Summary:Two soldiers hang loose and talk in very few words while a RESCUE tech tries to lend a hand. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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Let it never be said RESCUE doesn't take care of their own. Moving aft towards the back of the plane, the seating area gives way to a dimmed hallway with curtained pods on either side. A few are open to expose comfortably furnished but unused beds, while plenty more are closed to afford rest to the battle-wearied members of the group. A door to the end closes off the one true bedroom on the plane, complete with a guest chair, separate lighting, a TV built into the wall, and a small nightstand. Standing sentinel as if it were her guard, Posse's armored suit is on its feet half-open and with her green pressure suit folded neatly before it. The ammo pouches, provisions, and medical kit attached to its frame are still present, though her weapons have been fastidiously made clear and safe before being set aside. Last anyone checked, the stone-faced sergeant herself was sleeping with a worryingly mildness, with stable vitals but little other reassurance. Brain scans and a better understanding of her injuries would have to wait for their return to RESCUE HQ.
And yet with her head propped against her headboard and a blanket covering all but her right arm clad in its black sleeve, two green eyes are staring directly at the albino mercenary when she opens the door.
*
It's perhaps a small comfort that the prone form which Domino approaches is still alive and not another corpse. She's already lost too many she had considered friends and allies. Still, seeing Ava in her current situation hurts as sharply as a stiletto through the ribs.
The albino can keep thinking that this would have happened without her double play. Hell, it could possibly have been -worse- if it happened at a time where RESCUE and CO weren't around to intervene. Still..it had been Dom's handiwork which popped the lock on the Soviet Pandora's Box. Secrets this big don't stay buried forever, as she herself had just helped to prove.
"Hey" is all that comes to mind at her first proper post-battle sight of the cyborg.
Would this feel any less awkward if Ava could respond? Acknowledge her presence? Maybe call her a bitch? It's hard to say.
The merc still keeps the blanket held around herself while limping into the room, her face and hands cut up a little but most of the damage kept hidden from view. It's that black-clad arm which she reaches for, taking Posse's hand within her own with a thin smirk.
"That was a helluva thing, huh. We took a beating but the team made it out. The civvies faired alright, too."
Drawing in a breath and looking away, she mutters "Sorry I was late on the go-fast. Wasn't my finest operation. I owe you something nice when we're in the clear. Just..don't go AWOL on me, Anodyne. You and I, we're not done yet."
*
Both eyes turn at Tamara's touch and lift to find her scratched up face. The light is out from one of them, its pupil dull and glossy, but the other…
"No casualties?" the white-haired sergeant asks with a voice that's dry and strained.
*
Domino's eyes widen -just- a hair before she hangs her head with a weary sigh. "Sonuvabitch I thought you were more out than that" she groans, a little embarrassed.
Recollecting herself with another breath she lifts her head back up and returns her focus to Ava. "They're all clear. Soon as your heavy metal butt hit the floor they went on hard defense. You can take pride knowing that you took the worst of it. You should probably stop doing that" she gently teases with a lopsided grin.
More could be said. Her thoughts are a chaotic blend with several ideas all trying to stand in line for their chance to be voiced but they're all turned back at the gate.
It's all been based off of a lie.
*
Ava doesn't smile back, instead quiet for several seconds as if living in slow motion, digesting the albino's words before forming word by word a laconic reply. "Our objective?" she next asks, perhaps realizing this isn't likely to be a half-functioning Soviet prototype aircraft she's laying in.
*
"Objective is secured" Domino confirms with a gentle headbob. "Something-something-shrunk it down to the size of a bracelet charm-something..I don't know." She can take a real good guess where Posse's mind is going to go next, too. "Those responsible also took a beating but they got away."
(You're looking at one of them.)
"Listen..Ava," she quietly resumes. "I can stick around until you're back up to speed. If you'd like. No reason why you should have to enjoy this shit sandwich all by yourself," she jokes again.
*
Relief is expressed by the wounded cyborg in the form of her head laying back against her pillow and her eyes falling briefly shut to rest before reopening. Posse turns her head left and glances in the vague direction of her chair before lifting herself with an effort onto her right elbow and grunting as she drags her body backwards to sit just slightly more upright. Her blanket falls away enough to expose the cyborg's bionic left arm, its mounting bracket, and more of her suit, but the limb dangles completely limp and unhelpful to the endeavor.
*
The least that Dom can do is try to help Posse in sitting up. It's a nice idea in theory but she's battered and with the cyborg's metal bits down for the count there's some real dead weight to shift. Still, the effort is made. Maybe in part because Ava hadn't actually said anything here and Dom's left to her own thoughts, not many of which are positive in nature.
"Well you didn't tell me to GTFO so I'll take that as an affirmative" she thinks aloud.
*
With some muscling up and help from Domino, Posse lays back with her shoulders on the pillow and rests against the headboard. "Go ahead," she adds to be explicit, turning to half-spy the albino for only a moment before weight and inertia face her forward again. The cyborg's normal hard-charging energy is nowhere to be found. Instead, she just seems tired.
It's several seconds before the white-haired sergeant works up another question, this one as obvious as the rest: "Where am I?"
*
Domino probably should have seen Ava's next question a mile off, too. Darn mental distractions. "Commercial flight heading home. We're the cool kids sitting up front, got the section to ourselves."
Motioning toward the door, she adds in "I think every tech-minded head on this flight is trying to figure out a way to keep this from happening to you again. I'm feeling a little out-classed here."
*
"Figures I get special treatment," Posse quips in a tone that's almost rueful while her free hand quietly clenches and unclenches itself and her eyes hang blankly upon the dark television screen in front of her. She doesn't watch Domino or her gesture.
"And our ETA?"
*
"You also got hit the hardest" Domino points out. "-Someone- had to get the special treatment. Way to draw the short straw."
The lack of eye contact throughout the conversation had been deliberate. Dom wasn't sure that she'd be ready to see eye to eye with the cyborg but enough time has passed that she's feeling more confident about the idea. Contact is broken long enough for the albino to walk around to Ava's other side, now taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"No clue. I haven't been with it very long. Found out the hard way what happens when you're in the middle of four Screamers and a concrete bunker. I did survive getting gunned at by a mini, though. That's going on the resume."
*
"Is that why I'm hearing you through a soup sandwich?" Ava before smacking her lips. Another attempt is made to turn left and look towards the chair but the cyborg's scar-framed eye searches blankly in Domino's direction, looking without seeing until its twin gets the faintest of views.
"Any water to spare? My throat's so dry I taste camels."
*
Io had been a recluse this entire time, having shut herself off from the rest of the team by proxy of a less than cordial: 'Leave me the fuck alone' and eschwing into a private part of the plane where she could access her network, a canvas bag of spare parts and tools she had brought with her and had begun work - first on Goliath. Then, on other things. Her notepad. Her phone. The teams comms.
Now, for the first time since the plane took off she emerges from that little private area. Those within a good twenty feet from her can hear the extremely loud punk music of METZ blaring through her wireless buds. Without a single word she moves over to Posse, not even looking at the other woman. Nope. Her eyes are only for Posse's fried cybernetics.
She slings the canvas bag of used motherboards, circuits, wiring, and her spare laptop out. Then, she touches the first limb. "Mmmm," she says, quietly. "Don't worry. Io's here, baby. We'll get you back up, and even better." There's a pause and before Posse can respond, Io adds, "Yeah, I know. But, I see it. Okay? Just keep dreaming, baby. I'll make it alright. Promise."
From her toolbelt, Io pulls out the soddering gun and lets it start to get hot.
*
"That's ..one of the reasons" Domino admits with a glance off to one side. "Lots of gunfire and explosions, indoor rocket barrages are pretty serious business. Then there's that whole EMP thing…"
As if sensing that Posse isn't seeing so well Dom stands and leans a little closer, smiling her pointy-toothed smile and waving. "Hey. I'm here. Sorry, in-flight drinks cost an arm and a leg." She'll probably get shot later for that one.
"Sit tight, soldier. We'll getcha hy—drated…" she trails off with the most peculiar expression falling onto her face as some really loud headphone music leads to the blue-haired gal waltzing right in on them both. And ignoring the albino, apparently.
"Uh. Hi?" she pointedly greets Io before rolling her eyes and mentally waving it off. "Looks like your next surgeon is hot to spotweld. I'll be right back."
*
Domino's jest seems to almost~ coax a smile out of the somber and bedridden cyborg before the door to her small room opens to interrupt them. Ava cranes her head far to the left until she spies Io's blue hair out her right eye. Her left, like so many of the machines attached to the bionic commando, is dull and lifeless, its circuits crippled and quiet. Arm, leg, lower leg, the suit standing sentinel by the bed - and a small device somewhere in the cyborg's chest.
"Don't bother," Posse dismisses flatly to Io's enthusiasm. "Worry about my metal bits after we're at HQ."
*
"Mm. No," Io states back to Posse, only now looking the woman in the singular eye she can see through. "They need to be worked on now," and her voice carries a bit of disgruntlement with it. "Or, do you let people suffocate until they get back to HQ, too? Because that's pretty much what she's doing right now." She, meaning the leg that Io is currently getting ready to tend to.
A flicker of eyes back to Domino, "You're new. I'm Io. Hand me the widget out of my bag, please? The eye-scopey-thingy," she clarifies, as if that helps matters.
There is, in fact, a headset with various eyepieces attached that is in Io's bag and it's probably what she means as her attention goes back to Posse. "It won't take long."
*
A thin smile does creep across Domino's face with the momentary tease of positivity from Posse. It's similarly short-lived. Partly because of Io because what she's saying is pretty damn unusual.
The albino leans back and simply watches the blue haired woman work, or..commune with damaged tech or whatever the hell. "I am" she easily confirms. "And I'm Domino." Eye-scopey-thing, hmm—ah, well look at that! Dom's seeming a little blank but the requested device is discovered and handed over.
"You're kind of peculiar, aren't you." Says the pot to the kettle.
*
Then, remembering, Dom stands and goes in search of water.
*
Ava pushes her one good arm against the bed and rolls awkwardly half-way onto her metal side, fixing Io with a cold stare. "Oh really?" she deadpans. "Roni ordered you to fix my arm in flight?"
*
Io looks deadpan back at Ava, and points out, "First, I don't take orders, I'm not military. And no, she didn't. Vera did." She pats Ava's cybernetic arm again. Io nods to Domino in thanks calmly moves to put on the head gadget, which will no doubt allow her to see and correct the smaller circuits and settings in the cybernetics. It makes her look a bit dorky, of course. "It'll just be a few minutes, Vera already told me what I needed to do. We'll do some patchwork now, and then I'll get her up to speed later on so she'll be better protected after we land, and I get a few other things done."
*
Water isn't too far away. How fortunate! Still holding the blanket around her shoulders with one hand the somewhat unsteady mercenary soon returns with a bottle and perhaps the ultimate humiliation.
A straw.
"Wasn't sure if you needed an assist" she chuckles while settling back down with a wince then twisting the cap off of the bottle.
For Io's benefit she points out "You can still have a military background and not take orders. Just sayin.'"
When it comes to the electronic whatsits Dom's at a complete loss. What she -can- offer is to be the long arm of Ava if the cyborg decides that playtime's over. Ushering someone out of the room shouldn't be a problem even with the injuries Dom's suffering through.
If Ava can hold the bottle then the water is hers. Otherwise she's getting The Straw.
*
"No. You won't," Posse answers the blue-haired technopath right back as her jaw sets firmly and, recovering as she is, the white-haired chief of security takes deep, quick breaths from her nose to maintain her stony expression. Her eyes flit past Io's shoulder as Domino reenters the room water in hand. A silent look is passed to the albino before her gaze returns to the young woman. "Goodbye, Io. We'll talk after I'm rested."
*
Io's face twists, for a moment, horrified at Posse's rebuke - it's the sort of look that one might give a parent who just told a surgeon you're not operating on my child even though my child is probably going to die. Then, her eyes narrow. "You don't give a shit about her, do you?"
A tear rolls down Io's cheek, and like a petulant, angry child, she begins to throw her gear into the canvas bag, and without another word she storms out of the room, back to her own little hovel, where she'll stay likely for the rest of the flight.
*
Through the exchange Domino keeps quiet, glancing between the two other women with a healthy dose of confusion. Io's reaction to being turned down, complete with the start of waterworks, causes the monochromed merc's brows to bump upward. Without a sound she mouths 'ooooh-kay then.' She's lost here, well and truly!
*
"Shut the door, would ya'?" Posse asks with an emotionless glance to Tamara.
*
Still not saying a word Dom gets up and goes to nudge the door closed, keeping the motion as subtle as can be. Only then does she mention "That was interesting."
*
Ava waits for the door to shut before laying back against the headboard and shutting her eyes. A heavy sigh escapes the cyborg's mouth as she breathes deeply to refill her lungs. Instead of a reply, the white-haired woman settles on her cushions and her expression slackens almost to the point of sleep before her eyes creak back open and she turns to reach her hand out for the water bottle.
*
Right on cue the bottle magically appears within Ava's palm. A few seconds' worth of silence doesn't seem like a bad idea at all. At least the droning of the airliner masks the ringing which still hasn't faded out of Dom's hearing.
A pale blue eyed glance, largely free of the silvery surface filter under the artificial lighting, settles upon the cyborg with a distant looking smile, crooked as it may be. It's as if she's asking 'what am I going to do with you?'
*
The bottle is gripped carefully but in a steady hand and Ava straightens in bed as she brings it to her lips and slooowly tips it back, drinking with first a cautious swallow, then small sips as twin needs for air and thirst compete for the use of her throat.
After draining about half of the bottle, Ava holds the bottle out again for Domino to take and returns her blank gaze towards the television.
"We call that an 'azimuth check'," she explains belatedly.
*
It's one of the few moments where the albino seems to have patience in spades. At least she isn't staring or hovering, leaning back into the neighboring chair with her head dipped forward to be lost within her own thoughts for a while. There's no shortage of things to get lost in.
When the bottle is returned she glances up long enough to take it from Ava then take a drink, herself.
"Not familiar with that one" comes her softly spoken response. Nudging her head toward the TV, she asks "You want that thing on?" Ava's been looking that way a fair bit.
*
"Negative." The television is also straight ahead of Posse's bed. She might just as well look at a wall, or with the readiness that her eyelids droop again, nothing at all.
"You never do land nav? Azimuth is your heading. Azimuth check means 'check your direction'," she elaborates, seeming to speak a little easier.
*
"It's been a while" Domino suggests while looking away to an equally empty looking wall. "Some bits and pieces were liable to rattle loose. Most of the time I ran solo. Group involvement tended to not be with the brightest minded bunch. There weren't as many fancy words being passed around. If I needed something I went and got it."
"It was interesting. Watching how your team operated. There's more ruling you guys than orders."
*
Ava's quiet for a few seconds, shutting her eyes this time contritely before admitting, "This was not our finest op."
*
A long and quiet sigh soon follows Ava's remark. "Yeah. Ditto that. Still. Everyone made it out. We live to fight another day. Don't dwell on the mistakes -too- long," Dom suggests.
*
The cyborg pauses and even turns her head to look over. "Who do you think I am?" Letting her question hang, Ava rests her head again with a sigh. "I've got an after action report to make when I can think straight again. We fucked up."
*
A scratched up ghost of a hand reaches up to rub at an equally scratched up ghost of a forehead. "I think you're someone who's pissed off and miserable," Domino replies. "Meanwhile I'm trying to make the most of my complete lack of social skills to make you feel better. How am I doing?"
*
To that, Ava finally cracks a dry smile as she looks over. "Here's another one for ya' then: welcome to the suck."
*
Something in the mercenary gives when Ava shows an honest smile. Domino leans forward to kiss the other woman's forehead. "It's not all that bad with your shiny butt around."
*
The cyborg tastes like sweat, a silent admission of how restless her time has been so far. But still Ava lays back with a look of satisfaction as she this time sighs audibly and tugs her blanket back up with one hand. "It's only half-shiny, unlike your vampire ass. You're a ing catseye," she teases back.
*