2.1

A/N Had a burst of inspiration on how to finish 1.T, the original beginning of 2.1 is in the previous chapter (1.T). Formatting wise the bing and pings should have been a smaller font size. It looks like ffnet doesn't support that.

Lisa resisted the urge to jump at what she saw as she opened her eyes, two finger hovered centimetres from her face. Following the connected arm back to its source, her eyes landed on the fingers owner's sheepish expression.

'Nervous, cautious, saved me, prepared for possibility of attack'

'bing'

"Hello, again?" Sitting up slightly, she examined her surroundings.

Dark walls were decorated with an assortment of odd tools, some recognisable and others looking like nothing more than a children's toy.

A squat glowing barrel hummed, its golden fluids moving like a lava lamp.

'Particulate's movement within the liquid, inconsistent with normal physics'

'ping'

Dominating most of the room a massive grey machine stood in the corner, glancing at a cabinet she made note of various incomplete looking weaponry littering the benches… and a whisk?

'Underground, repurposed basement, unable to focus on one corner, stairway leads to anomaly, stranger effected doorway? Tinker, Sub rating for stranger technology?'

'ping'

Nudging that peculiar observation back for later thought, Lisa turned back to her rescuer.

'Knows I'm a villainess, doesn't care too much, not villainous enough in my time as an Undersider to offend her ethics, believes I'm a Thinker or Tinker, lonely'

'ping'

"Umm, hi" Ducking her head, the brunette replied.

'No social confidence, not sure how to respond. Out of her comfort zone'

'bing'

"Well I guess I have you to thank for not dying on the street?" Lisa looked down at her hands, flashes of the previous night played back, her skin melting and eyes boiling, the acrid smoke coming from hea- shaking her head she disrupted the flashback.

'Repaired entire body, not using powers, slight variation in skin tone and texture, machines, microscopic machines used to rebuild my body, nano-machines, what is that noi-'

'ping'

"Nanites?" She blurted, in surprise more than anything.

"Yeah," The tall girl answered, "How did you...?"

"Psychic," Lisa retorted, as the other girl frowned.

~O~

I loo- Wait, What? What!

Nooo no no no no!

A psychic? Hah!

Well… maybe she has a power to fake it.

'Purple monkey dishwasher I put a BOMB in your head'. I yell with my thoughts. No reaction, she's either that good or lying. I'm going with lying.

Yeah.

"Bullshit," I called her on it, emphasising the 't' with a click of my jaw. See how the lying liar who lies likes it… and she is smirking?

Her face I am finding is very irritating right now, I clamp down my urge to probe her mind sonical- Wait, why has the beeper stopped beeping. Glancing at maybe-Tattletale, I do need to ask her for a name eventually.

No time!

Turning back to the monitor, I grimaced two of the higher sensitivity sensors had gone caput, when the energy had surged. At least now, I had a much better read on two sources of the dimensional energy, clear, crisp and sporadically surging ever since the villain woke up…

Two sources? That can't be right, why would it double? The Sonic only picked up one trail, what cha-

"Ah you remember me?" Wow, she recovered fast. Pulling myself away from the remarkable readings, I mute the speakers as I turn. Definitely a Thinker.

"Yeah" Social skills don't fail me now, "Tattletale right?"

She nods, lifting an eyebrow slightly. Wondering how I know her name?

"Oh, um there was a few posts about your team, on the PHO, while you were recovering after your fight with Lung. It's why I thought you might be Tattletale, you're not mean enough to be Hellhound." I'm not sure how to bring up her teammates fates, when she suddenly paled.

"How bad?" Okay, maybe there is something to her psychic claim.

"Only Regent was actually brought in... he was bad, I don't know if Panacea got to him in time or not," She is giggling now, giggling and crying… Shock? Should I offer her a shoulder to cry on? "That was the only official release we have had so far, but Lung and Oni Lee's rampage burnt a lot of bodies beyond recognition, I-I I don't think, even if they only had a fraction of your injuries, they wouldn't have survived without Panacea or me…"

"It's okay, we were really only co-workers at best. Just playing a game," Lifting a hand, she waved me off. Wiping her eyes, she gave a small chuckle, "So the world thinks I'm dead, huh?"