Namesake

When I awoke it was still dark and the pain in my arm was searing. Immediately I remembered what happened and then briefly thought I had gone blind before I realized why it seemed so dark. I was in ZP's cockpit, and damn it was comfy and man inside a Titan was cool as shit. Literally, however it was warm and cozy. "Are you alright?" ZP asked, but it had asked this through its internal speakers, which made me jump sending searing pain through my body. "I did not mean to scare you. Are you alright?" it repeated. "It's okay," I said, "I just, I think my shoulder is dislocated". ZP of course had the ability to monitor inside itself, which isn't really surprising, but I had forgotten that there was a Titan watching me. "Your leg is damaged as well but after some time the soreness should dissipate, however, your vital signs are showing that you are seemingly distressed, is there anything else?" I looked around the dark cabin, "It's just dark, I can't see anything-" I was going to continue when ZP's display flickered to life. It was night outside, and ZP was standing to the left of the cave entrance. Down at its feet, the ragtag squad slept, except for two, Jasons and someone else, who served as watchmen as well. Since I had woken up I had been avoiding relocating my shoulder, but it needed to be done before severe damage was done. I grunted from the resulting pain, enough to nearly knock me out again, which got concern from the Titan. "Is there anything you need, JJ?" It was weird hearing a Titan say my nickname, as Titans normally don't even look at grunts. "No, I'm just in pain, I took a pretty hard landing and relocation is always a bitch no matter how badass you are". My body was intensely sore and my head had started throbbing. "Your mobility without a jumpkit is impressive. Have you ever considered enlisting as a pilot?" I sighed, reminiscing about my small adopted family, forged in the frontlines. "I used to be in the squad, we served a long time together, we did all the sims, we all were more than capable. We all joked about becoming pilots, but no one would ever leave because we were all too attached." I didn't know I had teared up, but I must've because I felt tears on my arm. I don't cry at much but that squad was my family, and I knew deep down I was never going to see them again. "My condolences" ZP said quietly.

I calmed myself down and looked around, next to me, there was a small gap between the seat and cabin wall with a bag from my ruck in it. "I did not know whether or not you would need anything in it, so I asked Jasons to grab it for you." Titans cockpits are comfortable enough but cramped nonetheless, so my stuff being there was…special. "I appreciate it", I sifted through my personal affects and found some mild painkillers, knowing that they would barely anything for the pain. After taking them, I was still tired and babying my arm and swollen shoulder, meaning I didn't feel like clambering out of the Titan until the painkillers did something, so I decided to talk to my host. "So, what's your story ZP? Why don't you have a pilot?" ZP didn't respond immediately and shifted its position. From the display I could tell that the Titan was now squatting, bending over the squad below it. "My previous pilot was killed in action. I was aboard the MCS James MacAllan to be assigned a new pilot, however we were attacked. Rather than possibly be lost in the crash, I was deployed to aid any militia forces until otherwise notified."

I was silent for a little while, not sure whether or not to try and comfort the Titan, before deciding to fill the Titan in on my recon, even though it, he, had seen it through my helmet feed. "I saw a dam northeast of here, and an outpost along the stream river feeding into it. There are mountain ranges to the south of us and a ridge line with a large waterfall to the west." As the Titan showed his calculations of our location to me, I watched the watchmen trade off, their dialogue silent to me. "According to this data, the nearest RV is over 1000 kilometers away. I suggest we start moving at dawn."

"What about that outpost I saw? There was a firefight going on there earlier."

"I am not getting any militia reports from that area. This is our only option."

I unpacked a snack bar from my ruck pack, "Well, I guess so, but these guys need their rest, we'll head out in the morning." I took a bite of my cardboard flavored bar, but the warm comfort and low hum of the Titan shortly lulled me to sleep. I don't know for certain or not, seeing as I was already falling into deep sleep, but I swear I heard ZP say "Rest well."

I had fallen asleep with the bar still in my lap, and crumbs strewn down my unkept "uniform". ZP had let me sleep in until around 8:30 in the morning, and had awakened me to the sounds of the forest we were in. When I was awake enough to aware of things, ZP turned on his display for me to see that the squad had begun moving. I stretched and my joints groaned in response, my shoulder greatly protesting every movement, and I groaned as well. After my complaints stopped ZP greeted me, "Since you are still wounded, I thought it best I let you sleep to aid in your recovery." I was unable to sit still, even though there was great pain in motion. "Thanks, but I think I need to get up and move." Even though very sore, sitting immobile seemed to be growing more painful with each passing minute. ZP stopped walking and opened his hatch and brought his hand up flat so I could step out on it, rather than jump down to the ground. The squad in front of ZP noticed his lack of movement and stopped around him in formation. "Mornin' sleeping beauty," Jasons piped up at me, "Decided to join the living?". I chuckled and ZP placed me gently on the ground. "Where's my gun and gear?" Jasons pointed back up at the Titan. "I think he likes you." he wooed at me. I rolled my eyes as I looked back up at the Titan who was grabbing my ruck from atop of him.

I started walking, with a slight limp, which prompted everyone else to do continue on. I looked at this new group I was with, and I decided to make us a squad, an "official" fireteam. There were six of us, me, Robbins, Pedroza, Luberto, Jasons, and Harvey. "I was thinking about something to call ZP, like a nickname for him" Pedroza said. The Titan tried to answer with, "ZP-4715, ZP is my shortened name-"

"I know that, but that sounds like 'Zippy' and you're… not that fast" Luberto said. The Titan looked down at the rifleman with one of his secondary cameras, "I am faster than you." This prompted the rest of the squad to start ragging on Luberto, who was still quite peppy even though he had just been passive aggressively insulted by the Titan. I began mulling over nicknames for the Titan, and muttered out, "Zephyr" in the middle of all my soft mutterings. I hadn't expected anyone to hear it, or even any of the other muttering that I had mumbled out, but Jasons had heard it, all of it, quite clearly. "Zephyr?" Jasons asked a bit quiet, but Harvey next to him heard. "Hey yeah, that works great!". Pedroza and Luberto demanded to know what was said, and eventually Zephyr was almost completely decided upon. All that was left was for ZP and I to confirm it but before either of us could say anything, Luberto asked "where did that come idea come from?". I sighed and looked around at the young faces around me, "Fireteam Zephyr was my old squad, and I'm not too sure where they're all at now.". The everyone in the squad became somber almost, reminded that we could face death at any minute, well everyone except Luberto who seemed as bubbly as drunk blonde. ZP spoke from behind me, "It is a more than adequate callsign, and it's not registered as a nickname for any other Titan." The squad all peered at me for my approval, as I was the only one left who hadn't voiced my opinion. I sighed and nodded, Luberto whooped, while the others all showed their excitement in their own way. Even if I never see my squad again, at least they will be remembered, if only as a Titan.