The Time from Before

Abrupt Introductions

"S-So, uh, can I ask you something?" Marina stood just behind Allen, watching him work.

Allen, on the other hand, was disassembling his weapon and cleaning it, making sure to remove all the grime and dirt that built up.

"Sure, go for it." He started piecing the rifle back together just as quickly as he disassembled it. It was increasingly clear that he'd done this thousands of times before.

"Uhm... Well, I made up with Pearl." She sighed.

"And Pearl was the one you upset?" He forcefully attached a piece back onto the weapon, then lifted it up and pulled the slide back with a loud click.

"Yeah... But, we made up and decided for now that we'd be friends. And... Thanks for the advice. It really helped. A-Anyway, so I was speaking with the rest of my friend group and kinda... I kinda blurted out that I knew a human." Marina started fidgeting.

"And you want to introduce me to everyone else." Allen sighed. "I'm in your debt, but even then..."

"If you don't want to, then I won't force you." She looked away. "But, I mean, if you're willing..."

"Don't take advantage of my kindness." Allen clicked his tongue. "Alright, so where are these friends of yours?"

"At the studio. After I finish up announcing the news with Pearlie, I can introduce you to everyone." She then hummed in delight. "Oh! Should we bring the other two?"

"No. That sounds like a terrible idea. Besides, the other two aren't here right now. They're both at the bunker." He cleared his throat.

"Oh, well, that's fine. C'mon, I'll show you the way." She smiled, turning around and leaving the apartment.

Allen already had his equipment on, so he decided to bring his rifle. Just in case. Getting up, he made sure everything was in place and opened the apartment door.

...

...

After a little while, they both found themselves in an incredibly populated area. In fact, this area was where Allen met up with Marina in the first place. Marina led him to the same exact door as before.

"Oh... Yeah, you can't open the door from the outside. Hold here a sec, I'll go around." She sighed.

As Marina left the alleyway, he could hear screams of joy not too far from where he was. The one thing Allen could count on being in the Arctos Dominion was simple; privacy. Sure, committing war crimes wasn't exactly the best thing to publicize, but it was certainly a point. Strangely, Allen missed those times.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he heard a click from behind the door. Marina pushed open the door, out of breath.

"Please, come inside!" Marina said, inviting him in. She attempted to calm herself down, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"Wow, you look like you ran the whole way here." Allen commented, noticing her flushed face and panting breath.

"Actually, I more or less was in a sprint. Alright, come on. Before someone sees us. Don't want to give up my secret way out, y'know?" She waved him in.

Allen walked through the doorway and took a look around. He wasn't anywhere special, just some concrete bricks with beige paint covering its surface. The paint was chipping though.

"Alright, follow me. With some luck, we should be uninterrupted." Marina started to walk down the hall.

Allen followed, being more increasingly amused as Marina glanced back every so often to make sure he was still there. He considered wandering off and exploring, just to make her panic. Although, she did house and feed him, not to mention the other two... Well, it feels wrong to let her down now. His curiosity could be quenched at a later date.