Angelas was a lot of things to a lot of people. For the mayor, it was more than likely a headache and a half. For the mages, it was like a toddler constantly needing to be watched. And for Felissa, the city might as well have been her homeland. She'd been through the streets so many times she knew them like the back of her hand. For better or worse. Very rarely did she encounter anything she couldn't handle these days. Not human, in any case.

She looked up from her phone, the mage frowning as she spotted splotches of green across the pavement. Those useless rookies. She stomped her heel into it, smearing it as best she could. With any luck, people would mistake it for food waste or insect remains.

I'll have to talk with the Chief later.

She frowned at the idea, knowing all too well that his little pet would be there too. If she wasn't at school or on the job, she was always in his office. Like a cat that refused to go away. Felissa always preferred dogs. They knew how to follow orders.

Maybe I should get that pup after all. Would be nice to have a spare guard around the house.

She smiled at the thought, looking up to find she'd arrived at her destination. Redway Memorial Hospital. It was time for another visit.

The chill breeze was always a nice contrast to the warmth outside. Felissa scanned through the entrance lobby, spotting patients ranging from slightly incombered to coughing violently to doubled over with a trash can. It reminded her too much of college nights. She stepped past it all, heading straight for the front counter, where the nurse brightened upon seeing her. The tag Sarah hung over her scrubs.

"Oh, Ms. Green!" she greeted. "Here to check in on Thomas again?"

She smiled back. "Naturally. Is he awake?"

"Yep, he just finished his session. Go right ahead in."

She hit the unlock button, the door swinging open to let Felissa through. She gave a grateful nod, waving goodbye. Nurse Sarah was always among the gentler souls in Redway despite the many stories she'd heard from her. With the amount of deaths she'd seen, it was a wonder she managed to stay so chipper. She must have seen her fair share of ghosts, though their hospital contact kept the place a paranormal-free zone. For the most part.

Her eyes wandered over the blue and white tiles of the hallway, the grounds freshly mopped and mostly quiet. A few nurses and doctors greeted her with a nod, but most kept to their own devices. She preferred it that way. Despite her status, she'd come to the hospital as a civilian rather than a Major of the PIB.

Passing down from room to room, she eventually spotted her destination, W-12 hanging over the door frame. She wrapped her knuckles against, it, Thomas flinching when he noticed her.

"Felissa."

She put up a hand.

"At ease, soldier. I'm not a zombie."

He groaned, his gaze returning to the laptop at his side as he unpaused his game.

Terror Dead 3. It was the fourth game in the series, Felissa having introduced him on the recommendation of another mage. She herself wasn't much for games, but the shooters had tickled something in her brain. And it helped that the monsters she killed weren't real. She pulled up a chair, legs crossed as she watched the young boy play, his character rolling from cover to cover as zombies came swarming from all sides.

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"You're gonna run out, Tommy," she said.

"Shut up. I got this."

"You're gonna run out."

His gun clicked.

"Mother-"

"Told ya'."

The zombies immediately swarmed his character, the avatar giving its final death screams before a game-over screen popped out. Thomas huffed, raising the controller and cursing like he was ready to throw it out the window. If not for the hassle of retrieval, he very well might have. Felissa resisted the urge to gloat, though she did hum her satisfaction.

Thomas quickly started up a new game, choosing a melee fighter this time around. He really wanted that high score, didn't he?

"Bold choice, Tommy. But it'll take more than that to beat my record."

She glanced at the corner of the screen, her score hanging like a proud badge. She'd spent several days just to make it.

"I was only a hundred kills off," he said.

"That's a lotta bodies, Tommy."

"Which is why I had rockets saved up. But then those friggin'- Gah!"

He took a nasty hit, though managed to kill the zombie and quickly heal up, taking a moment to rest before the next wave.

He really was going at it. It always made her happy to see. As long as he was frustrated over the game, he wasn't beating himself up. He wasn't letting his condition get to him. She'd make sure things stayed that way.

"Oh, you're gonna- Ooh, that was a nasty one."

He groaned, his character slashing and running away to heal. He'd made it to the fifth wave already. Usually he died at wave four. Had he been practicing? She leaned against the bed, watching his progress more closely. His character turned to slice a zombie's head clean off, his score growing exponentially as the sixth wave began.

"Woah. You actually haven't died yet."

Thomas didn't respond, his gaze locked on the screen. His character darted from cover to cover, popping up to slash zombies like they were made of paper. His score doubled. Tripled. Heads rolled around the screen, Tommy leaning forward as he frantically moved his control sticks. Was he actually going to...?

She watched the icon at the top of the screen. New high score! Already? He kept going, zombies dying one after another. He'd gotten up to 375 when one managed to get a strike in, completely throwing off his rhythm. The rest descended like an avalanche, the avatar drowning in bites before the game over screen appeared. But it did little to damper Thomas.

Without missing a beat, he turned to scream at her, slamming the controller on the bed.

"HA! TAKE THAT! NEW HIGH SCORE! IN YOUR STUPID FACE!"

She could only stare in response. Both out of shock and confusion. He'd never talked to her like that before. Only his brother. Thomas folded his arms, grinning from ear to ear.

"Now lemme hear it. Who's the top monster killer again? Huh? Huh?"

She finally sighed, raising a hand his way. A defeat was a defeat, after all.

"Alright alright," she said. "I concede your victory this round, Master Tommy."

That made him beam brighter. It was the first time in a while she'd seen him so happy. She smiled, getting ready to call for a rematch when she heard someone come knocking at the door.

"Is everything alright in here, Thomas?"

She blinked, the voice oddly familiar. When she turned towards it, Felissa finally remembered the other reason why she'd come to the hospital.

A tan nurse's aide stood in the doorway, his brown eyes flashing when they met hers. He also grew noticeably tense, which she chalked up to how their last encounter had gone. A natural reaction. She offered a gentle smile in hopes of easing his worries, waving to the man she'd seen in Mayor Tupwell's office only a month or so back.

"A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Justin," she greeted.

He didn't move from his spot.