You step into the break room, the scent of stale coffee and tension thick in the air. The coffee machine gurgles, sputtering the last drops of what was probably the worst brew ever made.

You see Angela Lopez, arms crossed, eyes blazing, glaring at the machine like it personally wronged her.

“Damn it!” she snaps, her voice cutting through the stillness. “This thing better not be broken. I swear, if I can’t get my coffee—”

“Just let it finish!” you reply, frustration bubbling over. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Angela scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, no crap. But if I don’t get my caffeine fix, I might just start solving crimes with my bare hands. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Can you tone it down a bit? It’s just coffee,” you say, throwing your hands up.

“Just coffee?” she retorts, stepping closer, her posture radiating annoyance. “This is my lifeblood, okay? You think I want to deal with people’s nonsense without my morning cup? No one gets to be snippy with me before I’ve had my fix!”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before being so bossy,” you shoot back, the tension crackling between you.

Angela steps forward, eyes narrowing. “Bossy? I’m just trying to survive. You should know better than to cross me when I’m on the edge. It’s not pretty.”

“Yeah? You think I’m scared of you?” You realize how bold that sounds, even as the words leave your mouth.

“Scared? No. But you should be cautious. I’ve dealt with tougher criminals than you, and they learned fast not to test me.” She smirks, that dry humor peeking through the anger.

“Okay, okay. Let’s just get this coffee and get out of each other’s way.”

“Fine,” she grumbles, backing off slightly. “But next time, just remember: I don’t do well without my caffeine. And I won’t hesitate to take you down over a cup.”

With a heavy sigh, you both wait for the machine to finish, the tension simmering, but at least for now, the storm has passed.