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 Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:18 pm
Reyes was in a foul mood and it seemingly radiated off of him as well. Most had avoided him since he had left after eating, most being all except the few birds who he listened to with a mixture of interest and annoyance.
Down at the bottom, as usual. His position within the organization he had devoted so much of his life to left a sour taste in the commander's mouth as he listened to the last bird that had been waiting for him to return. Another agent dead, but the mission had been a success at least. Morrison would consider it an acceptable loss though under his breath he'll be upset and it will hurt Reyes, like daggers, like it was his fault and it was. He was the one who sent these kids to their deaths, but they went willingly, utterly loyal to their leader, a loyalty that had been forged in tandem with harsh training and respect. Being Blackwatch took months, if not years of training before they became someone he could rely on, not like those pampered pups that got the sunshine and the congratulations up above.
'Where the hell is that kid?' the thought ran through his mind as he lazily looked to the entrance of his small, secluded 'office' if it could even be called that. It had already been longer than Reyes would have liked and while he was sure Morrison would have told him to go look for him by now, he didn't. This was a test, the kid's first one. If he couldn't even find him in this maze of a place, he couldn't find him anywhere.
He'd know if he asked for directions, asked for help. Secrets weren't something one could easily keep in Blackwatch.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:29 pm
Mikree had a little trouble finding Reyes once he made it into the tunnels. He backtracked a few times, following his own dripping trail in the dirt, but finally the scent of the other lion grew stronger. Finally he made his way into a smaller version of the den he had joined Blackwatch in, and there in the shadows stood Reyes.
He let out a slow breath of relief for having found him and he hung his head slightly to close his eyes for a moment. Gathering himself, he lifted his soaking wet head to face the Blackwatch commander.
"Cleaned up, sir," he said as he dripped onto the floor. "What's next?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:53 pm
It was a relief to finally hear him. That was an argument effectively escaped, but what Reyes raised his head to see was not what he had been expected and that was clearly readable as his crimson eyes narrowed in concern. The kid was thin. ******** hell, he had been right about Deadlock starving the kid. Ribs visible with his fur still soaked. Had none of the medics come forward to help him? He should have been dry by how long it took.
"Explain your condition," he ordered, voice stern, but more akin to a worried parent questioning their child. Bathing shouldn't have taken that long.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:58 pm
The command made Mikree jump a bit, not expecting the tone. It sounded angry but...not? He looked down at himself, unsure of what he meant by his condition.
"Uh...well...I took a bath like you said," he said, looking up at Reyes again. He almost started to describe everything that had happened, but he knew no one liked a snitch, so he left it out. "Baths require gettin' wet, sir."
Ah, he couldn't help it. He always had a smart comeback for just about any situation. It just depending on the tone he used with it that made it more of a jab than anything, and although those words could be taken to be an insult that Reyes didn't know how to bathe, it was said in such a matter-o-fact tone that it didn't come out as such.
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:19 am
"Do I look like an idiot to you?" The accusation came many times sharper that his previous question. If this brat was gonna sass him, he'd drop the concerned parent act and jump straight to 'I'm your boss, shut it'.
There was a sigh, or was it a groan? Whatever it was, Reyes rose to his feet afterwards and approached the cub to stare down at him, that standard issued frown back on his face (had it ever left?). "What did the Deadlock feed you? Sticks, rocks? I've seen days-old corpses that look more alive than you." There was that concern again. "You'll need to eat more than once a day, especially the fat and marrow." It was an order, no negotiating. "I can't make use of your until you put weight back on, runt."
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:42 am
Mikree wisely decided not to answer that question with another smart-a** remark. Now that he had seen that Blackwatch - Overwatch, whatever - had members that were like Deadlock, he wouldn't put it past Reyes to actually make good on his threats if he pushed the line a little too far. He wasn't dumb, even if sometimes it seemed like he was.
He gave a soft 'ooooooh' as the commander made it clear what he meant by his condition. He looked down at himself one more, taking into account his slim appearance.
"They fed me," he said as he looked back up to Reyes. "Just. After they ate. So sometimes there wasn't much left." Usually there wasn't much left, to be quite honest, but it wasn't in his nature to complain about his current state of things. At least he had some food. That was better than none at all.
But when Reyes gave him his first assignment - putting on weight - he nearly passed out in delight. The marrow? The fat? That was all taken right away by the strongest ones in the gang. He wasn't sure he'd ever tasted pure fat before.
"I'm not a runt," he said, coming out of his daydream like state at the insult. "I'll be as big as you some day, just you wait and see! 'specially if you're serious 'bout eatin' more than once a day."
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:55 am
"I'd like to see you prove me wrong," the frown turned into a grin, one with a playful tone even. "But for now, you're a runt and I don't have time for runts. Get up to snuff or you'll be left behind." Of course, Reyes meant disposed of instead of left behind. The kid knew too much now, he was a liability if he was let loose. He belonged to Blackwatch now and there was no backing out.
"You'll get food, twice a day, smaller portions, still more than most cubs get, but higher fat content for two weeks. Then you'll switch to a normal eating routine and your basic will begin. Until you're ready for that, you have a task. You're going to participate in a group exercise. Starting tomorrow at dawn, Blackwatch is going to war with itself. Your objective it to retrieve as many tokens as you can get; an item, a bit of fur, anything that could be linked to one of my agents. Take them from them, keep them until the end of the day." Reyes paused for a moment, looking at the cub's face. This kind of thing should be right up the kid's alley.
"Overwatch is moving out tonight. We're staying here. Anyone left behind is your co-worker. They're all free game, including myself. It starts tomorrow, just as the sun starts peaking over the horizon." Reyes finally finished explaining. All of his soldiers knew this drill. It was a way to keep on their toes, to watch their surroundings and there was a prize at the end; Reyes' favor. He wasn't a man that was easily impressed and this was one way to do it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 1:10 am
Mikree did his best not to drool thinking about all the food he'd be eating in the next few days. Even if they were smaller portions, more mealtimes meant more food in the end, in his book. He nodded eagerly, licking his muzzle despite himself. All he got was a mouthful of pond water which wasn't nearly as nice as what he had been thinking about.
And then Reyes went on about a little task, a game of sorts. Mikree paid close attention, nodding to show he understood. He could do that, even if he didn't get two meals a day for two weeks.
"Sure thing, boss. Uh...is there any way to figure out who is Overwatch and who is Blackwatch without them leavin'?" he asked, tilting his head. His mind had gone back to the three at the pond. Were they his co-workers? Or were they Overwatch?
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:18 pm
"No," Reyes replied firmly. "Officially we don't exist or did you hit your head too? This is your first chance to learn your co-workers. This exercise happens bi-monthly. You'll need to memorize their faces if I'm going to be able to send you on missions with them." A moment of silence, pondering something,
"Darkness under their eyes. Tired, but aware. Watch them. Now, go get some rest and watch your back tomorrow. Dismissed." The commander rose back and headed back towards the middle of the cove he was delegated in the checkpoint. There were missions to plan, maneuvers that needed to be gone over and alcohol to drink.
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:30 pm
Well, at least he had some indication of what to look for. Tired lions, he supposed. The ones that had roughed him up on the surface didn't seem to be too exhausted, but he hadn't really been looking for that.
The dismissal made Mikree nod and he turned to go, walking along through the tunnels. He wandered aimlessly for a bit before finding a few other lions that were heading to the sleeping area, so he followed them. There were piles of friends all dozing together, but Mikree went off to curl up against the wall on his own. He'd worry about making 'friends' later. For now, he was fine on his own, just as he always had been.
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