It was a rainy morning when Jason pulled his G-2 mecha up to the Courthouse car park and turned off the engine. Security and the throng of people outside the boundary lines had been an insanely early test to his patience and caused him to defy the latest set of Mecha-rules set in place after the dismissal of Security Chief Anderson from the G-Force project. He threaded his fingers up underneath his helmet to remove a cigarette from behind his ear.

Fuck the anti-smoking mecha policy, he was stressed out.

He lit the cigarette with the gun-shaped lighter given to him by Princess the previous Christmas and relaxed heavily in the seat to feel the sudden rush of stimulants from what Keyop termed his 'lung candy stick".

This was going to be a very long couple of days.

Over the weekend, with the press being banned from the actual proceedings of the case, the team had decided to put their bracelets on an open send frequency, so they could each hear clearly and live exactly what was going on inside the courtroom. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and switched on his transponder bracelet.

"You got your ears on, guys?"

Individual coded flashes from the com-link from each the three listeners gave him his affirmative. He smiled, purred a threat to use the G-2 cannon to blow up the prosecution's vehicle if he pissed him off, then stepped out of the vehicle and strode into the building.

****

Jason couldn't help but look out for Mark. Even though he had specifically been told that there was to be no contact at all between them, Jason still wanted to double check the guy was okay … if only to reassure Princess so she'd stop being so upset.

His search didn't take too long. Mark was standing against the wall, his thumbs in the belt of his nameless charcoal suit pants, and his head hung low. Against his better judgment and orders, Jason stalked quickly through the hallway towards his Commander.

"So is this a good place to pick up chicks?"

Mark blinked in surprise and quickly raised his head. "Jason, man, we're not supposed to talk to each other."

Jason gave a sly smile and exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke. "Yeah, and I'm smoking in a government building. What's the bet noone says anything."

Mark rolled his eyes and sighed. "How's everyone holding up?"

"They're more concerned about you. Tiny is permanently trying to stop Princess from crying, Keyop is working on his hundredth rescue plan to break you out of jail. Zark has been deactivated for upgrade and the Chief," He sighed. "We haven't heard from him since he was dismissed a month ago."

Mark nodded with a small smile. "Tell Tiny to give Princess a long hug and assure her I'm really okay and that she shouldn't worry. Tell Keyop that the change of guard is at midnight and midday every day, and the standard issue weapon is a 9mm Glock and Barrett M99 assault rifles for the tower guards."

"M99, eh? I wouldn't mind getting me one of those." Jason folded his arms against his chest and rolled his wrist at Mark to show his communicator. "They're listening if you have any further messages. You just know each of them are clamouring around the radio desperate to say something to you."

"You're wired? Jesus Jason," Mark whined. "If they find out they'll have all your heads. That's close enough to Witness tampering for you all to be arrested."

Jason seemed to ignore the warning. "No messages? Not even an 'I finally want to admit that I love you and want you to come to my trailer on conjugal visits' to Princess?"

Mark coughed. "That's not even remotely funny, Jason."

He shrugged, "I wasn't trying to be funny." He let his eyes scan the hallway. "So how are you, anyway? And I don't want to hear any of that 'I'm doing great' lying bullshit."

Mark tilted his head to the side and sighed heavily. "When I'm not trying to defend myself against guys who think it's cool to try and fight the Eagle, I'm in my cell wondering just what the Hell went wrong."

"They're giving you Hell?"

Mark sighed and lifted his sleeve to show a white cast on his wrist. "If I fight back, I'll kill them, and how will that go with my defense? I am taking an absolute beating in there."

"General population?"

"Only in the exercise yard."

Jason angrily flicked his cigarette butt on the marbled floor beside him. "This is bullshit. You'd think they'd give you a break, considering what good you've done for the world."

Mark shrugged. "Yeah, you'd think so."

The two stood silently together for a few moments, neither knowing what else to say. As Mark opened his mouth to start a new conversation, his Lawyer interrupted them.

"Come on, Mark. They're waiting."

Mark nodded and extended his hand to Jason for a friendly shake. "Go easy on them in there, Jase."

Jason took the offered shake and gave his Commander a wink. "Big ten, Skipper."

He took a few steps toward the courtroom door, then stopped and turned back to Jason. "Tell her…Tell her I miss her."

"She knows, Mark."