Casey watched the group, her jaw tight. She was exhausted, humiliated by the mission's failure, and now faced with the moral ambiguity of Arthur's actions. Her idealistic nature rebelled against the notion of profiting from a morally compromised situation.
She exhaled a long, shaky breath, her anger cooling into a cold resolution. "Fine! Distribute it amongst yourselves, I don't need anything..."
She spun around and walked away, her armor clanking with each definitive step, leaving behind a group of stunned teammates.
Arthur looked at his friends, a flicker of genuine concern replacing his usual defensive posture. "Did I go too far?"
The oldest member of the team shook his head. "No... You're just worried about our safety. Casey got pride, and she won't easily let go of her pride."
He stared at her retreating back, a knowing weariness in his eyes:
"She will come around."
____
[Planet Gaia.]
