Chapter 14
Shapiro slowly paced through the short hall of the brig. Glancing over to the doorway every few moments as he heard approaching footsteps. With Drake's reputation for causing trouble around the base, or getting himself into some dire situation which needed a bail out he wasn't expecting things to go smoothly. Bringing the Elite to the base was a massive risk on both of their parts and there was a high chance Drake would mess it up.
Taking a deep breath he steadied his nerves as he heard more approaching footsteps. Patting his uniform down he looked towards the door as it hissed open, Drake slowly entering the room.
"You got it?" Shapiro asked as he looked over Drake's shoulder.
"I got him sir." Drake replied as he fully entered the room and took a step to the side, the silhouette of Tz'eal entering the brig after him. Shapiro held his breath as his heart began to pound. If the Elite chose to take the advantage of the two soldiers, unarmed and defenseless he and Drake would most certainly be dead. However Drake stood with an air of confidence.
"Alright. Take it off. You know my rules." Shapiro said to Drake as he slowly stepped aside. Pressing his palm to a console which scanned his fingerprints. From behind he heard a sigh and a hiss as Drake removed his helmet, shaking his head towards Shapiro but still grinning.
"I assume you got here without any issues?" Shapiro asked as the rear door opened.
"Kind of." Drake said with a shrug as he took a few steps closer, inspecting the next room. It was a small room comprised primarily of metal with no windows or other doors. The solitary confinement cell. As far as he knew, no-one had been inside this cell. Shapiro didn't feel the need to send people here since they usually learned their lesson after speaking to him.
"What do you mean? 'Kind of.'?" Shapiro asked as he slowly turned around to look at Drake.
"We bumped into an Engineer on the way here. He may or may not have spotted our new friend here. But don't worry. I dealt with it." Drake replied with a nod.
"Dealt with it? You didn't kill anyone did you?" Shapiro asked, staring at Drake whose expression changed from confidence to complete shock.
"No! I didn't kill anyone. Seriously?" Drake replied with a slight head-tilt.
"Good. I'm glad. Now, are you going to introduce us or just stand there looking like a hurt dog?" Shapiro asked as he raised a hand towards Tz'eal.
"Of course I am. Once you stop being a dick." Drake replied as he shook his head.
"Still your Commander." Shapiro replied without looking away from the silhouette of Tz'eal.
"Yes sir. Sorry sir." Drake said quietly as he took a position between Shapiro and Tz'eal. He glanced to Tz'eal and smiled before nodding to Shapiro.
"Tz'eal, this is my Commanding Officer. Commander Shapiro. Shap, this is Tz'eal. Formal Zealot of the Covenant." Drake said as he gestured from one to the other.
"Zealot? I thought you said he was a Ranger?" Shapiro asked without blinking or looking away.
"Seems my friend here got a promotion in the time he was away." Drake replied with a grin.
"Well now. That makes things even more interesting. Please, deactivate your camo." Shapiro said calmly as he nodded to Tz'eal. The figure shifted slightly but did not deactivate his camo. Shapiro glanced to Drake who shrugged before stepping closer to Tz'eal.
"If there's one man on this base that you can trust as much as you trust me it is this man right here. I trust my Commander with my life. Every single day." Drake said with a reassuring tone as he nodded several times towards Shapiro.
"You've never said that to me before Drake." Shapiro said quietly as he slowly placed his hands behind his back and began to relax.
"And I never will. I said that to Tz'eal. Sir." Drake replied with a smirk. Shapiro returned the smirk as his gaze returned to Tz'eal who shifted slightly before there was a soft click. Slowly his form began to take color as his camo deactivated.
"Tz'eal N'thanalm. It is a pleasure to meet you Commander." Tz'eal said quietly as he slowly dropped to one knee. Shapiro looked taken aback by the sudden movement but shook his head as he focused once again.
"Rise Tz'eal. You don't have to bend your knee to anyone here. Just speak to your superiors with respect is all that's expected." Shapiro replied as he watched Tz'eal slowly get back to his feet. "Now please, step inside. You have nothing to fear here." Shapiro continued as he gestured towards the open cell.
Tz'eal looked from Shapiro over to Drake who was standing by the doorway glancing between Tz'eal and Shapiro who spoke up.
"Don't look at him. Look at me. I'm asking you to enter the cell, Drake will have nothing to do with this. Now please, enter the cell before I order you to." Shapiro said confidently as he gestured to the cell once again.
"You are not in command of me. Not yet." Tz'eal said quietly as he clenched his fists.
"Need I remind you that your safety while in the base is all down to me? If I say you will be detained until you rot then it'll happen. If I say you're free to go then you will be. I am now your best friend, best make sure I don't become an enemy." Shapiro explained as he continued to lock eye contact with the Elite. He was confident he wouldn't do anything stupid. The Elites are an intelligent species. They know when they are losing, whether they adapt to that is another matter.
"Just do what he says Tz'eal. Even if you can't trust him, trust me." Drake said quietly.
"Drake, outside, now." Shapiro ordered without looking away. Drake opened his mouth to argue but was cut off. "I don't care what opinion you have on the matter. I'm ordering you outside. Now." Shapiro concluded.
"Alright boss. I'll be outside. Call me if you need me." Drake said quietly as he opened the door to the brig and stepped out. Leaving Shapiro and Tz'eal alone. Clicking his lower mandibles several times in frustration Tz'eal slowly stepped towards the cell. A white light emitting from the doorway Tz'eal hunched over as he stepped inside the cell. His head almost hitting off of the roof as he stepped inside, the cell designed to house Humans, not Sangheili. Shuffling on his feet he turned to face Shapiro once again who had crossed his arms looking towards Tz'eal expectantly.
"Good." He said with a nod as he walked to the door and opened it. Drake looked up from his seat and stood up quickly.
"You can come back in now. I have need of you." Shapiro said confidently as he turned back. Drake slowly entered the room, a look of confusion on his face. Shapiro returned to his place before the open cell, glancing up to Tz'eal.
"Now. Your armor. Take it off." Shapiro said without breaking eye contact. Tz'eals hearts quickened at the request. He was in potentially hostile territory, surrounded on all sides by potential hostiles and this Human before him was asking him to remove his combat harness. He slowly looked around for anything he could use to defend himself should something go wrong. The only thing readily available to him was the daggers built into his gauntlets. He considered engaging them and fighting his way out. He could easily kill Drake and his Commander. The Engineers in the side halls would not cause a problem, his risk would be escaping through the hangar they entered via.
"Even if you got though both me and Drake, the alarm would be rung before you left this room. The entire base would be on alert. You would be hunted down and killed." Shapiro said, almost reading Tz'eals mind.
"Your best bet at survival is to do what I tell you." Shapiro concluded. Taking a deep breath Tz'eal slowly kneeled down and began doffing his harness. The magnetized clasps coming apart easily as he stacked the pieces on the small cot to the side of the room. Every piece he removed made him feel more and more naked as he was left in his under suit with little protection.
Shapiro and Drake watched on as Tz'eal removed his gauntlets from his forearms and placed them aside the rest of his armor. Eventually he was left with just his headdress on. Powering through his feeling of vulnerability he took the headdress off with a soft hiss as he placed it down atop the rest of his armor.
"Alright Drake, grab his gear and store it away." Shapiro said quietly as he continued to watch. Drake nodded quietly and entered the cell. He glanced over to Tz'eal who was looking to the floor, deep in thought. Drake slowly picked up all the pieces from the cot and turned to leave without a word. Tz'eal gently placed his hand on Drake's shoulder causing Drake to freeze for a moment. He glanced over to Tz'eal who clicked his lower mandibles several times and nodded. Drake smiled and nodded in return as he stepped out of the cell, placing the armor pieces into a locker in the side of the room.
"Now for everyone's sake." Shapiro began as he took one step towards the cell and pressed his palm to a black console beside the door. A solid wall of blue light suddenly erupted from the white light of the doorframe. Tz'eal looked on in confusion as he pressed his hand to the light, his fingers making contact with the solid formation of the shield.
"There are only two people who will have access to this room. Myself and Drake. We will ensure you are fed and watered and will bring you anything to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. But for the time being please make yourself comfortable. I'll be back to ask you some questions in time." Shapiro said with a smile as he turned to the door leading out of the brig.
"I will be safe here?" Tz'eal asked, sounding unsure of Shapiro's words.
"Remember what I said to you before? That still stands." Drake said reassuringly as he passed by the cell. Tz'eal nodded and stepped away from the shield as he lay down on the cot.
"Thank you Drake." Tz'eal said quietly as he rolled away from the door. Drake sighed before following Shapiro outside the brig. Tz'eal was safely secured awaiting his discussions with Shapiro. He could only hope everything would work out as they had hoped.
"What did you tell him?" Shapiro asked as they left the cells, walking down the hallway towards Shapiro's office.
"Nothing." Drake replied bluntly as he followed behind. Refusing to look over to his Commander, his eyes struggling to stay open as his desire to get some sleep began to take over.
"You're going to tell me. I need to know I can still trust you." Shapiro said quietly without looking back.
"I told him, if you decide he's not worth it, that I'd do whatever I can to make sure he gets out of here alive. And I will. Whether you like it or not." Drake replied as he turned away from Shapiro, heading down to the barracks where he could crash in his bed and get some much needed rest.