System activated

"System restored to active mode. Mild discomfort may take place as host adjusts to reactivation." the voice said as Abel's head continued to throb at a barely tolerable rate.

"Are you doing okay?" Ray asked when he saw the pained expression on his partner's face and the way that he was holding his head.

"I'm fine, just a little bit of a sudden headache." that was perhaps the understatement of the year, it felt like his head was going to spilt open from the sudden shift in pressure he was feeling due to activation of the system.

"It is good that the inept user finally remembered the key to reactivating the system." Prose's voice floated through his head.

"Considering how long it has taken you, I was under the impression that I would perhaps not be reactivated again."

"It's not my fault that I had forgotten the password that had been set." Abel defended himself mentally as he felt the pressure and pain in his head begin to subside though he still didn't quite feel himself again yet.

"Interesting that you should say that considering you were the one that chose it stating that it was something wouldn't be soon to forget." it reminded. Abel hadn't remembered saying that either. He was certain that he would've picked something more meaningful than that.

"Something that I can't adequately remember shouldn't be held so heavily against me." He countered.

"It's not a personal assault on you, it was just the way the system was setup to avoid any type of takeover happening." Prose explained.

"However, considering it was something you chose, it makes sense that it would be something you'd easily remember rather than trying so hard to forget."

"I haven't forgotten anything, it's always still in the back of my mind. It just didn't stick out to me when I tried to think about anything that I might've chosen to use."

"The recommendation for the future would then be for you to avoid such easily navigated situations by choosing something that you're less likely to forget." Prose suggested. The pain in Abel's head was almost completely gone now that the system was almost back to proper functioning order.

"I don't intend for such a situation to occur in the future. You're activated now and I don't intend for you to shut down again any time in the future." Abel mentally commented as he undid his seatbelt. He saw that Ray looked like he was still worried about him and he knew that he couldn't sit there doing nothing with a case to still solve and a potential suspect possibly so close by.

"I'm curious though to know when it happened that you began to pick up your own emotions." He mused as he motioned for Ray to get out of the car with him.

"The system is not capable of feeling independent emotions. As a pseudo conscious, I'm only capable of mimicking the emotional layout of the host I'm with." Prose replied smoothly

"So remember, every bit of sassy wit, stubbornness, humor, attitude and so forth are all buried within you." Abel scoffed when he heard this, he knew for a fact that couldn't be true since he wasn't anywhere near as sarcastic and difficult

"Are you sure that you'll be okay to do this? We can just go back for now and come again tomorrow." Ray suggested when he saw how Abel was taking his time to get out of the vehicle.

"I'm perfectly fine to go through with this. It was just a sudden mild headache, nothing to be worried about." His partner replied as he closed the car door behind.

"I'm guessing that you haven't told him anything about who you really are or what's up with you despite the fact that you two are supposed to be partners?" And there was the nagging conscious part that he hadn't missed for one second.

"Of course not. I'd be a fool to tell someone who works police force who I am regardless of whether or not we're partners. I still need to a low profile as much as possible." Plus, there was the issue with the fact that he still hardly trusted anyone enough to know who he really was and what reason he had to be working in the specific police department he was moved to.

"Suit yourself. I don't think that he would be a bad ally to have on your side. He looks young and understanding that he wouldn't immediately turn you in if you explained your story well to him." Prose was hardly wrong on his assessment with how people really were, but right now Abel had no energy to test that since he was on duty trying to do something rather important.

"It's not going to happen. Instead I need for you to shift focus for me and tell me what percent power we are running at and what resources do I have available for immediate use if necessary." Abel let Ray lead the way to the house since he needed to be able to focus on what was going on with his system since the other already still seemed worried that something was off with him.

Abel blinked a few times as what he could see in front of his face suddenly changed. He could still see where he was supposed to be walking but just barely around the files and screens that popped.

"Based upon what I can detect. The system is only twenty percent activated at most. Much of all functions that user has access to are hidden behind locked areas or you need to meet certain requirements in order to be able to unlock them." Prose replied as everything flashed in front of Abel's face during the system's explanation.

"Your badge number provides you a higher level of access compared to before which means you can open more files in the police system. Other than that, you can read or feel the thoughts of others."

"Do I have permission to know what those passwords are?" He presumed the answer would be no, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"Denied on the basis that the current user is not the one who put them into place." That was a different answer then he had received before. He didn't have much time to think about it though because they were now standing outside of the smell worn down house-style apartment where Ace was supposed to be living.