A.I. LOG – REPORT SEVENTEEN – YORK

Delta likes me to record these things much, being the logical program that he is. I hate them. Every time we do something, no matter what it is, I have to log it in his files. Then again, I think I should just put up with Delta's quirks – he's gotten me out of a lot of tight situations in the past.

The past... hmm. I usually don't think about 'the past', because the memories I have aren't all that sweet. I was drafted into the Freelancer project at the last minute, as one of the current selected died. Training accident, I believe. My first day was painful, to say the least. I was hit in the face with a tray by a girl, retaliated by hitting her back, and was then attacked by the person I was trying to defend. My broken nose and two black eyes took a long time to heal, let me tell you. Of course, I never expected to fall in love with the girl who gave me those damn bruises. Or become good friends with the one who broke my nose; but, hey, that's life.

Massa and Tex both got punished for starting that little riot in the canteen, although it was probably more to do with the orange that was thrown at the back of the Commander's head. Hell, it was funny, but perhaps a little too far. Then Massa was busted for smoking. Tex approached me later that night after I came out of the infirmary, offering to break my nose again if I didn't get the cigarettes back. God knows why I accepted that bet to flirt with her. Wyoming dared me twenty bucks that I wouldn't have the nerve, and me, being the new guy, didn't realise what I was getting myself into. I did get that twenty bucks in the end, though. I had to break into Wyoming's room ad steal it from his locker to get it, but hey, he owed me. Anyway, I got the cigarettes, and suddenly Massa was all over me. It annoyed me at first – the bitch had given me black eyes, but when she needed my help, she wouldn't leave me alone. She paid well, but that was beside the point. It still irritated me. Then we started talking a bit every time she came to see me, and I found her funny, if slightly blunt. However, I realised over time that the bluntness was just because she did nothing but speak her mind. She was honest, regardless of feelings, and I began to respect her.

Tex was a different matter. When Massa and I finally formed a friendship of sorts and I sat with them at meals, Tex constantly glared at me. Anything I said, she contradicted. Eventually I lost my temper and asked her what her goddamned problem was. Her response was to inform me that I was a cockbite, and that nothing I did would ever impress her.

Ha. By god, did I prove her wrong.

The Commander, which Massa had named 'Dickhead', had his own login system on the base's network. Many a person would have loved to hack into his account and fuck things up for him, so, I did exactly that. I got into his office, forced open his desk, and found the password to his account. I then sent an encrypted message around the recruits' network, auctioning it out. I encrypted it so that our Commanders wouldn't spot my message in the system, if you were wondering. Tex started talking about it quietly to Massa during dinners, trying to exclude me from the conversation, and I just sat there silently, an annoying and all-knowing smirk on my face. It used to drive Tex insane. On the very last day of the auction, in which there was a nice sum building up for it, I cancelled it. Then I went to Tex and presented her with the password for free, as she had been one of the avid bidders. She had stared at me in shock, and I bowed my head slightly, before swaggering away all superior-like.

The next day, all the interfaces across the base held a picture of the Commander on them, with the slogan 'Commander Dickhead' underneath. Apparently, Massa had helped with the creation of it. The fantastic thing was that Tex changed the password for the account, meaning the picture was stuck like that for two months before Command decided to reset the entire system. All the passwords were changed through randomisation, and everyone had to relearn their own. After my little stunt, though, Tex stopped being such a bitch with me. By the time the new passwords were issued, we were friends. Me, Massa, Tex; we remained in our trio right up until we got our Agent names. That's when everything changed.

Tex made Massa change from being a semi fighter to a full time one, but she never bothered with me. That was lucky, because when we went on missions together, our fields of expertise covered all the problems we encountered. I could get us through any system, Tex and Massa could gun their way through any enemy, and Massa could fix our equipment and vehicles when needed, thanks to her partial technician training. She could also give medical treatment as well, which proved to be a lifesaver in many a situation. However, sometimes Tex's brutality took us both by surprise. We did an international drugs raid, taking out the dealers no problem. Tex and Massa went down into the basement to check it out, and I stood guard. I thought I heard gunfire, but it could have been anywhere in the complex, so I stayed where I was. Tex was the first to come back out, her armour splattered with blood. She nodded to me and then sauntered away to investigate the rest of the building. I became worried at this point and went down the stairs to check on Massa. She was just stood there in the dark, staring at piles of bodies all around her, her gun loose in her hands.

"Massa?" I has said to her softly, stunned at the destruction and death contained in that one room. She merely shook her head and walked away quickly, staring at the floor, pushing past me to get out. I stood there for a few moments, and then followed Massa out.

Later that night, there was a knock at my door. As I was a late recruit, I had a room to myself, which earned me quite a bit of resentment from the other Freelancers. However, in this situation, it proved a good thing. It was one in the morning, and if I'd had a roommate, they'd have been a bit pissed off. With difficulty, I'd gotten out of the bed and staggered to the door, opening it moodily. I was surprised to find Massa standing there.

"Massa, what are you doing here? It's one in the morning-" I stopped abruptly when, as she moved slightly, the light catching her face, I realised that she had been crying. I quickly beckoned her in, as men and women were not supposed to be in each other's rooms. I flicked the light switch on, blinding us both, and she squinted, stumbling slightly.

"Turn it off," she mumbled, rubbing her puffy, red eyes. I did as she ordered and she sat on my bed, straightening the sheets. I felt a bit embarrassed, to be honest, as I was only in a pair of grey, regulation 'night-trousers', as Command called them. The matching grey, short-sleeve shirt was probably stuffed somewhere in a corner of the room, but it was too dark to see it. Massa wore the full grey regulation outfit, obviously. It would have been a bit revealing if she hadn't.

"What's wrong?" I'd said, sitting down next to her. Massa didn't reply at first, but instead scrunched the sheets in her fists. The lights from outside shined through my barred window, highlighting her gaunt and pale face, her hair falling slightly over her eyes. I felt a strange sensation through my stomach, something I hadn't experienced before, and squirmed uncomfortably. I'd never really looked at Massa before. Oh, sure, I'd seen her every day, but there's a difference between seeing and looking.... I found myself thinking she was quite pretty. However, I pushed those thoughts out waited for her to explain why she was here. It took a few minutes of silence, but then it all came tumbling out. She and Tex had been attacked while in that basement. Tex opened fire; Massa did the same in panic, and now she couldn't thinking about it, the guilt 'tearing her up inside'. About halfway through, she starting crying again and it startled me. It was real sobs, as if she was grieving for them, and I found myself moving closer and putting my arm around her. I meant it in a comforting way, I guess, but at the same time, I felt a little thrill run through me as I did. I leant back against the wall and let her cry into my chest for some time, feeling quite happy with myself, although it hurt to see her so distressed, wondering at the same time what had changed my opinion of her. One minute I had seen her as a friend, the next I was thinking her 'pretty' and holding onto her, enjoying it. She calmed down after a while, and we sat in the dark, saying nothing.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked me suddenly. What could I have said – No?

I nodded and stood up, going to the cupboard to get some sheets so I could sleep on the floor, but she caught my arm as I was laying them down. I looked up at her, confused, and she shook her head at me, before tugging me back towards the bed. I ended up with her snuggled right up to me, my arm around her once more. I'll be honest with you now; I felt incredibly awkward, but I didn't say anything. It was lucky that it was dark, as my cheeks burned red. Thankfully, she fell asleep fairly quickly, and I relaxed, looking at her sweet face, all the harshness that was there when she was awake gone. Slowly, I raised a hand and touched her soft cheek, the flipping sensation coming back to my stomach. Then realisation hit me, and I put my hand to my head, groaning.

I'd fallen for her.

Big time.

Of course, I didn't tell her. Seriously, she was this fantastic, funny, beautiful girl, and I was... me. New Boy. I'm nothing special. My resolve to keep it a secret finally tripped up on graduation day, though. Wyoming was taking a picture for Massa of her, Tex, and me. At the last minute, I put my head on her shoulder and my arm around her waist. After the picture had been taken, she turned and stared at me, her expression confused. I went bright red and mumbled any old excuse, before walking away.

Later on though, she knocked on my door again. I'd been sulking in there, feeling like a complete idiot, so I wasn't really in the mood for visitors. I said nothing, not making a move for the door, but Massa knew me too well.

"Stop pretending you're not there, dumbass. Let me in. We need to talk."

"I don't want to," I grumbled back, still not moving.

"I'll kick down the door if you don't," she replied. Well, I knew she would do it, so I sighed heavily and trudged over to the door, letting her in.

"Why did you put your arm around me, NB?" she asked instantly. I scratched my head and said nothing. She folded her arms and stared at me determinedly. I gave in pretty quickly.

"Spur of the moment, that's all," I muttered, not looking at her. Massa snorted, leaning back against the wall.

"I don't buy it. Even if it was 'spur of the moment', you're hiding something. What is-?"

She never did finish that sentence. It might have been because I strode across the room as she was speaking, took hold of her, and then kissed her.

Most likely.

But you know what the funny thing was?

She kissed me back.

When I pulled away from her, I looked her straight in the eye before speaking.

"You want to know what's up with me; why I put my arm around you, why I spend every waking moment with you? I love you. I fucking love you."

Massa said nothing, but instead smiled, and then kissed me again.

Best moment of life, I can tell you.

Not that it lasted. Tex got her A.I. and changed dramatically. She challenged me to a fight and I accepted, even though Massa begged me not to. My left eye was ruined, and when I complained to Massa about it, she defended Tex, saying it wasn't her – it was her A.I. I knew she was right, and that's what made me angry. I stormed off and got a transfer, my goddamned pride destroying another precious part of my life yet again. It wasn't long before I realised my mistake and tried to undo it. By the time I got back to Command, though, she had gone. Deciding my A.I. would help me find her, I fled as well.

I was wrong though. I haven't been able to find her; no one has. It's as if she's disappeared completely. I have to live with that every day, knowing I threw it all away over nothing. So, when Tex came and asked for my help, I decided to be civil with her. Massa was right; it was the A.I. She's different from the old Tex back in training, but there is a glimmer of her still left there.

You know, Delta will not be happy. I was supposed to record the details of the mission in here, but instead I let out my life story... heh heh. I best add something quick.

Tomorrow we go down to Omega's base to take him out. I can't wait. It's a chance to finally get even with him for what he did to me.

It's time for some motherfucking revenge.

A.I. LOG -TERMINATED-