Ascending the stairs up the Megabuilding he would now be calling home, Kade listened intently to Livewire's story. Learning about people was his job after all. You never knew when you'd need to know something about someone. Even the most mundane facts could contain important information about more than just the subject. Of course, the higher they got, the harder it was to concentrate on anything but that rotting garbage smell. Once they had completed their climb, Kade quickly turned to the group.

[color=148c80]“I'm going to go ahead and call dibs on a room facing the city. Anything to limit that… ‘delightful’ Santo Domingo odor.”[/color] Kade said and playfully waved his hand in front of his nose before pivoting back to face Livewire and his… was that his mother?

It was off-putting to say the least. Not only had their contact brought his mother along, but now they had to watch the two squabble and fight about stew that probably came from a can being served on a foldout table that could have been scrounged from garbage mountain for all he knew. Yet despite how trivial it all was, they seemed genuinely happy just to be doing it together. To have each other's company. It was already making Kade feel uneasy to see, but it was one phrase that really got to him.

“Love you, mumma.”

The words pieced Kade’s ears and echoed in his mind. All sound around him began to distort and blend into a high pitch ring. His vision blurred in and out of focus. His left foot stepped back as his balance fled. It was as if reality itself was collapsing, then all at once, his sense snapped back into place. Everything returned normal, save for the extra guest now sitting at the table. A pale blonde woman in a steel blue designer silk dress had placed herself near the head of the table. Her eyes of a matching color looked every person there up and down as she slowly sipped at a martini until they landed on Kade and rolled in their sockets.

“Really? You went through an entire militech prison facility without a care, but seeing someone actually love their mother sets you off?” Rachel scoffed and turned away from her son. “How pathetic.”

[color=148c80][i]“Mother, please.”[/i][/color] Kade replied with a thought, taking great care to keep the conversation inside his head. [color=148c80][i]“Let's not start anything in front of the help.”[/i][/color]

“What are they going to do? Leave like the other two? Believe me you're better off without this rabble. You'd find more reliable help from the junkies in pacifica.” Rachel sneered.

[color=148c80][i]“Well I have to start somewhere. Beggars can't be choosers and all that.”[/i][/color] Kade explained hoping she would realize their situation and relent.

“Beggar is right. I mean look at this place!” Rachel fired back as she gestured to the unfinished building they stood in before shaking her head. “And here I thought we couldn't sink lower than that broom closet in Watson.”

[color=148c80][i]“Look if all you're going to do is complain, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”[/i][/color] Kade firmly stated while still trying to keep his mask of a smile from cracking. [color=148c80][i]“We don't want any more deserters, so it's imperative that I don't give them further reason to delta.”[/i][/color]

“Haven't seen me in weeks and you're shooing me away to have dinner with coworkers.” As the words left Rachel's mouth, her face began to warp, slowly twisting and changing until it was no longer Kade's mother, but his father staring back. “Like father, like son, it seems.”

[color=148c80][b]“How dare you!”[/b][/color] Kade shouted out loud. Immediately he froze in terror realizing his outburst had escaped the confines of his psyche. Trying to think quickly, he plastered on his deceptive smile and continued. [color=148c80]“Not let me help you with dinner. At least allow me to take care of the dishes after.”[/color]

His eyes darted to each person to see if they had bought it before settling back to where his ‘mother’ had been sitting only to find the chair vacant. [color=148c80][i]“Guess she's still good at vanishing, thankfully.”[/i][/color]