She looked at him as he came through the narrow doorway. He was always like that, bold as brass and ready to do whatever anyone asked of him. A frown creased her brow as she finished her goop, standing to put the empty container on the bench. No one mentioned that she hadn't eaten a meal with him for almost a week. His eyes followed her out and for a brief moment she wanted to stop and take his hands in hers. But that was a weakness no warrior needed and she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way. If they were going to die, they were going to die fighting. Why did she have to remind herself? Of course the pair of them would go down with guns ablaze, it was the only way with them, all or nothing. All or nothing. All, nothing. And she had nothing. And he had all, everything and she was left with the empty feeling in her heart. The screens drew her like a moth to a flame. It was impossible not to look at those green lines and wonder what they would show when there were two more dead bodies in there. Hearing footsteps on the ladder, she whirled away, grateful that her short hair didn't allow movement to de revealed. It was him.
"Have you seen the new training sim?" It was the first thing he had said to her for five days, seven hours.
"Yeah, it looks like a challenge." She studied some cables without seeing them.
"Do you want to go in with me?"
"Sure," she shrugged," why not?" But she still didn't look at him, her shoulders squared and muscles ready to react.
"Ok. I'll ask Tank to tell us when he's ready."
"All right, come get me when we're set." He nodded, turning on his heel and walking away. She too left the Core, heading back to her room to finish packing her bag. It was something to calm her down, something to get her focused on a task, something to make the world bearable without him. The clothes fitted neatly into the pack, which she stowed under her bed. She was sitting calmly as he called her. Quietly she went out, lying easily in the chair which would let her find that world between worlds. He looked tense, she noted as she closed her eyes, as though he were worried. But he never worries. Always or never. Never.
*
She sat and watched the walls, waiting for them to move closer. He was standing in the doorway, watching her with those soft eyes. They had fought, bitter words flying in the silence between them. Her eyes met his and held, forcing them to do more than talk. His eyes stayed with hers, refusing to meet the anger he saw reflected in her eyes. He had said things that had hurt, cut her to the quick. The others had too, comparing her to the black haired woman she was nothing like. But he had been trying to convince her she was perfect, the liar. She wasn't going to be able to take on the other woman with success. But it didn't matter, she was nothing like her, she didn't like the darkness to wrap around her. She wanted the light, she wanted the sun. She wanted him. He wanted her, all or nothing. All or nothing. Nothing.
*
*~*
A/N: I hope you guys like Switch and Apoc, I do, they're so great! This is pre-movie and hence there is no Neo yet…
