Stress Test Anon Part 12

>It's really not so much work as quizzing on protocols, signing paperwork, and the general boring bits of the job that you tend to go through on autopilot.
>It reminds you of when you apprenticed under Agustus, the man grumbling all the while about how much of a waste of time it all was.
>Considering that the man had drilled most of the information into your head while you were still in your trainee courses it was probably a correct assumption, though you're still slightly bitter that this laxness in quizzing had gotten you tased by a Botler and pepper sprayed by a Nandroid in your first couple of days.
>Despite the easygoing nature of the day, by the time it's over your side is throbbing in a particularly aggressive way, and when Dorothy sees you leaning on you cane as heavily as you are she immediately offers to give you a ride home.
>Your attempts to dissuade her are dismissed, as it turns out that she rides a similar style of collapsible bicycle as your friend Johan, and before you know it the two of you are awkwardly sitting in your car as she drives you home.
>"Anon, I'm not sure if you remember, but we've actually met before" she says out of the blue.
>You blink, and try your hardest to remember a time you'd met a woman like Dorothy before a memory clicks into place.
>"You were that girl getting harassed after Agustus' funeral?" You ask.
>There really wasn't much of a story in that, you'd been pissed after sitting through Agustus' service and had stepped out to take a smoke when you'd seen a couple of thugs harassing a girl.
>Full of piss and vinegar and spoiling for a fight you'd intervened, decking one of the thugs and scaring the rest of them off in short order.
>"Is that why you joined the Stress Testers? Not judging if it is, I'm just curious" You ask, blinking as the girl shakes her head no.
>"I was actually hoping to get into contact with my father, He's a R&D Stress Tester now, but he worked with Mr. Agustus when he started out" She says, not noticing the way you suck in a breath of air through your teeth at the mention of the reclusive Stress Testers.
>"Well, I hate to say it, but you'll probably not have any luck getting in contact with him, the R&D Testers are a reclusive bunch at the best of times and even when they do talk to other stress testers it's usually the advanced Stress Testers that they want to recruit into their program" You inform her, trying to be gentle about it "The only time I ever heard of a Standard Stress Tester being in contact with R&D was with Agustus back when he was still around, and that was more likely than not because he had been working there for a long ass time"
>a silence forms as a slightly sad look crosses Dorothy's face and you really can't think of anything to say, until a thought crosses your mind.
>"What was your Dad's name?" You ask "It's a long shot, but I know a few Advanced Stress Testers who're probably on R&D's pitch list and if one of them gets recruited they can pass along the word to your father that you need to talk to him"
>She looks at you like you'd just grown a second head before a smile breaks across her face.
>"His name is Leland Ozmond" she says, as your blood runs cold.
>Doing your best to keep her from noticing the fear that has stabbed through you upon hearing that name, you make some casual small talk with her until you've reached your home.
>You wave her off as she bikes away before staggering to your door, entering your home and summarily collapsing against the door the second it's closed.
>Lulu and Sammy are at your side in an instant, and with their help you manage to make it to the chair in the living room.
>"Anon, what's wrong" Lulu asks fearfully, her usual Sir dropped in the presence of her overwhelming worry for you.
>You take a shuddering breath, trying to calm your screaming nerves and throbbing side, before you say what has you in such a state.
>"I think my Apprentice's father is the reason why Agustus is dead" you gasp.