Alliance? (Ch. 2: Day 11, pt. I)

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:08 am

Rock's eyes creaked upon with all the readiness of a couple rusted-shut garage doors. It was morning—some indiscernible hour of it, grey-blue tinted by a sky of dark clouds. He stared at the blurry ceiling and heard the rain pattering on the balcony outside the sliding glass door. His head, face, shoulders, arms, and knuckles hurt; it took him a minute to regain enough consciousness to remember why.

The previous night hadn't been good to him.

His head lulled to the side on the pillow. Blanket and sheet made a mound next to him, where they'd been overturned and cast off by the girl he expected to be there, but wasn't. He looked at the empty space for a minute, expressionless, but internally bewildered in his haze of sleep and pain. Why wasn't she there? Where was there? Why was he there?

The previous night really hadn't been good to him.

He forced himself to sit up. He shook off the confusion, slung his legs over the side of the bed, set feet to floor, and stood. Drowsily, he straightened his sleep-displaced sideways boxers and staggered across the room. While the silhouette of the monkey set about dressing for the day, there laid behind him a big, beige manila envelope, its contents splayed across the polished table. There were stamped documents and a picture I.D. with a lot of important-looking marks on it. The bold letters across the top read "UNITED FEDERATION DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE," followed by some sort of security clearance information, some personal info, and a neat issuing signature at the bottom from Rekk Rogerz.

Most of the pieces were in place for their quick visit to the UF, and GUN's detention center there. He just needed to finish making a few minor preparations... That, and find out where his girl went so early in the morning.

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Mie · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:40 am

A couple of hours ago...

Empty.

The newly built sprawling gym with all its pristine equipment in neat, orderly rows sat vacant and deserted. And why shouldn't it have been? It was four in the morning; what person of sound mind would be awake at this hour? Why was she?

She asked herself that question again, looking around the room in a sort of bemused stupor.

"Better question: Why am I here?"

The answer was easy enough to fabricate -- After all, what better cure for insomnia is there than utterly exhausting oneself? -- but as the punch-hued primate glanced sheepishly about as if to ascertain that she was still alone, it was plain that sleep was far from her mind.

Awkwardly, she approached one of the lifeless heavy bags, staring it down in uncomfortable silence as she rubbed compulsively at her arms, and repeatedly blinked cautious glances behind her. Slowly, she drew a deep breath in through her nose, allowing the brisk air to fill her chest as she squared her shoulders, shuffled one foot behind the other, and drew back her fist. She fired the hardest hook into its face that she could muster.

The chains jangled, the still-abrasive leather made a pathetically muted pop sound, and the bag swung freely, but not as hard as Jam would have liked. Despite knowing it wasn't possible, she'd have loved to know that she'd hurt it somehow, yet the only things in pain were her throbbing red knuckles, and that infuriated her.

With an unadulterated growl, she punched it again. And again. And over and over and over, her phalanges crying out in muted protest. It was a good thing he showed up when he did.

"You?"

It was certainly unconventional as far as greetings went, but was probably the nicest a girl like Jam would get out of a gritty old rooster like Mack. He shuffled over in earnest still blinking blearily as though this had to be some other obnoxiously pink monkey abusing perfectly good gym equipment.

"What d'hell're y'doin', kid?"

For about a half second, Jam rather looked as though she'd been caught trying on tutus while lip syncing into a hairbrush, but gruffly dismissed most of the visual cues of her embarrassment with a sniff that desperately attempted to be nonchalant.

"What does it look like m'doin'?"

"I wouldna asked, if I coulda telled," rasped the chicken impassively, absently rubbing a feathered finger at his nose.

His aged sneakers carried him smoothly towards the simian's sparring partner, which he eyed beadily for a moment, resting a palm against it.

"Y'sure wadn't doin' anyt'ing t'dis bag dat it wadn't doin' to you woise."

As the nosy fowl raised his brows sagely at her telltale fists, her cheeks burned involuntarily, and she fumed in silence, mentally berating herself for coming.

"I was just trying to -- ... "

What was she trying to do? There were answers tumbling haphazardly around in her head, but suddenly, they all seemed ridiculous.

"Never mind," she blurted conclusively with a shake of her head and a trailing sigh as she turned to leave.

"Hey."

"..."

"Y'wanna learn t'make th'other guy bleed?"

In an uncharacteristically small voice, Jam answered as she walked back, "... I'd like that."

...

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:51 pm

"Aaaaahhhhhh..."

The icepack against his head brought a soothing sensation to his lightly bruised skin, the hedgehog having gained a good amount of hits from last night's victory. He'd awoken stiff and sore, a hot shower easing his mind back into a conscious state before deciding to tend to some of the bruises. Now, as he walked back out of the bathroom, he was prepared to relax-

Sheffer's eyes landed on something on the bed.

He lowered the icepack from his cheek for a moment, walking on over and picking up the object. It was an electronic-looking device, just big enough to fit fully in his hand. On it was a small screen, the whole thing seeming to be hastily fitted and screwed together within a couple of hours, somewhat bulky in his grip. The device didn't appear to be turned on at the moment, the hedgehog having tested it out earlier that morning when it'd been delivered to his room.

Now, it was reminding him of more things to be done, those probably not involving laying around his hotel room while he watched TV mindlessly.

Hesitantly moving across the room, he snatched up a phone from a nearby nightstand, dialing in a three-digit number. Sheffer then began to wait as it rang in his ear, wondering if the recipient would even be awake after the fiasco he heard about before hitting the hay the night before....

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:37 pm

The phone rang behind Rock. A couple of hours had passed since he got up. He was dressed (at least as much as he ever was, shirts be damned), had a large adhesive bandage on the side of his face, and looked a little... bruisy, but collected. A half eaten breakfast sat on the desk, one plate empty, the other untouched. He'd gotten some food for Jam, expecting her to come back to the room, but he still hadn't heard from her. It wasn't particularly worrying him, though. He'd kept busy making phone calls and preparations for the trip.

"Alright, 'ppreciate it. I gotta get this other call now," said the primate into his mobile phone, scooting his chair back and standing. "I might call back if I think of somethin' else. ... A'right. Laaater Garand."

*Beep.* He laid the phone down, stepped over to the noisily-ringing hotel phone, and answered.

"Y'ello."

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:42 pm

"Hey, its Sheffer," he began as he recognized the white simian's voice. He was now sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at the device in his hand, believing a conversation over a phone would be a lesser hassle then it had been face to face.

"Got myself a shiny new radar here, just like I ordered."

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:44 pm

Rock's eyebrows narrowed down thoughtfully. Maybe he half hadn't expected Sheffer to get back in touch, much less offer the service of a working Chaosol Emerald radar.

"Huh. That was pretty quick," he observed, all the while mentally mulling over the implications of the call. "Does this mean you picked up a trail you want some assistance with, or...?"

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:01 pm

Sheffer bit his lip at the monkey's query, taking a hesitant moment to answer.

"Uh... Actually, no. Haven't picked up jack-squat," he replied. "Then again, I just got this thing only an hour ago, and haven't even left the room." He paused, trying to conjure a reason for the current conversation. "Really, just wanted to call ya up and tell ya I have one, in case you had any ideas what to do next."

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:17 pm

"Oh."

That wasn't the most encouraging reply. However, it was only momentary awkwardness; what Rock followed up with could be construed as considerably more open-ended in opportunity.

"That makes sense, then. We've got good reason to believe Vince's emerald is the only one left on Westside, anyway, if you'll remember." He digressed quickly. "This line isn't safe, so let's make this quick: if you got time to come with us on a quick day-trip, we can use that thing to find out whether or not our friends in the UF are holdin' out on us."

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:28 pm

Sheffer had expected a variety answers, ranging from rejection of his assistance to a possible place to be looking for the kid, but dealing with the government was not one of them.

"Um, alright, sure," the hedgehog said quickly, forced to make a decision there and then. "Sounds like a grand ol' time..." He cleared his throat, and remembering Rock's warnings about the phone line, he decided to bring a quick end to the call. "So, where do ya need me to meet you?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:05 pm

"Metropolis International, terminal east, 2PM," said Rock, rattling off the response. "You can travel light. Long as you show up with a working sensor, we'll have everything else you need—Ticket, and a little scratch for your time."

He started to pause, but added one more thing, with a slightly... less business-like, quieter tone. "You should know this, though. The people we're gonna see won't be happy that we're there. If things go good, we could find the human, which could be dangerous; and if things go wrong, it'll be the worst kind of wrong, and probably a lot more dangerous. Clear?"

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:10 pm

"I've nearly been crushed underneath a whole island and an ocean," replied Sheffer somewhat confidently. "I think I'll be able to manage."

Yet he couldn't help but feel a bit worried. If things went south, and it involved the government... he could easily find himself in a similar spot where the captured bomber currently was. "Though, I'll try not to step on anyone's toes when we get there."

The statement sounded as though he was trying Rock feel more comfortable with letting him tag along, but in reality, it was supposed to remind his own self to mind his mouth around whoever they were supposed to be meeting.

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:17 pm

"You and me both," Rock muttered in reply. Behaving around people like that was easier said than done, and if anyone had a hard time with it, it was him. With a sigh, he brought the conversation to its end.

"I gotta finish makin' everything ready. I'll see you there?"

Sheff · Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:20 pm

"You bet. See you then."

And then the phone was set down, the call having been ended, and the hedgehog having a new goal set before him. He stood, and began to walk around the room to gather a few things, preparing for the trip.

psikeout · Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:19 pm

"Later."

With the call done, Rock had a few more arrangements to make, most of them mundane. For people who aren't blue superspeeders standing on top of rocket-equipped biplanes, the business of protecting the common good is seldom as streamlined as just running to the objective and fighting some robots. There are flights to plan, equipment to get lined up and procured, people to notify... —dull runaround that made Rock wish he had some sort of combat secretary, or something.

Jam wouldn't have any of that, though.

"Maybe I could teach Caz to handle this stuff," he pondered aloud, clicking a ballpoint pen while sitting at his room's little hotel desk. "... Too scatterbrained?"

He brushed the thoughts aside and got to work. Some twenty minutes and three phone calls later, the pieces were all in place. All that was left was to find out where Jam had gone, get loaded up, and hit the road.

Mie · Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:49 pm

*PAFF!*

*PAFF!* *PAFF!*

*PAFF!*

The rhythmic sound of gloves punishing bag, couples with the incessant jangling of chains and even, huffing breaths comprised Jam's contribution to the dissonant roar of the now busy gymnasium. Precisely how long she'd been at it, she'd lost track, but when one had as much pent-up steam to blow off as she did, time became an arbitrary thing. Sunrise had come and gone, and slowly, the fighters that remained in the running (considerably fewer now) trickled in and started their routines.

In that time, she'd made friends with (see: gotten punched in the nose with) the speed bag (twice), tried and failed to lift any amount of weight her borrowed trainer didn't regard as "pitiful even fer a dame," and demonstrated her lexicon of obscenities while being subjected to a plethora of calisthenic exercises. To her credit, she'd actually managed to tag the rooster amid a solid wall of raucous spectator laughter, however, Mack insisted that the "impotent environment" had simply thrown him off his game.

For all her claims that she wasn't a boxer, and held no interest in the sport save for Rock's survival from it, though, the heavy bag kept drawing the reddish girl back to it. Perhaps it was just that she liked the feel of hitting things really hard while pretending it was Seven.

Whatever the case, Mack seemed surprisingly complacent to let Jam pick her own vehicle of embarrassment while he callously rebuked where necessary. (He seemed to derive some entertainment from the fact that these corrections visibly aggravated her, and usually made her punch harder, so he progressed to making them extraneously.)

*PAFF!*

"Sloppy!"

*PAFF!* *PAFF!*

"Straight! Keep it straight, damnit, y'wanna break yer hands?!"

*PAFF!*

"Time!"

*PAFF!*

Smirking obnoxiously at Jam's livid glare, the antagonistic bird barked a abrupt laugh, and said, "You got spunk, kid."

Alliance? (Ch. 2: Day 11, pt. I)

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