in her physical form for the second time in one day. A new suit hugged her body, it was similar in aesthetic to the old one but the glowing wires had been replaced with sparkling verdant chromium.
"Whoa," Sunny breathed.
Even without knowing exactly what had been changed Sunny could tell it was a massive upgrade. No longer was a thrown together suit, instead it was a meticulously crafted apparatus designed solely with Stella in mind. With each of Stella's steps advancing her into the center of the room Sunny's anticipation grew.
Licht approached Stella, meeting her halfway. "As you can see, yet another wonderful advancement thanks to the brilliance of my staff."
He stopped before Stella and held out his hands waving them in front of her like a new car model.
"Ta-dah!" Licht's ear to ear smile was about as genuine as Sunny had seen from him. "The previous suit served its fundamental purpose of gathering intel. Because of Dr. Rose's fantastic work we were able to make this lovely work of art. I'll skip all the scientific and supernatural mumbo-jumbo for now and simplify it for you meatheads. This suit will make Stella stay tangible for longer periods, help stabilize her Magik, and allow us to continue gathering data."
Locke nodded happily. "This is good news. So, how is it she can do… well, all the things she can do?"
Sunny quickly interrupted, "Nevermind that. It's obviously chromium. It's not going to hurt her, right?"
The material fixed to Stella's body seemed to slightly vibrate, as though it were adjusting to her constantly. Occasionally the hue from the chromium would burn brighter before returning to its normal luminosity.
"It's a smart material, boys. I can assure you it won't bring her any harm. In fact, I'm willing to offer up my life if it does." Licht's pompous attitude was nothing new but Sunny could tell he wasn't blowing smoke. Clearing his throat and Licht continued, "The answer to the mystery surrounding her powers is…I have no answer."
"Oh for fuck's sake Licht," Locke sighed in frustration.
Licht's smile remained. "But from our experience, the circumstances surrounding her demise should play an important role. We are yet to understand it, but I trust that in the coming days, more things will be revealed."
Sunny had largely stopped paying attention to Licht since he learned Stella was safe. He walked towards Stella and hesitantly lifted his hand near her face.
Checking her expression to make sure it was okay he asked, "Do you mind?"
"Not in the slightest."
Stella observed Sunny calmly even though her heart wildly thumped against her chest. Sunny pulled a stray piece of hair from underneath one of the straps on her upgraded fit. The two stood with too little space between them for a normal conversation. The conversation between Locke, Dr. Rose, and Licht continued on without them.
"Are you okay?" Sunny's voice was cool and soft. The mere presence of Stella in her human form intoxicated him.
"Yes, Sunny." She raised her hands up to fix his collar. "It feels weird, but… not unpleasant."
"We're still working on the material," Dr. Rose said, startling them. They both took a step back away from each other. "It's unfinished, this is a prototype." Dr. Rose's eyes wandered over her creation.
"How long can she last in this?" Sunny waved his hand towards Stella.
"Not long enough to make a difference if there's a battle. However, it will allow her to enjoy her human form for a good bit on quiet days," Licht spoke up. "But we're hard at work, and will have a more finished suit soon."
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Locke said. "Great job Licht. Anything else we need to know?"
"Nothing else, Locke," Licht said, his eyes twinkling like stones of fire in their sockets. "Just that she is a powerful young woman, and I am thankful she's one of us."
Stella blushed at the compliment and glanced from Sunny to Locke. The color in her face rapidly disappeared as Stella came in and out of focus.
Dr. Rose cleared her throat. "Like we said, unfinished."
Sunny nodded in understanding and stepped back. "Let's go, Stella," Dr. Rose said. "We'll get you in the old suit. Meanwhile, you all will love this." She handed the box to Sunny and led Stella back into the compartment.
"What's this?" Sunny asked, twirling the box in his hands.
"That is another thing we came up with from the data we gathered." Licht took the box from Sunny and flipped it open. In it two small black earbuds lay waiting. He gave one to each of them and snapped the box shut. "These are specialized earbuds, you can use them to communicate with Stella while in the field. They're hooked up to Stella's suit, tested and trusted. Sure you might have been able to use a regular pair… but these will sound nicer and she won't fry them. Oh, here she comes." Licht gestured towards the two ladies who had left moments before. "You can test it out now," he said.
Stella floated into their midst hovering slightly above the ground. Sunny and Locke pushed the earbuds in and waited. A faint red ring emanated from the exterior of the buds.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Licht prompted. "Say something."
"Uhm… Hello?" Stella said warily.
Sunny and Locke heard her loud and clear from their ears. When her voice came through the buds lit up green. "Did you hear that?" Sunny excitedly asked Licht.
"No." Licht smiled with closed eyes at Sunny. "Well, I think I'm in need of refreshments. Enjoy."
He walked off slowly towards the door and stepped out, shutting it softly behind him.
"Cocky bastard." A hint of a smile came from Locke's mug.
Sunny grinned and tapped the earbuds lightly. "Really good work, Dr. Rose. It was problematic, always having to pull out a phone. This will make things much nicer."
"Honestly, we would like to do more," Dr. Rose replied. "We just need more time."
"I get that," Sunny admitted. He turned his attention to Stella, "But this is amazing!"
Dr. Rose nodded and excused herself. Locke, Stella and Sunny stood there for a little while exchanging glances.
"So, what now?" Stella said.
"I don't suppose you've ever shot a gun," Locke replied.
"What? No. Why?"
Locke shrugged and said, "Well, your special suit is going to be ready soon. And we may not know the extent of your powers, but having a weapon to fall back on is always good. Realistically, it would be nice if one of us actually carried some heat. You see Sunny isn't a fan of guns and believe it or not I'm not the best shot."
"Sure, but with your powers do you need a gun?" Sunny's voice was dry.
"Eeh." Locke looked back at Stella. "What do ya think?"
"I don't see why not," Stella shrugged.
"Great. It's almost dusk, Sunny. Are you staying at the quarters here or do you want to head back to Oldhaven?"
Sunny shared a look with Stella and turned to Locke. "Personally, I want to head home. Correct me if I'm wrong Stella, but I think she'd rather be there than here right now."
"Makes sense," Locke nodded in understanding and took out the earbud. He placed it in his pocket and bid the both of them a good night.
"I need to go take care of some stuff. You kids behave yourselves now."
"Locke!" Sunny called out after him. "Let me know if you find anything, okay?"
"Of course kid."
When Sunny and Stella were alone, Sunny took an empty seat and Stella hovered beside him.
"Long day, huh?"
"Yes, Sunny. Maybe too long." Stella was quiet for a moment and then she said, "Earlier, I know you and Locke left the room just after I did. Is there something you're hiding from me?"
Sunny sat up in his chair and leaned towards Stella. "Not at all, Stella. I just shared my… reservations about taking out your killer."
"Oh. We're still talking about that." Stella shifted her gaze from Sunny.
"Listen, I don't think they deserve to live either. In fact just knowing they are still out there pisses me off. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. So, I asked Locke for help on locating your killer. He's the best tracker I know."
"Okay," Stella said.
Sunny could feel the dread and frustration radiating from Stella. Even if their gates hadn't been so quick to connect, he was sure he would have picked up on how she was feeling. She bit down on her thumb, burrowing holes into the ground with her eyes.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
She looked back at Sunny with a tiny grin on her face. They left the room together and made their way to the underground garage. Maybe soon she will be able to walk beside me without any limits. Sure, she's a phantom but for a small portion of the day she's alive just like the rest of us. I just want a little more time. He cleared his throat before hopping on his bike. Stella stuck close to him and wrapped her arms around him like earlier. Sunny could hear her sigh in his ear.
"It's not the same," she complained.
The tips of Sunny's ears burned. "I was just thinking it would be really nice… If we had more time."
"Yeah."
Sunny could feel a rush between their gates as he took off towards his new home. It had become abundantly clear that her powers had no sway over his feelings towards her. Is this l-love? Sunny ran through scenarios in his mind and questioned his sanity the entire drive home. They had just gotten home and settled in the living room when Sunny's phone buzzed. It was a message from Locke. Attached to it were several links to news websites.
"It's Locke," Sunny said, "He came through."
Stella phased through the back of the couch to peer over his shoulder in a hurry. "What does it say?"
"Locke works quickly. A body was found today. Almost at the same hour we were at the coffee shop."
The images weren't released to the public but Locke attached several gruesome photos of the incident. Sunny and Stella looked on in horror as he zoomed in on the mangled mess of the victim. Even though she was laying on her stomach her gouged out eyes stared back at them. Several bruises and lacerations littered her body causing Sunny's stomach to turn.
"Shit," Stella swore. Even in her phantom form, her amber eyes blazed angrily. "Get it now?"
Sunny remained silent and scrolled through the photos and material on the murderer. His phone shook from the tremors in his hands. A switch flipped and murderous intent laced his words.
"Yes, Stella. I see it clearly now."
Stella leaned back from Sunny briefly. He closed the message and put his phone aside. Stella looked on and could tell a plan began to take shape in his mind. According to data provided so far, the killer's victims were all young women around Stella's age. Not many friends, no local family, and long hours at work. Sunny decided he would need Locke's assistance in brainstorming.
"We have to catch him soon, Sunny. We can't let this go on."
"I know Stella, I'm with you. I'm working on something."
Stella left the living room and Sunny was alone with his thoughts. He thought about the events of the day and remembered that he and Locke had simply pushed the thing with Yuna to the side. He placed a call through to Locke immediately.
"Hello, Locke," he said after Locke picked up the call. "I got your text. Listen, we have to go see Yuna tomorrow. I have to ask her something."
"What's that? We already know she's an Esper. All I'll do is have a talk with her and the council members and we're good," Locke sounded distracted.
"That's fine. But I want to talk to her about something else, a favour."
The sound of shuffling stopped on Locke's end. "What's that?"
"I'm still thinking about it. I don't know if it'll work but I don't want to share it without thinking it through."
"Tomorrow, then?"
"Yes."
"Okay. How's Stella holding up?"
Sunny sighed, "She saw the pictures. What do you think?"
"Right. See ya."
Locke ended the call and Sunny lapsed into silence. He didn't know where Stella was but he could tell she was close. I can't do anything for her. Sunny clenched his fist. He realized there were questions he hadn't asked her. Questions about herself, and the actions leading up to her death. He supposed the time for that would come. He needed to focus on apprehending the killer.
He made his way to his bedroom, pulling off his garments and wishing that he would sleep the moment he laid on his bed. But several hours after his face fell into his luxurious pillow his eyes were still wide open. Little by little story ideas were knocked from his mind and replaced with the image of Stella. Finally, the seemingly impossible happened. Sunny fell into a deep and silent slumber.
The following morning, Stella waited in the living room for Sunny to get around. Half asleep he waddled into the living room dressed in a bright blue beanie with a black cat pin fixed to it. His white long sleeved sweater was an interesting choice for the day's weather. He dropped his new ear bud from his dark torn jeans when he reached his hand from his pocket to cover his mouth. Bending over and yawning he addressed Stella.
"G'mornin'." He fit the ear bud in his right ear. "How was your night?"
Stella waved at him. "Better than yours it seems."
"Heh." Sunny's laugh sounded more like a croak.
The two made small talk as Sunny finished getting ready. They had planned on going to The Fool's Remedy to rendezvous with Locke. He said he would be there before them. As they left Sunny locked the door and took a look at the hallway once more. It seemed better lit and no longer had cobwebs or dust. Strange… It's even neater than before.
***
"Hey, Sunny, Stella." Locke's voice boomed with glee upon seeing his younger allies.
Sunny pulled out a chair and took a seat, glancing around for familiar faces. "I took out the phantom right outside Locke. You should have seen it. Mean as a devil. Stella did wonderfully against it as well."
Locke chuckled and lifted a hand to signal the barista. It was another worker. Yuna was nowhere to be found. "Yeah, sounds like fun. Too bad I missed it. Or did I?" Locke joked.
Stella hovered next to Sunny staring at the seat.
"I don't think Yuna is in today, Sunny."
"Yeah, she isn't." Locke said. "Which is strange, to be honest. She's usually here, like a piece of furniture permanently attached to the shop."
Sunny could see that Locke had his own earbud in.
"That's not a very nice thing to say, Locke," Stella scolded.
"Oh. Err, sorry."
Sunny chuckled at the look on Locke's face. Locke wasn't the sort to get embarrassed or look contrite. Yet here Stella was breathing new life into their everyday dynamic.
"To be fair, she basically owns the place," Sunny pointed out. "Anyways, what do we do while we wait?"
"Eat! What else?" Locke said. "Stella, I'm not going to have you hover around and watch us eat. Okay? I don't know how your body works but you're going to have some coffee and food."
Stella glanced at Sunny quickly and averted her gaze.
"There's the bathroom," Locke said, pointing towards a door in the far distance. "We'll wait until you're back before we order."
Both Vanguards watched her float away and when she was out of sight Sunny spoke. "I really can't wait until the suit is finished.'
"And why's that?" A wry smile gave way to the teasing edge in his voice.
Sunny shrugged. "I don't know. You've probably noticed this, but I feel strongly attached to her already. My gate… it hums when she's present."
"Teenagers." Locke said, tapping the wooden table gently and smiling widely.
"Oh, cut it out Locke. There's nothing more to it than that."
"Well, It seems there is, son. You should see the way you look at each other."
"Knock it off. Here she comes."
Sunny adjusted himself, straightening his posture.
Stella walked towards their table and Sunny could have sworn all eyes were on her. He felt a strange emotion and realized later on that it was possessiveness.
"Nothing more to it huh? Want a mirror?" whispered Locke.
Sunny kicked him in the shin underneath the table. Locke couldn't stop himself from laughing as Stella came nearer. Once Stella reached them she leaned over to inspect Sunny's face. A sly grin appeared from her lips as she moved a lock of her green hair away from her face. The audacity! Sunny wasn't sure if his heart had been replaced with an animal stampede or a train engine. She's teasing me. He covered his chest in an attempt to silence his heart in fear of her hearing it.
"Hi," Stella said breathlessly.
She took her seat beside him and their gates immediately warped around the other's. Both of them let out a sigh of pleasure.
"Ahem. Do I need to give you guys a minute?"
A moment passed and Sunny closed his eyes to bring himself back under control.
"What happens when my time is up, Sunny?" Stella ignored Locke.
"I've set a timer," Locke said, pushing a button on his wristwatch. "I'll let you know when it's almost time. And I doubt we'll be here for that long if Yuna doesn't show. Now, food?" Locke looked eagerly towards the direction of the waitstaff.
Sunny's hand had been resting on his thigh under the table. He almost jumped out of his seat when Stella grabbed it. Averting their gazes from each other they began making small talk with Locke. Locke entertained them until a waiter came over. He ordered quickly and then continued their conversation. A little while later their food was placed in front of them. Locke and Sunny attacked their food immediately and a second passed before Sunny realized that Stella wasn't eating. She played with a chip that was fast getting cold.
Stella realized Sunny's eyes were on her.
"I…it's been so long."
"I'm sorry, Stella," Sunny said softly. "You want it for take away?"
"No. It's fine."
The door swung open distracting the three Vanguard and Yuna crossed the threshold. Once again she was wearing a crop top, jeans, and a stylish hoodie. Her hair was in a slight mess and that surprised Sunny. She's never seemed so anxious before. He decided to put on a happy face for her sake.
"There she is!" Sunny said brightly.
He lifted a hand in greeting and Yuna came towards them. Her chest heaved from breathing too hard and sweat lined her exposed abs.
"Hi, guys."
"Hello, Yuna," Locke said. "We wondered where you were. You're usually the first one here. Is everything okay?"
Yuna sighed. "Yes. Everything is fanfuckingtastic. There was traffic, I think the cops cordoned off the road or something."
"Why?" Sunny asked, his brows lifting up in alarm.
"Why what?" Yuna asked. Her eyes locked with Stella's. "Oh hey."
"You said the cops cordoned off the road. What happened?" Sunny's voice shook because he already knew.
"I think they found a woman's body or something. Gruesome stuff."
"Fuck me," Locke swore, pushing aside his tray still laden with food. He and Sunny shared a look and Stella had shrunk back into her seat.
Yuna noticed the change and stuttered, "I-I'm so sorry guys, I spoke without thinking. "
"No, you're fine," Locke said tightly. "It's not you, don't worry about it. Listen, I know you just got here but we'd like to talk to you." He looked around the table and continued. "All of us."
"Oh. Figured. I'll be back shortly."
They watched her go until Locke's watch started to beep softly. "Five minutes, Stella. Five minutes until you phase out. We need a better name for this, whatever it is."
"You barely touched your food." A frown marred his handsome features.
Stella nodded. "I know. I just don't have an appetite, I'm sorry."
Stella left for the restroom and Sunny turned back to Locke.
"So, I've been thinking about Stella and the killer. I'm almost certain I can describe the recent killer's victim, even though I haven't seen her."
"Okay?" Locke said, pulling out his phone. "Try it."
Sunny thought for a bit and created an image in his head, then he began. "She's in between her late teens and early twenties…"
"Go on."
Sunny rattled off a list of things he had come up with on his way to the coffee shop. "Good fashion sense, unique hair style, above average height for a female, average to large bust, in ridiculously good shape, ear piercings, no scars." Locke nodded to each item Sunny listed off.
"I guess that's all I've been able to come up with. Am I missing anything?"
"Just one." Locke's face grew dark. He scrolled through his phone. "Apparently, our killer has been named by the press."
"Figures, what's he called?"
"The Frankenstein Slasher."
Sunny looked puzzled, "That's an odd name. But I don't think that's something I missed."
"The odd thing is why he's named that. He does something to his victims, Sunny. It appears that his victims aren't all there when they're found. Parts of them turn up missing."
"Oh no." Sunny dropped his head into his hands. "Hence the name." Sunny thought about sharing the plan he had thought up earlier with Locke. Maybe not. He was unsure of what to do next.
Stella floated in and hovered near the two Vanguards. She held her hands in front of her and stared at the two of them.
"I guess you heard all the things we talked about," Sunny ventured.
"Yes," Stella said through the earbuds. "The Frankenstein Slasher."
The silence stretched until Yuna came towards them, rubbing her hand on a napkin.
"Guys, I'm free for a few minutes. I can talk now." Her eyes were on Stella as she spoke.
"Want to sit?" Locke said.
Yuna took her seat next to Locke and looked around the table. Curiosity was the only emotion she presented.
"So, what is this about?" Yuna asked.
Locke leaned in and said, "Sunny here tells me that you can see Stella." His tone was serious and his gaze was piercing.
"Uh, yeah?"
"You know who an Esper is?"
"No, I don't know who that is."
"Oh," Locke said. "Let me start this way. Do you know what we do? Me and Sunny."
"Not really," Yuna said, "but I've done my share of guesswork. The ghost but not a ghost thing is kind of a giveaway." Yuna almost laughed upon saying it aloud.
"You have a point," Locke said. "We are all Vanguards, and Stella is a phantom as well. Essentially, Vanguards hunt phantoms and exorcize them."
Yuna looked askance at Locke, and shot a quick glance at Stella.
"Yeah, strange times when a phantom becomes a Vanguard," said Sunny. "The circumstances surrounding inclusion seem to be shaking things up. But Yuna… You're like us, an Esper."
"Wait. This is a whole lot of information at once. Let me get this straight. So, Stella here is a phantom, as well as an Esper AND a Vanguard? And the both of you are Vanguards as well as Espers. You're supposed to be responsible for exorcizing phantoms. Right?" Yuna seemed less confused and more excited to Stella.
"Right," said Sunny. "Well, we are responsible for exorcizing phantoms."
Yuna leaned forward, her hair brushed against the table, "Why do I get a feeling that's not all."
"Well, that's because you're right," Locke chuckled. "You're an Esper. That means we'd love to have you come to Vanguard HQ sometime."
"He's right, Yuna," Sunny said. He waited a moment and continued. "Yuna, the whole car incident was because of a phantom. I believe that you could save lives as an Esper. It was luck that we were here to deal with that phantom but we won't always be around. If you don't want to join us, I'm okay with that. But at least allow Vanguard to teach you how to protect yourself."
Stella listened closely to Sunny's words. I wonder if he's doing that on purpose. She thought about the kind hearted man next to her actually being some terrible manipulative monster and shook her head. Impossible.
"Guys, I'd love to but…" Yuna said, looking from one Vanguard to another.
"You don't have to give us an answer now Yuna," Sunny said, reaching for her hand across the table and squeezing it lightly.
Yuna let out a sigh of relief. "Okay Sunny. I appreciate that."
"Like he said, you don't have to give us an answer now. Take your time." Locke gave her a thumbs up.
"Thanks, Locke. I should get back to work now."
She quickly said her goodbyes and left the table. She looked back one last time and winked at Sunny.
"Well, that was interesting," Locke said. "Think she'll agree?"
Sunny shrugged, "I don't know. But her help in finding Stella's killer would be nice."
"How so, Sunny?" Stella asked.
"Well, I was thinking yesterday and I came to a realization. I checked out all the victims and pieced together what they had in common. Yuna has many of the qualities The Frankenstein Slasher seems to go for."
Stella and Locke stared in shock at him.
"Sunny…You can't be saying what I think you're saying."
"Stella, it's the only way. If we have to stop him, this is a way to do that. Regardless, chances are they will come after Yuna sooner or later."
Sunny's aura raged for a moment before leveling out.
"But we'll be putting Yuna in danger! I'm not comfortable with that."
"Hold on a second," Locke intervened. "Let me talk to him. Sunny, I don't think it's a wise idea to use Yuna as bait. There's so much that could go wrong. We don't even know if this guy is a normie."
"Come on, Locke. I understand the risks. But we'll all be there to protect her. What could go wrong?"
"I don't like this," Stella whispered.
"Well, I'm all ears when the both of you come up with a better idea," Sunny said defiantly. He glared at them as he spoke. "How about we ask Yuna and let her decide if she wants to do it or not?"
"Alright, let's all take a deep breath, guys. Okay? We're a team, let's just—" Locke was interrupted by his phone ringing at that moment.
"Errandael here." He placed the phone to his ear. "I'm looking at him." His eyes looked at a sulking Sunny. "And Stella is here too. Okay, we're coming in."
He locked his phone and put it back in his pocket. "That was Licht, they'd like you and Stella to come in for a test session. Mostly for Stella really. I think Dr. Rose has come up with something."
"Right. Let's get at it then," Sunny said, pushing back his chair.
Stella could tell he was still annoyed at the direction the conversation had taken.
"I'll be with you guys in a bit." After glancing at the both of them he got up and walked away. "I need to talk to Yuna."
He gave them some privacy and Stella floated closer to Sunny.
"I understand you mean well, Sunny," she said softly, "but using Yuna as bait… just doesn't feel right."
"I don't like it either," Sunny said, "but that's the job." Sunny sighed. "We'll just have to wait and see. And Stella? Sorry, I got salty."