Post by Atticus Batman on Jan 23, 2015 4:24:34 GMT
(BELLE)
Belle Starr had just entered the base's dining hall, sitting between Samuel and Senator Kael. Vo was still bringing in food, so Belle gave him a smile and a nod of thanks, when the Senator said to Vo, "The Harnek stew is excellent - even better than mother's but don't tell her I said that!"
Just then one of the black garbed guards came in the room, making a beeline to Samuel and whispered into Samuel's ear, who then whispered into Belle's ear, "We have a problem. Normally I'd go to Commander Sinn, but she has made it crystal clear that she doesn't want to be interrupted right now. We have an intruder. Normally, I'd just... make the problem disappear, but absent Commander Sinn and Taffer, I gather you are in charge, and know enough about you that it isn't your style, so what do you want us to do about him?"
"I'll take care of it," Belle answered without hesitation, a grim look on her pretty freckled face.
Belle followed Rose's Black Ops guard down a maze of halls to a small dimly lit room where a restrained man was seated at table with a black sack on his head, flanked by two other standing Black Ops guards. At the man's feet was a small cage holding a highly agitated skittering. Belle sat in the only other chair in the room, the one across from the man.
Belle asked as she sat down, leaning back and crossed her long legs, her flexible skin tight Liberty Trooper armor comfortably stretching to her every movement, as she asked, "What was the situation of his... detainment?"
The guard that had led them to the interrogation room reported, "He was seen by a sentry not far from the base's hidden entrance by a roller with a broken axel. A bunch of vehicles had raced by shortly before, going towards a major ark fall that had fallen a mile west of here. We would have let him go on his way, but he was walking right towards the entrance, followed by this skittering, and we detected an EGO, so we shot him with an electic nano rifle and then restrained him and his bug."
"You shot him?", Belle asked incredulously.
We couldn't let him discover the base and it was only a flesh wound, answered the guard, "And it still took ten of us to subdue him. Two others to catch the bug."
Belle sighed and regarded the man with diamond blue eyes, noticing the wound on his left arm which his EGO had already almost healed, then said, "Take the sack off our guest's head and untie him too please!"
One of he guards did so as the others kept their weapons trained on him, whereupon Belle tilted her blond tousled head, put on her most winning smile, and said, "Hi! My name is Belle Starr! What's your name stranger?"
As Belle waited for the man to answer, she was yet again grateful that she had made a phone call to Atticus Batman earlier. She had asked him to come in ASAP, stealthy and without any casualties, and she would explain his presence to the team when he got here. She had first thought this newcomer was him, but knew Atticus wouldn't allow himself to be captured, so now she had another complication. All the new faces of these Black Ops men that Belle didn't know from Adam, this mysterious Samuel with the equally mysterious EGO, Rose resurrecting from the dead - again - with a slew of more secrets within secrets! And now this mysterious stranger - it could be coincidence, but she doubted it! Belle needed a friend who had no allegiances to anyone but her watching her back on this mission.
She trusted her team but... Rose had too many secrets, Taffer was totally devoted to her without a doubt, Chase had his own mental problems to deal with, and Iri had to deal with him, Erika was a loyal Collective patriot, and Lady - just too young! Vo she loved without question and he her, and she knew he would give his life for hers without blinking an eye. Taffer, however, was his best friend, and she would never put Vo in a position to where he would have to choose loyalties. No, she needed someone with capabilities and skills, and most importantly, loyalty to her and her alone, but who would also be able eliminate her without hesitation if she became compromised, and that certainly wasn't Vo, nor would she want it to be. Belle was afraid of the effect being on a space ark carrying a Volge army might have on her inner monster, and knew someone needed to eliminate her if she became a threat to the team. Atticus was that man without a doubt.
(ATTICUS)
Wearing full Collective Infiltrator gear with my EXL pistol by my side and my Calling Bird in hand, kneeling under a rock outcropping, a little ways from the Dark Matter base, Belle wanted me to infiltrate and meet her in, I survey the comings and goings, quietly. Not long ago I saw a black ops team of some sort, tase and capture what appeared to be an E-rep grunt. It wasn't too hard to see the hidden entrance they entered. For Black Ops, they aren't very good with their security measures. Of course it doesn't matter. It is a Dark Matter base. I can easily navigate through them. However, I am to get in completely unnoticed, no casualties. I think to myself, "Man, that woman is always ruining my fun, when I see or even just talk to her!"
Then my ego Dinara, begins talking to me. "Atty, with your knowledge of Nim's and Lieutenant Seto's access codes and voice, DNA and fingerprint scans you can enter through any area you want, provided their access codes are registered in this base. Kabule's prints might work, he died before the war ended so his codes may not have been removed."
I answered back in my head, "Yes Dinara, their access codes may be in the system still. However, all those main entrances are well guarded. Maybe that is why, they aren't doing very well at hiding their tracks. I could enter through the air ducts..."
Sazri Kakusi then interrupts with his own conversation in my head. "Fleshling, Ignore that compu-lady. With my powers, you can short out their systems and cause confusion to just walk in, or you could just hack or short out certain access ports to get in."
"Kukusi, I am not frying all their systems, and you two need to behave in there!"
I tap my head, as Kukusi, my 'inner demon' once again starts talking. "Fine. It's not as fun but I do have a much easier method."
"Which is?"
"Have compu-lady here, locate her Ego signature, and just teleport to her."
I think for a second then once again address Dinara, my ego. "Dinara, Isolate Belle Starr's Ego signature, and tell me if she is alone."
"She is not, Atty."
"How many times have I asked you not to call me......oh never mind, I already know you will say, "OH HUSH! it's cute!" Fine, call me Atty, I don't care anymore. Anyway, guess that will not work. Another question, Am I close enough for you to do a DNA scan, and isolate where her chambers are?"
"Yes I have already done so, and before you ask , yes I can pinpoint exact co-ordinates."
"Kakusi, can you teleport me to right into her chambers?"
"Of course I can FLESHLING! But do you really want to do that? We all know you don't like the easy way! Besides you KNOW if I do that our Grid signature may sound the alarms, unless Compu-lady can cloak my signature. Not to mention, 'we' have never been in there so if Compu-lady's calculations are even a hair off, then you may become a part of the base." Kakusi then chuckles thinking that could be funny.
"She is under orders to ALWAYS cloak YOUR signature. Nobody in their right mind would want a Grid around!"
"Good thing you haven't been in you 'right' mind in a long time, and you know you love me!"
"I know I heard the sarcasm there, anyway. Alright, we access the air ducts, and take them, right to her room."
I cloak and easily get to an access port to the air intake ducts, then remove a glove, use Kakusi's powers to hack the codes, and while I am at it, 'we' manage to get into the main system and convince it to completely disregard my complete DNA signature, so nobody will ever know I am there even if I don't cloak my Grid imprint, unless they see me, or I trip a sensor, which I never do by accident, then replace my glove. I open the port, climbing in and closing and relatching it behind me, and within minutes am unlocking and opening the vent grill into Belle's private chambers. I silently drop into the room and close and lock the grill behind me. I quickly survey the room and step into a shadowy corner that can't be seen from the doorway. I then lean against the wall and wait, leaving my mask on and my weapons sheathed.
"Dinara, send Starr Eyes an encrypted message simply stating, "I'm here!"
(Lady)
Just after Belle asked their captive to tell her his story, she got the encrypted message from his EGO to hers from Atticus Batman that merely said, "I'm here!". Mom traced it as coming from her room, which was also Vo's room, and that put her in a bit of a panic, although she was seasoned enough to not show it to those in the interrogation room. You don't get to a high position with VBI without being able to keep a poker face in the games played in VBI executive meetings. However, she felt that she needed to finish the questioning first if she was ever going to win Mr. Robet's trust, and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave him alone with the armed guards, who might shoot him while he was "trying to escape." As she was fond of saying in situations like this, "Too many x-variables!"
Belle sent a quick encrypted message back to Atticus, "Lovely! Can't wait to see you! Be there soon! Please don't kill anyone who just happens to enter my room!"
Then she turned her attention back to what Chris Robet was saying, sending a quick EGO message to Vo, Rose, Taffer, Cody, and Iri apprising them of the situations both in the interrogation room and her bedroom. "Multi-tasking was also another important skill for a VBI executive", thought Belle to herself with a self-satisfied smile.
Lady didn't like that she had been left out of the receiving list of Belle's mass EGO message. Belle had left her out mostly because Belle felt that these were not the type of problems a sixteen-year old need worry about, but also because she had yet to get used to the idea that Lady was part of the team. What Belle didn't know was that Lady's EGO had already intercepted not only her messages but Atticus' as well, as she traced his EGO signature as the source, and having a love of puzzles which made her Team Evolution's clan's number one decrypter, she already knew what they said and was a little steamed over not being included, but she also saw in it an opportunity to test her new power. She quickly changed into her black leathers, than changed her appearance to look like Belle in her Liberty Trooper armor, happily surprised that she could duplicate clothing in her doppelganger-like disguise.
Lady's anime EGO hologram appeared next to her, rubbing it's hands in delight saying, "This is going to be so much FUN!"
Lady turned her now blue eyes to the hologram, asking, "Hella. What should I call you?"
The hologram's anime eyes grew even wider, only matched by it's impossibly wide grin, saying, "Call me Minx!"
With a slight smile on Belle's rose petal lips, she went to Belle's room which was next to hers, opening the door and closing it behind her, then standing tall with her hands on her hips, a stance she had often seen Belle take although not during a simple greeting, she said, "Hello Atticus Batman! It is I, Belle Starr! Welcome to our secret headquarters... y'all!"
(Atticus)
Looking over the Belle in front of me I can tell, just by how she addressed me, that it is not the Belle Starr. Dinarah tells me that the person has a feminine Castithan signature, and Belle's signature is nearby. Kakusi of course has to add his own opinion as well with, "Hey dumbass Fleshling! That is not your Starr Eyes! I even detect cloak.... Oooh Compu-lady says a fem Casti signature! Maybe that little number that follows your human around?! I could zap her cloak, shock her crazy and knock her wickedly deceptive ass out! Or do you have a better, more fun idea?"
I mentally respond to him, "First she isn't MY human, she is with that Bug N' Chug Mechanic. Second don't I always have a more fun plan at the ready? But my new idea will definitely shock her and knock her on her ass, and is more interesting. I just hope it doesn't anger Starr Eyes, but all she said was don't kill anybody, and this won't."
I approach the doppelganger as I raise my helm just enough to reveal my wicked smile. Then I grab the girl and kiss her HARD, feeling her surrender and kiss me back. As I let her go, she slumps against the wall with a look of shocked pleasure on her face. Then I drop my helm back into place, as I address her.
"You are definitely NOT Starr, though that was a great kiss, for one so young. Now you may as well drop your ruse. I assume that is you, Christianna. You do NOT want Starr catching you, using her image, to trick her guests. I presume she doesn't know you have been a naughty girl, intercepting her PRIVATE messages, sneaking into her room, or tricking her guests........ Relax, if you promise to NOT try to trick me again, then I will not tell her about your little visual and audio deception. I may even be willing to help you enhance and hone that power. It could come in handy to have somebody who can pull off that deception, around, provided you can pull it off on more 'Normal' people, than me."
I then brush my hand across her cheek as, the image of Belle Starr flickers in and out in front of me, as the girl stares at me with that 'Deer in the headlights' look while she figures out what to say or do now. Dinarah snaps at me for that impulsive ruse of my own, and Kakusi once again has to interrupt her with his own opinion. "Brilliant! Even I felt that kiss! Maybe you can get them both! Wow!! look at the shock and awe on the girl!!! She is still stunned out of her mind! You were right Fleshling! Your shock idea was MORE fun and interesting! I loved it, as did she, judging from that lingering smile of hers!"
(Lady and Belle)
As the voluptuous image of Belle Starr melted into nothing, all that was left was the skinny boyish chalky-white girl in the Goth black leathers that is Lady Christiana. Her wide pink eyes blinked several times and her jaw was slack as her mind tried to grasp what had just happened. Lady only dimly heard what Atticus said, and the importance of his words would only register later. For now, she still felt the heat from Atticus' kiss on her thin lips, and raised the pale fingers of one small hand to touch them to check that they were not seared off from the hot passion of the kiss. Then Lady Christianna felt a growing warmth in her nether regions, one she had never felt before, which bewildered her even further.
As she leaned like a fragile rag doll against the wall, Lady only managed to say one word,"Awwwwwwesome."
Just then Belle came in, her blue diamond eyes shifting from one to the other of them, as she said, "Hi y'all! Did I miss something?"
Belle briefly thought that maybe something was amiss, but quickly dismissed it because of her happiness at seeing Atticus, hurrying to hug him in a friendly manner, saying cheerfully, "No matter, I'm just so glad y'all made it Atticus!"
As Belle began to brief Atticus on the mission and her concerns about it, Lady made a quick pout before quickly saying, "Um... gottago," whereupon she turned to face the wall and decoyed through it out of the room, startling the guard in the hallway. She blew a large bubble at him, popping it with a loud smack, surprised herself that the gum was still in her mouth, then hurried to her room. She closed and locked the door behind her, then looked at her reflection and, for the first time in a long time actually grinned. She then changed into the oversized black t-shirt with the words "Grateful Dead" on it, that Belle had given her for Christmas and which was her habitual sleep wear, humming a song that Belle often played on her car's disc player.
As Lady laid down on the bed, her chalky-white bare feet raised against the wall, all romantic thoughts of Taffer now gone and replaced with those of Atticus Batman, she began to sing so low that no one but her would hear, "Everything is awesome,..."
(Atticus)
As I hug Belle back, I watch her young friend leave, still thinking that it was a great kiss for somebody so young. Or has it just been too long for me to know, anymore? I then listen to Belle telling me about the mission and her concerns about needing somebody with no real ties to anyone or anything around, on the mission, in case all hell breaks loose. As well as her concern about her inner demon, and how she needs somebody as ruthless and efficient there, just incase that problem needs a VERY permanent solution. I've got to hand it to her. She manages to do so without once calling me the heartless bloodthirsty monster, I am portrayed as and sometimes see myself as, or ruthless anti-hero that I am. As well as not calling herself one, or actually saying the words 'Kill me if I snap'.
I then tell her about what my surveillance of the place revealed about it, and it's security issues, as well as how I entered the base without any issue. Then when she glances at the door, and starts to ask me what she interrupted, I cut her off.
"Relax Starr Eyes. She just came in to ask you something. My presence in here, instead of yours, threw her off quite a bit. Afterall we did only meet for that brief moment at Overpass once, and we all know how scary and intense my presence can be. Not to mention the men's belongings in here, means you share a room with your boyfriend, so I shouldn't be in here, in her eyes."
"Whatever issues my presence here caused, for her, will probably work themselves out in time. If not, then either she will come to you for help and advice, or maybe she'll channel her 'inner-Belle' and confront me about the issue." That last part causes Kakusi to laugh hysterically, in my head and say, "Don't you mean her holographic outer-Belle? At least you'd know what Belle looks like naked!" I think back, "Kakusi Skragi! Be quiet you electric buffoon!"
Then I go back to talking to Belle, "Now on my way in, I did notice an empty room two doors down." I point my thumb over my shoulder, towards Lady Christianna's room, not realizing I am asking about the room just on the other side of Lady Christianna's. "I also noticed that, unlike your room, that empty room's spy-cams are broken and non-operational. So the perfect room for me." I gesture to where Kakusi is registering the electrical buzz of the cameras, in her room.
"You know how important my privacy is, Starr Eyes." Kakusi then tells me I should just beg him for privacy advice because his powers could easily help me with privacy in any room that I am in.
(Belle & Lady)
Belle got both messages from Rose in quick succession, wincing at the idea of a PVP exercise, as she hated those, but then smiling to Atticus and saying, "No rest for the wicked I guess! Out fearless leader wants a surprise PVP training session, then I guess we'll get her briefing before going on the big mission! Please follow me Atticus, and meet the team, but first things first!"
Belle grabbed her weapons, then crossed the hall over to Chris's room, whose door was open, the guard standing over Chris' body with a Taser. Belle took out some smelling salts from yet another secret pocket in her armor, waking Chris up and making sure he was unhurt, then turned to the guard with a pretty pout saying, "Go get some rest. But quit shooting my guests!" She then added with a smile to soften the admonishment, "Thanks for Tasing him instead of just fatally shooting him though!"
As soon as it was obvious that Chris had regained his senses, she asked as she gestured to the crate of Voltan weapons in the floor "Y'all feeling OK Sugar? The Boss wants to see you in the training room, so pick some weapons and a shield if there is one, then please join us in the hall. Leave the bug, he'll be safer here! I have to gather other team members from across the hall, then y'all can follow me to the training room!"
Belle crossed down the hall, knocking on Lady's door speaking loud enough to be heard inside, "Rise and shine, Lady! Rose wants us pronto in the training room! Dress and arm for PVP battle!"
As Belle went down the hall to knock in Cody and Iri's door, just in case the EGO message wasn't clear or in case they didn't know where the training room was, Lady Christianna uttered a loud sigh of exasperation, even though she was thrilled to go into action next to Atticus Batman! Now she could show him how awesome she was, she thought to herself. Lady thought. "But what to wear? I can't go into battle in a night shirt." Lady went to the closet in the small bedroom, surprised to find clothes in approximately her size within. She found a white 7th legion uniform, liking the combination of culottes, and fishnet stockings and gloves, certainly more feminine then anything she owned beyond her mother's Casti bathing suit. Lady mentally laughed at the idea of going into battle in a bead curtain, although she was sure that would get Atticus' attention.
Lady quickly donned the outfit, putting tissue paper to fill up the bra, then spotted a black Capitan hat that struck her fancy. She tried it on, feeling it would look more daunting with black hair, so grabbed a tube of black "Quick-dye" from her passenger bag and rubbed it briskly into her hair, then put her hair in pigtails before putting on the hat. She reapplied her war paint then strapped on her Solstice Wolfhound pistol and her Rebel Regenerator shield, both presents from her father, the quartermaster of her clan, then grabbed her huge Crime Fighter shotgun. Lady regarded her image in the mirror, a slight smile crossing her chalk white face, then she skipped to the bedroom door, until she caught herself. Lady took a deep breath to regain her composure, making sure her expression placid and her entrance to the hall nonchalant.
Lady opened the door, her pink eyes regarding each of the team mates, but lingering on Atticus Batman, and greeted without emotion, "Hella."
Lady's team mates were waiting patiently in the hall, in various poses of boredom. Belle with her arms crossed leaning on the hallway's wall, raised a blond eyebrow at Lady's sudden change of attire but didn't speak of it, instead asking with a smile, "Y'all ready? Good, follow me to Rose's shooting gallery!"
As Belle entered first into the jungle setting of the training room, she was shot suddenly in the chest, then twice more before she could lift her SMG-EEC or engage her prepared cloak. Lady charged forward, overcharge engaged shooting her Crime Fighter shotgun fast as she could in the direction from where the shot came, green balls of energy bouncing everywhere followed by green explosions as the room rocked. Belle frowned as she thought sarcastically, "This day just can't get any better!" but shouted in exasperation, "Well, that just figures... Spawn snipe much Rose?"
(Belle)
With her arms tightly crossed against her chest, Belle frowned as she leaned against the door to the training area as Lady Christianna slowly walked up and joined her. Lady's head hung low and dragged her Crime Fighter behind her, muttering, "Epic fail."
"Don't sweat it, this is just Rose making a point, proving her superiority, not that there is any need to do so," Belle stated, her angry blue eyes briefly flashed red as she surveyed the chaos. "Rose has all the advantages - she's had time to study both the terrain and her enemy, had the advantage of both surprise and first shot, and she had time to plan her attack! Most importantly, she took out her greatest threat first - me!"
Belle than smiled at her protégé, "However, I brought in an X-factor of my own: Atticus Batman! And he's still on the playing field!"
(Atticus)
Combat rolling into the room I stalk through the simulated forest like, as Belle calls it, a predatory jungle cat. I have my Legendary t4 modded EXL Pistol in my hand. I hear commotion and quickly take to the trees, deep in the jungle interior. I see Rose Sinn running my direction, and drop a bio grenade at the base of the tree. As Rose unknowingly runs through it, I silently drop behind her, over charge and line up my pistol. I fire all 12 shots in quick succession at her head. My kill is registered before she even has a chance to respond. I quickly reload, then quietly sneak back through the forest and give lady a quick bullet shot in her cute little butt as a hello, then I cloak and go on the prowl for the rest of my pray.
I spot the mechanic,Vo Kshaa, and quickly switch to my fully t5 modded legendary EXL LMG, switch back to over charge and activate it, then I unload the 120 round clip on him getting that kill as well. Dinara tells me to watch out for the Taffer guy, who is cloaked somewhere nearby. Kakusi, tells me to quit playing and just end it already, reminding me that I am not one for rules anyway.
I decide that he is right, and Rose Sinn did say it was a free for all. So I channel Kakusi's powers, causing my eyes to glow bright blue with his Grid powers, then I slam both hands into the ground sending out an electrical current and incapacitating everyone in the room.
A couple minutes later, I walk to the door where they are all gathering, as Rose Sinn glares in my direction. I lean menacingly against a wall near lady, and all I say in my deep husky voice is, "Batman ALWAYS wins!"
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Belle)
Belle had not found a stash of beer, but had found a bottle of good Riesling wine, and was savoring her third glass of the sweet white wine when the others began to trickle in, led by Lady Christianna carrying her Crime Fighter in one hand and rubbing her obviously sore butt with the other. Lady's war paint was smudged on one side of her face, like she had fallen face down on the ground and her newfound outfit looked bedraggled for there were fresh holes in her fishnet stockings. The other's followed, looking equally worse for wear, including Rose, which surprised Belle to no end since she was the presumptive winner, until the last game participant entered the canteen, relatively unscathed. Belle smiled as Atticus Batman came in the mess, obviously the winner of the contest and though she hoped he might win over Rose, just to teach her a lesson of humility, Belle still hadn't thought that Atticus could actually beat Rose's omnipotence.
"Who knew?" Belle thought to herself as she smiled and waved to Atticus, motioning him to sit by her. When he did so and Belle poured him a glass of wine, Belle had second surprise when Lady made a beeline to sit on the other side of him, looking adoringly at him with her big pink eyes and actually - grinning at him!?!? Belle had never seen Lady have any thing more than an enigmatic smile on her chalk white face and here she was... positively beaming at the man and happy as a clam just sitting by him! Belle wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but it at least stopped the incessant popping of the teenager's gum.
Belle saw them all conversing as they ate the dinner Rose cooked, tired but friendly. Belle would never have tired the team out with a training exercise before a big mission, but she had to admit, if only to herself in a begrudging manner, that they were more of a team then ever, the new members and the veterans interacting if not as friends at least as comrades-in-arms. She knew such cohesion was good in a fighting unit, when you had to depend on the man - or woman - next to you to protect your back in battle. Belle realized that Rose's way was not Belle's way, but it still seemed to yield positive results.
Belle wasn't very hungry, feeling more out of place then ever, so she excused herself after only a few bites, saying she was tired, which was true, and that she was headed off to bed, which was not. Instead, she headed to the highest part of the Dark Matter complex, exiting on top of the roof. She smiled at the guard there as she made him aware of her presence, then sat on a corner cross-legged looking at the huge harvest moon in the night sky. The orange moon was so large, looking so close that Belle felt like she could pluck it out of the sky, but she resisted the impulse to try, for that was childish! Belle smiled sadly when she remembered that there was once a time when she would have tried anyway!
(Atticus)
I willingly accept the wine that Belle gave me and thank her almost inaudibly, but just stare at the tacos in front of me. I notice Lady Christianna sit next to me as I have a mental debate about the food. After Bell leaves, I glance at the girl by my side, with my peripheral vision, then I lift my helm just enough to reveal my mouth and eat a taco, thinking I should be polite since somebody did cook it. Then I down the whole glass of wine. Kakusi grumbles, "You know that 'food' does nothing for you, all though the wine did taste good and give you some nutrients.And that youngling smells like she wants you!"
I mentally answer with, "Shut it, Skragi! She is not your concern! As for the food, it may not give me any nutritional sustenance but it did taste good. Last time I had a taco was on the New Freedom." Kakusi's response is, "That was the only time that you ever had a taco, since I joined you anyway, Fleshling!" I respond back with, "That is beside the point. It was still good, even if it was pointless to eat."
I then look at the wine bottle in front of me but instead, I lower my helm back in place, and open a small normally unnoticeable mouth-hole in my helm. I reach in my boot and remove a large flask of Irathi rum and open it, then I pull a flexible straw from a hidden spot in my armor and place it in the flask. As I sip my rum, making Kakusi happy that I am recharging us with the RIGHT nutrients, I glance at the really short, young woman next to me and say just 2 words.
"Your ass?"
(Lady)
"Your ass?" Asked Atticus Batman.
Lady Christianna's pink eyes grew large and her grin faded as she considered her answer.
Lady thought about saying, "Yours." She thought about offering him her virginity on a silver platter. After all, she wasn't doing anything with it, and it wasn't like boys were clamoring to get into her pants. Lady felt she was and would always be a plain Jane, sexually undesirable and virtually invisible to those of the opposite sex. She knew her father hoped to marry her off or at least indenture her to a ruling cast Castian, which was her people's way, but she knew Casti men sought beautiful Casti women in both cases, and she felt she had little to offer such men, nor would she want to. Belle had made a more compelling argument, but then Lady considered Belle both beautiful and a hopeless romantic. Belle had told Lady that the first time should be special, with someone you really, really love, but Belle always looked so sad when she said that so Lady believed that it hadn't been true for Belle.
Lady thought about saying, "Hurts." Physically it still did a little, although her pride had taken more of a beating at the training session. Her overcharged "bull in a china shop" approach with her Crime Fighter had not garnered her many points, scoring only better than Iri the Indogene, a race not know for its martial prowess, and the E-Rep soldier Chris Robet, who must have played in the military band rather than going to basic training. He would have been thrown out of her clan if he had performed like that in one of their training sessions. At the very least he should have cloaked and stayed hidden until an attack of opportunity presented itself. Granted, her performance wasn't that much better.
Lady thought about saying, "Sweet." It was an enigmatic answer that could mean many things, and she liked to give those type of answers. She felt it lent her an air of mystery. She could even take a swig from the bottle of wine, and confuse him as to her meaning even more.
Finally, after only seconds passing after he asked, Lady settled on saying, "S'ok," and then picked up another taco to eat.
(Atticus)
After Lady Christianna answers my question with a simple, "S'ok", I mumble, "more than". which caught her off-guard mid bite once she realized what I said and may have meant. I then do a quick survey of the room and lean in close. I whisper very quietly, "I didn't tell Belle about ANYTHING that happened in her room, it's your secret to tell, if you choose. I simply told her, you were there to ask her a question, and my presence threw you off. However I do recall I made you an offer, as long as you made me a promise about not deceiving me. I am still waiting, which is probably a good thing, since, otherwise it would already be broken." I nod very subtly towards her chest, then get up.
Lady looks where I nodded towards and turns red because I called her on it, then even redder when she realized I saw it as a deception towards me and not a way to hide her insecurities.
I, remove my straw and put it back in the pouch I got it from. Then I close the flask and drop it back in my boot as I close the mouth-slot. "I am going to the room I claimed for the night which, I noticed on our way to the training room, is next to yours. If you decide to answer me I will be there. However if you do come looking for me, knock and wait or you will get shot before I bother seeing who it is.
I then go to the empty room. As soon as I enter it, I double-check to make sure the spy-cams don't work and there are no hidden bugs in the room, then I check the door's lock and realize it is as functional as the room's spy-cam. Not at all, guess any rude person, entering here, will get shot with a tase shot. I put tase rounds into my EXL pistol and set it on the nightstand next to the bed, and my EXL LMG loaded with deadly ordinates just under the bed within easy reach, as well. Then pull out my 7th Legion Amakuni, sharpening stone and a polishing stone. I sit on the bed facing the door. Then I start sharpening and polishing my sword, knowing I don't need much sleep each night, thanks to my unique physiology, but my weapons must ALWAYS be at the ready.
(Lady)
Lady Christianna went to her room, confused and excited at the same time, thinking, "Was Atticus offering to teach me how to use my EGO powers better or was he offering to teach me... something else?"
Lady looked at her thin face and skinny body in the mirror, then made a duck face at herself. She shook her head at her reflection, taking the tissue paper out of her bra and using it to take off her war paint. She then changed out of her 7th Legion uniform, dropping it on the floor as she went to her private bathroom to take a shower.
As the warm water cascaded over her head, washing the black dye out of her hair returning it to it's normal Castian white, Lady thought about what to do, "I didn't mean to deceive him, but I guess I did. I mean, I always act like I don't care, but I do. Isn't that deception? What if all I know how to do is to deceive?"
Lady thought about her question to herself as she pulled her black Grateful Dead nightshirt over her head, then plopped into her bed still thinking about it. She was still thinking about it when she rapped several times on the wall with the back of her chalk white knuckles, the same wall shared by her bedroom and Atticus Batman's. And she was still thinking about it when she stood up, then raced towards the wall in her bare feet, decoying through it into his bedroom.
Lady regarded Atticus with big pink eyes, wearing only her long black night shirt as he sat polished his sword, and said forcefully as she dropped two wadded-up used tissue papers at his feet, "Promise."
(Atticus)
Lady regarded Atticus with big pink eyes, wearing only her long black night shirt as he sat polished his sword, and said forcefully as she dropped two wadded-up used tissue papers at his feet, "Promise."
I look up at her as I lean my sword against the wall in the space between the nightstand and the bed, placing the stone on the stand. Then I stand up and glance at the wall, and chuckle, then look down at her big pink eyes as she looks the foot and a half or so up at me. "Well at least you knocked first I suppose. I am glad that you are willing to make such a promise to me, and remember the promise only concerns us. I don't really care if you deceive others, that is between you and them. Now you need some sleep. You can stay here or go back to your room. However all I can offer for now is a warm body for you to cuddle into. The choice is yours, if you want to leave, there's the door. If you are fine with just sleeping next to me, then pick up those 'falsies'." another chuckle from me. "Then put them in the trash and turn your back. I am afraid you would NOT like my appearance so I need to change into something a little more comfortable for you to lay next to, since I am guessing I am the only one comfortable with sleeping in this."
The young lady looks at me, glances at the wall, then the door then back at me, before she looks at my bed, while trying to make up her mind. Then she looks at me one more time and smiles, a cute but slightly scared and nervous smile. Then she bends down to pick up the tissue. As she does so I can't help but enjoy the view that the loose neck of her nightshirt gives me, respectfully averting my gaze as she stands. After she throws them away, she turns her back and politely waits for me to say she can turn back around. I watch her just standing there rocking back and forth on her heels for a second, then have an internal conversation with Kakusi and Dinara, the latter of course chastising me because she thinks I will agree with Kakusi and take advantage of the girl. A few seconds later, I concentrate and the room flickers blue as an aura of blue energy surrounds me. While in the blue aura, I drop all my armor to the floor, and the girl jumps from the glow and again from the sound of my heavy armor hitting the floor, but respects my request and fights the urge to turn around.
Then I remove my helmet, and as the blue aura fades and the room returns to normal, I am standing there in a long-sleeved electric blue jumpsuit, made of extra-light weight breathable materials, only things not covered by it are my neck with the severe bullet scarring in the larynx, head, hands, and feet. I am also wearing a matching electric blue mask that covers most of my face except my mouth and jawline and just the bottom tail-end of the scar that covers pretty much the whole left side of my face, going from just about the center of my forehead over across my eye and down to the lower left of my jawline. My hair is also uncovered, so she can see my fuchsia moustache, goatee and hair. I put my armor and helm on the chair at the foot of my bed, the only chair in the small room.
Then I reach back and remove my hair from it's pony tail, finally I put my hand on her shoulder and gently turn her to face me. As she turns around I gently kiss her beautiful young lips, and she touches and trails her finger over what shows of my huge facial scar. After a couple seconds, I pull away and turn on the lamp near the bed and walk over and turn off the main light, then I return to the bed. I pull open the covers and climb in and hold them open for her. She just looks for a few seconds then quickly climbs into bed with me, her eagerness to cuddle showing.
I reach over her and turn off the lamp as I cover her, then lay back down, trying for once to just relax near somebody other than Belle Starr or torc Mok. Young Christianna wiggles a few seconds before laying over my right arm with us facing the door and nightstand with my pistol in easy reach, so I assume she chose this position just for my comfort. As I feel her snuggle up close, her cute little ass pressing into me, I drape my left arm over her. After awhile, I find myself gently fondling her small but nice and firm left breast over her shirt as we both drift off to sleep, Kakusi and Dinara both promising they will wake me if there is a problem. Dinara, mentions how cute we look together and also mentions this seems to be the most comfortable I have appeared to her in a long time. Then she shuts up and lets me drift off to sleep with my young bedmate.
(Lady)
Lady Christianna laid content in the arms of Atticus feeling safe and secure for the first time ever. That wasn’t to say that her father, Belle, and her clan didn’t provide a safe and secure home for her, but just that she didn’t FEEL safe and secure.
Lady was born the year the battle of Defiance took place and the Pale Wars ended. Lady was told her mother died in her long and painful child birth while her father was away fighting in the Pale Wars as an acclaimed Votan General, his most notable accomplishment being the second burning of Atlanta.
When he returned, he was heralded as a war hero despite the peace, and also being a high born Castian, he was assured a high position in the newly reformed government of the Votan Collective. However, the General had a fervent belief that this was a golden opportunity to promote equality among the races, including humans, and that the government should be a democracy with multiculturalism as a guiding principle. Although a military genius at strategy, the General was a fool at politics. He was used to people following his orders without question, so he was bewildered at the resistance to his ideas and even alienated those who might have become his allies.
It wasn’t long before Lady’s father was labeled as a race traitor and when Lady was four years old they had to flee the Capital City in the dark of night, with the Collective’s Inquisitors hot on their heels. For almost ten years, they were chased north by the Inquisitors through Mexico, Texas, Alabama, and then finally to the borders of the Earth Republic. The General changed his name several times, and he took subsistence jobs, sometimes below subsistence, to keep a low profile, but always the Inquisitors would find them sooner or later, until they entered the Earth Republic, where the Collective’s Inquisitors were afraid to operate for fear of creating an international incident.
The General changed his name one final time to Bocar, but as a political refugee with no possible background to check, he ended up taking simultaneously several janitorial jobs in Boston to support them. Lady became a latchkey child, smaller than her peers because of previous malnutrition, and used to being alone because her family had always been on the move, which made it impossible to make friends. With a choice of becoming a whore to a Casti street gang or alone with her mind and her schoolbooks, invisible to her peers, and her peers invisible to her, she chose the latter, which in her mind was a no-brainer.
Somehow, Bocar’s true identity was discovered by Karl Von Bach, and was recruited by him for the EGO program because he thought Bocar’s military background might be useful to the San Francisco mission. Bocar jumped at the chance, seeing it as an opportunity to make a better life for his family. He had only one caveat, which was that he could take Lady with him, which Von Bach agreed to. Lady was fourteen when the ERS New Freedom crashed, and terrified from the sounds of alarms and explosions, she hid in a locker trying to be invisible once more. It was Bocar who found her and whisked her to the relative safety of Mt. Tam.
Bocar was quickly recruited into the Team Evolution clan of ark hunters, and quickly rose up in their ranks to becoming their quartermaster because of his great knowledge of the weapons of war. When Von Bach reappeared with second generation EGOs, he remembered Bocar and asked if Lady wanted one implanted. Her father pushed her, so she did. When the clan founder asked Lady if she wanted to be a recruit to the clan, her father pushed her to so she did. When the famous Belle Starr joined the Team Evolution clan, her father pushed Lady to accept Belle as a mentor, so she did. It was no surprise to anyone, least of all herself, when the first EGO power she mastered was cloak.
Lying next to Atticus, Lady realized that the first decision independent of her father urgings was to join this team going into space. The second was to crawl into bed and cuddle with Atticus. Lady smiled her enigmatic smile, realizing she was happy with both decisions no matter how they might turn out in the end, because they were hers and hers alone. When Atticus took his large hand and cupped her small left breast with it, she took her right hand and put it on his, holding it there until she fell fast asleep, her final thought before slumber being, “Decision number three.”
(Lady)
Lady Christianna slowly opened her eyes, the sleep not out of them despite Rose's first call to the meeting, and was in mid-yawn when she first noticed the shimmering glow of the Dark Matter Monitor's shield, then the Monitor himself, not standing ten feet in front of her at the side of the bed she shared with Atticus Batman.
"Atticus - " Lady began in a whisper.
"Shh! I know," Whispered Atticus back.
"Harbinger, I have no issue with you, at least not today," The Monitor spoke in an even voice, "I have only come for the girl, as my mistress demands, and do not seek battle with you, unless that is required."
Lady's mind whirled as she fought her instinct to cloak and hide! "Does he mean me? He must mean me! But I'm nobody, what does Dark Matter want with me?" Lady mentally screamed to her EGO, which only answered "Beats me!"
The Monitor quickly blurred grabbing Atticus gun, but just as quickly threw it into a corner of the room. Lady sent her decoy to another corner, but the Monitor ignored it as he drew his charge blade, saying, "I can tell by the tenseness in your body that you will not make this easy, even if I promise you on my honor that the girl will not be harmed. So let us duel as true swordsmen!"
The Monitor stepped back, but kept his force field on, gesturing with his charge blade for Atticus to pick up his sword, then said, "Let one of us this day die a glorious death, and to the victor go the spoils!"
(Atticus)
The Monitor stepped back, but kept his force field on, gesturing with his charge blade for Atticus to pick up his sword, then said, "Let one of us this day die a glorious death, and to the victor go the spoils!"
I mentally tell Dinara to relay to Christianna's ego that my LMG is under the bed fully loaded and safety off within her reach, and to notify Taffer, Rose Sinn and Belle of the intruder. Then I jump over Lady, once again like a jungle cat, and quickly grab my blade.
"The young woman is with me, and goes NOWHERE! No Dark Matter is going to say other-wise! You KNOW I am the Harbinger. So you know that I will not let you take her!"
In my mind I hear Kabule screaming at me form the deep recesses of my mind that he resides in to just give up the girl since she is nothing. I ignore him as I lift my blade. My eyes and scars glow with my anger and I feel a pulse surge through my feet, which means Kakusi is up to something. An electric pulse bubble envelops the room preventing entry or exit, and the alarms start blaring. Kakusi says, "Fleshling, obviously you care for the girl so the room is now under 'OUR' control and lockdown. Nobody in or out except for her and you! I had Compu-lady sending her ego a message saying so but telling her this is probably the safest spot for her, since you will never let anyone hurt her! I also sounded the alarms, so the others can be on the look out for more intruders, and relax Compu-lady warned them all that the bubble around your room is designed to fry everyone that touches it, so they will not try to intervene with your actions! SO KILL THIS BASTARD AND PROVE NOBODY MESSES WITH YOU OR THOSE YOU PROTECT.........(Kakusi whispers the next part, as if he can't believe it to be true yet).....or care deeply for!!!"
I quickly respond mentally to Kakusi with, "GOOD. NOBODY WILL TAKE OR HURT HER!"
I then blur, and charge. The Monitor drops with 2 good hits. As I kneel by him, Dinara says he is still alive and conscious. I quickly, pull off his mask and lift him by his throat as I stand fully. I hold him near the electric bubble's edge at my door and he and I both know from the current we feel jumping through it, that it will rend the flesh from his skin and fry him in a slow and horribly painful death if he goes through it.
My eyes and scars glow an extremely bright blue and the lights of the room flicker violently, as the rage and anger flow through me and I talk to him, the burning hatred and venom obvious in my voice, "YOU WILL TELL ME WHO SENT YOU, HOW MANY OF YOU CAME HERE, WHY THEY WANT THE GIRL, WHY I SHOULD LET YOU LIVE AND WHY THE HELL YOU ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO MESS WITH ANYBODY NEAR ME, OR YOU WILL DIE VERY PAINFULLY AND SLOWLY. TRUTHFULLY YOU STILL MAY DIE PAINFULLY, BUT IF YOU ANSWER EVERYTHING HONESTLY AND QUICKLY, I MAY CONSIDER GIVING YOU A QUICK DEATH!!!"
I kick his helmet through the bubble to get my point across, and we watch it burst into flames and melt into an oozing puddle of goo. "SPEAK NOW!!!!!!!!!!"
(Lady and Belle)
The Monitor snarls, "I will tell you nothing race traitor, except that I am but the first of many who will come to get the girl no matter - "
The Monitor's head explodes from the burst of an LMG as a shrill grenade, it's pin not yet pulled, falls from his dead hand. Atticus glances where the gunfire originated from, seeing Lady Christianna sitting the bed, the smoking gun still clutched in her hands, her wide pink eyes glancing from the Monitor's body to Atticus than back again. Suddenly she sends a decoy through the wall their bedrooms share, and all is left on the bed is the still smoking LMG.
As soon as the message from Atticus was received, Belle Starr bolted from the war room rushing down the hall, her wildcat pistol drawn. She monitors the chatter among Rose's special ops troops, who confirm there were no other breaches of security. She enters the hallway where the bedrooms are located, her EGO telling her that Lady is in her room, and finding it locked, she breaks down the door with a single blow from her shoulder. Belle hears a sound, that first is hard to place, until she realizes it is the sound of water splashing. She moves to the doorway of the bathroom, seeing the long black t-shirt she game Lady on the floor in a heap in the middle of the floor, and a small shadowed form behind the shower curtain as water cascades down upon it.
Belle frowns as she asks, "Lady, are you injured?"
"No," says the tiny shadow.
"Are you alright?" Belle asks with concern in her voice.
"No," The voice sounds small and scared to Belle.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Queries Belle.
"No," says the voice, sounding stronger and more certain.
"Okay then," Replies Belle, "I'll wait for you in the hall! Get dressed as soon as you can, we're ready to start the meeting."
Belle goes back into the hall to wait for Lady, seeing Atticus Batman in the doorway to his bedroom and the Dark Matter Monitor's body on the floor beyond Her pale forehead furrows as her blue diamond eyes narrow, she sweeps the blond bangs out of her eyes as she addresses Atticus in a matter-of-fact way, "No other intruders in the base! I'm not absolutely sure what happened here, and I hope you will share later, but I do know one thing: Lady is special! Chloe was a one-night-stand waiting to happen, and she's perfectly happy with that! But Lady is a sixteen year old girl trying to find herself, and you have the potential to be a positive or a negative factor in that discovery! I hope you know that! God knows children grow up way too fast in this brave new world we created for them, and many grow up scarred or don't live to grow up at all!"
As Belle and Atticus talk about her in the hallway, Lady leans her chalk white forehead against the porcelain tiles of the shower, her thin arms hanging loosely at her side as the water cascades over her head and body. One question goes through her mind, over and over, "What just happened?"
Sooner rather than later, Lady leaves the shower, dressing in her Goth black leathers, putting on her war paint and the insta-red dye on the ends of her hair, then puts on her outlaw glasses as she grabs her Crime Fighter shottie and exits her room, finding Belle in the hall waiting, leaning on the hallway wall with her arms crossed, a worried look on her freckled face.
"You sure you're alright?" Asks Belle.
"As rain," Answers Lady, the expression in her pink eyes hidden by her outlaw glasses.
They then walk next to each other in silence as they make their way to the war room.
(Atticus)
I listen to Belle lecturing me, not letting me get a word in. Then Lady comes out and her and Belle head down the hall, before I can even talk to her. I think to myself, "Damn you really fucked this one up! You've never let your rage best you like that. Damn! Belle is right. Christianna is special, very special. I did nothing bad with her, and her being in my room obviously saved her life but, fuck have I blown it! Dinara, contact Rose Sinn, and Belle. Let them believe I killed the intruder, tell them I will accept the responsibility and take what ever punishment they deem necessary and will leave if that is what is required. And ask Sinn to send somebody to clean up this mess."
"Atty, why?! You've never lied about killing somebody, that you didn't!"
"Because she has been through enough and saved my life, and......Besides Belle is right! She is very special, obviously not only to Belle, but also to the Dark matter...and yes to me! Now send the message! Crap, I need to talk to both Belle and Christianna! But will either even be willing to talk to me, let alone look at me?! Kakusi disable your bubble."
Just then the bubble dissipates.
"Thank you. Dinara, Record the following message and Send it to Belle.
"Starr Eyes.....no.......Miss Belle Starr. I am sorry for any pain I may have caused. I can't change what happened in my room. However I will take full responsibility for anything that comes of it. As for Christianna and I, that is only your concern if she chooses to tell you, but know I do not and never will see her as a one nightstand, as you put it. She is too wonderful a person for such a thing. However you are right. She is extremely special, and I am glad to have met her and even if I could change what happened between her and I last night I never would, because it meant more than you realize. This morning's fiasco, is a different story. I do understand if I have blown our friendship, and am sorry for that."
Dinara says, "Message sent to Miss Starr. Anything else?"
"Record the following message and send it to Christianna.
"Lady Christianna, I am sorry about what transpired in my room this morning, But know that I enjoyed what little time that we have had together. I also do like the red tips in your hair. Last night was...........was very special to me, however I understand if you never want to be alone with me again, or at least not in that way. I will leave and not come back if that is your wish. Also I already sent a message to Sinn and Belle telling them that I killed the Monitor, and will face whatever consequences that brings. I regret my rage in front of you this morning, but do not regret being with you. You are such an amazing and beautiful young woman to be around. Anybody you choose to be with is lucky to be so blessed. I am.......very and completely sorry, for any pain I have brought you, but thank you for last night. I will cherish that memory for as long as I live, and also thank you for saving my life this morning."
Send that message to her, and send a message to Everyone on the team, that I will only show up at their briefing if, they ALL agree that they want me there, provided I am still allowed on base and not in lockup. I will wait in my room until they decide what should be done with me."
I go into my bathroom carrying my armor and helm with me and set them down on the bathroom counter. As I turn on the shower, my jumpsuit and mask shimmer and disappear as they are re-absorbed into me. I step into the shower, as I wonder what the hell happened and why they are after Christianna. After just a couple minutes, I step out with all the blood washed off and I dry off. Then I put on my armor and helm, and put all my gear on my duffel bag near the door. Then I sit in the lone chair across the room near the bed, unarmed and willing to go without a fight, and just wait for an answer, or for the armed guards to come and take me to lockup, or to throw me out, thinking to Kakusi that he is to make sure 'OUR' powers stay in check and are not used against any of them, as I await my punishment whatever it may be.
(Lady)
"Lady Christianna, I am sorry about what transpired in my room this morning, But know that I enjoyed what little time that we have had together. I also do like the red tips in your hair. Last night was...........was very special to me, however I understand if you never want to be alone with me again, or at least not in that way. I will leave and not come back if that is your wish. Also I already sent a message to Sinn and Belle telling them that I killed the Monitor, and will face whatever consequences that brings. I regret my rage in front of you this morning, but do not regret being with you. You are such an amazing and beautiful young woman to be around. Anybody you choose to be with is lucky to be so blessed. I am.......very and completely sorry, for any pain I have brought you, but thank you for last night. I will cherish that memory for as long as I live, and also thank you for saving my life this morning"
When Lady heard Atticus' message, her pink eyes grew wide and her chalk white jaw went slack, as she turned on her heel and ran down the hall towards Atticus' room as fast as her thin short legs would take her, merely saying a single word, "No!"
Belle frowned when she got her message from Atticus, but watched with sad blue eyes as Lady ran down the hall until she disappeared around a corner, whereupon Belle shook her head, slowly following her while thinking, "She has it worse than I thought!"
Lady ran to the closed door of Atticus' bedroom and stopped suddenly, not sure of what to do now that she was at her destination, her mind a jumble with self doubts, "What if he doesn't want me here? What if this is his way of getting rid of me? Why would he want me anyway, I'm a nobody, worse an ugly nobody? Why would anybody want me? He's just saying nice things about me because he's trying to make his leaving me easier, but it's not... I don't want him to leave! What do I do?"
Lady spent some time just staring at Atticus bedroom door from the hallway, frozen by indecision, her pink eyes darted around, searching for an answer in the texture of the door. She put both small dainty white hands to her cheeks as tears began to flow from her eyes, which set her mind awhirl with thoughts again, "I don't cry! I never cry! I didn't cry when I thought Belle dead! I didn't cry when the school bullies threw my books in the mud or locked me in the locker! I didn't cry each time we moved after I finally liked a place! I never cry! So why am I crying?"
Belle rounded the corner, seeing Lady's consternation, and leaned on the wall folding her armored arms, not sure Lady would want her to violate her space, however as she saw that Lady was verging on an anxiety attack, she rushed forward hugging lady tightly until Lady's sobbing subsided. When Lady's sobs stopped, Belle broke away, removing Lady's outlaw glasses off her face, the war paint running down like vividly colorful tears, as she took ladies thin shoulders in both her armored hands, staring down into Ladies pink eyes, asking, "Do you love him?"
Lady looked down in thought, than back up into Belle's blue diamond eyes and gave a curt nod in the affirmative, whereupon Belle smiled sadly saying, "Your're going down a rough road with him Lady, but it's your road to go! If you love him, tell him so!"
Lady flashed her Mona Lisa smile at Belle, then disappeared as she decoyed through the door. Finding Atticus sitting there like a statue, she threw herself at his feet, almost slipping on the blood still on the floor. Lady started crying as she stared up at him, putting her small right hand over her left breast that he had held only the night before, the breast behind which her heart beat at a speedy rate. She said one word before hugging his leg tightly and leaning her head on his knee, "Yours!"
Belle opened the door, then leaned against the door jam with folded arms, a smile crossing her freckled face as she regarded the pair, and said, "Over react much, Atticus! I was just giving you my opinion not my condemnation! The only pain I see is to this scumbag on the floor, and a dead enemy intruder is a good enemy intruder - nuff said! You both are members of the team, much needed members if we are to succeed, - and both my friends by the way, nothing changes that - but we have an important mission meeting now, so as soon as you finish your Kodak moment, follow me to the war room!"
Belle sashayed alone down the hall to the wall room, trusting them to follow when the time was right.
(Atticus)
Belle opened the door, then leaned against the door jam with folded arms, a smile crossing her freckled face as she regarded the pair, and said, "Over react much, Atticus! I was just giving you my opinion not my condemnation! The only pain I see is to this scumbag on the floor, and a dead enemy intruder is a good enemy intruder - nuff said! You both are members of the team, much needed members if we are to succeed, - and both my friends by the way, nothing changes that - but we have an important mission meeting now, so as soon as you finish your Kodak moment, follow me to the war room!"
Belle sashayed alone down the hall to the wall room, trusting them to follow when the time was right.
I look at the tear eyed young woman by my feet then at Belle as she leaves and mumble, "How would I of all people know how friends and family are? I am nothing but a war machine."
After Belle rounds the corner, I pick up Christianna. "My lovely young lady you do not belong on the floor at my feet. standing by my side perhaps, but not my feet. How can you love a monster though?"
Her response is to plant a big kiss on me and say, "CAUSE, is all!!"
I look at the doorway and turn us around so my back is to it. Then I slowly lift my helmet for her to see my face. She traces the scar until just a minute later I push her finger away as I return the helmet.
"I can not say if I love you in that way, the closest I feel is my kinship to Belle and Torc. I do however know that last night was the most complete and wanted I have ever felt. That feeling was left with emptiness until you came back in here. I thought.........I thought I blew it with everybody. That, I can live with but the emptiness when I realized I may have hurt or pushed you away. That hurts. Now last night.....last night I can live, every night, if you want, and Belle is done lecturing me, like a big sister!"
To keep me from babbling more, she lifts my helm and sneaks another kiss. Then says, "Too much DRAMA. Le's go!"
I look at her still in my arms and set her down. I quickly switch the rounds in my pistol back to lethal ordinates as I put on my gear. I gesture towards the door, and as she happily walks out looking back to make sure I am going with her, I follow closely behind.
(Atticus a little later)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shortly after we get to the briefing Sinn says a camera is going in my room. My response is that if that helps keep Christianna safe then it is fine, on my conditions. No audio. No cameras in the bathroom, and the one in the room can NOT look towards the bed. I need some privacy. I glance at Christianna, who is getting something quick to eat and sitting near Belle but smiling towards me. I have my ego relay to Sinn's ego that Lady Christianna was the target. I mentally tell Dinara to send a copy of our voice analysis and duplication device to Christianna's ego, telling them that it will help as she learns to use her doppelganger ability so they can atleast sound and talk exactly like those she is impersonating, and I also tell Dinara to give lady's ego the tips I have discovered from usining it. She responds with, "Since when do you share tech and secrets? Oh well all information is sent." Then we listen to Sinn's briefing.
(Belle)
Belle stood up, her hands on the hips of her red white and blue armor, as she narrowed her blue diamond eyes as she confidently smiled, then directed her comments to Rose, "Not so much questions as comments that I think need to be made!" She began to tick off her points on the fingers of her slim right hand, raising the first finger, "First Lady has no such links to VBI for her EGO was implanted when Von Bach was operating solo from VBI, but I still checked her EGO for any suspicious hardware or software, and she's clean! Standard security procedure these days, and I've checked Chris' as well!"
Belle raised a second finger, "We don't know who the Dark Matter operative was after! He was killed in Atticus Batman's room, and I myself have witnessed Dark Matter assassins try to kill him before, so he is the most likely target! There were no cameras in his room, so we don't know what happened there, nor do we need to! This was a former Dark Matter Base, and had been for years, so it is no only possible but probable that they might have at least one secret way in that you didn't know about! You are not infallible Rose, as you've proven in the past, so don't make accusations that you can't prove!"
Atticus and Lady exchanged glances, but didn't comment or interrupt.
Belle raised a third finger as she raised a blond eye brow, "I think we need to make it perfectly clear that Taffer is leading this mission. You say you are not the leader, but then say to Lady that, and I quote, 'but I am still the leader of the team even if I change things on a whim or out of the blue', unquote! We tried it that way, and it didn't work well that way! Taffer is the leader of this mission, and he gives the commands! If you want to make yourself second-in command and command if he is incapacitated, fine; but unless that happens, the team should follow Taffer's lead only! Let's keep a clear chain-of-command!"
Belle raised four fingers as she continued, "Since we have new members on the team, I think we should each give a summary of our capabilities so that the others are aware, and so that Taffer might use us best in the mission. All of us except Iri have EGOs, with access to the four powers that go with them, and have experience as ark hunters. We all have at least have some training in weapons, but it might help to mention those weapons you favor!"
Belle did not mention her fifth point, that she believed that Lady, Chris, and Iri should not go with them. The simulations she ran showed that the team's chances of mission success were enhanced if the new team members took an active part in the mission, but also showed their chances of dying increased with the amount of their participation. Belle didn't bring it up because she didn't want to undermine Taffer's authority, and she knew that if she ran those simulations, so had Taffer and Rose!
"I'll start first", Belle began with a smile as she scanned all the faces of the team except Rose, for she didn't want her to derail the conversation. "Simply put, since my genes were spliced with those of Volge, I have the strength of one or more, depending on the adrenalin surge. I have a certain control over the organic, but that takes time and tiring effort, but I have enhanced all of my senses. I an also teleport along ley lines if I have been to the destination before, and I can take my belongings with me but not another person! I'm very experienced with my EGO, so I have access to all four EGO powers and all the associated perks. My preference as to weapons are SMGs, pistols, and swords; I'm a get in you face type of gal! However, I have been registered as Level 20 with all types of weapons and vehicles!"
Belle didn't mention that she may have manifested aspects of all four types of Volge as well, Trooper, Viscera, Bombe and even War Master, as well as an ability to summon Volge Troopers, because she still wasn't sure that wasn't a delusion brought on by blood loss. Instead, Belle motioned to Lady Christianna saying, "Lady, we know you prefer shotguns, particularly the Crime Fighter, and have access to the four EGO powers, but why don't you show them what you can do with your two favorites!"
Lady had been looking daggers at Rose since Rose's comment about her when she entered the room, her bottom lip stuck out as her pink eyes glared at Rose, then said through gritted teeth, "NOT a traitor!"
Belle was surprised at the venom in Lady's tone, but Rose had a way of getting that reaction from people, so she just put a pale hand on Lady's small shoulder and said, "Just show them Lady!"
Lady made a duck face as he looked at Taffer, then turned into a perfect replica of Taffer, then the picture of the Volge guard complete with mask, then the picture of the Bio-man Tanker, and then finally Rose, but with crossed eyes, then back to herself as she bent over and grabbed her knees as she panted, "Cloak kinda!"
Belle interjected with me, "Lady told me she can keep up the illusion longer if she just maintains one image, almost as long as a traditional cloak! Lady, show them the other ability you showed me!"
After recharging her EGO power and regaining her breath, Lady charged towards the wall next to the door that led to the hallway, decoying through it, then came back through the open door from the hallway, her arms raised as if to say "Ta da!" but instead saying, "Swag money!"