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]

No one up there but the birds, usually.

[He jams the ground floor button on the elevator and slouches back against the wall, decidedly low-energy. The smile's still missing from his face, and he doesn't seem to mind the smaller space bubble.]

It'd just be a pain, if someone spotted them from the air. Corporal Fielding would have some dumb new regulation posted in half a day.

[unbr8kable]

Ugh, Fielding. Chairs'd be banned altogether or something, and there'd be a million stupid reminder notes posted everywhere... What a lamer.

[she makes a face, probably one more dramatic than necessary, but if it gets a reaction...]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Mission accomplished; he cracks a crooked sort of smile at that.]

You're giving him too much credit.

It'd be like, all chairs are banned except for Thursdays, when they're requisitioned just for command, and every other Wednesday, when you can fill out paperwork in triplicate and check one out from supply in fifteen minute increments.

[unbr8kable]

You are waaay too good at that.

[she elbows him in the side, somehow ending up shoulder to shoulder even as she makes a face at his expense, this time]

Don't tell me he's rubbing off on you, one Fielding is enough.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Huffs a laugh and scrunches up his nose.]

One's too much. I'd hang myself in all the red tape, first.

[unbr8kable]

[sticks out her tongue]

Don't let it come to that, then!

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yes, ma'am.

[Gives a sloppy little mock-salute.]

Seriously about the folding chairs, though. We can stash em between the intake vents and the stairwell down.

[unbr8kable]

Watch your form, soldier.

...But seriously, about the chairs. I bet we could get some at Don Quixote without breaking the bank OR having to answer any questions about going out shopping during the day.

[crossmyheartandhope]

If we ever figure out where they stuck the chairs. I can never find anything in that place.

[unbr8kable]

That's the point. Every trip is a treasure hunt. How is that not exciting?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Hands up.]

I'm not saying it's bad. I just always come out with a bunch of snacks and have to go somewhere else for what I came in for.

[unbr8kable]

[clucks her tongue]

I feel like that's less the fault of the store and more a personal failing. Gotta keep your eyes on the prize and your snacks out of the bag.

[crossmyheartandhope]

You can keep me in line.

[Slowly, like it's reluctant to actually function instead of crashing, the elevator lurches to a stop.]

[unbr8kable]

Well, yeah, duh. Stick with me, kid, you'll go places.

[impulsively she wraps an arm around his shoulder, points out towards the horizon...or the elevator door that--really though, could it open more slowly? can't it tell she's trying to make a point here!? geez!]

...

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Waits for a minute, expectant, for the door to do its thing.]

[It gives a little whine and clangs shut again, and he bursts out laughing.]

Guess we're not going very far.

[unbr8kable]

Seriously!?

[she jams on the open door button, kicks the door]

Come on!

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Still laughing.]

Maybe we'll have to do the action movie thing, after all.

[unbr8kable]

It's different when you have to climb up however many stories instead of rappelling down.

[undaunted--well, only a little daunted, she scrabbles at the door, attempting to pry it open since surely that isn't hard to do...]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Coming over to try and pry at the other side.]

We'd only have to get up to the second story... right?

[unbr8kable]

True... Guess it wouldn't be that bad...

[but just then, their efforts come to fruition and the door begins to shudder open--

--then snaps back shut. Hope you watched those fingers!]

Ow!

[...someone didn't watch her fingers]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Neither did this guy. He curses and snatches the hand back.]

...this is the worst door ever.

[Starts jamming at the open door button.]

[unbr8kable]

Tell me about it! --I'm stuck!

[indeed, the door seems clamped quite neatly around the joint at the tip of her fingers! luckily it's her artificial left hand, so it's irritation she's squawking with, not pain]

How is this even happening?

[crossmyheartandhope]

We need like a crowbar or something.

[Gives the open door button one last halfhearted push.]

Hey, how strong's your hand?

[unbr8kable]

Strong enough. ...What're you thinking?

[crossmyheartandhope]

I dunno... can you get your other fingers in there? Maybe you could buy yourself enough space to slip out.