The brown eyes of Gabriel Kinkaid locked with the blue ones of Alexis Tannar. Gabe could feel the cold titanium-A of his own combat knife pressing into the flesh of his throat. He could feel her breath on his skin as she spoke, her flawless lips forming words meant for his ears alone.
"I'm glad you came. Now you're going to answer a few questions for me. If you can do that, I'll be nice enough to make your death quick and painless. If not, I guess I'll have some fun with your last moments."
Gabe was shocked for a second or two at this. Did he have time to shoot her? Could he get the blade away from his throat before she ripped into him? He knew the answer to be no on both accounts, but it didn't matter in the end. His answer would've been the same even if he did think he could take her.
"Alexis.. You don't need to go this far to get an answer out of me. Hell, you and I have fought side-by-side. You've protected me three times now, and I've done what I could for you. As far as I'm concerned we're friends. So just put the knife down and let's talk. If I know the answer and it's not some top-secret military crap, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
Alexis hesitated, glaring at him. She then reached forward and took his pistol from his holster. He heard the safety on the weapon click off as she stepped back and pointed it at him. When Alexis backed off Gabe could see Charlotte sitting on the bed and looking upset.
"Move," Alexis said. "Over there, the chair by the desk."
Gabe sat down in the indicated chair, looking up over the top of his own gun at Alexis. "Alright," he said. "So what do you want to know?"
"Why do you have weapons against the Pandoras?" Alexis demanded quickly. "Why are your people plotting against us?"
Gabe was confused for a moment until he noticed his helmet laying by the pillow on the bed. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. "Ah. I know what you're talking about. That new BIOS update that lets me see where you guys are about to hyperaccelerate, right?"
"So you're not going to deny it?"
"Why would I deny it?" Gabe asked. "In fact, I was going to tell you about it after the incident with that van Houten chick but I didn't get a chance to. You know, Nova attacks and whatnot."
"How long have you had it? Why did your people develop technology for fighting us?" Alexis sounded on the verge of insanity at this point.
"I have no clue," Gabe answered honestly. "I didn't even know this existed. I only found out about it when they uploaded it to me during the fight with van Houten!"
Alexis glared at him, weighing his words. Gabe only stared right back, not wanting to speak in case it angered her further and caused her to fire. However, Charlotte thought a different approach might work.
"Alexis, I think he's being truthful." Her voice sounded quiet and subdued, not at all like the loud, bossy, outgoing, older-sister-like girl that had chewed him out in the infirmary.
Alexis finally lowered the gun. "I guess I believe you, Gabriel Kinkaid. But I swear, if you or any of your comrades-" She never got a chance to finish those words.
Sixty seconds previously, West Genetics Staff Quarters...
The five ODSTs that had come from above to teach now gathered their weapons and armor, racing out of their quarters as fast as they could. Their leader had gotten an urgent transmission from Lodestone, the AI onboard the Ace of Spades. Corporal Kinkaid was in one of the girl's dorms and had been taken prisoner.
Now the Marines were moving at top speed, charging through the school in their full armor and packing heavy firepower. These boys meant business and the few late-nighters out in the halls and walkways knew better than to get in the way.
It didn't take long at all for the troops to reach the designated room. Just as Alexis was lowering the captured pistol and speaking her words of faith, Mitch kicked the door down and led the charge into the room.
There was no chance for any of the three in the room to react to the deadly precision and efficiency of the ODSTs. Two of the warriors, including Mitch, tackled Alexis to the ground. Mitch now had his knee against the girls chest and his MA5C rifle aimed directly between her eyes. Even with the weapons famed inaccuracy there was no way she'd be able to dodge if he fired. The other two subordinates approached Charlotte. The girl put her hands in the air in a surrendering pose in the face of a silenced submachine gun and an M90 shotgun. Davis himself went for Gabe, checking his fellow ODST over thoroughly.
"Are you alright kid? Did they hurt you? What happened?"
Gabe shook his head and stood up. "I'm alright Sarge. Mitch, Rex, get the hell off of her! Rack-Em and Tate, get those guns out of Charlotte's face!"
Davis took off his helmet, shocked. "Are you insane? I'm arresting this bitches!"
"Like hell you are!" Gabe snatched at the BR-55 Davis carried, turning it on his former sergeant. "I won't stand for this! Release them, NOW!"
Davis's eyes went wide. "Kid... the fuck?"
"Just call them off and I'll explain everything. I'm sorry Sarge, but its gotta be this way!"
Davis hesitated for a moment before acting. "Alright, stand down boys."
Gabe sighed and handed the rifle back to Davis. "I'm sorry Sarge."
"Apologize by explaining what the fuck just happened, soldier!"
Gabe nodded. "Well, during the battle Alexis grabbed my helmet. She thought I would get in trouble if I lost it. Same with my knife. Woulda grabbed my laser if she could've found it. She was messing around with my helmet earlier today and found the new BIOS update."
"Fuck was she messing with your gear for, soldier?" Davis's question seemed to make all of the ODSTs tense up.
"Because she's curious about us, just like I'm curious about them. Haven't you noticed what I'm wearing, Sarge?" He pulled at the flimsy Limiter vest. "Anyway, imagine this from her point of view. Your new friends just developed a countermeasure against one of your most important weapons in battle against your mutual enemies. What the hell are you going to think?"
"Well..." The sergeant didn't seem like he wanted to answer that question. "I guess I'd be rather suspicious."
"And you'd want to interrogate the fuck out of someone, yes? Well that's exactly what Alexis did. She was doing her duty and making sure there wasn't a threat to our alliance. Unfortunately she was also feeling rather hurt about the subject. Not surprising, given the fact that me and her are friends. So, hurt female does what hurt females do. She overreacted."
"I'll say," Mitch commented. "I don't think I've ever seen a woman go apeshit on you like that before."
"I have," Gabe muttered. "But that's not the point. The point is, I'd just defused the situation when you guys came blastin' in here and made shit worse!"
Davis was quiet for a moment longer. "Alright," he said finally. "So my question now is, what the fuck do we put on our report?"
Gabe just sighed and shook his head. "Alexis, Charlotte, can I ask a favor of you two?"
Both girls looked at him, both still looking a bit shell-shocked from the attack.
"Mind coming with me to talk to Admiral Hartman? Maybe if she hears your stories she won't skin my squad alive and make condoms out of their hides."
Ninety minutes later, Pelican Bay 4, UNSC Ace of Spades
Pelican F290, better known as the U.S.S. FUKUUP by the crew of the Ace, touched down in the spacious bay. Gabe, Charlotte, Sergeant Davis, and Alexis all stepped off of the Pelican's ramp and onto the metal deck. The two Pandoras had equipped their Volt Texture uniforms, while Davis wore his battle armor and Gabe had made a quick stop at his room to change into the black and white ODST dress uniform. The four of them were met by a group of Marines in the standard green armor and carrying MA5 rifles. These Marines escorted them up to the forward observation deck, the same deck that Gabe had been offered a place at West Genetics Academy in.
"Man," Gabe whispered to Alexis. "Never thought I'd come back here as a prisoner." The Pandora didn't reply, clearly nervous by this situation. As it would turn out, she had every right to be.
Admiral Lucia Hartman was a tough woman. Even the ODSTs didn't give her too much lip. She was also the kind of woman nobody wanted to face while she was pissed off. And this morning, having been woken up well before dawn to deal with this fiasco, Admiral Hartman was very, very pissed.
As the two ODSTs and two Pandora entered the observation deck they found themselves greeted by Hartman glaring at them over her coffee cup. She motioned for the Marines to leave, which left the five of them alone.
"So, let's hear what you two brainless jarheads have to say for yourself," she said in a voice that shook with barely-suppressed rage. "I'll deal with the two skanks in a moment, but first I want to hear just what amusing excuses you fuckwads have for me."
Gabe stepped forward first. "Ma'am! This situation is my fault, Ma'am!"
Hartman focused her glare on Gabe, making the ODST regret his decision to speak. "Oh? And how, pray tell, did you cause this situation?"
"Ma'am! As you know, approximately four days ago the UNSC Ace of Spades was attacked by the Nova. During the course of that battle, I lost my helmet and knife. Pandora Alexis Tannar retreieved them, believing that I would be punished if I lost my gear. Had I not lost my equipment Alexis would have never found the Pandora Path Prediction software. Nothing would've made her suspicious of me and this whole situation could've been avoided."
Hartmans glare shot to Alexis at this point, and Gabe prayed that she would play along. "Is that so? And why, Miss Tannar, did you think it was a good idea to keep Corporal Kinkaids equipment to yourself rather than turning it over to a member of the UNSC?"
"Well.." Alexis looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. "You see.. I didn't know who to give them to, so I thought I'd give them to Gabe once he was released from the hospital.."
"And it never ONCE occured to you that you might be holding classified military hardware in your hands?! You know damn well he's an ODST! You know he's a member of our elite special forces! You never thought that maybe holding the piece of equipment that stores all of his combat data might be a problem?!" Alexis shook her head slowly, not willing to speak further. "Of course you didn't," the Admiral continued. "You were probably more concerned about getting into his good graces so you could get him to fuck you senseless! And you!" She rounded on Davis at this point, who could be seen flinching even through his armor. "What the FUCK were you thinking, charging in like that?!"
"Ma'am! One of our ODSTs was being held at gunpoint! Orders from Lodestone were to assist our captured comrade!"
"And so rather than performing a stealthy insertion as I know for a FACT you balltugging morons are taught to do, you go putting on a show for the ENTIRE West Genetics Academy! Now I've got Chevalier representatives riding my ass about this one, Sister Margret demanding to know why two of her students were taken by Pelican, and an alliance that you four morons may have just blown to Hell!"
Gabe spoke up yet again. "Ma'am... I'm sure if you give our stories to the Chevalier..."
"Enough, Corporal." Hartman sighed and turned her back on the four, looking down through the clouds at the darkened Genetics facility. "Miss Tannar, Miss Dufrain, I want you two on the next Pelican back to your academy. Kinkaid, Davis... You two are going to the brig until I get this sorted out."
Gabe felt his heart skip a beat. The brig? Before he could say anything Alexis stepped forward. "Admiral, I'd like to join Gabriel Kinkaid in the brig."
Hartman turned around, eyes narrowing on Alexis. Gabe was suddenly reminded of a UCAV getting a missile lock. "Excuse me?"
"Gabriel Kinkaid is my friend... and this happened because I overreacted to what I found," Alexis said firmly. "It's only fitting that I face the same punishment he does."
"So when he faces the firing squad for allowing sensitive UNSC hardware to fall into unauthorized hands, you'll be there taking bullets with him?" Alexis was quiet for a second then nodded. "Very well," Hartman said. "Marines!" The soldiers from before entered the room. "Take Miss Dufrain to Bay 4 and have her returned to her academy, and escort the other three to the brig for processing."
Two of the Marines led Charlotte out of the room while the others fell in around Gabe and the other two. Gabe got one last look at Charlotte before he was marched off into the belly of the ship to be locked away along with the other ODST and a Pandora who'd recently had a gun in his face.
Ace of Spades brig, sixty minutes later...
Alexis sat with her back against the wall of the cell, watching Gabe sleep. They'd been in here roughly an hour or so by her best guess. She couldn't believe the ODST was able to sleep in this situation. Her own mind was full of gruesome images of the two of them facing a firing line of those SPARTANs.
Her eyes followed the soldiers chest as it rose and fell with his breaths. The guy looked so peaceful laying there on the bench, it almost made her want to curl up beside him and fall asleep as well. But there was no way she'd be able to sleep like this. Not with impending execution on her mind.
She was sure she could make it out of the ship, even with the Marine guards. She could even take Gabe with her. They could escape, maybe steal one of those Pelicans and fly off somewhere together. They could start a whole new life on some deserted island, just the two of them...
Her cheeks flushed at this thought and she shook her head violently as if to make the image fly off of her brain. 'What am I thinking?!' she thought to herself. Sure, the ODST was strong and courageous, but he was an alien! Not to mention an alien she barely knew. And then there was the name on his knife, Vanessa. Was she his sweetheart? Did he perhaps have a lover on some distant star? Perhaps she was waiting for him somewhere out there. The Pandoras mind drew an image of a beautiful woman in a long dress watching the stars, waiting for her brave Helljumper to return to her.
"I'll bet she's beautiful," Alexis muttered. She rested her head against the metal wall of the cell, staring upward at the ceiling and trying to sort out her own feelings.
Meanwhile, Gabe was trying to sort out things of his own.
The ODST found himself in another dream. This time he was running through a long hallway. Behind him was a horde of Pandoras, each intent on claiming him as her own personal servant. No matter how fast he ran, he just couldn't escape them. To make matters worse, that Nova/woman was back as well and joining in the chase. As she glided past the Pandoras began to fall, shattering into thousands of little pieces just like the Nova in the first dream he'd had. Soon all were gone except the Nova, who quickly caught up to the running ODST and tried to embrace him...
"Get away from me!" he yelled.
"But I'm not near you!" Gabes eyes opened and he looked around. There was no Nova/woman, just Alexis and the cell they'd been in all this time. The Pandoras blue eyes were fixed on him at this point, concern written across her features.
"Sorry," Gabe muttered. "Bad dream." He sat upright and rubbed his head, wondering why he was having these weird-ass dreams all the time.
"Are you alright?" Alexis stood and crossed the room, sitting next to him on the wide bench. The trooper nodded but didn't speak. "Feel like talking about it?"
"I keep seeing weird shit," Gabe mumbled. "There's this chick that looks like a Nova or something that keeps popping up. Gives me the creeps, whatever she is."
Alexis was quiet. Was Gabe perhaps having nightmares about her? Or the other Pandoras? Were they the source of his worries? Guilt began to set in, and it was clear from the look on her face that the thought troubled her.
"Hey..." Gabe looked for another topic of conversation, feeling uncomfortable with the way this one had made her react. "You wouldn't happen to know much about choosing a Pandora, would you?"
Alexis looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Choosing.. a Pandora?"
"Yeah. That crazy-ass nun chick wants me to partner up and do a baptism with someone. I got a bunch of files on different available Pandoras from your medic."
Alexis was quiet for a little longer. "No," she whispered. "I don't know about choosing a Pandora."
"Aw well," Gabe said. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. There was silence for a while after that.
Alexis felt her inner turmoil reaching critical mass. A partner? He had to pair up with a Pandora? A new series of mental images of him with some older Pandora came to mind, most of which were way more dramatic than what real life could possibly entail. The thought of him with another Pandora.. Alexis knew she had no right to feel jealous but she couldn't help it. It just made her feel that way.
But there was a way! She could satisfy her own selfish desires and help her friend as well! She turned to say something to him then the weight of what she'd come up with hit her and she looked away again, reddening once more. Would he agree to it? What would he think of her for suggesting it? Would it ruin whatever friendship they were developing? Or would it go too far and end up with her regretting it? Maybe it'd make him hate her in the end?
It took her all of twenty minutes to gather the courage needed to overcome herself and turn to the ODST again. "Hey... Gabriel?" Her voice came out soft and unsure.
"Mmm?" Gabe had dozed off again but was roused by the sound of his name.
"Would you... I mean, when we get back.. do you think..." She took a breath before asking the question that was burning in her mind. "Would you like to partner with me instead?"
Gabe sat up, tilting his head. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean.. you did just lose your partner. I heard that's a very painful experience for a Pandora."
"Yes," Her hands tightened, clenching into fists on her lap. "But he would've wanted me to keep fighting. It's like you said, we fight because it's our duty. He understood that too.. he'd be ashamed if I didn't move on and keep fighting"
Gabe thought on this for a moment before nodding. "I'd sure rather pair up with someone I know and trust rather than some military chick I've never met."
"Then it's settled!" Alexis gave him a bright smile, looking the happiest he'd ever seen her. "Come to my room once we get back... assuming we ever get out of this cell.."
As if on cue the cell door opened and Hartman entered, followed closely by Sister Margret.
"Ma'am!" Gabe jumped up and snapped to attention.
"At ease, soldier." Hartman turned to Margret. "They're all yours now, Sister. I apologize for this mess. I will see to it personally that Sergeant Davis is reprimanded properly. As for the sharing of UNSC technology... well, I'm glad you were willing to listen to our reasoning."
Sister Margret looked just slightly annoyed with her UNSC counterpart. "While I understand the need for military secrecy, I do hope your people will take this as a lesson and be a bit more open with us. We are all on the same side, after all." Her gaze turned to the two occupants of the cell. "Come along, you two. Classes will be starting soon." Gabe and Alexis glanced at eachother before following her out of the cell.
As Gabe passed Hartman touched his shoulder. "A new BDU set has been delivered to your quarters down there. Try not to get this one shot up, alright?" Gabe thanked the Admiral then hurried to catch up to the other two. Hartman watched him go, pondering the joys of youth.
West Genetics Cafeteria, thirty minutes later...
Something small and fast with a bunch of brown hair caught Alexis around the middle and took her to the ground as she and Gabe entered the cafeteria. Gabe watched, amused, as Charlotte welcomed her friend back.
"I thought you two were going to die!" Charlotte said, sounding close to tears. "That old battleaxe of an Admiral was talking about firing squads and punishments and sending you away and you had to be all brave and..." This continued on for a few minutes, much to the amusement of the onlookers. Ivan and Devon approached, along with Devon's partner Sophia (a tall, muscular girl who looked like she could benchpress a tank) and Lina and her Limiter Horacio (a Spaniard with long hair and glasses).
"Damn, dude." Devon punched Gabe in the shoulder. "You just jump from mess to mess, don't you? One day out of the hospital and you're already getting arrested! By your own army nonetheless!" The Limiter shook his head. "So what did you do, anyway? And how'd Alexis get involved?"
Alexis looked up at Gabe nervously. Gabe just shrugged. "I did something kinda stupid," he said casually. "Alexis got ahold of my helmet, there's a bunch of classified data on the chipset so we got arrested."
"I still don't get why Alexis insisted on taking your punishment with you," Charlotte said, seemingly angry with Gabe over the other Pandoras decision.
"Well, that's natural," Alexis chimed in. "He's my partner."
Every eye went to Alexis at these words. For a moment no one spoke. Then the shock wore off and Charlotte stood up, bringing her hand back and slapping Gabe across the face.
"You dirty mongrel!" She brought her hand up again and slapped at him again. "What did you do to her?! I swear, if you did or said something improper.."
Alexis caught her friends hand as she came in for a third slap. "It's not like that Char, honest! Gabe was ordered to pair up with a Pandora and.. well, I'm available, and it'd be easier for him to work with me than with some stranger."
Charlotte looked from Alexis to Gabe, shocked. "You've been ordered to work with a Pandora? As in, be her limiter?" Gabe nodded. "Why would the UNSC request that one of their special forces units become a Limiter?"
"They didn't." This gained him more than one weird look. "Sister Margret was the one who gave the order. Your Chief Medical Officer was the one that relayed it to me."
"Well, whatever's going on, I doubt it's more pressing than that." Lina pointed towards the tables where the cook staff were beginning to set out breakfast. "We actually get first crack at the good stuff today!"
Gabe checked his watch. It was just after four in the morning. "So much for sleeping tonight," he grumbled as the others started heading for the tables. He hung back to walk with Alexis after Charlotte had pulled the Pandora to her feet. "You alright?" he asked her.
Alexis nodded. "Yeah, mostly. There's something I don't get though."
"What's that?"
The Pandora fixed her gaze on him as if trying to read the answer to her question in his face. "Why did you say that I took your belongings because I thought you'd get in trouble if you lost them? That wasn't the truth at all!"
"Well, it was better than not having an answer. This way you're not in any trouble and nobody thinks you're a spy or something." Gabe shrugged again. "I know it's bending the truth a bit, but would you rather face an ONI investigator? Pretty sure we've got a spook somewhere on that ship." This gained him a curious look so he just shook his head. "The point is, because of our story, you're not in trouble for doing... well, whatever it was you were doing with my helmet." At this Alexis turned her eyes downward, reddening once again. Rather than risk irritating his new partner Gabe made his way towards the food. If he couldn't sleep before class he was at least going to have a full belly.
Gabes first experience in class was.. interesting. There was much chattering among the student body about the transferee. He was an alien, a warrior from another universe, and he'd killed two Nova to date. Of course, that was the official story. The rumors that flew about him were greatly exaggerated. He even found himself being asked at one point if it was true that he preferred to eat Nova cores for breakfast.
The lessons themselves were interesting to say the least. Gabe didn't have his helmet to record what was being taught so he set to writing down everything the instructor said. His handwriting wasn't that great but he could read it and that was what mattered. During the lessons he learned quite a bit more about the Pandoras and Limiters as well as their combat strategies. He even began to devise his own strategies for working with the Chevalier forces.
The afternoon brought physical training and combat demonstrations, giving Gabe a chance to observe his new comrades in action without fear of impending mutilation. During the combat bit Gabe and the Limiters sat on the sidelines, watching the Pandoras squaring off in mock battle.
Evening came and Gabe returned to his room, feeling drained. The schooling wasn't nearly as bad as boot camp or the ODST training program, but the ordeal from that morning had taxed him greatly and he still wasn't fully recovered from the battle on the Ace of Spades. And so when the trooper finally made it back to his room he wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep. But there was homework that needed done.. Homework. Strange concept, an ODST doing homework. And so he set to his books, killing time until his next task.
Alexis had asked him to come to her room at ten that night. And so Gabe did as much studying as he could in that time. At roughly eight-thirty, however, he found himself unable to focus any longer. He looked for other tasks to keep himself busy, including checking over the new set of ODST armor that had been sent down from the Ace of Spades. The VISR system had already been updated with the data from his old one. The old helmets data would have surely been remotely wiped by this time so he didn't mind letting Alexis keep it when she asked for it, although he was greatly amused by her fascination with the helmet.
Nine-fifteen found Gabe stepping out of the shower and toweling off. He faced a choice at that point: his school uniform, his ODST dress uniform, or his ODST armor. The armor was the most comfortable to him, but the dress uniform looked nicest.. and the school uniform looked more proper than his military garb. It occurred to him that he needed to get his hands on some civilian clothes. Until then, however...
He eventually settled on his school uniform. Proper attire over comfort. He didn't have any long hair to comb or facial hair to shave so he found himself pacing his room until about a quarter-till. At that point he began making his way towards the fourth-year girl's dorm to meet Alexis for the first time as partners.
As Gabe walked down the hall of the third floor of the girl's dorm he met Charlotte and Lina, who had just returned from some extra training. Gabe greeted the two then went on his way. The two girls waited for him to pass then began following him. When he entered room 343 they crept to the door and listened at the cracks, eager to hear how well their friend would 'get along' with her new Limiter.
What they heard was a good deal of talk. For nearly half an hour the two within the room seemed to just.. talk. But just when they thought they'd give up they heard the soft sound of clothing hitting the floor. The two girls exchanged glances and pressed their ears a little closer, listening hard. However, they wouldn't need to listen too hard to hear what came next.
Both girls felt their blood run cold at the sound of Gabriel Kinkaid screaming in agony.
The two Pandoras hit the door at the same time, knocking it open for the second time that day. They found Alexis kneeling on her bed in a red evening dress, her hands pressed to her mouth, eyes wide in horror. The girls traced her gaze to find Gabe on his hands and knees, shirtless. The bluish stigmata Alexis had given him was pressed into his back, just above his spine. However, that wasn't all. Three lines of pointed crimson objects ran down the ODST's back, blood running from where each one had forced itself through his skin. Each one had the texture of a stigmata but was the color of the blood that flowed from the ODST's open wounds. They were star-like in shape, with eight long, sharp points coming off of the main body and curling back into the trooper's skin.
Lina ran out of the room to get help, leaving Charlotte and Alexis transfixed by the sight of Gabe screaming and the dozen sinister forms that had grown from his flesh...
