The White Sheep and the Black Wolf Part 36

Elle sighed as she stepped into the transport that would
bring her many miles from her home. She was a bit apprehensive but
her feelings for her family were stronger still. There was no way
the Hoon'taks would get away with their sick deed and she'll make
sure of that. Determined as she was though, she felt pain at seeing
the empty seat beside her. Damn that JeeDang. Did he had to be so
stubborn? At times, she wished to strangle him for his foolishness.
Yet at other times, she'd missed the verbal battles she had with
him. They would snip at each other to the point that Zed's headache
would often escalate to a migraine.

Elle stashed the weapons duffel bag beneath her chair and a
Butabi crystal fell out of a side pocket. She smiled as she
recollected the moment she and X had met because of his little
obsession. It seemed like yesterday when he complained of getting
grubby human fingerprints on his precious crystals. Of course, his
complaining did not help her exasperation at Zed's attempt to choose
Agent U as the new field agent over her (especially since she had
been stuck in the lab for 6 years and was very much qualified, thank
you very much). She and X didn't get off on the right foot, but then
again what two new partners had in the history of MiB? Even the
extreme duo Kay and Jay had their friction.

Picking up the crystal, she examined it. For something the
size of a softball, it was surprisingly heavy. A nice baby blue
color, it acted as a prism, refracting the light and casting its hue
upon the walls.

Elle sighed. She could almost hear X telling her to keep her
hands off the crystal.

She had to admit that although she missed his snide remarks,
he did things that tested their partnership at times. Top on the
list was his clever idea of using her as bait for the baruga. It was
a barbaric move on his part and definitely not material to build a
partnership. The partnership would have ended right there with the
drowning of X in the public pool had not Jay interfered.

Only until she calmed down enough did she realized that X
had no other option. Using the Icer was out of the question. The
water had lowered the swimmers' body temperatures and another blast
of cold from the Icer would have resulted in hypothermia for those
people. Other weapons were rendered useless by the fact that a
swimmer could be shot rather than the baruga in the panic that
ensued. X, in an unethical way only did his duty as an agent. He
protected the people by luring the danger away from them. Even if it
meant using the only other carbon source about, herself. It didn't
hit her until much later did she realized also that X had no intent
to put her in harm's way. He placed himself between the beruga and
her. He leaned her away from the beruga, making sure his shoulder
blocked the path of that ravenous parasite. The only thing that got
hurt that day was her pride, and that was what she held against him
for so long.

Elle frowned, remembering the humiliation she felt when she
panicked. She hated how X disrespected her and used her like that.

A nagging voice entered the back of her mind. Yet was it
right for her to do the same to Jay to lure Alpha into a trap? Even
if Jay was a rookie, did she have any right to go along with the
plan to use him as bait? Though she was doing her duty to end
Alpha's reign of terror, she nevertheless remembered the hurt
expression on Jay's face when she told him that she was in on the
plan. Elle didn't forgive herself when she knew that she had
betrayed her friend's trust.

Elle sighed. Everyone in MiB must have at least been used
once. And X had his turn when Drek used him as a bargining chip for
Kay. So he too suffered the same conflict within, with an inside
exposure to boot.

Knowing that it was a pointless to hold on to such a grudge,
Elle relinquished the anger and felt more at peace.

Another thing bothered her about X though. It was his
reckless and risky actions on the field. He almost got them fried to
a crisp at the oil station and almost ran them into other drivers on
the road. Again she recalled that part of his actions were the
result of his desperate attempts to prove himself. Then again she
remembered how at times she done some wild stunts. Deliberately
disobeying Zed, she pulled, in his words, "a Nancy Drew," by rushing
to aid Jay in rescuing his partner back from a bunch of
intergalactic smugglers. A soft smile spread across her lips as she
remembered her how she recklessly rode the hovercycle up unto the
railing of the Brooklyn Bridge and rammed it into the alien thugs'
flying ship.

X was pretty much like any agent; always putting duty before
self, being courageous (if a bit too much), and daring to take
chances. He did have other annoying attitudes that had no use in the
field, though. At times he was a paranoid zealot, refusing to let
his perp escape even if it meant rushing into danger. He also had an
unfortunate lack on brains, like Jay, which left here with the task
of doing the thinking for him. And like Jay, he had an emotional
range that could fit inside a teaspoon.

Elle rolled the crystal in her hand, appreciating its
beauty. Damn him, she thought again.

Outside the engines started revving up and the ship shook. A
few seconds later, she felt elevated as liftoff commenced. Finally
the ship surged forward on its rendezvous with the enemy.

Elle hung her head, and a single teardrop rolled down her
face and unto the Butabi crystal. She felt torn inside. A part of
her burned with hatred for X abandoning her, and yet another part
grieved at his betrayal. She glared in disgust at the crystal in her
hand. Tightening her fist, letting the hatred consume her, she
pulled back her arm, ready to shatter the fine object into bits on
the floor...

When suddenly there was the sound of someone clearing their
throat.

Her heart raced and she turned around.

There stood X at the threshold, the familiar smirk was on
his face. "Hey Small Ears, I believe that belongs to me." He came
over and plucked the crystal from Elle's hand.

Elle blinked in confusion, then recovered, saying as she
shook her head, "I swear, you must be the most insensitive jerk I've
ever met."

X shrugged, his face still having that insufferable grin on
it. "You know I always like to make an entrance."

Elle smiled and sighed in relief. She came over to him and
handed him back his crystal ("Great, you got your human prints on
it."). "There's one thing I need to do, X," she said softly, a
playful smile danced across her lips.

X cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Without warning, Elle bitch-slapped him hard in the face.

"BY THE ZORCIAN MOONS, WHAT THE HELL?" X exclaimed as he
rubbed the spot she'd hit him. Damn female had struck him so hard
that the pain went beyond his human mask.

Elle smiled triumphantly at this remark. "That's just a
warning. Next time you do this again, you'll find a ball and chain
around your legs," she said innocently.

X shook his head in disbelief and rolled his eyes. "Oy,
humans," he mumbled.