"Throttle!" came a very familiar warm voice.
The golden-tan figure just stood, his arms open as he received a very snug hug from the mouse who'd caught his heart for ever so long. "Carbine.." letting out a gruff chuckle added, "Easy babe..heh" with a flinch as his wounds sent a stinging sensation up along his sides.
"Uncle Modo!" cried the now fully grown RimFire who'd literally jumped into his uncle's arms.
"Everything seems as it should," came the young Agent J's sentiments as he drew a warm amused grin. Eyes couldn't help but point to the red dusty sky however..reminiscing the last Mission on Mars not but four years ago. Ray and himself had been standing..at that very landing spot..staring at the stars as they both cracked up a joke of how her grandfather Kay and his father Jay would kill to see them paired off..and there they were..standing and staring..under the guise of a married Martian couple Mr. and Mrs. Spitfire. Chuckling to himself, just looked at the scene before him, all the happy faces of those reunited with their loved ones..would he ever have his moment? As he continued to drift into his locked thoughts, realized that being undercover agents had always been the task that Ray and himself were always given. They were on a clean streak, and had always been assigned to the areas where other Agents failed..they made quite a team..and so far there was only one failed mission on record. What he'd do to get those good old days back again..Sighing deeply dropped his skyward gaze to the red sandy ground, the last mission dubbed, MTM embedded in his mind. That Mission To Mars nearly caused them both their lives..hot on the trail of Big Brother..what irony..here he was now..reliving that very mission..that..nightmare.. alone once again.
"You okay kid?" came Kay's remark as he placed a heavy hand upon the young man's shoulders.
Sighing deeply, " I don't know to be honest..it's like four years ago..all over again."
Softening his hard formal gaze, Kay gave the young agent's shoulder a tight squeeze, "I know what you mean.." his eyes soon fixated upon Throttle and Carbine drawing a frown, "I'm sorry things turned out this way..Jake."
Sighing dropped the façade, and allowed his straight posture to slouch in a heavy hearted motion, "It's one thing to love someone from a distance..but what hurts most is loving a person who doesn't return the favor.."
Kay looked the boy in the eyes as he tipped Jake's chin up in a fatherly way, " You will find someone..someday.."
Jake looked tearfully at his godfather, dropping all formality, "I wasn't referring to myself," his sorrowful gaze soon diverted, zooming in on Throttle. "She's not going to like this."
Kay drew a light frown, "But she knew this was going to happen.."
"I don't know how she can do it Kay, how can she just carry on knowing the ending of her story?" Jake quizzed.
"Maybe it's because..that's just it..she knows the ending won't change either way..so she chose to live the way she wanted..in control..and free."
Looking up at the older agent retorted in a quiet bitter manner, "How can she be living free? When she's destined to die?"
"It's not how you die that matters..it's how you live your life son," Kay looked at the younger agent again. "And she chose not to put anyone in unnecessary pain or danger..that's why she re-wrote the plan. She's finally taking responsibility for falling for the wrong person, and for helping him go so far with the project."
Jake's brows arched high, "I thought you said-"
Kay sighed deeply, "What would you rather they hear? Better have them remember her as the agent you and I knew, rather than the broken hearted girl who gave up living until she met.. you." Looking the boy in the eyes, " She wanted out, but knew that the only way was to have her mind erased..she knew Protocol..and how it couldn't be bent. Your father had the exception because your mother was one of our own.." he explained as he turned to the group in front of them, "She didn't want to forget you.. That's why she chose you to neuralize her..instead of me. " Sighing deeply continued, "Because of you she learned to open her heart and learn to love," turning to Agent J added, "She may not have fallen for you, but she did love you..why else would she have sent you off on the last available pod?"
Not soon after the phrase, the light echoes of Charlie, Vinnie, and Jay's voices soon drifted towards the duo who looked over their shoulders drawing a smile.
"Hey!" called out Vinnie from the near distance catching Throttle's attention, and as the gold-tan character threw a wave, his eyes caught sight of Charlie and soon felt his heart sink. Turning to his right, caught sight of Carbine who seemed to have been disturbed by a soldier who'd whispered something in her ear."I understand.." were the words this observant fellow caught.
Modo pulled his nephew close as he walked over to the approaching duo, "I want you to meet someone," came his very joyful tunes.
"Hey bros! I'll be right back!" Throttle called out as he was pulled to the side.
"Ooohoohoo go get'em tiger," teased the very joyous Vinnie as he'd taken note of how Carbine had taken his bro's arm and tugged him towards the nearest door.
Raising an amused sarcastic brow at the masked Martian, turned to face the retreating duo. Charlie seemed to soften her gaze as she met the golden-tan Martian's shaded eyes, for a split moment she could've sworn the corners of his mouth took a low angle.
"Everything all right Charlie-girl?" Vinnie pulled the girl closer as he looked into her eyes, meeting a smiling face which spoke, "Yup!"
0 0 0
"I'm really glad you're back," came Commander Carbine's hushed, loving tones as she lead her familiar down to the lower levels of their base.
Feeling his gut twist at her words, couldn't help but feel like it was flash-back central. It had only been but a month since he'd last been there..under a darker instance of course..but he couldn't help but feel that something big was waiting for him this time round. "I see you and the M.I.B. are finally getting along," he joked.
The female mouse just smiled and leaned into his side, not really caring who saw her in such an informal outlook, " Let's just say the misunderstanding had been cleared up.."
"Good to know," chuckling in his typical charming manner couldn't help but pause, "Why are we going to the prisons?"
Carbine tensed at the question, but prompted casually, "Just making sure that fish face Plutarkian is safe and secure..besides I believe there's someone who'd been waiting to see you."
Sensing tension, shrugged it off, and the moment the fae brought about the topic of someone waiting for him, only one name came to mind..his old friend, fellow Freedom Fighter and leader..Stoker. Entering a rounded office just looked around feeling quite curious as to why he was meeting his old pal in such secrecy. Leaning back against the wall just sighed deeply, literally not believing his very eyes..he was back on Mars..reunited with the love of his life..what else could he ever ask for? Sticking his hands into his pockets just leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed smiling-eyes locked on Carbine as she addressed one of the younger cadets. It was then his fingertips brushed upon a small flat parchment, forcing him to drop his gaze. Slowly pulling his closed fist, took note of the small folded piece of paper. Kay had slipped it to him the night before..and with all the commotion and confusion he just never had the time to read it. Taking advantage of the moment unfolded the paper which could fit the full width of his palm. It was then the familiar handwriting created a crease upon his forehead. Why did Ray taunt him so? Her confusing messages and riddles..having half the mind to crumple the parchment and throw it away, caught sight of the sentence written in bold. "When the time comes..I want the first..to be you."
"First to be me?" he echoed a little louder then he intended.
"First of what?" Carbine quizzed as she walked over.
Crumpling the note just wrapped his arms around the fae's waste, "Nothing babe, just thinking out loud." Smiling warmly looked deep into his lover's eyes and felt his cheeks burn as the blood rushed to his face the moment Carbine slowly took off his tinted specks.
"What is it?" Carbine asked in an impish manner.
"Nothing.." smiling pulled the she-mouse close enough to close the distance between their faces and leaned his forehead against hers. His heart raced as he felt the fae wrap her arms loosely around his shoulders and lean in feeling chills run up his spine. It had been a very long time since he held Carbine in his arms..it felt so..real..so right..so..wrong. When their noses touched, he managed to steal a glance at Carbine's eyes, so warm..yet..wait..was there a flicker of a doubt..was it right? Within a moment a flash plagued his sights, the image of Ray seemed to replace that of Carbine, startling him.
"Is everything all right?" the Commander asked softly.
"I'm sorry..it's been a very long day.." Throttle admitted bowing his head..ignoring the fact that the female was leaning in, so that their foreheads touched.
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting" came a very cold remark making the couple jump.
Who to meet his eyes but Ray..Freezing in his station quickly whipped Carbine behind him defensively, and pointed his weapon in the human's direction. "What are you doing here?"
Chuckling Ray walked casually forward, "Oh she didn't tell you?"
Carbine sheepishly cleared her throat and placed herself in between the duo, "It's all right," she turned to Throttle, " she's okay."
The confused Throttle turned his line of sight to the girl who held her arms up in front of her iterating " Unarmed..no danger," and even if her words carried a light tone, he wasn't going to allow his guard to be dropped once again. If Ray was here..then Big Brother was not far off. Taking note of Carbine's disposition lowered his weapon and turned his gaze to the side.
"It was a last request.. Ray is giving herself up and stands trial in the morning," came the formal lyrics of the commanding officer.
Throttle turned to Carbine slightly confused, he knew that that very night at midnight, the Pacer would go off..did this mean that this Big Brother freed her of the object? Everything seemed to be going way too smooth for comfort, and it was because of his tension that Carbine placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder before she left the scene.