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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 11, 2020 14:04:21 GMT -5
Once Kujo left the board room and Elena behind, his only way to learn more about the HeadQuarters was where they’d come from. The stainless-steel walls and floor echoed with each step, faintly, people coming back and forth wearing uniforms and the like —although the occasional civilian would be visible every now and then. It wasn’t crowded or lively, but it was to be expected.
After all, it was a military facility —although it did function as a shelter, for the most time.
At the end of the hallway, back at the circular center platform, Kujo would be able to see Jack from behind, heading elsewhere. While the man had the option to follow him, the teen seemed to know which path to take in order to arrive to his destination —a place he was sure to space out and focus on other things aside missions and work. A place he seemed to remember quite well, despite having been away from his world for so long.
Jack walked through the small crowds of people, his gaze looking for a particular door as he went down a floor, not as crowded as the one up above, where the board room was. As he made his way to the Laboratory —knowing Lid was there, working on a project she and the teen had been focused on—, Jack stumbled onto someone as he came around a corner.
“Hey —watch it” a man’s voice berated him. “…Sorry.”
The teen stopped himself to apologize, smiling sheepishly, having recognized the voice that had berated him. A tall and broad man, in his late 30s, with orange-brown hair kept short and a stubble on his sides and chin, wearing a simple T-shirt and cargo pants with boots. On his right eye was an eyepatch, pitch black covering the eye Jack knew was scarred and therefore useless. Behind the man was a woman with hazelnut brown hair, tied in a braid and to her side, wearing a tight white T-shirt and jeans with sneakers on her feet. On her hand was a notebook with a pen, as well as a fenny pack with small pieces of paper with words already written on them, just in case something was a quick thing to ask for.
“…So, you’re back already?” the man asked, his firm gaze hiding some unease. “Well… Elena called, so it’s not like I can ignore her” Jack shrugged, smiling faintly, “It’s been a while, anyways, though… How’ve you been, Brandon?” “…I’ve been helping around the shelter part of the Brigade —y’know, getting people used to the place and stuff. Nowadays, though… Not much.” “…And what’ve you been up to, Melissa?”
The woman blinked a bit, but grabbing onto the notebook in her hand, she scribbled a few words before showing it to the teen, reading “Not much. I’m kinda glad to see you’re here and doing fine, though.” Jack’s smile widened a bit, placing his hands proudly on his hips. While Brandon sighed with clear unease, Melissa seemed to laugh, a muffled sound coming from her throat as she brought one hand to her lips, covering it.
“You’re still doing intel gathering, right?” Brandon asked, straight to the point. “Yeah, alongside Alice” Jack nodded, “It’s been somewhat tough, but we can manage. ‘Sides, you’d be surprised if I told you I’ve gotten stronger?” “…”
While Melissa scribbled yet another text in her notebook to engage in the conversation, Brandon seemed uneasy, looking at the teen that was one a crewmember of his own unit. Although his expression was stoic, one could easily sense how uneasy he was as Jack narrated his more recent adventures.
The man knew Jack was forcing it, one way or another —but he couldn’t bring himself to ask him to stop, knowing all too well what the reason behind it.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 11, 2020 17:05:09 GMT -5
Emerging out into the more spacious center platform, Kujo noticed Jack heading down one of the countless hallways. He probably knows where the room's are. Though Kujo didn’t enjoy relying on others for anything (yes, even directions), one glance at the size of this place told him it’d be more likely for him to get called out for the mission before ever finding it—if left to a clueless hunt. There had been others he’d passed by—but Kujo wasn’t the sociable type to ask strangers questions. Tch—can’t I catch a break? Sighing a bit, the stoic man made his way across the platform and towards the hall Jack headed down. Though the teen was a fair bit ahead of him, Kujo’s perception made it easy to see which corner he had turned before disappearing from view. Where’s he going…? Truthfully, he hadn’t gotten much interaction with the guy since everything had happened… The identity of the mysterious figure hounding them lately had plagued the teen heavily, opening old and rather traumatic wounds Kujo only understood the surface damage of.
Turning the corner, the stoic man’s brows raised a bit as he saw Jack talking with two people he’d never seen before. Already deep in conversation, it looked like Jack knew them well, based on how they interacted. ”You’re still doing intel gathering, right?” Kujo noticed that next to the man was a woman scribbling in a notebook. Having already rounded the corner, there was no use trying to avoid butting in now—though the man wasn’t too keen on meeting more people every other minute. ”More friends of yours? Didn't figure you'd be so sociable.” Coming up from behind the teen, Kujo gave the two strangers a gruff nod in greeting. A faint smirk was the only sign that the man had meant the jab in good humor—though perhaps to those unused to his personality, it would come off somewhat harsh. ”I’m impressed you can run into anyone, in this maze…” With a faint tsk of annoyance, he shifted his gaze back to the strangers. "Didn't want to butt in, but that damned woman didn't tell me where anything was..." The latter portion of his comment he directed at Jack specifically, though he also meant it as a roundabout apology to the others as well.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 11, 2020 17:55:48 GMT -5
”More friends of yours? Didn't figure you'd be so sociable.”
Jack turned around to meet with Kujo, not expecting him to have followed at all. When did he leave the board room, after asking Elena whatever he’d wanted to ask? Dumbfounded, the teen stood with his mouth a bit agape, unable to reply much until the thought settled in.
He muffled a chuckle as Kujo once more openly dissed Elena —although with good reasons. She didn’t take much time in giving proper instructions, and rather going straight for the goal. While Jack had taken into consideration the man’s demeanor, given that he’d been working with him for a bit, Brandon scowled faintly. Then again, although Kujo wouldn’t be able to know, he was always like that, even with those close to him —with only those few people being able to tell behind his façade. Melissa tilted her head, half-way through her writing with her lips sealed tight.
The woman was quick to move the notebook aside, searching through her already written notes for a specific one, catching the teen’s attention. Grabbing onto one of them, she showed it to Jack and Kujo, reading “I’m Melissa. What’s your name?” before pointing at Jack and tilting her head —showing without words that she wanted the teen to explain.
Most likely because of Brandon’s already growing skepticism.
“Right… He’s Kujo” Jack introduced, “He’s part of my crew.” “…He’s not from Milennia, is he?” Brandon asked, raising a brow with certain concern. “Nope —he’s from someplace else.” “…It’s got to do with that ship Elena assigned you, right?” Jack nodded at Brandon’s question, only for him to glare at Kujo while crossing his arms, “…”
While the two had talked, Melissa had taken her time to rush a reply, scribbling on her notebook with a focused expression. Causing the two people to stop a small bickering, Melissa showed the message she’d written down, a faint pout in her expression as she did so. “Tell Brandon to cut it out. If he’s your crew, then that’s enough. No need to continue that trail.” Brandon sighed, looking away with his arms still crossed, much for Jack’s amusement —as shown through his smirk and cocky posture.
The woman rummaged through her written notes, before grabbing onto another one. “How are you doing lately?”, followed with her pointing at both Jack and Kujo, and a shake of her hands clasped together. Even though he knew little about sign language, Jack understood as much.
He was smart enough to understand what Melissa had asked.
“We’ve had our differences, sure —but that’s normal in a team, isn’t it?” Jack said, smiling, “I mean… I remember you grillin’ me for stuff all the time. You and Brandon both” he finished with a chuckle.” “…” Brandon sighed, glancing over at Jack with a stoic look, “Are you really sure you wanna keep doing this, kid?” “Huh?” “Gathering intel —are you really that firm in pursuing it?” the man looked at the teen, frowning, “You and Alice both. Why not settle down and leave it to the adults?” “…” Jack looked down, thoughtful for a bit, before drawing a smile and looking back up, “Because this helps me atone. Even if there’s others that can do the same as I’m doing… It just feels like something I’ve gotta do, y’know? …You used to think the same, once —so guess where I got it from.”
Once more, Jack placed both hands on his hips with a cocky smile, against Brandon’s stoic gaze hiding a concerned one, and Melissa smiling with unease, perhaps just as concerned. Scribbling a little note in her notebook, she meant to encourage him. “Whatever you do, just make sure to stay safe. Since you’ve got a crew now, then maybe you can trust them the same way you trusted us?” The teen chuckled a bit, shaking his head sheepishly.
“You’d be surprised to hear what we’ve gone through, Melissa” the teen replied. “…Were you headed somewhere?” Brandon asked. “I wanted to go check on Lid and that little project we left pending when I left, but…” Jack glanced over at Kujo, “I guess if things are urgent, I can play guide for a bit.” “…Stay safe.”
With a shrug and a sigh, Brandon was quick to leave around the corner, Melissa following close after waving Jack and Kujo goodbye. Jack waved back, a faint smile remaining as he did so. Even if the way they had parted had been painful, they were still his crew —they were still his friends, people he trusted back then.
No matter the memories, the people were different —they were people he could trust.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 11, 2020 18:53:26 GMT -5
Melissa’s introduction caused him to nod, though inwardly he wondered about her notepad. Can she not speak? If anything, he was surprised she wouldn’t be using some sort of device—but then again, there was something reliable about old fashioned pen and paper. ”He’s not from Milennia, is he?” Brandon’s comment caused Kujo to raise a brow. Did he really stick out that much? Shrugging the thought off, the comment of the Almira stuck out to him. Is it a specific kind? Kujo had assumed all ships from this world were able to go to others beyond—but perhaps that wasn’t the case? ”How are you doing lately?” Melissa’s comment caused his eyes to glance at Jack—wondering exactly what the teen thought. "We’ve had our differences, sure—but that’s normal in a team, isn’t it?” With a faint smirk, Kujo was amused to see that apparently Jack clashing with others wasn’t uncommon. ”Are you really sure you wanna keep doing this, kid?” Brandon’s somber question shifted the mood—though truthfully it was a fair one.
With everything that had happened, Kujo thought it would have been perfectly normal for Jack and Alice to resign from their current positions. It’d be easy to do work for the Brigade via some other means, he was sure. ”Because this helps me atone.” Grimacing at Jack’s admission of guilt, the stoic man was reminded of the information Elena had shared with him about Jack’s past. It seemed the teen was adamant on berating themselves for what they believed to be their own mistakes—though frankly, Kujo felt they made more mistakes now than back then, from what he’d heard. Tch—he doesn’t get it. In a sense, it was one of the guy's biggest flaws to the stoic man: his weird martyrdom. Remaining silent and letting the teen say his piece, it seemed Melissa and Brandon weren’t going to press the matter, either. ”Since you’ve got a crew now, then maybe you can trust them the same way you trusted us?” It was only then that the pieces clicked together for Kujo—having not known the true identity of either past member of the ‘old crew’. So—these are the old members Elena told me about…? Hearing how Jack had hoped to meet up with Lid, in order to complete a ‘project’, his brow raised a bit. Giving a small nod and wave in parting as Melissa and Brandon left, he turned and raised a brow at the teen.
”Is this ‘project’ for the mission—or are you just goofing off?” His face had an expression mingled between intrigue and exasperation. If what he and Lid were working on was relevant to what they had to do here, he wasn’t opposed to seeing it. If it was just some dumb pet project, though, he wouldn’t want to waste his time.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 12, 2020 5:54:51 GMT -5
With a sigh, Jack let go, turning around to head to the Lab where Lid was at, most likely. He glanced over at Kujo as he asked whether the project was helpful for their mission, or just a waste of time, only chuckling at the prospect of it.
In the end, Kujo was the kind of person who didn’t like wasting time.
“Well… Yes and no” the teen shrugged, “Remember when I mentioned that Magitech Core? That’s what Lid and I’ve been workin’ on for the past few years —although we each took our ways after I left with Alice and M’Lyn. I wanted to just check on her for it, although it’s been a while since we last spoke, anyways” Jack shrugged, “You can always go elsewhere, if it bothers you a lot —or just lemme know if there’s somethin’ you want, specifically.”
Leaving the option on the table, so to speak, Jack kept going his way at a calm pace. The floors were mostly empty of people with uniform, although every now and then a few casually clothed individuals would pass them —some adults, while others kids. Jack mustered a smile, but he lowered his gaze to the floor, hearing a few kids playing around without a care in the world.
The Lab the teen wanted to head towards was near the shelter part of the HQ —and as such, there were less people in uniform and more people trying to live normally while confined within steel walls. Jack and Alice had been in the same page, until the teen decided to join the Brigade and help with intel gathering. It was because of those choices he’d made that he’d been forced into a traumatic state, and therefore gaining a desire to atone for it all.
The only way he could do that was through his work —making sure Alice remained safe, while doing what he could to bring the cold war to an end. The methods for both didn’t matter, so long as he achieved it.
A glass door was the first thing separating Jack from the Lab, seeing the chief engineer working with her goggles on as she tinkered away with something rather tiny. To her side was the massive hand cannon Jake had besides him by the board room —most likely there for repairs. Jack entered without much care, making sure not to disturb Lid as she worked, instead looking at the other things scattered about the tables.
Plenty of weapons, ranging from small hand guns to shotguns, as well as a few close-range weapons like daggers and knives were scattered in the tables in an orderly fashion, alongside a few engines both big and small. A peculiar one caught the teen’s attention, grabbing it as he examined it. It was tiny —like a chip—, but the blue lines going through it indicated it was alive, in a sense.
“You’ve been workin’ on ‘em like this, huh?” Jack asked, glancing at Lid. “…Yeah” the girl sighed, pulling herself back while taking her goggles off, “It’s what’s worked best for me —but they still stop at random. I haven’t figured out a pattern yet. Have you?” “Same boat —nothin’ on my end other than perhaps improvements.” “So you haven’t even worked on it…” Lid glared. “Hey, I had work to do” Jack shrugged back, “I’m not cooped up in my room all the time —I’m doin’ field work, remember?” “Yeah, yeah…”
Lid stood up, waving her hand nonchalantly as she blatantly ignored Jack, who on his end had left the small chip back where it was. The girl scratched her short red hair, frowning as she looked at the hand cannon she was supposed to be maintaining. Her outfit was a short one —a black tube top underneath a yellow sleeveless vest, and red shorts that didn’t reach mid-thigh. A fenny pack on her leg was cramped with various tools, as well as the rubber hammer with Jake’s name on it, while her boots were brown and reaching her knees.
Needless to say, it was a rather revealing outfit, unfit for a proper mechanic —but it seemed like Lid didn’t care much about her attire more than her creations.
“…Kujo, was it?” Lid asked, glancing back at the man, “D’you drag him around because you feel like it, or did he come himself?” “Both, maybe” Jack shrugged back, sheepish. “Hey —friendly reminder that I have a hammer under your name. So don’t play coy with me, got it?” “Sheesh… I got that already.”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 13, 2020 11:17:50 GMT -5
”Well…yes and no.” Jack’s somewhat vague response caused Kujo to tsk, though the annoyance was that his interest was piqued. Jack had mentioned this ‘Magitech Core’ back on a prior world mission, having gathered resources thanks to the dwarves gratitude. That’s right…I’ve never heard of a machine like that. Despite the technological advances of his own home world, there were still countless differences in each world’s resources, and thus approach, making some things similar and others vastly different. Much like the ship they had flown on. Despite SanFransokyo’s hi-tech environment, if there were a means of world-travel, it wasn’t given out to the public. ”Whatever.” Sighing in mild resignation, Kujo loomed after Jack, following him to the lab. Raising an eyebrow at the array of instruments strewn throughout the lab, he couldn’t help but wonder what the purpose of this ‘Magitech Core’ was. Feels less like a lab and more like an armory. His eyes lingered over the countless weapons, pausing over the engines currently out.
Jack and Lid began to catch up briefly while the engineer was hard at work—the large hand cannon reminding Kujo of the one he had seen Jake have. Isn’t that impractical? With such a long barrel right on the arm, Kujo couldn’t help but be skeptical about the weapons accuracy—though its potential power seemed obvious. ”Kujo, was it?” Lid’s question brought his eyes away from the weapon, giving the woman a gruff nod and faint wave of a hand in response. Her follow-up comment to Jack caused the man to grimace a bit—not enjoying the idea of someone thinking anyone could ‘drag him around’. Though prideful, he wasn’t immature enough to comment on it though, instead merely giving a faint tsk at Jack’s retort. Lid’s comment on having a hammer with Jack’s name on it as well caused him to give a smirk, eyeing the teen with a raised brow. ”So, I just need to get a hammer for you to listen?” Crossing his arms over his chest, Kujo would almost appear menacing with the vaguely devious hint in his tone and his narrowed eyes.
”So, what’s this ‘Magitech Core’ both of you are obsessed with?” Resuming his usual stoic and serious demeanor, Kujo returned to business. Due to the vagueness of it all, he was interested in this odd mechanism he’d never heard of before, wondering exactly why both Lid and Jack were creating one.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 13, 2020 13:10:37 GMT -5
Jack scratched under his nose, a sheepish smile written on the corner of his lips as Kujo threw out a jab his way. Lid rolled her eyes a bit, her hands still on her hips, as she looked away from the two and focused elsewhere.
“Not really —damn sure your punches beat Lid’s hammer” the teen jabbed back, smirking, “So… Pick your poison.”
”So, what’s this ‘Magitech Core’ both of you are obsessed with?” The two teens listened to Kujo’s question, as he returned to a stoic look with his arms crossed over his chest, wanting to know more, by the looks of it. Jack’s sudden blank-face turned prideful —he wasn’t letting an opportunity like that escape him. Lid’s interest was also piqued, looking at Kujo with curiosity.
Was he someone like them, or was he asking for the sake of it? She couldn’t tell.
“He~h… Ya wanna know?” Jack asked, coy, his hands on his hips as he looked at Kujo with a cocky smile, “Didn’t peg you for the type, Kujo.” “…Think of it as an endless energy supply” Lid began to explain, “A circuit that, once given a starting push, it continues to go non-stop, requiring nothing for support. In theory, a Magitech Core should be capable of generating energy for both itself as well as whatever it powers. “In theory” Jack repeated, “However… Every now and then, the cores just stop, and therefore the energy stored starts to cause the engines to overheat —and that just makes ‘em useless. Lid and I’ve been tryin’ to figure out what causes that, but so far… We haven’t been able to figure that part out, so it’s still a project, and not a mass-produced product. It’s still faulty, after all.”
Nodding along Jack’s words, Lid had nothing else to say —even to the point she’d apparently forgotten about her hammer comment previously. Instead, the girl glanced back at Jake’s hand cannon, trying to figure out where to start. Noting her silence, Jack turned towards her, a curious look in his eyes.
It had been a while since he’d seen all of this in one place —needless to say, he wanted nothing more than start working on something, and getting his hands busy.
“You’d be surprised at the many things that can use a Magitech Core —it’s pretty handy, if you ask me” Lid said from a distance, “And I’m not saying that because we made it —it’s genuinely a really good invention. A group of Magitech Cores can match nuclear energy, while being much cheaper than it and perhaps a bit more environment friendly. …I’m pretty sure that ship you’re using to travel has a few.” “It does —it’s the reason why I gotta keep a constant check on it whenever we’re flyin’” Jack nodded, “While one core malfunctioning isn’t that big of a deal when it’s in bunches, I still gotta either fix or replace it. It’s the only way to ensure things work smoothing. Otherwise… Might as well be stranded in space.”
Jack shrugged, still smirking with pride, while Lid finally got started on the maintenance. Sitting down and dismantling the gun piece by piece after putting on her goggles back on, Lid went quiet for a bit, focused as she was on her work. Jack, on the other hand, continued to eye the other projects the chief engineer had in bench, varying from weapons to engines and even a few devices he decided to tinker slightly with —just to get the hang of things.
“Hey, what’re you looking at?” Lid asked a bit berating, not raising her view from the pieces in front of her. “Just the stuff you’ve been workin’ on” Jack shrugged as he replied, “As usual, you’ve got a lotta weapons ready to be taken.” “Don’t remind me…” Lid groaned, “I have enough keeping Jake’s up and running —I really don’t wanna keep working on weapons. I wish I could just focus on other things that are not weapons…”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 13, 2020 14:17:38 GMT -5
The sudden interest both mechanics (geeks) showed in his question only caused Kujo to grimace more for a moment, his glare untrusting. ”Think of it as an endless energy supply.” As Lid began to explain, he immediately began to see the merit in this type of experiment. That would be a game changer on any world… Come to think of it, it would also be insanely profitable, if one were to be willing to breach the ‘World Order’ and offer blueprints or schematics to such a device to other worlds needing a replenishment of resources. Tch—that might cause issues down the line. If anyone caught wind of such an invention with such a mindset, it’d be dangerous for Jack and Lid potentially. ”Every now and then, the cores just stop—“ Hearing the current issue both seemed to be running into with the experiment, Kujo nodded, ruminating on it silently for a moment. ”So, it’s an issue with whatever system is set up to give it perpetual motion…” It sounded like quite the road-block, especially depending on which resources and system they had set up for such a feat to begin with.
”You’d be surprised at the many things that can use a Magitech Core—“ Lid’s further explanation of its versatility caused him to raise a brow in intrigue. It can match nuclear energy? That kind of power was nothing to scoff at, and it sounded like a cheaper and safer alternative to begin with. ”I’m pretty sure that ship you’re using to travel has a few.” If not all ships were able to traverse between worlds, was it the Magitech Core that allowed the Almira to do so? So, the Core’s were working in general, but would need replacements every now and then, due to the issue at hand. "It does—that’s the reason why I gotta keep a constant check on it whenever we’re flyin’.” Jack verified the fact, causing the man to nod as he rested a hand to his chin in thought. ”Makes sense. No wonder it takes constant maintenance, then.” Still, even with steady maintenance requirements, Kujo was genuinely impressed with the two in front of him, not that the man’s stoicism would show it. ”Hey, what’re you looking at?” Lid was quick to note Jack’s fiddling with her layout, something that caused the man to smirk faintly. It seemed this was a typical dynamic between them. ”As usual, you’ve got a lotta weapons…” Reminded of his earlier thought about the same thing, the stoic man raised a brow at Lid’s lamenting.
”I wish I could just focus on other things that are not weapons…” Though Kujo figured Lid had certain tasks from the Brigade and Raven, wouldn’t they assign things other than weapon creation/maintenance? ”That's all they let you work on?” Eyeing the array sprawled out around him, Kujo was genuinely surprised to see little else. Wouldn’t a military unit want more versatile gadgets and equipment than just weapons? ”How straight-forward can you get…?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 13, 2020 16:08:00 GMT -5
Lid sighed, disappointed, looking up while removing her goggles and leaving them resting over her head, frowning a bit as Kujo asked if weapons were the only thing the engineer was allowed to work on. Resting against a table was Jack, an amused smirk in his lips as he saw Lid deflating —although with good reason for it.
He knew what Lid’s dream was, when it came to creating things.
“Nowadays, yeah —I’m either maintaining this HQ or Raven, or checking onto the crew’s weapons” Lid said, defeated, “I wish I could work on something else, though —like, the Magitech Cores, for example, making them a proper project rather than a side one.” “…It’s ‘cause of the situation Milennia’s in right now” Jack mulled, glancing over at Kujo as he explained it, “If it weren’t for this war, Lid’d probably be workin’ on the damn thing tirelessly…” “Well, duh —I don’t wanna do weapons for a living. The only reason I’m doing it is because I’m pretty much the only one capable of it. Of course, we got raiding and loot from some missions, but if we wanna win this thing, we gotta get better gear than what they’ve got. Both weapons and other devices.”
Jack nodded once in agreement, pulling himself back and grabbing one of Lid’s Magitech Cores laying on the counters to examine it further. The chip-like engine was small enough to fit in his palm, and leaving more than enough space in it —he could probably have a bunch of the things, and not worry about a single one escaping his hands.
On his mind, plenty of ideas to use them flourished —most things meant for communal help, for the sake of people. The thought caused him to smirk, remembering those childish hopes he once held. He could still tackle them, sure, but with so many responsibilities in hand being the leader of a unit, those hobbies were a thing of the past for the most time.
“…It’s probably borin’ for ya, isn’t it?” the teen asked, glancing over at Kujo after leaving the chips back at the tables, “…Let’s get goin’ —I’m good with just checkin’ on Lid for now. I’ll come back to mess around later.” “Say that again, you’re getting hammered in the head” Lid glared, unamused. “…Let’s leave before she does that.”
Chuckling, the teen was quick to leave, receiving a groan from Lid as he did so, but nothing much regarding that, instead focused on maintaining the massive weapon now dismantled in front of her. Waiting for Kujo outside of the Lab, Jack saved his hands on the pockets of his jacket, leaning against the wall as he listened to the noises he’d forgotten about.
A place he’d lived in after losing his old home… In a sense, the shelter had fond memories for him to return to, but overall, there was a sensation of walking on eggshells as he remained and remembered. Not only that, but the words Brandon had handed over to him had made him think.
Would it really be for the better, if he just resigned alongside Alice? The thought didn’t sit well with him, instead causing him to bite his lips faintly as he mulled over it.
“I’ve gotta do this… It’s the only way I can make it up for Alice… And for them…”
The words he told himself in his head were stubborn reassurance of his actions, even if the risk of getting injured or worse lingered in them. Choosing to push them aside for a bit, Jack glanced over at Kujo after he would leave the Lab, willing to amuse himself with a little bit of guiding.
“Anywhere ya wanna check? Or d’you want me to take the ropes?” he suggested.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 14, 2020 2:43:09 GMT -5
”Nowadays, yeah—“ Lid’s visible deflation signified just how not into the work she was. ”It’s ‘cause of the situation Milennia’s in right now.” Though Jack and Lid explained that it was primarily the war that kept her stuck to the tasks she’d rather not do—Kujo felt it hard to believe that a place so big was that pressed on engineers. Is she the only one? Then again, the man knew nothing of this world, let alone the skills individuals on it had, or how accessible certain trades were. ”It’s probably borin’ for ya, isn’t it?” Jacks question caused the man to simply shrug. Frankly, it was no more boring than if he were merely confined in his room waiting for their mission. Either way, he was stuck on standby. Tch—damned woman… Elena could have at least given him something to do. ”Let’s get goin’—“ Not having any specific reason to stay, Kujo gave a gruff nod, waving a dismissive hand Lid’s way before dipping out of the Lab.
”Anywhere ya wanna check?” Jack seemed eager to play tour-guide, though perhaps it was simply his familiarity with the place that made him feel so comfortable. ”Let’s get the essentials out of the way.” Glancing around the hallway they now stood in, the stoic man raised a brow at Jack. ”For starters, the rooms.” Though he was also curious about where individuals got certain amenities, it wasn’t like Kujo needed them. Sure, the man knew his way around a kitchen, and was more than capable when it came to any physical training or activity—but the fact of the matter was that since his Akogare emerged, nothing really became too necessary. ”After that, we should find M’Lyn and Alice. Elena said the coordinates would be ready sooner rather than later.” Making his intentions clear, Kujo waited for Jack to lead the way.
In a sense, the man was uncomfortable, not enjoying relying on others. Though his guardian enhanced his abilities, it wasn’t like it was a super computer able to deliver him a layout of the headquarters.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 14, 2020 9:28:05 GMT -5
”Let’s get the essentials out of the way.”
Crossing his arms as he listened to what Kujo had in mind, Jack nodded along. It’d make sense, after all, since he didn’t know the place whatsoever, only recently arriving to Milennia to begin with. It would help to regroup, as well, if Elena’s words were to be believed.
If they got the layout already, the could coordinate. The only thing left would be waiting on Jake with his cast —a thought that caused Jack to smirk.
“Sure thing” the teen nodded, “We’re closer to the rooms, so let’s start from there.”
The teen began leading the way, tucking his hands on his jacket’s pockets as he did so. The way around the hallways was quiet, the previous cheering of kids running around the steel floors dimmed down.
“It’s probably lunch time, then…” Jack thought, looking around. How long had it been since he had been subjected to an actual schedule? In the Almira, those sorts of things weren’t common, instead with each staying with their own timetables and habits. It wasn’t the same in HQ, however, and neither for the shelter part.
There was a certain time window where people could get food —anytime outside of said window, they would get nothing back. It was the only way they could make sure the resources were evenly split, as well as ensuring they lasted.
A tough reality within a world of war.
“…We gotta go one floor lower” Jack indicated, “That’s where the dorms are —as well as the shelter part. We can avoid it, though —not really a place we gotta go to.”
Jack shrugged as he finished, heading down the stairs leading to the dorms floor. Following down one of the hallways, the teen was nonchalant in his steps, although perhaps he didn’t care much about the place. With such contradicting emotions, it was clear that he didn’t really mind being back.
Maybe he was better off at the Almira, cooped inside the small room in the ship?
“…And right around here…” Jack turned around a corner, where a hallway split in a Y-shape, “From here, it’s girls to the left, guys to the right” he looked back at Kujo after explaining, “Did Elena give you a number or somethin’? Y’know —like a dorm room. We can head there to set things up for you to use it, before gatherin’ the other two” the teen smirked a bit, “I think it’ll be harder to find where M’Lyn’s at —Alice… I’ve got a few ideas.”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 14, 2020 10:58:52 GMT -5
”We gotta go one floor lower.” Jack’s explanation was helpful, now a mental note in Kujo’s mind as he followed the teen down the stairs to the forked hallway leading to the dorms. ”Did Elena give you a number or somethin’? Y’know—like a dorm room.” His question caused the stoic man to tsk and cross his arms as he glowered. ”Tch—no. We’re sharing one, by the sounds of it. So wherever yours is.” Sighing a bit, Kujo shook his head, unable to help his visible exasperation towards their boss. ”Sends us out here with no information, makes us share a room…she’s such a pain.” Grumbling to himself, Kujo seemed to be stewing on his irritation with Elena for the time being, though perhaps the sight would be more comical for Jack than menacing at this point, considering how the two knew each other’s attitudes by now.
”I think it’ll be harder to find where M’Lyn’s at—Alice…I’ve got a few ideas.” Raising an eyebrow, Kujo broke out of his irritated stupor for a moment, shoving his hands back into his pockets. ”M’Lyn’s normally always just reading those bizarre books, isn’t she? Either that, or training…” With a shrug, the stoic man eyed the area. ”I assume there’s a library or training room in this maze?” As for Alice, the man also had some ideas. Typically the more reserved girl was working diligently at her studies, holed up in the Bridge pouring over information, or preparing some sort of treat for her brother. Predictable... Despite the gruff thought, the man's mood lightened slightly.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 14, 2020 11:47:22 GMT -5
Blinking at first with the faintest of smile, Jack was unable to hold his laughter, it coming out in an attempted muffling. Holding his stomach with both hands, the teen was unable to hold back —the amount of stress and anxiety from earlier all pouring out.
In a sense, it was a good thing —although perhaps it would be lost on Kujo, whose demeanor was cold as ice most of the time.
“She’s not makin’ it easy on ya, is she?” he asked, managing to calm down a bit, yet a smirk remaining on his lips as he did so, “Honestly —you’re better off gettin’ used to it. She ain’t gonna get that changed any time soon.”
Choosing to answer about the rest of the team’s whereabouts later, Jack instead led Kujo down the hallway with the dorms of the “male” dormitories. There were plenty of doors on both sides of the hallway, going quite far until the end with a simple wall. Walking down at about half-way down, Jack stopped at a door. Standing upfront, the teen waved his hand up and down, two fingers raised. A click followed his movement, before he opened the door by sliding across the metal door, the mechanism opening the door automatically.
Much in the same way as back in the Almira.
The room inside was only slightly bigger than the rooms in the ship, a bunk bed by the right and a desk with a chair at the end of the room. A door by the left would lead to the bathroom, but nothing else when it came to décor or any other additions. Jack stepped forward without a care, looking around as he tried to recall how it was, living there.
“I guess Elena told you to share because my previous roommate left…” Jack mumbled, “…I guess he made it out of the city…” with a sigh, he glanced over towards Kujo, “I usually sleep on the upper one, so Imma leave you with the bottom. And if there’s nothin’ else to do, then… Let’s go pay M’Lyn a visit. Oh, but… Before that…”
Heading back outside, and waiting for Kujo to follow, the teen closed the door and did a few movements before looking at the man, wanting to set the door for it to recognize Kujo’s input as well as Jack’s own.
After all, it was his room for the time being.
“Can you do the same thing as I did before?” Jack asked, “So that it recognizes you without me ‘round. It then end, it’s the same as back at the ship.”
Once Kujo did that, Jack would lead back to the beginning of the hallway, to then take the opposite way from where they’d come from. Tucking his hands back in his pockets, the teen headed to where they had the bigger chances to finding the Miqo’te.
After all, she was always in constant movement, unable to stay still.
It would be a little while before Jack opened one of the two doors at the end of a short hallway, the squeaking of sneakers echoing in a large room. The two would find themselves in a relatively small balcony with a single road of chairs, separated by glass. From there, they could see a group of people either running or sparring with a more than recognizable Miqo’te.
With a pole in hand, M’Lyn was not making it easy for the trainees, as they tried to avoid her movements as fast as possible with little results. Some were already panting with exhaustion, while others were trying their damnest to avoid the Miqo’te’s assault.
It was all for the sake of developing stamina, as well as being aware.
“Tch… She keeps bullyin’ recruits, after all…” Jack said, amused.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 14, 2020 13:50:24 GMT -5
”She’s not making’ it easy on ya, is she?” Assuming Jack’s humor was placed at his frustration towards the boss, Kujo merely rolled his eyes and grimaced while crossing his arms. ”You’re better off gettin’ used to it.” It seemed it was simply part of the woman’s nature. Some people just didn’t change—even if it’d be for the better. Whatever. There wasn’t much he could do about it, after all, he was the one that chose to join the unit to begin with. Following Jack to the room, Kujo now had the way memorized, finding faint comfort in having secured the layout of the most essential area for him. Similar to the ship, the rooms had the bare essentials and furbishments and not much else—not that he minded. If anything, that was how Kujo preferred it. ”I guess Elena told you to share because my previous roommate left…” Noting the bunk beds, the very tall and broad man scowled a bit. Tch—I’ll be watching my head either way. With a grumbled sigh, the tall man waved a dismissive hand at Jack’s mention of leaving him with the bottom one. Either way, the man would have to be wary sitting up.
”Let’s go pay M’Lyn a visit.” Nodding, Kujo readied to leave, pausing as Jack mentioned the door scanner. Raising his large hand to the reader, he would let the mechanism do its thing before following Jack out of the dorms. Memorizing the path they took as they made their way to the balcony separated by glass, Kujo immediately smirked as they found M’Lyn punishing recruits. ”Tch…she keeps bullying’ recruits, after all…” Jacks comment only caused the man’s smirk to remain, nodding a bit as he watched the active Miqo’te through the glass. ”Certainly looks like she’s enjoying herself.” Of course, the man knew it was for the recruits sake, but of course any normal person would think along the same lines as Jack. On a totally different level than any average human, M’Lyn’s movements and attacks were insanely fast and powerful, much beyond standard capabilities. Kujo himself was unsure if it was simply due to the Miqo’te being from a different world, her own inner strength, or a mixture of both.
”Though if you really feel bad, why don’t you step in?” The jab was delivered with a faint grin and raised brow. Regardless if Jack actually would or not, Kujo couldn’t help but think the Miqo’te was having too much fun. With their dynamic, it was natural for him to want to ruin it a bit. Taking the lead, he’d work his way into the training area, calling out to M’Lyn with a fiery gaze and lingering grin. ”Looks like being on the ship too long got you antsy.”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 14, 2020 14:28:49 GMT -5
Jack watched as Kujo took the stairs leading to the room below —a set not too far from the glass keeping them away from the action. Smirking a bit, the teen followed, more than willing to watch the spectacle in person rather than from a distance. Even though didn’t feel bad for the recruits, given that his own training had been a similar sort of hell, Jack was more than up to cheering the new recruits up.
It was something in his nature that just pushed him forward.
”Looks like being on the ship too long got you antsy.” Stopping the training altogether, M’Lyn glanced at Kujo as he approached, keeping her pole at the ready in case anyone tried any shenanigans —which they wouldn’t, as they were all pretty exhausted by now. Not wounded at all, although their bodies had apparently given up. While most were male, a bit older than Jack himself and more towards Kujo’s age, there was a pair of women, who had apparently faired much better than the men.
“…If anything, I was asked to help” the Miqo’te admitted, “…Did you think I was having fun, perhaps?” “You sure looked like it” Jack replied, amused, “In the end, ya keep bullyin’ recruits.” “You call this bullying?” M’Lyn asked, indredulous, “Really?”
Jack shook his head in amused disapproval, while M’Lyn dismissed both her pole and the recruits, telling them to take a break —thing they accepted more than enough, each taking their way to either leave the place entirely, or just a little break before continuing. While the pair of women decided to converse while going to grab some water, a few of the men glanced over at Jack while he focused on the conversation with the Miqo’te —looks of disapproval.
“What’s a kid doing, wearing the uniform?”
Of course, it wasn’t faint enough for Jack to ignore it —he looked their way before looking away, having heard the comment. The men were quick to leave, apparently more than fed up with M’Lyn’s training —although it showed that they didn’t care. Jack sighed, resting a hand at the back of his neck, while the other rested in his jacket’s pocket.
M’Lyn’s ears twitched, picking up on the comment. While Jack wanted to avoid confrontation, the Miqo’te wasn’t one to tolerate it, instead turning towards the men with a cold glare. Without a weapon in hand, she stepped forward, her chin held high and her expression stoic —much for the teen’s shock.
“H-Hey…” “You there —stop now” the Miqo’te ordered, forcing the group of men to stop in their tracks and look at her, “Say that again, now, will you?” “…So, those ears aren’t for show?” “Say it. Again” M’Lyn growled. “…Why?” one of the men stepped forward, daring the Miqo’te straight, “Make me.” “…I’m sure that said ‘kid’ is more capable than you lot —you’re pathetic. If you can’t even keep up with me, how, pray tell, do you plan on making yourselves useful for the Brigade?” “You—!” “I’ll warn you —you do not want to mess with me” M’Lyn threatened, “I will make your training regime a living hell, so do make me a favor and leave the program if you’ll continue making those sorts of comments. Otherwise… Do be prepared.”
The man who’d stepped up clicked his tongue, but offered nothing for a reply, instead taking a hike with the rest of the group. They seemed too prideful for the Miqo’te to tolerate, but she wasn’t pressing the issue anything further. The pair of women looked at the whole exchange, but didn’t support either side, instead remaining at the sidelines.
Unlike the group of men that had just left, it seemed they knew that the Miqo’te’s words were to be respected.
“…You’re not going to make us go through the same regime as them, right?” one of the two asked, catching the Miqo’te attention. “…No” M’Lyn replied, “You’re much more competent than those buffoons.” “Wow…You sure are ruthless, huh?” the woman joked, giggling. “…You didn’t have to —I’m used to it” Jack said, berating, yet there was some unease behind his tone. “Really? After they have the gall to say something like that? …Don’t you think you’re cutting yourself short, Jack?” “Who’re you to talk? You keep grillin’ me alongside Kujo, when it comes to battles!” “Yet you’re far more skilled that those people —I can at least admit that.”
The teen sighed, looking away with clear distrust on the Miqo’te’s words, but he knew M’Lyn wasn’t the sort to lie or make false praise to someone. She was cold and calculating, sure, but also knew to show respect where it was due —and admitting that Jack had more potential than the new recruits was part of said respect.
He just didn’t peg himself as someone worthy of the praise, even with all that he’d done over the years.
“So? I take it you had nothing else to do, other than perhaps come to amuse yourselves with this farce?” the Miqo’te asked, her arms crossed over her chest. “…In a sense, we were gonna regroup with Alice. I take it she’s at Navigation?” “She is —she left after we went to check our room again. She was just so eager to be back…” “…Heh —glad she’s upbeat about it.” “And you're not?” “I’m not stocked ‘bout it, but it is nice to be home.” “Hmm…” M’Lyn decided to drop it, “Then… Shall we go there?” “Sure —if you’re cool with it.”
Shrugging, the Miqo’te didn’t seem to mind, instead letting the two recruits know she was going to be away for a bit and following Jack and Kujo to Navigation. With the teen leading the way out of the training grounds and back into the steel walls and floor, he acted as a guide to where their trusted Navigator was at.
Going up a floor, Jack seemed to know his way more than well enough through the place he called home, with M’Lyn right behind him and hopefully Kujo as well. Yet given that they were going to meet with Alice in order to check the layout of the place they were going to infiltrate, the chances of him leaving now were close to none.
At least, Jack thought as much.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 14, 2020 15:09:57 GMT -5
”If anything, I was asked to help.” With the indignant reply, Kujo’s smirk only widened. He and M’Lyn’s dynamic had grown to be accustomed for him, but by now he had actually grown to find humor and enjoyment from it. ”You call this bullying? Really?” Her retort would have made him chuckle, if he were more expressive. Instead, the man merely shook his head with a faint sigh, glancing at the room of exhausted recruits. ”Who’d they piss off enough to get you on duty?” He noted the pair of women who seemed to be fairing much better—wondering if it were due to their own strength or perhaps another lurking cause… ”What’s a kid doing, wearing the uniform?” The comment didn’t go unnoticed, though Kujo raised a brow as he noted Jack attempt to ignore it. M’Lyn was quick to go on the offensive, something the stoic man had anticipated. The comment had irked him, too—though what irritated him more was the typicalness in this dynamic. Kujo himself would have easily backed up Jack, knowing full well how capable the teen was—but he believed in individuals fighting their own battles. Jack knew his own experience, too. Whether he was trying to be the bigger man or not, it came off as cowardly to others—something Kujo grimaced at.
”Tch—stop fighting his battles for him. He should stick up for himself.” Walking up to M’Lyn after she had successfully reamed the individuals out, he watched as they ran with their tails between their legs. ”You’re not going to make us go through the same regime as them, right?” He almost hadn’t noticed the pair of women remain back while the rest of the group had exited. Thankfully, it seemed M’Lyn was in similar mind with Kujo in regards to Jack’s lackluster response—though the man still thought she was slightly overprotective. ”Who’re you to talk? You keep grillin’ me alongside Kujo, when it comes to battles!” Crossing his arms over his chest, Kujo gave Jack a faint scowl and click of his tongue. ”No, I don’t. I just tell you when you’re being stupid.” Defiant as ever, the man hardly seemed to think his own behaviors were in the wrong. Regardless, the situation cleared itself up with Jack clamming up into thoughtful retrospection (hopefully). ”So? I take it you had nothing else to do, other than perhaps come to amuse yourselves with this farce?” The Miqo’te’s comment caused him to smirk, shoving his hands back into his pockets with a faint scowl. ”Not like there's much else to do, with how little information she gave us..."
Clearly, his irritation with Elena hadn’t totally vanished yet. Was he the type that held grudges? Who was to say. Following Jack and M’Lyn out of the training area and towards Navigations, Kujo continued to make a mental map, not wanting to have to rely on a ‘tour guide’ in the future. As they went up the floor, he couldn’t help but hope Alice had gotten news of the layout by now. Otherwise… How long would he be cooped up in metal boxes, biding his time?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 14, 2020 16:36:48 GMT -5
Jack frowned, pouting a bit after hearing Kujo’s comment on him and M’Lyn picking on him whenever they fought against the Heartless. While he was willing to admit that he was, in fact, stupid at times, letting his instincts drive him rather than logic, the teen still had some pride to protect.
Besides, he felt that Kujo’s berating often times extended more than him just “being stupid”.
Giving no retort to the comment, as he considered it useless to continue butting heads with the man, Jack focused forward, having entered Navigations. Jack spotted Alice immediately, as the girl was sitting down in front of a digital keyboard and a screen, tapping away as she reviewed information and maps for the mission’s sake, paying no attention to anything else. It wasn’t until Jack tapped her shoulder teasingly that Alice perked up from the screens and looked away, finally noticing that the team was all there.
“Ah… You’re… Why are you here?” Alice asked, looking at her brother. “Checkin’ on ya” Jack replied, pulling himself back, “D’you got everythin’ or are you still waiting?” “Oh, right… I was still checking on it all, but… I think I got a good grasp of the layout.” “So, Elena did hand it over?” M’Lyn asked, receiving a nod, “Then let’s not dwell on the smaller details and go straight for it, shall we?” “Sure” Alice said, cheerful, before turning back towards the screen. She first pulled a map of the city, seen from above, pointing at the area where the mission would take place, “So, from what I managed to figure out… The place you’ll be going to is close to the heart of the city —and as such, it is heavily guarded” she mentioned, looking at the group as she allowed a better look, “It’s much more than just regular scouting, too —it might as well be the whole army.” “That just means that whatever they’re guardin’ is important, though…” Jack smirked, devious, “They don’t want anyone to figure what they’ve got there…” “It might be. The place used to be a government embassy —so odds are that they’re keeping information more than anything inside.” “…Do you know if hostages are being kept there?” M’Lyn asked, cautions. “I do —and the answer’s no. And in any case…” Alice’s face turned towards a worried expression, “From what I’ve heard, rescue missions are being put on hold, due to the Heartless. Both to avoid casualties, while also with the fact that Raven’s location might be discovered.”
Nodding along, the Miqo’te backed off —and so did Jack, mulling over the information he’d received. They knew the location, and the objective, while also learning about how many were guarding it, and if there were any civilians in the area. Bringing a hand to his chin in thought, Jack tried to determine what the best course of action would be, if he was really the only one infiltrating.
It wasn’t just knowing the location and layout —he needed a solid entryway and escape.
“…Any locations within the area I should be aware of?” he asked Alice. “There is an airduct leading to a storage at the back of the building —slipping through there should be enough to get you were the information’s being kept” Alice informed, now bringing up the layout of the building and pointing, “Right here —the storage room at the back leads to a hallway, directly connecting you to the computers of the building. Only problem is going to be you getting in.” “And that’s where we come in, correct?” M’Lyn chimed in, a faint smirk written on her lips, “By causing havoc at the front gates, Jack can slip from the flank and inside without them even noticing.” “Exactly.” “Then we’re set” Jack said, a confident smirk written on his expression, “I take it that’s the reason why Jake wanted to tag along.” “Huh?” “Well, think about it” the teen shrugged, “If we get this point captured and get the intel from their databases, we can turn this around in our favor. Even with the Heartless nearby, the fact that Elena senses darkness in this place means that they know something we don’t. And I’m betting that said something is where this world’s core’s located.” “You’re saying they do not want to risk losing their ‘ally’ —is that it?” “If they’re aware that, by sealing the world’s core, the Heartless disappear… Then why wouldn’t they?” “Elena told me to wait on Jake and explain him the situation —although by now he’s most likely aware of it” Alice informed, finally turning around with her hands now in her lap, “From my understanding, you’re to leave first thing tomorrow morning —Jake’s already up and running, but he's waiting on a few things on his end.” “I still wanna know why he had that cast…” Jack chuckled, glancing over at Alice with mischief, “Wanna pester him a bit about it?” “I’ll be staying here to get the final details dealt with —sorry!” Alice replied, laughing a bit. “Aww… Bummer.” “What are we supposed to do until then?” M’Lyn asked, skeptical. “Well… If you want, you can stay with me here to see the information we have, as well as learn the layout in and out” Alice suggested. “I’ll pass.” “That was quick” Jack teased. “Honestly? It’s bound to make me dizzy…”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 14, 2020 19:05:29 GMT -5
Emerging into the area where Navigations was conducting, Alice was immediately present, being the only one in the room and diligently at work in front of a screen. Typical. It was a reassuring sight—one that Kujo knew he could rely on. "You’re…why are you here?” Her greeting to Jack was comical, though the stoic man’s mouth merely twitched a faint smirk in response. Hearing that the girl was hard at work scouring over the information of the layout for their mission ahead, Kujo’s attention perked up more as he eyed the screen she worked at. ”So, Elena did hand it over?” About damn time, really. He agreed with the Miqo’te, the sooner they got down to business, the better. Following the map that flashed onto the screen, Kujo listened to Alice while surveying the information from where he stood. ”So, from what I managed to figure out…” Hearing that an entire army-front stood in their path, the stoic man grimaced. So much for ‘World Order’. If he charged in there, demolishing the largest section of the unit—what would happen to that? ”The place used to be a government embassy—so odds are, they’re keeping information more than anything else.” Well, that part certainly aligned with his job description.
M’Lyn asked about hostages, but thankfully it seemed that that wasn’t the case. ”Any locations within the area I should be aware of?” Listening as Alice explained the way in, Kujo memorized the map displayed on the screen while hearing the part where the rest of them primarily came into play—acting as decoy while Jack slipped inside. ”By causing havoc at the front gates, Jack can slip from the flank and inside without them even noticing.” Kujo had his own plans, for once Jack found their target—not that he betrayed that fact now, listening calmly while analyzing the information on display. Like it'll go that smoothly. Despite the plan being somewhat simple, it could work easily enough, so long as the military itself wasn’t aware of that major gap in their defenses. In a sense, part of it relied on how well the enemy was prepared, how good the decoy was, as well as pure luck. What a pain… It figured. ”From my understanding, you’re to leave first thing tomorrow morning—“ Alice’s comment caused him to scowl openly. Seriously? Now they finally had the coordinates—wouldn’t it be easier to accomplish the mission at night? ”We’re bombarding this place in broad daylight?”
At this point, the incredulousness in his voice was dripping—he had a limit to how far he could trust Elena with her vague schemes. Crossing his arms with a sigh, the man glowered. She’s either dense, or relying on me to to clean up this damned mess too much… Thankfully, with his powers, it should be easy enough to pull off a large enough decoy mission while also ensuring little to no casualties. Everyone else would be on their own, once their target was found though. The man’s fists clenched for a moment as he shoved them back into his pockets, imagining punching the face of the shadowy specter. Alice’s suggestion to go over more information caused him to break away from his brooding, raising a brow for a moment. ”I’ll pass.” M’Lyn’s immediate refusal brought a tease from Jack, as well as an eye-roll from Kujo. That was typical, too. ”Tired from horsing around earlier?” With a faint smirk, the man waved a dismissive hand at the Miqo’te before walking over to where Alice sat, his eyes going over the screen once more. ”What are the details of the layout?” He was speaking to Alice, though his gaze was on the screen.
It seemed unlike M’Lyn and Jack, Kujo was rather serious about his work, wanting every detail possible before making his move.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 15, 2020 3:03:55 GMT -5
Alice faltered, flustered as she noticed a confusion from the team’s part. While M’Lyn and Jack had managed to follow along, Kujo apparently didn’t, as he asked with a scowl if they were infiltrating during broad daylight. Obviously, that wasn’t part of the plan —but the Navigator had omitted the detail, thinking it obvious.
“T-That’s not it!” the girl said, caught aback, “By early morning, I meant before dawn!” she added, puffing her cheeks. “We’re still waitin’ on Jake, though —but I’ll go get ‘im up” Jack teased, turning around to leave, waving, “You already know a few places to go back to, right, Kujo?” he asked, not waiting for a reply as he left.
The team watched the teen leave away, most likely to head back to wherever Jake was, or perhaps the Lab to tinker with various devices —but needless to say, he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. If it depended on him, to end this senseless war he’d lived through for long enough…
He was doing anything for that sake.
M’Lyn glanced over as Jack left the room, taking a little bit of her time before doing the same —and so leaving Kujo and Alice alone by Navigations. The Navigator looked up as Kujo approached, sensing his interest in learning the layout of the area.
”What are the details of the layout?” Noticing Kujo watching the screen instead of her, Alice tilted her head, but nodded to his request. Turning back towards the screen, Alice allowed Kujo to see the layout of the building, calmly.
“I guess there’s something you wanted to see for yourself?” the girl asked, curious, yet not nervous, “Or…”
Jack walked around looking for Jake, wanting to regroup and get the final details settled. Of course, Kujo wouldn’t know something the teen did —although the same went for M’Lyn. Both didn’t know the difference between Elena and Jake, when it came to missions.
While Elena was somewhat more laidback, Jake was calculating enough to achieve victory. Despite his nonchalant demeanor most of the time, the man wasn’t one to lose an opportunity or throw.
It didn’t take long for Jack to find him, with the cast finally removed by the looks of things. Checking on some other members, Jake had a different look in his face as he spoke with them, but the teen couldn’t make out the words from so far. Stepping forward, Jack reached Jake’s side by the time the man had dismissed the people that he was talking to, immediately catching the man’s attention.
“…What’re you doing here?” Jake asked, a faint smirk in his lips. “Nothin’” the teen shrugged back, “I just checked with Alice, is all —and I kinda was lookin’ for ya.” “So, you know the place we’re heading to? It won’t be easy, kid —so you better get some rest. You’re unfortunately the most important part for the mission’s success.” “Tch…” Jack pouted, “It’s like you’re underestimatin’ me…”
Jake ruffled Jack’s hair roughly, much for the teen’s chagrin as he tried to push the man back from him. Once the teasing was finally dealt with, Jake sighed, looking at Jack with a much more serious look —one the teen knew more than well enough.
It was the same face as that time.
“Go take a break already —it’s almost like you haven’t slept for days.” “I ain’t tired, though” Jack replied, “And stop treatin’ me like a kid already.” “…I don’t wanna see you forcing yourself tomorrow —so count on us for support, okay?” “…I will.”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 15, 2020 13:02:20 GMT -5
Hearing Alice clear up the misunderstanding, the stoic man gave a slight sigh. It was certainly better, though Kujo would have preferred a night attack—though perhaps the guard was more prepared at night, on this world? While Jack and M’Lyn exited, Kujo stood next to Alice, leaning down a bit to peer at the display. ”Yeah. Show me everything. The path Jack will be taking, the inner layout, the outer perimeter—we’re not leaving anything to chance.” Though he may have sounded demanding, the man was merely focused. With his own plans in mind, he’d need to know the fastest route to get to Jack—even if it meant going a different path the way the teen would. If they’re really here, this will be it. He wouldn’t let the specter that had been annoying them for countless worlds slip away—though it wasn’t like he doubted Jack’s ability to finish them off. Kujo had his own score to settle. Even if the teen and that odd weapon of his didn’t need his assistance in the battle to come, he’d intervene out of his own selfish desire.
He was just that kind of guy. When it came to what he wanted, Kujo would take rather than ask permission. Going over the information with Alice, the man would make sure to memorize the layout, both for their mission as well as his own ulterior motives. Of course, he wouldn’t push the girl too hard, willing to take over if she had already spent too long in front of the screen as time went on.
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