Post by MING on Jan 2, 2010 22:08:53 GMT -5
"Sergeant, glad you came on such short notice," spoke one of the numerous attendants that seemed to follow Persephone everywhere she went. A scrawny man who looked as though he hadn't never grown out of puberty, and probably would never see combat. As if he'd ever want to pick up a weapon in the first place.
"The Federation didn't leave as much of a presence in the area as we anticipated, there was nothing to really form a guerilla operation against," Diego Cortez replied. In truth, he wished they had recalled him earlier, in time to have helped in the operation against the Trojan Horse.
"Well, thank you nonetheless. The subject has locked itself inside..." the words came forth fluidly, and the Zeonic pilot and soldier decided it was time to correct some of the poorer habits among this group of weaklings. Turning midstride, Diego grabbed the scientist by the collar of his labcoat, his arms crossing one another so that his wrists applied a small amount of pressure to the throat, and lifted him nearly a foot of the ground before slamming him against the wall.
"Listen up you snivelling piece of shit, you will not refer to her as 'the subject' or any other term that helps you feel superior to her. You will call her 'Persephone'. No, I take that back. You aren't worthy to use her name. You will call her Specialist Dawn, as is proper of a combat veteran." Diego commanded without raising his voice above normal speaking volume, though the threat was evident in his tone, "Or I will personally twist your head around backwards to give you a proper view as I shove it up your own ass. And you will tell all your labcoated buddies the same thing so I don't have to repeat myself. Am I clear, Private?"
"Y-yes." the man stammered.
"I don't think I heard you, as I asked if I made myself clear, Private." Deigo stressed the rank as he stared furiously through the quivering man's eyes.
"Yes, Sergeant!" the man finally barked with a crack in his voice. Diego dropped the man to the floor, brushing his hands off on his pants leg as though to clean them of something distateful.
"Good, now take me to her."
****
Persephone lay on the floor, curled into the fetal position. Her eyes were wide and red from tears that she couldn't stop. Her hair was matted with perspiration and wild from lack of proper attention. Her body felt heavy, too heavy to move. All she could manage was to clamp her hands over her ears, as though to block out some heavy noise. But it was no use, she couldn't block out what her mind was feeling.
They wouldn't stop coming in. It was too much, she couldn't hold them back. The memories of the fight against the Federation ship were dull, at least the physical ones. But the shouts and screams, the incorporeal voices and feelings that forced their way inside, were still fresh. Some she could placed, like Ferusha and Captain Char. The incident at the ball resurfaced, and a fresh wave of anger flushed over her. The others, she couldn't place having met before. The blue ones, one calm and determined and the other furious and frantic, both so similar and yet so unlike each other. And the one in the White Devil, the boy who seemed so focused on Captain Char. Again, she became angered by the thought of the masked man. He had done something to her, something that broke what she was using to keep the world out. All over again, she saw the thoughts that had run through his mind as she let herself be taken in by the blue-eyed "hero". Again, she began to sob violently, her body shaking violently.
The door to her quarters was parted, even though she had locked it as soon as she had arrived. A large man was prying the door open with a crowbar, the electric locking mechanism not able to withstand the application of pure brute force. The light hurt her eyes, but she did not close them. While the man remained only a shadow with a halo of brilliant light around him, she recognized something familiar. She started to feel calmer, the tears slowing and sobs stopping. She knew this man, and was amazed by how much she missed him, more amazed she only realized it now that he had returned. Through her parched throat, she croaked his name.
"Diego..."
The man shot a look back toward several of the onlookers before moving into the room and kneeling next to the prone girl.
"I'm here, nothing's gonna hurt you. Everything's okay." he stated soothingly, despite his gruff voice.
Taking a deep breath, Persephone's entire body relaxed, her eyes slowly falling closed. Without having realised how tired she was, she began to driftt into sleep. She distantly felt herself being lifted from the floor, and shifted her weight into the large chest of her MAF guardian, burying her face into his BDU shirt.
It was true, everything was going to be alright.
"The Federation didn't leave as much of a presence in the area as we anticipated, there was nothing to really form a guerilla operation against," Diego Cortez replied. In truth, he wished they had recalled him earlier, in time to have helped in the operation against the Trojan Horse.
"Well, thank you nonetheless. The subject has locked itself inside..." the words came forth fluidly, and the Zeonic pilot and soldier decided it was time to correct some of the poorer habits among this group of weaklings. Turning midstride, Diego grabbed the scientist by the collar of his labcoat, his arms crossing one another so that his wrists applied a small amount of pressure to the throat, and lifted him nearly a foot of the ground before slamming him against the wall.
"Listen up you snivelling piece of shit, you will not refer to her as 'the subject' or any other term that helps you feel superior to her. You will call her 'Persephone'. No, I take that back. You aren't worthy to use her name. You will call her Specialist Dawn, as is proper of a combat veteran." Diego commanded without raising his voice above normal speaking volume, though the threat was evident in his tone, "Or I will personally twist your head around backwards to give you a proper view as I shove it up your own ass. And you will tell all your labcoated buddies the same thing so I don't have to repeat myself. Am I clear, Private?"
"Y-yes." the man stammered.
"I don't think I heard you, as I asked if I made myself clear, Private." Deigo stressed the rank as he stared furiously through the quivering man's eyes.
"Yes, Sergeant!" the man finally barked with a crack in his voice. Diego dropped the man to the floor, brushing his hands off on his pants leg as though to clean them of something distateful.
"Good, now take me to her."
****
Persephone lay on the floor, curled into the fetal position. Her eyes were wide and red from tears that she couldn't stop. Her hair was matted with perspiration and wild from lack of proper attention. Her body felt heavy, too heavy to move. All she could manage was to clamp her hands over her ears, as though to block out some heavy noise. But it was no use, she couldn't block out what her mind was feeling.
They wouldn't stop coming in. It was too much, she couldn't hold them back. The memories of the fight against the Federation ship were dull, at least the physical ones. But the shouts and screams, the incorporeal voices and feelings that forced their way inside, were still fresh. Some she could placed, like Ferusha and Captain Char. The incident at the ball resurfaced, and a fresh wave of anger flushed over her. The others, she couldn't place having met before. The blue ones, one calm and determined and the other furious and frantic, both so similar and yet so unlike each other. And the one in the White Devil, the boy who seemed so focused on Captain Char. Again, she became angered by the thought of the masked man. He had done something to her, something that broke what she was using to keep the world out. All over again, she saw the thoughts that had run through his mind as she let herself be taken in by the blue-eyed "hero". Again, she began to sob violently, her body shaking violently.
The door to her quarters was parted, even though she had locked it as soon as she had arrived. A large man was prying the door open with a crowbar, the electric locking mechanism not able to withstand the application of pure brute force. The light hurt her eyes, but she did not close them. While the man remained only a shadow with a halo of brilliant light around him, she recognized something familiar. She started to feel calmer, the tears slowing and sobs stopping. She knew this man, and was amazed by how much she missed him, more amazed she only realized it now that he had returned. Through her parched throat, she croaked his name.
"Diego..."
The man shot a look back toward several of the onlookers before moving into the room and kneeling next to the prone girl.
"I'm here, nothing's gonna hurt you. Everything's okay." he stated soothingly, despite his gruff voice.
Taking a deep breath, Persephone's entire body relaxed, her eyes slowly falling closed. Without having realised how tired she was, she began to driftt into sleep. She distantly felt herself being lifted from the floor, and shifted her weight into the large chest of her MAF guardian, burying her face into his BDU shirt.
It was true, everything was going to be alright.