Shame, Guilt, and Indecent Tickling

Massachusetts strapped on the last of her armour, its heavy weight a comfort to her, before checking the ammunition in her gun. She'd been assigned patrol duty in the Freelancer base, and as the Meta seemed to be lurking about the area, it made little sense to leave. Stepping out of the infirmary, she walked through the corridor until she reached the door that led outside. The cold mountain air felt refreshing against her face, and she took her helmet from under her arm, putting it on, before striding over to the building she had been directed to earlier that morning.

"Agent Massachusetts, I presume?" a soldier asked her as she let herself inside again, shutting the strong wind out as she closed the door. She nodded, brushing the flakes of snow off her shoulders, and then silently followed the Freelancer past the canteen, where she caught a glimpse of Missouri, and into a bare office where another Freelancer was waiting for her.

"Welcome, Massachusetts," he said, shaking her hand, a red A.I. looking cautiously over his shoulder. "I'm Agent Iowa, and this is my A.I., Tau. I heard you lost your own A.I. to the Meta?"

"I did," she replied sharply, suspicious of his question, "and I plan on getting her back."

"You plan on taking back what the Meta stole?"

"Yes."

The red hologram snorted.

"I think the only ones who could manage such a feat as that would be Iowa and myself," he said scathingly. Iowa sighed heavily.

"Ignore Tau, Massachusetts. He's too arrogant for his own good."

"Don't worry. I just think his big head compensates for his small coding size."

"I do not have a small code!" Tau cried indignantly, and Iowa laughed.

"Pipe down, Tau. You sure as hell asked for it," he cut across. Tau grumbled, but said nothing more, disappearing from view.

"Like I was saying," Massachusetts continued, "I'm after the Meta. Missouri and I both are. He killed Illinois, Missouri's wife, and he stole my A.I. That's why I'm here. Once I've gotten what I wanted, I won't be staying."

"Thank God," came Tau's voice from nowhere.

"Smallcode!" Massachusetts coughed, and the voice fell silent again. Iowa grinned from behind his visor.

"Well, as you're a fellow Freelancer, we'll accommodate you as best as we can with weapons and the like. However, we will not actually assist you with the fighting. We do not want to risk our own A.I."

"I understand," Massachusetts replied, "just show me where you keep the ammo. In the meantime, apparently I have duties to do?"

"Just the basic patrols. I'm well aware you've only come out of Ohio's care recently. However, if there's anything you'd like to do, I'm sure I could pull a few strings...?"

He left the question hanging, waiting for Massachusetts to snatch it up. She did exactly that.

"I'd like to scout with your mountain patrols; get to know the area better. It'll help when I go after Maine. Would that be alright, or would I just slow your team down?"

"No, I'm sure it will be fine. I'll just radio head of the next squad to leave facility and let him know."

Iowa touched the side of his helmet, activating the radio.

"Arkansas, come in. Arkansas? Hey, Ark. You know that Freelancer we brought in the other day? Yeah, that one; she's coming on patrol with your men. I'll send her down in the next half-hour...yeah...yeah...uh-huh...she wants to get to know the area better. Yeah, OK, I'll send now, I'll send her now. 'Kay. Bye."

He turned back to Massachusetts.

"Patrols are leaving early today, so I suggest you get down there quick."

"You know, this food is a lot better than the crap they gave us at Command," Missouri commented, happily making his way through his breakfast. "How do you get it up the mountain?"

"Well," Ohio replied, sipping from a cup of sweet coffee, "we usually send a couple of Hornets to pick up the supplies and fly them back."

"Isn't that risky?"

"Possibly, but Command have never attacked the Hornets, because they know we'd retaliate quite violently."

"I see…."

"Anyway, you best hurry up with that. We need to start work soon," Ohio said, looking down and checking her watch. Rho appeared beside her and mumbled something.

"I took the liberty of doing all those work files for you, Annie, so you can spend your day doing more practical things."

"Thank you, Rho," Ohio said, smiling. Missouri looked at her.

"Your name is…Annie?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you. What's yours?"

"Zoura."

"Zoura? Are you sure that's your real name?"

"Well…no." Missouri looked over his shoulder to check no one was listening. "If I tell you, will you say anything?"

"No," Ohio replied grinning at him.

"My real name is Louis-Jabar, but just call me Louis. My parents liked the thought of me having two names combined into one. I'm not so keen."

"Well, it is unusual…Louis."

Missouri laughed, and Ohio stood up, her expression pleasant.

"Well, you requested for me to teach you medical techniques, so we best get to work."

The two Freelancers stood up and left the canteen, walking in step with each other, a silence hanging over them. Missouri had been interested in what Ohio did, and so when Iowa had asked what duties he wanted to do, he had instantly asked to help with the medical. He liked Ohio; she was nice, and interesting to talk to. However, he had to wear ordinary clothes instead of his usual armour, as she wouldn't allow it in the medical room. Being without it felt…weird.

"Hey, Annie," he began, and then paused. "Do you mind if I call you Annie?"

"No, of course not."

"Right. Well, anyway, you know Rho? Does it not get annoying having another voice in your head?"

"Not really, no. Rho isn't the talkative type anyway; she's very quiet. Also, I consider Rho as an equal, so don't talk as if she wasn't here."

"Sorry," Missouri said, flushing with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to offend anyone…I just don't really know much about the A.I. to begin with. I never got one."

Rho appeared once more and smiled shyly.

"It's OK, Agent Missouri. Despite being able to imitate emotions and life, that's all I am: an imitation. I keep telling Annie this, but she insists I deserve respect; to be treated like a human."

"Damn right you should," Ohio said firmly. "You've helped saved the lives of countless people with your brilliant mind. You've created medicines to cure nearly every single disease and all I did was make them. If anyone deserves to be spoken to properly by humanity, it's you, Rho."

"I think I understand what you mean…." Missouri said, looking curiously at Rho.

"Why didn't you get an A.I.? They're extremely useful," Ohio asked, looking down at the notes she carried on her clipboard. Missouri shrugged.

"I didn't want another being in my head telling me what to do and how to do it."

"But what if the voice was right and saved your life?"

"I'd rather make my own mistakes and be independent than having to rely on a program, becoming its dog and being ordered around."

"It's not always like that," Ohio replied, looking up at him. "Every Agent's personality was analysed and paired with the A.I. that suited it. Tau was rude and arrogant, so he was put with Iowa, who is very firm and authoritative. Massachusetts was put with Sigma, who is a creative, cheeky spitfire. Massachusetts' carefree personality and willingness to compromise meant they were the perfect for each other. Delta and York…York was sensible, if a bit proud; Delta was logical. They could work anything out. Rho and I are both quiet and science-minded. We don't want to cause pain, only to heal it. You see where I'm going with this?"

"But what about Tex and Omega?"

"That…seemed to work out at first, but then Command realised they'd made a combination perhaps too good. Omegas enhanced Tex's brutality and ability to kill, but he fed off her bitterness and anger, taking over her. By the time Command cottoned on as to what had happened it was too late. Tex was lost and Omega was the dominant force in her body."

"From what I heard from Massachusetts, she got rid of him."

"She did? Well, she must have had help somewhere else. Or perhaps she managed to make her mind strong enough to take over for a few seconds. I guess we'll never know. Tex would probably still be too dangerous to approach, A.I. or none."

The two Freelancers entered the medical room and Ohio sat down, spreading her notes out over her desk. As soon as she had seated herself, however, the door burst open and two soldiers dragged another one in, his leg set out in a funny angle.

"Slipped on the ice whilst on patrol and fell down a steep cliff," one in green armour said, lifting the patient on a bed and turning to Ohio. She nodded and watched them as she left, before reaching into her drawer and pulling out two pairs of rubber gloves, tossing one to Missouri.

"Help me get his armour off, but start at his legs first. He looks as if he's broken one of them," she said, standing up and walking over to him. Missouri followed her and stood over the groaning soldier, before taking hold of the clasp that removed the armour.

"This will hurt," she said soothingly to her patient, and then nodded to Missouri. "We can't be gentle with him; the armour isn't designed for that. Just pull it as hard as you can."

Missouri did as she asked, wincing as the patient yelled in agony, trying to sit up as Ohio held him down as best as she could. Missouri worked until all the clasps had been undone, and then took the armour plating off when Ohio lifted the leg gently up. The skin-tight suit beneath was covered in blood, and much to Missouri's disgust, he could see something angular jutting out, which looked suspiciously like bone. Ohio wasn't fazed however, and requested for Missouri to hold the soldier in place. He did as she asked, and she cut away the material around the Spartan's leg, before peeling it back, glancing at the mangled mess with a mild and unsurprised expression. She moved over to a medicine cabinet and removed a bottle full of dark red liquid, which looked almost like blood, setting it down next to the bed. Then she took hold of the broken leg and swiftly twisted it to the side so that the snapped bone cracked back into place.

The soldier screamed in agony and tried to thrash and pull away, but Missouri pinned him down determinedly whilst Ohio soaked a gauze bandage with the red liquid, before pressing it to her patient's leg. Immediately he stopped flailing and lay still, blinking confusion. Ohio smiled, keeping the sopping bandage pressed in place. After about ten minutes, she moved away, and to Missouri's shock, the leg was completely healed.

"A little something Rho and I discovered," she said happily. "Heals broken bones and skin in a jiffy."

"B-but how?" Missouri stammered, unable to believe what he had just seen. Ohio shrugged.

"I don't understand it myself. Like I said, Rho works it all out; I just make it. However, one of the drawbacks is if you administer morphine or any other form of painkiller, it counter-acts the effects and its healing properties become obsolete. My patients have to put up with the pain while I deal with them."

Ohio helped the soldier sit up, and then warned him to go straight to his dormitory and rest. The bone and flesh would still be tender and weak, meaning any activity could cause the bone to snap again. She pressed a buzzer on her desk, and the two Spartans who had helped him in reappeared, took him under each arm, and led him carefully out of the room. Missouri could only look at her.

"You…are amazing," he said, and Ohio blushed, smiling appreciatively.

"I'd be nothing without Rho. She and I are a steady partnership."

Missouri helped her clear up the blood and medicine, before sitting back down at her desk and watching her sift through her notes, her delicate hands turning the pages deftly. She noticed him watching her and her cheeks reddened slightly.

"What?" she asked, pushing her lips together into a shy, little grin.

"Nothing," Missouri replied playfully, "Just you."

"What about me?"

"...Nothing."

Ohio pouted and pulled a face jokingly.

"It's not very nice stare, Mr. Louis," she teased.

"But you're nice to stare at, Miss Annie."

"Do I detect a bit of flirting coming from your way, Louis-Jabar?"

"Maybe."

Ohio laughed and he fought to keep a straight face.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked curiously. Missouri's face darkened suddenly, and she realised she may have touched upon a sensitive subject. She quickly tried to apologise.

"Sorry, it's not my business. I shouldn't have asked-"

"No," he cut across her abruptly. "No, I don't mind. Perhaps I should talk about it once in a while. Let it all out...."

There was a long pause. Missouri simply stared at the floor, waiting for her questions to come. Ohio licked her lips tentatively, unsure whether to venture into such dangerous topics. Finally, she took a deep breath.

"What happened, Louis?" she said. Still he said nothing, and Ohio glanced away, feeling incredibly awkward. Then the sound of his voice made her jump.

"I remember when I first started dating Agent Illinois, back at Command. We snuck out of the base for a movie and pizza, using her computer expertise to disable the security system. Stupid, I know, because if the base had been attacked by an enemy, no one would have known until it was too late. We remained together all the way through training, and when they tried to take her A.I., I helped her escape. I...loved her, and on the night of our rebellion, I asked her to marry me. So, we did. Then Command caught up with us. They said they'd leave her alone if I worked for them, but when I left, for her sake, to do as they asked, the Meta attacked. She went missing, and Command declared her dead. I knew she wasn't gone, though. I was right. Command patched me through to a Recovery Beacon; Massa's and another that they wouldn't tell me. When I got there, the base was crumbling. I found Lydia on the floor, a bullet in her head."

Ohio's hands flew to her mouth as Missouri's voice broke. He put a hand to his face, breathing deeply, trying to control herself. When he finally took it away, Ohio noticed he was shaking.

"I found Massa, who had been saved by Tex. She told me that Lydia had tried to help Massa when she was wounded...so the Meta murdered her to get to Massa's A.I. She wanted Sigma back, and so suggested a partnership to hunt for that bastard...and here I am. I will find Maine, and when I do, nothing will stop me killing him."

Missouri fell silent again, biting his lip, his eyes watering slightly. Ohio said nothing for a moment, and then her hand crept forward, taking his in her own. He squeezed it tightly, a tear trickling down his cheek, before wiping it away roughly, his expression one of pure hatred. Ohio let go of him, stood up, and moved her chair around to the other side of the desk so that she could sit next to him, dropping herself lightly onto it. She touched his shoulder comfortingly, her stomach flickering slightly as she did, and then feeling ashamed. He was grieving for his wife here and she was experiencing fluttering fancies? She pulled a look of utter disgust with herself, and Missouri glanced up at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, I just found one of my thoughts...inappropriate," she replied, going red with embarrassment. Despite himself, Missouri gave a small smirk.

"Unsavoury thoughts?" he said, and then laughed quietly when she went even redder. "Tell me."

"No. You've got enough to think about without my silly, little feelings," she replied firmly, cursing over her inability to control herself.

"But what if I want to know? What if it takes my mind off things? What if your silly, little feelings are important to me?"

Ohio stood up, turning away from him and walking to the medicine cabinet, desperately trying to put him off, but he followed her, taking hold of her arm and pulling her towards him.

"Tell me," he repeated, looking her in the eye and trying to stare her out. Ohio stared back, her gaze unfaltering.

"Make me," she said, folding her arms and pouting again.

"Fine."

Missouri moved so suddenly that Ohio had no time to react. One minute he was stood looking at her with a stony expression, the next he had leapt forward, tickling her like there was no tomorrow. She let out a shriek of surprise and childish glee, and then scurried across the medical room, trying to avoid him as he chased her.

"Te-ell me!" he said in a singsong voice, whilst Ohio protested between gasps of laughter. Then she tripped. Missouri threw himself forward, managing to catch her at the last minute, but then losing his balance himself, falling backwards, Ohio landing on top of him. He groaned in pain, causing Ohio to sit up and look down at him, worried. Then he burst out laughing at her.

"Got you," he grinned, and she scowled.

"Not funny!" Ohio cried, leaning on his chest and glaring stubbornly at him. He looked back innocently at her, and against her will, her face broke out into a smile. They sat like that for a few moments, staring at each other behind one of the beds, out of view. The Missouri lifted his hand up and caressed her cheek. Ohio touched his fingers with her own slender ones, and licked her lips slightly, her heart beating frenziedly. Missouri said nothing, but merely continued to look her, as if he was confused. Ohio slowly leant forward, testing him, until their faces were barely an inch away from each other.

"What were you going to tell me?" he asked suddenly, his breath tickling her cheek.

"...I wasn't," she mumbled, and softly pressed her lips against his, waiting for Missouri to pull away, to stop her. He didn't. Instead, he put his hands on the back of her neck and gently pulled her closer, kissing her back. His arms then moved around her waist, squeezing her tightly as they kissed, and her hands ran slowly through his hair. Then Missouri saw an image of Illinois in his head, watching him and Ohio sadly.

It came as a great surprise to Ohio when Missouri shook his head and firmly moved her away from him, before sitting up. She sat back, feeling mortified, unable to look at him, knowing things had gone too far, too fast.

"This...isn't right. I'm sorry," Missouri said quietly, his features showing despair and self-hatred at the same time. He hastily stood up and walked towards the door, yanking it open and exiting through it, leaving an ashamed Ohio sat on the floor alone.

Missouri hurried down through the corridors and outside, practically running until he reached the dormitories. He let himself into his room, and then paced about frantically, guilt eating away at his insides. He'd kissed another woman…. How could he have done such a thing; betray Illinois like that? His wife had been murdered and yet he was attempting to move on this quickly? His conscience raged angrily inside, so much that it hurt, unable to shake the image of Illinois from his mind.

Feeling truly sickened, he threw himself down onto his bed, putting his face into his hands and sighing deeply.

The whole thing was fucked up.