Sprayfire

Chapter XV - Calibration

I woke up from my nap and realized something was wrong. I got up and looked around; Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. I decided to go in the bathroom to freshen up. As I walked towards the bathroom door, I heard the sound of an open faucet from the other side; running water could be heard, flowing down the drain. I took a moment to stop and decide whether or not I should open the door. After what felt like two blank minutes, I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it slowly. Cautiously, I pushed the door and slowly peeked through.

"What the -", Elizabeth screamed, as she turned the sink faucet off and turned around.

I quickly shut the door and stepped back ever so briskly. I sat in the corner with my knees to my face, and my hands on my head. I quietly regretted opening the door; with further thinking, it was probably a better idea for me to have knocked before twisting the knob. Suddenly, Elizabeth stepped out of the bathroom. I looked up to see her wearing skinny jeans and a black turtleneck - with a gray bandanna wrapped around her lower face, concealing her nose and mouth.

"You know, knocking before entering won't kill you. Good thing I was already dressed...", she chuckled, as she brushed her near-waist-long hair with a comb. "Anyway, you'd better hurry up and get ready. While you were asleep, Adrian stepped in and said that the Elite Team's gonna be having a meeting at the Garage.", she added, as she braided her hair.

"Uhhh... W-wait a minute, w-why... Y-you know what, n-nevermind...", I stuttered.

I don't exactly know why, but I tend to become paralyzed whenever I see long, wavy hair. Not sure why it happens; I guess I'm just astonished at how beautiful it looks. I got up and rummaged through my closet to find some decent casual wear. I ended up getting a red (top) & black (bottom) gradient hoodie, a pair of jeans, and some regular running shoes. I stepped into the bathroom and changed my clothes, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. Afterwards, I stepped out and wore a knapsack, filled with everyday items such as notebooks, ballpens - those simple, yet vital things you need out there. I decided to slip a combat knife in my pocket, just in case things could get messy. I looked over at Elizabeth; she was strapping her leather holster belt to her waist, and when she finished, she placed her two pistols in the pockets.

"Alright, you ready to go?", Elizabeth asked me.

"You better believe it!", I smirked, as I grabbed and wore a pair of finger-less gloves.

"You sure..? Remember - you're still not at normal temperature...", she asked.

"Yeah, don't worry - I can manage now.", I reassured her, as I strapped my watch onto my arm.

Elizabeth stepped out of the room, as I double-checked all the electrical appliances. After making sure that everything was turned off, I exited my room and locked the door. We walked down the hall and slowly made our way to the Garage. I glanced at my watch and noticed the time.

"It's 2 PM...", I muttered. "I wonder what Adrian has in store for us this time... Probably another experiment or something...", I jokingly mentioned.

Upon exiting the hall, I felt the cool, afternoon breeze; gently rubbing my face and running through my hair. I look over to Elizabeth and notice something peculiar. Her eyes were partly squinting, due to the bright sunlight. However, regardless of how much they squinted, something about her eyes felt strange to me; they gleamed and sparkled, as she looked at me with such happiness. I quickly turn away to try and distract myself from the creepily familiar sight, but it somehow keeps reappearing in my mind.

"Everything alright, Craze..?", Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, I'm good.", I said. "My head's just a little active, is all.", I added.