Chapter Three: Tensions Run High
Jessica was restless: according to her chronometer it was only 0400 hours, but she felt alert and ready for the day. Weird, very weird, she thought as she slipped out of bed. It was still much too early for her to be even thinking about leaving her quarters, and she had a lot of energy to burn, so she decided to do something about it. Moving to the center of her cabin, she stood still and bowed at the waist.
----
The Master Chief woke up, stretched, and glanced at the wall chronometer: 0425 hours. Much too early for most people to be awake, but more than normal for a Spartan; they were used to waking up and moving about at odd times of the day. Throwing back his blankets, he pulled on a uniform and stopped short: his augmented hearing caught what sounded like combat down the hall. Grabbing an M6D sidearm, he exited his quarters and followed the sounds to the last place he would have expected: Lieutenant's Hawkes' cabin. When a soft cry came from the other side of the door, John barged in expecting blood and multiple opponents.
What he saw was completely different, and he had no idea how to handle it.
Hawkes was engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, but she was the only one in the room. Her motions were fluid and precise, she blocked and kicked with a grace only a Spartan could have. Long legs struck out at empty air, a hand lashed out in an open strike, and a roundhouse kick finished the exercise. Having come back to the center of the cabin, Hawkes bowed at the waist, then started in surprise when she saw she wasn't alone.
For a moment, neither one could find words: Hawkes was surprised by his appearance in her cabin, John was surprised by the officer in front of him. Small black shorts hugged toned thighs, a black sleeveless top clung to her upper body. A sheen of sweat glistened in the overhead lighting, her face was flushed from exertion, and waves of brown hair fell halfway down her back.
She was magnificent.
"Is something wrong, Master Chief?" Hawkes panted slightly, wiping sweat from her forehead. A few strands of brown hair clung to her neck, and John had to force himself to not brush them away. Why am I even thinking like this? He had no idea what was happening, and truth be told it worried him a little.
"I thought you were being attacked," he began, but stopped when Hawkes let out a soft laugh.
"My apologies, Chief. I probably should have warned you, but in all honesty I thought you'd be still asleep, and I'd forgotten about your sharp ears." She shrugged apologetically. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get a little workout in."
"Workout?"
"Shadowboxing. I trained in ancient martial arts when I was younger, and this was how I practiced. I still shadowbox from time to time when I need to unwind." Hawkes paused and brushed a long strand of brown hair behind her ear before pulling out a clean uniform.
"If you'll excuse me, Chief, I need to get dressed." John nodded and exited the room, all the while wondering why part of him was tempted to disobey orders and stay behind.
----
That was awkward, Jessica thought as she watched the Chief leave her cabin. She had completely forgotten about the Spartan's enhanced hearing, and had been surprised to see him standing there after her workout. And there was a look in his eyes that she'd almost missed: a combination of confusion and something else, something she didn't want to name at first. Think about it later, Hawkes, she chastised mentally as she dressed. She'd left her hair loose for her workout, and found herself tying it back into a loose ponytail rather than her usual braid. Why she wasn't being more precise as to her dressing puzzled her; she had a system of dressing and cleaning which she never let on about and never varied. The fact that she was deviating from the norm bugged her, but she pushed her worries to the back of her mind.
Opening the door, she found herself once again facing the Master Chief. He was still not in his armor, and Jessica found herself sneaking admiring glances at the man when he wasn't looking too closely. Stop it, Hawkes! She had no time for indulging in fantasies today—they only had one more day before they disembarked from the Athens, and she needed to be preparing for the mission, not mooning over a man she couldn't have, even if he was interested. And everyone knew that Spartans weren't interested in romantic relationships.
----
"Why is your hair so long?" The question surprised both Hawkes and the Chief; John knew they were supposed to be going over the data on the planet ONI had codenamed OLYMPUS. Hawkes merely shrugged.
"I'm an undercover operative, which usually requires that I blend in. Military haircuts make you stand out, especially among rebels, so I left my hair long. I kinda like it that way, and I always tie it back when I'm not undercover or off-duty, so ONI can't complain." She absentmindedly tugged the end of her ponytail as she studied the readouts. "Looks like it'll be Brutes and Jackals down there. That'll make things tricky, but maybe we can pull it off."
"Have you ever gone up against a Brute, Lieutenant?" John frowned, noticing the lieutenant's suddenly troubled look.
"No. Colonel Ackerson refused to send me scouting out the Covenant, even though I'm more than ready. I trained against them in simulators, but that's really no substitute." She scowled. "He keeps trying to protect me, even though he knows damn well I can take care of myself."
"Somehow I don't see how he would protect you, or why. Unless you're a favorite of his."
Hawkes glared at him and moved forward; most people were intimidated by a Spartan, but she didn't back down, not even when they were only inches apart. John stood almost two feet taller than the lieutenant, but she still glared angrily at him, and when she spoke, there was a veiled threat in her words.
"He saved my dad's life," she murmured angrily, her tone of voice cutting and dangerous. "He saved Dad's life, and he's helped look after me since I was just a kid. And whether you like it or not I expect you to accept it.
"You want to know why he sent me on this mission? He's giving me another chance at proving myself to the rest of ONI's brass, they were going to send me packing after my last op. That, and the fact that I read your file on the sly, made him choose me, and that's why we got one of his ships. He wants us to pull this one off, and I fully intend to with or without your help."
"Then why send me along?" Hawkes smirked angrily; a slight against the man who'd helped raise her really ticked her off.
"Because he knows that if I'm paired with you I'll have a better chance of making it out alive. Which means he has no intention of sabotaging this mission to make you look bad. He wouldn't dare try and pull a fast one like he did on Reach. Not with me here as well." Still glaring at him, Hawkes exited the room.