Spec-Ops Disaster (1x1 Roleplay, Invite only)

[fowlmanor]

"...AND YOU GIVE ME THIS OF ALL THINGS?! YOU HEARTLESS b*****d!!

His temple throbbed, Eyes twisted shut in frustration, rage, restraint, and sorrow. There he stood, just inside the Commander's Observation deck, awaiting the reprimand he would be getting for throwing the solid steel, 7 ft table out the plate, bullet-proof glass. His emotions had gotten the best of him and the other Observers inside the deck sat in utter shock and horror. Several of them dared not move, out of fear that the slightest utterance or twitch may spark another outburst. Kain's Mechanical fist ground against itself, the stark metallic scraping filling the already palpable air. The Commander slowly turned from the shattered glass and looked at Agent Ceres with a smugness permeating throughout his being, but he never showed it.

"You're capable of just about anything Agent, and you come up here and throw a table through a window? I was surprised you didn't come up here and crush me with our arm I GAVE YOU." The Commander looked him up and down, scanning every bit of tension in his metallic form. A smirk finally formed on his face. "You Forget your place, Ceres. I helped create you, I brought Hawthorne back, I gave you both a chance in this Force. DO NOT make me take matters into my own hands."

His eyes opened only to glare at his Commanding Officer. His hatred slowly boiling down. He had to control himself before he did something he would regret. If his artificial body was taken away, there would be no more Kain Darkwood. He had to keep things in check while the parts were still meshing with his bio-metrics. "Then, Sir, I ask you to give me permission that I might reveal my identity to one of my team....Someone who I may confide in, and allow to oversee my 'enhancements' on a more personal level."

"You can tell Agent Jones. No one else. His knowledge of Robotics and expertise of mechanics will benefit you most... It seemed the Commander had already anticipated this from Kain, and Had already laid the plans in motion.
"BUT, if I find out EITHER you or him reveals anything, to ANYONE, you'll be decommissioned and he'll be....replaced....." His gaze never wavered, eyes locked full on Kain's visor. The steely eyes meant business, Kain knew that. His fist un-clenched, some comfort was better than none...The last time he'd been able to confide in anyone was months ago with the Doc. Kain's sanity had begun to slip inside this suit, and just maybe Jonesy could help him out.

"Thank you sir....I believe its time for me to find my partner..." Kain gave a brief but all too sarcastic salute to Command, then left without another word. He had to find Eden, see if she was okay....see if he could somehow help....He then realized He was the last person she would want to see, and that was what hurt the most. Not the exercise, not the test or the prosthesis...the rejection.

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Locker Room | | c o m p a n y: No one | | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


Michael Jones stood outside of the women's locker room, doing the polite thing of knocking and not the perverted thing of trying to sneak a peek within the crack of the door.

- - - - - -

"I don't really know what he is exactly, Pearson." Jonesy finally answered, spinning his chair around to look at his three former squad mates. He slumped down into the chair, sighing and shaking his head. "Hell, I wanted be working with you asses if I did." He continued through a weak smile before standing up. "All I know right now is that Eden should be pried out of whatever room she has locked herself up in. Pearson, you don't say enough Leebs, you - get too sentimental. And Black - you say too much. I'd - well..." He paused; Kain had always said just enough... "... I'm not gonna do nothing, god damn it." He hurried out of the room as a table shattered through the glass in the opposite observation deck.

"Holyshit." Black hissed as he clamored back towards the glass, gazing between the window and the ground. Leebs hopped out of his chair, joining the younger gunman at the window.

Pearson sat back, smirking weakly. "Told you. Agent Ceres has a d**k."

- - - - -

He knocked again. "Hawthorne... ... are you in there, agent?"

Eden stared blankly at the door, hugging her knees tightly to her test as she sat in the corner of the woman's locker room. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to speak. It was all to painful! Everything about her life was too painful to experience because, in one form or another, it brought her back to him. It all brought her back to him. It brought her so far back that she'd kill an inno - No! None of those ******** machines were innocent! God, all she wanted was to forget.

"Eden," She knew it was Jonesy. Hell, it didn't take a rocket scientist to recognize a voice. She'd need a shrink to figure out what drove him to leave his ivory palace in the sky to deal with her. He was the furthest thing from sentimental! "I just - I need to know you're alright." Her eyes widened slightly. Alright. ... Alright? Wasn't it obvious that she wasn't?! "We uhh - we need you to pull out of this, kid. If we can't have - him and we can't have you, we're ******** lost..." Pronouns. Why did it always come down to pronouns?

The man on the other side of the door and Eden sighed in tandem. It really seemed that hopeless. "You need to pick your a** up and get back in there tomorrow, you hear me?" He ordered desperately before his footsteps faded away.

The brunette closed her eyes, allowing his words to sink in. More expectations, more demands, more needs... more of what she ultimately didn't want. Because yes, she wants to be an agent but not on their terms - not like some psychopathic war machine who can't tell enemy from ally on the field - not this. 'Yeah, you guys need me... but do you even know who I am anymore? What if I can't be that girl anymore..."



((Kind of a transition post... hopefully moving Jonesy helps!))



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. . . n o d o u b t i n m y m i n d w h e r e y o u b e l o n g.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[fowlmanor]

Kain's heavy, but quick foot falls had carried him to the place he knew Jonesy would be, Data observation, but to his absolute shock, everyone from his old team BUT him and Eden were there...


Pearson: his ever focused gaze, Black: the confidence practically radiated from him, Leebs: the ever flowing mind....His oldest friends sat there observing the damage he had just caused in Command's Deck.

"Look, all I know is that a response like that..!, a wide gesture was made by the strong arm of Black to the carnage of the double paned glass across the arena, "Can only mean he's pissed his new partner can't control herself! I dunno WHY The Commander decided breaking her again was the best plan of-"

The quiet but strong tone of Pearson cut through the endless string of Thomas' Rant "What it means is that he was upset at the outcome, not what happened during the run." Brenan's cold eyes turned from the wreckage and locked with Black's "That man over there is obviously upset with command because he knows his new partner. He's obviously read her file, found out why she was discharged, and why she's back. This kind of agile, strong, efficient..." He grimaced as he continued, disliking the taste of the words coming out of his mouth "..for lack of a better word...Machine...doesn't go into a situation without knowing the risks." Black bit back further retorts, knowing that if anyone could spot these subtleties, it was Pearson...

Leebs, ever the silent observer, surprisingly spoke up. "Brenan....How do you know? I mean, what if there's some form of background programming that acts like brain control, or feeds him information on the spot? What if this guy isn't in full control?" His figure slumped forward, elbows resting on knees as he shifted in his chair. So many missing variables, so little to go on...

"I can't be certain....but from everything i've seen, and everything this guy seems to present....He hates command probably more than anyone else right now...Maybe even more than E."

"Pardon the interruption," Any more speculation from Pearson, and he'd practically guess Kain's identity. Half of him almost didn't want to interrupt. He smirked under his visor as all 3 of them nearly jumped out of their pants. "But I was looking for Agent Jones....Any idea where he might be?" He turned his head visibly so all three of them got the message he was looking for an answer from anyone. Oh the pleasures of facelessness.....

" s**t man, you gotta announce your self or somethi-"
"Locker rooms, no doubt. Went to go check on Hawthorne..." Pearson cut Black off again, preventing any further damage to the situation.
"Thank you Agent Pearson. I'll check there" He turned his head again to address all three of them again. He knew it was risking his identity by addressing them like this, but he couldn't help it. The words slipped right out. He nodded and gave them his old parting phrase as he left."Boys.."

Black and Leebs gave each other wary glances and continued to discuss Agent Ceres and Command, while Pearson continued to watch the door intently...

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Locker Room | | c o m p a n y: Nurse Kent | | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


Another knock. "Agent Hawthorne, it's Nurse Kent. I was sent down here to gather data from your tracker in terms of physical exertion, heart rate, etc. Do you - mind if I come in? It'll only take a minute." 'Yes, I mind.' Eden sighed heavily as she pulled herself off the ground and quickly walked over to the mirror. It was not as bad as she had expected, but it was still disgraceful for someone that was supposed to be able to 'handle' the field and its... challenges. Grabbing the hair tie from her wrist she quickly leaned forward and gathered her hair. Standing up, she deftly wrapped the small elastic around a ponytail that sat at the crown of her head. Although, looking at her reflection again she realized that that wouldn't help much. The brunette quickly loosened a few tendrils, framing her tear stained face. That was probably the best she could.

"Come in." She called towards the door, unzipping the collar of her suit to give herself a bit of breathing space. She was sure as hell going to need it.

"Thank you." The young woman that walked in was a few years older than Eden was, though she didn't look nearly as tired. She was a pretty thing, lean and blonde with hazel eyes. Black would crawl all over her if he was given the chance, though he was usually only given male physicians and aids for that reason. A weak smirk traced across the agent's face at the thought, apparently that jackass would always be comic relief. "How are you doing?"

That was rich. Eden rolled her eyes before sitting down on one of the benches, staring dubiously at the woman. "... Seriously? Are you just trying to make me mad?"

"No, ma'am... it's just a way of being polite. I'll take your answer as "s**t" and we won't talk about it anymore." She shrugged innocently before laying down her case and popping it open to pull one of the readers. "May I have your arm?" Eden willingly offered the woman her right arm and stared ahead at the lockers. Not having to talk was almost a blessing. She hated the forced pleasantries that Force protocol demanded during each check up, brief and debrief. Eden really didn't give two shits about the secretary's twins or their dog. Not any more at least, especially because she didn't see herself ever having them.

"Looks like you had a rough time today. Rarely do people exert that much energy in such a short amount of time during a mission, let alone a training exercise." She observed banally, watching the figures transfer over onto the machine. "In my opinion, you should have pulled something with all the force you were exerting on the muscles..."

"Yeah well, once you find something to motivate you, anything is possible." Eden muttered in reply.

"Mind sharing with me then? I'd kill to have your arms!" She managed through a small laugh as the machine beeped, signaling it had finished the read. Nurse Kent carefully began to place it back within the case as Eden gruffly rolled her sleeve back down. That was enough small talk for today.

"Exactly. That's what it takes." Eden retorted sharply, lifting herself up off of the bench. "Have my helmet brought back to Tech. It could probably use an upgrade." The locker room door slammed behind her as she made her way down the hall towards the elevators. She needed to be alone for a while.



((FYI, Jonesy is somewhere... in the halls... wandering...))



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. . . n o d o u b t i n m y m i n d w h e r e y o u b e l o n g.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[fowlmanor]

(( I dunno if you're planning on keeping up your html format, but I am so out of practice that this may look just as clunky as before xd I'm gonna try and match your style just a little though.8 year gap since the last response. Geezus, I dropped the ball whee

On a semi related note, If you wanted an idea of how I imagined Kain's voice to sound through the helmet/apparatus, Listen to these voice files. They're the closest I've found to how I imagined it. ))

With the Nanites flowing through his system, and the Suit encasing his full form, Kain's mind never wavered. The cold reality he was stuck in helped keep his mind focused on the task at hand, no frivolity to distract the soldier's sensibilities, no opportunity for the body to become soft or the mind to slack. Icy precision, and unyielding focus were the desired effect and Kain's system adapted well to it after the initial shock of being locked in.
However, after being revealed to the force and introduced back into society, he found that he sorely missed the simple pleasures in life. Feeling the comfort of a warm bed beneath his body, the grip of a firm handshake, meeting someone's eye and sharing a knowing look, sharing a sly grin after someone makes even the most benign comment that even remotely sounds euphemistic- Its these things that brought joy, and he could see them happening all around. Yet he couldn't share in them. One of these things he missed most?
The feeling of a full belly, and the camaraderie of sharing a meal with friends.

As he made his way into the Mess, his eye glazed over as he tried to numb himself to the pang of hunger that always pervaded his system. The sight of the room before him, not only reminded him that the last real meal he had was months prior, but also brought back memories of a simpler time. A time where he and his squad shared lunches after a successful morning Op, or the time where Black had spilled his entire plate all over himself after trying to hit on a commanding officer-
A slight but sudden shake of his head was the only thing signaling to the outside world of any possible turmoil happening within the cold steel helmet, but there was hardly anyone around to notice.

Mid afternoon, most Agents were on leave, or out on patrol. Today the only residents within the Mess were:
-Agent Michael Jones (0007954), seated at the dining table near the north corner opposite the entrance, staring at his data Pad.
and
-Agents Caldwell (0027863) and Agent Mooreland (0027879), seated at the table nearest the entrance in the south wall.

His cybernetic eye and neural implant fed the information to him, Agent serial number and all, regardless if he wanted it or not. "Can't a man just walk into a room without needing every little detail pointed out?" Sighing as quietly as he could, he continued on his path to Jonesy.

He knew his heavy bootfalls would announce his arrival, but he thought he may as well try to preempt the surprise by clearing his throat." Ahem- Agent Jones. Do you mind if I sit with you a moment?"

The deep modulated voice startled Jonesy out of his focused work, his head whipping up, wide eyed, to stare into the dull red hue of the Visor separating Kain from one of his most dear friends. "Holy sh- A-agent Ceres! I-I was so focused on my work that I didn't see you walk up!" It was obvious the sound startled him pretty bad, seeing as Kain still was about 15-20 feet from him.

Was he really that startling to everyone? A grimace hid behind the mask, but Kain tried a casual but professional tone of voice. He also attempted to use more relaxed and cordial body language- Keeping his motions slow and his hands visibly relaxed at his sides. He had no idea how it looked to everyone else, but he had to try and reduce the intimidating presence his form cast. "Not to worry, Agent Jones. I could tell you were preoccupied and didn't mean to startle you. I apologize." He watched as Jonesy relaxed a little, loosening his death grip on the Pad he had nearly flung across the table, and eased back a bit into his seat. " I had a matter I'd like to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?"

Kain sat down along side the average sized man, and the hulking form completely dwarfed the technician in just about every way. Hell, the bench even creaked from the weight of the suit. Jonesy flinched at the sound and slid away in a seemingly courteous manner, however the slide was just a bit too far away to simply be a nice gesture. He was still unnerved by Kain, and Kain could tell. Hopefully, this conversation would solve that problem. "Uh....Sure Agent Ceres. Is it about the simulation today?" He winced in anticipation "I know you were trying to plan for all the variables but Ede- Agent Hawthorne has never reacted like that around any other Agent before. I think she-"

Another, more noticeable, wince followed as Kain raised a heavily gloved hand to halt the rambling excuses before Jonesy said anything he may regret divulging. " Its not about what Agent Hawthorne did today..." He paused a moment to think and smirked, nodding his head to the side in slight acknowledgement "Well....In a way it is. I know why she reacted in the way she did, and I know that from nearly first hand experience." His hand flexed slowly from the upright, halting palm into a relaxed fist and back again. The nanites and machinery whirred slightly, an audible *tink* sounding anytime his mechanical fingertips hit the center of his metal palm. "Have you ever wondered what kind of accident would force a man to take on the necessary cybernetic augments to become....well, something like me?"

Jonesy shifted uncomfortably alongside the big cyborg, sending an embarrassed, sidelong glance at the big man. "Well, of course I have..." His hands shook slightly as he placed his data pad down on the table "but I would never inquire about it. It just seems rude to try and pry into someone's life like that" His eyes shifted nervously. Kain's enhancements didn't miss that either. Michael must've tried to access his file after Kain was reintroduced, tried to figure out who this new cyborg was, and how the human became a weapon. Command would have had his file locked down tighter than a redacted top secret file passed down from the highest levels of government.
Agent Ceres was their Secret to keep, and only those they deemed worthy would know the truth.

And it was time Kain opened up the file, and hopefully found some freedom along with it.

"Then instead of trying to access my file again, I guess It's time you just asked me face to face...or rather, face to helmet, Jonesy." He used the familiar nickname, dropped the formality, and turned to look directly at the man that was once part of his little squad family. He was practically willing the truth through the visor, and hoping the quick minded technician caught on.

With a brief squint at the visor, and a mouth slightly agape, the truth slowly wormed it's way into the man's brain. " There's no way...." he whispered. As Jones' thoughts raced, Kain waited patiently, surveyed the room to find the other Agents had left, and returned his helmet to watch as Michael Jones realized his long dead Captain was actually sitting in front of him.

((holy crap...I started this 3 hours ago XD ))

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Cafeteria | | c o m p a n y: Thomas Black and Brenan Pearson| | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


She needed to pull herself together.

She'd been a b***h to the nurse. She'd ignored Jonesy's pleas to get her up and off the ground - to keep fighting. She'd practically killed that man who was locked inside that terrible suit for god knows what f***ing reason. If her psych evaluation score wasn't shot to s**t tomorrow, it'd be a damn miracle.

"Hawthorne!" A familiar male's voice called. "Where the hell you ended with that scowl on your face?"

Thomas Black, though a flirtatious p***k, had a heart of gold when it came to his pack. No one got left behind. No one was stuck down and out for long. Today, she apparently was the wolf in need of being dragged back into the pack.

'If it even existed without its alpha...'

"Black, not now, alright?" Eden muttered, pace not faltering as she continued down the hall. It was an enormous design flaw that the cafeteria was so close to the main elevators on this floor. There were not subtle or swift exits from the building. Command probably liked it that way. Someone could always have eyes on -

"If you think I came along, you're wrong!" He playfully called.

Eden, impossibly curious, stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

"Pearson... draw the short stick against Leebs?" She asked, folding her arms in front of her chest as she fully turned to face the men.

Black only stuck his tongue out at her, as if her words were as sour as a slice of lemon.

Pearson leveled Eden with the calculating gaze almost as if he was taking aim. "The b*****d was called into Medical." He explained with a soft shrug. "One of the nurses he's training was crying."

Eden winced. 'Perfect aim. Solid hit.'

"Apparently she went to check on a female agent in- "

"Anyways!" Black quickly interrupted, hand flinching at his side as if he was ready to hit the calculating b*****d next to him in the back of the head, like a father would his teenaged son. Black was older, but he rarely was the more socially aware of the team. Had the last year changed him?

"We were going to grab a quick meal in the cafeteria before heading out to the shooting range. Maybe get a drink after at G-Force."

Eden's lips thinned into a tight line. "The place where women don't wear shirts? In what world would I ever -"

"Alright, alright! At least come eat with us. Nobody eats alone after a s**t session, remember?"

Her expression faltered. No, softened. She felt the hard lines in her face melt away. 'That had been his saying. Kain's saying.' Her gaze fell to the floor, softly shaking her head.

It had become one of their many "off the book" rules as a team. If someone had a s**t day in a simulation or out in the course, they weren't allowed to eat alone. They could complain and mope all they wanted in the locker rooms, but by the next mealtime, they had to be ready for company. Even if it was as unsettling as Pearson.

"You're a b*****d..." She weakly admitted as the men closed the space between her and them. "Both of you."

"Like we haven't heard it before." Pearson smoothly murmured in reply as he passed her to pull open the doors to the cafeteria.

Softly rolling her eyes, Eden followed both of the men into the cafeteria. She did a quick scan of the room, not surprised to find it empty. It wasn't quite breakfast and it wasn't quite lunch. 'And a part of me wouldn't hate the idea of chugging a screwdriver...'

Her eyes fell on an odd pair seated in the north corner opposite the entrance. One a man she would know anywhere - a man she often viewed as an eccentric uncle she never had, but desperately wanted.

The other, encased in state of the art Force technology, was the man she had almost killed.

'Maybe two screwdrivers. Or three.'

"... What the f*** is he doing here? Does he even eat?" Black hissed, warily looking between Eden and Pearson. "Look, E, we can - ... we can just go out to eat if you want."

What would she do? What should she do?

'... what would he do?'



((Feel free to use any of the guys!))



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. . . n o d o u b t i n m y m i n d w h e r e y o u b e l o n g.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[fowlmanor]

Michael Jones never really was a man of tact, always focused on the technical and machinations of the world around him. The one functioning machine he never really quite grasped was the intricacies of social interaction. He missed subtle cues, couldn't catch a hint if it hit him in the face, and when presented with new information he practically forgot himself around him while trying to learn as much as he could.
Jonesy rushed through the gamut of question's Kain had anticipated. 'How? Why? What's it like in there?' and all were simple enough answers to give, until he dropped a question Kain had been dreading to address. "But if- If you're alive then why would the force keep that quiet? Why haven't they revealed their star Agent is back and, frankly in my opinion, better than ever?!"

Kain hesitated for a moment, he would have to force this one out in the open. For both his own inner turmoil's sake, but also to make him understand "Well, Jonesy. Take a look at who's back on the force. I can't imagine Command could keep E under control if she knew I were still alive." He struggled with the words that came next. After the session this morning, It was obvious Eden had a score to settle, and the job was the only thing that was going to keep her sane. If, that is, Kain was able to stay out of her firing line."And I can't imagine breaking this news to her after every thing that's happened. If she's only coming back to the force now, after all these months-" He paused, and looked down at his gauntlet-ed hands "She's been through hell, Jonesy. You know that, and after today, I know that. She can't know. And no one else can eith-"

His sentence was cut short by the loud creak of the metal Cafeteria doors being pulled open, and the fresh surveillance data being fed to his brain. Jonesy hardly noticed the sound, but Kain's sensors alerted him to the new 'threats' immediately.

-Alert-
South entrance breached.
3 Friendlies
Agent Thomas Black (0007937), Agent Brennan Pearson (0007939), Agent Eden Hawthorne (0007995- Reinstated)

"Well s**t..." He had forgotten one of the rules. His squad, His Pack, and His Rules. They had followed them for all this time- and as Kain always had expected, Black seemed to be trying to fill some shoes in his old leader's absence. "Nobody eats alone after a s**t session...Good Job, Black. But you really picked the mess of all places? Right now?!"

"Commander told me you'd be in a pair with her though, how does he expect--"

Agent Ceres' form went rigid, as he interrupted Jonesy's next question "Agent Jones, company. Remember- No one can know" He took a deep breath, the movement hardly effecting his form, and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the coming conversation. This wasn't going to be fun, but he had to try and bridge the gap that had been created in the Arena earlier that morning.

His bulky form pushed the creaking chair back from the table and he stood slowly, putting on an act to try and escape the situation he was in. "Thank you for the numbers from the session today, Agent Jones." His left hand gave Jonesy a pat on his shoulder, indicating his departure. "I'll have to keep that in mind, the next time we take the field"

------

" ... we can just go out to eat if you want."

Pearson's gaze had fallen on the big cyborg the second he had fallen in step behind Black and Hawthorne. He chuckled sardonically and muttered only loud enough for the two of them to hear "Yeah, and hit up G-Force to clear them out of their liqour after this is over...."

Agent Ceres' from had risen and begun walking back toward the Southern entrance. Jonesy had chosen to stay put, his wide eyed gaze focused on his Data-Pad in front of him.

"Agent Hawthorne, If I may have a word?" Ceres' almost robotic voice boomed out as is steps brought him to the center of the Mess. He stopped there and nodded to the other two "Agents"

Black's figure turned away from Ceres to address Eden quietly "Really, Hawthorne, we can just go. Who knows what this guy wants, but you don't need this s**t right now..." He glanced back at the mention of him and Pearson and nodded with a weak half smile.

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Cafeteria | | c o m p a n y: Thomas Black and Brenan Pearson| | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


"Yeah, and hit up G-Force to clear them out of their liquor after this is over..."

"If I didn't have to show up for another round in the simulator, I - "

"Agent Hawthorne, If I may have a word?" The hollow voice of her partner cut across the cafeteria.

Eden froze. He was certainly an infallible and persistent a**. If it weren't for his rigidity, she would bet money on the man getting on well with Black.

Black angled towards Eden, voice dropping to a whisper. 'Not that it likely makes a difference against Ceres' tech.'

"Really, Hawthorne, we can just go. Who knows what this guy wants, but you don't need this s**t right now..."

"Being treated like a child? No, Black. I really don't need that." Eden curtly replied, defiantly raising her brows to see if either of them dared to tell her that they weren't treating her like something fragile. Something that, try as the damn force might, couldn't be put back together again.

Neither of them spoke.

"If it gets bad, I'll let you know. Alright?"

Black nodded. Pearson dared to glance around Eden to look at Ceres. All warmth had left both of their expressions. One was likely calculating how to hide explosives in Ceres' room. The other was likely analyzing which of the windows to aim through if the explosives didn't go off.

Eden glanced over to Ceres. "Make it quick."


((And it begins!))



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[fowlmanor]

Kain's Stomach twisted into knots, writhing inside. He may have been part machine, but that never got rid of the butterflies in the pit his stomach itching to burst free. Months behind this armor, and weeks inside this helmet had chilled him to most things but the stony look his former lover was giving him now cut to the core.

"Make it quick."

The calculating looks from his two former best friends also didn't help much either.

"If I ever get the chance to pay Command back for this moment, right here..." He glanced up at the heads up display in his visor and keyed the *RECORD* command, causing the camera interface to begin capturing this moment so he could review it later. Every word he spoke carried a different feeling than what he was saying. He only wished he could just talk to her, one on one. But the act....it had to go on.

"I just simply wanted to commend you on the way you handled yourself in the Arena today."

-"I'm sorry Command put you through that again"-

Setting aside the seemingly stressful situation you were placed in, you nearly had me beat on the scoreboard."

-"You handled yourself beautifully in there, I only wish I'd been able to cheer you on"-

He placed a sideways glance back to Jonesy and snorted, loud enough for the Mic in the helmet to hear.

-"Now....for the dagger"-

He couldn't believe he was saying this out loud, but if Command needed their top soldiers....They'd get them.
"Hell, If you could've been even faster, you wouldn't be stuck with me anymore." He paused, not only to add emphasis to his point, but also to gather the courage to do the damage that needed be done. A quiet, deep breath, and a faux smirk beneath his helm to try and sell it-
"If you had been that quick your entire career, maybe you wouldn't have needed a recommissioning."

-"This is for your own good, E....I need you. Don't give up on me now."-

The fake derision in his tone sickened even him. As he finished his act, Kain heard a soft gasp cut short coming from Jonesy. A narrow glare from Black told him that he had crossed a line, and Pearson, he already had a hand on his belt waiting for the okay from Eden to take Kain's head off with one shot.

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Cafeteria | | c o m p a n y: Thomas Black, Brenan Pearson and Agent Ceres| | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


The visor was impenetrable. She had no idea how old Ceres was, where he might have come from - nothing! Even his voice was modulated and masked.

What was Command or some twisted scientist trying to prove - to hide?

"I just simply wanted to commend you on the way you handled yourself in the Arena today."

'Bullshit.'

Eden's face did not betray her doubt. She simply stood before Ceres, pushing her auburn tresses over her shoulders.

"Setting aside the seemingly stressful situation you were placed in, you nearly had me beat on the scoreboard."

Was this a competition to him? Was that what Command had instilled in him when they turned him into their perfect soldier? That statistics and performance mattered more than the team?

Eden missed nothing, tracking the subtle tilt of the helmet to look back at their Technician. Jones was going to be subjected to a hellish inquisition by the time this b*****d finished his monologue.

"Hell, If you could've been even faster, you wouldn't be stuck with me anymore."

'What the hell?' Did he want Eden to take him out? End his miserable life stuck inside that suit of armor? To Black's point, could the man even eat - even sleep with the tech so interwoven with his system? Was it like a parasite, denying him of everything redeemable about drawing breath every day?

"If you had been that quick your entire career, maybe you wouldn't have needed a recommissioning."

Eden's gaze fell to the floor as she bit her lower lip to curtail what came so naturally to her in this moment: a stream of expletives that would send a nun to her grave.

"You realize you're making light of an accident that dissolved the top team on the Force, right?" She softly asked, glancing up at him at the blank visor once more. She could sense Black and Pearson fidgeting at her side, hounds waiting to be unleashed. "It's not about winning, Ceres, it's about surviving." Her eyes slowly roamed over the suit of armor. "Judging by the fact that you don't have a damn scratch or dent on that suit of yours, I don't think you would know the first thing about it. You're likely just some b*****d who signed up for experimental enhancements after they'd worked out all the - bugs in the programming." Eden sighed, stepping back and shrugging. "If you want a new partner, you aren't going to achieve it by getting me kicked off active duty by flying off the handle. Go complain to your Master if you're afraid of vaginas."

"... ..." Black gaped in stunned silence. He knew she had a mouth, but it hadn't been so forceful since - ... before.

Pearson couldn't help but smirk, reaching for Black's arm to drag him towards the buffet area. "We'll save you a seat, Hawthorne."

Eden nodded, eyes watching them disappear into the kitchens and serving area before looking back to Ceres.

"Do you want to try that again or ...?"




((I lied.))



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[fowlmanor]

Kain watched as her head dipped. After all this time, she still had the same reaction processing hard to hear information, but instead of the fiery, blaze of a response he was expecting, he was caught off guard.

"You realize you're making light of an accident that dissolved the top team on the Force, right?"

He must've missed his mark. She wasn't yelling, wasn't spouting profanities. This was different than before...Then her eyes came up and scanned his visor, and he saw it. The heat was there, but the flames were like an arc welder- refined to a point and looking to cut through the armor that separated them. Controlled. "Would you look at that...." A small well of pride surged inside him, to see her so composed even while seething.

"It's not about winning, Ceres, it's about surviving."

This was all starting to sound too familiar to Kain. Even though her words were pointed, and meant to hurt, he couldn't help but smirk. "I could have sworn I had said that very thing to Black at one point or another."
Her surveying eyes scanned his armor, and he could practically feel her gaze looking for, what he though, would be any opportunity to tear it open and attack the thing inside.

"Judging by the fact that you don't have a damn scratch or dent on that suit of yours, I don't think you would know the first thing about it. You're likely just some b*****d who signed up for experimental enhancements after they'd worked out all the - bugs in the programming."

Kain's mechanical right fist clenched just at the mention of him just signing up for this...This what, torture? Death Trap of a body? Complete isolation? Neither of them signed up for this, but here they were, standing face to face again. Somehow alive on the other side.
If this could even be called Living.
If only she knew what it took to get him here.

"...flying off the handle. Go complain to your Master if you're afraid of vaginas."

He could sense the tension rising between the two of them, but his two former operatives obviously saw Eden was capable of handling the Big Bad Cyborg on her own. As they parted, Kain caught a snippet of Black whispering "Holy s**t Brenn, I havent seen her like that in ages..."

"Do you want to try that again or ...?"

And there it was, Her challenge. She was planting her flag, it was time he planted his.

"You're right, It's all about survival. And that's why I'll need someone who can keep up." His right arm bent at the elbow, his clenched fist extended a pointer finger at her, both as a sign of respect but also...Accusation.
"I don't make light of the accident dissolving your team. I'm simply stating that had you been the agent you are today, things obviously would have ended differently."

The pit in his stomach had deepened- He didn't want to be cruel, he didn't want to place her at a distance. All he wanted was to feel her against him again.

"At a later time, that may be an option, but for now, you just need her to watch your back..."

His left arm reached across his body, gripping the mechanical right wrist as he commanded the prosthesis to disconnect from the fused port on his shoulder. As his machine of a right arm pulled away from the socket-"Experimental enhancements or not, they came at a price. One that I wouldn't wish anyone else to pay. Being forced into a partnership, I wanted someone who could make sure no one else felt what I did. It's obvious you're the best this Force has to offer, but if you think I'm going to let you just ride my shoulders and hate me for the Machine I am..."
His left arm shoved the prosthesis back into the socket, making a loud *CLACK* CLACK*, almost as though he was loading a shotgun.
"...Think again."

He paused, flexing his reattached right hand. "I respect you, Agent Hawthorne, But I expect you to do the same."

"Please, E....Just give me a chance..." Kain's figure stood in stark comparison to the Lithe frame of Eden, but deep inside, he was kneeling at her feet, begging.

[Falling Mist]

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l o c a t i o n: The Cafeteria | | c o m p a n y: Thomas Black, Brenan Pearson and Agent Ceres| | d a t e: April 27th, 2477


The question hung in the air between them, in danger of becoming stale. Was he going to make some churlish remark about her ability as an agent and her current status again, or was he going to stop peacocking to hold a conversation with her? It might not have been fair of her to insinuate that he was a pathetic lab rat who got out due to the order of the random trials, but he had made light of what she lost.

'What you want back...' A voice weakly reminded her.

"You're right, It's all about survival. And that's why I'll need someone who can keep up."

He was pointing at her. Had Ceres ... chosen her out of all active Force members to be his partner?

"I don't make light of the accident dissolving your team. I'm simply stating that had you been the agent you are today, things obviously would have ended differently."

Eden's forehead creased in silent frustration.

Ceres still didn't get it. How could someone who was part machine ever stop thinking about field performance and skills when his body had been enhanced to thrive in those spaces?

What she gained in skill, she lost in ... joy? Creativity? Tenderness? The list could go on... and on... and on...

The soft sigh of release from his arm pulled Eden away from her thoughts. 'Why the hell is his arm off?'

"Experimental enhancements or not, they came at a price. One that I wouldn't wish anyone else to pay. Being forced into a partnership, I wanted someone who could make sure no one else felt what I did. It's obvious you're the best this Force has to offer, but if you think I'm going to let you just ride my shoulders and hate me for the Machine I am?"

He snapped his arm back into place with the precision of a hunter who was gearing up to lose another round of shots.

"...Think again."

'Was that a threat...?'

He stood before, flexing his hand as if he was testing that it had properly aligned with the rest of him. "I respect you, Agent Hawthorne, But I expect you to do the same."

"Respect is earned, Ceres." Eden quickly reminded him. "I know I messed up today, but that - ... ..." She took a steadying breath to steel herself against the knots in her stomach. "That simulation was not fictional. It was based on the last mission my team was assigned. In that suit? You blended in with the other machines." She raised her hand, a silent plea for him to let her finish. "I don't know why the hell you're in that thing and I'm not going to care why you are if you plan on pulling this s**t and playing by his rules. I'll respect you when I know that you aren't his puppet."I'll respect when I believe it's more about mission than ego."

It was undoubtedly a tough position for her to put him in, but if he were smart, he'd find a way to play both sides: the agents and Command. Honestly, he didn't need to be a performance-driven p***k to keep his machine running. He needed to be ... like Kain.


((:3))



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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI ' v e k n o w n i t f r o m t h e m o m e n t t h a t w e m e t . . .

. . . n o d o u b t i n m y m i n d w h e r e y o u b e l o n g.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx