"Agent Carolina?"

I looked up from my bunk where I'd been sitting alone for the last half hour, sorting through my few worldly possessions. In my hand, I held my new tags. My new identity. The name by which I was now addressed by the man standing above me. He stood tall in tan armor, but held his helmet in hand. His hair matched the shade of his armor, and a bandage wrapped around his left eye.

"Yes?"

"I'm New York. You can call me York, though. Everyone does. Nice to meet you." He brushed an armored hand through his hair, all the while with this arrogant, annoying little smile. Him? He was my partner? This smug idiot, whom I could tell, from one sentence and action, thought he was amazing and didn't give a shit what anyone else thought?

"You. You are my partner." Under my breath, I muttered, "You've go to be fucking kidding me."

"While my assignee may seem foolish, I assure, he is most capable." I stared with wide eyes at the little green man, standing between New York and I. What the hell?

"Ah, sorry. You look confused. This here's Delta, my AI. D here's quite the guy, helped me out of more than a few scrapes."

I nodded, the situation making a little more sense. So this was one of Freelancer's AI's. "Nice to meet you, Delta." He, at least, seemed professional. Unlike his fool partner who was grinning like an idiot.

"But it's not as nice to meet me?" he asked with an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

"...Not nearly as much," I answered, unlike him, seriously. But apparently, he found that hilarious, as he burst out laughing. My eyes narrowed. I did not like this man. Finally my patience wore out.

"Are you quite done?"

"Sorry, sorry, Carolina. But you, you are one funny girl."

I sat there, fuming. I was not here for his amusement. And still, he could not control himself. A grown man, and a soldier no less, should not be giggling like a school girl for God's sake.

"Stop it."

"Uh, what?" he said, fighting back laughter.

I rose. I did not appreciate this. I'd spent the last four years at the butt of everyone's jokes, as the joke, never taken seriously. I was tired of it. Here, here I would be respected, and I didn't care what it took. That's when I let go, let all my rage fly out. My fist connected squarely with his nose, and I felt a satisfying crack beneath my fist. He flew backwards, landing on his backside.

"DO. NOT. LAUGH. AT. ME."

"Jesus! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I am not here to entertain you. Remember that." With that I abandoned my bunk, and stormed away, not knowing where I was going, and not caring. I unclenched my fist, and put the tags I'd been holding the whole time around my neck.

Agent Carolina wasn't going to take anyone's shit.