The figure stood, hands in pockets, glaring mildly ahead to the entirety of the group presented before him. Elise stood attent, eyes moving down and up, studying his face shortly there after. Almost immediately, with a slight turn of his head, his eyes returned with a gaze into her own. Quickly she looked aside, her head jumping back an inch in the process.
“Do you have to talk like an idiot constantly Captain?” he muttered, now looking at Hope.
“I rather enjoy it son. I could talk like a gent but that’s nonsensical ya hear?”
“Ugh, whatever old man,” he grumbled back before giving an eye to Elise, “Hmph.”
With a simple grunt he removed both hands from his pockets, taking a slight stroll around to her left. A shift of her emerald glow, a slow follow with a retracted expression, head slowly circling counterclockwise in follow. Only a few paces after had he come to a halt, turning, down and up with a view.
“So… you’re the famous Elise Bakuuva?”
“Yes, apparently famous, not a Bakuuva, definitely an Elise. And you are?”
“This here is Axel Bjorn,” Hope replied walking over towards the man, placing a hand upon his shoulder after, “Your predecessor.”
“Unfortunately,” Axel sighed, “So lucky we are, to be chosen that is, right, Captain?”
“Ehermhem, AHEM, uh, yes, lucky lucky,” Hope choked.
Elise broke rank, approaching Axel slowly, her right hand gliding out, “Either way, it’s a pleasure.”
“Keep it to yourself and sod off,” he growled in response.
She halted, hand lowering back to her side.
“Just because we’re comrades doesn’t mean we have ta be all buddy buddy.”
“Alright, I guess,” she mumbled back.
“Right then. Captain, what other special dodgers do we have joinin’ in. There’re only three of us and three doesn’t make a squad. Need seven more.”
“See, ‘bout that there-”
“Captain!” a voice called.
Moving up several stairs not far off were multiple guards, many of which were in the process of escorting the two girls from before. Marco turned in disgust, snarling ever so slightly. A slight growl left Axel in that next instance.
“Getting a little… crowded, wouldn’t you say master?” Zero asked, looking to Ryuu.
“Just a bit.”
“Captain, we brought them like you requested.”
“Let GO!” the angry girl yelled.
“Ah perfect. Thank ya Sergeant, that’ll do.”
Saluting, the guards backed way and turned way, leaving the two girls present before the group.
“Bloody demon sisters.”
“Bunch of misfit rejects the lot of them.”
“Dunno, the one is still kinda a hot slot of milk on a cold winter’s day.”
“Still should just throw them back in the pit with the rest, haha.”
“Tch- annoying bastards,” she growled once more, turning around slowly.
“Talia please, not again-” the other girl began.
“HEY!” Elise barked.
The guards stopped in place, turning back around. Hope’s attention turned to Elise, as did the attentions of those around her. She stepped forward, pointing at the group, “And you’re supposed to be guards?! Bullshit!”
“The devil is she doing?” Axel asked looking to hope with an eyebrow raised.
“Dunno.”
“The hell did you just-” the sergeant began.
“NO, stop right there. I am a Lieutenant and I outrank your lowly ass. If you’re going to be a bunch of shit stains, then go mop up the shit stains in the latrines!”
“I- you- wha-”
“Well gosh now, orders are orders and a higher up just gave ya’ll orders,” Hope called back.
“But Captain, you can-”
“Sorry sergeant but you know the policy ‘bout overturning another higher ranked officer’s orders. I’d haffta file paperwork fer that one,” Hope concluded.
“U-rk-KRE… sigh yes sir,” he replied back.
The group turned way again and moved down the stairs, their heads lowered ever so slightly. A slight chuckle left Axel, while a laugh left Zero.
“The hell was that,” Talia growled.
“Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. Every day of my life I’ve wanted to do that to some unpleasant jerks such as them,” Elise replied with a slight laugh, scratching the back of her head in the process.
“H-hey now, you didn’t have to tell them off like that though did you?” the other, Chloe, asked.
“Chloe, who cares. Those guys are assholes anyway, just like Marco here,” Talia growled.
“You dumb bitch, you broke my arm!” he spat back.
“You healed, didn’t you you dumb ass?”
“This is why no one wants to team up with you two, you’re a bitch and you’re over protective!”
“ALL OF YOU SHUT IT!” Tony screamed, “You’re in the presence of a Captain, of three allies to the Tribe, ME, and a new damn Lieutenant plus other comrades.”
“Whatever, I don’t need this. I’m a friggen star,” Marco growled walking away.
“Ugh, friggen brother,” Tony grumbled.
“Heh, right right. Now uh Elise, these two here are Talia and Chloe Lynch. They are the Lynch sisters, also part of our upcoming team.”
“Pft-” Axel snorted.
All looked to Axel right then after, Talia included who glared, “The hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he grumbled back, “Please, do go on.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Chloe said with a slight bow.
“Heh, nice to meet you both as well,” Elise replied a little flabbergasted.
“Hmph. So, we’re teaming up with the success story huh?” Talia grumbled while looking back at Elise.
“So I’ve been told, yeah,” she replied again.
“Hmph. At least you seem to acknowledge how stupid people can be. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt right now. Can’t wait to see you become a fellow failure.”
“Failure?”
“What, has Hope not told you anything? Yes, failure. We’re all failures. My sister and I, Axel over there, and countless others. We were written off for not being what they wanted from their precious project.”
“Heh, and yet they want a team of failures with the success. Probably wants to kill us all in some accident to put an end to the project,” Axel murmured.
“Shut it you British Pig,” Talia growled.
“Hell demon witch, bloody Christ.”
“Easy now,” Hope called.
“The hell are we doin Hope? This is rubbish as all hell. We aren’t worth a damn, just a bunch of gits. And throwing in another future reject just because the muppets in charge want you to-”
“Now Axel that ain’t my choice. The council feels that ya’ll have potential comin together. Now ya’ll may be a few short of a full pack and they are going to work on that.”
“Hey,” Elise called out, “We’re only worthless rejects if we believe it. Personally, I don’t care what anyone says. If I do my best, I can make a difference… as can the rest of you.”
Silence fell over both Talia and Axel, both of whom looked to Elise once more, as all the rest did once more. With a nod, she continued, “I don’t intend to be useless. And if they want to fire me for not performing right, screw them. Right?”
“HA, that’s the spirit,” Hope laughed.
Zero leaned over, muttering to Ryuu, “Remember that, might be able to steal ‘em from here.”
“Eh, I guess. Time will tell with that one,” Ryuu muttered back, starting to then walk away, “Alright. Satoshi, I hate to interrupt the drama show but we need to get back.”
“Oh uh, right, coming sir.”
Both Zero and Satoshi walked off, Ryuu following close behind. Tony remained at the side looking at the group of five before him. The five themselves stood around, looking around. Hope let off a sigh, while Talia glared away, and Axel in turn rolled his eyes with arms now crossed. A sigh then left Elise as she looked to Chloe.
“Well now, like Elise said, ya’ll are gonna be part of Project Stingray’s first fightin force. Ya need to get along and remember, this WAS the council’s decision.”
“Pft, screw them, bunch of old out of date fucks that they are,” Talia growled.
“Talia!” Chloe yelled.
“What, it’s true!”
“Bleedin perfect,” Axel mumbled.
“TONY!” a voice shouted.
A lone man strolled forward, a tall man. Black hair swayed side to side in front of his face, showing his sunken blue eyes only occasionally. A slight bit of five o’clock shadow, darkness around his eyes, a whiskey bottle in his hand. He strolled up, guns in holsters, groggily looking as he stopped about twenty paces away.
“Tony!” he yelled.
“Uh, yes, Captain Murasame?” Tony replied turning around.
“Lets go, wee been summoned,” he called back with a slight lisp, “Leave these- mmph, FREAKS be.”
“Freaks?!” Talia spat.
“Sis, please don’t-” Chloe began.
“Old man, why don’t you sod off back to the bar and leave us in piece before I wallop yer arsehole with a spade,” Axel growled.
“Fff- NAH, shut it you demon twit,” he muttered while turning around, “Don’t geh uh… don’t get it. Ninety-nine in fifty years. The hell and a- soa- pff_-_”
He moved out of range, his muttering being drawn to a close after. A sigh left Tony who then proceeded to follow soon after.
“Friggen asshole,” Talia growled.
“For once I agree with you. Not sure how they can let a drunk be a Captain like that. OR to let him roam around the base freely.”
“So, that was Domino Squadron’s Captain… interesting?” Elise commented.
“Sorry bout that. Akito should be watched when he gets this way,” Hope began.
“He said ninety-nine in fifty years. What was he referencing?” Elise asked.
“Uh- well-”
“Stingrays,” Axel replied, cutting off Hope, “There’ve been thousands of us before and every single one has either died or been thrown off. The Tribe loves its projects with kids. Stingray isn’t the only one luv, there are actually-”
“Axel now hush that, that’s enough!”
“Why Captain, why not tell her before she finds out anyway. Save the bullshit and stop beating around the bush.”
“Alright alright now. We’re all a little tense right now so how about we just slow down and low down. How about we all just meet back up at Lounge-44 tonight and we can talk about things? That good?”
“Whatever,” Axel muttered.
“Sounds great,” Chloe replied.
“Right then, see you all tonight.”
ns 18.68.41.175da2
