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 Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:53 pm
“Garter says no deal.”
Logan’s hand shook and curled into a fist, gripping the end of his gun so viciously that his knuckles turned pallid and the veins of his arms stuck out from the tensing of muscles. His teeth ground together in fury as his stormy gray eyes locked onto the monitor in front of him.
“The fine people of this city don’t negotiate with rebel outlanders. We don’t even know if Lyn is still alive.”
The disembodied voice was mocking him. Logan could imagine Garter’s face behind him, his mouth twisted into an ugly smile. They loved this. They loved how easily they could crush him. Logan’s fist left the gun and slammed down on the table, jostling the things resting upon it.
“She is right here and you damn well know it!” he cried, feeling the waves of hopelessness and despair washing over him, threatening to crumble the wall he had tried so desperately to construct.
“May her sole go to God through Garter’s guidance.”
The triumph in the voice made Logan sick. His shoulders slumped and he was clutching the edge of the table now, digging his grubby nails into its splintering edge. The world twisted and turned before his unfocused eyes.
“They’ve disconnected,” Darius reported. “I tried to connect again, but they must have severed the feed completely.”
Logan couldn’t hear him, or chose not to hear him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. A hand touched his shoulder.
“Hey, we can try again later. This isn’t over,” Sin said from somewhere behind him.
Logan threw off Sin’s hand and whirled around to face Lyn, who was slumped against the far wall. His eyes locked onto hers. For a moment he was surprised to see that they were open and alert, glossy but hard as steel. The thought hit him that she must have heard everything, or at least enough. Pity tried to rise within him, but he crushed it before it had a chance to dissuade him from what he wanted to do.
Logan was in front of Lyn and lifting her to her feet by her throat before he even realized what his own intent was. Her body trembled beneath the hands that held her like a noose. Her beautiful emerald eyes challenged him even then. Logan shoved his revolver into Lyn’s chin, pressing the barrel down hard enough to make her gasp for breath. He wanted to destroy her terrible beauty. He thought, with her brains against the wall the score might almost be even. He hoped he might feel better, but he knew he wouldn’t.
“I should kill you right here,” he said through clenched teeth.
“But you aren’t going to,” Sin’s voice said from the other side of the room, “’Cause we don’t need to permanently scare any children today.”
Logan looked over his shoulder to curse at Sin and ask him what he was talking about, but he got his answer when Cole stepped through the doorway holding an extra bowl of oatmeal undoubtedly meant for his captain and idol. The boy’s eyes were wide with surprise and his hands were shaking. The sound of the bowl clattering to the floor echoed around the room.
“Sorry,” was all Cole mumbled. He quickly reached down and plucked up the bowl as he turned and fled from the room
Logan’s grip on Lyn’s neck slackened and he dropped his hand. Lyn slid back down the wall to the floor without his support, falling into a heap at his feet. She wasn’t moving, but the drug had worn off in her unconsciousness. Her eyes stared through the wall, seeing something he couldn’t. Logan moved away from her quickly, horrified with himself.
“Sin, take her back to the engine room….you know what needs to be done.”
He ducked out of the room without another word. The hallway was empty; the only sound in it the even tapping of Logan’s worn black boots against the solid metal floors. The air felt too hot for him suddenly and he found it hard to breath. It felt like there was something in his throat. His feet felt too heavy. His mouth was dry. Was this a meltdown, he wondered? Had he finally gone made? He was out of breath from running when he finally reached his room.
Some unseen force, some weight in his chest pulled him down onto his bed. He cradled his head in his hands, willing every thought and feeling and fear to just vanish, just melt away into nothingness. Where had he gone wrong? What had he done to lead his loyal followers to death?
When did he become so much like Garter?
That thought troubled him the most.
Logan bit his lip. He still felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he was submerged under the deepest and blackest water. So he did what he thought Rosen would tell him to do: he closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, evenly. He concentrated on nothing but that breathing. Then he reminded himself that he wasn’t allowed to have meltdowns. He wasn’t allowed to because captains weren’t allowed to. It was childish to think that, but it was truth to him.
Logan sat up in his bed, throwing his feet over the side. At first his mind was clear and cool like the summer days his father used to tell him stories about, but like a dark and dusty cloud Lyn disturbed his thoughts. Like lightning her face flashed behind his eyes. Logan rested his head in his hands and sighed.
Lyn. Lyn, Cohen’s wife. Lyn, a powerful X-Force soldier. If she had been anyone else they would have killed her on the spot. But she was who she was, and now she was on his ship. She was dangerous, and she was still alive and a threat. He should go kill her now, he thought. Get it over with. Throw her body over the side of the Highwind so the Embers at least would be satisfied.
Logan frowned. He was being like Garter again. He thought of the blind, cold rage that drove him to press a gun into the head of a woman who was nothing more than one of Garter’s many sheep. In a perverse way she was innocent, but that couldn’t be helped. She was brainwashed, the poor woman, but there was nothing he could do about it. A swift execution was the only way he could set her free. That would be humane and safe for his people. It was the right thing to do as captain. He really had no choice. It had to be done.
Logan was turning these things over and over again in his head, but he was finding it harder to believe and more difficult to stomach with every revolution.
Again his thoughts drifted back to Lyn, but now it was her glassy eyes that he saw. Only now did he realize that she had been crying. He was choking her, pressing a gun to her head, but that wasn’t even what broke her. She’d heard that she was left behind, thrown to the dogs or the sharks or the devil himself.
And then Logan remembered Lyn’s doubt. He remembered the look on her face when he was giving his speech on her people’s wrongful slaughter of children. At first he’d thought he was imagining it, but now he was sure of what he saw: Lyn agreed with him, even if she would never willingly admit it. Logan jumped up from the bed and ran out of his room, not even bothering to close the door behind him in his haste.
He only hoped he wasn’t too late.
“Gunslinger, wait!” Logan cried, bursting into the storage closet substituting as an interrogation room. Inside Lyn was tied to her chair again, but now her head was slumped forward with the limpness of a fallen doll. Her long blonde hair fell like a veil over her face, hiding it from Logan’s view, but he saw a drop of crimson fall to her lap from somewhere beneath it. His heart sank into his boots.
“Logan, I-” Sin started, fumbling a little.
“Sin…I wasn’t going to kill her!” Logan said, throwing his hands into the air. He sounded distraught.
“Well, I know you told me too, and that was an order an’ all, but-”
“Sin, her own husband turned his back on her. She wasn’t part of the Clean Cities anymore. She didn’t even share Garter’s views. If that didn’t make her a rebel, then what would?” Logan put his hands in his head for the second time that day and groaned. “We’ve killed an innocent woman…”
“Logan, would you listen to me. I couldn’t kill an innocent woman, alright?”
“Sin, this isn’t time for arguing! She was innocent enough! She was brainwashed! It wasn’t her f-”
“WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME MAN?” Sin screamed, slapping Logan hard across the mouth. Logan blinked and spluttered in surprise, but said nothing.
“I meant that I didn’t kill her. I couldn’t. I know you ordered me to kill her, but when I went to shoot her she was crying- not because of me or you, but because of what Garter did to her. And…well….I couldn’t do it.”
“Oh. Well then…thank you for not listening to me.”
“No problem. I do it all the time, actually. You usually don’t even notice.”
Sin kept on talking, but Logan ignored him and walked over to Lyn. Only now did he realize that her shoulders heaved every once in a while with the tremors of her silent crying. He looked down and saw something red resting in her lap.
“Sin,” Logan said, sighing with the words, “Is that a juice box?”
“Yeah….”
“Why?”
“She was crying and I wanted to make her feel better. The drugs I pumped into her tend to make people dehydrated…so I figured it was the least I could do.”
Logan rolled his eyes and knelt down in front of Lyn. He reached out, carefully so as not to startle her, and tipped up her chin with his thumb. What he had mistaken as blood dripping down her face was really red juice that Sin had gotten on her face in his attempt to be helpful.
“I tried to feed it to her, but she wouldn’t take it so I squirt it into her mouth. She bit me when I tried to wipe it off.”
Lyn started at Logan, but her eyes seemed vacant. If he looked hard enough, Logan could see the gleam of defiance still within them, but it was the dying embers of a fire in the rain. He held her chin in place when she tried to jerk it away and wiped whatever juice Sin had missed from her mouth. Then he let her go, but he didn’t move away.
“Gunslinger,” Logan said over his shoulder, not looking away from Lyn, “Lyn is a woman we picked up while searching the area. She was part of a group of nomads that were attacked by Garter’s forces. Her people were killed, but she managed to escape with only minor injuries. Is that understood?”
“Yeah, I got it,” Sin said with a sly smile. “I’ll spread the word.”
“Is that understood?” Logan repeated, but this time the question was directed at Lyn. Through her tears the embers in her eyes sparkled and flared.
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:29 pm
Still pacing, Travis waited impatiently for Rosen to appear into the infirmary. Without much control, his eyes went from the door back to the unconscious Brynn lying on the bed in front of him. When he heard the door open, Travis whipped his head swiftly over to the door, and sighed in relief when he saw that it was Rosen. As soon as she entered the door, "So you don't have any idea of what happened?" At first he didn't say anything, he watched her walk swiftly past him and pull on gloves. He shook his head slowly and stopped pacing at the foot of the bed, "I know as much as you do.." He hated not being able to tell her much else, "I just..found her like this. Not far away from you, Sin, Logan, and... the other unconscious girl." He watched as she was now staring down at Brynn, with almost a look of fear, "So we know nothing." She paused and looked over to him quickly, "Travis, please be a dear and go over to that box over there. Bring it to me. It has my tools." He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, but turned his head in the direction that she had pointed and saw a medium size wooden box that almost looked like an old tool box. "Alright.. I'll be right back.."
Travis shook his head slowly as he walked towards the shelf on the other side of the room. "What in god's name got into you? What made you care enough to pick her up and bring her here..? You barely know her. All you do know is she throws a fit whenever somebody touches her..." He brought his attention up to the shelf and saw the tool box sitting in front of him. Travis gingerly picked it up, not wanting to disturb whatever might be inside. He carried it with two hands on his way back to Rosen's side. He answered most of his own questions on the way back, "You cared because you're not the uncaring a*****e that you try to be. You probably did it because you know that Brynn tries to seem tougher than she really is, too..." Bringing his attention back to his surroundings, he saw Rosen leaning over Brynn, whispering. She then nodded as Brynn let out a small moan. He was at her side now, and offered the tool box full of her operating equipment. Without a word, she indicated for Travis to place it on the desk behind her. "I don't know if Ms. Brynn can even tell us exactly what is wrong with her. But the swords are hurting her. I can work with that for now."
Wide-eyed, Travis watched in horror as Rosen began pulling the swords out of Brynn's back. "How could somebody so small have something so large lodged into her back like that..?" Before he knew it, Rosen was handing him one of the swords and told him to put it under the bed. He gaped at the blood at the very end of it, "That...cant be good.." When he stood up, the other sword was already out and being handed to him. Carefully, he slid that one under, too. Every few moments, Brynn was still moaning in pain. "Travis... I...I don't think there is anything I can do for her. Without the proper anesthetics or tools I can't operate around something as dangerous as the spine and trapezius. The tiniest of wrong moves would permanently cripple her. I..." Travis watched sympathetically as Rosen sighed, defeated and continued, "I just don't know enough about these swords. I can't operate around what I can't see. I'd be a butcher, not a doctor." Rosen slumped into the chair that was next to Travis, and he turned his attention to Brynn, attempting to give Rosen a bit of privacy. He watched the slow rise and fall of Brynn's back, "At least she's breathing steadily.." Once she regained composure, Rosen continued, "Travis, please bring me a bucket with cool water and some rags."
Travis nodded, still wanting to help however possible, and he headed back over to the far end of the infirmary. He saw a small bucket nudged underneath the sink and plucked it up. Sitting it in the sink, he turned on the water and wandered into the corner, trying to find some rags. A sly smirk appeared over Travis' face when he found a drawer of wash clothes. He pulled out about four and walked back over to the sink just in time to prevent an overflow. In order to prevent spillage on his walk back over to Rosen and Brynn, he dumped some of the water back into the sink. With the bucket and cloths in hand, he returned to Rosen's side quickly. "Here you go, Rose. I wasn't sure how many cloths you wanted...I can grab more if you'd like." She smiled weakly and shook her head, "Thanks hun. You don't need to get any more.. You're very helpful. I'm afraid there isn't very much you can do anymore, though. None of us can." He shook his head in slight disbelief, "Are you asking me to leave?" He returned to his own thoughts for a moment, "Seriously now.. why are you so concerned? You don't even know her.." He looked at Brynn's fragile body once more, remembered why. "...Mom..." He turned back to Rosen to see that she was shaking her head slowly, "No. No. Stay...please. Just until Allison gets here, at least. If something does happen I might need help."
A smirk appeared on his face, "Awh..you would miss me wouldn't you Rosie?" He laughed softly, "...sorry.. Talking like Sin doesn't really suit me does it..? But.. really there must be something we can do. We can't just let her suffer like this, Rose." Both of them jumped slightly when they heard Brynn's fragile voice, "There is....something... you can do...." They both stepped forward to hear her better. She continued, "Knock me...out..." Rose and Travis looked at each other in confusion. "...You....Travis...knock me out...." He looked back over to Brynn then to Rosen, confused as all hell. "Rose... should...should I do it?" His eyes slid back to Brynn and bore holes in her head [[figuratively, of course]]. He heard Rose's strong voice turn just as confused as his, "Well, sliding in and out of consciousness isn't helping her any...If you knock her up it might help her for now. She won't be able to feel any pain." He leaned close to Brynn, "Are you sure that's what you want me to do..?" A low, pain filled moan was all Rose could hear, but underneath it Travis heard a low 'yes'. He sighed, feeling uncomfortable, and pulled out his pistol. He apologized to her quickly and in one swift motion he pistol wiped her.
Travis looked at Rose, unsure if he had done the right thing. "She...is going to kill me when she wakes up." Rose smiled and placed her fingers on Brynn's palm once again, "She has a steady pulse...she shouldn't be able to feel any pain right now.. Though.. I'm going to have to patch up that mark." He looked down where he had just hit Brynn on the head, "It's a good thing I didn't do it any heavier..." Rosen nodded and his eyes returned to the ground. "I...think...that I'm going to leave for now, Rose.. If you need me, I'm a call away." Rosen nodded, "Alright.. if you see Allison can you tell her I need her in here?" Travis nodded as he headed out of the infirmary. He heard a sigh escape Rosen as he exited, he felt guilty for leaving her but he couldn't take seeing another woman in that much pain again.
Wandering the halls, he tried to find Allison and Dion where he last saw them, Dion wasn't there. But a very confused-looking Allison remained in the same place. She was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, and she was cradling her head in her hands. Not wanting to interrupt, Travis slowly began, "Allison..?" She looked up at him with distant eyes, "Hi Travis." He sat next to her, "Are you alright?" She nodded, "Yeah.. I'm just...confused. I just thought I gave up on the thought of a relationship years ago.." Travis looked at her and tilted his head, "What?" She shrugged, "Sorry, I shouldn't be spilling all of this on you.. What do you need?" Returning the confused look that resided deep in her eyes, he continued, "I was just helping Rosen with Brynn... she told me to go find you. She could use some help." Travis stood and held out a hand for Allison to take. She reached up and grabbed it, "Thanks... can you update me quickly before I go in there?" He sighed slightly, "It's..not a pretty sight. Rose took the swords out of her back, one of which had blood on the end. Something's still wrong though.. I had to knock her out.. and that's when I left." Allison allowed a slight sigh, "Alright.. thanks for helping out, though." With that she started towards the infirmary, leaving Travis standing there alone.
((So uh..hey.. feel free to continue off of this post.. because quite frankly I'm not sure what Travis is going to be doing yet..))
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:30 pm
When Brynn saw Travis pull out the pistol, she knew she was going to have a b***h of a headache later. Everything went dark as she felt the unyielding metal connect with her skull. But it was all for the better. At least she didn't feel like she was on fire anymore. She was floating on the black sea that was unconsciousness. She relaxed and welcomed it, and as she did and faded into unknowing, her body physically relaxed as well. Her clenched fists released their holds and and a sigh of satisfaction escaped her lips before she began to breathe evenly. Life is so much easier when you don't have to think about it. Why can't I figure out where the first half of mine went? As the ugly bruise raised itself on her temple, she smiled.
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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:04 pm
 The twisted thoughts
Of a subdued mind Betrayed.
The word felt wrong and blasphemous in her mind but deep down she felt an ounce of truth. She had been thrown to the dogs. Left to rot. Lieutenant Baker’s cool voice still lingered in her mind; “The fine people of this city don’t negotiate with rebel outlanders…” That was a lie. She knew damned well that they had traded on a number of times for people of lesser rank than her. Had it been a mistake? No. Garter didn’t make mistakes. That she knew for sure. Everything he did was deliberate, planned, pre-meditated even.
Pre-meditated. Lynn’s heart sunk. He planned this. But why? Quickly, Lynn ran through the possible motives for her demise and came up empty. She had always received praise from him on her service as an XForce officer. Not a single negative comment to her. Could this be a test? A spark of hope ignited in the darkness as she contemplated this new thought. It would be very much like Garter to test her in such ways. She had seen similar things done to other officers but never this extreme.
Maybe he is making the rebels think they are leaving me behind…but is using that to catch them off guard? Lynn thought, checking the plan for flaws. Sure there were a few, but it was the only thing she had to hang on to.
She licked her lips, tasting the overly sweet fruit punch. For a second she was confused as to how it got there, and wondered if it was poison. But upon reflection she recalled Gunslinger trying to force feed her juice some time during her breakdown. Blood flooded her cheeks as she further recalled her actions, especially the crying. It was a sign of weakness, and she had openly displayed it in front of a rebel captain.
Logan’s words repeated in her head, reminding her of the doom that awaited her. The hope that had infested itself in her mind now vanished with out a trace. Garter may have been testing her, but Logan was playing no games. A new wave of emotion washed over her as her body slumped forward. Tiny tremors shook her small frame as tearless sobs tore down the final barriers she had. What was the point of hiding her distress when with in a few minutes she would cease to exist?
Around her the two rebel men argued but she paid no attention, why should she? She was bound to die. Their words were meaningless babble in her ears, making no coherent sense, for she chose not to understand. Suddenly, the captain Logan was before her, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. His touch was gentle, something she had not expected. Flash backs from earlier when the news of her betrayal was revealed, Logan’s act of rage, his large rough hands clasping around her neck, his eyes burning with a rage she had never seen. But now to see him so soft and calm was unnerving.
“Gunslinger.” Logan said, his eyes still locked on hers. His voice reflected the calm in his eyes.
“Lyn is a woman we picked up while searching the area. She was part of a group of nomads that were attacked by Garter’s forces. Her people were killed, but she managed to escape with only minor injuries. Is that understood?” The breath that she had been inhaling caught in her throat, refusing to be released and relieve her of the burning in her chest. Did he really just say that? Was he serious? The room was spinning and she was still trapped in his gaze. A deer in headlights, frozen to the spot. The very idea of being considered a rebel was a sin in itself. The words: “I am not a rebel” sat on her tongue, but where never said. Could she betray Garter? Could she throw it all away? Her years upon years of steadfast loyalty and devotion?
I don’t even know if I was really betrayed… She thought trying to soothe her panicked mind. Accepting that your life was a lie and that you are wrong is nothing that could be overcome in a matter of hours, that much was evident as Lynn tried desperately to defend Garter’s actions once more. Her mind returned to her pervious thoughts of it being a trick and she clung to the idea like a drowning rat. Having decided on this she ran through the options before her whilst Logan stood staring her down, waiting for confirmation of her new loyalty.
If I play along I have a better chance of surviving this.. With that her mind was made.
“Yes.” She said, her voice raw from tears and exhaustion. Logan’s gaze lingered a little longer still scrutinizing her, looking for the catch. Seemingly satisfied he turned away towards Gunslinger.
“I’ll take Lynn to Rosen and have her patched up. I need you to go find Darius and have him take over patrol. We need to make sure Garter has nothing up his sleeve.” He said as he removed something metal from his pocket.
“Heh...kinky.” Sin commented with a childish grin. Lynn’s eyes widened as the object came into view.
“W-what are those for? I said I am one of you now…” Lynn said, staring at the metal handcuffs.
“I need to make sure you aren’t lying. So, in order to make sure of that…you will be under my careful watch.” Logan said slyly, while dangling the cuffs before her.
Lynn rolled her eyes, though inside she felt the doubt in her build. Had she made the right decision?
Untying her wrists and feet, Lynn stood, her legs feeling wobbly, and weak. Until then she hadn’t realized who truly drained she was.
Swaying, she brushed the hair that clung to her tear streaked face away, and attempted to fix her clothing.
“I guess I can’t have my guns back?” Lynn said, more of a statement than a question as she stared at the empty holsters attached at her thigh. Logan shook his head as he snapped a cuff around her wrist and his own. Lynn stared down at the contraption in unmasked disgust.
“You were serious?”
“Yep. Now lets get you to the infirmary.” He said as he walked out the door, Lynn following behind.
The walk to the infirmary was a short one, neither of the two willing to talk to the other. Lynn could only thank god that he didn’t attempt small talk. It was bad enough having to pretend to be a rebel much less talk to the leader like they were old pals. Only the constant hope that this soon would be all behind her kept her mouth shut and her façade in tact.
The infirmary was considerably brighter than the other places on ship she had been, though it can’t be said it held much cheer. The woman from earlier called Rosen stood bent over the girl with fire hair. She was on her stomach, eyes shut with easy unconsciousness. Lynn’s brow scrunched in confusion for it not been long ago that she had seen the girl up and running.
“Logan…” Rosen said, her eyes moving between Logan and Lynn. Confusion painted her soft features, making her seem younger.
“I’ll explain later. I need you to patch her up, got it?”
Rosen nodded and looked down at the joint connecting the two.
“Well I can’t if you’re handcuffed to her.” She said with a sigh. Logan shrugged and said: “Try.”
For a second Lynn thought Rosen would throw something at him, and half hoped she would. A brief moment passed between the two rebels, neither wanting to give in to the other. It sort of reminded Lynn of her brother and her when they were younger.
“Fine, lead her over to an empty cot and take a seat next to her…ya’ stubborn a**.” Rose said, the last part in more of a hushed tone, though she knew he heard.
“It’s Captain Stubborn a** to you missy.” He replied with mock authority and a silly grin. The light, friendly attitude surprised Lynn. Things were never like this back home. No matter how close they were. Every thing was regimented, controlled and very seldom humorous. When she was younger she often was chastised for her wit and occasional remark. But here you were almost praised for it. If there was one thing she was willing to admit, it was that the rebels were far different than she had anticipated.
“Okay let me check your vitals.” Rose stated, returning with a silver cart filled with supplies. Some of which Lynn recognized from XForce hospitals, and wondered if that’s where they acquired them from.
“Her blood pressure is a little low for comfort, but everything seems fine. Are you feeling dizzy?” She asked Lynn.
“Uh..a little. But I think it’s from the drug Gunslinger gave me.” She replied in a quite voice. Their behavior towards her was further puzzling. Why was she treating her like another rebel? In essence she was, but this woman had every right to treat her like an enemy and yet she did not.
“What drug…?” Rose said, her tone suddenly threatening like a mother towards a guilty child. Her now fierce gaze was on Logan who looked surprisingly sheepish.
“It was a truth drug, not a big deal Rose.” But Logan’s nonchalance didn’t fool the woman, for she balled her fist and struck the Captain’s arm. But said not a word, rather she continued tending to Lynn’s wounds, having conveyed her opinion of the matter through her violence. Meanwhile, Lynn stared in wonder at the interaction between the two. How was it she could treat her superior that way? Had that been done in XForce she would surely been punished or worse killed. These rebels were proving to be stranger by the minute.
“It’s not like Sin gave her the whole vial.” Logan said defensively, rubbing his arm.
“You know how I feel about Sin’s methods Logan… even if it is an XForce officer.” She held a small piece of gauze to the small cut above Lynn’s brow, shaking her head in disapproval. Had Lynn been mistaken or was there a hint of bitterness at the mention of Gunslinger?
“There isn’t much I can do now with her wounds, none are big enough to need stitches but bring her back later so I can check her again.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Logan said with a smile, rising to his feet and yanking poor Lynn to hers as well. Lynn looked into Rose’s eyes for the first time, having avoided them before. Now she could see the steel in them. Though she was kind, a subtle hatred existed below the surface. Lynn should have expected this, but the woman’s kindness has fooled her. She was realizing that these people may not have her shackled in the engine room, but she was still the enemy.
“Where are we going?” Lynn asked as Logan proceeded to drag her down the halls. Her short strides working overtime to keep up with his brisk longer ones.
“Keep up will ya’.” He said, avoiding her question. They approached a small elevator, and waited as the numbers lit up as the elevator descended. The steel doors opened to show Sin leaning against one of it’s shining metal walls.
“Hey, what’s the word from Darius?”
“No sign of them. I think Garter’s words where genuine.” Sin said, his eyes flickering to where Lynn stood. Lynn looked away, refusing to hear this. The life raft of denial was all she had, and she wasn’t going to give it up that easily.
“Good. I have too much to worry about right now.” Logan said, his words seeming to have been directed at Lynn.
“I got word from Kade, we are low on supplies, we need to schedule a raid soon.” Sin said as the two men now started walking down one of the many identical halls, Lynn tagging aimlessly along.
“I know, but we have to be careful now. Choose our prey wisely.” Logan’s voice sounded serious and contemplative, more like a captain.
“Yeah I had Darius look around a bit. A big shipment from Manara is supposed to be an easy target, it’s near the Old Canyon on it’s way to Threa. We could probably catch them before Wednesday.” Logan paused outside a large metal door, mulling over the possibilities.
“That’s a long haul but I think we can make it. Tell Darius to give and estimate and we’ll consider it.”
“You got it. And uh…try not to rough up the handcuffs too much, I might need those later.” Sin said with a wink before trotting off back down the hall.
“What is he talking about?” Lynn asked, thoroughly confused. Logan merely chuckled, leading Lynn into the room.
She hadn’t realized where they had traveled, having been immersed into their conversation by curiosity. It might prove useful once she returns to Volter to know how they operate and choose which ships they raid. As it was fascinating to begin with.
Suddenly yanked forward, Lynn noticed she had stopped walking in her thoughts. Looking around she saw the room was littered with papers, some looking old enough to have been written before the Great War. Other than the papers, boxes, and furniture covered the remainder of the floor, and in the farthest corner a rather large bed, it’s covers and sheets all a skew. This was most definitely a room of a man.
Logan had led her to the corner opposite of the bed where a large desk sat beneath a hanging lamp. Unlike the halls and infirmary, the lights of this room hung down, in almost an artistic fashion. In a sort of abstract way. On the desk were more papers, a few monitors and computers, as well as an Old World Map. On it where all the cities of past labeled, some with red circles around them others were scribbled out completely. The stories of the Old World had always sparked some interest in Lynn. Though it was seldom talked about in the clean cities, other than what Garter had told them. Yet now as she stared at the map she felt the seeds of doubt in his recordings begin to plant itself.
“Why are some scribbled out?” she asked, unable to control her curiosity. Logan looked up at her with surprised eyes, before taking a seat at the desk, her sitting across from him in a chair. Their hands rested on the desk while he placed the map in front of them.
“Lynn do you know what city this is?” Logan asked, pointing to a circled one. Lynn looked down, it read: Los Angeles. The name sounded familiar but yet she could tell him nothing. Sensing her lack of knowledge and response Logan continued.
“What about this one?” His hand traveled down the map to a tip of land that slightly resembled a thumb. Again Lynn said nothing.
“Do you even know what state this is?”
“What’s your point?” Lynn asked, growing frustrated at her lack of knowing.
“My point is, there is a whole world of things Garter has kept from you. Things that if you knew, I would highly doubt you would be so willing to follow him.” Lynn stared at him, waiting for him to further explain.
“The ones that are scribbled out, are the ones that where completely destroyed from nuclear bombs. Direct hits.” He said with a sigh. Lynn’s eyes scanned the map, finding quite a few scribbled.
“And the circled ones?”
“Ones that survived but where inhabitable.” She paused, choosing her words carefully.
“Wouldn’t this just show how terrible the world was before Garter?” Lynn’s eyes looked into Logan’s searching for an answer that maybe he wouldn’t be willing to say.
“Lynn…I never said the world was perfect.” Now it was his turn to pause.
“Let me explain something to you. As rebels, we aren’t saying that everything Garter has done is bad…what we are saying is…what he has become is bad.” Lynn’s brow furrowed, confusion showing in her eyes.
“I don’t understand…”
“He took away our free will Lynn. He took away what makes us human. Our natural rights. He stole the most precious thing from us. He used his power for his own purposes; to get more power. All his laws and rules aren’t about the people, its about him keeping total control. He has brainwashed you, brainwashed everyone into believing he is this great man when really he is a power hungry b*****d who is willing to sentence an innocent woman to death too keep his power.”
“…No…” Lynn said, his words were like daggers driving deep into her being. Everything she was taught to believe in was unraveling at his words, and she couldn’t take it any longer.
But Logan did stop. He sighed, seeing that changing her mind wasn’t a one shot deal. He leaned back in his chair, biting aimlessly on his bottom lip. His mind already else where.
Lynn could hardly believe he just let it go, and waited for him to continue but he did not.
A knock at the door broke the silence and a small girl only about 18 walked in carrying two large bowls.
“Hey, I was told you had company and figured I’d bring lunch.” She said.
“Whats on the menu?” Logan asked in a casual voice.
“Soup. What else?” She said with a grin.
“Whose this?” She chimed glancing at Lynn who in turn glanced at Logan.
“This is Lynn. She is new on the ship.”
“Oh! I’m Demetria, but I prefer Demi!” She said, placing the bowls on Logan’s cluttered desk. Lynn smiled at the girl, unable to help herself. Demi seemed to radiate a sort of infectious vibe. Yet another thing that was scarce in the clean cities.
((I am going to post Darius and Sin’s tomorrow.)) Bring forth creatures Of a terrifying kind
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:46 am
A hollow light tinkling noise rolled towards him, over the upturned bitumen and rubbish a tin can rolled into view, a cockroach scurried away before the can came to a stop. The child struggled to push himself further back into the crack in the wall. Lose stones and cement hailed down around him and a fine dust filled the air as his presence shifted the long forgotten cement walls. Clasping a hand over his mouth, the dust ran inside his throat and tickled his esophagus urging him to cough and reveal his location. Biting his tongue the small boy ignored the reflex, the sharp teeth digging ever further into the soft pink tissue. Palpitating at intervals, his heart fluttered within his rib cage, his adrenal glands shot their hormones through his bloodstream, both making his hands shake, and caused sweat to roll in heavy pearls down his bruised and tarnished skin.
Ethereal and eldritch sounds haunted the small boy, making him squint his eyelids shut and cover his face with his minuscule hands. The sounds- echoing footsteps and voices, made their way into the dilapidated building. Harsh words and profanities littered the air as the gang of boys prowled around the worn structure.
The infant tried desperately to conceal all signs of his presence within the building, putting a stopper on his very respiratory functions in the attempt.
Prayers and wishes were mentally repeated, all encapsulating the same fervent message; please, please don't let them find me.
Unexpectedly a small and furry creature crawled over his back causing the small boy to gasp and try to wriggle out of the emaciated rodents way. Panic stricken the boy looked up to see a blond teenagers raise a hand, signaling to the other boys to be quiet and temporarily cease their search.
The rat squeaked and persisted until eventually the yellowed and rotten teeth of the mammal found purchase within the child's skin. Issuing a pained yelp, the boy immediately realized his mistake and beads of tears soon joined those of sweat, creating strings of pearls that rolled down his sunken cheeks.
A grubby hand found it's way into the crevice and dragged the child out, wails and screams went ignored and streams of tears poured forth out of the child's lapis lazuli eyes.
A black haired boy strolled over and lifted the struggling boy into his arms keeping him as still as possible, whilst the blond haired one approached, withdrawing a cylindrical vial out of his pocket. Grabbing a hold of the boys face the blond teen pried open an eye lid and dropped a small ounce of liquid into the infants eye. Tortured squeals and ear piercing screams rivaled those that were previously being created and a after a minute or so the boy calmed himself and a deathly silence covered the perimeter in a heavy shroud.
Reaching out, the blond teen peeled back the eye lid to reveal that the previous striking blue of the eyes had dissipated, and the world around the gang became monochrome once again due to the pinprick of color disappearing. Smiling gently the fair haired fiend cocked his head to the side and cooed to the limp boy before him; "Remember, never stop smiling." After, the boy repeated his previous actions on the remaining eye and new piercing screams tore apart the shroud once more.
~
Bolting forwards out of bed, Mutt was drenched in sweat and looked around his room bewildered. His senses soon returned however, to inform him that it was only a bad dream. Taking in a deep breath Mutt nearly choked on the cotton balls that were still present in his mouth, spluttering and coughing Mutt pried them from out of his mouth and laid the sodden balls on his small bed side table. Smart, Mutt thought to himself, leaving cotton balls in his mouth whilst snoozing. Running a hand over his face Mutt attempted to remove the layer of sweat that had formed, but giving up the action as futile, Mutt opted to release his hair from the pony tail to help relieve tension.
Spotting a glass of water next to the red pieces of cotton, Mutt reached for the glass, had a sip and then splashed some on his face in attempt to rid himself of his heavy perspiration. His belly rumbled which informed him that an hour or so had passed whilst in his dream scape, meaning that lunch time was upon them. Breathing deeply, and this time not chocking on any foreign object that plagued his mouth, Mutt ruffled his shoulder length hair and decided to leave it out of its binding. Walking towards the door Mutt lighted upon his reflection on a smudged hand mirror. Horror swelled to new heights within him as he plucked the reflective surface off the table it was laid upon. A smile gentle and mocking curved his lips, reminiscent of the blond's smile in his dream. Casting the mirror aside Mutt's wayward fingers traced the soft skin that unwillingly shaped itself into a smile like that of a curved blade. Taking advantage of the unwelcome expression Mutt utilized it as he made his way out of his room and into the corridor. With this smile, no one should suspect the turmoil that ebbed beneath Mutt's exterior.
Walking with long and leisurely strides Mutt set up a facade of nonchalance and contentment as he made his way to Rosen's work place; the Infirmary. Entering swiftly, Mutt spotted the rebel Brynn laying face down on one of the white beds. Rosen and Allison were also present and troubled expressions were present on both of their facial features. Brynn, may have been the source as Mutt noticed the bloody swords and holes from which they grotesquely emerged. How on earth would someone live with those deadly weapons beneath their skin? Perhaps though Allison was troubled by something else... Sweeping the thoughts away Mutt maneuvered his way around Allison ignoring the girl even as he felt her watching his every step. Instead Mutt made his way to Rosen, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets as he did. He never felt comfortable around Brynn and Rosen they, Mutt reasoned, probably despised his lack of loyalty. Just like Allison should, the reminiscent thought caused a temporary falter in the lines of his lips, but he soon recovered and turned his face even further away from Allison's view. Allison's presence was making him fidget and tousle his hair in his anxiety, hopefully Rosen was kind enough to aid him, though this was his first time actually talking to the medic, and hopefully help him quickly so he could withdraw from the room.
Mutt's eyes immediately zeroed in on the floor due to his nervousness and the smells of blood and antiseptic were intensified as he breathed in heavily through his nose. Tearing his eyes away from the floor, Mutt's stomach churned as he further persisted in ignoring Allison, and Mutt's glance collided with Rosen's. Well it was now or never if he was going to ask for the help he needed. Keeping the gentle smile in place Mutt started; "I was wondering if you could give me something to put on the wound I'd made on the inside of my cheek? It's still bleeding and smarts quite a bit..." Pausing only to inhale, Mutt continued: "I was also wondering if you had any medicine that would help me sleep easier as well? I understand if you don't have the stuff, I'll manage perfectly fine without it." spoke Mutt, uttering the last line in some semblance of defending himself from possible refusal.
Normally, Mutt would go to Allison for any type of help, but circumstance caused him to deviate from his normal course of action causing him to sigh quietly at the end of his request. Mutt could still feel Allison's presence right behind him and he would have shifted further forwards but that would entail an awkward proximity to Rosen which would be totally inappropriate. But why, Mutt asked himself, was he running, or more accurately what was he running from? He found no issue with Allison, quite the opposite in fact, but it was the feelings and complications that were created due to Allison. That is why he must stay away, he didn't need more nightmares.
((Sorry if this was crap, I'm typing this up at 11:45PM with a headache. -_- ))
edit: woops I forgot that Travis left the infirmary sweatdrop I'll edit out his name.
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:48 pm
Allison stood, staring at the door that Mutt had disappeared through just a few moments before. "...we're nothing more than friends." Bringing her attention out of her thoughts and making her jump slightly, Dion spoke, "Sorry about that." She looked at him confused, and shook her head, "It's not your fault, Dion. Mutt and I fight all the time." Allison noticed the doubt in his eyes, "Maybe...I'll just work a little on my own.. Why don't you go help Rosen? I'm sure she'll need your help with Brynn. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." With that, Dion walked away without looking back, just as Mutt had, leaving her alone once again. Allison sighed and sat against the wall, with her knees drawn to her chest and she stared at the wall. Just as before, this brought on another memory, one that she would have liked to forget.
Allison stood in front of a man, with a smile plastered on her face. Due to his great height, she had to look up at him slightly, though the man's face turned grim. "Alli, you're an amazing girl and one of the nicest people I have ever met. But.." She tilted her head and her smile was starting to fade slowly, she was confused. "With me going on this missions all the time, not knowing if I'm going to survive them or not...it...it's just too much for you to deal with." She shook her head, "No... John..you're not doing this." John's eyes drifted down the floor, but Allison now frustrated forced him to look at her. "I'm just saying that I don't think you deserve the worry..the pain." She shook her head, the smile was long gone, "John.. you're being stupid." Sadness filled the man's eyes, "Allison, I'm breaking the engagement. We're too young for this. ...We should be nothing more than friends from now on.."
A tear escaped Allison's eye, but she wiped it away quickly, the incident had only happened three years ago. It was now fresh in her mind, recalling Mutt's words once again. She smirked bitterly to herself, "They all say the same thing.." A headache now shook her brain, she needed to lay down and stop thinking about the past. Instead, she cradled her head in her hands, trying to force the headache to leave. "Allison?" the sudden voice in the silent hall startled her. She looked up at him, confused at first, but then saw that it was Travis, "Hi Travis." She was surprised that he sat down next to her, "Are you alright?" She nodded and smiled, "Yeah...I'm just...confused. I just thought I gave up on the thought of a relationship years ago." Realizing she had said too much she cut herself short. Travis, confused tilted her head, "..What?" She shook her head again and shrugged, "Sorry, I shouldn't be spilling all of this on you.. What do you need?"
Travis looked at her confused yet again, but he continued on, "I was just helping Rosen with Brynn...she told me to go find you. She could use some help." "Damn...I forgot about that.." Travis was now standing and holding out a hand to help her up. "Thanks...can you update me quickly before I go in there?" Allison said as she stood. Travis sighed slightly, "It's..not a pretty sight. Rose took the swords our of her back, one of which had blood on the end. Something's still wrong though..I had to knock her out..and that's when I left." She returned Travis' sigh, "Alright...thanks for helping out, though." With that, she left Travis in the hall, figuring that he would go off and do whatever. Before she knew it, she was outside of the infirmary. She took a deep breath, expecting the worse as she entered the room. She was slightly relieved to find that Brynn was lying in a bed, with her eyes closed but smiling. Turning her head, Allison saw that Rosen was patching up a woman who was...handcuffed to Logan? "Strange.." She smiled slightly as Rose punched Logan's arm, then continued to fix up the girl.
Making her way over to the sink, Allison washed her hands and then pulled on gloves. "Brynn first..then talk to Rosen." She nodded at her own thoughts and walked to Brynn's bedside. Everything that she needed to bandage up her head was already lying on the table next to the woman, so she began cleaning the wound. "Damn Travis... any harder and you might've given her permanent damage..." Once the blood was gone, she wrapped Brynn's head with gauze, to ensure that it wouldn't come off. Though she was unconscious, Alli still leaned in close to Brynn, "By the time you're well enough to leave you may take this silly gauze off of your head." She finished just in time to hear Rose speaking to Logan, "There isn't much I can do now with her wounds, none are big enough to need stitches but bring her back later so I can check her again." Allison already knew what they had done, based on that one phrase uttered by Rosen. "Sin..used the truth drug.." She turned around just in time to see Logan and the girl exiting the room.
Allison sighed quietly and walked over to where Rose was seated, "Sorry I wasn't in here earlier." Rose shook her head, "No it's alright.. All you really missed was Travis bringing Brynn down, pulling the swords out of her back and him having to knock her out." Allison's face contorted into a small smile, "You make everything sound so simple...while I missed that I was having an argument and having more unwanted flashbacks." Rose looked at her, with slight concern in her eyes, "How often have you been having those lately?" Alli shook her head, "Don't worry...it's fine.. I should be used to it by now.. But anyway... Brynn. Is there anything we can do for her?" As if connected by the brain, they both stood at the same way and made their way over to the unconscious, smiling girl. "I'm not really sure what we can do with the lack of equipment. I don't know enough about the swords, to permanently extract the sheaths.. it might kill her if I do.." Allison looked at her, wide eyed, "Well..that just won't do..." she paused, trying to think of what it could have been. "It was something to do with the swords..correct?" Rose nodded and Alli continued, "Could a memory trigger pain?" They looked at each other with troubled expressions, still trying to think of something when the door opened...it was Mutt.
Allison turned her head towards him for only a moment, then looked back down at Brynn, trying to decide what it could be. Mutt was now next to Rosen, and Allison watched his step carefully. "What could he possibly want?" He turned further away from Allison now, though now he was fidgety and tousling his hair. After a few moments, Rosen glanced over to Mutt and he spoke, "I was wondering if you could give me something to put on the wound I'd made on the inside of my cheek? It's still bleeding and smarts quite a bit...I was also wondering if you had any medicine that would help me sleep easier as well? I understand if you don't have the stuff, I'll manage perfectly fine without it." Allison smirked as she glanced back over to Brynn, "I'm sure Travis would oblige with the sleeping part..." She then looked to Rose, who looked like she was considering helping him, though Allison spoke up. "We're low on supplies. We don't have very much medication--if any at all anymore. Though I think we might have some gum-numbing gel that's normally used for the small children on the ship who are teething..." she paused and looked at Rose once more, then back to Mutt, "It'll help with the pain if nothing else."
Making her way to her own desk, Allison opened a drawer. She pulled out a small tube of Orajel and returned to Mutt, Rosen, and Brynn. "If you'd like to use a small amount, it should be fine." She held it in her hand, not willing to give it to him until he stopped being dumb and spoke with her.
((Apologies for the crappy post..))
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:18 pm
Plucking the tube out of Allison's hand Mutt smiled sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment.
"I guess I should say sorry for being a complete a** all day. Sorry about that, I've just not been thinking straight recently." A nervous chuckle finished off the apology and Mutt added: "We'll always be good friends right?"
The last line came uninvited, it was against his instincts to form close ties, but Mutt believed he could make this exception just once in his life. Having a friend for the first time may not be such a bad thing after all.
"Oh and thanks for the ugh," Mutt paused to look at the label on the smooth white tube in his hand and smiling tenderly Mutt finished his sentence, "for the medicine." Of course he had no idea what was on the tube, but it was bound to be medicine, or something along those lines.
Twisting the cap off Mutt carefully squeezed a small dob of the gel onto his finger, looking at it briefly with apparent fascination. The small droplet was like a more stable form of water with a slight green hue that tinged the gel. Bringing it up to his nose he sniffed it lightly and affirmed that the green tinge was due to the spearmint flavoring that permeated the gel. Mutt handed the tube back to Allison and took a step back so he could apply the gel more discreetly. Opening his mouth Mutt's tawny finger wiped the glob of gel onto the wound, and flinched slightly as he did when the gel started reacting with the exposed flesh. It tingled and stung, and Mutt wondered if this was the right stuff to use, but there again, how was he to know when he had never used anything of the like before. It was truly a luxury. The stinging sensation soon started to become more mellow and the spearmint flavor intoxicated his mouth, mixing with the copper flavor of the blood already present in his mouth.
Examining his wet finger, Mutt wiped the saliva, remnants of gel and slight traces of blood on the back of his trousers, repeating the action two times more to completely clean the finger.
Glancing around at the empty beds Mutt frowned and asked to no one in particular: "Not very busy today is it?...Any new arrivals to the Highwind recently? I've heard some rumors about a new arrival." Pausing, Mutt gave a pointed glance to Rosen and Allison in turn: "What's their name?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:52 pm
Brynn slowly emerged from her unconsciousness, and the first thing she knew was pain...but it wasn't in her body anymore. She moaned a little and put her head in her hands. GOD my head hurts. Then a cynical grin twisted her features a moment. I knew he could do it. The texture against her head was wrong. It didn't feel like her hair at all and that was slightly disturbing. When she realized it was gauze and nobody had done anything to her hair, she gave a small sigh of relief. She would refuse to admit it to anyone, but her hair was her one vanity.
She heard voices and froze, listening. It was Rosen, Allison...and the man called Mutt. They sounded busy helping Mutt with something, so Brynn began to quietly slip off the bed and try to get the gauze off her head at the same time, but it was so well bound that she figured she'd just make a mess of her hair if she tried to remove it. And her head was killing her. She needed her room. Her dark room. It was too bright in the infirmary. The light felt like it was stabbing the back of her eyes. Brynn looked around for her swords, but she couldn't see them and she couldn't remember where Rosen said she'd stashed them. Plus, she was running out of time. If she didn't hurry and get out of there, Rosen and Allison would wrestle her back into the bed and insist she rest, where she'd go crazy. She could recover just as easily in her own room. Reluctantly, she slipped out the door and into the hallway.
Brynn felt naked without her swords. The absence of their familiar weight on her back and the brushing of the hilts on her shoulders felt abnormal to the point where she almost turned back just to find them, but she forced herself to keep going. As she made her way through the ship, she tried to avoid anyone seeing her. As she passed one hallway, however, on the way, she noticed someone standing alone. She paused long enough to see it was Travis. She almost stopped to study him, but she thought that he saw her and she quickly turned and walked the other way. She didn't want him trying to take her back either, curious as she was about him. She reached her room with a small sigh of relief and opened the door into the dimly lit space. The guns she wore on her thighs when she needed extra firepower (and she nearly always threatened Sin with one of them or a sword when he commented on their location) were slung casually over a chair and her bunk was messy and unmade, just how she liked it. She lowered herself onto it, nuzzling into the mess of sheets and blanket and pillow. Curled up, she started to doze off. It'd been quite an eventful day.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:09 am
"You really thought I would have a friend like you? A freak who adopts a nonsensical name and refuses to talk to anyone? I can't believe you actually trusted me and thought I could like someone like you!" Demi laughed hysterically as Dion came over to see Sigma, pathetic and broken on the ground, and started laughing at him as well. Rosen appeared and did the same, and slowly all the rebels appeared, all laughing, jeering, and gnashing their teeth at him. He was spat on, kicked around, and Gunslinger put a few cigarettes out in his eye. Sigma was on the ground screaming in pain, and then a new girl appeared. One who was not on the ship. She had shoulder length hair pulled back into a ponytail which was held by a hair tie that looked like longboard wheel, a skin tight shirt with no sleeves and ended just after her chest, shorts that ended just below the knee, shoes with two longboard wheel accessories on the sides, fingerless gloves, and a skateboard truck around her neck like a necklace. She looked down at Sigma and pulled a longboard, a Landyachtz Evo, out from behind her, and brought it up.
"A-Amy?" was all he managed to get out before completely shattering and crying.
"You're scum, you're nothing, I would have better off never knowing you. Die." was what the girl said before she brought the heavy object crashing down on his skull.
Sigma gave a slight, small scream as he awoke and sat up immediately. He was breathing heavily, and he had a light layer of sweat all over him.
"What... what the hell. Why was she there?" Sigma said to himself, his head resting in his hand. He slammed his fist on the shell of the jet, and started to cry silently. "Damnit Amy. Why?" He didn't move for a while, save for the occasional shake from his silent tears. After around five minuets, he started to put his shirts back on and wrote a simple note to Demi.
Sorry, I thought I would be here longer, but I woke up due to unexpected causes. Check the infirmary or my room, but if I'm not in one of those two, check the training room. I'll be in one of those three, most likely the infirmary. He attached this to the jet casing using an adhesive made out of dirt and saliva, a trick he hand learned a long time ago. Jumping down from the jet, landing on all fours to reduce impact, he headed back inside the ship. As he walked towards the infirmary, a lit cigarette now in his mouth, he tried as best he could to remove the red marks from under his eyes, but failed at this task, possibly worsening them, or making them even more noticeable.
Maybe I'll get lucky and no one will see. He thought, hoping that Rosen would be in there. At least he knew of one person who's presence would calm him. Rosen was like the mother of all the Rebels, and Sigma always felt better and safer in her presence. Hopefully she'll be there. To his joy, she was. He walked in, taking notice of the trio already there, which consisted of Mutt, Allison, and Rosen. God damnit, can I ever go anywhere on this ship without there being a crowd of people? he asked himself bitterly. Whatever I don't care anymore. He walked over to where Rosen was, which was by an empty bed. Guess it was recently used. The bed's sheets were sunken in, the covers were pulled back, and the pillow had a dent in it. Wonder who it was. As he got nearer to Rosen, he pulled out his notebook and wrote Hey, Rosen... Would you mind if I just spent some time around you? You know I'm quiet so, I won't bug you, and I'd be willing to help out in here, I just don't want to be on my own right now and I don't know where Demi is. He tore off the page, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder twice with his middle finger. She turned around a looked to look at him.
"Oh, Sigma. Can I help you?" She asked, that caring tone and look to her, present as always. He handed her the note and she took it, beginning to read. And I don't know where Demi is. I probably shouldn't be spending so much time with her anyway. Something to strong for me to break should need be. Then again... was what he started contemplating in his mind before Rosen responded to hi question.
((Ok, I know it must seem really lame for me to post a nightmare right after Mutt, but I was actually planning this about two days after my last post so, sorry about the repetitive-ness.))
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:30 am
((Reserved for my typing pleasure))
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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:38 am
((( And I'm reserving this post. Oh, and by the way guys, just incase this isn't clear, no one knows who Lyn is except the people present during the interrogation. The only other person who might have a slight clue is Mutt. )))
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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:58 pm
Rosen was a little upset with herself for not acting to help Mutt. She’d been caught off guard by his presence, and though she resented herself for it, she had to admit that part of her felt reluctant to help him. Word got around on the ship and through the other camps about certain people, and some of the stories she was told about Mutt were less then flattering. It helped that Allison seemed to trust him wholeheartedly, but her judgment was clouded easily enough by certain people.
Not that I’m much better, Rose thought bitterly.
Her eyes moved sidelong to glance at Allison and Mutt, who were conversing quietly a few feet away now. She might’ve been imagining it, but Rose thought she detected something between them. She struggled to put a name to it, finally settling on awkwardness. That was truly a shock. Rose sighed, shaking her head and deciding against prying any further. She would mind her own business for once and try not to judge.
Quietly, so as not to disturb Brynn, Rosen started to sift through some dented metal boxes at her side with the hope that she might find some medication for Mutt after all. It was the least she could do to make up for not aiding him with his cheek a few minutes ago. Orange capsules with smeared labels rolled around at her touch, sliding over each other as the boxes were twisted one way and then the other. With expert eyes Rose scanned through the seemingly unorganized piles. A moment later her hand withdrew, clutching one of the tiny bottles victoriously. It was near empty, but, she reasoned, they were due for a new raid so a few of the tablets could be spared. She poured three of the pale, flesh-colored pills into her palm and closed it protectively around them. If Brynn woke too soon, Rosen thought, it wouldn’t be overly generous to hand out just one more. The woman deserved a good sleep.
That was when she realized Brynn wasn’t even in her bed any longer, but sneaking out the metal door of the infirmary. Through the small, square window she saw a flash of red hair turn left, toward the hallway that would lead to the rooms. Rose sighed in defeat, letting the woman go off without trouble. Hoping that Brynn would at least rest, she closed the boxes and trotted back over to Allison and Mutt’s side.
"Not very busy today is it?...Any new arrivals to the Highwind recently? I've heard some rumors about a new arrival."
Rosen struggled not to react to Mutt’s question. She kept her face level and cool, but on the inside thoughts were whirling through her head, laboring to click together into something sensible. Rumors on the ship already? That seemed unlikely, but if anyone besides herself and Gunslinger had seen Lyn handcuffed to Logan then word would have traveled quickly. Everyone on the ship knew each other; if not personally then they at least by face. A new member of the crew was always a big event. Rose thought back to the words buzzing through the feed, denying a trade between Rebel and XForce. Lyn was no longer of any use to them. That could only mean that Logan had something planned. Was he telling everyone that Lyn was a member, then? It wasn’t a sensible answer at all, but it was all she could piece together. She would refrain from saying much, just in case she was wrong, but she had to say something.
“I haven’t heard much. I’ve been in here most of the day. But Logan did have a woman with him when he stopped by here earlier. Her name was Lyn. That’s about all I know.” Rose breathed a sigh of relief at how easily the words came to her. She never even lied to Mutt. Tempted to change the subject nonetheless, she stepped closer to him and held out her hand, palm up. The pills were still in it, warm from body heat but otherwise clean.
“It’s Temazepam, or the XForce equivalent of it. They will help you sleep. I’m sorry, but I can only give you three. Ration them.” Mutt made no move to take the pills from her, so Rosen took his hand, lifted it so that it was palm-up, and titled her own hand over it. The medication fell with a tiny patter into Mutt’s palm, settling into its bent middle. Rose smiled encouragingly.
“Take one right before bed if you think it’s going to be a rough night. You’ll be asleep before you know it.” She smiled again and departed with a nod, walking back over to the now unoccupied bed. Her once-delicate hands reached out unconsciously and began to smooth over the sheets, attempting to right them. Quiet humming escaped Rosen as she worked and she soon became wrapped up in her thoughts. A figure appeared at her side, unbeknownst to her, and reached out a hand. Rosen gave a start when a finger tapped her shoulder twice.
“Oh, Sigma,” she said, sighing in relief, “Can I help you?” Her eyes softened when she saw the red marks on his face, but she didn’t comment on them, instead plucking the expected note from his fingertips and reading over it carefully.
Rosen... Would you mind if I just spent some time around you? You know I'm quiet so, I won't bug you, and I'd be willing to help out in here, I just don't want to be on my own right now and I don't know where Demi is.
The words surprised her. Rosen smiled sympathetically nonetheless and nodded, folding the note between her long fingers and palming it.
“Of course, Sigma. Stay as long as you would like. To be honest, I could use some company myself. Demi will surely be stopping by latter, anyway. Until then, I’m certain I can find something to be done.” Rose looked around the room, and her eyes landed on her wilting plants. She bit her lip, feeling bad about their poor condition. She was growing neglectful.
“Perhaps you could water the plants? Oh, and use some cold water on your eyes. It will cool your blood and make you feel better.” Sigma looked like her was going to refuse, but Rose placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have the only chilled water on this ship. Take advantage of it.”
Rose settled down onto the bed across from Sigma, dangling her sore feet over the edge. She needed this, the rest and light conversation, even if it was with someone who didn’t actually speak to her. That in itself was refreshing.
“Heard anything about a new member?” she decided to ask Sigma. It helped to make her look unknowing, and it would also tell her if word had really gotten around the ship. If not, she might have been right not to trust Mutt so rigorously as Allison did.
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Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:13 am
Catching the hint about the water, Sigma was about to start off towards it, but before he even got a chance to pivot, Rosen brought a new question to him.
"Heard anything about a new member?" After she asked, he looked at her and formed his eyes into a confused look, then shook his head. He pulled his notebook out and wrote down,
Then again, I haven't been on the ship for the past... while. I fell asleep on the front jet so, I don't know what I've missed. If anything happened recently, I probably missed it. I'll give it a check out though. Handing this note to her, he turned around and started with the water.
Well, she noticed. He splashed water on his face, and did get a slight feeling of relief. Filling up the can, he started walking around, making sure to get a good amount on each plant, taking special note to the wilting ones. When he had gotten all the plants completed, he put the can back and headed off towards Rosen. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her; she looked exhausted, and she was hanging over the bed. He decided it would be best to leave her to her rest and only respond to her, rather than start a conversation.
((Okay, the only reason that this post is shorter than a U.S. Marine's temper is because I had to edit and delete a lot of it to have it make sense for Mistress of Wicked's post. The second part of this I felt should be added after her post, so, this is a two part post I guess.))
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