[center][h1][color=lightsteelblue]P E R C Y[/color][/h1][img]http://66.media.tumblr.com/51fc61ac770a524e9468f174afa94d7f/tumblr_inline_n1xc79Kcic1rb3m8r.png[/img][/center]
[b][center]Graham’s Quarters, New Anchorage CC
[color=gray][[ Around 0200 Hours (2:00 AM) ]][/color][/center][/b] 

Percy let Ana down to stand on her own two feet once again, the girl siding right up to her father. The pilot looked her over, the bit of neutrality that had been on his face replaced with concern; Ana [i]still[/i] looked scared, even in the safe zone. He wasn’t exactly surprised by it, of course, but he’d think that her fear would [i]lax[/i], not [i]get worse.[/i]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Everything will be okay.”[/color] Percy said, causing Ana to look up at him. She looked on the verge of tears. Percy couldn’t help but wince at the sight. In an attempt to hopefully ease his daughter’s worries, he kneeled to her level so they could comfortably maintain eye contact, going to wrap his arms around her in a hug. [color=lightsteelblue]“Ana, I [i]promise—[/i]”[/color]

[color=ffe1ff]“—and you [i]promised[/i]...”[/color] Ana pushed her father away, eyes narrowed in anger, [color=ffe1ff]“...that you’d [i]always[/i] be there for me, and you [i]weren’t[/i] the last time something like [i]this[/i] happened.”[/color] The girl’s hands clenched into little stubborn fists as she crossed her arms. She turned her head to the side as well, looking to the wall, very obviously trying to keep how upset she’d gotten to herself. Her voice was softer as she added, [color=ffe1ff]“I’m just waiting for [i]this[/i] to go wrong, too.”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Ana, it’s not [i]going[/i] to go wrong - I’m not going to leave you alone. I’ll be right here, I [i]swear.[/i]”[/color]

[color=E55451]“If that’s what you want to do.”[/color] Rebecca commented as she leaned back against a wall, her robe fluttering from her movement as she let out a light sigh due to what Percy could presume was from the tense situation they were in.

[color=lightsteelblue]“What else would you have me do, Rebecca?”[/color] Percy realized a little too late he came off rather aggressively, but at the same time... [i]Seriously?[/i] [color=lightsteelblue]”Would you rather I get shot? I [i]kinda[/i] like being alive, thanks.”[/color]

[color=E55451]“I don’t know. How much do you care about your squad?”[/color] She quipped, albeit a little passive aggressively. 

[color=lightsteelblue]“Not nearly as much as my [i]daughter.[/i]”[/color] What kind of question was that, even? 

[color=E55451]“Tch.”[/color] Her tongue connected with her teeth as she adverted her eyes in disappointment.

[color=olive]“Your daughter has nothing to worry about.”[/color] The voice of Commander Graham chimed in as he looked over the three. [color=olive]“All children will be evacuated first— the concern of their safety is priority one, should it come to a need to fall back. That said, I have no intention of letting a bunch of [i]traitors[/i] sneak through [i]my[/i] base without consequences. You can skulk here in my quarters while you wait for their crosshairs or you can refuse to be a coward, the choice is yours. Personally, I am going out there and settling this myself. Commander Marek, you’re in charge here while we divide the remaining essential forces into teams of six. We need to get to the nearest armory immediately or we are as good as dead.”[/color]

[color=E55451]“Of course, sir. You sure you don’t need me out there?”[/color]

Commander Graham shook his head to her question before setting off with handgun in hand. For Percy, there was burning [i]fire[/i] rising in his chest. This was the [i]second[/i] time Graham had personally called him a coward and the [i]fourth[/i] time since he became a NC pilot that it had been uttered to his [i]face[/i]. He hated it— what the [i]hell[/i] did they know about him? Hint: [i]nothing.[/i]

Percy raised his voice slightly in the hopes Graham could hear him speak, [color=lightsteelblue]“Just for the record, I’m about [i]done[/i] with being called a coward. I’m-”[/color]

[color=e55451]“Whatever, Percy.”[/color]

The dismissive comment came from [i]Rebecca[/i], not Graham— and really Percy wasn’t sure what to make of it as he began to have a realization about the situation. His squadmates were sleeping in their bunk and, by the sound of the echoing weapons he had heard in the halls, meant that were a lot of them… over a dozen if he had to put any remote guess on the situation. Stein and Eli were resilient, sure, and Agatha was a veteran but how ready could they get if they had been the first gunshots he heard? They could very well be dead; [i]all[/i] of them. Eli, Vera, Jingo, Alan, Joshua, Stein, Agatha, Ryn… splattered against the walls of the barracks. How fortunate had he been if his gut was right that he had argued for his own quarters with Ana?

Percy’s heart was audible in his own head and all he was doing was sitting there thinking about this. He didn’t even want to imagine what the others were thinking [i]living it.[/i] 

[color=lightsteelblue]“What [i]could[/i] I be doing, then? If Ana’s really safe here, I-I’m not gonna go out and get shot at without someone watching my ass. I don’t have bionic eyes.”[/color]

[color=e55451]“…yeah, you’re right. It’s quite a bit of sprinting to even get half-way to the pilot barracks. It’s just— remember what the principle of the training was that I put you through? To work with your squad as if they are your [i]family[/i]. I don’t expect you to run off gun-ho like some gun-toting superhero, alright? It’s just… You want to hide instead of coming up with a solution.”[/color] She sighed. [color=e55451]“Weren’t you an engineer before? Couldn’t you figure out a way to get the power back on?”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“I guess nobody told you I wasn’t a very [i]good[/i] one?”[/color]

She laughed albeit nervously. Perhaps it was just the situation getting to her? Could she be as scared as he felt right now?

[color=lightsteelblue]“If I had someone covering me while I messed with all the wires and shit, sure, I [i]might[/i] be able to.”[/color]

[color=edb25b]“...that’d require us to jump down the damned lifts and get down there. Fuck knows if they’ve got bodies down there, too.  I mean it’s completely possible, but it's a big risk, ‘specially for us.”[/color]

Another voice that Percy recognized, albeit barely— the Russian engineer that was in charge of the hangar that the pilot couldn’t remember the name of. Not that it mattered presently, but [i]man,[/i] were there a bunch of people in there or what?

Percy huffed, trying to visualize the facility in his head before remembering that, recently, the blueprints of the facility were able to be accessed through his datatool. He quickly turned the screen on and pulled them up, first locating Graham’s quarters and marking it for convenience's sake; then marking the closest armory, which was several meters down the south corridor; then finally marking the level where the power generators were located. It was clear that the nearest lift that dropped them down the closest distance wasn’t too far off if he took the corridor heading northward of the base. 

[color=lightsteelblue][i]Trying to go to the armory to load up and then turn around to get the power on would take too much time and we’d lose too many people; gotta do one thing or the other. Doing both would be insane.[/i][/color]

He broke his gaze from the screen and counted out how many people already had weapons. Definitely not enough to get these invaders to bug off, let alone kill anyone. Percy could feel his stomach churn slightly at the thought of forcing these people to fight to the death. Not that he really [i]could[/i] force them, but nonetheless. He had the briefest of thoughts that maybe he could just let the intruders come to them, but that was an immediate [i]no[/i]; Ana could be shot, as well as the other children that were in here. No fucking way was he going to let that happen.

[color=lightsteelblue]“God dammit, I can’t think of what to do.”[/color] Percy mumbled. He raised his voice slightly so Rebecca didn’t have to strain her ears, [color=lightsteelblue]“Can we just... [i]assume[/i] the others are alright, work on getting the power on? Having the lights back on would be an advantage, don’t you think?”[/color]

[color=edb25b]“Well, we’ve got three engineers and some handful of other administrative pups. Got some guns, some pipes. If we’re going to do this we ought to get ready ‘fer it. Quicker we can get it done, quicker we can lessen casualties, I think.”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]”So we’re definitely getting those lights back on, right? That’s the plan?”[/color]

[color=ac00e6]“It would definitely increase our chances.”[/color] The raven-haired Katarina Poux commented as she joined the conversation. [color=ac00e6]“It’s tough to fight in the dark for those who don’t have augments.”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Alright,”[/color] Percy said, looking to both Kat and the Chief Engineer. [color=lightsteelblue]“We’re doing this, then. [i]For real.[/i] We’re [i]really[/i] doin’ this.”[/color] 

[color=ffe1ff]“Dad.”[/color]

Any ounce of assurance he was capable of handling this [i]crumbled[/i] as soon as he heard his daughter’s fearful voice. He didn’t really have to look to feel her cling to him, and he definitely didn’t need to look to feel her gaze on him. [color=ffe1ff]“You [i]just[/i] said-”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“I know. I know, I know,”[/color] Percy said, once again kneeling to her height, [color=lightsteelblue]“Ana, I- I am [i]very[/i] aware of how scared you are. I am too. I…”[/color]

Percy grimaced as Ana’s voice cracked, [color=ffe1ff]“I don’t want to get stuffed in a box [i]again.[/i]”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Ana, you- These people are [i]so[/i] much more capable than Zach is, or ever has been, will be, can [i]dream[/i] of being. They, they’re [i]trained[/i] to do these kinds of things. You’re [i]not[/i] going to be taken. You’re not getting shoved in a box. You’re safe. I [i]promise[/i] that you’re safe.”[/color]

[color=ffe1ff]“I was [i]safe[/i] with Zach and-”[/color]

Percy didn’t want to pull this, but at this point, he felt he had to. [color=lightsteelblue]“[i]Vera[/i] is in trouble right now. Do you want her to get hurt?”[/color]

[color=ffe1ff]“No!”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Then I [i]need[/i] to do this.”[/color]