February 26th, 2024 – Monday 7:11 AM

Constance rolled over and peeled an eye open and stretched out an arm to stroke “his” chest again. Her hand landed on a piece of paper and something hard. Now awake, she sat up naked in the bed silhouetted by the light coming in from her pulled back vertical blinds. “I didn’t get enough sleep but, wait oh, god bless that idiot but has “she” not taught him about morning sex?” She looked down on a piece of paper next to a tray with a Cuban style-latte, fruit cut and cubed with toothpicks, follow by a plate of pressed bread. The bread smelled of her almond butter from Whole Foods.

Constance ate the food, thinking, ‘What sort of man writes notes anymore?’ Quietly she continued to ponder his great constitution but was one of his powers immunity to fatigue? The latte was very well done, and his food was really good! She thought it must be all the practice he gets making food for the Giving Tree. She got up and showered hearing some kind of music playing downstairs. Black slacks and suit jacket, dark orange shirt, and polished shoes that could also handle the warehouse floor.

It did not take her long to realize Andy Lee Danzeg’s voice. Call of the Deep was Garrick’s favorite band after all. Then she smiled and checked her favorite place to get show tickets in town. A few clicks later and she had two “Backstage Access” badges and tickets for their concert in October. When the offer for the meet and greet with the band was presented at checkout she added it to the cart. She thought to herself that his birthday would just be given early this year! Making a note to text the “Ladies of the Gryphon” group chat the October concert dates, and request an exception because it would not fall on her or anyone’s special day.

She found Garrick packing her lunch containers she used everyday. His phone was hooked up to her TV and she realized he was streaming his own music over her connected sound system. He was wearing a long sleeve dark, navy blue, denim, button down shirt with very dark orange jeans and his same Doc Marten work boots she’s seen on him for years. She knew when he transformed he looked like a male runway model, but there’s a feral quality about him normally she could not shake. He “looked” rested for having perhaps, with him you never knew, a few hours of sleep. When they made eye contact she smiled, “You know I woke up naked and was really looking forward to being late for work.” She winked at the end.

“I will note that for next Monday morning,” he replied blushing. Constance loved seeing him rattled by blushing, and her heart raced hearing ‘next Monday’ even more. On the surface she kept her cool. “Small question, do you have some info on using the RS4 in making better drones?”

Her brow furrowed, “If you’re working…”

“Down Cheetara, I’m thinking about how to make mechanical ghosts that actually fly. It’s a surprise project for a friend.”

She tried to keep a stern face. However, he just joked with her the way he did only when Brandon and he got drunk at the after parties. Maybe he was relaxed after all? “Does Optimus Prime wanna have a crossover event with this Thundercat?” She even made a faux clawing motion in the air. The look of surprise Garrick had being matched in his nerdness was worth everything to Constance. Garrick walked over and picked her up, spun around and pressed her against the wall! Leaning in, “We get off work at 5 PM, I have sword practice for an hour which can be done here on your roof. At 6 PM to 9:45 PM you can have me, until then you have to wait.” He licked her ear, then kissed his way down her neck before setting her down.

Leaving her against the wall even more aroused he spins and he comes back to her he sets Constance’s lunch in her hands, and walks out her front door with his quipping, “See you at work!”

She went back upstairs because there was no way he was going to get away with leaving her that worked up and just walk out the door. Two could play the arousal and wait game, she was a master. As of this moment the game was definitely afoot!

11:01 AM

The weekly inter-department meeting had gone well, except for the moment everyone laughed briefly at Gary. At the beginning Constance handed out folders to everyone for her RS4 talk and projected integration avenues. When Gary opened his folder he shrieked – like a girl – and shut his folder apologizing for a hiccup!

In the folder was a pair of her lace panties and the note. Garrick then realized Constance was wearing a tight knee length skirt and not the slacks she had on earlier. She won, it was so hard to focus on the meeting and not think about whether or not she was wearing any. Garrick had hoped to surprise her with a document brief he had put together but completely forgot it when it came time to discuss his department.

Mia Schmidt, patted him on the back and went on with their department’s presentation. The thumbs she got from Garrick made her smile, especially after his surprise that morning. He had brought Mia an un-modified copy of one of Optimus’ A.I. backups. He had repaired one of the non-functioning servers and installed it. He gave it back to her as a three year old A.I. that had his personal data scrubbed and that of the hero team. He informed this A.I. going forward it was to be a part of Mallic Robotics. Then he shared how he wanted to help Mia’s project along.

Mia went on to explained the focus change from hard assembly of an A.I. based on the components and instead working on a distributed A.I. hive mind. They showed off the build improvements using Hana’s robotic orbs. Using the hive mind they had the 24 orbs on the meeting table come together and start creating shapes at her command. The more of them which came together, the quicker they responded as the A.I. hive mind increased in its power. Mia wrapped up Garrick’s presentation by asking who could they leverage as clients if they could create robotic assistant for the infirm (the orbs configured to resemble a wheelchair), and defend our soldiers on the front lines (the orbs configured into a dome)?

While everyone was clapping Constance noted that Garrick had removed “something” from his folder and put it in his pocket. Everyone clapped and the meeting wrapped up. As people were leaving Garrick asked Brandon and Constance to stay. He set a worn, leather bound, three ring binder with brass corner clips on its front and back panels on the table. The folder was three inches thick and alongside it he put a huge box of 100 hard drives inside enclosures. Embossed in the front leather covered panel was: Project Cuthbert Fusion.

Garrick explains the whole story about why two were built but only one was ever revealed to the world. His father’s philosophy of budget for two but only show off one. When the shit hits the fan you have a backup plan. He plays the #tedTALK once again and then walks both of them through the login process and creates User accounts on there. He explains that the A.I. is named Cynthia after his mother, while she’s never spoken they could try talking to her once in awhile because that was key in getting his second A.I. Optimus to function better. The decade worth of data is located on one hundred 10 TB drives! A whole petabyte of data regarding the workings of a fusion reactor designed by his father, with concepts of Daedalus. The Cuthbert design is different because they were trying to avoid copyright infringement. The structural test was now 71% complete with no signs it wouldn’t complete with success.

Constance watch him move through the material and notes as though he was reciting poetry. He was passionate about this and making sure Brandon and her understood the pros and cons that came with carrying on his father’s work. Brandon tried to get him to continue it, but Garrick summoned his sword and transformed. He set the sword on the table, “I have accepted that Garrick Griffon Faulkner cannot get this done being a former felon. As Gryphon I can begin hunting the problems in the city to cut them out. I have been empowered by Ashmadiel of the Shining Legion to go forth and hunt the darkness plaguing this world. I can only wear so many hats and the two of you mean the world to me and I trust you more than family. Please see this through for the world, for your company’s growth and future, for me, your friend.” He transformed back and tapped his wrist down upon the blade causing it to burst into golden mercury and solidify as one of the bracelets people have seen him wear countless times.

Garrick left them both there with that bombshell. Reviewing everything he helped them with they realized all of the projects he’s worked on for the last three years would now be useful in carrying out this idea. Brandon chuckled and told her as long as he didn’t have to call him Garrick he was in.

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