Containment

Hong Kong Shatterdome
7 April 2024
"GODDAMN IT!"
Hermann's headphones fly across the lab and skid to a stop at Newt's feet.
"What's up, dude? Your vinyl skipping again?" Newt turns from his sample and hears Hermann's uneven steps fading down the corridor. He strips off his gloves and pursues.
He knocks at Hermann's door.
No answer.
"Hermann?"
The door flies open.
"You look like hell. What happened?"
Hermann scrubs his face and retreats to sit on his mattress. "We lost another pair of Rangers and their Jaeger."
"Shit, dude. I'm sorry." Newt perches next to him.
"Why are you apologizing? You're not the one who failed."
"What're you—"
"Eden Assassin's last upgrade failed. My code didn't work."
"Dude, wasn't that thing ancient? What were they even doing out there?"
"Their job. They were doing their job and I failed them."
"They died fighting something bigger and meaner than them with outdated equipment. They saved the city, though, right?"
Hermann's head snaps around mid-nod as his tablet chimes.
Newt beats him to it. "Oh. Oh shit."
"What? What's going on?"
"Uh. No. No, you don't need to know this right now." Newt starts to get up.
Hermann rips the tablet from Newt's hands. He reads the message and all color drains from his skin.
"I'm so sorry, Hermann."
"Stop apologizing, you twit."
"It's not your fault, either, Hermann. They shouldn't have been out there."
"What good are protectors who do more damage than the enemy?" Hermann buries his head in his hands. "Part of that failed upgrade was meant to improve the reactor safeguards."
Newt blinks at the wall.
"Nothing to say, Newton?"
"Dude ... what can I say?"
"Scream at me! Threaten me! Throw things at me! Anything but pity!"
"This. Is. Not. Your. Fault."
"Yes! It! Is!"
"For fuck's sake, it's not, you dumbass!" Newt jumps up and glares at Hermann from point-blank range. "You thinking you should be pulling off miracles? Well, I have news for you, Doctor Hermann Gottlieb, whatever your inflated opinion of yourself, you're not a god! You can't make fucking miracles happen!"
"I should at least be able to do my job!"
"Yeah! And you do! But your job doesn't include goddamn miracles!"
Hermann's lips thin almost out of existence and his glare nearly ignites Newt's eyebrows.
"Do you have any idea how nuts your 'job' is now? You and an intern—only you and an intern—maintain the most complex software in the world, predict openings of a goddamn interdimensional portal, figure out how the damn thing works, and whatever the fuck other duties the Marshals dump on you!"
"Newton. Shut up!" Hermann rises and fights to loom over Newt. "Today, we lost half a city in a preventable nuclear disaster and one of our last defenses against an enemy which seems bent on annihilating us. My workload is inconsequential." He grinds his teeth. "I need to do better. I need to be better."
Newt reaches out to grip Hermann's shoulder and shake him, but Hermann lunges across the room before he makes contact.
Newt chews his lip before it twists into a wicked grin. "Well, if your work is sooooo important, why are you moping here instead of doing it?"
Hermann snarls, straightens, and grabs his cane. "OUT."
Newt trails Hermann to the lab, smirking.
Category:Ficlet
Category:2024 (ficlet)
Category:Hermann
Category:Newt
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Newt (ficlet)
Category:Team Eden Assassin (mention)
Category:Hong Kong Shatterdome
Category:Pages in need of tags