(A/N) Hey guys, the next Phase Two: Betrayal chapter, as promised, this time written by the sensational (I realise that this is the umpteenth time I've used that particular adjective) SpoonyAzul, and featuring the equally sensational Agent New Jersey. Hope you enjoy this one, and the next update for this fic will go up on Saturday, though there will be a few updates in our other fics between now and then!
Enjoy!
Chapter Fifty-One – Hello Class
Agent New Jersey
Written by SpoonyAzul
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln
She felt pain again.
It was the same dream as before, the twisted metal, smoke and fire, her battered, blood-soaked body, her missing arm. Once again, she slowly dragged herself out of the wreckage to find the dead bodies and the giant Covenant cruiser on the horizon, blasting a skyscraper from the now-destroyed New Canton skyline.
Only, the dream had changed. Freelancers sprawled over the landing pad, helmet's broken, eyes black and lifeless. She saw someone standing among the dead. It was a UNSC marine from the look of it, but she couldn't make out his face. He helped her up and held her in his arms. She was relieved, overjoyed that there was another survivor and embraced him back with her remaining arm.
But, she couldn't make out what he was saying. The soldier's lips were moving but no sound came out. Then, she looked down in horror at the bloody combat knife deep into her chest with the soldier's hand firmly on its grip. "Logan?" she mouthed the words before he cruelly pulled the blade out.
"Attention, all new recruits are to report to Classroom E immediately."
Her eyes opened instantly as Jersey snapped awake upon hearing the announcement over the loudspeaker.
Even with the A.I.'s unusually cheery demeanour, fear still gripped her heart while it pounded like a jackhammer and turned her veins into ice. Jersey realized she had fallen asleep in her seat in the observation deck, still in her armour and trying to find a moment to herself. It took a few seconds, but she managed to convince herself that she was on a Charon-class frigate in the middle of space, not dead on the ruins of New Canton.
You should be dead.
She dismissed the tiny voice in the back of her head, as she was finding it difficult to keep her head on straight.
The sight of the injured from the last mission left a grim reminder that, despite their armour and their abilities, there was a very real possibility that anyone of them could come home in a wooden casket. Mixing in the dream she had, she could feel the overwhelming urge to burst into tears and break down.
You shouldn't be alive, the tiny voice spoke up again, You shouldn't even be a Freelancer.
F.I.L.S.S. spoke once again over the speakers, "I repeat, all new recruits are to report to classroom E immediately. Wearing your armour is mandatory."
No, she slapped the back of her head and mentally screamed at whatever was making think these things, You're a Freelancer. You're not allowed to cry, show weakness or fear anything. Now suck it up! They need you at your best!
With a deep breath, she managed to pull herself together, stood on her own two legs and left the room.
She arrived in the classroom as the other third wavers talked to one another. Kentucky seemed to be bouncing in his seat with a excited glint in his eyes. The cyborg agent managed to catch a glare from Colorado, which wasn't surprising after being a rank below Jersey on the board. Utah seemed nervous in the back of the classroom and Nebraska just sat there contemplating in his seat. She saw West Virginia conversing with Connecticut and Nevada in hushed tones, possibly curious about how Connie did out in the field.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see 'Rado narrowing her eyes at Connie. To be honest, Jersey didn't blame her. With all the training the recruits were going through, even the redheaded agent started to feel restless about going out in the field with the other Freelancers. But, there was nothing they could do about it. The Director needed her for the last mission for a reason. Everyone else could wait their turn.
"Now that New Jersey has finally made it, we can begin." she heard the Counselor say in front of the room. She sat next to Kent, slipping her helmet off and placing it on the desk.
She still wondered why the Director called in the third wavers to this room. She noted that West seemed to share Kent's excitement and then some, and to be honest, she could barely contain herself. The rest had varied expressions of irritation and annoyance, no doubt wanting to go back what they were doing before F.I.L.S.S.'s announcement.
The Director stepped forward in his typical pose, his hands behind his back and his eyes facing forward, staring down at the Freelancers before clearing his throat to speak, "Agents, as with all Freelancers before you, the eight of you started in this project behind the abilities of your more seasoned counterparts when you first stepped foot on this ship. Now, with your time spent here honing your skills, your training has turned you into the elite soldiers we need you to be, that I need you to be."
Jersey heard whispers behind her, voices buzzing with curiosity. Still, she remained attentive, despite her head racing and her feet shaking in anticipation as to why they were here.
"But, honing your skills can only carry you so far," the Director continued, gesturing to the boxes on the desk as he spoke, "and what I am about to give to each of you could very well save your life one day."
It was then Jersey realized she was getting her own armour enhancements, just like the veterans in the project. Behind her, she heard small gasps of surprise and excitement. Kentucky pumped his fist in the air and let out a cry of triumph while West squealed in delight and danced in her seat. Jersey simply smiled, her irritation vanished at the thought of her own enhancement. She had seen what some of the other Freelancers could do their abilities during training sessions. Just thinking about trying one out made her over the moon.
Once the excitement died down, the Director spoke up again, "It is these armour enhancements that make us so much more effective than our adversaries. Each of you has been paired with an enhancement that will greatly aid your particular favoured tactics on the battlefield. Some will improve your overall effectiveness," he looked over at Nebraska and Colorado's direction before glancing at Kentucky and Utah, "while others will cover blind-spots that have so far inhibited your improvement. I expect each and every one of you to familiarize yourself with your enhancements as you would your rifle, or your armour. Because from here on out, your lives depend on them every bit as much as any other equipment. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the Freelancers replied, all at once.
"Very well," he said, his lip curling into that smile that Jersey was familiar with. "Now, you may already be aware that there are three types of enhancements, Class A, B, and C."
He stopped at the small group of boxes labelled "C", "Class C enhancements are easy to use and control. Agents assigned with these enhancements do not require a direct link to the command server and can use them in relative safety."
He moved on to a single box, labelled "B", "Class B enhancements are slightly more dangerous. They can be used without a direct server link, but only for an extended period of time. It is not, however, recommended, given the possible side effects. A direct link to the command server should always be a priority."
Jersey saw 'Rado drumming with her fingers impatiently with a scowl on her lips, no doubt wanting the Director to shut up and give them their abilities already. Surprisingly, she shared that feeling with her roommate.
The Director then pointed to boxes label "A", "Class A Armour enhancements are highly dangerous to use and requires a mandatory link to the command server. Using it without the support of another system will be catastrophic, and is therefore forbidden. You don't want to know what happened when the UNSC originally tested these out."
More whispers buzzed behind her. Even as he said the words in his normal tone, something about them made a slight chill creep up her spine and her throat tighten just for a second. However she kept herself composed, even chuckling a bit when she instantly thought of Kent.
The Director stayed silent for a minute before he moving on, while the Counselor picked up the only Class B box, "Agent New Jersey, please come forward."
At the call of her state name, she stood on her feet and walked the short distance to receive her enhancement. Part of her was disappointed at not getting Class A equipment while she mostly felt relief that it could be something she can manage.
"Agent Colorado."
As her roommate immediate ran out of her chair and briskly walked toward the front of the classroom, Jersey placed her box on her and read the label, "Equipment Class B: Portable Deflector Shield." Below the label was a white symbol of a Freelancer with his arms stuck out in a battle stance, but with the right hand extended out. It projected a thin layer of light in the shape of a circular shield in the front of the user.
"Agent West Virginia."
She opened the box, revealing a small, rectangular disc no bigger than her palm. She picked up the mechanism and held it in her metal hand. This was definitely familiar, as she has used something similar to this over a year ago.
As she read the instructions on how her newfound equipment worked, the Director called each Freelancer one-by-one and gave them their respective armour abilities, going in the order of where they were on the board. She just ended reading her instructions when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw the face of Kentucky with that glint in his eyes, "So, Joisey, what'd you get?"
She showed him the label. "Portable Deflector Shield?" he noted, with some degree of confusion. "What's that mean?"
Jersey skimmed over the instructions again, "I've been reading through the instructions, and I think it works like the Dakotas' domed energy shield. It absorbs bullets and blocks melee attacks except it's from the front and I can move while it's deployed. What did you get?"
A huge grin formed on his face as he showed her his ability, "Equipment Class A, Jump Drive."
"Wait, Class A?" Her eyes went wide with a sense of dread, like a vinyl record scratching when the music abruptly stopped.
"Jealous already?" she heard 'Rado say as she came up behind Kent, "Wow, Jersey, never thought I'd see the day."
Jersey shot a glare at her roommate before she sighed. "No, more like concern, as in 'Kent-could-accidentally-cause-a-hull-breach-and-kill-everyone-within-a-two-mile-radius' concern."
"You didn't have to say it like that," he pouted before noticing 'Rado's equipment, "Ooh, what's yours?"
"Hmm, 'Class C Equipment, Thruster Pack,' helps me move faster in quick bursts," 'Rado said, reading her label, showing the symbol of a Freelancer with a rifle in his hands, being propelling to the side by a jetpack. "Sounds useful, but it would be more like dodging grenades or oncoming vehicles."
"Or making your punches more powerful," Jersey blurted out before 'Rado quirked her eyebrow, "If you activate it before throwing a punch or a kick, your blows would be more powerful. Hell, at best, you could decapitate some poor schmuck if you aim and time it right. Think Florida's got something like that too."
Upon realizing what she just said, Jersey blinked twice. What was that?
Even more unsettling was 'Rado's face upon hearing her roommate's comment, "Why...are you smiling like that?"
She laughed a bit before saying, "Because that was fucking brilliant, Billboard."
SNAP!
"Who are you calling flatter than a 2x4 plank of wood, ya pea-sized samurai shrimp cocktail bitch?!"
"Um, she didn't say that, Joisey." Kent mumbled, recoiling at his teammate's glare a second later.
Before 'Rado could come up with a witty retort, West Virginia came between them, joyously dancing as she shoved her enhancement in her teammate's face, "I got an audio/video jammer! Oooh, this is perfect for me and Virgie! Connie, what'd you get?"
Everyone turned to the brown coloured Freelancer, who had showed her label and symbol, a Freelancer standing with a shadow duplicate to his right. "It says, 'Holographic Projection'. I think I should be able to make a duplicate of myself to confuse enemies."
"Didn't the last person to use it end up dead?" West blurted out.
Jersey quickly shot a glare at the younger Virginia sister, prompting West to simply say, "What?"
"Yeah, that's right," 'Rado quipped suddenly talking in an ominous, brooding tone, "It's said that the ghost of Agent Vermont haunts it."
"Oh my god, 'Rado, quit it," Jersey protested, knowing that 'Rado's jealously towards the brown-armoured Freelancer was apparent.
"I heard about it from the grunts that were working the training floor that day. One of them said that it was faulty the moment he used it, exploded and severed him in twain. The Director erased all records of Agent Vermont and had repaired in secret so no one would know."
"Knock it off!"
"It's said that his ghost resides in the mechanism and, if you use it three times in a row, he'll will come out as a hologram and he'll rip out your spi-"
WHAPT!
Jersey quickly walked up to the cobalt Freelancer and smacked her hard in the back of her head, pointing her thumb at the now-cowering Utah hiding under the table. "The fuck is wrong with you? You just scared the crap out of Utah!"
"How do you two ever go a day with trying to kill each other?" Nebraska said from behind West, making his way to the two Freelancers as 'Rado groaned, holding her head and grumbling.
"We don't, it's part of our charm," Jersey joked as she shrugged.
"Quit fucking it up." 'Rado added while standing up from the floor. "What's yours, Neb?"
"A 'Phase Shifter." Basically, I can shift through walls and ceilings like California."
"Wow, that could be pretty useful," Jersey said. "You could get the drop on people on a stealth mission. Or bypass security."
Once again, she blinked upon blurting out that sentence, getting weird looks from the other Freelancers. Okay, seriously, where did THAT come from?
"Agents." Once the talking had ceased, the Director spoke up once more. "If you would, head to the Danger Room. Each of you will demonstrate your new equipment there."
With several affirmatives, everyone grabbed their helmets and enhancements and headed out the room. Though, Jersey lagged behind somewhat, still staring down at the mechanism of her enhancement.
The constant reminder of her squad dying on the streets of New Canton, the veterans constantly returning injured in the hangar bay and even her own dreams haunted her now.
Maybe, with this, it would help with her survival odds, if only just a little.