That night, Ringo watched as Eva returned to her room, following her footsteps within the walls.
Inside, he heard her complaining about the tedious operation. Lena seemed to be fiddling with some mechanical equipment while merely mumbling to his constant monologue, seemingly accustomed to it.
Ringo thought for a moment and decided to end it. He didn't want to waste any more time. Sighing, he glanced outside their room and saw no cameras. He then returned to human form, but his body began to change the next moment.
His skin lost its albino hue and became the color of healthy wheat, his hair turned a brownish-blond. His features became coarser, unlike the slightly sickly appearance before. He touched his face, feeling a little strange.
This was supposed to be his true appearance, the appearance of this body according to Lena and Eva's memories of him, but... it didn't feel right, not anymore.
He wasn't that Ringo, but he figured if he showed up in his Death Scream outfit, the two of them would attack first and ask questions later. Even if he wasn't hurt, it could lead to more trouble if the commotion drew others here.
Shaking his head, he knocked softly on the door.
He heard the conversation inside stop immediately, footsteps approaching the door as it opened.
There, tall and curvy, stood Eva, her hand close to the gun at her waist. Ringo noticed it but ignored it.
Eva, on the other hand, froze the moment she opened the door. Lena, who was watching from her computer, also froze.
They stared at each other for a while before Ringo felt a little awkward. He rubbed his chin in feigned indifference as he raised a hand and said. -Yo!
A vein seemed to pop on Eva's forehead, finally coming to. She didn't ask how he got there, she didn't ask if he was okay, no, Eva was much more direct.
Just then, a fist approached his face at high speed.
He didn't move.
The fist stopped inches from his nose, but didn't move forward.
-Why didn't you dodge? - Eva asked through gritted teeth and a clearly irritated look.
Ringo wanted to say that even if he let her punch him for half a day, she wouldn't even be able to do a [-1] of damage, just a series of [-0], but in the end, he chose an answer that wouldn't make matters worse. - I know you won't hurt me, Eva. - He gave her a simple smile.
Eva's fist trembled, she bit the corner of her lip furiously, but she didn't move forward. She turned and strode into the room.
Lena had already approached by now. She looked at him with wide eyes, while Ringo stroked her unruly hair. - You look prettier, Lena.
Lena lowered her head in embarrassment, her hands dancing, unsure of what to do for a moment. She looked at him with her head down and spoke softly. -Ringo... just... I...
She seemed to be searching for something to say, but in the end, she didn't know what to say. Ringo sighed internally. - Let's talk inside.
Lena paused for a moment and nodded. The duo soon entered. Eva was playing with her gun, sitting on the bed, pretending not to see him, but he could hear her heart hammering in her chest.
Lena stood, her head still down, unsure of what to do. His visit was truly sudden. Finally, Ringo sighed and began to speak.
-I heard there were two girls looking for me. I came to see who they were, but I didn't expect it to be you. - He finally spoke.
Eva stopped fiddling with her gun and looked up. Her eyes looked complicated, but her face still wore an irritated frown. - Why didn't you come back?
Lena said nothing, but she too raised her head, looking at him with a look that said he'd gotten her pregnant and run off to buy cigarettes.
Ringo's lips trembled, groaning internally and sighing loudly. He walked over to the chair Lena was sitting in, sat down, and looked at the pair.
-Well... it's complicated, but to be honest, I didn't remember you two until I met you. To tell you the truth, i remembered almost nothing from my past. - Ringo said calmly.
Eva narrowed her eyes. -You expect us to believe that?
Ringo looked at her and said. -Eva, I'm not kidding, my time at Germinal wasn't... comfortable. There was only one memory that lingered in my mind, and yet it seemed almost opaque, obscured.
-What memory? - Lena asked, a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
-Emma. - Ringo only said one name, but it made Eva's gaze harden and Lena look puzzled, but she didn't seem surprised.
-It seems like you still don't forget her, does it? - Eva snorted, but he could see her eyes were a little red.
Eva may look tough, but she's actually the most emotional of them both.
Ringo didn't answer, but continued. -Well, I followed you for a while, finding you familiar. It wasn't until a... dream that I remembered part of my past, you two and... my mother.
Lena approached and took his hand, looking at him with pity. -Ringo... what did you go through?
Ringo hadn't thought much about his life in Germinal, but with that question, he seemed to remember a few things. His eyes went wild for a moment before returning to normal.
But whether it was Eva or Lena, they both saw it. It tightened their chests, and even Eva's anger and hurt subsided. She stood and took his other hand. She said nothing, but her hand pressed tightly against his.
Ringo opened his mouth. He wanted to say it was nothing, but he knew, without his evolution, he would be broken by now.
The level of torture he'd endured...
With a deep sigh, he continued to talk to them for a while, changing the subject, about his childhood, things he couldn't remember. The duo only tried to help where they could. But he wasn't the original. There weren't many things the original had left for him. He wasn't like a backup hard drive, he was a new drive that had received fragments of information from the previous one.
Thus, the trio couldn't make any progress. This made Lena even more sorry and Eva furious. She wanted to rush to the Germinal base immediately and kill everyone there.
-It's okay. When we get back, we can help you recover slowly. Our doctors are very good. - Lena finally gave up and tried to console him.
Ringo paused for a moment. Eva narrowed her eyes. She had been trained as an agent, she could easily read expressions, and Ringo himself wasn't the best at acting, especially since he wasn't wearing his glasses at the moment, his shifty eyes were clearly visible.
-You don't intend to go back, do you? - she asked in a tone almost spat out, anger rising within her. - You haven't given up on finding her even now, have you?!
Her tone rose so high that the fury within her nearly burst right there.
Ringo wanted to say there was more to it than that, but this was good. He could make them give up, return to Hesla and live their lives. Ringo would have nothing to do with them in the future and needn't blame himself for any misfortunes.
The next moment, Eva grabbed him by the collar, tears already streaming down her face, unable to contain herself any longer.
She looked at him and raised her fist, between fury and pain. Ringo looked down, not daring to look at the furious woman.
He didn't want to hurt her, but despite having good feelings for her, he'd only known them for a day, he wouldn't change his mind just because of their feelings for the old Ringo.
-Look at me! - She screamed, furious that he wouldn't dare look at her.
Ringo stopped and looked into her eyes. What Eva saw there made her even angrier. There was guilt and pity, but no regret.
-Do you pity me? - she asked in a cold voice, her tears stopping. - You really are an idiot.
She released him forcefully and left the room with heavy steps.
.
--x--
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+10 capítulos de Jugo - Pai dos Demônios em P_treon.
+19 capítulos de O Mecânico Lendário - Triplo Seis em P_treon.
P_treon: Chuva de março