Chapter 12

Upon my return to the headquarters, I see Terri's door is open and his room is empty. I check into the planning room and see he is not there either. As I walk around the building, looking for him, I begin to smell the familiar aroma of bacon.

'Oh, please tell me he is!'

I quickly stride over to the cooking room and see Terri, standing over a stove, cooking eggs and bacon.

"Yooooooo!!! You're making us breakfast!"

"I'm making me breakfast."

"You think you can maybe turn that me into a we?"

"Well, since I bought all this food, cleaned up this kitchen and all the cookware in it, and did all the cooking, I would say no. Luckily for you, I'm in a giving mood today; so I guess you can have some."

"You think maybe you could take the eggs and bacon, put em on a roll with some cheese? Bacon egg and cheese on a roll is really the only thing I ever eat for breakfast."

"The only thing? Isn't that a bit unhealthy?"

"Who cares, it's delicious."

After an infinite amount of waiting, Terri finally placed two dishes on one of the tables in the room. We both pull up chairs to the opposite sides of the table and begin to eat.

"So. What supplies did you get?"

"It's a secret. You'll find out when I test it on you."

"I've been meaning to ask. Where are you getting your money to fund this whole plan of yours?"

"Well, I'm trying to do it all on the cheap. I have a bit of money saved up."

"Is that an allowance or do you have a job?"

"Had a job. Quit the job, still have some cash left over."

"What did you do?"

"You know, it was shit work. I don't really enjoy talking about work?"

"Do you plan on getting another job soon?"

"Hell no. Hey, why are you asking me all these questions?"

"Because I want to talk to you. I'm dedicating my time and potentially my health to your crazy idea of breaking the world, so I want to get to know you better. We really haven't gotten to talk much since we first met."

"Well, what about you? You got a job?"

"Not yet; but I'm enrolled in an internship that starts at the end of the semester. I'm hoping if I impress them, I can get hired right out of college and be set."

"You don't want to spend some time relaxing and being free when you're out of here?"

"I'm not here to relax. I'm here to start my career. The longer it takes after graduation, the more difficult it becomes to find a job."

"Whatever. Anyways, if I manage to accomplish my goal, no e of that will matter."

"Why is that?"

"Think about it. If the world does break like I want it to, everything will change. The world is gonna be full of excitement and adventure. Every industry and our very way of living will change. Hell, I can't even imagine you'd have to make money in such a world."

"I don't know about that. I mean, even in comic books, super heros have to pay their bills. I mean, Spider-Man is pretty much defined by the fact that he's always broke and struggling to hold down a job."

"It'll be fine."

"Glad to hear you're so confident."

With that, we both finish our breakfast and Terri makes me clean the dishes.

"I feel like it's wrong to make the woman do the dishes."

"Maybe it would be if I didn't cook the food. Equal distribution of work; get used to it."

'Now I'm definitely gonna enjoy depriving him of oxygen later.'