The Feeling Of Working Far Above One's Pay Grade

[a_monetized_mind]

[A crazed terrorist stealing a nuke. Ankaia declaring war on earth. Optimus's death, and the withdrawal of the Autobots from earth. Some giant space monster rushing towards the planet. It's been a great time, and so its end finds Jen perched on the edge of Alahambra Base's roof, staring off into the night at a distant city.]

...The hell do you think you're doing, Jennifer...gonna get yourself killed at this rate.

Life ain't a superhero comic...

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"Ain't no one keeping you, obviously," Dido notes. "You're free to get discharged and go your own way."

Dido hesitates. "Of course, there's the guilt of knowing people you like here won't have backup while fighting the umpteenth or so enemy of earth."

She shrugs helplessly. "That's what kept me from leaving UG at first. Is it the same for you?"

[a_monetized_mind]

...Okay, fuck off.

[actuallyselfish]

"...huh?"

Enjoy a confused Dido, oblivious to the insensitivity of her earlier remark. "What'd I do?"

[a_monetized_mind]

What guilt. If you haven't noticed, I didn't exactly volunteer for all of this! And I'm not a professional in beating the crap out of people, either!

[actuallyselfish]

"Neither am I, dude!" Dido protests. "I'm just a grunt mechanic that fell into a mecha cockpit during a dimensional invasion! I was going to step down as soon as we rescued the original pilot...but then she turned out to be evil! And–!"

Dido cuts herself off and rubs her face.

"Look," she says. "You have every right to go your own way, and the UG'll be fine without you. But if you're not feeling some sort of guilty obligation about this, why are you here brooding at the top of a twenty-story drop?"

[a_monetized_mind]

...Oh, shut up.

[Jen just looks off into the distance.]