Guest: Awe, you're making me blush. Thanks for reading! If my motivation stays up as high as it is now, updates will be fairly quick. And oh boy, if you think that was tension, just wait. It'll get better! Jack will be making an appearance in this chapter, actually. Every now and then there will be full chapters that aren't in the game. But now we're going back to the campaign, so you'll get a full dose of Mitchell. Enjoy!
PFC. Awesomeness: I'm glad you liked it! And ahh, I was really nervous about that part. At first they were going to meet when Gideon came to see the new member (Sam), then I had them meet by accident in the shower room (that was also pretty fun to write, but I ended up having Ilona meet Sam there instead), finally I just settled on a reasonable, believable, simple approach lol. I'm super relieved that you liked it though! As I mentioned above, Jack will be present throughout this chapter, so yay! Farther into the story he'll be elsewhere and it'll mostly be Sam and Gideon, but we'll get to that later. Well, wait no longer, because here's chapter three! Hope you like it!
jjadra: Thanks for the review (: I'm pretty excited too; it's a blast to write. Aahh I'm happy to hear someone else say Jack is cute (all my friends think I'm weird for having a total fangirl crush on Mitchell and Gideon)! Thanks for the feedback on Sam— I can't tell if I'm making her relatable or not, but you've let me know I'm doin' something right, so thanks again! The reunion is here at long last, so please enjoy! (:
Aubrey1207: Enjoy the quickness while it lasts lol. My break ends on Sunday, which means back to school *Throws tempter tantrum* and back to my hectic schedule. Hopefully, with the continued support and motivation, I'll still be able to update quickly. Aww, thank you! Really, that means a lot to me! (: This chapter has plenty of fluff moments for both pairings (I should probably think of ship names for them), so your fangirl side will probably be all over the place, or at least that's my goal, lol. Oh, don't sweat it! Your reviews make me super smiley and happy. Here ya go, Atlas!
Author's Note: Again, thanks for all the love guys! When I read your reviews I just get so happy and excited. Seriously, I'm thrilled that this story is getting such positive feedback. I'll be honest, these chapters are seriously addicting. I sit down and start typing then BAM! Suddenly I'm at 6,000 words. It's been a while since writing has carried me away like that. When I play Advanced Warfare, all I want to do is write more for this story— like I said, it's addicting. Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying it! If anybody has suggestions or anything like that, let me know!
Side Note: This is more for me so I can keep everything straight, but I'll put it here anyways. In 2054, Gideon is 29, Jack is 27, and Ilona and Sam are 25. Joker's age is unknown, but I'm guessing he's in his late-twenties/early-thirties, with Jack .It's kind of confusing because of the fact that the Advanced Warfare campaign stretches across a number of years, but hopefully this clears up the confusion. Thanks to Call of Duty Wikia for being the real MVP and helping me with all the facts and dates and little things. I'd be nowhere without you!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC, Samantha Irons. Everything/everyone else belongs to Sledgehammer Games, Activision, High Moon, Raven, and anyone else I missed. All rights go to their respective owners; I'm writing this purely for entertainment.
Warning: The following chapters contain spoilers for the game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Read at your own discretion.
Update: This chapter has been fairly worked over. I highly recommend rereading this one, as I changed a fair amount of stuff. Especially halfway through and towards the end. All flirting between Gideon and Sam has been removed, and any spelling errors I caught were fixed, in addition to a couple other little things.
6 months later
January 23rd, 2055
"Not too bad," Gideon pants beside me as we come to a stop. Training in the middle of the day, when the sun is it's freaking hottest, is not one of my favorite activities. But as I watch the sweaty and out of breath Brit, I decide that it's definitely not the worst way to spend an afternoon.
"Tired already?" I ask with a raised brow, rolling my shoulders, unfazed by the intense running. My time at Atlas has practically flown by; most of it has been spent training and in lectures that everyone is required to take, though every now and then I get to tag along on a mission. When I wasn't in class or the gym, I was with my squad members. Ilona and Joker have become my closest friends— but no one replaces Jack, I automatically add. Gideon and I have become close too, dare I say it. It's an indefinable close; we're friends, but there's something there that makes it different. Probably nothing, I decide.
Straightening, Gideon grins. "Not even close."
Narrowing my eyes at his cocky tone, I challenge, "how 'bout another lap around base, then?"
Gideon opens his mouth to say something, but stops when his earpiece goes off. Giving me an apologetic look, he puts his finger to his ear. "Gideon."
As my breathing returns to normal, I allow my mind to wander back to Jack for a moment. These past few months have been difficult, but lucky for me, there are enough distractions around base that I hardly ever have a moment to myself. Sometimes my best friend will pop up at the front of my mind and I'll be in a sour mood for the rest of the day. What's he doing? I'd ask myself. If he hasn't decided by now, he never will. The thoughts only served to worsen my mood. The others noticed, but wisely chose not to say anything. Not since the first time it happened, when Joker received a bruised jaw for pushing me a little too far.
Now, when I think of Jack, all I feel is pain and hurt. He's moved on, I remind myself mentally. He has a better life now, no doubt. There's still an empty place in my chest without him, of course, but at this point I've come to accept it.
"Got it. Sam and I will be right over." My eyes snap to Gideon in confusion. "Shut it, Joker," Gideon barks in warning before he begins walking quickly in the opposite direction.
"What'd Jay want?" I ask curiously as I catch up to the jogging Brit.
The man beside me is quiet for a moment, like he's debating whether or not to tell me something. "Wants me to run over to the sim. They're almost done and Joker requested my wonderful presence at the exfil location."
"And I'm going with because…?"
Gideon smirks. "Figured you'd want to spend as much time with me as possible."
I roll my eyes. "One Joker is more than enough."
"Damn straight," he agrees with a laugh. "Suit up," he orders when we reach the prep area. I give him a confused look when he points to a full suit of Atlas gear. "Just do it, Sam."
Without another word, I toss on the gear. When I'm done, I turn to see Gideon pulling on his beanie and tying a bandana around his lower face. "Something feels off here," I comment as I take in his attire. He's dressed like one of the enemies we fight in the sim. "We're goin' in with no Exo Suits?" I ask in confusion.
"You'll be fine. Come on," Gideon beckons as he goes through one of the back doors. My guess is we're meeting up with the others at the end, where the POTUS gets taken away safely. But why bother, since it's almost over? My head spins as I try to make sense of it all. Gideon stops among some bushes, crouching low. "Put that thing on and go over by Joker," he commands, gesturing to my helmet. I raise a brow but say nothing, following the order as I stealthily merge with Joker and the others.
"Hey!" Joker grins from his crouched position behind some rocks. "Glad ya made it. There's a gun over there," he points. I grab the KF5 and duck behind the cover with him, not bothering to ask how he knew it was me. Probably because I'm decked out in an entire outfit of bright white gear with no Exo. Peeking around the corner, I look to where Gideon was before. I frown when I see that said man is no longer there.
"What the hell are you guys up to?" I ask out loud as the others begin to take out the enemies.
Ignoring me, Joker leans around the rock. "Get the door!" He shouts to someone. I watch as the man, probably a newbie, runs up to the truck. From my angle, I can't see his face, but I see what happens next clearly. He pulls on the door handle a few times before grabbing his arm, almost like he's in pain. In an instant, Gideon appears beside him, punching the guy square in the jaw. Ouch. I inwardly cringe as he falls to the ground. What's up with that?
Gideon lifts his gun to shoot the POTUS but I leap forward in the same second, launching myself onto his back. In the back of my mind, I realize this is a stupid move, but I'm too concerned with completing the sim successfully. Locking my arms and legs around his frame, I slowly begin to squeeze his throat. My motions send a silent order: drop the gun. Instead of complying, Gideon reaches behind himself and does the unexpected. His fingers connect with my side and I have no choice but to let go as he begins to tickle me. In my sudden haste to get away, I ungracefully fall to the hard ground.
Even though his face is covered, I know Gideon's mouth is stretched into a victorious smirk right now. He quickly lifts the pistol and shoots me in the side, causing my body to unwillingly become still due to the sensors in the rubber bullet. I watch helplessly as he turns to shoot the POTUS in the face before turning the gun to the guy on the ground.
"Sloppy, Mitchell," Gideon growls at the stunned man below him. He pulls the bandana down and makes a shooting motion with the gun. "You're a dead man. Reset!"
At his command, the lights flicker on and I'm suddenly able to move, though I'm frozen. The POTUS jumps up, brushing off his suit jacket. "You alright, doll?" Joker asks, helping me to my feet. I nod, eyes trained on Gideon and Jack in disbelief. Jack.
"No excuse for equipment failure," he says as he pulls Jack up. "Best weapon you have is the one between your ears. Use it."
I stare, unblinking and unmoving, at the stranger a few feet away. He's still the same old Jack I knew forever ago, but now he's got a left arm.
"At Atlas, we have prosthetics that are twenty years beyond anything the military could offer you."
He's here. He's really here, I try to convince myself. Joker pulls me aside as a jeep comes in just then. My father gets out, walking over to Gideon and Jack. Joker, somehow sensing that I still need proof that this isn't a dream, pulls me over to the POTUS. We stand together in a small circle as the two men make light conversation, giving me a chance to eavesdrop.
As my father approaches, Gideon pulls up Jack's prosthetic arm. "It's his arm, sir. I knew it was too early."
What? I shout mentally. Gideon fucking knew Jack was here the whole time? "That arm's worth more to me than this entire facility," my father replies as he comes to a stop next to the two men. "How's my boy doin'?" He asks Gideon.
"He's a work in progress," is the reply.
"Well keep working. This is a great soldier. It's a sad day indeed when the military has no use for good men like you." Suddenly light and happy again, my father nods back to the jeep. "Jump in. I'll give you the tour."
He and Gideon walk to the jeep. The Brit opens the door and leans against the side, waiting for Jack. I squirm uncomfortably when I notice the stare he's giving me. "Uh oh," Joker comments, noticing it too. "Looks like ya pissed the boss off with that little stunt back there."
I shrug in reply, watching Gideon get into the truck after Jack. The jeep drives away and I release the breath I was holding. Pulling my helmet off, I shake my head. "He's really here," I say out loud, trying to make myself believe it.
"Joker," Gideon's voice rings from the radio on Jay's vest. "We're bringing Mitchell over to R&D. Get the sim prepped for another run."
The POTUS begins to walk back to his starting position, with Joker and me following shortly after. "You got it, boss," the man beside me acknowledges. The radio is silent for a few moments before Gideon speaks again in a quieter, more threatening tone.
"And Joker… tell the brat next to you I'm not gonna let that little feat slide."
Jay turns to me, grinning as he replies, "sure thing, boss."
As we return to the prep room, I tug off the Atlas armor. "What're you doin', Sam? Don't wanna run the sim again?" Joker asks as he begins to change the sim's settings. "Or are ya just tryin' to avoid the boss now?" His last question is asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.
"Watch it, Jay. I told Ilona I'd meet up with her at the range after my run with Gideon. I'm late," I explain as I pull my hair out of its ponytail.
Blowing me a kiss goodbye, Joker grins. "See ya later, doll."
"You're too good for me," I sarcastically reply with an eyeroll as I leave.
Torres stops me as I'm on my way out of the building. "Do you know about…" he cuts himself off suddenly, going silent.
"Mitchell being here?" I finish for him, sighing as he nods.
"I didn't wanna keep it from ya, honest, Sam. Gideon said we should make it a surprise." Raising a brow at the sudden revelation, I listen as Torres continues in a happier tone. "But now that you know, what are you thinking? Aren't ya happy? Have you talked to him yet? Does he know you're here? Is he gonna—"
Quickly throwing my hand over his mouth, I laugh. "Calm yourself, Torres. I'm not sure what to think or feel. We haven't talked yet, and I suspect he knows I'm somewhere on base. Christ, you're starting to sound like a teenage girl."
"Sorry, Sam," Torres grins sheepishly when I remove my hand. "We just hate seein' ya down, is all. But now that Mitchell's here with us, it'll all be different."
I raise my eyebrows as I take in the man's words. Were they really that effected by my depression? I wonder silently. For the most part, I thought I did a pretty good job of hiding it. Maybe someone heard the screaming in the middle of the night, I guess finally. Sometimes the nightmares got the best of me.
"Well I've gotta run, Torres. Nice seein' ya."
The man nods. "You too. Dinner?"
"Yep," I confirm with a smile. Torres, Joker, Ilona, Gideon and I all eat as many meals together as possible, though it sometimes gets a little difficult when we're sent out on different missions.
Jogging out of the hangar, I make my way over to the range, which is just down the road. "Ma'am," an MP greets as I enter the building. I nod in return, skipping down the stairs. If Torres and Joker knew about Jack being here, Ilona did too. Taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart, I stride into the range. As soon as I cross the threshold, I notice three things. Ilona isn't alone, the man I was attempting to avoid is leaning against the counter a few yards away, and my best friend is using lane five. My mind races as I quickly try to figure out what to do before I'm noticed.
"Hey," Ilona greets quietly, coming over by me. Fucking hell, I hiss to myself, throwing all plans of escape out the window. "He's pretty good," she continues, nodding to Mitchell, who's effectively taking out targets. Ilona smirks, adding, "but not our good."
I'm unable to speak, so I nod. The woman, bless her soul, catches on that this is a difficult moment for me and steps back over to lane eight. Risking a glance over at Gideon, I bite back a groan when I notice he's already watching me intently. Eh, what the hell.
Copying the Brit's posture, I lean against the counter under the scoreboard, watching Jack instead of the targets. He still towers over me, even though I'm tall in my own right. He still pulls his shoulders back after he takes down a target. He still puts 110% into what he's doing. He's still Jack. Then why does it feel like I'm looking at a stranger? I wonder. Deciding it's because I haven't seen him in six months, I brush it off.
"Still mad at me?" I whisper as the final round begins.
Gideon pull me under his arm. "Course not, love. If anything, you should be mad at me for keepin' this—" he gestures to Jack, "—a secret."
I grin. "Don't worry, I am."
"Thought you would be," Gideon replies nonchalantly, removing his arm. "We can settle everything over a couple rounds in the ring."
Smirking at him, my eyes narrow mischeviously. "Deal."
"Training complete. Your score was Good," the computer announces, causing me to stiffen.
Gideon gives me a worried look as he comments, "not bad. Over to the grenade range. You need some hands on with the variable grenades."
I remain completely unmoving. Don't move and he won't notice you. Why am I so eager to avoid the reunion I've dreamed over for half a year? What if he's different on the inside? I panic. What if Jack doesn't care about me anymore? Suddenly I become the teenage girl I chastised Torres for being. Don't be ridiculous, Sam. This is Jack we're talking about. You're still best friends; it's just been a while. I am so not ready for this moment.
The tall man turns at Gideon's words, flicking the safety on. His eyes meet mine and I swear my heart stops beating for a few seconds. "Sammy?" Jack asks cautiously, surprise on his face. I vaguely register that he's grown facial hair. Looks damn good on him, my mind praises. Unable to speak, I nod vigorously, relief washing over me as his familiar voice hits my ears.
As if the barrier between us is suddenly shattered, Jack drops the gun and strides toward me. Grinning, I meet him halfway, laughing in disbelief as we hug tightly. I shriek when he unexpectedly picks me up and spins us around. When my feet are back on the ground, I look up into his crystal blue eyes. "You're really here," I whisper.
"I am," Jack says, setting it in stone. He's here, with me. I've got my best friend back. "I've missed you so much, Sammy," he adds in a rushed tone, crushing me to his chest. He's here.
After a moment, I step away. "Well it took you long enough to fuckin' show up." Gideon laughs, while Jack looks slightly shocked at my words. Cursing was never really my thing. Until I met Joker and Gideon.
"Alright rookie, the grenade range. We've got work to do," the Brit cuts the silence with his standard bossy tone. Way to ruin the moment. Jack follows Gideon out the way I came in, but not without glancing at me a billion times. When they leave, I sigh, rubbing my face.
"Everything you hoped it'd be?" Ilona jokes as she moves to stand where Jack previously was.
Turning to the scoreboard, I grin at the top three names. Irons, Ilona, Mitchell. "And more," I respond, laughing slightly. And here I was, thinking he hated my guts or something.
"Go, Sam," Ilona commands sternly. "The range won't disappear any time soon. And it looks like I won't beat your score any time soon, either."
Grinning like the Cheshire cat, I thank the Russian profusely, promising to make it up to her later. In my hurry to get to the grenade range across the street, I nearly get run over by a supply truck. "Was wondering how long it'd take ya," Gideon greets with a smirk as I run up to him. Sticking my tongue out, I prop an arm up on the wall behind him, leaning against it as I watch Jack run through the training. A quick glance to my left confirms my suspicions: Ilona's in first place. Guess I'll have to change that in the near future, I grin to myself.
"So what are you planning to do?" I ask curiously as I watch Jack toss a threat grenade before taking down the hostiles hiding behind cover. Gideon turns slightly and I shift uncomfortably when I realize how close we are. His raised eyebrow tells me to explain, so I do. "'Tell the brat next to you I'm not gonna let that little feat slide'," I quote, doing my best to imitate the Brit's deep voice.
The laugh that follows tells me I've done a terrible job. "Ah, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Gideon says with a mischievous smirk.
"You're wearing a t-shirt," I point out smartly.
Gideon narrows his eyes, uncrossing his arms. "Don't make me," he threatens as one hand comes dangerously close to my side. Jumping back instantly, I frown.
"Training complete. Your score was Average," the computer says, signaling the end.
"Average is right," Gideon comments, pushing himself off the wall.
"Could've been worse," Jack defends himself as they start to leave. A smile lights up his face when he sees me standing ther. Walking over quickly, I hug my best friend, unable to resist.
"Let's move. We're gonna run the simulator again," a snarky British voice calls out. I remove myself from Jack and hurry over to Gideon, eager to run through it with him. This'll be interesting, I think as the three of us enter the hangar. "Stay sharp, Irons is going to be watching," Gideon tells us as he picks up a sniper rifle, testing it out. Jack looks at me questioningly, making me shrug. "I'm leading this time," the beanie clad man before me announces.
Picking up an ARX, I tap my foot loudly on purpose while I wait for Gideon to finish feeling out the rifle. He looks me over before rolling his eyes and holding the gun out. Accepting it with a grin, I sling the sniper over my shoulder. "Kit up and choose your loadout."
I cross the large room as Gideon picks up an IMR and makes his way to the elevator on the right. "Get in the elevator," he orders as Jack finally chooses on a pistol and SMG. Grabbing all the ammo I'll need, I turn to see Jack get into the elevator with Gideon.
"The other elevator, Mitchell," he sighs in exasperation. Under his breath, he adds, "fuck me." You'd think he'd be used to dealing with newbies by now, I think as I laugh uncontrollably for a few moments. Jack climbs into the elevator on the left, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. When I take my place beside Gideon, I hear no complaints. A smirk tugs at my lips as we begin to ascend.
"Joker, we're heading up. Switching the sim to assault mode this time," Gideon informs, crouching down. I follow his lead, switching my ARX and sniper. I have to bite my tongue to keep from complaining at his words. Stealth is so much more fun than Assault.
"Copy that," Jay responds. "We're ready to go."
Rain falls down on us as we reach the top. Blinking away the drops, I take a deep breath and flex my muscles. "Preparing assault mode," the computer says. The elevators jerk to a stop and I notice Joker crouched with a few others by the gates. "Simulation starting in three, two, one… Execute."
On that cue, the gates swing open. "Okay, my lead, my way," Gideon commands before starting forward. Why is he always so controlling? I wonder briefly as we join the others.
"Here they come!" Joker shouts.
Gideon rolls his shoulders, giving us the signal. "Take 'em down!"
With that, the men open fire as they advance on the house. Quickly hurrying off to the side, I lay in the grass. Looking down the sniper's sights, I pick off enemies as they rush toward the stairs. "Atlas zero-one, we are tracking POTUS. Media room, south wing," Prophet informs over the comms.
I want to ask if he ever gets tired of saying the same damn things all day, but think better of it and stay silent. You've already irritated Gideon once today, don't make it worse, I reprimand myself. Picking off the last few stragglers, I jump to my feet. "Clear! Move up," Gideon announces. We hurry forward and I fall in step beside Joker, who gives me a cheesy grin before rushing off to the kitchen. Weirdo. "Alright, pick your entry point. We'll RV at the media room," Gideon tells Jack as I crouch beside him. As soon as we hear the kitchen door get kicked open, Gideon busts through the doors to the living room. We make short work of the dozen hostiles trying to kill us. A few bullets whiz past my head, making me duck behind the wall and quickly switch to my ARX. Leaning around the wall, I aim and take down the guy that tried to shoot me.
When the room is cleared, we enter quickly. "Mitchell, clear the bedrooms," Joker orders as we enter the hallway.
"Contact!" Rivers, a kid I'd trained with a couple times before, yells as enemies burst into the hallway. We take them down and Jack enters the bedroom. "Clear," he calls out when Jack takes out the last enemy. Meanwhile, Gideon rushes past me and down the hall, leaning against the wall beside the door to the media room.
Hanging back with the others, I reload, preparing for the drones that are about to come breaking through the windows. "Mitchell, get the door," Gideon orders. Seconds later the said object is blown open and a gun goes off a few times before everything is silent.
"Atlas zero-one, be advised: we are detecting a large QRF approaching your position," Prophet breaks the silent.
Gideon and Jack join us, the POTUS following closely behind. "Roger that, Prophet."
Joker crouches, gun trained on the windows. "Drones!" He calls out as soon as they make their appearance.
"Use your EMPs!" Gideon recommends and a second later Jack is tossing the grenade at the swarm. It goes off and the drones crash to the ground in an electronic buzz. The room is cleared and we follow Joker as he busts through the patio doors. "Mitchell, use your assault drone!"
With Jack at the rear of the group, controlling the drone, I crouch beside Gideon and shoot down at the enemies. The drone easily tears the enemies up, leaving us to mop up the remains. After I pick off the gunner on the turret, Gideon gives the signal to move up. "Area clear!"
As I stand and follow Rivers, I notice Jack and Jay fist bump, grins on their faces. Didn't take him long to make friends, I think to myself with a slight smile. When we're across the road and running down the path, Gideon updates Prophet. "We're approaching the north access road. Need immediate exfil!"
"Copy that, Atlas zero-one. Exfil on approach."
Just as the last of our group arrives at the road, the truck comes zooming in. "Get the President inside!" Gideon barks at Jack. "Do it right this time!" Glad I'm not the focus of that frustration, I sigh mentally. But just as soon as the relief comes, it goes, replaced by a fierce need to protect Jack. I promised. Crouching on the stone, I watch Jack rush up to the front and open the door easily, without any problems. He closes the door and pats it twice, then the truck goes racing away. I'm gonna have a little chat with him about Jack...and ask why he punched him. That's something I've never seen Gideon do before, not even in training. He's always so collected and in control. Shrugging it off as my imagination running away with me again, I shift my focus to the house the enemies are about to come out of.
"Prophet, package is secure!"
"Copy, Atlas zero-one. Warbird inbound to provide air support, ETA one mike."
Jack comes running over to me as the bullets begin to fly. "Hey," he says breathlessly with a grin. A little confused on how he's taking everything so calmly, I simply smile back and continue to take out the hostiles.
"Copy, Prophet! Alright, dig in," Gideon says to the rest of us. Looking over my shoulder at him, I notice he's more— what's the word— wound up? His eyes meet mine and I remain still for a moment before spinning around and continuing to shoot. Quickly pulling out my sniper rifle, I shoot a couple guys hiding in the bushes by the house. Swinging the barrel around, I line up the crosshairs with the guy's head. I pull the trigger, but before the bullet can connect with the his head, the Warbird sweeps in, spraying him down and wiping out the remaining hostiles.
"Get to the Warbird, Mitchell!" Gideon shouts, which I translate to 'mission complete'. While Jack tirelessly rushes over to the descending Warbird, I hang back. Taking my time, I drop the empty sniper and start toward the bird. Gideon falls in step beside me and we walk in silence.
Biting my lip, I think about what I'm going to say. How I'm going to say it. Do I really want to do this? I'd be disrespecting my CO. My brain flashes the memory of Gideon slugging Jack in the face and I straighten. "You need to stop," I growl before I can help it. Gideon stops, literally, eyebrows raised and expression guarded. "Stop being so harsh to Jack, I mean," I fumble for a way to save my ass. "You don't need to boss him around like a dog." My mind replays all the orders he's thrown at Jack in the past 25 minutes, making anger bubble in my chest. He just got here, no way I'm letting anyone ruin it and make him regret his choice. The Brit stares at me silently, eyes wide in shock. Then they quickly narrow.
Just as I'm about to run for the hills, my father walks up with Jack, smiling. If he heard my embarassing comments, he makes no attempt to address them. "Looks like we've got an operator on our hands."
"He's getting there, sir," Gideon replies instantly, face suddenly blank. Panic seeps into my bones. Calm angry is always scarier than angry angry.
Jack looks at me and I drop my gaze to hide my blush. I get the feeling he heard my outburst. You weren't exactly quiet, a voice in my head laughs. "He's ready for real work. Good job, son. Welcome to Atlas." My father smiles again as they shake hands; both look proud and pleased. Allowing myself a smile, I sigh in relief. My best friend is officially in Atlas. He's here, with me. "We need to get going. Jack and I have some more things to discuss and paperwork to fill out," dad says as he claps Gideon's shoulder. We exchange farewells and suddenly Gideon and I are left alone, watching the Warbird fly off. Fuck. As I plan the quickest way to escape, Joker comes up to us.
"Guess that wraps things up for the day," he comments lightly, though his eyes betray him. He can sense the tension.
Gideon nods once, watching the bird until it's out of sight. "Irons sure does like the kid."
"And you don't?" I counter protectively, frowning at him.
The man in question meets my hard stare and frowns as well. "I don't like how he—" He stops suddenly, making me confused and a little scared. But before my heart can explode, he turns and strides away.
"The fuck?" Joker questions, to which I merely shrug. There'll be time later for me to discuss how dumb I was.
Later on, after I've taken a shower, I sit in my room, feeling very bored. Laying on the bed, I think about how much different everything will be with Jack around. No doubt we'll be sent on missions together. Jumping up, I remember that now I can see my best friend whenever I want. Moments later, I'm standing at Ilona's door. Maybe she knows where Jack's room is. After waiting several minutes for a response, I eventually give up and continue further down the hall to Joker's room. Just as I raise my fist to knock, the door slides open, revealing the one person I wanted to avoid. My luck is just the greatest today, I grumble to myself, stepping out of the way so Gideon can pass. He stands still for another few seconds, like he's waiting for something, but eventually he moves around me and stomps off to wherever grouchy Brits go.
"Jay, do you know where Jack's room is?" I ask, getting straight to the point. If I stay any longer, I'll probably be persuaded to have a few…dozen…drinks, which is something I don't want— not right now, anyways.
The man in question looks up from the TV to me, bottle in hand. "It's right across from yours. I thought Gideon told you," he explains with a puzzled look. Groaning, I hit my head on the doorframe.
"Must've slipped his mind…" I mumble, accepting the outstretched bottle. Taking an unhealthy gulp, I wrinkle my nose. "What is that?" I ask as I paw through the various drinks on one of Joker's shelves in an attempt to find something pleasant to wash the bitter burn away. Joker shrugs, taking a drink of the substances. I throw my arms up and wave goodbye to the drunk hillbilly on the bed as I exit the room. It's practically a liquor store in there, I laugh as I close the door and leave. Irritation begins to creep in as I stalk down the hall. It feels like I've been running in circles.
Coming to a stop at the door right across the goddamn hall from mine, I knock hesitantly. "If Gideon is in there, then I swear I'm gonna—" my words are abruptly cut off as a shirtless Jack opens the door. "—lose it," I finish lamely, raising my eyebrows. Jack blushes and waves me in. As the door closes behind me, Jack rushes to tug a shirt over his head quickly. When he's done, he gives me a shy smile.
"Did you know my room is right across the hall?" I ask curiously, taking a seat at the table.
Jack nods, settling on the edge of the bed. "Gideon told me. Didn't seem too happy, though." He shrugs. What's up with him? I wonder silently before turning to take in the room. The room is spotless and as plain as ever. A few books and envelopes rest on one shelf, but besides that, there's nothing else.
Leaning forward, I grin. "So, an Atlas member, huh? How does it feel?"
"Like a dream," Jack answers with a half smile, flexing his left arm.
A sad smile crosses my lips. "Is it weird? Having it back?"
Blue eyes meet my own and even though I'm hurt and upset that he left me for half a year, it doesn't matter anymore. Frustration courses through me when I realize I can't stay mad at him. He's got a pretty strong hold on me. "Yeah, it's really different. Can't say I ever missed it, though, being right-handed and all," Jack jokes. I chuckle before going serious again.
"I've got some questions to ask you," I start slowly. Though I'm curious, if he doesn't want to talk, I won't make him.
Jack nods eagerly. "Ask away. You deserve that much if you've gone through what I have." Raising a brow, I ask what he means. "Well," he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "I really fuckin' missed you, Sammy. Every day was hell. It was… it was like Seoul all over again."
"Do you have nightmares about it?" I ask quietly. When he reluctantly nods, I add, "me too."
At the revelation, Jack seems to go completely sentimental. "Sammy, I am so sorry. I was a complete dick… it shouldn't have taken me so long to decide—"
Bringing up a hand, I stop him. "No, no. You had every right to take as much time as you needed. It's your life and your future. This wasn't a choice to be making lightly, I know that, you know that. So what if it took you a couple months to make your decision?" I ask with a shrug.
Jack frowns, giving me a warning look. "Don't do that. Don't pretend like I'm not at fault here. You needed me after...what happened," he shudders, unable to fully address the haunting memory that constantly lingers in the backs of our minds. "And I wasn't there. If that doesn't make me the worst friend in the world, then I don't know what would."
Sitting beside him on the bed, I stare at the floor in front of us. "All that matters now is that you're here. You're here and you aren't going anywhere, right?"
"Right," Jack answers, his voice certain. Our fingers lace together, like the day of Will's funeral, and I swallow hard. "So tell me about what you've been up to, Sammy. We've got six months to cover."
I let out a shaky breath, pulling my legs up onto the mattress. "Well, for starters, I made some friends…" We lose track of time, just sitting there with each other. I talk about the training, my friends— our friends, now— and everything I've done and learned.
When I run out of things to talk about, I let Jack know that it's his turn. He doesn't dive into specifics with what he did for six months, but I got the gist of it. Drinking problems, more than a few bar fights, and so many one night stands he can't even remember half of them. I cringe when I hear about all the pain he's gone through. We dealt with our grief differently, it seems. Jack didn't have all the distractions I did. He didn't have the support system I did, because he unintentionally shut us out. Bringing my arms around him, I hold him tightly. My eyes close when he returns the hug. We need each other more than I realized.
I jump when there's a knock on the door. Jack lets me go and gets up to open it. When the door slides open, Joker, Ilona and Torres come in. "Got worried when you two didn't show up for dinner," Ilona explains as they fill the room. Stretching from my position on the bed, I check the clock. 11:07 pm.
"Guess we got distracted," Jack mumbles.
This catches Joker's attention. "You're not foolin' around with my girl, are ya?"
"Yours?" Jack and I ask at the same time, though my tone is joking and light. Jack, however, looks utterly confused.
"He's kidding, Mitchell," Torres explains with a grin. "They have this almost-but-not-quite relationship."
I scoff. "In his dreams."
"You know it," Joker winks, making Ilona and I groan. The rest of the night we spend laughing and talking. It gives Jack more time to warm up to his new teammates and also gives him a healthy distraction from our previous conversation. As I tip back my fifth bottle of beer, I can't help but wonder where Gideon is.