Alpha came in, hearing only the very ending of the conversation. He looked worn, but far from tired. "Well… you'd be in a lot worse condition if you didn't come here," he said softly, trying to put a positive spin on the negative input.
Tera almost startled at the Hellcat's presence, accidentally wincing when the machine on her fixed another dent. And just when she was getting to be decent at hiding pain, too. "There would've been other ways. Maybe I could've gone home," she said cynically.
"You can imagine how today's been," Tony said, double-checking the computer to find that the system was almost done with its task - all it had left to do was to run a final scan. "Drafting's not fun."
Alpha gave an apologetic glance towards Tera. "Ouch." He blinked away a glitch, having remembered his first flight attempt.
"They're acting like I'm staying here. And I'm not," she snarled, trying to keep her vision from distorting… but it did anyways. Hopefully Tony wouldn't try fixing it again.
Alpha lowered his gaze, but behind the apologetic gesture was confusion. "Why don't you want to?"
A look of uncertainty washed over her for a split second. "I just... don't. I can't." She felt the lock on her nose gear disengage, and she gratefully moved away from all the intimidating equipment. There was no way she was running into things again anytime soon… if she could help it, anyways. "Didn't want to stay before. Still don't."
...she's losing her own argument already. "Okay… we've got way too many vacant hangars," Tony said, pulling a map of the base up on the computer. "There are a couple close to you, Alpha. Maybe you could take her to one of those on your way back?"
"You don't want her guarded?" Alpha asked, eyes brightening some, but with a serious and almost dead tone in his voice.
"Let me put it this way: she doesn't have any more fuel after… whatever happened earlier. I don't want to keep you up again if I don't have to, either, and I'm not asking to let her stay with you."
Alpha nodded. "I'll show her to her hangar, then," he agreed.
"Good. Thanks," Tony replied, still somewhat preoccupied by the computer. "Oh, and Tera? Don't think I won't be checking on you."
The plane tried not to growl, increasing her distance from the forklift. "...wherever that hangar is, let's just go. I don't wanna be in this place anymore."
"Alright," Alpha said gently, "Come on then. Goodnight Tony." He exited, glancing over his wing to be sure Tera was following. As soon as they got out of earshot, he spoke again. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but I'd heard Tony's words about Screech. As much as I'd rather not admit that Tony's right… he's right. Screech is bad news."
The stealth fighter quickly caught up to Alpha, turning around in front of him to get him to stop, putting her nose dangerously close to his. She wished she still had her propeller… it was perfect to threaten with. "Then why the heck is he here?"
Alpha flinched back, eyes glitching in an extraordinary display of colours. "Look, all I know is that he's dangerous. I don't know why he's on the base or why he is the the way he is. I just know to stay away from him at all costs."
"That's stupid! Why wouldn't they tell you-" she growled, trying to hide her surprise - and partial fear - of the glitching, but she couldn't for very long. Instinctively letting up on her offensive, she reversed a little. "...Tony really, really messed you up…"
"I know…" he said, closing his eyes self consciously, "I don't even realize when it happens… it just does. I can't control it, and nobody can figure out what's wrong. I've learned to accept it for what it is."
"I don't get why everyone just accepts things," she said bitterly. "Maybe if we got him fired somehow they'd find someone else… someone that could fix your eyes and let me go home."
"I wish," Alpha agreed wistfully, "but I don't think They'd get rid of him so easily… unless he was found to be a traitor, which isn't going to happen any time soon. If we tried anything to get rid of him… we'd be traitors as well. We can't do that. I'll have no part in a revolution against Tony." His tone betrayed uncertainty and his eyes continued to glitch.
"Oh, come on!" She protested before pausing, almost horrified. Treason meant... whatever happened to Foxtrot. And Steve was dead for the same reason. "...please don't report me…"
Alpha smiled a bit in amusement, "I won't. Everyone wants Tony gone… it's common knowledge, so it's a safe truth." Then his eyes hardened into their usual blue -if blue was indeed their regular colour. "But there are some truths that should not be shared. Watch your words carefully. Even the smallest amount of suspect can turn into the last day of your life here."
"Then don't expect me to live long." she said, her speech switching involuntarily to the electronic language she'd used before. It was admittedly easier to use… even if she didn't realize it. "How am I to be quiet about things if I do not know what is treason and what is not?!"
"They'll be easy on you to start with… they'll allow you to learn the rules before they punish you for disobeying them," he responded, hardly noticing the change in language. Talking to stealth fighter cadets was second nature to him, having been recently programmed to understand their strange language.
"But I do not want to obey rules. Or take orders. Or… Or…" her irises turned red again as she looked away. "Unknown."
"I know I can't change your mind," Alpha said quietly. "Whatever the case, you've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow, and I've got to show you to your hanger." He began to drive a bit faster, feeling helpless in explaining anything to Tera. He knew so little, even if he was a respected and praised member of the base, and her asking questions was putting doubt in his mind: doubts that bothered him, and doubts he felt were dangerous to have. Thoughts nobody told, because if they did, they'd be dead. Or worse.
Tera followed as quickly as she could… which was harder than she thought. "When isn't there a long day here?" She said rhetorically, having switched back to English despite a twinge of accent.
"Hmph," Alpha snorted in amusement, reaching an empty hangar. "Well, here's yours. It's furnishings are… sparse, but then most of the hangars are. My hangar's two doors down if need be. You're free to knock if you need anything."
Not like I'm staying here long, anyways. Just until they let me refuel. Tera pushed the hangar door open, resulting in a loud squeal from the rusted hinges in protest. No escape possible… not without alerting literally everyone except - maybe - Icarus. "Okay," she said, preoccupied with trying to find a way to sneak out anyways. Even if she couldn't fly yet… maybe if she just left the door open and waited it out. "...I guess this is goodnight. See you around?"
"I should see you tomorrow before you leave, yeah," Alpha nodded, "Goodnight, then."
"Goodnight."
Tera moved into the hangar, moving the door slightly so it sounded like she closed it. The moment she heard Alpha go into his own hangar, however, she immediately moved to be partially outside, scouting to make sure there was no one else that would stop her from roaming around. There wasn't.
Override code A-113: Initiating sleep mode.
"What?" The plane whispered to herself, shaking her nose and quickly dismissing the message. She continued on her way, rolling onto the road and looking around curiously. She loved being outside at night.
Emergency override code 2733-TW: Initiating sleep mode.
Tera froze. Her error code. That was her code. She turned around and went back into the hangar instinctively - it was safe there. Any attempts to get rid of it were countermanded. "Go away."
Sleep mode initiated.
Goodnight, Teresa.