Alex was not happy. Sagging in the restraints that barely held his emaciated body securely even at their tightest setting he replayed the mission for the 100th time. Nothing had gone wrong. Everything from A to frackin' B had been set up steady 'till those damn models rezzed and dropped real on the entire op. Not coggin' for much of an stand, Alex had run it quiet, no heavy bang bangs just him and his Go Brothers, Leech and Wyrm, smuggled in tight on the 'rents yacht, take out the Doll and there ya were.
"Shit!" he spat, smacking the pod wall with a fist, regretting it instantly as a flash of pain shot up his arm.
Leech jumped, startled. She was twitchy, all ref and jump. constantly dusted on adreneline. Action junkie like all them from the Sprawls. Her skin glistened shiny wet in the dark, pale white, neutral. It could dark black as night or any other color needed to blend in. EGADS, Extreme General Anatomical Deviation Syndrome, talktalk for a genejoke. She was one, chip truth. Camo skin, sucker hands and a face that, well, was absent. Just two shiny jewel eyes shining out above a smooth nothing. EGAD. Alex cogged it was what the said when you were born, "EGADS! its sucking air, grab the viddy!" Not most of his go boys got it. They didn't cog old movies or shit like that.
Sorry, gogirl, didn't mean ta jolt ya, frosty? She nodded, laying still once more.
There was a thump. The pod stopped, the restaints went slack. Leech slide free and came to him. Alex wanted to push her off, make it out solo. But he couldn't, nearly flatlined he let Leech scoop him up. Her skin was weird, wet and slick but warm. Kinda groddy…but not in a bad way. Somethin' on him didn't think it felt bad at all and poked her to prove it. Alex flushed, gray skin kicking down a shade, This was mental, utterly but there was no stopping it. It had its own brain and no shame. Leech turned, eyes narrowed. PO'ed, amused, he couldn't read her with only two cues… Then she winked, slowly…sideways. Muddled, Alex muttered something frosty like Guh. Jolly just jolly he zeroed out with other Genejokes too. She didn't seem way to put off… maybe. Oh, criss… would she?
A lurching leap later they were on deck. It was broad cracked plasticrete helipad. All around the sea crashed and roared, blue to the horizon, only blocked by a few buildings and the central control tower of the old oil rig. Alex blinked, adjusting to the light and saw them. Interest in Leech, mental and physical flatlined in a hot nano. Three people, one dark man in a black sweeping trench despite the heat, pale blonde hair blowing in the wind. A nico dangled from his mouth, unlit. He was looking at Alex cooly, like he was interesting kind of rat he'd found crawling around his conapt. Beside him though, was the real catcher. She towered above Alex, above the man, 2 mets and change. Poweful, regal, she filled out the loose grey jumpsuit with both muscle and total female curves, like some goddess from the viddies. Her face was solid and square, strong jaw almost masculine but softened by her full lips, small nose and wide blue eyes. Golden blonde framed her face, tumbling over her shoulders to her waist. Titania, One jolly piece of work… technical she was as EGAD as him or Leech but…she was a goddess, chip truth and certified. Alex could move, just lay there on the deck as she walked up, her shadow blocking out the sun. Leech was gone, ghosted totally and he couldn't care less.
"Welcome home." Her voice was a low rumble, throaty without being harsh. The sea roar was zero up against it.
Alex scambled to sit, pushing away the gust of pain in his guts at the sudden motion. "T…titania… I… I mucked it up…total…." he whispered, hanging his head. He couldn't look at her. Not now, wasn't worthy. He could see her lifting her foot and flattening him like the conapt roach he felt like.
"Certified?" the man asked, cupping his palm to light his smoke, "Well call the freakin' medias…" Titania glanced back and he went silent, twin plumes of bluish smoke drifting from his nostrils. She turned her gaze back to Alex. Her look had weight, he felt it bearing down on him, into him.
Blow this, he wasn't a toadie, blow the gob Gothic too, he glared at the smoking man and then met Titania's look. "Yeah it went down straight until a pack of Models came pokin' in, not the Genesis punks either, some newbies, father's butt boys I think…they aced Wyrm. Think 'es still suckin' air but we couldn't do that recovery. I cut my options and came up with doing a fade…"
She was silent for a long time, just looking at him. It went on forever. His rages all ridden out, Alex shrank again. "I know. You did want was necessary, what was called for… Wyrm is a soldier, he would understand. Two for one is bad math, Alex. and he will not be forgotten…none of our brothers will." She offered him a hand. He took it, hand shaking like a spazzer. "It wasn't your father that called them in, it was Gov ops, something new, something more to shackle us." She glanced at Gothic, who shrugged and turned to look out at the sea. "The transfers you set up did come through."
Yes! Alex, no BrainChylde, wanted to cheer. Alex as somethin' his 'rent wanted to make him. A nice little sap not a HS. He been hacking his father's off shore credit reserves. Barely got the top of the tank before it was busted up but it was much much clear scratch dumped into the MLA banks. Not a total muck job after all.
"Come, you need rest…there's planning to do but for now…we shall savor victory and remember the fallen…" Sounded frosty to BrainChylde. Must have to Leech to, she reentered the scene, gave him another wink. Alex smiled, could be a pretty jolly night….