Here's chapter 2 for those of you that enjoyed 1, Merry Christmas. I'm not all that happy with how this one turned out in terms of how it's written, but it's decent. Y'all take care and I'll try to get another one out soon
"They're moving off. Open up and stretch your legs for a moment." Jesse's voice came as barely a whisper as the two Ameise less than fifty yards away started to move off.
"I'll cover, just in case, then we can swap off."
"Copy. Just keep watching them. Remember, we want to sneak in and wack these things."
"I know."
As Jesse climbed out of his Juggernaut, took care of business, and stretched, the two Ameise kept making their way further and further away.
The two Juggernauts had long since been covered in loose foliage to try to camouflage themselves, and so far it seemed to be working. They were like the snipers of old, stalking their prey and slipping past patrols.
"What do you estimate the number of Scorpions to be?"
"There's two. Do you remember where the weak points are?"
"Literally anywhere, they don't have armor."
"Yes, but their magazines are in the rear of the turret."
"Point taken. What's their escort like?"
"Pair of Lowe's, six Gauwolfs, and an ungodly amount of Ameise."
"Hit and run then, cause as much damage as possible and leave. The Scorpions and Lowe are priorities one and two respectively." She paused for a minute as she dug through her stuff and found a copy of a map Lena had found of the area. "You wouldn't be able to plot their location, would you?"
"Maybe."
"Try please."
She saw as he made his way over to her, muting his connection for a second as he hit her emergency release, opening the canopy and holding his hand out for the map. "Let me see it." She held the old paper map up for him. Pulling a pen from his breast pocket, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a moment passing before he opened them again and circled a small plateau nearby, marking several X's between them and their target. "I'd try to be more precise but I'm exhausted."
"This is plenty." She made a few other marks as a line of advance to a position they should be able to get somewhat behind and above the Scorpions.
"Alright. Stretch and take care of any business you may have. This is the last push." He nodded, studying the map for a second before sighing and stepping away, making for his Juggernaut. "I recommend you eat something."
"I couldn't even if I tried." Katerina replied as she got out to stretch, she massaged the backs of her legs to help get the blood moving again.
"Then have a bar ready in a breast pocket or something. You're going to need the energy."
"Fine-" There was a quiet groan as she stretched a particularly sore spot. "I vote we play to our strengths, you're definitely best closer in, so far it seems I'm better at gunnery and tactical maneuvers."
"Hopefully we won't need it. I plan to sneak in there, hit the Scorpions, and haul ass out. We don't need to fight them all, and we don't have the ammo for it anyways."
"Good to know we're on the same page about coming home." The Alba remarked as she climbed back in her machine. "Ready to move."
His canopy closed as his Juggernaut stood, a moment passing before it lurched forward, racing through the open ground to the next group of trees. "Follow close behind. We're almost there."
The two of them raced through the forest until they had to abruptly halt, letting a roam Ameise pass before continuing. Stop and go. Stop and go. It was a constant game of red light green light until they quietly slipped into their firing position. Jesse took the time to plot out their escape route as they observed the two Scorpions sitting in a field. "What's the plan?"
"You take the nearest one. I'll take the far one. We'll fire on your go and then scoot out of here. DO NOT fucking miss."
She took her time lining up the shot to the back half of the tall vertical magazine, right at the propellant charges. "On the way!"
A third of a second after she fired, Jesse's gun barked, her HEAT shell flying out and impacting her target directly where she had been aiming. A jet of flame howled out the opening before the magazine blew apart, sending flaming debris flying in every direction as Jesse's target suffered a similar end. She didn't have long to take in the sight however, as Jesse's urgent voice in her head stirred her from her awe. "The Lowe's are coming! Go!"
"Moving!" She said it way louder than she had intended as she saw the Lowe's turn their turrets. As they both turned to make their escape, a Sabot round from one of the Lowe's ripped through a nearby tree, Bloodhound taking the lead as they weaved through the trees. Shells and machine gun rounds chewed the trees around them as they made their rapid escape, one particular round shrieking off her clamshell canopy and carving a gouge in it, letting the occasional flicker of moonlight flood the cockpit.
Katerina brought her arm up to shield her face from the spall, the hot sting of the metal making her hiss over the ParaRAID. Moments later they broke out into an open field, Jesse's Juggernaut speeding up to try to cross the open ground before the Legion could see them. "Haul ass!"
"What else would I be doing!?" She pushed her joystick forward until it hit the limiter. The two raced down the progressively sloping grade towards a creekbed, seeming like they were going to make it before her Juggernaut made a sound like someone throwing rocks at a sheet of tin, the mech abruptly losing power as warnings flashed across her console. She barely had time to process what was wrong when the world around her suddenly burned. When had that hole gotten there, in her canopy? Her face and right shoulder throbbed as her juggernaut's right legs gave out, throwing her around in the cockpit until she came to a halt.
Bishop sat there in a daze, everything spun around her before she eventually hit the seat belt release and collapsed onto the hot slag by the exit hole. "Hound…" Outside she could hear the bark of Hound's 57mm answer the roaring 120mm of the Lowe, several bursts of machine gun fire being exchanged before everything fell quiet. A deafening minute passed as she laid there with her blood roaring in her ears before there was a pounding on her canopy, the emergency release popping and allowing the canopy to be opened.
"Bishop!" The moonlight flooded her cockpit before a shadow passed over her, a pair of arms reaching down and grabbing her by the uniform. She started to mutter a response before the pain in her shoulder caused her to yell. "Now's not the time for a nap hon', it's time to go!" Despite the pain she was very abruptly hauled out of the cockpit, thrown over the 86's shoulders, and carried her towards his Jug, the man groaning to himself. "Fucking white pig needs to lay off the cake!"
"I don't…eat that much." She eventually replied.
"A few months of general maintenance with a new Jug will get you toned down." He grunted before setting her in the floor well of his juggernaut, running back to hers to grab a bag before running back, climbing over her and shutting the canopy. She felt him settle in behind her before he turned the juggernaut very abruptly and slammed the stick forward, making their escape.
"Hound…"
"Yeah." He grunted.
"Why am I in your Juggernaut?"
"That Lowe got you pretty good, From how you stopped I think it got your power cell. You're gonna be alright. You took some spall but it's nothing serious."
"Okay... wait, I got shot!?" The Alba started to pat herself down for any bleeding and quickly found the pain in her shoulder.
"Sure did. Medkit's behind my back, one second." He grunted as he stopped controlling the mech for a second once they were in the trees. After a moment, a large medkit was dropped in her lap and the Juggernaut lurched forward again. "Start fixing yourself up. Trauma shears are in there to cut the coveralls off."
She started cutting her shirt off before realizing he was right there and stopped. "No peeking, got it?"
"Of all the things to be worried about right now, you're worried about modesty?" He scoffed. "Fine, I won't peek. ParaRAID connect, target Handler One." She resumed cutting her bloody uniform off, pulling it down while leaving her bra untouched.
"How does my shoulder look?"
"Subpar." He chuckled before focusing again. "Regina, Bloodhound. Bishop and I have engaged the Scorpions and destroyed them. We're currently returning to base. I-... Yes ma'am…. Understood. Evading and proceeding to that position, Bloodhound out." He reached up and tapped his ear before sighing. "Yep, she's pissed."
"We only went on a rogue suicide mission." She grimly scoffed before placing some gauze on her back, hissing and wincing immediately. "Fuck that hurts."
"Of course it hurts. You've got a piece of metal in your shoulder." He huffed before smirking. "Am I rubbing off on you, Captain? I've never heard you curse before."
"There aren't many reasons to. But this definitely qualifies."
"You'll have to forgive me for using curse words like a comma then." He teased as they swerved up a side tributary of the stream, going up and over a hill into some thick forest before he slowed to a stop. "Here, pull that gauze off and hand me the forceps."
She handed him the tool and gently removed the gauze. Taking several breaths as he placed a hand next to the wound. The pain spiked as he used his fingers to spread the wound open before she felt a sickening tugging inside her shoulder. His hands were surprisingly steady as she felt the shard of metal being pulled out, scraping the edges of the wound before he abruptly yanked it out with a sharp pinch inside the wound. The bloody shard of metal was dropped into her lap before he reached over her, grabbing some packing gauze and starting to stuff it into the jagged hole in her shoulder.
"Aaaaaaaaah!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears of pain welled up in the corner of her eyes. "Son of a bitch!"
"Almost done. Hold out for a little longer." He tried to be comforting in his tone as he kept packing the wound, finally taking a field dressing and tying it around her to hold the packing gauze in before turning her head to the right. "That's gonna leave a nice battlescar. Doesn't really need to be packed. Once we get back to camp we'll get you some anesthetic and sew it shut, alright?"
"Okay…" She nearly whimpered and continued to take deep breaths.
"And… You, Miss Markova, are one of the luckiest people I know." She heard him hum before her paraRAID device was pulled off her neck and offered to her. A piece of shrapnel was lodged in the center of it, the device having stopped it from severing her spine.
"Wow…Hopefully Annette has a working replacement when we get back."
"I'm sure she will. Now let's get back to camp." He stifled a yawn as he gripped the controls again, getting the Juggernaut moving. "You can probably keep both of those as souvenirs of your first mission, if you want."
"Why not, even if just to piss my mother off."
"I take it that's not a very good relationship."
"All she wants is for me to retire from the military and get married." He huffed in amusement and floored it when he hit an open patch of ground.
"This'll definitely piss her off then." He paused before adjusting how he was sitting. "You know you can't go back to rear echelon work after this, right?" She looked up at him with a confused expression. "You go back to the rear echelon, being a handler. It's gonna rot you from the inside out when those you're in charge of get into combat without you."
"Maybe. I've wanted to do this for some time now. Besides…"
He gently nodded. "We can rebuild."
"But, do you want to? After everything my people have done to the Eighty-Six?"
"Don't get me wrong. I still hate the Alba. But, innocent civilians who were ignorant to what was going on don't deserve to die because of their governments misdoings." He sighed. "With the Eighty-Six being freed from the camps, maybe we can start moving towards living together."
"Maybe one day." She sighed.
"Almost there. Here." He reached behind him and pulled out his insulated panzer jacket, offering it to her. "Cover yourself up."
"Thanks." She wrapped the jacket around herself, putting her left arm through the sleeve. "I need help zipping this up when we stop."
"You got it." As they pulled up to an old fire station, he worked his Juggernaut in through the garage door before shutting it down and opening the canopy. "They're not here yet, but they should be in a few minutes." Katerina stood up and looked around the hangar.
"Is this where you and the other Processors stay? At the old firehouse?"
"For now, yeah." He helped her up, encouraging her to get out first so he could get out. Once she was out, he helped her get the zipper zipped up before he waved her along. "Come on, I've got a medkit in the bunkroom."
"Oh so you've been here a while." She remarked as she followed him.
"As I said, for now. We're looking for a better place." He led her up the stairs past a squad bay of bunks before opening a door for her. "Make yourself comfortable." She sat down on the edge of a lower bunk.
"At least these are somewhat comfy."
"Better than a Jug seat eh?" He chuckled, grabbing a large hiking pack that was in the corner before coming over, pulling several bags out before pulling one out that was simply labeled 'STITCH'. He unzipped it and started setting stuff on the bunk next to her, eventually pulling out a syringe with a liquid in it. "This'll numb your face while I stitch this together. Do you want the scar pronounced or hidden?"
"Hidden please."
"Good. A face like yours is too pretty to be marred by some nasty purposefully indented scar." He hummed and gently squirted the local anesthetic on the cut along her jawline. He sat back to let the anesthetic do its job while he pulled on a set of sterile gloves, rolling his sleeves way back.
"I do try to keep it that way." The Alba blushed gently after the compliment. "Should I feel anything with the anesthetic?"
"You might feel a bit of tugging, but you definitely shouldn't feel any pain." He reached over and grabbed a curved needle and some thread, carefully threading the needle and tying it off.
"Do you deal with a lot of injuries?" She indicated the large medical bag.
"Not really. I just brought my bag with me from the camps." He grabbed another syringe and gently poked her cheek with it. "I was training to be a surgeon when I got conscripted. Can you feel this?"
"No. If you don't mind me asking, what are the camps like?"
"Disease, mud, shitty living conditions." He started gently flushing out her wound, leaning in close enough she could smell his breath as he took a small pen light and tucked it behind his ear. "Razor wire, guard posts. The works. The one I got to stay in wasn't so bad because I was a medical professional, but others didn't even have rock pathways."
"I swear we will put an end to the camps."
"We already have. Once the Alba were safe a bunch of Eighty-Six went and liberated the camps. I've been volunteering there to help treat some of them." He grabbed the needle and started progressively stitching up the wound. True to his word she didn't feel anything but some tugging. She almost kept talking but didn't want to mess him up, and in the silence became acutely aware of how fast her heart was beating. "You can talk, just try not to move your jaw too much."
"Mhm, easier said than done."
"Hey at least I'm better than a dentist, asking questions with tools in your mouth." He joked.
"So, wondernose. What do you like to do, for fun that is."
"Wondernose. That's a new one." He chuckled.
"Well you are a bloodhound who sniffs out robots."
"If you must know Princess, I like to read and draw."
"What's the last book you read?"
"All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque."
"Good choice."
"Why thank you. I quite liked it. I just started To Kill a Mockingbird before the Legion offensive started."
"That has to be my favorite book, I may reread it again now. If I have time."
"You can borrow it from me if you'd like. I don't really have any time to read at the moment." With a final tug, he brought up a pair of scissors and cut the thread one last time. "There. You shouldn't have to deprive the world of your smile with it like that."
She huffed and grinned. "You say that like I might have time to read."
"We do both seem to be deprived of personal time these days, don't we?" He chortled and put the needle to the side. "Come back in a week or so and we'll see about getting those stitches removed. Now… Your back." She turned around and unzipped the jacket, letting it slide off her shoulders. Now that he thought of it, he had never seen her in form fitting clothes, always loose coveralls or the panzer jacket. The Alba was skinny, with curves in just the right places, and well-endowed.
"Hey. Watch where you wander."
"Just checking for wounds." He hummed, untying the field dressing and pulling it off before sighing as he looked at the jagged wound.
"Could you…" She took a breath. "Unclasp my bra."
"Sure." He hummed, taking one hand and deftly unclasping the white lace bra before he grabbed another syringe of anesthetic and Saline rinse. "With any luck…" He pulled the flashlight from his ear as he slowly and gently pulled the packing bandage from the wound. "We shouldn't need to do any more rooting around in there."
"Ouch!"
"Thank you, Brenda."
"You're welcome, Captain." Her assistant replied. "Do you need to adjust the sling?"
"I think it's good for now."
There was a polite knock at the door as a female Eighty-Six poked her head in, one of the HQ's guards, Mara. "Captain Milizé is here and looking for you."
"Send her in, please."
"Yes ma'am." The door was shut for a minute before it was opened again, Lena quickly walking in and gasping when she saw the stitches on her friend's face.
"What happened?!"
"Did Hound not tell you?" When she received a headshake she continued. "After we took out the Scorpions, the Lowe's gave chase. One of their Sabot rounds hit my power pack and flew over my right shoulder."
Lena's eyes went wide before she lunged forward and hugged her tightly, accidentally squeezing the shoulder wound that Jesse had dutifully stitched up a mere hour earlier.
"Ow ow ow, not so tight!"
Lena practically threw herself from her friend, fretting over her. "I'm sorry!"
"I'm not about to die Lena. Anyway, you were looking for me?"
"Of course I was looking for you! Do you have any idea how stupid and reckless that was!?"
"I do, and I accepted the risk. Somebody needed to take care of that artillery."
"And we had an entire platoon who could have joined you!" Lena's voice raised further, full-on shouting now.
"The platoon that was reeling from the barrage?"
"All it took was half an hour for them to rally up and they could have joined you! Instead you had to go on a suicide mission just like we used to make them do!"
"And in that time a second barrage was about to be launched!" She surprisingly wasn't angry, but was disappointed in herself. Why had she actually done that? Her thoughts were betrayed by her mirror-like eyes. "I certainly wasn't going to let him go alone."
Her anger fizzled out in an instant as she struggled to find the words she needed, eventually just giving up and sighing before looking at her. "Don't do it again…"
"We're at war Lena. You know I can't promise that. Hell, not even the Gran Mur is safe."
"Then at least promise me you'll tell me before you go."
"Okay, I can do that. Why don't we go check on Annette? I need to get her to fix my paraRAID."
"Yeah, we can do that. What happened to it?"
"About that…" She removed it from her purse and held it up. It was swiftly snatched from her hand as Lena's mouth dropped open slightly, looking at the shard of Aluminum armor that was embedded in it.
"I… what…"
"Yeah…"
"Damn. I could sell this." Jesse chuckled as he looked at the drawing. He leaned against the roof access door as he finished the winter drawing of the capital, Liberté et Égalité, signing his name in the bottom corner before a shiver ran through his body. The 86 grumbled and got up, brushing the dirt off his rear before he made his way downstairs to the squad bay.
Every bunk was empty. Neatly folded and untouched.
He had lied to the Captain. Nobody was coming back. With district 13 all gone, it had wiped out all of the processors that lived in the downstairs bay. And with him being the sole survivor of District 21, it left just him.
His rifle was laid out on Archer's old bunk, field stripped and cleaned. His clothes were in the wash, leaving him in run of the mill civilian clothes as he paced the floor, feeling entirely too alone.
He sighed and threw on a jacket before making his way downstairs, passing his Juggernaut on the way out and walking into the blowing snow. Off in the distance he could already see some Alba waiting in line for their meager helpings of stew, their spirits well and truly broken once they found out that the 'processors' were people.
But Jesse knew not all of them were broken of their ways, having been shouted racist remarks at hours before district 21's departure. He kept his head low and sighed as he walked past, heading for the liquor store on the corner nearby. The moment he opened the door he heard a scoff as the owner glared at him, the Eighty-Six walking the isles before choosing a bottle, walking over to the register.
"What do I owe you?"
"Fifty."
"Sticker said twelve." Jesse glared at the Alba as he realized what the piece of shit was doing.
"For you, it's fifty."
"What's that? Free?"
"Fifty-five!"
"Why thank you sir. Free's always a good price." Jesse turned and walked out the door with the bottle. His blood boiled at the blatant gouging while he made his way back to the firehouse, making his way back to his bunk before he stopped.
Eighteen clean bunks. Eighteen dead kids.
He popped the cork on the whiskey and took a big long gulp before a sob made him spit out the next mouthful. He yelled and spun, throwing the bottle at the far wall before his legs gave out, the man choking out a strangled sentence as he curled into a ball.
"Why not me…?"
"With the artillery outside District eighty destroyed, that helps. But… every other District in the area is crawling with Legion."
"Districts fifteen, sixteen, and twenty-one will receive priorities for any replacements in the future. District eighty took several hits from the railgun that's been plaguing us, as did central districts two and one. Successful as we may have been, we can't attempt that again." Lena leaned on the table slightly and glared at the Legion-shaped unit pieces on the map.
"Agreed, our losses on any offensive mission are too high. I hate to say this but we need to operate purely defensively from here on out." Katya slumped in her chair and sighed. She ran a hand down her face before wincing slightly from brushing the stitched wound.
"I can't help but agree…" Lena looked at one of her assistants. "How long until the next batch of trainees are ready?"
"One week, ma'am."
"One week with three districts completely absent…" Lena's hands gripped the edge of the table. "Those are massive holes in our defensive line."
"What about our artillery round stockpile?"
"One of the storage depots for the northern districts were hit yesterday morning. The other three fronts are at sixty percent."
"And our production lines? We need a lot more than that to have a chance."
"One of the plants producing the DPICM casings was damaged this morning." Katya's fist slammed into the table, shaking the pieces on the board. "Mechanics estimate three days to get it working at half capacity."
"Even at full capacity we're expending more than we can produce."
"We need to dial back the usage of the mortars." Lena said quietly. "But if we dial it back, the Eighty-Six-"
"Will be decimated by the Legion's numbers." Katya finished her sentence.
A deafening silence descended on the room for a moment, Lena's knuckles turning white as she stared at the map. "There has to be something we can do."
"What about mines? They won't be as useful tactically, but they can at least thin out the numbers if we deploy our stockpile."
"But then we'll be leaving dangerous ordinance around that the Eighty-Six can run into."
"Not if we pull them back behind the field. When we're expecting an onslaught, when evacuating a city, when pulling back; we place as many as possible. We can't push them back, but we sure as hell can make them pay for every inch they gain."
"That will have to work."
"Matthew."
"Ma'am!"
"Get Ordinance to send every mine we have north. I don't care how you do it."
"Yes ma'am!" The assistant saluted before hurrying out.
"If you're not me or Captain Markova, clear the room." Lena ordered, staring coldly at the table as they all filed out, the last one closing the door behind them. "Say it."
"One week! One week and we've lost five districts and tens of thousands of people!" She shouted, behind her the clock ticked. 5 PM, September 1st. This had all started a mere seven days prior.
"I know that, but giving up is not an option…" Lena seethed. "They never did. Neither can we."
"No it's not… This would be so much easier if those spineless cowards would help instead of drinking themselves into a stupor, or ignoring the problem altogether! The Colonel just gave you an ass-chewing for using the mortars for Gods sake!"
"It doesn't matter. We can only rely on each other and the Eighty-Six. High command will just be replaced when this all calms down."
"If." She corrected, finally taking a breath as she began to cool off.
"When." That glare which could melt steel was directed at Katya as one of Lena's nails snapped off on the top of the table.
"Ever the optimist, aren't you?"
"Either we will succeed, or it won't matter anymore." Lena took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I need you to make a decision. Are you coordinating with me, or are you fighting on the front?"
She thought, long and hard. Eventually looking up. "Someone has to have your back, I'm staying here, I won't let you handle this all by yourself."
"And what about all that time you spent in a Juggernaut?"
"It was informative, exhilarating, downright enjoyable even. I want to, but you need me here. Plus-" She pointed at her shoulder.
"With our current manpower shortage, I need you there more than I need you here." Lena's gaze softened slightly. "If you want to, then go. I'm sure any of them would be happy to have you. But I appreciate you staying, even if only because of your wounds."
"That's not the only reason."
"And what are the others?"
"Well for starters, my bed is way more comfortable than a sleeping bag." She smiled at her friend and continued in a teasing tone. "I also enjoy actually getting to see you and spending time with you. And Annette's cooking is a big plus- when she doesn't burn the food."
"All good reasons." she smiled back before straightening up. "Speaking of food, shall we?"
"Please, I'm starving. Maybe she's got my paraRAID fixed by now too."
"She'd probably be better off getting you a new one."
"I really don't know what you expected me to do with that thing." Annette scoffed as she handed Katya her old paraRAID back. "I can't even get it open, the interlocking components are stuck together."
"It was worth a shot." She shrugged.
"I've got another one for you to sync to, but you owe me."
"Name your price."
"I need some real chocolate."
"To cook with or to eat?"
"To cook with."
She sighed. "I'll go get some."
"Then lay down and we'll sync you to the new device while I finish dinner."
"Do I need to change into that robe again?"
"No. Just lay down." The woman walked over and sat on the lab table for the paraRAID before swinging her legs up.
"Ready when you are."
Annette clipped the new device around her neck before clipping the wire to it, starting the program. "Get comfortable, I'll be right back." She gave her a thumbs up. Annette got up and hurried into the kitchen while the sync process continued, Katerina feeling a tingle in her skull that always happened with syncing a new RAID device. Eventually Annette came back, placing a dish of lasagne on the table on some insulative pads. "There we go. Just waiting on the garlic bread now."
"How did you manage to get the materials for lasagne?" Lena asked after a moment.
"Another marriage proposal. He's trying really hard."
"Isn't that the third one in four months?" Katya asked.
"Fourth actually. Ethan would be a good candidate if it wasn't for his drinking."
"You have the worst luck with men."
"I don't have time for a man anyways. Not with you two constantly breathing down my neck."
As if on cue, the computer that Katerina was hooked to dinged as the sync was complete. Annette walked over and unplugged her before shutting the laptop. "There. All done. Try not to break this one."
"I can only promise chocolate."
"If you want to try calling someone, the garlic bread should be done any minute now." Annette disappeared into the kitchen again while Lena went to the ladies room, leaving Katya all by herself for a moment.
She laid there for a minute, enjoying how cool the table was. "ParaRAID, synchronization target, Bloodhound."
After a moment the RAID device chimed, but Bloodhound stayed silent for several heartbeats, finally speaking up. His voice was barely a whisper. "Yes, Captain?"
"I wanted to check in on you. Did the others make it back? I'm sorry I left in a hurry."
There was a very long pause before she heard him take a deep breath and sigh heavily. "There are no others… I'm sorry for lying to you."
"What?" She sat up.
"I'm the last one of District 21, and District 13 are all gone too. It's just me here." She jumped up and started running to the helicopter pad.
"Katya! Where are you going?!" Annette called after her.
"To save the man who saved me!" She replied before turning with the hallway.
"Katerina, please. It's not worth the fuel to come all the way out here.".
"Too bad, I'm coming anyway."
He paused before sighing again. "I won't try to stop you then. I know you've made your mind up."
"Then you'll know what's good for you and come willingly."
"Understood. I'll pack my bags. See you soon."
The moment the helicopter landed behind the fire station, Katya was out the door, running.
The firehouse was well lit, the back wall lined with destroyed Juggernauts, eighteen in all. Inside, a single Barrett was in the process of reloading the magazine on the last functional one.
The moment she entered the large bay of beds, she realized how empty the place felt. Personal items were still strewn about. Books, darts, pictures. Everything was just as it had been when she had left, but the scene was far more depressing now that she knew the truth.
As she came up the stairs, she saw Jesse at the far end, sitting on his bunk. On her left at the top of the stairs a bottle had been smashed against the wall, spilling its contents everywhere.
The last Processor was in the process of drawing when she saw him, his expression so incredibly broken it bordered on zombie-like. She knocked politely as she crossed the threshold. Still shivering as she had left her uniform coat in her haste.
He finally looked up from his notebook and tried his best to smile. "Hey."
"What were you drawing?" She asked as she walked over.
"Just… capturing the moment."
"What moment?" She watched as he turned the sketchbook towards her, showing a very detailed pencil drawing of the empty bay.
"You forgot something."
"What?" He turned it back towards himself and scrutinized his work.
Katerina held out her left hand to help him up. "This."
He looked up at her blankly for a second before a gentle smile crossed his features, taking her hand and helping himself up. "Thank you." He held her hand for a moment longer than needed before pulling away, grabbing his bags off his bunk. One of them had his rifle lashed to the side, along with various extra pouches hanging off it. He shouldered it with no issue before grabbing his medical bag, tucking the notebook in an outside pouch. He lengthened one of the straps as long as it would go and looped it over his head, eventually nodding to her. "Ready."
When he had taken her hand, he found it frigid and lightly shivering. "Let's go."
"Hold on one sec." He hummed for a moment, stopping at the bunk next to his and flipping open the footlocker. He swiftly pulled out a woman's panzer jacket and held it out for her, closing the footlocker. "Here." She threw it on before urging him on. He started towards the stairs, eventually pausing and looking back at the bay for a moment before shaking his head. He continued down the stairs, leading the way outside towards where the helicopter was waiting. "So what now?"
"You get to take a breather, get some food, and if you want, make some new friends."
"Alright… and my Jug?"
"It will be safe here when you come back. We're working on getting reinforcements for this district."
"Alright… I guess." He made his way over to the helicopter and climbed in, offering her a hand in once he'd sat down.
"I'm all ears if you want to talk." She told him after sitting down herself. "All in!"
"Thank you, but I wouldn't even know where to start…" he relaxed back in the seat, taking his bags off and setting them under his legs as they both felt the helicopter take off.
"Something you'd like to do or see for starters."
". . . I'd like to draw the Pont de Liberté."
"I can make that happen."
"This does not look like a barracks.." Jesse's eyes widened as he stood in front of a massive hotel, Alba passing by giving him glares as they went along their business. "A-are you sure this is where I'll be staying?" The golden glow of the setting sun made the white features of the hotel absolutely radiant, a sight which Katerina knew this particular hotel was famous for.
"Considering there is no Processor base here in Liberté et Égalité, yes. Though Lena definitely went a little overboard on quality." Katerina adjusted her uniform overcoat.
"Well…" He huffed. "She does love to spoil us, doesn't she?"
"Yes she does, let me show you your room." She led him inside through the main entrance, the Captain showed absolutely no weakness to the other Alba as she stared down those who even thought to say something. Most shied away from her gaze after a moment, the two of them eventually getting inside and finding the front desk manned by an Eighty-Six with blood red hair, a smirk on his face as he exchanged a joke with someone before noticing them, bolting out of his seat and saluting.
"Captain Markova, Ma'am."
"At ease, please James. I need you to set up a room for Lieutenant Umbridge."
"Sure thing." He sat back down and pulled open a drawer, rifling through it before pulling out a key. "Follow the center corridor all the way back, second room on the right."
"Thanks." Jesse nodded, taking the key and looking at the Captain. "Is this where we part ways, or do you have time to kill?" Almost on cue her stomach growled. He paused before chuckling. "Go get some dinner, please. I'll be okay." She looked up at him with a questioning look. "Unless you want me to join you?"
"I should get back, I did leave Annette and Lena hanging for dinner." She sighed.
"I'll leave you to it then. Have a wonderful night." He smiled warmly before turning and walking towards his room.
"Look who came back." Annette's voice as she walked in the door immediately let Katerina know what she was in for.
"Hey." She moused nervously. "There wouldn't happen to be leftovers, would there?"
"We left you plenty. Maybe even enough for your man too, if he was hungry."
"He's not my boyfriend." The oldest of the three defended herself as she closed the door.
"Mmhmmmm." Annette obviously didn't believe her as she and Lena were sitting at the table, tea in hand.
"I called to test the paraRAID and it turns out his whole squadron was wiped out in our last raid- I was only returning the favor!" She changed tone immediately under the scrutinized looks she received. Pointing at the two other women.
"So what's he like?" Annette pressed as she got up, pouring Katerina a cup of tea and heating up the lasagna.
"Well, he is handsome. I admit that. Nor does he care or act on me being an Alba, he even laughed when he saw me in the Juggernaut!" She made her way over as she spoke and sat down in her usual spot.
"Yeah? And what else?"
"He's the one who pulled me from the wreckage of my Juggernaut." She had gained a small blush to her cheeks thinking about it, and the way he scooped her up during the artillery barrage.
"So he's handsome, doesn't care if you're an Alba, and is perfectly willing to risk himself to save you." Annette recapped before setting her tea in front of the Captain. "Go on."
"There isn't anything else to it."
"Nothing that would make you run out on dinner to go 'save' him?"
"He has survivor's guilt Annette, did you not hear me say his entire squadron is dead?"
"That still doesn't explain why you ran to his aid."
"I- I don't know, it just felt right."
"Girl, you are down so bad and you don't even know it."
"What?! T-that's not possible, I barely know him!"
"You have a crush." Lena joined in, hiding a smirk behind her mug. The Alba lowered her head to the table and groaned loudly.
"Does he know who your parents are?" Annette asked as she pulled the plate of lasagna out of the microwave, bringing it over.
"No. I've only mentioned my relationship with my mother."
"I doubt he'll care. Why not tell him? Or show him."
"Why?" She muttered. "You both know I don't want to get into a relationship now."
"You have a better man than any of the almost dozen that have approached me." Annette raised an eyebrow as she set the dish in front of her with a fork and knife. "And you don't want anything to do with him?"
"I'm not against the idea just… with everything going on we don't have the time for it." Finally she pushed herself back up, straightened her hair, and started to cut up the food.
"So you acknowledge your feelings, you're just concerned about time being an issue?"
"No comment." She took a bite of food, finding a burst of flavor spreading across her taste buds.
"Oh well. I tried." Annette sighed and shrugged.
"Did you use real cheese?"
"I was wondering if you were going to notice."
"It's delicious."
"Well of course it is. I made it! Just… ignore the garlic bread in the trash…"
"I knew I smelled burnt bread!"
"Lena and I got to talking about you and I forgot about it…"
"Annette…" She sighed. "You do this way too often."
"I know I know. Next time I'll make sure-"
Katya stopped paying attention as her paraRAID connected to someone, Jesse's frantic voice filling her head. "That gun fired! Incoming on the capital, six seconds!"
"What!? Incoming artillery!"
"I can feel the fucking shell, it's some sort of railgun-!" After a moment, she heard an explosion from his end, along with the shattering of windows. "Fuck me! Goddammit ow!"
Lena and Annette were still staring in shocked confusion when the windows abruptly rattled, the three of them able to feel the blast through their feet.
"Jesse! Are you okay?" She asked. "I think the Lutetia was hit."
"I'm fine! I think it was the HQ! I'm going to help!" She heard one of his bags rub on the carpet for a second before the RAID connection ended.
"Lena, any response from HQ?"
"No… none." Lena looked at her in shock as she tried calling some of her hand-picked command staff.
"I'm going to survey the damage." She buttoned up her coat, the sudden spin to leave caused her hair and coattail to fly out.
"Katya! You need to eat something first! I'll go, then you can catch up with me!"
"But-"
"Eat." Lena ordered firmly as she got up.
"Fine." She relented and sat back down to continue eating. Outside they could hear the city wide air raid sirens, the wailing of the sirens barely allowing the sirens of the city's fire trucks to be heard as they raced down the streets towards the HQ.
And among all of it, gunfire flashed on the horizon.
As Katya finally reached the San Magnolia Military Headquarters, she found the scene to be utter Armageddon. The wing where all the handler rooms were was obliterated, with the building having collapsed in on itself. The street was littered with emergency response vehicles, with police manning a barricade line that seemed to have almost entirely Eighty-Six standing on the 'civilian' side. Only a handful of emergency responders were combing the rubble, looking for survivors, and as she got closer she saw wounded laid on the sidewalk, only a handful of which were being tended to by paramedics while one particularly rowdy Eighty-Six was trying to push past a trio of officers, a backpack slung over one shoulder.
She decided to investigate the commotion, politely pushing her way through the crowd. She arrived just in time to see one officer on the ground, out cold while the other two wrestled the man to the ground, putting him in handcuffs.
"What is going on here?" She suddenly asked the policemen.
"This Colorata is under arrest for assault on a police officer. Please stay back ma'am."
"He's under military jurisdiction, let him go." The two officers paused before nodding, taking the cuffs off and getting off of him. He got up and brushed himself off, grabbing his bag from the unconscious third officer before seeing the medics tending to one of the wounded Eighty-Six.
"No you idiots! Don't push fluids, you're gonna blow out the clotting!" He shouted before turning on the police officers "And you two! Let's just stop someone with a medical bag trying to help-!"
"Lieutenant!" She cut him off in a firm 'shut up' manner. He clicked his teeth and wheeled on her.
"Ma'am."
"I'm sorry for the trouble he caused." She apologized falsely before indicating for him to follow her. He hesitated, before following her, fists clenched in rage. Once they were clear of prying eyes it was her turn to wheel on him. "What were you thinking!? I get that they wouldn't listen to you but come on Jesse, at least wait for Lena or myself."
"There are people actively bleeding out on the ground, Katerina! What was I supposed to do, just ignore them and sit around with my thumb up my ass until you arrived!?"
"Yes- Well, no, but you can do even less from a jail cell." She rummaged in her purse for a few seconds before handing him a card. "Here, I had this made for you."
"An ID card?" He asked, taking it and looking it over. It was a San Magnolia military ID, stating he was a military medical officer under her.
"It should keep the police off your back, and give you the ability to treat those people without the paramedics freaking out. Assuming you don't punch any more of them out cold."
"Yeah, I really violated my oath there, didn't I?" He rolled his eyes. "It won't happen again. He tried to take my bag and I reacted."
"I understand, now go do your thing. I need to figure out the rest of this mess."
"Yes ma'am!" He saluted before turning and running back. As soon as he got to the police line he flashed the ID, and this time was let through, running over and immediately starting to treat those that were still bleeding.
"Katya!" Lena's voice drew her attention away as Bloody Regina herself waved her over to a temporary command post that had been set up in a bistro. She turned and made her way inside, watching the dozens of first responders and few military personnel frantically work. On the screens that were set up she could see Legion forces advancing on platoons of Juggernauts.
Of course they were pressing the advantage. "It's unusual to see them operate at night."
"They just took out our command building with a precision strike. They're doing a lot of unusual things today." Lena snipped before pointing back to the collapsed wing of the headquarters. "I'm coordinating the defense. Get the police to let the Eighty-Six through and start clearing rubble. I don't care how."
"Consider it done. And say hi to Cyclops for me."
"Maybe later." She waved before leaving the bistro, Katya looked around and eventually found the officer in charge of the cordon.
"Move them back! We can't have them getting in the way!" The chief shouted as an ambulance pulled up.
"Excuse me Chief, can I speak to you?"
"Yes ma'am, what can I do for you?"
"I need you to let some of my personnel in, the crews are obviously overwhelmed and they can help."
"If they're Eighty-Six I'm sorry ma'am, but we're under strict orders not to let any in." He barely glanced at her while trying to coordinate the cordon, trying to get the ambulance in without letting any Colorata in.
"Are you telling me you're willing to let the people trapped in that rubble die, just because you don't like them, Chief? Because if that's the case…" Her voice took on a much more sinister tone. "Besides, what harm can a dozen people do when you have all these officers and military personnel to prevent something going wrong?"
The officer turned towards her with a glare, sighing when he realized who it was. "Tell you what. You get them to let the ambulance in, and you can bring eight in. Once I see what they can do, then we can talk about bringing in more."
"You have a deal, Chief." She pressed the back of her neck. "ParaRAID, synchronization target, Scarecrow."
"Yes Captain?"
"Clear a path for the ambulance, and have the others move away from the cordon."
"Understood." Mara replied before Katya saw all of the Eighty-Six's paraRAID devices connect, the line falling silent instantly before they moved out of the way, letting the ambulance through.
"Thank you, Mara. The Chief of Police is going to let eight of you through to help now. Aren't you, Chief?"
"Yes ma'am." The chief grumbled. With that she disconnected and walked off, leaving him to fume by himself as she surveyed the area with her own eyes. Mara eventually walked over with five others, the de facto leader of the group nodding in respect.
"Where do you want us to start?"
"Anywhere you see fit, Bloodhound is around here somewhere if you need medical attention for victims." The fact there were only six did not escape her scrutiny, it wasn't worth raising a stink about it now though.
"Understood. Let the Police Chief know we're going to have two trucks and two Barrett's coming for rubble removal. Let's go guys!" The woman turned and led the others towards the rubble pile, immediately getting to work removing the top layers. Eventually the Alba let the Chief know about the trucks, not lingering a second longer than she had to.
Over the next hour, the Eighty-Six rapidly outpaced the emergency workers, working together with the long crane arms of their Barrett's to move entire chunks of rebar-reinforced concrete and marble columns, which were quickly trucked off to God knows where.
Progressively more and more Eighty-Six were let in until they outnumbered the emergency crews three to one, making chains to pass rubble down to the trucks from the very top. Katerina would occasionally hear the cry of "I got one here!", but as the pile got further and further down, the yells got progressively less frequent, allowing her a moment's respite.
Her paraRAID chimed as she was looking for a place to sit. "Katerina, you got a second?" Jesse's voice sounded exhausted. "Got a Colonel here asking for you."
"And you are where?" She prompted.
"Main entry hall, being harassed by three drunks."
"The ones at the table with dual benches about ten meters before the badge gates?"
"I'm assuming they're a common occurrence."
"Daily. On my way." She sighed as she turned around to head inside.
Once inside, she found Jesse seated in a chair across the walkway from the drunks, the Colonel standing by the stairs as Bloodhound remained leaning forward, his surprisingly empty bag by his feet and a water bottle in his hands.
"I can't believe they let a pig like you in here. What'd you have to do, huh?!" One of the drunks shouted. She glared at the officer as she passed, then stopped a few feet from her superior.
"You asked for me, Sir?"
"What do you think you're doing letting the Eighty-Six in the grounds of the headquarters, Captain?"
"Saving lives, Sir."
"At the cost of our security."
"Do you really expect they would rebel at a time like this, Sir? I know you have received Captain Milize's battle reports and my resource reports, if we die, they will die too."
The Colonel still looked very unhappy with her as he looked over her head at the Eighty-Six weathering the verbal abuse from the drunks. "I don't see any work being done."
"That's because the rubble is stable and search and rescue dogs are combing for more survivors. Having anyone else in the area would complicate their efforts, but you know that, don't you, Sir."
"That I do." The Colonel looked down at her with disdain before looking back up at Jesse. "Get him back to work." With that, he turned and began walking away.
With that she turned to the three drunkards, the cold gaze she cast at them was quickly burned into their memories. "Go make yourselves useful for once."
"And who do you think you are telling us that?!" One slurred before she heard Jesse's water bottle hit the floor with a hollow clunk, the Processor walking over and grabbing him by the shirt collar before she knew what he was doing.
"Stand down Lieutenant." She calmly ordered. "I may have a busted wing but I am more than capable of handling them myself."
"I was just gonna remove 'em from the premises." He argued halfheartedly, still gripping the drunk's uniform even while the Alba tried to pry him off.
"That won't be necessary, let go of him. Please." The click of her heels on the tile was plainly obvious as she approached them. Jesse sighed and let go, taking a couple steps back and holding his hands out to the side. "You asked who I was, to tell you to get to work. I'm someone who's results in just the last year outstrip your entire career so far that you should be ashamed."
"You're all talk! You and your little bitch!" He spat at Jesse as he reached for the bottle, Bloodhound clenching his fist and giving her a look of 'now? Please?'. However by the time he had looked back at her she was already holding the other officer's other wrist and had him on his knees in an arm lock.
"That was a poor choice. MP!"
Two sets of boots came down the stairs after she shouted, two MP's coming over. "What's the problem here?"
"This man tried to attack us with his bottle when we asked him to leave as his presence is obstructing search and rescue efforts."
"Understood." One of the MP's walked over, slapping a pair of cuffs on him before the other MP cuffed the other two, dragging the three away while Jesse returned to his seat and flopped into it, putting his head in his hands.
When they had left, she looked at Jesse. "Let's take a walk."
"Yes ma'am." He practically whispered, standing up and cramming his canteen into his bag before throwing it on one shoulder, starting to follow her. Eventually he noticed her left fist was clenched so tight her nails were seemingly about to puncture her palm.
"I wanted to do that for so long."
"I see." He muttered. "Sorry for getting in your way."
"You're fine, I appreciate you coming to my defense." It was then he noticed she was hiding her face under the brim of her hat. The slightest tinge of red was noticeable around the side of her face.
"I'll admit my motives weren't entirely selfless. They'd been making comments about my mother for quite some time." He sighed. "You alright, Katerina? You're looking a bit hot under the collar."
She jumped. "I-I- I'm fine." Internally however her mind was repeating what Annette had told her hours earlier.
"...Right… Um, do you know where I can restock my bag? I'm practically out of bandages."
"I can uh, can get you supplies in the morning."
"Understood. I think I've done all I can. I'm going to turn in."
"Yes, right. I should go check on Lena, see if she needs help. G-goodnight." With that she turned and headed for the bistro turned command post. He watched her go before shaking his head and walking off.
When she arrived at the bistro, Lena was in the process of taking a break, drinking some water when she saw Katya, who looked at her with a bright red face before dipping into a nearby alley.
Lena got up and went out to check on her friend, finding her waiting for her beside some dumpsters. "Lena- Annette was right!"
"About what?"
"Me having a crush on Jesse."
"She does tend to be pretty good at guessing those kinds of things." Lena watched with amusement as her friend nodded and ran her hand down her face. "So? What got you like this?"
"You know those drunks that always heckle you at HQ? I told them to get lost, one got angry with me then he stopped him and…" She took a breath. "Then what she said popped in my head while we were alone."
Lena stifled a giggle. "Where is he now?"
"Going back to the hotel… He's probably weirded out now isn't he?"
"Maybe. There's only one way to know for sure."
"Please no…"
"You're going to have to ask him eventually. Get to know him." She groaned loudly in response. Lena smiled as she seemed to have mercy on her friend however. "Tonight, go rest. You've done enough."
"Can I crash with you tonight?"
"It's going to be a long night for me tonight. That's why I want you to rest. If you want, you can stay in my family's estate." She paused. "Or…. You can call Bloodhound and ask if you can borrow his couch?"
"I don't think I could sleep if I was within a half-mile of him, let alone in the next room."
"Ultimately it's your choice. I-" she straightened up as Katya could only assume someone connected to her paraRAID. She turned after a moment and walked out of the alley. "Give me a full report, Sparrow."
Katya sighed before leaving the alley herself.
Fuck it.
"ParaRAID, synchronization target." She paused for several seconds. "Bloodhound."
"Yes?" Bloodhound's grunt immediately threw her off her game when her RAID device connected, blood rushing to her face.
"I-I-" She stopped herself. "I'm sorry about rushing off earlier."
"It's.. fine.." He grunted with strain again before continuing, sighing in relief as he stopped straining. "What can I do for you?"
"Could I crash on your couch tonight?" There, she asked it, even though it was only seconds before he spoke, it felt like an eternity.
"Sure. You can take the bed if you want to, it's too… cushy, for me."
"You're not going to ask why?" She was surprised, and relieved, at his answer.
"I figure if you want me to know you'll tell me, but until then I'm going to assume it has something to do with tonight's attack."
"You're half right, I'll see you soon."
"Forty.. five! Forty.. six! Forty.. seven!" An abrupt but gentle knock at the door stopped Jesse as he nearly finished his workout. Three sets of fifty push-ups gave him just enough muscle burn to help him sleep. "It's open!" He grunted as he got up, catching the chair and making sure it didn't break when it rolled off his back. His shirt was damp with perspiration, his freckled arms glistening in the light as he walked over to the door, opening it for Bishop. "Hey…"
"Hi…" She couldn't help but check him out at first. "May I come in?" The Alba before him was still wearing her uniform and coat, but had picked up a small duffel bag he could only assume was more clothing and a fresh uniform for tomorrow.
"Of course. Excuse my sweatiness. Had too much energy to sleep so I decided to get a workout in." He stepped out of the way and politely motioned for her to come inside..
"That is totally fine." She shook her head as she came in. "What do you think of the place?" A gentle early winter breeze blew through the broken windows, causing her hair to flutter as it escaped through the closing door.
"It's… honestly way too exorbitant for my tastes, but I can deal with it. It was too warm, but fortunately the Legion opened a window for me." He joked as he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off his face.
She huffed. "Usually I like being warm but this year the winter chill is much more welcome." As she spoke, her eyes remained fixated on some distant memory of Charité burning.
"I do hope you're not making yourself miserable on our account." Jesse raised an eyebrow while a piece of plywood was moved over the window, soon being hammered into place from the outside. She looked confused by his statement. "The Eighty-Six. There was talk that you and Regina were forgoing lots of amenities because we didn't have them."
"Oh, that's not entirely wrong. But we aren't miserable for it. Some of it probably comes from the damage to her family estate."
"I see." He hummed and poured himself a glass of water from a fancy pitcher. "Can I make you anything to eat before bed?"
"No thank you, I ate quite well before the railgun type Legion attacked. If you don't mind, I'm going to change." She pointed to the attached bathroom.
"By all means. I won't bother you. I should probably lay down anyway."
"Actually, could you take a look at my shoulder before you do that? It's been bothering me all day."
His attention immediately focused on her as he nodded. "Absolutely. Do you think you tore a stitch out?"
"It's possible." She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. A few minutes and several uncomfortable sounding painful groans from moving her shoulder to undress later, she spoke again. "You can come in."
The woman was now wearing what looked like very comfortable sleepwear, the light gray color of the sweater she held to her front complimented her very well. Not to mention the contrast of her bright blush. He stepped in and slipped behind her before inspecting her shoulder, humming and shining a light on the stitches for a moment before she felt him gently cut a stitch with a pair of surgical scissors, some tension loosening.
"You have some pretty bad inflammation. It's looking real angry, but I don't see any pus or anything, so I'm going to give you some anti-inflammatories and painkillers, and you'll be right as rain." She felt him pull the stitch out very gently, eventually pulling away and dropping it in the small trash can. "Do you have any medication allergies?"
"No, nor do I take any medication."
"Well that simplifies things." He hummed. Her smooth skin felt good on his hand as he held her still, feeling her heart pound and eventually chuckling. "Don't forget to breathe and remain calm Captain. It's just a medical examination."
"That's not the problem." She muttered.
"If something I'm doing is bothering you, let me know." He hummed distractedly while gently pulling his hand away. "Let's get you some meds."
She waited for him to step away before slipping the sweater over her head. "Jesse."
"Yes ma'am?"
"Katya." She corrected.
"Alright Katya." He smiled warmly as he turned and walked to his bag.
"What do you think of me?" She finally asked what he assumed was on her mind for some time.
"Pardon?" He asked, looking over at her in surprise.
"Just answer the question."
"Well." He hummed as he continued rooting around in his bag, eventually pulling out two pill bottles and sitting at the foot of the bed, looking at her. "I think you're a very intelligent woman with a penchant for getting things done. You're going to go far in this world, with your eagerness to learn, and you've got a bit of a wild side despite what seems like a rather high-class upbringing."
"Does any of that interest you?" She eventually asked. The Alba was playing with a strand of her silvery hair as she stood in the entranceway.
"It does." He replied absentmindedly before his eyes went wide. "I- uhh.." Her eyes snapped up to him the instant that admission left his mouth, leaving a small giggle to leave hers. His brain felt like it short circuited for a moment before he underhanded the meds to her. "Four of each max daily. Start at one of each in the morning and take as needed. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight." She parotid back, waiting a minute before heading into the bedroom. He turned and made for the couch, where he had a pillow and blanket set up, laying down facing the wall.
Why had he said that? She was a white pig! An Alba! Maybe she was a little cute, sure but-
Wait.
No. No!
He wanted to claw his own eyes out as he mouthed that word, not daring to make a sound.
And there she was, in the next room.
It was going to be a long night.
Katya awoke the following morning to an unfamiliar sight. Unfamiliar sounds. But the familiar smell of freshly cooked breakfast wafted through her nose like the most pleasant alarm. She could smell freshly steeped tea atop it all, the simple thought of a warm cup threatening to drag her out of bed by the nostrils as she gained her bearings.
Right, she had spent the night at Bloodhound's hotel room. Slowly she got out of the nice and warm bed, genuinely surprised at how well she had slept. "Well good morning to you too-"
All at once her brain was brought to a screeching halt as she walked into the common room and kitchenette, her eyes wandering over Jesse's pale, broad, muscled back as he stood at the stove. Her eyes traced over the scars that dotted his flesh, a blush progressively creeping up her neck.
"Good morning." He chimed back as the pan sizzled intently for a moment, his attention solely focused on the two pans in front of him. The shirtless Eighty-Six didn't seem to care about the situation, every muscle on his back rippling as he set the pancake turner down and stretched. "How'd you sleep?"
She gasped before covering her mouth to hide her face. "G-good." Try as she might, she couldn't make herself look away. After a moment he turned towards her, noticing her blush before grabbing a black shirt and pulling it on.
"Sorry."
"How about you?" She asked after finally peeling her eyes away to see what he was cooking.
"Pretty good. Woke up a few times but I feel alright this morning." He hummed as a mixture of eggs, potatoes, onions, and actual bacon sizzled in the covered pan, steaming up the clear lid to the point where she almost couldn't see through it. In the other pan, he was pan-toasting some bread, which looked soft enough to have been made that morning. He popped open the microwave and pulled out a mug of tea, offering it to her. "Here. It's no coffee, but it's alright."
"Tea is wonderful, thank you." She took the mug, inhaled the aroma, and cautiously sipped to avoid burning herself. To her surprise, she found the golden elixir to be nearly the perfect drinking temperature, as Jesse politely stepped past her to ensure breakfast didn't burn.
"Of course. Go take a seat. Breakfast should be ready soon." She nodded and sat down at the dinette. "So, what were you getting at last night, Katya?"
"I…like you."
He turned and looked at her as he shut off the heat to the scramble, having flipped the pieces of toast. He reached over and picked up his mug, gently sipping at it. "You barely know me."
"I know that. I can't explain it, but it's there."
"Well." He huffed in amusement, sipping his tea again before setting the mug down and pulling out some plates. He remained silent as he dished up both plates, putting a healthy stack of the breakfast scramble on both of the plates before setting a slide of golden brown toast to one side of it, walking over with both plates while they steamed incessantly in the chilly room. "Last night I realized I quite like you too, so it seems we're both in luck."
"If you don't feel the same- wait you do?"
"After blurting out last night, I took a couple hours for some self reflection, and I came to the realization. Though, to what extent I'm not sure yet." He gently set her plate in front of her while he set his across the small round table. "Besides, I kind of figured you liked me. Most people's hearts don't race from having a wound inspected."
Her face became red again and she took a breath to control herself. "It was more the fact I was half naked, and that you were touching me too." The second part was said much quieter as she busied herself with her food.
"I'm a medical professional. Touching people is part of my job." He teased. "But I do understand. Honestly my heart was beating a little fast too." He quickly tucked into his food, pausing the conversation for a minute.
The two sat in silence for quite some time, both eating their food until Katya's paraRAID abruptly chimed.
"Katya, stop by Annette's as soon as you can. I'm going to need you to take over for me soon." Lena sounded absolutely exhausted over the call, immediately grabbing her attention away from the divine tasting food.
"Sounds like last night was rough then. What's the status?" She asked, when Jesse looked confused she pointed at her neck, receiving a nod in return.
"The attacks have been nonstop. I've deployed everything we have, even the Processors here in the capital. In the north they've pushed us back to the edge of Central District Two, and in the East and West we've begun laying minefields to slow their advance while the Eighty-Six try to rest. The South was repelled surprisingly easily, so I moved District 72 to the North."
"At least we've got a defensive line set up. And, why Annette's?"
"She has the modification for your ParaRAID ready."
"Finally, I'll drop by shortly."
"Annette also wanted me to remind you to get her chocolate." Lena sighed before she got a burst of energy. "I have to go, another attack."
"Good luck." She sighed. "Duty calls."
Lena disconnected as Jesse smiled warmly. "I won't keep you then. Let me know if I can help. If I need to deploy to help one of the other districts, I'll happily do so."
"I'll let you know." She resumed eating, quicker than earlier but still enjoying it. Nor did she want this moment to end.
"Real eggs, real bacon. I figured you might enjoy that." Jesse chuckled after a moment.
"I absolutely do. How did you get them?"
"Did a bit of a drug deal with the others. They wanted cigarettes, I had cigarettes. I wanted real eggs, and… well, you get the idea."
"You make it sound so devious."
"Well, I gotta make it sound interesting somehow." He joked. "Oh, I also got you something."
"You did?"
"I did." His smirk widened as he jerked his thumb towards the fridge. "Check the fridge on your way out."
"Okay..?" She still seemed confused but agreed to check it. It didn't take her much longer to finish her meal. "Thank you for making this."
"Of course. I'm just glad it turned out as well as it did. It's been awhile since I cooked anything." As she stood up, she collected his plate and cup, taking both over to the sink, and rinsing them off for easier cleaning later. "Don't worry about those. I'll take care of them."
"And here I was trying to be nice." She teased before grabbing her bag and disappearing into the bathroom to change.
By the time she was changed, she heard him humming out in the main room, a quiet melody filtering under the door as she smoothed out her uniform. Once she opened the door she heard him in earnest, his alto tone soothing her anxiety as she rounded the corner and saw him packing a satchel full of art supplies, his rifle on the table next to it.
The humming stopped as he saw her, pausing and smiling. "Do your best, Captain."
Her smile widened. "I will!"
He smiled and slung both the satchel and his rifle on his shoulder, going to the fridge and pulling out a small cardboard box before tossing it to her. "For your hard work, and… for bringing me back."
She curiously opened the box after catching it, finding sixteen chocolate bars neatly packaged like they would be at the store. "Jesse, you didn't-"
"The person who had them previously doesn't need them anymore. I figured they'd be fully enjoyed in your hands."
Her expression saddened as she realized who's these had been. She hung her head for a moment. "They would've wanted these enjoyed."
"Don't be sad for them, Katya. They're free, and safer than even we are." He walked over and gently patted her on her good shoulder.
"Still, I wish they were here."
"We all do. I do. But this is how things are. Maybe someday it'll change, but for now, all we can do is remember them." Abruptly, Jesse looped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug, being careful not to hurt her. She tensed up at first, not expecting the hug, but eventually relaxed. The woman's mind was going a million miles an hour and nowhere at the same time.
"Many of us fight because we have to, but some of us fight because we want to." He hummed as he hugged her. As he held the hug, the smell of petrichor hit her nose, along with lavender and pine. He pulled away after a moment and walked to the door, opening it for her. "Can I walk you to where you're going?"
"Only if you're fine with Annette heckling you."
"I think I can deal."
"Go home, Pig."
The words fell on empty ears as the processor kept gently sketching the bridge. He'd heard it dozens of times in the hours he'd been sitting there, his rifle laid across his lap as he took in the sights of District One at lunchtime.
The peace felt strange. Out of place. Forced. People going about their days like nothing was happening, even as the near constant roar of cannons could be heard in the distance, just within the walls of the Gran Mur. The noise of the battlefield buzzed in the back of his mind as he gently shaded the underside of one of the arches, not bothering the pigeons that had gathered around him in the slightest. He gently stuck the thin tipped pencil behind his right ear before taking a carpenter's scribe and using that to get the bolder lines he was looking for,
"Hey Jess!" A familiar voice made his head jerk up, his eyes frantically scanning the crowd for the specific color of their hair before his heart sank.
"Right…" He sighed and focused on the drawing again. August 24th. Maybe they were the lucky one, having passed not knowing about the offensive. He gently shook his head, the No.2 pencil falling from his ear and clattering across the sidewalk. "Shit." Jesse started to get up, but paused when he saw a kid pick the pencil up, looking at him with curious eyes wide as saucers.
"What are you drawing?" The kid asked as he held the pencil against his chest.
"I'm drawing the bridge." He smiled as he eased back in his seat.
"Why?"
"I've never seen it before, and I want the picture as a memory." He smiled warmly. "Could I have my pencil back? I need that for later."
"Okay!" The kid started to hold his hand out, Jesse reaching out in relief before his hand was abruptly smacked away, an adult grabbing the child's wrist and ripping the pencil out of their grasp, throwing it at the Eighty-Six before she stormed off, scolding the kid.
Jesse sighed and picked up the pencil from his lap, pausing as he looked at the bridge for a moment. Cars drove to and fro across the smooth stone, civilians walking on either side as more and more people entered the plaza where he was seated.
It was beginning to get too crowded, Jesse grabbing his satchel and carefully packing his belongings in it before he stood. His feet started carrying him in a random direction as he slung both the bag and rifle on his shoulder, starting to wander the city's streets until a tingling on the back of his neck made him whip around. He paused as he focused on his ability, eventually turning and walking faster towards the makeshift HQ. Soon enough he was running, weaving through a sea of white hair until he reached the Bistro, the door almost slamming against the wall as he panted gently, looking directly at Katya. "Bishop."
"Hound?" She was surprised to see him there.
"The gun fired again, but not at us."
"Then who are they firing at?" She asked him. "Standby Sparrow."
"The round went East. Towards the Giadian Empire lands."
"What?"
Jesse walked over and put his hands on the table she was standing next to, a grin creeping onto his face. "The gun shot at something else, meaning there's more people out there somewhere!" He could see the wheels turning in her eyes as she stared at the map of the Republic's territory.
"Legion have broken through combat district 9's section!"