Chapter 11: Do You Even Like Me?

‘ Engie Name: Sarah

Rank: S

Class: Jack of All Trades

Role: Fill

Range: Melee

Damage Type: Slashing/Piercing

Passive Abilities: Enhanced Speed, Lifesteal, Battleflow

Active Abilities: Phantom Slash, Team Player’

Sarah returned to the changing room just as Spencer finished counting his remaining shells. All in all he only had ten slug rounds left. Sarah had proven herself to be a capable warrior with her sword, but Spencer needed to restock his ammunition. He had to stay useful.

“There’s a department store that specializes in outdoor activities further into the mall.” He told Sarah as he gathered up his things. “They’ll have a hunting section where I might be able to find more supplies there.”

Sarah nodded. The sword wielder’s dress, boots, and hair all remained flawless despite the combat they went through earlier.

“There were a pair of hellhounds snooping around the hallways. I dispatched them quietly.” She reported in her typical flat tone. “No other enemies to report. We should be clear for a while.”

When Spencer moved towards the entrance Sarah slid a comfortable distance ahead of him. It made sense that she would take point when they moved. Her instincts were better, she had a melee weapon, and she would react to situations a lot faster than Spencer probably could. Following behind the sword wielding engie gave Spencer time to appreciate how crisp Sarah was as a whole. Her steps, head movements, and sweeping gaze worked together in perfect synchronization. She looked so…

“... In control.” Spencer didn’t realize he spoke the thought aloud until Sarah paused and glanced back at him.

“What was that commander?” She asked, perplexed.

Spencer had never been one to accidentally spill things aloud. It felt like a third party had slipped into his mind and overridden his controls for a moment.

Spencer blushed. “Sorry. I just… I know we haven’t been together long but you seem so in control of the situation at all times. Even when you stepped right out of the pod and I ordered you to engage that faceless one to help…”

Spencer’s shoulders sagged at the thought of Andrea. Sarah studied his face and raised a single eyebrow.

“Are you saying I’m encroaching on your authority as my superior, commander?”

Spencer shook his head. “Not at all. You’re just very cool under pressure. I admire that about you already.”

It was difficult to tell in the dim lighting, but Sarah’s ears looked a bit red around the tips. She turned her head away before Spencer could look closer.

“Understood, commander. We should keep moving towards our target.” Sarah said in her flat tone of voice before continuing onward.

The mall was even more eerie now that the daylight had faded outside. Lights flickered, hummed ominously loud, or lay broken on the blood stained floors as the pair carefully navigated back towards the outdoor goods store. A backwards facing double wide stroller rattled a few inches away when Spencer stepped around it. He forced himself not to look inside the torn carrier.

I should talk to her. Spencer bit the inside of his cheek as he continued to observe Sarah from behind. She was the only safe thing to look at that didn’t fill his heavy heart with guilt. Chris’ guide said that building a relationship with my engies is the key to making them stronger. Their strength is my strength. So… I should start by talking to her.

It made sense, but why did Spencer suddenly feel nervous about following through with his logic. Maybe it was because he was a bit more intimidated by Sarah compared to Andrea. Andrea had been a bubbly outspoken girl that made her affection for Spencer obvious. Sarah on the other hand… with her beautiful black dress, perfect blond hair, and calculating stare… well it was harder to tell.

I mean the system gave me the boon that maxes out their affection levels for me. Spencer sighed. Here goes nothing.

“I’m a senior at Lincoln high school.” Spencer blurted out.

Sarah shot him a look. Spencer couldn’t tell if it was annoyed, surprised, or indifferent.

“I’m graduating this year, less than a month, but still haven’t decided on where I want to go to college. Can you believe that?” Spencer let out a pained laugh.

I was too intimidated to ask about her and ended up spouting nonsense about myself. Spencer groaned internally.

An awkward silence fell between them. Sarah eventually responded though her steady pace didn’t slow at all.

“Is… Is knowing where you want to go to college important?”

It was Spencer’s turn to glance at her.

“Normally? Yeah. Especially if you have parents like mine. They wanted me to figure it out back when I was sixteen and here I am, two years later, still undecided. Did you go to college? You’re not that much older than me are you?”

The corners of Sarah’s lips twitched. Up or down, Spencer couldn’t tell.

“Older by a year. And no. I didn’t go to college.” She held Spencer’s eyes in a fierce stare. “I was raised in a world on the brink of extinction. There wasn’t much room for higher forms of education. Especially after I became an engie.”

Spencer winced. She’s not a fan of college then... Well that went terribly.

******

Sarah was screaming internally.

Stupid idiot! You made it sound like he was stupid for wanting to go to college. You would have been happy to go to college if my life hadn’t been destroyed all those years ago. Sarah scanned the area opposite of the commander so he couldn’t see her embarrassment. I wanted to sound understanding. Not upset!

Sarah had been drilled from an early age to be the best fighter she could be. One of the things that she lost early on in her military career was the ability to have a normal range of emotions show on her face. Now here she was, with a caring commander who was opening up about things important to him and she ruined it because she couldn’t communicate effectively.

Please forgive me commander!

******

“I actually thought I’d be able to make a difference.” Spencer didn’t know what else to say so he shared his deepest thoughts at the moment.

“To what are you referring to, commander?” Sarah asked while still looking away from him.

“All of it.” Spencer gestured to the flickering lights, blood stained floors, and a fresh hellhound body sliced in two against the far wall.

That must be one of the hellhounds Sarah found earlier. Spencer surmised.

“The apocalypse happening around us.” Spencer continued. “When I got selected as a champion at the start of all this, when I gained the ability to bring Andrea and you to my world to help fight, I thought I’d be a hero.”

Spencer shook his head. “I lost my crush, a long time friend, the first engie I summoned and barely knew... Hell, I don’t even know if my parents are alive. I don’t know if my best friend was on his way to school or not when all of this happened. I should be out looking for him and his family. I should be pulling people out of buildings and helping them to safety. I haven’t saved anyone. Thousands are probably dead outside, tens of thousands, and all I’ve managed to do is get a few more killed.”

“You include Andrea in the list of people you wished you saved?” Sarah looked back at him with raised eyebrows.

Spencer furrowed his brow. “Yeah, of course. If I was a better commander I could have saved her easily. Why does that surprise you?”

Sarah shrugged. “In our world engies are looked down upon as abominations. Monsters created to fight monsters, but not equals or things to care about. Most commanders don’t blink twice when an engie under their command perishes.”

“Well that’s ridiculous.” Spencer stepped closer and placed a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

Her black dress was surprisingly soft to the touch. The material felt comfortable yet durable. Spencer ignored the questions he had about the fabric and looked directly into Sarah’s vibrant purple eyes.

“I wouldn’t even be alive right now if it wasn’t for Andrea. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. You may fight for me thanks to this ability I’ve been given, but I don’t value your lives any less than I do my own.” Spencer spoke sincerely from his heart. “I want us all to make it through this. Together.”

For a moment it almost looked like Sarah’s irises had small hearts in the center of them, but when Spencer blinked they were gone. A chime sounded in his ears.

‘Bonding Event successfully passed, Opening Up: 

• Five store credits awarded.

• Team member, Sarah, stats improved.’

Spencer quickly closed the notification and blushed. He hadn’t known that sharing his honest feelings could be a bonding event.

Maybe the events are specific to each engie. He reasoned.

Despite the system confirming a successful bonding event, Sarah didn’t visibly react to it in the slightest. The eye thing must have been a weird trick of the faulty lights inside the mall.

“I appreciate your sentiment, commander.” Sarah gently lifted Spencer’s hand from her shoulder and set it awkwardly to his side. “But your safety is paramount. Please remember this any time there is danger.”

Spencer glanced down at the hand she removed from her shoulder. I guess that was a bit forward of me. I hope she’s not too upset.

Sarah stepped towards their destination, but spoke back to Spencer as she did so. Her words were so quiet that Spencer had almost missed them entirely.

“And don’t worry about not having saved anyone yet, commander. By my sword I will see your dreams fulfilled.” Sarah stated firmly.

******

I love you so much commander! Sarah gushed internally. Why did I have to move his hand from my arm? I was so flustered I couldn’t think straight. And what was that line? ‘By my sword I will see your dreams fulfilled’? I mean it should be obvious that I’ll help him any way I can. I was so touched that he actually cares about the engies under his command that I felt the need to spout off that cringy line to him. Ugh! I’m dying!