first sortie.

[unbr8kable]

[Six hours previous, everything had been so much simpler. The Eta cohort had made it to live combat training, out in one of the few areas the Tenno had claimed back from the invaders. Xia had been vibrating the whole day, grinning wide as she suited up in the boring steel training mech (hers would be blue, she decided, or maybe black, with bold red stripes on the limbs) and deployed to the field, not even cracking on Wimperson, the Support (not his real name, but it may as well have been).

The Heralds didn't come up on radar until they were practically on top of the trainees. Maybe if there'd been more lead time, it would've been less of a shitshow, but who the hell knows.

The grimy details aren't important, but they aren't great. Damage to all suits, with two damaged beyond repair; the Leader froze under pressure, the Shadow couldn't keep up with the speedy Heralds. Wimperson actually came through. Johnson the Medic went down right there, in front of them.

Xia and Jacob have only just gotten out of their debriefing, another unexpected first for the day.

She and Jacob did good, Xia knows. They kept their heads, were barely hurt, they moved together well. "You'll make a good team," Corporal Kuwahara tells them before turning towards the medical ward to check on Johnson's surgery. "Go get some rest."

But no, rest is pretty much the opposite of what they need right now, Xia thinks. She turns to Jacob, giving her best attempt at a normal expression.]

Wanna get out of here?

Comments

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Well now he is sliding down awkwardly and also he is trying not to accidentally sit on a dog.]

Sure. For all of the, what. Three days? We can teach him tricks.

[He makes it down another five inches or so, and kind of nudges the dog with his non-metal knee. Move please, puppy, I am heavier than you.]

[unbr8kable]

[he licks at jacob's knee, what a delicious. How can he possibly move away from such a treat??]

In a pinch, we could eat him.

[her expression doesn't change from calm as she calls to the dog again, attempting to tug him out of jacob's way]

C'mon, let's get it moving, shall we?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Think we'd be too busy dying of thirst to care much about final meals.

[But as soon as she's scooped the puppy, he's going to hurry up and scoot the rest of the way down.]

[He takes a deep breath, twists his right leg so the foot's facing straight at the door, and then pushes.]

[unbr8kable]

At least we wouldn't be hungry!

[the doors groan, reluctant to move, but grudgingly creak open wider, since it really is impossible for the two of them to take up the same space.]

There we go.

[once the hole is wide enough to squeeze through, she drops the dog in Jacob's lap before maneuvering herself over and out of the elevator]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Ruffles the dog's ears with both hands, playfully affectionate.]

Who's a good dog? Who would make a terrible last meal? Tell her you're all stringy.

[unbr8kable]

[the dog is happily ruffled, licking at whatever it can reach]

Yeah, I guess I could eat you instead, but beggars can't be choosers.

[she cases the lobby--clear for now--then braces her feet to hold the doors for him]

Whenever you're ready for that ninja roll.

[crossmyheartandhope]

You got it.

[He tucks one hand up under the dog's belly to hold it, then pulls it in close to his chest. Then he - well, it's not so much a ninja roll as a sudden jerk and then an awkward lunge, but it gets him clear of the doors, anyway.]

Ha. No elevator's gonna stop us.

[unbr8kable]

[the doors rumble shut the second he's through. the dog licks at jacob's chin]

Hell yeah! We kicked that elevator's butt! Suck it!

[she kicks the closed doors, which placidly open with a ding]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Gapes and points the most accusing of accusatory fingers.]

Seriously?

Come on!

[unbr8kable]

[throws up her hands]

Unbelievable!

[crossmyheartandhope]

Well, we know we kicked its butt.

Let's get out of here.

[unbr8kable]

Don't have to tell me twice.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Don't have to tell him twice, either. He is beelining for the door. He pauses, though, glancing at the dog still in his arms.]

What about this little guy?

[unbr8kable]

[shrugs]

Keep him. Does he have a tag?

[crossmyheartandhope]

What, he's gonna be the roof dog?

[Checking for a tag... Nope, nothing.]

[unbr8kable]

You could stick him under your bunk.

[crossmyheartandhope]

He'd be pretty cramped under there.

[unbr8kable]

You could put him in your bunk.

[crossmyheartandhope]

He'd get thrown out.

[unbr8kable]

You might get thrown out. Sounds like the roof's the winner after all.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He is hesitating more than you'd think.]

You think he'd like it there?

[unbr8kable]

Do you like it there?

[and then, because maybe that's a bit too honest,]

I've got no idea. But there's one way to find out. It's not like we can't give him back if it doesn't work out.

[...hopefully.]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Speaking of too honest: what happens when we inevitably die and there is a dog no one knows about up on the roof, starving to death? But he is not going to say that, because he doesn't say things like that.]

...

...maybe we'd better not.

[unbr8kable]

[...she'd just been thinking about Fielding finding it, but that's a good reason, too]

...Probably.

[she pats the dog's head, scratching gently behind its ears]

Ready to say your goodbyes?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah.

[Gives the dog a final ear-ruffle and goes to set him down.]

See you, buddy. We gotta go.