Synchronicity
By Cybra
A/N: A sort of follow-up to "Parallels" from Six's perspective per deserthaze's insistence. This is set up to be read either in conjunction with "Parallels" or as an entirely separate entity. You don't have to read one to get the other.
Disclaimer: Generator Rex belongs to Man of Action.
Six had little interest in the denizens of the Petting Zoo outside of containing them and using them for training. Once the giant EVO'd peacocks had settled in, his interest level in them dropped to zero. Yes, they were beautiful birds, far more stunning than their normal counterparts, but he hadn't the time to make any sort of study of them. He left that to the scientists.
Unfortunately, Holiday seemed to insist on giving him updates about two birds in particular whenever he dropped by her lab. One was a female she called "Queenie" due to the patch of gold on her head and from the way she seemed to rule the flock. The other was a green male she'd yet to name.
"'Greenie'," he offered one day if only to stop her from continuing to fret over it.
Holiday scowled at him as Queenie ruffled her feathers at the green male. "I thought of that, but I wanted to give him something that suits his personality."
"He's green. Seems appropriate to me." He idly watched Greenie dance out of the female's reach for his tail feathers.
"You're impossible," Holiday huffed, crossing her arms and returning her gaze to the Zoo. "To be honest, I'm a little worried he might be sick."
Six raised a brow. Judging from how lively Greenie was when dodging Queenie, the male peacock was perfectly healthy.
Holiday glanced at him. "He doesn't participate in mating behavior, and his feathers aren't the right color. He also tends to keep himself isolated from the rest of the flock." She stepped away from the glass. "Y'know what? I'll just bring him in for a checkup."
Six didn't bother to argue, simply standing there with hands in his pockets as he watched Queenie stalk away from Greenie. He wondered what it was about scientists that made them automatically assume that just because something or someone was different, there had to be something wrong with them.
The next time his attention was drawn to Holiday's Petting Zoo soap opera was when he was down there training. Not with Rex. This was his personal training time at what most considered the ungodly hour of 0430.
During his morning run around the Zoo, he made the mistake of getting a little too close to the flock, Queenie in particular, when Greenie charged him.
The male bird had fluffed up his feathers, careful to keep his tail folded. He scratched and pecked at the agent who easily dodged.
Queenie straightened up, clearly pleased by the male defending her, and chirping her encouragement to him.
Once Six was deemed to be a safe enough distance away, Greenie returned to his original position, at the same time moving out of reach of Queenie's attempts to see his tail feathers.
Six couldn't help rolling his eyes. "She's interested in you. If you're willing to defend her, court her."
Greenie swiveled his head back towards Six, feathers ruffled as if he understood what the man had said. It was easy to imagine that glare as a message: "Like you're one to talk?"
Six decided after that to have one more cup of coffee before his morning run from now on. Clearly, his mind was still half asleep.
Six had stopped by Holiday's lab to give her a copy of the report concerning his and Rex's latest mission when he saw her staring, transfixed, out the large windows and into the Petting Zoo. He rolled his eyes and walked up to her, wondering just what was so fascinating about the peacocks this time.
To his surprise, he saw Greenie finally unfurling his tail. Six couldn't help but be impressed at the glorious display of the twilight sky in those feathers. Yet, simultaneously, he knew just how strange and different it was. Little wonder Greenie had kept them to himself.
Queenie backed up as though startled by what she saw.
Six averted his eyes as Greenie lowered his head in shame. He knew that feeling better than anyone: Immediate rejection just because you were different. As much as people claimed to praise the individual, in reality many didn't accept someone who just wasn't like the rest of the flock.
He started to turn to Holiday, preparing to speak, when he saw—much to his surprise—Queenie starting to preen the male's tail. Greenie seemed just as shocked when she paused to nuzzle his cheek before resuming her task. Once she'd finished, she stood beside him, quite pleased with herself, as Greenie puffed up a bit, tail on full display with pride.
Six gave his head a mental shake and turned his attention back to Holiday, holding out the folder to her in a silent attempt to tear her attention away from the peacocks.
But that didn't stop that little niggling at the back of his mind that maybe one day he should take the risk, too.