Del was cleared to leave the recovery within the hour. She felt fine, but something was different. She couldn't really tell what though, so she shook it off.
She walked into the mess hall, and was greeted by her teammates. She put on a small smile, but it didn't match her mood. She was scared, and stressed out. They weren't sure if Penn was going to survive. She wasn't sure she could handle it if he didn't.
She relied on him. She trained with him, ate with him, she did everything with him. She needed him. What if he wasn't there anymore? What would she do then? Forgetting her worries, Del sat at the table.
"How ya feeling?" North asked, as she sat
"Better." Was her simple response. The others could tell she wasn't telling the truth.
"Is it the AI, or you know who?" York asked, tentatively. Del let out a sad sigh.
"It's a little bit of both, I guess. I mean, what if I hadn't had implantation today? What if I went on the mission? I could have helped him; I could have-"Del was cut off by North.
"That wouldn't have mattered anyway. The Director wouldn't have let go on the mission. Besides, he made the choice to go on, not anyone else."
Del gave North a look that could kill. She was sad, but not sad enough to not get pissed off.
"Okay, well, can we see our new friend?" York asked Del.
"I'm not sure, he hasn't really said anything to me yet. What do I do?"
"Just be gentle with him, coax him out." York answered. He had experience with AI, Del did not.
"C'mon out, meet some friends." Del whispered, almost to herself. They waited, but nothing happened.
"I guess he doesn't-"Wash was cut off, when a small glowing figure appeared next to Del. He looked just like a smaller version of a normal person. Given the fact he was a hologram, and glowed a bright red and blue, just like Del's armor.
"Hi there " Del said, making the small figure jump. His voice was smooth, and very calm.
"Hello, I am Zeta. Pleased to meet you." He said, addressing the table.
"Hello Zeta, Im York." York sad, leaning toward the Ai, trying to get a better look. Zeta looked at York, in a confused manor.
"York, would you please tell me why my scans indicate that that would like to mate with her?" Zeta said, pointing to Carolina. York almost fell off his seat.
"What?! It's not- I mean. Its-"York started stuttering, and Carolina looked utterly shocked.
"Oh c'mon York, it was kind of obvious." Wash pointed out, trying not to laugh. York glared at Wash, who regretted saying anything in the first place. Del was also trying to suppress a giggle, at her AIs words.
"He's the fragment of humanity. He really doesn't know any better." Del tried apologizing to York, but she kept laughing when she tried.
"Yeah, well…." York started mumbling. They whole table, save for Carolina, burst out laughing.
After they calmed down, they started introducing themselves to Zeta. After they did, they asked if he had any more questions. Tis was a bad idea, especially for Wash,
"Why does Wash keep glancing at CT?" The AI asked, and Wash froze, as they all looked at him, even CT.
"Wash, would you care to answer Zeta?" York asked, finally exacting his revenge for Wash's earlier words.
"Well, I um- It's just, I." Wash topped talking, and out his head down. This drew more laughter from the table.
"Hey, you wanna see what he can do?" York asked, looking to Del
"I dunno…" Del trailed off.
"Aw c'mon, it's really fun with an AI!" York insisted. Del groaned, and gave in.
"Fine, meet on the floor in five." She said, before getting up, and exiting the mess hall.
Del walked back to her room. She opened the door, and started putting her armor pieces on. She wasn't surprised when CT, her roommate, opened the door.
"Hey." CT said, Del could tell something was bugging her. You don't room with a person, and not get to know them.
"What is it?" Del asked, curious. It took CT a moment to answer, but when she did, her voice was lace with embarrassment.
"What did Zeta mean earlier, when he said Wash was looking at me?" Del almost laughed at her question, but she held back.
"That means he likes you!" She practically shouted to her roommate. CT blushed, and fumbled to form words.
"N-no!" She said, shocked at her answer. Del started giggling even harder."C-could he? Really?
"Yes silly! I can't believe you haven't noticed it until now! He makes it so friggin obvious!" Del was holding her sides from laughing so hard. CT just blushed even deeper.
"I have to go now." Del said, stepping around her frozen friend.
"We will talk more about this later!" CT yelled, as Del left the room.
It was a rather short walk to the training floor. She walked in, and York was already waiting. She looked up, and saw the outlines of the other freelancers on the observation deck.
"Alright, just normal lock down paint. You against me, AIs allowed." York informed her, before he walked to the other end of the floor. He told FILLS to start the program, and pillars rose from the floor.
"Round start in, 3…..2…1, round begin!" FILLS chirped over the speakers.
Del cautiously moved through the outside layer of the pillars. She knew York was good, number three on the board, to be exact. She wielded only a pistol, the same for York.
Del was moving around a corner, when the first shot was fired. Zeta had activated her thruster pack, before it could hit. York ducked back behind another pillar, and Del lost sight of him. She followed his path, but couldn't find him.
Her pack activated itself again, when York leaned out from an opposite pillar, and fired. She fired a round at him, but he rolled away and came up to a knee. Del was thrown sideways, behind a pillar, to avoid the paint.
She leaned out, and didn't see him. She rounded the corner slowly, looking for movement. That's when she felt the barrel of a pistol to the back of her head.
"Check." Del groaned. "Mate." York fired a single round onto her head, effectively ending the round.
The paint was removed from her helmet, as the pillars disappeared from view. She stood up, and rolled her shoulders.
"Good game." York said, holding out ah and to her. She shook it.
"Same to you." They both turned, when the blast doors opened, and Wash ran in.
"He's awake!" Wash yelled, still running toward them. Del was out of the room in flash, leaving Wash and York standing there, before they also ran out.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Delaware burst into the recovery room, and saw Penn. He was lying in a bed, and was really pale. She ran up to him, and threw her arms around him.
"Ow, ow, ow." Penn murmured, his voice was weak.
"Oh, shit, sorry!" Del said, releasing him. They looked at each other, until the other freelancers came running in.
"Hey! You're alive!" York said ecstatically
"Yeah, Doc says I'm lucky." Penn said, voice still small.
"When are they letting you out of here?" Wash asked.
"Not for another week." Penn said, annoyance clear in his voice.
"That sucks." Wash said, feeling sorry for him.
"That's not the worst part." Penn practically groaned. He continued to lift the bee sheet off of his right arm. On it was a large sling type contraption, along with a lot of bandages.
"Doc said the bullet did some major damage in there. It's gonna be a few days before I can use it again." Penn added.
"I'm so sorry." Del said.
"Why? It's not your fault." Penn whispered, before closing his eyes.
"Let him get some rest." Tex said, leading them out of the recovery room.
"Tex is right, he needs it." North said, using his comforting 'big brother' voice. With that, they left the room.
Over the next few days, Penn worked rehab with his arm. Eventually, he was able to use it, but he was still limited. Many things happened those next few days. Things like Maine getting shot in the throat. Wash took this the hardest, considering Maine was his best friend on the entire ship. Penn was usually around, and they become good friends.
Other than Del, Wash was the first person Penn turned to. They joked around, hung out, and even sparred each other. That all changed however, when Wash was scheduled for implantation.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"How's it doing today?" Omicron appeared next to Penn's shoulder. Penn was stretching his still injured, shoulder. It was slowly getting better, but he wasn't allowed to do anything.
"Still getting better."
"Scans indicate an increase of muscle recovery, by 15% from injury moment."
"Wow. A whole whopping 15%?"
"Hey, it could be worse."
"And how could it be worse, exactly?"
"You could have lost your arm. That would have been a lot worse." Penn thought about his AIs words.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"I usually am." Penn gave the holographic mini-me a sarcastic look.
"Uh-huh, just like when you told me you weren't afraid of spiders?" Omicrons image flashed, and his voice was quickened.
"I just don't like their legs! Or their pincers, or their webs, or-"Om was cut off, Penn's door opening. Del walked in in, she was wearing full armor, except for her helmet. She walked up to him, and Penn put his good arm around her waist, pulling her into a deep kiss.
They remained like this, until Del began to giggle, and she pulled away.
"Stop! I have a mission." She said, grinning at him.
"Well then, good luck on your first mission agent Delaware." He responded sarcastically. Del smiled, and walked back to the door. Before she left, she turned back to him.
"We WILL continue this later though." She said, still grinning, before walking off.
Penn continued his stretches before walking to the mess hall. He still wasn't allowed to do any training, which majorly pissed him off. Today was Wash's implantation however, so that meant he wasn't going to be bored again.
Penn can see Wash sitting alone, at their usual table. All the other high ranking agents are currently on a mission. That was the same mission Del was going on. Penn gets some food, before sitting across from his blonde haired friend.
"Hey man, what's up?" Penn asks the other freelancer.
"Oh nothing, just thinking about it." Wash responded.
"It?"
"Yeah, the implantation. Mines today, remember?"
"Hell yeah! How could I forget? Wash is finally gonna get an AI!"
"I'm glad someone's excited." Wash grumbled.
"Why aren't you excited? Is this about all those inverted penis jokes York keeps telling you? I told you! That isn't true!" A small chuckle escapes Wash's mouth.
"I mean things like, Maine's headaches. He only got them after he got Sigma."
"I can see where you're coming from, but it's going to be okay Wash. I'll be watching the whole thing, I promise." As Penn finished, the Counselor walked in, and headed for them.
"I guess it's time." Wash sighed.
"Yeah, you will be fine, trust me." Penn said, reassuring his friend. The Counselor walked up, and turned to Wash.
"Agent Washington, it is time for your implantation, please come with me." Wash stood up, and followed the Counselor, Penn close behind.
When they reached the operating room, Penn was asked to leave. So he went up to the observation room, that over looked the OR. The Director was already seated, and turned to Penn. Penn snapped a quick salute.
"At ease, agent." Penn sat down two chairs away from the Director.
In the OR, Wash was laid on a table. His head was held in place by small rods. Then the Doctors deactivated the artificial gravity. They pulled out a long cord, with a large needle at the end. Attached to the cord, was a small oval container, and it was pulsating blue.
There was a small jerk from Wash, as the needle was inserted to the base of his skull. The small oval began to pulse less, and less, until no color came from it at all. The Doctors removed the needle, and re engaged the artificial gravity.
Wash was laid on his back, in a sort of chair. He lay there, with his eyes closed.
"It really is an amazing process." The Director said.
"It's a little different when you're actually down there, sir." Penn replied. The Director didn't respond, instead he just kept his eyes on Wash.
Everything was going fine, until Wash woke up. He began screaming like a mad man. Kinda like when Penn occasionally snapped. He jumped up from the chair, and knocked back a doctor that was trying to restrain him. Another came up from behind him, and tried to hit him with a sedative.
Wash whipped around, and caught the doctor's hands. Then Wash pulled the needle out of the Doctors hand, and continued to stab him in the eye. The doctor fell to the floor, with a sickening thud. Wash kept attacking the Doctors, nurses, guards, anyone who dared to get close to him.
Penn stared in shock, at his friends actions. He turned to the Director, and the Director turned to him. The Director gave one, short nod, and Penn was instantly at the door to the OR. He flung the door open, and looked at Wash.
He was still holding the needle, but he was shaking. Penn looked into his eyes and couldn't find the old Wash, his friend. Now, he was replaced with this crazy man.
"Wash, its me, Penn." Pen said, taking a short step toward the other man. Wash didn't say a word, and instead lunged, the needle pointed at Penn's throat.