Date: cycle before Enzo's party

[command_dot_com]

There were always things that needed to get done early, and preferably quietly inside of the Principal Office. In various alcoves, niches, and even distinct areas specifically designed to keep a certain pair of idiots entertained, binomes went about their work. And more specifically, in more recent minutes they came through with amazing breakthroughs in the labs. Unfortunately between those amazing breakthroughs, there were very long periods of heavy stress, mild screaming, and sometimes like right now, a heavy dose of worry and helplessness.

Dot watched a particular clear enclosure inside of the Principal office. A null squeaked moving about inside of the container. Phong puttered with some equipment nearby as she watched it move around inside.

"How's he doing, Phong?"

Comments

[nofileext]

"...a solution to that problem still escapes me, my child," Phong says with a sigh.

[a1enzo]

Speaking of children, here comes one in now. "Hi, Dot. Hi, Phong." He heads straight for the tank to peer in at his father's remains. "Do we have a carrier or something?"

[mendanddefend_archive]

"We'd better," says Bob, following close behind. "Remember what happened last time he got loose?"

[a1enzo]

"He's not gonna get loose."

[command_dot_com]

"Hack and Slash think like that, Enzo." Dot chides gently.

[a1enzo]

"But he's gotta come to the party!" Enzo insists, opening the tank.

[nofileext]

Silly, silly Enzo. Nibbles bolts for the exit.

[a1enzo]

"Whoops!" Despite the total inadvisibility of touching a null, Enzo lunges to grab Dad before he can, in fact, get loose.

As he touches Nibbles, his icon glows and spins; the glow travels down his head, neck and arm, and passes into the null, which Enzo drops.

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Enzo!" Bob looks alarmed. "Are you okay?"

[command_dot_com]

"Enzo!"

Dot darts to grab him and make sure he stays upright. Crashing stupid thing to do...

[a1enzo]

"Yeah," Enzo answers Bob. And it's true; it felt weird while it was happening, but now he doesn't even tingle. "That was freaky."

[nofileext]

"I am not sure what has happened," Phong says, sounding stunned, "but... your icon is normal again!"

[a1enzo]

Enzo rolls his eyes to see.

Yeah, taking the hat off might be in order.

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Something must have triggered the code Hex left. But what...?"

[nofileext]

"I, uh, think that might have been me..."

[command_dot_com]

"That would do it." Dot says absently taking off Enzo's cap to look at it.


Then it registers just where that voice came from and who. "Dad!"

[mendanddefend_archive]

"'Dad'??" echoes Bob, bewildered. He doesn't recognize the voice--why would he? He never met Welman before the Twin City disaster--but he's gaping at the talking null anyway.

[a1enzo]

"Dad!" Enzo, who was about to snatch his cap back, leaves it to Dot and drops to his knees beside the null. "You're back! And... kinda red."

[nofileext]

"Am I? Nulls aren't very good with colour, I'm afraid."