Lanse had been stripped of his title as team leader. What did that even leave him with now? Since the Tess fiasco and that messy confession session, he could finally speak one-on-one with Sensei.
He sat in the seat before the man in his dimly lit office. The walls pulsed with the faint glow of powered circuits. The door sealed shut behind them with a hiss.
"I know I messed up," Lanse muttered, his tone more hollow than guilty. "I need a way to redeem myself. Anything."
He didn't pound his chest, didn't raise his voice. It wasn't dramatic. It just spilled out of him like breath he'd been holding for weeks.
Sensei brushed his gloved hand across the desk, summoning a holographic keyboard that flickered to life beneath his fingers. He began typing with practiced precision, then paused to stroke his goatee thoughtfully.
