I woke up to the familiar pounding at my door. I tried to muffle it, but after all this time, I knew this was only gonna get more annoying and unpleasant the longer I slept in. But alas, when have mere mortals beaten demons of sloth? I covered my ears and pushed my face into the pillows.
"Dammit, rookie!"
VA347 screamed.
"Have you learned nothing? You know your training laps still increase by two with each passing minute."
Dammit. This soulless monster!
"I'm up! I'm up!"
I breathed in deeply and unwillingly left the warm embrace of my covers.
"Shit!"
I was halfway to the door when I noticed my torn sleeve.
Wait a minute.
The cafe, the fight, the spike, and goddammit, the recapture.
When the fuck did we go back to training drills?
"Giddy up, rookie! Commander wanted to see you first thing in the morning."
To hell with that fucking kidnapper!
My mind spun, and I calculated.
"Hey Jarvis, calculate the best way to escape the compound again!"
Don't.
"What? Why?"
Take a look at 11 O' Clock
I quickly spun around, only to stumble back and shriek in fright.
"Jesus! fuck!"
In the corner of my room, half covered in darkness, I could barely make out Omen standing silently like a mannequin.
I kid you not, he was so still that I squinted to see if he was even breathing at all.
Chuckles echoed from beyond the door.
"I see you've met your new companion."
I frowned towards Omen and debated using Shrouded Step through the window.
"Your escape was my first failure."
Omen's voice was an eerie mix of ominous and broken, simultaneously threatening and inevitable.
"There shall not be a second."
————————————————————————————————————————
As we marched to Brimstone's office. I tried to think of why I had been brought back here.
Jarvis, do you have any thoughts?
Yes. Brimstone needs you for something. I overheard him and Sage talk about it.
Right. The extra sense. I guess that's how he knew Omen was there.
Wait, if you can use my senses so acutely, how come you didn't help me in battle?
You told me not to speak unless spoken to because I, quote unquote, scare the bejeesus out of you.
"What in the Actual Fuck!"
VA347 turned around. "What happened?"
Dammit! I accidentally said that out loud.
"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."
After a few awkward seconds, we resumed our silent march with a ghost in tow.
Permission to speak freely from now on?
No, wait yes, no, wait.
He does sometimes surprise me.
Alright, permission to speak freely if I find myself in a fight again, granted.
Acknowledged.
And we have arrived at the office.
—————————————————————————————————————————
Sage and Brimstone were already seated when we arrived. With a wave of his hand, Brimstone signaled VA347 to wait outside before proceeding to place a jammer and physically turn off the CCTV.
"You know they have a remote, right?"
I spoke more out of nervousness than reason.
"That doesn't stop Cypher."
Doesn't that mean our commander is basically working in a bugged office?
I frowned.
Then I wilted.
Silence reigned once again as I met his gaze. He was still angry; I could tell. I was still defiant; I'm sure he understood.
"You got a lot of nerve, kid."
I was about to speak when Sage coughed meaningfully.
Brimstone glared.
She sighed and shook her head in disappointment.
"What he means to say is that it seems we all got off on the wrong foot."
Got off on the wrong foot, my foot! I've been training here for months now!
I was about to speak, but Sage silenced me with a glare.
And boy, let me tell you, if the gentle and kind Sage is angry, then you're in real trouble. Not because she is scary, but mostly because it usually means that you're about to or have already crossed a line.
"Now you two need to work together for this to work, which means you will be given proper agent rights and perks like your freedom, a pay scale, and identification."
I grinned widely while the vein on Brimstone's forehead seemed about to pop like an overinflated balloon.
More out of frustration now than anger.
"But in exchange, you will be signing the proper contracts and accepting Omen as your mandatory outreach companion, along with agreeing to help the Protocol with its missions."
Wait, what?
"This decision is made and is final."
Her voice brooked no argument.
"And you both know that this is the only real way forward."
She gave a questioning look as if daring us to say if we knew a better way.
Dammit! She was right. Brimstone would never really let me walk away unless I made him somehow. And on the other hand, he will never really control me unless I let him. A compromise was really the best solution forward.
Both of us glared at Sage and then at each other. Brimstone collected himself first and smoothed his expression into a blank, impassive wall while I mumbled expletives under my breath.
Mandatory Outreach Companion? Omen was a fucking chain around my neck!
Then we met each other's gaze. Neither of us liked it, but we understood what Sage was saying.
"Fine."
I pouted.
"Agreed."
He nodded.
Sage smiled.
"Good. Now shake hands like mature adults."
Fuck no!
—————————————————————————————————————————
Eventually, we did end up shaking hands. More because Brimstone chose to be the bigger man and offered his first than both of us being 'mature adults'. I would have been a bigger asshole than him if I had refused it then. Sage's disappointed glare had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Really.
Nothing.
Although I was beginning to understand why Brimstone chose Sage as his practical second-in-command.
Viper was the Number two officially. But she spent most of the day in her lab.
Outside, VA-347 leveled me with a weird stare.
"No other reprimands?"
I shook my head.
"Just an official agent contract?"
I nodded.
"You're not his long-lost son, are you?"
"Say that again, and I will knock your fucking teeth out!"
He grinned and spread his arms in challenge.
"Anytime, Rookie. Any time."
I gritted my teeth and harrumphed. I still haven't beaten him on the mat, and the bastard knows it. If we go now, I'll probably end up with my shoulder dislocated against the hard floor.
We made our way to the training ground. Funnily enough, on my first day back at HQ, I was doing practice drills again, as I had done so many times before.
Just with Omen always hanging around in some dark, forgotten corner just out of sight.
Jarvis could probably spot him if I asked, but I was in no real mood to make a new friend.
Midway through my 14th lap around the training grounds, Clove skipped in with two rocks in her hand.
She halted when she saw me, and then burst into a Cheshire grin.
She lifted Rocky, who now also had a matching pirate hat like Pebble's and a small wooden stick sword stuck to it with glue.
"Aaarrrgh, first mate! We've finally found yer maister!"
Good God.
"Aye, Captain. Seems like oor wee voyage was a success, then."