Lizzy propped her wheelchair up on one wheel and tried spinning in circles. The good doctor caught her and glared menacingly. Dr. Hayman wasn't ecstatic to see Liz again. It was almost to be expected. After all, the girl took regular swan dives off Ravens and had a nasty habit of getting shot.
"Can we skip the part where you tell me how lucky I am? You're a very busy woman," Lizzy stated.
"You'll be in that chair for a few months. Consider yourself damn lucky that Gear didn't let me lob off your fucking leg," Hayman retorted.
"Victor ask you to?"
"Surprisingly, no. Here's some pills for the pain. The cast can come off in two to three weeks, but you'll be in that chair for about three or four months. After two months we can see how you're doing and get some physical therapy going."
The lab coat was still sparkling white. Liz couldn't believe it. She began to wheel herself away, but Hayman grabbed her chair.
"You wanted to skip this part, but it's imperative that you realize how fucking lucky you got," Hayman said, "Had that bullet decided to hit your femur you'd be walking with a cane for the rest of your life. It barely tore through your muscles."
Liz bit her lip and nodded. She wheeled herself to Control. A temporary reassignment until she was 100% better. Hoffman would sleep better this way. Until she coerced him to let her back on the field.
Donneld Mathieson, another command controller, sat lazily in his chair. Anya, not too far from him, was instructing some squad out of peril. A burly Gear stood behind Mathieson; he turned as Liz wheeled herself in. Under his helmet, he was smiling.
"Hey!" he called, "I'm the guy you saved yesterday, remember?"
"Yeah. How's your squad doing now?" Liz asked.
"Better. Three of us got reassigned. Other guy's getting patched up."
"That's good," she wheeled herself past him.
"I'm Clayton. Clayton Carmine," Clayton offered her his hand.
"Liz... Liz Hoffman. I've got things to do, Clayton. I'll see you around," she replied, shaking his hand.
"We're a bit busy here for anybody to teach you the ropes, Liz," Mathieson said.
"Haven't you heard?" Clayton cocked his head.
"Heard what?" Liz asked.
"We're partners," he beamed.
"Until I can walk again or what?"
"Hoffman wasn't clear on that part," Clayton shrugged.
"Speaking of. He wanted to see you," Mathieson added.
Liz sighed and began wheeling herself away. Clayton followed. He was a fucking babysitter, for fucks sake! She didn't need a babysitter; she needed to get her leg all back to normal. Front line was calling her name. Not exactly front line, but you get the idea. "Combat" was probably Liz's middle name. Part of her regretted not enlisting with Carlos; part of her regretted not grabbing a gun after the Hammer strikes. She could have joined a Stranded outpost. Instead, she barricaded herself in a house and waited.
"You rang?" she knocked on Hoffman's open door.
"Liz, fantastic. I see you've met Carmine," Hoffman didn't look up from the papers on his desk.
"Yeah, you can say that. Why the babysitter, Vic?"
"Babysitter?" Clayton snorted.
"Partner. I don't want you going out alone when you're back on your feet, got it? So take the time to get acquainted now. Once you're up, you're out again," Hoffman explained.
"Really? Like... Really, really?"
"Yes. By the way, Prescott wants to know what you were doing before they caught you... Liz, you couldn't really get to the Hammer satellites, could you?" he looked up at her. Genuine concern in his eyes.
Do I lie to him? Vic deserves the truth, she thought. "Had I so desired, then yes."
Hoffman swallowed, "Okay, but don't you fucking tell him that. He already thinks you're dangerous enough."
She nodded.
"He'll meet us in Control. Let's get moving."
"We were just there," Liz sighed.
"It's not like you have to walk there or anything," Clayton laughed.
Prescott was impatient. He tapped his fingers furiously on the arm of a chair. Liz rolled in at high speed and circled him a few times like a shark. Maitheson and Anya were amused. Prescott and his Onyx guard were not. He shook his head in disbelief.
"I presume Victor explained why I'm here," he said, all high and mighty.
"An assessment of my capabilities," Liz replied happily.
Prescott nodded. Still impatient.
"I'd like to begin by telling you that I could not have gotten to the Hammer satellites. I realize their security is of the utmost importance to you, Chairman sir," Liz began.
Hoffman forced himself to stay stone-faced. He had forgotten to ask Liz to refrain from her smart ass antics.
"Oh well, it'll be a better show this way," Hoffman decided to himself.
Prescott glared at her. "Miss, had I wanted to be talked back to I would strike up a conversation with Corporal Baird," he snapped.
Liz smiled widely, "Through the computers your men found in my home, I was able to access some of the systems here. Keep in mind I couldn't gain speech functionality, but I was able to download maps and routes of service and supply runs. If I noticed tremors in the nearby areas, I'd reroute the squads."
"How?" Prescott asked.
"... I'd pull up Control's seismic trackers, Sir."
"That map there," Prescott pointed to a screen, "There's a supply run coming back. Are they in any danger?"
He really thought he'd get her that way. Force her to apply herself under pressure. She'd crack. He'd be able to prosecute. It was perfect.
Liz's eyes flicked to the screen. Mathieson handed her a keyboard; Anya carefully installed a Tac-Com. Liz's fingers flew gracefully over the keyboard. She pulled up an aerial map of the location, the tremors logged there, and the tracker in the Dill.
"Squad name?" she asked.
"Gamma," Anya replied.
Liz stared at the screen. She blinked occasionally; her focus never breaking. Prescott smiled thinking he was actually winning. Seismic activity was low in that area, and it had been for the past few months.
"Any maps of the grub tunnels there?" Liz asked.
"... Um... No, but we can get Baird in here," Anya offered.
Liz smiled, "Do it, please." It was the perfect chance to show him up, as well.
Calculations ticked off in her head. Maybe Gamma would be okay, but only if there were no tunnels below them. Emergence holes were far and few between in Gamma's location. Minutes slowly went by before Baird was brought in by Prescott's Onyx guards.
"The fuck do you want?" he snorted, looking at Liz.
She pulled up a view through the robot Gamma had with them.
"Any tunnels by them?" she asked.
Baird changed focus to the screen. Maps, numbers, and charts. It all made beautiful sense to him. Liz was, subtly, putting Prescott in his place. He couldn't help but assist her for a change. Although, antagonizing would be much more fun. A squad's life was on the line. No time for games.
"From the E-holes in the surrounding areas... Maybe not directly under them. Running parallel to the road if anything," he decided.
Liz inhaled and exhaled (just like she did in combat, Baird noticed). Her fingers flew across the keyboard once again. She, calmly, pressed an finger to her ear.
"Gamma, this is Control. Expect grubs emerging on your right. Turn left immediately," she said cautiously.
"I... What? Okay... Um, copy that Control. Should we take this off road?" Gamma replied.
"There's going to be another road not too far off. It'll take you right home."
"Ha, 'home' is a relative term, Control. Copy that. Turning now."
As Gamma turned, Prescott snorted again. "You're wasting my time. You cannot possibly know when the Locust are going to emerge. This is a waste for precious imulsion."
"I'm saving their lives," Liz said calmly.
Sure enough, the ground below Gamma rumbled. Things began beeping in Control. Anya ran over to some machines.
"I'm getting seismic activity... Just where Gamma had been," she said, looking over at Liz.
The road tumbled below Sera. Grubs poured out, hoping to ambush a COG vehicle. Instead they got nothing. Gamma was safely on a different road back Jacinto. Liz turned to Prescott; a smug look on her face.
"I hope I lived up to your standards, Chairman," she mused.
Prescott rose, and left. Without a word. His Onyx guard were soon to follow. Hoffman finally let out the laugh he had been holding in since the whole ordeal began. Anya breathed a sigh of relief. Mathieson was immediately over the air with Gamma and surrounding units. Baird wallowed in disbelief; he made his way to the doors.
"Hey, alright! Way to go, Partner," Clayton laughed as he clapped her on the shoulder.
"Thanks. Hey! Pretty Boy, where you off to in such a hurry?" Liz demanded, wheeling herself after Baird.
"I've got things to do. All of which don't involve you," he snapped.
"No need to be so hostile," Liz shrugged, keeping pace with him.
Baird remained silent. He glanced behind them; nobody was following. Especially not the partner. Liz continued to follow him outside. Only stopping as he stood in front of the steps.
"What's with the new guy?" Baird asked.
"Why? You jealous?" Liz teased.
"Do I look jealous of him? Please. Don't think so lightly of me. I have a vast, superior intellect. I understand it may be hard for you to keep up," he rolled his eyes.
"Me keep up with you? It's not even taxing. I can do it in my sleep. I'm the one that predicted grub holes just a few minutes ago. Am I not?"
Baird snorted, "I can do that."
"But you didn't, and I did," Liz stuck her tongue out at him.
He shrugged and headed down the steps.
"What's it take?" Liz asked.
"Hmm?" Baird turned to face her.
"I can do physical combat, death-defying feats, and battles of wits. What's it take for you?"
"Look, bitch, you might think you're so high and mighty, but you're not. You're just another girl. One that happens to know her way around a grub tunnel. That doesn't make you special. Nothing does, and nothing will. I don't give a fuck that your daddy and husband are dead. I don't give a fuck that Hoffman and Fenix marked you off limits. You're just a fucking waste of my breath," he crouched to her level, leaning in close.
Liz grabbed his collar and pulled Baird closer. Perplexed for a second, he didn't anticipate this. His brain searched for a logical explanation or a way out. Before he could find one, she slammed her head forward and let go. Baird stumbled back; blood trickled down his face. Headbutt, bloody nose, fuck.
"I hope you weren't expecting a kiss. See you around, Pretty Boy," she smirked.
Liz wheeled herself around and went back inside. Baird stood, confused, on the steps. His nose hurt. Gingerly, he placed his hand over it.
"Shit. Was I really expecting a kiss?" he thought to himself.