Disclaimer: The Reality Benders on NOTHING!!!!
Zero and Dawn walked on down the halls. Zero was finding Dawn's silence rather unnerving. Usually, with new trainees or recruits, the trouble was to get them to shut up because of their excited chatter. But her silence was something that was unusual yet interesting to him.
"You know…we're not going to give you demerits for talking," Zero said, glancing beside him.
Dawn glanced at him (she was still hidden by the visor) for the briefest instant, and said after a pause, "Even if that was so, sir, I would have nothing to speak to you about."
Zero didn't know what to say to that. "I suppose…"
Absolute silence reigned once again and all the way until they reached Dawn's new quarters. The door opened and the both of them entered. The room was rather decent, with a bed (a capsule, of course), a computer and a desk. It had a curtained window and a full length mirror standing beside a closet that could either be used to contain armor or weapons.
Zero looked around and turned to Dawn. "Well, here you are. We'll sound the alarm when there's an emergency and you report immediately to the main room."
"Yes, sir," said Dawn.
Zero looked at her and said, "You know, I'd like it if you stop calling me 'sir'."
"Is that unallowed here?" asked Dawn.
"No, but when you say it and in your case, it makes me feel like I'm in a severe military camp," said Zero.
"What should I call you, then?"
"Just Zero. Okay? Call me Zero. Like everyone else does."
"But…I am your subordinate, and you are my superior. It is only proper that I should address you in a manner of respect." Zero felt like Dawn was staring at him in a somewhat puzzled manner, but he really couldn't tell through the visor.
Zero sighed and said, "Okay, how about captain? That is what I am."
"All right, captain."
It made absolutely no difference, Zero thought with a sigh. "Right. Well, I'll expect you to report to training later this afternoon, Dawn."
"Yes, captain."
Okay. At least she's easy to get along with. Zero walked to the door, and Dawn suddenly said, "Captain?"
He looked back at her. "Yes?"
She looked at him for a while, but then she looked away. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
"No, what is it?" he asked, turning to her.
She was silent a moment, then she said, "Did you know the Colonel yourself, captain?"
"I doubt there's any Hunter in this base who doesn't," he replied. "He is quite…known around here, especially those who participated in the Repliforce incident. Why?"
"Nothing," she said. "I was simply curious, captain."
Zero nodded and went out the door. As soon as the door shut with whoosh, Dawn let out her breath in a sigh. So this is my new home. She looked around. Compared to my quarters in Nova, this place is a four star hotel.
She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. She carefully reached up and pulled off her helmet. A pair of bright green eyes twinkled at the mirror. She sighed again.
So my new captain is Hunter Zero… she thought. He killed Colonel…and his sister…my best friend. Her mind was reverted to her kind, best, and only friend when Colonel took temporary control over Nova. They sent letters to each other when Iris left with the Colonel.
Oh, Iris…did he know how much you loved him? I wish I knew if he loved you back. But if he did…why did he kill you?
Dawn looked at her helmet. They said that Iris and I look alike, except for the hair and eye color. Heck, we even have the same accent. Is that why I kept my visor on? So that Zero wouldn't see me? Her expresion became serious. I'm not afraid of him. I'm not mad at him, either. I guess I'll just have to do the job I was sent here for, and forget everything that has to do with Iris, Zero, and the past.
She put her helmet on, and stepped into the capsule. As she lay down, and the capsule closed, she thought, I just hope no one digs it up.
Zero and Dawn walked on down the halls. Zero was finding Dawn's silence rather unnerving. Usually, with new trainees or recruits, the trouble was to get them to shut up because of their excited chatter. But her silence was something that was unusual yet interesting to him.
"You know…we're not going to give you demerits for talking," Zero said, glancing beside him.
Dawn glanced at him (she was still hidden by the visor) for the briefest instant, and said after a pause, "Even if that was so, sir, I would have nothing to speak to you about."
Zero didn't know what to say to that. "I suppose…"
Absolute silence reigned once again and all the way until they reached Dawn's new quarters. The door opened and the both of them entered. The room was rather decent, with a bed (a capsule, of course), a computer and a desk. It had a curtained window and a full length mirror standing beside a closet that could either be used to contain armor or weapons.
Zero looked around and turned to Dawn. "Well, here you are. We'll sound the alarm when there's an emergency and you report immediately to the main room."
"Yes, sir," said Dawn.
Zero looked at her and said, "You know, I'd like it if you stop calling me 'sir'."
"Is that unallowed here?" asked Dawn.
"No, but when you say it and in your case, it makes me feel like I'm in a severe military camp," said Zero.
"What should I call you, then?"
"Just Zero. Okay? Call me Zero. Like everyone else does."
"But…I am your subordinate, and you are my superior. It is only proper that I should address you in a manner of respect." Zero felt like Dawn was staring at him in a somewhat puzzled manner, but he really couldn't tell through the visor.
Zero sighed and said, "Okay, how about captain? That is what I am."
"All right, captain."
It made absolutely no difference, Zero thought with a sigh. "Right. Well, I'll expect you to report to training later this afternoon, Dawn."
"Yes, captain."
Okay. At least she's easy to get along with. Zero walked to the door, and Dawn suddenly said, "Captain?"
He looked back at her. "Yes?"
She looked at him for a while, but then she looked away. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
"No, what is it?" he asked, turning to her.
She was silent a moment, then she said, "Did you know the Colonel yourself, captain?"
"I doubt there's any Hunter in this base who doesn't," he replied. "He is quite…known around here, especially those who participated in the Repliforce incident. Why?"
"Nothing," she said. "I was simply curious, captain."
Zero nodded and went out the door. As soon as the door shut with whoosh, Dawn let out her breath in a sigh. So this is my new home. She looked around. Compared to my quarters in Nova, this place is a four star hotel.
She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. She carefully reached up and pulled off her helmet. A pair of bright green eyes twinkled at the mirror. She sighed again.
So my new captain is Hunter Zero… she thought. He killed Colonel…and his sister…my best friend. Her mind was reverted to her kind, best, and only friend when Colonel took temporary control over Nova. They sent letters to each other when Iris left with the Colonel.
Oh, Iris…did he know how much you loved him? I wish I knew if he loved you back. But if he did…why did he kill you?
Dawn looked at her helmet. They said that Iris and I look alike, except for the hair and eye color. Heck, we even have the same accent. Is that why I kept my visor on? So that Zero wouldn't see me? Her expresion became serious. I'm not afraid of him. I'm not mad at him, either. I guess I'll just have to do the job I was sent here for, and forget everything that has to do with Iris, Zero, and the past.
She put her helmet on, and stepped into the capsule. As she lay down, and the capsule closed, she thought, I just hope no one digs it up.