The Time from Before (ON HIATUS)

Coexistence

"Feels like I'm coming in here more and more often..." Allen muttered, leaning back in his chair. The harsh, fluorescent lights overhead cast a stark glow on the file he held, illuminating the detailed information about Ange.

Across the table, Ange sat with her arms crossed, her eyes wary and defensive. The semi-sterile room felt like it was closing in on her, every tick of the clock amplifying her unease.

"And it's even more weird when I know you're Mel too. Say..." Allen tossed the file onto the table, the papers scattering slightly. "Ange. Be clear with me here. Who's this?"

He flipped the file open, revealing a photo of a tarnished locket. Inside, a faded picture of two figures smiled up from the past.

"That would be me and Nixie. Where did you find this?" Ange's voice was tinged with surprise, her eyes widening slightly.

"Who is Nixie?" Allen pressed, ignoring her question as he leaned forward.

"She's–" Ange sighed, looking frustrated. "She's a friend. She's nice, I guess."

"Does this locket belong to Nixie?" He leaned a little more forward.

"Yeah, she usually keeps it at home. I've never seen her wear it anywhere else." Ange shifted in her seat, her eyes darting away as if looking for an escape.

"Then why did I find this in my bunker?" Allen's tone grew more insistent, the tension in the room thickening.

"Why would I know?" Ange snapped back, her arms tightening around herself defensively. "If I did, I would tell you."

"No, you wouldn't. I've done this for too long to know that you wouldn't snitch." Allen sighed, leaning back again, his skepticism more than evident. "Where is this Nixie character?"

"That I don't know. She called me saying she was out of town, and even mentioned she was out on a shopping trip to another friend of mine, but I don't know where she is exactly." Ange's voice softened, meeting his gaze.

"Let me see your phone." Allen held out his hand.

Ange, hesitating for a moment, eventually decided it was best to give it to him. So, she took out her phone and placed it in his hand.

Allen powered it on, watched as Cv-6 brute-forced the lock, and he scrolled through her contacts and messages until he found the call history. He didn't need a translator; his grasp of the Inkling language was definitely getting there.

But within the call history was an incoming call with no caller ID.

"TRACING COMPLETE. NO VALID NETWORK, POSITION, OR METADATA FOUND. CALL RECORDING SCRUBBED; UNABLE TO RECOVER."

With Cv-6's input, Allen tapped the power button and set the phone down on the table.

"Ange, it looks like your friend is a lot more talented than I first thought." Allen said, eyeing the phone screen. "But she isn't exactly equipped to handle our info network."

"Don't do anything to her." Ange blurted out, her anxiety breaking through her calm façade. She quickly coughed, trying to cover her slip.

"We won't bite." Allen chuckled, sliding the phone back across the table.

Ange caught it with a relieved sigh, her fingers brushing over the device to ensure it was undamaged. The room felt a little less suffocating now.

"We just want to know if she was the one sneaking into the bunker. That, and why." Allen stood up, walking around the table to stand in front of Ange. "If you hear something, say something. It'll be a lot faster this way."