Resetting training room floor. Begin close quarters simulation. Headless mannequins sprang up from the metal plated floor and came at Agent Washington from all angles. He did his best to duck and weave between two before coming up and landing a solid jab to the body of the third. A fourth jumped at him and he grabbed it by the shoulders, working it around his body before pinning it to the floor. The fifth came at him with a bow staff he used against it slamming it down then flinging the entire mannequin over his head. His head came up as the first charged at him again. It came within inches of him when he jumped up, kicking it in the back and sending it tumbling into the second, rendering both useless. He stood and admired the five crumpled mannequins on the floor then looked over at his observer.
"How was that?" he asked between labored breaths. A cyan helmet stared back at him cocked to one side. "What? Speechless with my performance?" Washington turned back around as a sixth mannequin came out delayed and blindsided him, taking him out at the legs and causing him to tumble end over end in the air before landing on his face with a loud thud that echoed in the training room.
Simulation complete. Five of six hostiles neutralized. Critical damage detected. Final score… six out of ten. The automated voice shut off with a static hiss.
"You know," the cyan figure began. "It helps if you finish the simulation before you get cocky."
"Oh yeah?" Washington hissed. "I'd like to see you do better."
"Fills, leaderboard please?"
A blue, holographic screen appeared in front of them with a list of names, their scores, and their most consistent streaks with their scores. Washington looked at the list reading off the names to himself. Only two names stood at the top with perfect scores of ten. In second was New York with a six-time streak and above it was Carolina with a streak of nineteen. Everyone below them had a score of eight or higher with varying streaks.
"Who's the overachiever? And what is he on?" The cyan figure continued to look at him. "What, you giving me the silent treatment now?" She cocked her head.
"Fills, display Agent Washington's score compared to the rest." The screen expanded showing another six names before finally displaying Washington's score below the name Georgia that was in red instead of blue.
Anything else, Agent Carolina?
Washington looked back slowly at the cyan clad figure. Carolina removed her helmet and her bright red hair fell down over her face in two long strands where the rest was tied back in a tight bun. He stared at her through his visor and his hand partially raised like he wanted to say something, but nothing escaped his mouth.
"What, you giving me the silent treatment?" Carolina asked, trying to mimic him as best as she could.
Washington cleared his throat. "S-sorry," he stammered. "I had no idea…"
"Relax," she jibed. "It's not usually the number one whom sits in on training days. Most times, it's Wyoming or Florida, but they are both away on assignment."
"Noted…" he said hesitantly. "So, is this everyone?"
"No," Carolina sighed. "There are many more than just this list, these are just the only ones who have made the top twenty. Even then, there are those who are barely still part of the roster in general."
"Like who?" Washington asked.
"The triplets. Three of the worst we have. They wrecked some heavy equipment last week."
"They can't be that reckless… can they?"
Carolina stared at him and raised an eyebrow before giving an exasperated sigh. "They were cleaning it…"
"Oh."
"Come on, range is this way."
"Who the fuck does that bitch think she is?" South threw her helmet across the bay of the pelican as she walked up the ramp inside.
North was not far behind her, all calm and collected with his helmet still resting on his head. He held his rifle by a handle seated around the scope and had their travel supplies slung over his shoulder. One of the hangar techs was pushing a crate up and into one of the cargo slots. North put a hand up to stop them once it was where he wanted it. They had several issues with the techs not having the storage crates seated properly in the hold. North stopped letting them put them in themselves after an ammo can came down from the overhead racking, hitting him in the head.
"Relax. Her and York just got back from a very extensive recovery mission. They probably are just getting a little R and R."
"Oh bull… shit! I've seen Carolina take back-to-back missions repeatedly with both broken bones and equipment. And that lost puppy dog routine that York pulls off to get assigned with her doesn't help either." South strapped her rifle into the compartment next to her seat and sat down with a thud.
"You know," North went on. "Ninety percent of our missions require two or more agents, and the pairs they choose have a lot to do with field compatibility. Like you and me."
"Oh, what the fuck ever! They don't need number one and two on the leaderboard paired like a damn couple all the time. Like, when was the last time you saw York go in a solo mission?"
North shook his head. He was thankful for his helmet as he struggled to keep the smirk from his lips. Reminiscence of the mission he, York, and Carolina pulled off ran through his head. Especially that part when he caught the two of them making out in the dark corner of a night club that the three of them were supposed to be surveilling. Work part about it, even with her back to the club most of the night while saddled in York's lap, and she still collected more intel than he did on the thugs that ran it.
"What can I say? They make a good pair."
"Whatever." South sat back against the hull and crossed her arms.
"Y'all ready to go?"
York tightened the cargo strap on the crate in front of him and looked up to see their pilot. "All set," he said.
"Then let's go." She strolled up to the cockpit while North took a seat next to his sister.
"There's something off about her," South mumbled.
"The pilot?"
"Carolina, dipshit!" she reeled in her temper. The councilor kept telling her she needed to have a better handle on it. "She never gets all… emotional like that."
"Like I said, she's probably just stressed." North took off his helmet and leaned his head back. "Just needs a little R and R." He closed his eyes and tried to meditate, but South's concern still rattled in his brain. He hated to admit it to himself, but something was off with Carolina, and he almost hated not knowing.
So much drama! This one was a little rough, but I am trying to get more into everyone else's reactions to Carolina, especially Washington. Don't know yet how to work in York again now that he's on mission again, but I will figure something out. I hope you guys liked it! Let me know what you think.
Working on getting into a more regular writing schedule. Working four tens and being out of the house from 5am-7pm starts to take a toll. Especially with so any other projects. Regardless, next chapter will be scheduled for next Friday, 11/4. Stay tuned!
Red vs Blue and its characters are owned by RoosterTeeth Productions