That night, while the city of Meltdown lay eerily silent, its streets empty after the evacuation of its people, Julian walked side by side with Aya. She had just finished a long day working with the production teams, crafting the weapon they had been tasked to create.
"How was it?" Julian asked casually.
Aya glanced at him, a faint reflection of the moon glinting off her glasses, and replied nervously, "How was what…?"
"Your day," Julian clarified. "Any problems?"
"No, not at all," Aya answered with a small smile. "They listened to my input, and we worked together pretty well."
"I see. That's good," Julian said, nodding in approval.
Aya tilted her head back, her gaze drawn to the dark night sky. "But… do you think it will work?"
Julian turned to look at her more closely, noticing the exhaustion in her eyes behind the thin lenses of her glasses. "Don't worry," he said firmly. "Even if your weapon fails, I'll kill that whale myself. We'll survive, no matter what."
