Outside the Mirage

#16: Hit That Man

Vanessa woke up, her neck throbbing. Looking around, she realized she was in her parents' living room, two empty bowls on the coffee table and the television turned off. Turning to lay on her back, she felt around for her phone before finally finding it wedged between the couch cushions. It was 8.33am. Rolling her eyes, she sat up and sighed. She was late for work, the first time ever. Hopefully Merlyn wouldn't be too mad, she thought. Then she remembered about the night before, her argument with her mentor and decided she didn't care if he was mad. She stood up and looked around. "Mom? Dad?" she called out.

"What's the matter dear?" her mother answered from upstairs.

"Is there a way I can get a ride to work? I'm already pretty late."

"Of course," Mark said, coming up from the basement. "I'll take you. I have to go grab a few new parts for the washing machine while I'm out anyway."

Within a few minutes, the two were sitting in Mark's red van. "So where exactly do you work?" he asked.

"The Gerald R. Ford Building," Vanessa said.

"Oh wow," Mark said. "That's cool. I always wanted to go in there."

Vanessa smiled at him. "We'll go sometime, I promise. I'll show you my office."

"My little girl has her own office?"

"Oh yeah," Vanessa said. "It's pretty cool, I have a desk and not much else."

Mark smiled. "Well that's okay. It's crazy that so many of my kiddos work downtown."

"I mean, it's just me, right?"

"Well, and Nicholas," Mark replied. "Although he's not actually going to be downtown today."

"Because he's taking time off, right?"

"Well, no. Gracie was telling me that he had some random assignment at a clinic up in the middle of nowhere? Out kinda near Whitehall, but not really?"

Vanessa frowned. "That's weird. Merlyn and I were headed that direction today to go see someone."

"What a coincidence," Mark said. "Maybe you two can get lunch together?"

"I'll text him," Vanessa said.

Then Mark stopped the van, parked in front of the Gerald R. Ford Building. Vanessa pecked her father on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime, Superman," he said, giving her a friendly wink as she left the car.

Maneuvering her way around the crowd of people in the lobby of her workplace, she managed to get to the elevator. "Department of Containment, floor seventeen."

"Department of Containment, Agent Trainee Moreland, verified."

The elevator began to rush upwards and Vanessa silently appreciated her normal, human elevator. The doors opened and she walked into the hallway of the Department of Containment nearly running into Platt.

"Oh, good morning," he muttered. "Merlyn wasn't sure you were going to show up. He said you two had a spat?"

"A spat?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, he's a bit odd," Platt admitted. "Anyway, you just missed him. He literally left maybe two minutes ago to go to Wyvern's."

Vanessa hissed. "That's great. Just great."

"Well, I can call him real quick?"

"No, don't worry about it," Vanessa said. "I think I might have a way to get there." Taking out her phone, she texted Nicholas.