The garages were dark and empty this early in the morning, with the exception of one corner where a glow shone down from the lights hanging above. One of the cars was raised off the ground with a collection of parts strewn on the ground as well as on nearby benches. John rested on his back staring up at the underside of the vehicle, his attention focused primarily on a leak from the fuel line. The sound of Rosetta’s voice echoed a little on the concrete floor as she continued her speech about herself and the facility itself, and while he knew it would have happened sooner or later he wasn’t keen on advertising there location and nature so boldly. Not for the first time since she’d started speaking did he wonder why he’d chosen to switch over and listen to the news rather than simply drowning everything out in favour of music like he had for the past few hours.
John sighed a little and pulled himself out from under the car and lowered it back down, making sure that it righted smoothly before walking over and picking up a cloth to clean some oil and grease from his hands. He looked up at the screen, tilting his head a little as Rosetta explained about Wanda before reaching up and flicking off the screen now that the important part was over and just the wind down and farewells remained for the conference.
”Still not a fan of revealing everything.” He muttered to himself as he reached over and slotted his phone into the nearby stereo system before turning away and stretching his aching muscles. Since arriving at the academy He’d done his best to avoid others at every opportunity, keeping himself to himself save for his classes and meeting with Rebecca for lunch or something or other. The garage provided him with some solace, the cold morning air helping to clear his head following his troubled dreams and lack of proper sleep. That and soothing the alcohol that still clouded his thoughts from several hours earlier. His mind flickered back to M-Day. The world around him becoming duller as his mouth dried, memories tugging as his heart strings.
While a little lost in brooding he’d lifted the hood of the car and began to resolve the issue he’d seen when he was under the car, his body running almost on automatic before he jerked back to reality and withdrew his hands. Running his fingers across his weathered face he sighed and pressed the palms against his cheeks, half suppressing a yawn.
”Must be sleepier than I thought” He chuckled a little to himself as he closed the hood of the car and picked up his phone from the bench, switching off the stereo then the lights of the Garage. The darkness was broken in places by shafts of morning sunshine, but the pulse of bluish purple cast unusual shadows throughout the building all the same.
A few moments later a similar pulse of unnatural light illuminated the quarters assigned to John as he rematerialized, stepping out from the wormhole before it closed behind him. Reaching up to lightly massage his left shoulder with his right hand he made his way to freshen up and shower before classes, planning to stop by and grab a quick breakfast as well.