Chapter 20
Gamma's routine locks in; Scenario pre-brief, time in the Pen, review. The team grows use to Edward's voice in their ear, and Edward becomes familiar with the team's abilities. Jacob's transformations remain fascinating, though expected after an occasional need to morph. Emmett's tenacity and willingness to get into the thick of a fight proves invaluable. Bella, still not allowing Edward to see her mandarugo form, highlights her deadly marksmanship and level-head. From his place in Observation, Edward learns to effectively direct the team against the various monsters the Colonel presents.
The Colonel, still distant and unapproachable, at least proves direct and honest in training. When presenting intel, he provides all the information Edward needs and willingly answers strategic questions he has. Though Edward prefers to limit his interactions with Colonel Cullen, he respects the officer's professionalism and dedication.
The isleman incident is never mentioned again, though Edward's promise to never use the Kill Switch lingers in his mind when a scenario gets noticeably difficult or dangerous. It's accompanied by a knot in his throat that he swallows down by thinking of the moments when the team isn't training. Twice a week they meet in Bella's quarters to unwind. They watch movies, share war stories, and play cards. Even Emmett participates, quietly observing from a chair in the corner and smiling when the mood strikes.
A little over a month goes by when Colonel Cullen informs Edward he will no longer train from Observation.
"You'll begin training in the Pen."
"Yessir. Thank you."
"Excited?"
"Yes."
"Good. Tomorrow you will receive your ARMS and have your radio implanted."
The team meets Edward in the lobby the next morning. It's a startling change, their expectant faces waiting in the wood-paneled chamber. Aside from the one time Bella met him at Olympus, Edward has never seen them outside their sterile section of the facility.
"Morning, sir," Alice says. Her excited voice bounces around the room.
"Hey guys," Edward replies.
"We wanted to watch," Bella says, smiling warmly. "Ready?"
Appreciative but cautious, Edward scans their faces from under a crinkled brow. He assumed the process would be fairly straight-forward but his team's interest sprinkles him with doubt. He runs his hand over his closely shorn hair and lets out a slight chuckle.
"What am I missing?"
Jacob, his arm wrapped around Alice's shoulders, laughs.
"Nothing," Bella tells Edward, speaking with the soothing, approachable tone that draws him in. "It's just something different to do."
"Right," he says. "Let's go then."
Edward follows the team as Emmett leads them to the wall with the Lilim seal. He watches the wall dissipate in its fractal pattern. It's not the same door he's always gone through. Keeping his surprise to himself, he realizes there is still a lot about the organization he is unaware of.
Glancing back, Bella meets his eyes. She moves to him, her lower lip protruding slightly as she grins. "You look nervous."
"Should I be?"
Their voices are hidden under the clacking of the wall.
"No," she says. "It's a fun process."
"What's it involve?"
"I'd rather see you surprised."
"I'm sure," Edward says, playfully glaring at her from the corner of his eyes.
The metallic wall and sliding door appears and the team enters together. Expecting the familiar gray hall, Edward is surprised to see a large room, cluttered and kinetic. They walk between four rows of tables, each with computers and experiments, futuristic and fantastical. Edward finds it hard to focus on any individual item. Rifles, wrist-mounted computers, hard-light blades, chemical compounds, poisons. Lilim's secrecy suddenly makes much more sense.
"I cannot wait for this thing," Jacob says, stopping at a curved blade, mounted upright, that stands on display. It consists of two strips of metal: the sharper front edge wire-thin and back supporting blade about an inch wide.
"What is it?" Edward asks. From appearances, all he knows is it looks deadly.
"It's a plasma blade." Jacob doesn't take his eyes of the weapon.
It's not the answer he expected but Edward's not surprised. He glances back at Bella, who shrugs.
"The thin blade is a conductor," Emmett says, impatiently returning to the group after walking ahead. "Electricity bounces between it and the back blade. When it's swung, the air rushing between the two becomes plasma." Satisfied with his explanation, he continues on with the team slowly following behind.
"It's his design," Bella tells Edward. "He's been working on it for a decade."
"Seems simple," Edward says, keeping his voice low. "What's taking so long?"
"It works but it's not field practical. Not yet" Bella runs her hand through her hair, a movement that makes Edward swallow. "It needs to be swung faster or get more power. Emmett can only get so much speed, and we can only make so much electricity portable."
The rows of table end, replaced by a group of large crates. Clear acrylic sides reveal nothing inside, but their use is obvious.
"How often are these used?" Edward asks.
"Often enough," Bella says, curtly.
Alice looks back at Edward, forcing a reassuring smile that Edward politely returns.
Past the crates, an empty space the size of a basketball court opens up. Gashes and scratches in the floor reveal the testing purposes of the area. Along the wall a row of decimated fighting dummies stand, waiting for use.
Emmett stops at the edge of the open area and crosses his arms. The rest of the team huddles around him, waiting. The silence discourages Edward from from saying anything. After an anxious while, Bella playfully bumps her shoulder against his.
"Breathe," she says.
The sound of a door opening behind them draws their attention. A tall, thin man with shaggy black hair and wearing a lab coat appears from the nondescript side door. The dull rumble of plastic wheels accompany his approach as he pushes a cheap looking cart in front of him.
"Good morning, Al," Bella says. She moves to the man, who glances up at her voice.
"Bella," he says. His voice shakes and cracks. They briefly embrace, a sight that creates an unexpected turn in Edward's gut. "It's so great to see you."
The rest of the team leaves Edward's side and greet the man. They do not touch him, but genuinely speak with him while acknowledging his obvious shyness. Ugly, black scruff unevenly hides the thinness of his cheeks, and dark rings around his eyes stand out against his pale skin. After momentarily meeting Edward's gaze, he looks to the ground while burying his hands into the deep pockets of his lab coat.
"Edward," Bella says, guiding the man forward with a light hand on his back, "This is Alistair, the Development Director for Lilim Division."
Professional etiquette drives Edward, as he steps forward and extends a strong hand out. "It's good to meet you, Alistair."
Alistair uncomfortably looks up and weakly shakes Edward's hand. A polite smile quickly crosses his face before disappearing. He returns his hand back to his pocket as he steps back.
Meeting Alistair lessens Edward's concern about what is coming, as he watches the scientist sheepishly push the cart into the testing area. The way the team defers to the socially awkward man, and the way Bella warmly greets him, Edward knows he can be trusted.
Parking the cart on the back end of the open floor, Alistair gets to work. His lab coat billows from his waist as he quickly works around the dark mass of metal piled on the cart. He whispers imperceptibly to himself. When his hands are not on the equipment, they bounce in front of him. He continuously glances back at the team, eyes wide.
Edward finds the scientist's behavior guiltily entertaining. He turns his back on Alistair and stands face-to-face with Bella. Without a word, she knows what he's asking.
"He doesn't see people much," she whispers. "And anyone who outranks me makes him really nervous."
Edward nods before turning on his heels and quickly crosses to the finicky scientist.
"Alistair," Edward says, as calmly as possible.
The man bolts up straight at the sound of his name. "Sir?"
"Please," Edward says, "Relax." He lets himself smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
The question confuses the man. His eyes narrow as he looks past Edward to the team.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Edward continues. "I just want to try and make things easier for you."
Alistair flashes a nervous smile and scratches behind his ear. Rotating awkwardly, he scans the floor. "Um... yes... sir."
"Call me, 'Edward.'"
"Okay," Alistair starts, considering the name before saying it. "Edward. You can, could you bring that target over here?" He points to a fairly well-kept dummy in the corner.
"Sure thing."
Jacob joins Edward in moving the deceptively heavy target. The dummy's torso sinks in slightly from previous beatings and its missing an arm. They place it in the center of the floor, where Alistair hangs a bright red pad around its neck. He takes a tablet, taps it few times, and several green and blue LEDs light up from underneath the pad's material. They chase in a circle before forming an X.
"Vejo?" Alistair asks, looking back at the rest of the team.
Emmett already has his shirt off and is walking over. He bends his elbow, placing his hand against his shoulder, and swings his arm parallel to the ground. He stretches his neck.
Jacob nudges Edward and they both step back, joining Bella and Alice off to the side.
"What's going on?" Edward ask quietly, watching Emmett continue to stretch while Alistair fiddles with the rest of the equipment on the cart.
"The ARMS is calibrated to match the strength of the team's strongest member," Bella says. "That's Emmett."
Of course it is, Edward thinks.
Alistair looks up at Emmett, who nods. Readying himself, his entire body tenses. He slows his breathing, a sustained hiss rhythmically accompanying the air pushing through his teeth. The adrenaline filling his body is apparent.
"Three... two..." Alistair says.
The LED X on the pad flashes and soft beep is heard, immediately replaced by the thunderous thack of Emmett's fist smashing against the dummy. The noise finishes its echo before Edward fully realizes Emmett actually threw a punch. Jacob lets out a whoop as he and Alice start clapping. Edward's impressed.
"Twelve thirty-six," Alistair says, softly.
"That's it?" Jacob shouts, followed by teasing laughter.
"I can beat that," Alice adds.
The jokes make Edward smile but don't erase the hint of nerves nibbling at the back of his mind. His chest tightens and he thinks back to his first time meeting the team and Emmett's bone-breaking hit. Over twelve hundred pounds of pressure, and the team looks disappointed.
Emmett shakes his head. "Again." He readies himself and nods. His eyes narrow to slits. Alistair taps on the tablet and says nothing.
Another deafening punch that Edward can barely perceive. He joins the team's applauds. Jacob bounces and and laughs.
Alistair smiles and shakes his head in mock disbelieve. "Seventeen eighty-seven."
"Yeah," Jacob exclaims, like Emmett just scored a touchdown.
Emmett walks over, satisfied, and claps hands with Jacob. He allows a slight smile to cross his face, enjoying the moment of praise. Bella's joking scoff grabs his attention.
"Get a ton," she says. The challenge is thick in her voice.
The statement stuns Edward. "You can do that?" he quickly asks Emmett.
The smile turns as Emmett bites his lip. He glances at Edward before focusing on Bella, one eye partially-closed, inquisitively.
Bella smirks and turns her chin up to Emmett. "I don't think he can," answering Edward's question without looking at him.
"You know I can," Emmett says, his voice low and threatening. "Alistair."
"Yes?' the scientist asks, surprised. The equipment on the cart now stands upright like a headless torso.
"One more time."
"Um, okay." Alistair nervously looks for the tablet, the change throwing him off. He quickly finds it and resets the pad while Emmett prepares himself. "Ready?"
"Just for you, Bella," Emmett growls. In his mind, the room disappears around him. The only thing that exists is the target. The LEDs show blue circle, green circle, X. An explosion of fury and adrenaline flow from his head, his feet, his entire body, directly through his arm and into his fist as it rushes forward. The plastic fabric crumples under his knuckles and the world momentarily goes black. Jacob's celebratory holler brings the room back to focus.
Alistair scratches the back of his neck and quietly brings his tablet over to Emmett. Through the fog of fading energy he sees the number: 2054.
"The ARMS can't go that high," Alistair says, quietly.
Not my problem, Emmett thinks. He returns to his shirt, hanging from the edge of one of the crates, and pulls it on as Alistair displays the reading to the rest of the team.
"Holy shit," Edward says, looking at Emmett with disbelieving awe.
"I want to be like Emmett when I grow up," Jacob says through wild laughter. The display of strength has him energized.
"Impressive," Bella says. There's more satisfaction than pride in her tone.
Emmett shrugs off compliment as he returns. "I know why you wanted it."
"Thank you, regardless." Bella says with a deliberate smile.
Choosing to ignore the exchange, Edward follows Alistair and Jacob over to cart.
"That was incredible," Jacob continues raving, "Could you imagine getting punched with that? That could take out a golem."
"Some golems," Alice says, teasingly.
Alistair's clammy hand guides Edward back against the cart. The ARMS resembles a robotic, charred skeleton. The spine is a flat bevel strip, rigid but flexible. Running along the sides of the spine are thin cylinders, each about four inches long. A reinforced belt at the bottom of the spine and two sets of ribs, connected by a vertical strip of metal, complete the chest-like shape. At the top of the spine, a triangular frame joins with a circular harness that matches the shape of collarbones. From that harness, a series of pistons and rods form arms to the vambraces at their ends. The whole thing is a dull black.
Edward stands still as Jacob and Alistair raise the circular harness over his head. The rib-cage opens up like a buttoned-down shirt. He's surprised at its lightness, a fact Alistair immediately addresses.
"It looks heavy, but like all good things it's carbon." He calls Alice over and returns to his tablet. "We figured out a development process that gives all the benefits of carbon fiber without the fragility."
"You look good," Alice whispers as she joins the system's ribs together at Edward's chest. They pull together like magnets. She then guides his hand through the arm, tightening and strapping him in while Jacob does the same on the other side.
"What does ARMS stand for again?" Edward asks.
"Assistive Robotic Musculature System," Alistair answers before continuing his thought, "It can withstand about three thousand pounds of striking force and four tons of crushing."
"I'd rather not test that," Edward says. The rig is immediately comfortable as Jacob makes minor adjustments to its size, insuring it fits tightly against Edward's body.
"No," Alistair says. "Please don't."
Stepping away from the cart, a sense of empowerment makes Edward smile. The strange rig is futuristic, practical.
My soldiers could only imagine this, he thinks. It's the first time he's thought back to before Lilim in over two months.
"You'll need this," Bella says, pulling him from his reverie.
Edward holds up an outstretched hand and Bella slides on a glove. A steel plate covers the knuckles and small gears run along the fingers. She snaps a series of connectors to the ARMS at the wrists. Edward opens and closes his hand while she puts on the other glove, a slight whirr accompanying the motion.
"I have to admit," Edward says, "This is awesome." He continuously moves his body, impressed by the sensation of strapping in to such futuristic equipment.
Alistair glances up from his tablet with worried concern. He frowns. "Ready for calibration?"
"Let's do it," Edward says, absently. His focus is on the equipment.
Alistair makes a nervous, squeak-like sound and tentatively taps on his tablet.
"Edward," Bella says, the look on her face a warning, "Brace yourself."
"Calibrating." Alistair says, impassively, as he activates the ARMS.
Dozens of needles dig just into Edward's skin, everywhere the metal frame touches his body. Along his spine is the worse, longer needles penetrating deep, touching nerves. It doesn't hurt, but is far from comfortable. The sensation forces the air out of Edward's lungs.
Before he can catch his breath, a quiet buzz begins to emanate from the triangle resting above his shoulder blades. An electric current courses between the pins below his skin. Edward grimaces as it grows stronger. The tingle becomes a ache, then a pain, running through his body. He wants to crumple over, but the ARMS won't let him move.
"The fuck?" he ask through the groan of pain.
"It's almost over," Bella says, her typically soothing voice ineffective. "The ARMS is coding itself to your muscles. It's either that or it rips your limbs from the socket when you throw a punch."
Her words hardly register as Edward clenches his teeth in pain. After another few moments that feel like an hour, the calibration suddenly stops.
"Sonuvabitch," Edward gasps.
"Yeah," Alistair says behind him. "That's not pleasant." He avoids looking up from his tablet. "But everything looks good. Feel free."
Edward raises his arms, the heavy gloves weightless on his hands. A gentle change runs along his limbs as he moves, but every motion is easy as if the ARMS hold him up. Smiling through heavy breaths, he throws a quick jab at the air ahead. An electric growl surrounds the sudden motion and he can't help but laugh.
"How's it feel?" Alice asks.
"Incredible." Edward turns to Alistair. "This is incredible."
Alistair briefly smiles at the complement but doesn't respond. "We can match now."
"This should be interesting," Emmett says from behind the rest of the team.
"Edward," saying the team leader's name distracts Alistair, "Um... Could you stand in front of the target?"
"One second," Edward says, walking to the crates. He targets the largest one. "How much do these weigh?"
"About eight-hundred pounds, I think," Alistair says, following behind the Captain.
"May I?" Edward asks. The mechanical gloves easily grip around the lower frame. "I just want to try it."
"Yessir, but it might be -"
Edward's lift cuts Alistair off, as the whirr of electricity helps him curl the crate. The held edge rises to his chest, the crate uneven between the ground and the empowered soldier. He beams to himself, shaking his head. Satisfied, he gently lowers it to the ground.
"Thanks," he says, heading back to the target. He grins to the team, knowing it's not impressive to them but appreciative of their patience. Bella winks back. "So, now I get to punch?"
"Yes." Alistair positions himself next to Edward. "We'll start at base power. It's a bit stronger than human strength. Go ahead and punch the X when it appears."
"Got it." Edward preps himself and watches the red bag.
"Three," Alistair starts, "Two..."
Blue circle, green circle, X. The metal plate protects Edward's hand from the impact of his punch. The ARMS seem to recognize the limits of his body and begins to contract instead of forcing his arm too far. It makes the movement easy. His full effort a playful jab.
"Great," Alistair says, nodding, "Five-fifty. I'll go ahead and push the power to eighty percent."
As the scientist slides his finger along the tablet's surface, Edward grimaces at the returning electrical charge under his skin.
"Geesh," Edward says as the sensation disappears.
"Sorry," Alistair says, lowering his eyes, "Forgot." You can go ahead and punch again though."
"Right." Edward shakes his arms out, the metal frame clicking, preparing his muscles. He gets into a stance and nods.
"Three... Two..."
The noise the ARMS makes with Edward's motion is noticeably louder, but his experience doesn't change. Again, it feels exceedingly simple.
"I can't get over how cool this is," he says to no one.
"Fifteen four." The concern in Alistair's voice causes Edward to face him. "I don't think I can match, Bella. The system needs a stronger power source."
Bella momentarily places a hand on Edward's arm as she crosses the floor to join Alistair. She reads the display and thinks before speaking. "Go ahead and push to ninety-seven."
"That really limits how long it can go without a charge."
"It'll be fine," she says. "We'll get as close as possible and dial down. I think Emmett was peaking with that punch anyway." The barb is playful and elicits a laugh from Jacob. Alistair nods in agreement.
Edward braces himself for the power increase. "We good?" he asks as the charge subsides.
Alistair nods cautiously. "Yessir."
Edward takes a deep breath as he prepares himself. Match Emmett, he thinks. He focuses on the target, the world fading around him. He hears the countdown. The X appears and he punches, letting himself grunt from exertion. The momentum causes him to briefly lose his balance. He uses the dummy to regain his composure while Jacob's laughter makes Edward join in. This is the first fun experience fun training he can recall.
"Wow," Alistair says. He shows the tablet to Bella whose eyes widen.
"What's up?" Edward asks, moving his extremities and enjoying the sound the equipment makes.
"It's stronger than I expected," Alistair says. "The ARMS isn't rated for more than eighteen-fifty. Nineteen-hundred at a hundred percent power."
"What'd I get?"
"Nineteen-twelve," Bella answers, her voice a mix of awe and pride.
"Nice!" Jacob shouts, overpowering Alice's gasp of disbelief. "Holy shit."
Edward stops moving as the impressiveness overtakes him. He smiles at Emmett, who bounces his head in approval.
"I don't want to push it further," Alistair tells Bella.
"Yeah," she says, unable to take her eyes off Edward. She smiles. "We'll scale to eighty-five percent for the field." She calls to Emmett.
"Yeah?"
"Go with Alistair and get the leg set from the back."
Edward spins around from Jacob's adulation at her statement. "There's legs, too?"
Bella watches Emmett and the scientist disappear in to the back before answering. "Of course there's legs."