She Was Fast, But Her Past Was Faster [Nebula/Maria] [Morning]

Nebula took out her phone for what must’ve been the seventieth time in the last few minutes, eager to make sure that the digital clock it came equipped with hadn’t been timed out or that she’d read the time wrong. Sure, the man they were going to visit had been very patient and understanding in giving them extra time to arrive, but the looming feeling of anxiety remained ever-present within the blonde woman’s mind; not only was he the one that basically decided her fate as of now, but Nebula was also pretty sure a man of his composure and size would be able to snap her back like a twig if she made him angry enough, and nobody would even care. Of course, if the other passenger in the taxi had a pair of functioning eyes, the number of times Nebula had pulled out her phone to check the time would not have gone unnoticed by her. That’s the way most of her time in the cab was spent: looking out the window at the crowds of people zooming by, and being a nervous Nancy. It was quite a long ways from Seven Stars Academy to the specific apartment in Vista Square that they were heading towards; not enough that it would be impossible to get there on foot, but with the time limit that was currently looming over their heads (or, well, over Nebula’s head in particular) going on foot was not an option.

Eventually, the pair would arrive at the specified location: A large apartment complex in the residential area of Vista Square, where the large screens and blaring ads were mostly – though not fully – replaced by bustling living spaces and office buildings. Nebula would pay the amount specified on the taximeter (if Maria tried to pay instead, Nebula would insist on paying with her own money and refuse to take no for an answer, though she wouldn’t say those words out loud) then step out of the cab, meekly holding her sketchbook close against her chest as she always did. She looked up and saw the dreaded place: a regular office/apartment complex to most, but to her and a few others... a symbol of the inescapability of the consequences of their actions. Regardless, she knew that no matter how much she didn't want to be there, she still had to go through with it. She'd come all the way out here with somebody else, after all; after all the trouble Maria had gone through to ensure she could attend both this and the cadet meeting, trying to go back home or even expressing an unfulfillable desire to do so would be nothing short of insulting (not to mention it would quite possibly spell the end of her parole).

Reluctantly and without so much as a word, Nebula pulled on the big glass door in the entryway, entering the building. A bored-looking young man sat behind a reception counter, his feet kicked up on said counter as he inattentively read the front page of a newsaper. The part-timer doorman and security guard briefly looked up from his newsaper, only for him to lazily wave and pull his eyes back down into the newspaper once he caught sight of Nebula, who would in turn nod shyly at the man. In the few times she'd been here, neither the doorman or Nebula had said a single word to each other, yet somehow Nebula still managed to feel a certain specific disdain towards her emanating from the young man.

Continuing on, she would walk up the the elevator and press the call button. As she waited for the elevator to come down from whatever floor it was currently on, Nebula picked at the hem of her jacket nervously, shooting Maria the ocasional glance for reassurance that she was in fact still there with her. Once the elevator arrived, the duo would step in and wait patiently as it took them to the seventeenth floor, where they would step out again and Nebula would approach the first door in front and ring the doorbell hesitantly.




On the other side of the door, a man sat alone and dressed rather informally in his living room, a cup of coffee with cream and sugar in his right hand and a TV remote on his left hand. He checked the clock on the table beside him; they had about an hour left, so he shouldn’t be worrying quite yet. Still, it never hurt to be attentive for the sound of the doorbell: they did say they didn’t know exactly how long the meeting would take. Honestly, this whole situation would have been so much easier if the people over at Class Zero took the other branches of Endymion’s police force into account instead of going around acting like they single-handedly kept all of Endymion safe.

This man was an expert at his job; a thrice doctor of psychology, criminology and law. He originally worked solely as a psychologist and therapist, but after he got his doctorates in the latter two fields he was contacted by the Endymion police force and offered a job as a parole officer, specifically one that specialized in convicts that suffered from non-psychotic mental disorders. Thankfully, due to the specialization of his job, he was allowed to keep his workplace, as it was deemed “advantageous for the continued calm of his parolees”, though the man knew that all they meant was that they didn’t want any mentally ill people going near their precious police stations, even if they were specified to be non-psychotic. It’s not like they had an entire sub-branch dedicated to holding off psychotic threats until the cadets showed up and waved a magic wand to fix everything anyway.

He had a fair number of parolees currently assigned to him, though, this particular parolee… she was something else entirely. Not only were her conviction conditions outrageous, but her psyche profile was basically a lovecraftian novel of its own. She had so many symptoms shared by so many various different mental illnesses that even a man with years of psychological expertise on his belt such as himself was largely unable to correctly diagnose her. As far as he was concerned, he should just diagnose her with everything: PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Paranoia, Panic Disorder, and several different kinds of phobias… it was completely amazing that this woman still had the willpower left to live.

Then, he heard it: the familiar sound of the doorbell. Turning off his TV and putting down the cup of coffee, the man would walk over to the door and look through the peephole before opening up and leaning gently on the door frame.

Nebula would already be fairly familiar with the man, but Maria would be exposed to some pretty unique first impressions. The Asian man stood at an impressive two hundred and thirteen centimeters; a feature rivalled in peculiarity only by the perfectly centered birthmark on his forehead and his long, well-kempt, almost feminine hair. His attire was formal, save for the fact that instead of wearing the suit he simply draped it over his shoulders; a fact that could be attributed to the only three suits he owned that actually fit him completely were currently at the laundry down the street.

“G-Good morning, D-Doctor Nguyen…” Nebula greeted, trying her best not to screw up the pronunciation of Khan’s surname. The Vietnamese-American would, in turn, offer a light chuckle and a reassuring smile. “Hey, you almost got it right that time!” He knew it was probably going to be a very long time until Nebula loosened up around him, but it was a process that would have to be done patiently over time. Khan turned to look at the other woman present before extending his hand, offering a hearty handshake. “You must be Maria Woodsworth, right? I'm Khan Nguyen. Thank you for coming all the way out here, you’ve saved us a lot of trouble. Before we begin though, I’m going to have to see your identification, as agreed.”

When the class time was over, there was only one place that she needed to go with Nebula. But Maria was rather sorry about the whole affair of trying to figure out how to fit a massive coffin either inside the trunk or on top of the vehicle. It's one of the reasons why she wanted to take the train instead. Though it seemed that it was going to be more expedient with taxi since then again, the train was going to be packed at this hour. But miraculously enough, they were finally on their way after much trouble to Maria's chagrin.

Upon arrival, the Cadet observed the towering building before them. It was like any other apartment, bigger than a condo that is usually seen in Sunlake Palms. She wanted to pay for the fare, but somehow Nebula seemed to have drawn some strength and speed out of nowhere before the postulant could react fast enough to intercept. It left a rather bad taste in her mouth, but grudgingly left it at that as she noticed her friend was marginally and apparently more nervous as usual. She kept up smiles for Nebula, as if to wordlessly assure that she wasn't alone. Maybe some small talk here and there to get the edge off her mind. It wasn't like Maria was completely oblivious of the air around here. Which was why she wanted to be sure Nebula knew there was someone here for her this time.

When the door finally opened upon the bell's call, Maria was rather expectant. He had a man's voice as she noticed through the phone. So she expected a middle age man, but couldn't imagine much of anything else. But seeing how the rest of the living staff here didn't seem to care for much for Nebula, her expectations were kept at a low place. At least, until she saw who was inside.

"O-oh! Yes, it's no problem. I'm glad to be of assistance," Maria stumbled on her words at first while struggling to remain composed during the handshake. He was... overwhelming. Taller than even Father Jorge and she thought she wouldn't see anyone beat his height. But here, someone did at the ring of a doorbell. There was a joke to be made here if the priest was present, but he wasn't. It's little wonder why the blonde was rather anxious. But, he seemed rather friendly.


Maria produced her identification and handed it to him. She waited for him to look it over before allowing them inside.

Khan took the identification card from Maria’s hands and brought it up to his face, squinting slightly. After a few seconds of being unable to read it, he took out a pair of reading glasses from the front pocket of his loose jacket and placed them on his nose, pushing them upwards. A few further seconds, and the ID would find itself in Maria’s hands once more. “Alright, everything seems to be in order. Please, come in.” He stepped backwards and to the side, allowing both women to enter his apartment, where they would be greeted by the sight of a pristine and well-furnished living room laden with modern interior design and a large reliance on marble for both structure and aesthetic. Simply put, the place was very appealing to the eyes; Nebula, however, would be visibly uncomfortable and hesitant about stepping into the apartment. After a few seconds of staying still however, Nebula would muster the courage and step inside as well. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Tea?” The therapist-officer inquired to the nun as the two stepped in, more than happy to share a needed drink with his new guest. “I know what you’ll be having, Miss Erlang, don’t worry.” He said to the blonde with a soft smile, already knowing what her drink of preference was. All she did was nod solemnly in response; she really didn’t want to be a parasite, but after Khan had offered her a drink the first time they’d met she didn’t have the heart (or the courage) to refuse, and every subsequent meeting he had already had her beverage at the ready.

Whether Maria accepted the offer for a complimentary drink or not, Khan would make a simple gesture indicating Maria and Nebula to take a seat while they waited, then step briefly into his kitchen. About a minute later he reappeared with a cup of apple cider and, if Maria had asked for anything, a cup of her requested drink as well. After handing the two their respective beverages, he would face Maria with an interested look. “So, I spoke to my higher ups about this situation and your proposal…” the man began his tone serene. “They were hesitant to come to any calls about it, and decided to let me make the final decision on the subject.” His hand went into his pant pocket, and Nebula looked away. “I’m of the opinion that having a fellow friend and coworker keeping track of her progress and state would greatly benefit Miss Erlang, as well as make my job a whole lot easier. However…” He looked conflicted for a brief moment. “Parole is a very bureaucratic process. I can list you as her co-supervisor and proceed with the agreement, but once I do you’ll be expected to either keep me updated through e-mail or show up to her monthly parole sessions with her unless you have a state-issued justification of absence. Either works. You’d also need to be familiar with her sentence, though I imagine she’s already filled you in on that.” Nebula’s eyes widened, and her skin began to sweat. She knew she should have told Maria what it is that she’d done, but despite this she’d knowingly withheld the information from her. How long could she go on avoiding the topic? Not much longer, she knew. Her fingers curled up into fists that pushed against her knees, her toes pressed hard against the sole of her boots, and her blood ran far below cold.

"Tea, please." Everything seemed to be going smoothly once she returned her identification. It was a nice abode, she wondered if parole officers tended to have a higher salary or if he was working another kind of job on the side. But either ways, she was here for Nebula, not for ogling nice homes. The Cadet thanked him upon receiving her share and began to blow on it before taking a sip. She smiled with satisfaction and continued to sample more of it as she listened to what else Khan had to say.

She wasn't at all surprised by the hesitation. With the Cadets having so much power in comparison, it was only natural that the police didn't want to lose any of their own if they could help it. Though it looked like the doctor was able to convince them that it was worth a shot. Everything seemed to be going just fine, at least until she had to know about the reason why Nebula was in so much trouble in the first place. Regardless, she was a Cadet and she had to be honest in a professional manner. "Sir, I have to admit that I'm not privy to this information. I volunteered since I figured it was most expedient for everyone involved, including the Cadets. And I like helping my comrades when I can. I was hoping I could have Nebula get comfortable enough to share with me, to give her time as needed. Despite that, regardless of what her sentence was, his Majesty gave me orders to manage the rest of the Cadets subordinate to me. Especially those with questionable background, this wouldn't be new to me."

This probably didn't look too good for Nebula or anyone involved. But Maria chose a path of ethics in situations like these. There was no need to douse it with likes of the conspiracy and dirty dealings of the Church. She owed Khan Nguyen that, and Nebula as well.

Khan sighed in disappointment, walking closer to Nebula and putting a hand on her shoulder. He would’ve hoped that by now she would’ve at least mustered enough confidence to tell close people – like what he assumed Maria to be, if she was so willing to come help her – about what she’d been through, but… with all the symptoms she was suffering from, it wasn’t really a surprise that she had difficulty doing so. “It would probably be best that you tell her yourself.” He reasoned.

Nebula looked up at the giant of a man with a sight that spelled despair. Once again, she had known for a long time coming that eventually she would have to tell someone outside of her official stately superiors, but that didn’t make the moment any more bearable now that it had come. If she didn’t tell Maria though… they wouldn’t allow her to help her, and all the things she’d gone out of her way to do for the blonde would’ve been wastes of time. Her breathing heightened and sharpened, and her whole body began to shake lightly. “W-When…” her words had begun, but the sentence was non-existent; in between the shakiness of her voice and the clear panicking of her entire body, her words would be better understood by a cryptologist than a linguist. “W-W-When-n… w-when I…. w-w-w-was eigh…e-eight-t-teen… I…. I…. I-I….”


Khan sighed, this time in a combination of sympathy and sadness rather than disappointment. He would’ve gone get her immediately, but he knew it would be a better idea to allow her to drown out her sorrows. Turning to Maria, the man felt it was up to him to explain now, while Nebula let it all out. “Six years ago, Nebula… was convicted of the crime of manslaughter. The victim – her own father – had developed serious psychosis and Borderline disorder, and had reportedly been… infringing upon Nebula for a while.” He felt it would be wise to give these facts time to sink in, so before continuing the man took a seat beside Maria, adjusting his coat-suit in the process. “Nebula turned herself into the cops, claiming that she’d murdered her own father. The following investigation, witness testimonies and court case all showed that the act was done in self-defense from an attacking, psychotic victim… but Nebula’s guilty plea swayed the judge, apparently. A relative of Nebula’s accused the judge of corruption, and another case was opened up to investigate his dealings… but that never went anywhere.” This would all clearly be a lot to take in, and thusly Khan would give Maria some breathing room, allowing her to process all the information that was just thrown her way before moving on.

“Between you and me…” Khan began, this time in a much more serene tone of voice. “By all means, Nebula should be dead at this point. She suffers from multiple non-psychotic mental illnesses, has terrible nutrition and is overall sickly, which is made worse by all the mental illnesses she carries – their combined presence should make it next to impossible for her brain and mind to operate properly as an ego, let alone an organism.” His left leg would fold itself over the other. “Yet despite this, she’s being remarkably diligent. Not only did she join the Cadets of her own volition; she’s been showing up to meetings she had no obligation to show up to. Something is keeping her going; nobody with such little will to live has that much volition.” A forlorn look would find itself in Khan’s face. He wanted to help this woman, he really did, but… “She clearly trusts you more than she trusts me. If you’re going to be her general supervisor… I want to ask you to find out what it is that keeps her going and ensure that it does not wear out. Can you do that?”

Regardless of whatever Maria’s answer was regarding his request, Khan would figure that – while it was fine to let Nebula lament – they still needed to get on with the session. He would approach the bathroom door and knock on it a few times, waiting for any response from within. “Nebula? It’s okay, it’s over. You can come out, she’s not going to string you…” No response. Knocking a few more times, It became apparent to the PhD that he couldn’t bring her out. He would look at Maria and nod towards the bathroom door a few times with his head, as if saying “You’re better fit for this.”

At first Maria was worried that it might complicate the process since it might have impact about how she was going to be trusted with Nebula. But she was wrong, Khan didn't seem to mind that much. Just not in the way she thought at first, but more on something far more important than that as she would quickly realize. The Cadet tried to keep an understanding and warm smile, trying to keep things easy for her fellow peer to begin her side of the story... but it wasn't enough. There were still walls around her heart that couldn't be opened, not even for her. It shocked her.


Maria wanted to go after her, but decided to stay and listen to what the parole officer had to say. What she heard next was... troubling to say the least. It really cemented the idea that everyone had their own struggles, even Nebula's. And it was something that she couldn't imagine, despite Maria going through so much herself, but it explained so much about the blonde. How many broken people were there since the Eternal Divide? How many even before then? The numbers were unimaginable and yet one of them joined ranks with the Cadets out of all things. Out of all the things that happened to day, the only words she'd respond to this were, "...I can."

It was her job as a Cadet indeed. But, Maria couldn't approach this so systematically and coldly like a Cadet and certainly not an Executor. After all these heartless years of training, she wondered if she was even suited for this at all, someone who was also broken to mere tatters by the Eternal Divide. It didn't matter how much she got hurt from it. There was someone else who was also hurt and she wasn't going to stand there to lick her own wounds.

Maria stood there near the door, but she didn't know what kind of words to use here. She remembered those times when Jorge was there to give her encouragement, despite wanting her to leave behind her goal for revenge. Her memory, despite so much pain, of the Church wasn't entirely painful because of the Priest. She wished he was here right now, but he was probably at a mission elsewhere. So it fell upon her shoulders out of all things and she really hated that responsibility. But what she disliked didn't matter. There was someone here, broken. And she needed to put her back together.


She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what words to say. Her tone wasn't mocking, nor was it questioning. Maria kept hers as soft and passive when she could. All she could think in her mind was "What would Father Jorge do?" After a mere moment of thought, she finally put a hand on the door's surface, as if trying to reach out towards her. It was worth a try. "I can't say I can even begin to imagine what's that like... Everyone has a burden to bear. But there are people who are there for you, willing to lend you a hand. You don't have to be alone and it really hurts to be alone. Doctor Nguyen and I are there for you. Even the rest of the Cadets too..."