Act II
Chapter 15
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Week 13 - Day 4
Alessia sat with her head on the table and one of the news networks playing on the large monitor with the volume muted. She sighed just as Lewis entered into the office, sweating with an exhausted look on his face. He saw Alessia then he sighed, noticing that the news network was still on. The outside of the Black Raven hangar was being broadcast and it showed the hordes of people surrounding the place. Lewis eased into the chair across from Alessia and leaned back in it, letting out a sigh of comfort and relief.
"This... is a PR nightmare..." Alessia mumbled.
"Been havin' a lot o' those lately," Lewis said.
"Cael stayed home today," she said.
"So did Nol. They swarmed the house and he didn't want to leave Anna there alone. I called Alex on the way. Say's he's comin' in soon's the crowd clears out from the Line," Lewis said.
"Do ya think Cael's right?"
"Cael's got a good head an' a better gut. An' he's not the type to jump to conclusions, out loud anyway... Then again, when it comes to Solomon, he's been more reckless than usual,"
"He didn't say anything last night. Barely even talked..."
"Nol didn't seem too chipper either... Don't know what got into him... What the hell...?
Alessia lifted her head from the table and stretched her arms. The news network had caught Lewis' attention as a giant armored vehicle approached the hangar. Alessia looked at the monitor as well, expressing a similar shock as Lewis except her jaw dropped. The camera zoomed in on the vehicle as it pulled up to the hangar's side door, cutting through the crowd of people that had gathered there. Alessia's phone rang, which she started not to answer but did without thinking.
"If you would be so kind, Miss Saint-Claire," Cunningham's voice said through the phone.
"It's Cunningham...!" Alessia said, jumping up out of her seat then rushing out of the office and down the stairs. She made her way to the side door and opened it as Cunningham along with several of his men entered the hangar.
"My thanks," Cunningham said as Alessia closed and locked the door.
"Mr. Cunningham, what're you doing here?" Alessia asked, surprised.
"I thought you all could use the security. I was going to ask you to come in for a meeting but I highly doubt you'd have been able to get through that crowd in just a car," Cunningham said. Cunningham ordered his men to stand guard at the hangar's entrances as he and Alessia made their way up to the office where Lewis was still sitting, watching the news broadcast.
"Mr. Clark. I've heard a lot about you. Strange that we haven't had the chance to formally meet," Cunningham said, extending his hand to Lewis. Lewis looked at his hand then up at him before getting up out of his seat.
"Nothin' strange about it. I've been avoidin' ya is all," Lewis said, shaking Cunningham's hand, "I try to avoid people I don't like,"
"Lewis!" Alessia scolded and Cunningham laughed as he took a seat.
"You remind me of my father, Mr. Clark," Cunningham laughed, "He was an honest man. Always honest and always straightforward,"
"I'm hopin' that ya inherited that," Lewis taunted. Alessia sat down across from Cunningham, straightening her hair that she only just realized was messy.
"So, what was it about a meeting?" Alessia asked.
"It was to relay bad news, I'm afraid. After talking and discussing the situation with my commanders, I've concluded that we can no longer act as Black Raven's sponsors," Cunningham said.
"I figured this was coming soon," Alessia sighed, "I was hoping you'd make an exception since it was Dread Scythe,"
"I'm afraid not, miss Saint-Claire,"
"Thank you for all your support so far, Mr. Cunningham," Alessia sighed.
"Ya came all the way here just to tell us that?" Lewis asked.
"Perceptive. I'd expect no less from a former Vertex pilot. You're right. There is something else. After discussing with The Ark's Division Heads, I decided we couldn't sponsor you solely as an ACFL team. The case made against your team was far too strong. However, if you weren't solely an ACFL team..." Cunningham explained. Alessia was surprised, understanding what he was implying. She glanced at Lewis who was angrily glaring at Cunningham with narrowed eyes and a scowl.
"Out of the question," Alessia said sternly, "We are not a private military company and we do not support the weaponizing of armored cores. I mean no disrespect, Mr. Cunningham, but you were just a means to an end. If you cannot sponsor us as an ACFL team, then our relationship ends there."
"I admire your boldness miss Saint-Claire but you misunderstand what I'm saying. We can't sponsor you as an ACFL team and I'm well aware that you won't work for us in a military capacity," Cunningham said with a smile.
"I thought we were being straightforward here, Mr. Cunningham?" Lewis asked, his voice stern and eyes still narrowed.
"My apologies. What I mean is that I am willing to support your team as something else, an emissary for The Ark," Cunningham said as he rested his chin on his clasped fingers.
"Emissary?" Alessia asked.
"We have a special client and we need a representative to meet with them," Cunningham explained.
"Who's the client?" Lewis asked to which Cunningham smiled.
"I can't release that information to you. It's private... until you choose to accept the offer," Cunningham said.
"Thanks for the offer but we can't accept. We're still in the tournament and-"
"I'm aware, miss Saint-Claire. That's why the job is a short one. Two weeks in europe for just speaking with the client. In that regard, it's more of a vacation. After you meet with the client, it'll be up to you how you spend the rest of your time. You can even return if you so choose. Regardless of what you choose, I encourage you to consider your team's expenses for the next month. We're still your largest backer and your ACs have taken significant damage on top of maintenance costs for the hangar, replacement parts, paying your team members..."
Alessia looked to Lewis and discussed with him, without words, what Cunningham was offering. Cunningham's eyes shifted back and forth between the two and laughed. "If reading each other's minds gets too difficult, feel free to talk," Cunningham joked.
"Does it involve fighting or weapons or war or..." Alessia trailed off.
"No. None of those things are involved to my knowledge however, it's a fairly benign request from a client that benefits when there is no conflict," Cunnigham told her.
"Well...?" Alessia asked Lewis.
"Ya're the boss but... I don't see any harm. Worse case scenario's he's lyin' an' I'll have to ring his bell," Lewis said, cracking his knuckles with a smile on his face.
"Fair enough, Mr. Clark," Cunnigham grinned.
"Then we'll accept the offer," Alessia said.
"Excellent," Cunningham said, taking a phone-like device from the inside pocket of his blazer, pressing a button and giving it to Alessia, "This device has everything you need to know about your assignment. By placing your thumb on the center of the screen, the device will scan your thumb print and your thumb print will allow you to view the terms of the contract. If you don't like the terms, then you don't have to accept but if you do, scan your thumb print again. Your thumb print will act as your signature for the job's contract. If you want to review the contract, press the button on the side. Hold it down to bring the scanner back up."
Cunningham stood and straightened out his clothes. Alessia did as well and the two shook hands before Cunningham left the office. Alessia escorted him out but Cunningham had several of his men stay to provide security. When he was gone, Alessia went back up to the office where Lewis was still watching the monitor, watching the crowd outside the hangar being broadcast. Alessia examined the device Cunningham had left her and examined the thin rectangular device, pressing the button on the side like Cunningham had instructed, reading through the contract's terms when it showed up on the screen.
Noland sat silently, watching the TV alongside his mother. She laughed as she listened to the comedian make jokes about old pre-war movements and politicians. Several minutes passed as the comedian told his jokes and Anna noticed that Noland had not laughed at a single one. She placed her hand on his forehead and asked, "Are you feeling all right?"
"Yeah," Noland answered, "Why?"
"You haven't laughed at a single joke. You love this guy!" his mother said.
"I guess I must've spaced out," Noland said, smiling.
"Are you upset that you guys lost?" Anna asked, knowing that her son''s smile was fake.
"No, it's not that it's-"
"So it is something...?"
Noland paused to think about his answer which made his mother sigh. "Well if you're not going to talk to your mother about it, talk to Lewis or your friends, or that pretty girlfriend of yours," Anna said, poking Noland's cheek. Noland's grabbed his mother's hand and held it in his own, the fake smile he was trying to keep vanished from sight. "Is it about that girl?"
"She's not my girlfriend mom," Noland said, trying to smile again, "and I can't talk to my friends. They're busy enough,"
"So it is about the girl? Dawn, right? What happened? Did you two get into a fight or something?"
"No mom it's..." Noland sighed, heavily, "she... She's the one that..."
"Did she finally tell you?"
"Tell me...? Wait... Mom, did you know who she is? What she did? She told you?"
"She didn't have to tell me. I'm a mother and it's my job to keep track of people that hurt my child,"
"I... She..." Noland said struggling.
"That day at the hospital, I was going to hit her... but you didn't seem to know who she was... and... I don't know. You just seemed really happy with her there and she seemed like a sweet girl. I told her to tell you. I thought you'd take it better the sooner you heard it. Guess I was wrong," Anna explained.
"Mom, she... She did it on purpose..."
"What...? You mean she-"
"I asked her... I asked her if she and her teammates tried to kill us. She said no. I asked her if they hurt us on purpose... and she said yes. She did it on purpose,"
"I doubt that,"
"There's nothing to doubt, mom. She said it herself,"
"Well she lied to you,"
"Why would she lie? Why're you defending her?"
"People lie, sweety, especially to people we like and we don't exactly think of the consequences that pop uo later,"
"But why would she lie? Why would she tell me she did it on purpose if it's a lie?"
"I don't know why she'd do it, but..." Anna sighed, "The last time I told a lie, it was to your father and I told him that I thought it would be a good idea for him to go off and fight..."
"W-wha...? I thought..." Noland said, understanding what his mother had just said.
"I told him to go because I didn't want him to have any regrets but the truth is I wanted him to stay. He had a friend that was fighting and needed help and I wasn't this sick back then... And now..." Anna explained, wiping away the tear that had gathered in her eye.
"Dusk isn't you though," Noland said, "Why would you think-"
"Because she reminded me of that friend of yours. The really quiet one. Cael?"
"She reminds you... of Cael?"
"When you brought your friends up to the hospital to see me that first season, Cael was there, all quiet and shy. But I could tell he was a good boy and I watched those matches of yours and saw you and him watching each other's backs... Dusk, was that her real name? Seeing her and how quiet and shy she was... that just reminded me of him," Anna explained.
"But she isn't Cael and dad could've come back. It's not like he didn't know you were sick and it's not like she didn't know what she was doing..."
"So you are upset with her?"
"I-I-yes? I don't know... I just know... I don't think I can forgive her for what she and her teammates did..." Noland said.
"You don't have to, but you should at least talk to her about it. Be sure before you go burning bridges," Anna advised.
"So what do ya think o' the job?" Lewis asked Alessia, entering the office with a cup of water in his hands.
"Seems simple enough. There's also a bonus if I get there and have the meeting by the end of the week. I was thinking we could use that bonus pay to pay for Nol's mom's hospital care," Alessia said.
"That'd mean ya'd have to go in the next couple o' days, right?" Lewis asked.
"Yeah. I'll probably come back right after though," Alessia said, placing her thumb on the device for her print to be scanned.
"Ya could spend some time over there, finding foreign sponsors for the team," Lewis suggested.
"I could... but I was hoping to join you guys in the training sim..."
"Team's got issues that go beyond what a few trainin' session'll fix. Ya guys need time. Actually, I was thinkin' o' suggestin' ya take Alex, Nol and Cael with ya. A vacation together could be just what ya guys need," Lewis said, taking sips of his water. Alessia furrowed her brow and thought about the suggestion.
"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Alessia said after pondering.
"I'll hold things down here while y'all are out," Lewis said.
"Wait... you aren't coming with us?"
"I'm not the one that needs to learn teamwork. It's y'all out there, not me,"
"Alex isn't piloting either though..."
"He'll be there to make sure ya don't all tear each other's heads off,"
"Actually," Alexander said, entering the room further, "I found something... interesting in the White Wolf. I don't know what it is yet so I was hoping you guys would let me take it apart. It's about an entire month's amount of work though and Dr. Vinheim's coming by in a few days and I wanted him and his team to teach me a few things about the White Wolf, so..."
"Okay..." Lewis said, drawing out the word, "Then y'all'll have to keep ya'selves from rippin' each other's heads off," Lewis joked.
