Upheaval - The Brieder War (Reloaded)

[Master_Archon]

"Yes sir. Sorry sir, I thought she was with us....I guess I should have eavesdropped to have known that information, huh?" The Corporal asked in a manner that the Shade didn't care for.

 

S202A simply stared at the Corporal over the comment, it wasn't that he himself had eavesdropped, no, he'd not, he just knew that the woman was not in there squad, but he had also grasped a lot of what had been said between the Sergeant and the scientist with the information that he'd gathered from their persons in his own manner of learning things. But he became distracted as he felt the ping of foreign 'feelings' rushing against him; he looked over at the scientist to find her fretting over matters of person, place, duty, and other somewhat trivial things, but this was not all, no, another mind was there as well, reaching out and grasping hers, siphoning what it could from the surface without it ever being known (not that it would have been by a non-'psychic'). S202A swiveled his head in the man-in-the-black-duo's direction, leering at him with his masked and goggled face. This man was putting his mind towards hers, pulling her thoughts into his to 'hear' hers, a 'telepath' as it were; he on the other hand did not reach out, not without cause at least, no, his mind simply perceived thoughts from afar, much like feeling ocean waves hitting oneself, though that was a poor description as to how the 'feelings' came against his mind. He certainly did not invade others privacy, not without due cause at the least, not like this man was doing, he only perceived their thoughts against himself - it was much like trying to stop oneself from trying not to taste, if you didn't eat, no taste in the mouth, but that did not mean that the tongue had stopped tasting, to the contrary, the tongue is always tasting, and the sense itself is always there; it was this way with his mind to some extent.

 

The Shade shifted ever-so-slightly as he stared at the man, only to find the woman come rushing from behind and bat the man in the back of the head growling something at him he perceived the man's grasp releasing, S202A watching as he sauntered off into the armory.

 

'A knife indeed....' The Shade thought coolly to himself as he drove his attention elsewhere with some slight effort, noticing the Corporal still making a fool of himself.

 

"Not that I should have, I mean its rude...very very rude. I wouldn't want to hear the conversation anyway. I mean I would, I don't mean you two are boring...no I meant...sorry ma'am," the Corporal said in succession, stopping short to ease his ill-fated reparations. The Shade only stared and grunted ever-so-slightly.

 

"Alright, enough of this. You don't have to like each other but you will respect each other....." S202A was immediately at attention.

 

".....You're like boys fighting over toys, now I will meet all of you in the hangar bay at 1300 hours. Dismissed!" The Shade brought his hand up in a quick salute, but said nothing, he thought he'd already handled everyone, but he knew that if order were to be established then the Sergeant would have to be seen as the one in command, and so he said nothing on the matter. He watched as the Sergeant walked off, turning a corner she vanished from view, or the others' view at least, he could still perceive much of what was going on around the bend.

 

"'Any hope for this going smoothly went down the drain fast...'" Was the faint echo that murmured from afar, reaching the walls of his mind. Almost simultaneously melding with the words reaching his ears from the nearby Corporal.

 

"Hm?" S202A muttered as his head swiveled to the Corporal, his mind filling in the blanks of the words he'd missed. He looked back over at the end of the hall where the Sergeant had disappeared around the bend, thinking on what he'd grazed from her only seconds ago; speaking ominously, "They never assured we were coming back....Corporal."

 

If one wanted blunt honesty, they asked a Shade, if they wanted comfort, they didn't; if the Corporal had been hoping for the latter, then he had just been sorely disappointed. The Shade stared at the Corporal silently, brief breaths of fog escaping his mask ever-so-often.

 

S202A then turned and walked down the hall in the same direction the Sergeant had gone, turning the same corner and disappearing from view of the others.

 

The Shade spent most of the excess time he had meandering through the military complex, avoiding large groups of people to help ease his mind's constant assault from the outside world, and those few he found walking through the halls giving him shocked or terrified expressions as he walked by them, though, he himself felt nothing of this, in fact it was normal to him, he'd be more concerned if they didn't act that way around him. After some time had passed he decided to stop, looking around he found himself standing outside of the Sergeant's quarters. He stared up at the room number over the doorway, and then at the name on the door, and stared, feeling out the area behind the door he found that someone was indeed still there.

 

He looked down at his wrist, a flat display on his glove instantly, and automatically activating, showing the time, both in military and basic. He looked over at the door, then back at the display, finally approaching, he knocked twice before opening the door, not waiting for a reply.

 

He stepped in the room, finding the Sergeant at her desk, he spoke up in the same cool, empty tone he always used, and always had.

 

"Sir, ma'am, it's getting close to departure time," was all he said, finding himself unable to give a better excuse than that for entering her quarters; he simply stood there, staring and waiting.

 

((Since no one was doing anything, I thought I'd give some initiative for everyone to carry this forward! Sorry if jumping the time ahead was uncalled for Shana, will edit out if so asked.))

[LDR]

Jacob walked outside of the armory, wearing his armor. He flickered on his holographic visor, which gave a soft, ambient blue glow. He had the grenades strapped to his belt, and his shotgun strapped to his back. He kept the rifle in his hands, and walked towards a wall.

 

"Sir? We're screwed...aren't we?"

 

He heard this voice, and turned around to see the corporal, Onyx. He turned off his visor and rested his face into his palm.

 

"You're always screwed in war. Especially if you fight with no purpose.", he said, replying to Onyx.

[Shana]

"Sir, ma'am, it's getting close to departure time,"

 

Mio was hardly aware that the Shade had entered her quarters, when she turned to him she put on a quizzical face until she finally registered what he had said.

 

"Oh yes, thank you", she said as she stood up. Checked her terminal once again for the report she had sent to her father and surprisingly enough, she received a response. "Medic on board". That was the only thing he wrote. She sighed a little, once again not taking into account that the Shade was still present.

 

"Let us go then", she waited at the door so he would walk out first and then she walked out, closing her door and locking it. She then began walking to the hangar. She was resisting to go deep in thought, being her father's daughter, she was well aware of the capabilities of a Shade, she immediately put up her defenses, something her father had schooled her in as top brass also needed to protect themselves from mind intrusion, which came very easy to Shades, and as such she couldn't afford to let her mind wonder off.

 

"Can I ask you something?", Mio asked the Shade, for all he knew, she was playing a game of blackjack in her mind, to shield her from him going deeper, of course training to keep her mind from being entered took years and years of practice, it was only until Erica and Andrew had to use their powers combined that they could extract something from her, she didn't like it, but her father wouldn't take no for an answer. "I get this is a very important mission, but as a General's daughter even I know that something is being kept from us and the presence of a Shade further confirms my suspicions. Can I trust you to follow my judgement?"

 

She knew this was a long shot, Shades were trained to execute mission objectives, chain of command be damned. But she had to try.

[Master_Archon]

"Oh yes, thank you," was all S202A got from the Sergeant.

 

After briefly checking her terminal she said, "Let us go then." The Shade tilted his head slightly as he seemed to hear something she didn't but he did as she said, exiting the room before her, his hand on his Shade issue combat knife; though mostly out of training and instinct, more than any distrust of the Sergeant.

 

He let her move past him so that he would be to her side and slightly behind her.

 

As they moved towards the hangar bay he felt the usual ebbs of information that he got from nearby people stagnate around the Sergeant, he looked over at her suspiciously, finding a sudden image flash to mind of cards.

 

'A game of.....? Oh,' he thought, realizing after only a few moments what was going on. It seemed the Sergeant didn't trust him to keep his mind to himself; he couldn't blame her. He would not enter others minds so frivolously, but her caution was not unwarranted, Shades couldn't block out the thoughts they perceived from others as many would like to believe they could. Still, something about the fact that she was doing this around him, who'd been with her squad for some time, was....Disturbing? He didn't know, it felt like a faint heaviness in his gut and chest, was the only way he could describe it to himself.

 

"Can I ask you something?" She spoke up.

 

"I'm afraid the answer is no. Shades are prohibited from having relationships, ma'am," he answered automatically, not waiting for the actual question. He looked over at her to find he'd spoken preemptively. If he cared he would have felt like a fool right then, but he didn't, he was just answering a question he didn't know the answer to, seeing as he couldn't grasp from her what she was wanting to ask, and he was used to answering questions before they were asked. Though you'd be surprised how many times he'd been asked out for a drink or on a date by different military personnel (men and women), something about the whole mysterious, dangerous thing that made people 'attracted' to Shades, though to his assumption they were probably just adrenaline junkies. The fact that he'd given that answer meant that, that was one of the most asked questions he got, and that he was giving the answer to a question he was assuming was coming, purely on his own knowledge, experience, and statistics.

 

"Sorry Sir, carry on," he apologized.

 

"I get this is a very important mission, but as a General's daughter even I know that something is being kept from us and the presence of a Shade further confirms my suspicions. Can I trust you to follow my judgement?" She asked.

 

This, was a hard point. He 'liked' the Sergeant - as far as a Shade could like someone that is - and had been with her squad for some time. Her apparent lack of trust in him was probably a result of his lack of trust towards everyone, including her. If he was going to get her to 'trust' him, just so the strange feeling he had in his gut would go away, he would have to trust her. It was flawed reasoning to it's finest, but it was all the Shade could do to ensure that the mission got done, though there was one overriding command that was swaying his decision. The Sergeant's father - though he would never openly admit to it - had ordered S202A to protect her, and keep her alive, this took priority above any other directive. Unfortunately this order has been taking it's tole on S202A, as he has been 'contracting' feelings from his constant close proximity to the Sergeant, and her squad, causing some concern with both the 'Prism' and the General as to how this was beginning to affect S202A's performance in carrying out his duties, or they worried that he would carry out actions that Shades were not supposed to do. The latter was what the General feared the most.

 

This was why that after this mission, if by some miracle S202A didn't die carrying out his overriding order, he would be 'retired', per the 'Prism's' recommendation, and the General's orders.

 

It was almost as if he were fighting a real battle at that very moment as he struggled to give his answer.

 

Finally after a long and tenuous pause he answered, "You can trust me....."

 

Was all he was able to utter. He knew that to ensure that all parts of the mission got done he would have to have her trust him now, even if that meant breaking that trust later on to do so.

 

Then a sudden thought came to mind and he spoke up once more, his voice far more menacing this time, "Don't expect me not to kill your friend, Andrew, if the need arises though."

 

The Shade said, wanting it to be clear that he did not trust the man in the black duo, and that he would kill him if the need arose. Hopefully his honesty would help to establish some trust with her, though he knew otherwise.

 

He looked away from her, his silence returning.

[MsFicwriter]

((The medic is "on board", but in this timeframe, she doesn't know it yet.))

 

In the time that had elapsed between discovering that her Brieder tissue sample was now "off the grid", and the designated hour for Mio's squadron to move out, Cadice Marin had since alerted her mentor at the Cretia facility, Dr. Arsinoe "Sina" Kiriakis. Sina was almost twice Cadice's age, and she knew computer networks like the back of her hand. Cadice herself had gravitated toward biological research ever since she was a teenager at an elite math and science academy. Sina, however, had followed the pathways of binary code. Ones and zeroes were far more fascinating to her than hearts and livers; thus, she was the Senior Systems Analyst at Cretia. If anyone would know why all records of the sample parcel were now nonexistent, blocked by a lethal and red-lettered screen of "Access Denied", Sina would. Thus, Cadice waited for her next haptophone communique as if her life depended on it.

 

When her earbuds tingled, the younger researcher jumped a mile. "Sina?!"

 

"It's me, all right. Sit down if there's a chair nearby. Fainting is futile."

 

Darting toward a nearby seat in the command center, Cadice obeyed. "Yes?" On her back, she wore a borrowed military-issue knapsack full of medical supplies. Just in case she were cleared to go on the mission with Mio and her fellow soldiers, Cadice wanted to be prepared. For everyone, she carried basic first-aid supplies, and also syringes full of adrenaline, norepinephrine, and painkillers. For herself, and herself alone, she carried her mixture. She was running drastically low, but war was war. If she was going into battle, no post-traumatic stress disorder would ever bring her down!

 

"Now." That was Sina's voice. "Stay calm. Our network has been hacked."

 

Cadice took a deep breath. "All right. That much I suspected."

 

"What you probably didn't suspect is this: the only personnel who would have access to records as classified as those of your tissue sample package are those who have intimate knowledge of Cretia's network systems. This was not done by some idiot savant or computer-whiz teenager who thought it would be 'cool' to hack into military and scientific research. We have a mole in our midst. A spy. He or she has gone right over our heads--MY head--and deleted all information about what could be the most important specimen Cretia's ever seen." Sina paused, waiting for Cadice's reply.

 

Cadice hadn't wanted to tell Sina how vital this particular tissue sample really was. "Catalogued" Brieders weren't just found and entered into databases: they were marked with special instructions for researchers to handle with the utmost care. For a Brieder to be catalogued, it had to be remarkably different from its peers. How had this one stood out? Shivering, she answered "Yes."

 

When nothing but silence came, she almost whispered, "Arsinoe?"

 

"Let me handle this. One of our own has betrayed us, and it's my fault..."

[Cyborg Ninja]

The response Onyx got from the Shade wasn't one he was expecting to hear. Its not that he was expecting some sort of comfort, he wouldn't have asked the Shade otherwise as he knew of their honesty. Still to hear that this was essentially a suicide mission wasn't something he was ready for. For once he decided not to speak, but simply stare at the Shade until he left.

 

Onyx let out a quiet sigh to himself as he watched the Shade for a few more seconds. He was afraid of death, but who wasn't? He knew of his responsibilities as a soldier and he was well aware of the risks...but to go on a mission where their chances were already stacked against them still took some getting used to. Would he run away? No, he wouldn't let fear overcome him like that.

 

"You're always screwed in war. Especially if you fight with no purpose."

 

Onyx snapped his head in Jacob's direction upon hearing that. His tone seemed to be like the Shade's, but at least there seemed to be some humanity in his statement. He knew simply having a reason to fight wouldn't win a war, but it did boost moral.

 

"Right...well I'll see you at the hangar bay," Onyx said before walking away.

 

Onyx decided just to walk there now, and wait for the others. This would give him the time he needed to set up for the mission anyway. He checked the small device that was on his left arm to make sure it was up and running. This was his hacking device for the most part. He also powered up his special shades to make sure they were ready as well. He equipped them with the standard HUD, as well as a few different visions. He could also check on the team's vitals, something he set up as soon as he found out he was going on this mission. He wasn't a talented medic, but he could at least monitor his squad still.

 

A smile found its way back to Onyx's hidden face, and it wasn't just because toying with his gear again. To fight without a purpose is nothing to be proud of. Luckily he had his purpose in this war. He was here to keep the others safe from the Brieders, just like the other soldiers. Now he was also determined to prove his worth to the others in his squad. As of now they probably saw him as the babbling geeky guy. Well that might be true, but he was a good soldier. He'd show Sergeant Kobayakawa that he was put on her squad for a reason, and make up for his previous "talks" with her. He also had a desire to hopefully impress the Shade. With his gear all set up, weapons picked out, and confidence back, he was ready to go.

[Shana]

((Yeah, I just put it out there so you'd follow at your own pace and I could get our side moving))

 

Mio had giggled a bit at his instant love rejection, the fact that he jumped to that conclusion first was indeed something amusingly unexpected. But, it did prove that her mind shield was working.

 

Shades were hard to read, as they can't allow themselves to have emotion, placing your trust on someone who, while being essentially human, lacked most of what made a human in society was almost impossible. But she could depend on her unit, and the Shade had been part of the unit for some time now.

 

Mio was taken aback by the Shade's sudden words. She was completely certain that he would answer her with a resolute no, but him saying that he trusted her judgement, somehow took her completely by surprise.

 

I may have misjudged him, maybe there's more to him that what I see... or that he lets me see...

 

She then realized she had put down her mental barrier and put it back up. Mio hoped he hadn't picked that up, but she had no way of knowing it, as he was back again to being impossible to read.

 

She then giggled at his remark of Andrew, she usually did not giggle like that, but she was a woman, as much as she was a soldier.

 

"You can bet that if the time comes, I won't stop you", she said giving him a wink. She also knew that Andrew was probably THE only soldier in the unit who could match the Shade, both being specially trained and Andrew's higher psychic powers could put them both on equal grounds, but she did not want to test this bout. "But seriously, I'll try to have Erica keep Andrew on a leash, so you don't have to worry about that".

[Ping]

Gao had gone over his newly acquired weapons to make sure they worked perfectly. He didn't have enough time to take the weapons apart to be absolutely sure, but everything appeared to work perfectly. The extra safety checks were to be sure that, on the off chance it happened, something went wrong. Gao seriously doubted things wouldn't go as planned, but didn't think that being careful hurt. By the time he had finished checking, he realized he needed to be in the hangar. Once there, he had noticed that Sergeant Mio and the Shade were already waiting. Gao walked up to Mio and saluted her.

 

"Reporting in, ma'am." He then realized that he didn't even know what they were supposed to do once they were in combat. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the battle plan? Will we be splitting up, or going as one squad?"

[Master_Archon]

He felt a sinking feeling in his gut, different from the one before, when she giggled at his remark on rejecting any proposal of fraternization; he didn't understand it, he only asked himself why it seemed so funny to her that he would say such a thing, and why she would laugh at it.

 

Though shortly after that, almost like water releasing from behind a dam, information came pouring out from the Sergeant's presence when he told her she could trust him. Though it hit him hard, like a sponge he soaked up all he could, the faint din of an echo hit the walls of his mind through the sudden surge, brought on by the lowering of her mental defenses from his spoken words.

 

"'I may have misjudged him, maybe there's more to him that what I see... or that he lets me see...'"

 

The Shade cocked his head slightly, again, as if he heard something she did not. Certainly there was more to him than she knew, and that he let her know. He had been 'contracting' feelings, but he could not grasp them, understand them, he saw her and felt....something, but knew not what. He knew one thing however, his end would come soon, and he wished he could square away many of the things that troubled and tormented him when he saw and heard what he did, but he knew that, that, was not a luxury that was ever afforded to a Shade. Especially when the Sergeant's own father felt it was necessary to 'retire' him, for fear of what acts of protocol he would break.

 

Again she laughed, softly - or - lightly, she....Giggled, he could guess was the term. She, giggled, at his remark on the man in the black duo, the feeling in his gut dissipating, and a lightening feeling in his chest came this time, as he felt the corners of his mouth creasing upwards, ever-so-slightly, involuntarily - though his mask kept others from seeing it.

 

"You can bet that if the time comes, I won't stop you," she remarked, winking at him. He seemed to startle at her wink, slightly.

 

"But seriously, I'll try to have Erica keep Andrew on a leash, so you don't have to worry about that." She finished, his mouth straightening and flattening back to normal. He didn't trust the woman in the black duo much either; he knew she was more likely to help her brother if he set out to end the man in the black duo, more than any other outcome. Then things would get heated, and challenging for the Shade.

 

They had entered the hangar bay by now, and he looked over at the Sergeant, the lightening in his chest still there, he was about to say something when the sudden and abrupt 'perception' of information from another came slamming into him. He had gotten so used to the Sergeant's stagnation and the peace that it had brought his mind from the constant bombardments of his psyche, that even the presence of one unshielded person was like being hit by a truck! Couple this with the physical reactions of his body to the 'feelings' he didn't know or understand and he was down for the count.

 

The lightening in his chest dissolved instantly, his peace interrupted, his mind reeling, sending pain throughout his body. With the Sergeant now focused on someone else, he took this time to slink away, uttering a groan of discomfort as he did, "Ungh!"

 

S202A stumbled over towards Corporal Winston, sitting down next to him, he put a hand on the Corporal for support as the Shade leaned forward, breathing in deep, quick breaths. The pain caused by his reeling mind, the once lightening feeling in his chest was now a weighted feeling, causing him to breathe heavily, and quickly, his heart-rate skyrocketing. He looked up at the Corporal and squeezed his arm like a vice, his voice threatening, "Guh! Say, nothing!"

 

After only a few seconds the Shade's breathing returned to normal, his suit's systems regulating his heart-beat, he sat up, looking up at the Corporal, he said nothing to him, then simply looked forward, awaiting their departure.

 

((Hooray, unnecessary drama!))

[Shana]

The Shade was visibly uncomfortable as soon as others were in sight. She knew about the Shade's extrasensory perception but she hadn't imagined that it hit him like a tidal wave like it did just now. He maybe was placing his concentration on her, or maybe it was all coincidence? Shades were hard to read, at least, HE was hard to read. She had always been intrigued by him but she also knew perfectly well that the Prism and High Command like her father would decommission him if they suspected he was emotionally compromised. Another one of the privileges of being a General's daughter, access to this information would normally be classified, but she knew well about the prism. But she was genuinely worried about the shade, how much longer before they decommission him? Would she allow herself to let go of the Shade just because someone found him "unfit for duty"? Why should anyone decide on a life's value? Mio was disgusted at this thought, even though Shades were genetically engineered, why should anyone decide when their usefulness had run it's course?

 

It's not fair, she thought to herself. She then remembered where she was and returned Gao's salute promptly.

 

"We are a unit, we move as a group. As you can tell by the amount of noise coming from so far away, the battle has been raging for about two days now. The brieders have all but taken the Cretia Facility, we have to go over there and ensure this doesn't happen. Also, we are to rescue the Head of Research there and her team of scientists, they are valuable assets in this war. When we arrive to the field, we will meet with Colonel Strathairn and he'll fill us in on the situation", she replied.

[MsFicwriter]

Cadice Marin, unsettled by the news that there was a spy at the Cretia Facility, had decided to high-tail it back there in case Sina needed her. However, something gnawed at her mind: where were Mio and the others? They had been assigned to a combat sortie; was she going as a medic or not? Instead of heading through the visitors' exit near her at the command center, sought out another desk clerk--as nondescript as the first two.

 

"Could you please tell me where soldiers go before they depart on a mission?"

 

The desk clerk rolled his eyes. "Hangar bay, ma'am, but you're not a soldier."

 

"I might be tagging along on a mission under Mio Kobayakawa as a medic."

 

"Is she with you? No. That's why I don't quite believe you. Now get lost--Doctor."

[Shana]

General Kobayakawa was sitting on his desk overlooking the realtime battlefield map display. Several officers were running around, orders were being given and everyone seemed to be on top of whatever it was they were doing. A woman walked over to him. She whispered something in his ear and then he began typing on his console.

 

All of a sudden, the desk clerk recieved a photo of the doctor and the words "Cleared for Duty" on the photo. It read, "Assigned to Beta Unit under Sergeant Mio Kobayakawa".

 

The Desk clerk then cleared his throat.

 

"It seems you do have clearance Doctor. Step right through, take one right, down the hall to the left. A small elevator will lead you there. Please don't stray from the path", he said and returned his attention to the screen.

[MsFicwriter]

"Thank you," Cadice replied pointedly, exhaling a bit to emphasize her words. She didn't take being told to "get lost" very graciously by anyone! Following the desk clerk's directions, she reached the entrance to the hangar bay. Squinting, she thought she spotted Mio and the others, but perhaps this was the incorrect one. All of a sudden, her haptophone earbuds jangled:

 

"Cadice?" came the cry, almost a shout, that made the scientist's eardrums ring. "Cadice Marin? Can you hear me? It's Arsinoe! HELP!!!"

 

"Calm down, ma Sina," the younger woman answered. "What's going on?"

 

"It's the Brieders. They're swarming everywhere, and killing everyone! I've barricaded myself in my office, protected behind every single piece of office furniture I could shove against the locked door! Good thing there's no window, or I'd be dead due to shards of glass puncturing their way through my skull! Get over here now, or I'll be dead anyway. I know you've never fought, or used a weapon in your entire life, but you're the only one who knows the codes."

 

Cadice was confused. "What codes?"

 

"The codes to unlock this farking door, for crying out loud!" Cadice's earbuds crackled and died, causing her armpits to break out in a sweat. She bolted towards the people and the ship in the hangar bay, hoping she hadn't taken a wrong turn. This wasn't the only hangar bay at the center...

[LDR]

As Jacob walked to the hangar bay, a figure rushed right past him and nearly knocked him onto the ground. He regained his balance, muttering to himself, and walked into the hangar. He put his FAL onto his back as he lit a cigarette, walking towards the group.

 

((Eh, I'm sorta having computer troubles... ))

[Cyborg Ninja]

Onyx whistled quietly to himself as he waited for the sergeant to give the word that they were leaving. He soon felt someone sitting next to him and turned when that person placed a hand on his arm. He looked to see the Shade and was going to say something when the Shade suddenly gripped his arm. The Shade was breathing heavy as if he was panicking for some reason. Onyx stared at the Shade in silence, looking calm on the outside...

 

Oh no, oh no! Is he dying? What's going on!?!?

 

Much more panicking thoughts followed this one until the heavy breathing stopped. The Shade seemed to be alright, which was a good thing. Onyx was still a little shocked over everything that had just happened, but soon his breathing returned to normal as well. He sat with the Shade in silence for a few moments, taking in what had just happened.

 

"So...are you all set for the mission sir?" Onyx asked, making an attempt at some small talk.

[Shana]

((I will be making a post tomorrow to move everything over to the battlefield, so if you haven't moved your characters to the hangar, you will be instantly transported to the battlefield, to move the story along))

[MsFicwriter]

A half-second too late, Cadice realized that she'd bumped into Jacob a little too hard.

 

"I'm so sorry!" she cried as he lit a cigarette. "I was in such a hurry to get here..."

[LDR]

"I'm so sorry! I was in such a hurry to get here..."

 

He heard her say this after a second had passed. He turned around and glared at her. His face - usually stoic - was a mixture of different emotions, trying to figure out what to do. He was angry that she was ignorant enough to run right into him, but he also felt sympathy for her being in such a hurry. He finally conceded, breathing a heavy sigh as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

 

"It's fine. Don't worry about it.", he said, trying to reassure her.

[Cyborg Ninja]

Onyx gave a salute to the Shade before he walked off. He needed to find the sergeant and speak with her about a few things. For one thing he wanted to inform her that he had a private comm line all set up for them. He also had almost everyone's vitals on his wrist device. He was missing the Shade's vitals as he obviously didn't have access to it. He wanted to ask her what he should do about that, or if he would just have to go without it. He also wanted to see if that scientist was going to be joining them or not. That way he could get her vitals and set her up on the comm as well.

 

As he rounded the corner he nearly bumped into the scientist and jumped back. He shut off his computer and slowly looked at her. Lucky for him those shades hid any sort of nervousness he was feeling at the moment.

 

"S-sorry about that. I uh just was in a hurry. Say uh, are you...are you coming with us?" he asked Cadice.

[MsFicwriter]

"Indeed!" cried the scientist nervously. "It's such an honor, sir, but I certainly hope I don't...foul things up beyond all recognition? Is that FUBAR, what it really means?"

[Cyborg Ninja]

Onyx actually found himself laughing a little. He wasn't trying to make fun of her. For one thing, he found it very odd being called a sir. He was used to calling others sir, or ma'am. He also had laughed because of what she said about FUBAR.

 

"That's close enough, and you don't need to call me sir. My name is Michael Winston, but you can call me Onyx," he said as he held his hand out.

 

Oddly enough he found himself a little less nervous than before. It seemed that she was just as nervous as he was, if not more. That actually calmed him down a little.