[center][img]http://i65.tinypic.com/21o8tg4.png[/img] [img]http://i67.tinypic.com/2njvpci.png[/img][/center] [h1][center][color 33ec06]Marcus[/color] | [color ff57ff]Siena[/color][/center][/h1] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][/center][hr][center][color=silver]𝕄: π•Šπ•–π•‘π•₯. πŸ™πŸœ, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / π•Œπ•Šπ”Έβ„π•€π•ƒβ„• 𝔼𝕒𝕀π•₯ / / β„‚π•’π•žπ•‘π•¦π•€ / / πŸ™πŸœπŸ˜πŸ˜[/color][/center][hr] [center][sub]Collab with [@Chasers115] and [@PapiTan][/sub][/center] It wasn't too long after Marcus had changed into some dry clothing that he'd been marched back down to the briefing room. Forcefully sat once again, he'd learned exactly where to look, either at the screen, or the man himself. The correct answer in this case was the commander, as it seemed he had gathered a new toy for them. Some sort of film, or wrap, or...[i]something[/i]. Something that wrapped itself around the man's arms by itself. A beautiful alternative to body armor, save for the one little sticking point. It had never been tested, and they were the lab rats. He wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. On one hand, [i]state-of-the-art[/i] untested equipment. On the other, state-of-the-art [i]untested[/i] equipment. They were being loaded up, but he wasn't sure if it was for their benefit, or for the data. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, though - even the ability to shrug of a single hit was better than his current armor of a single hoodie. The three hour time limit meant they'd be suiting up when they got to the destination - as long as they didn't get ambushed on the way there like the very first day. Then there was the other catch. A subnatural group, believed to at least be unfriendly. Another threat, that could come from absolutely anywhere and do absolutely anything with no warning. It was not an update that made him feel any better about the situation. This kind of thing meant that nobody was 100% safe - even the evac team could have nasty run-in with an angry subnatural. Still, the big monster needed taken care of, and they had a plan that should work even with the added threats. He was just left a little more uneasy than before. At least he'd be riding around in a heavily armored truck while his friends were getting slaughtered. Yeah, that didn't help. Gear was the main concern for him, once the briefing had ended. First thing: a pistol; he didn't want to be caught unarmed like the first mission. Fortunately for him, the armory box was happy to oblige - even containing what appeared to be the same model he was accustomed to, not that he could name it. All things firearm was Max's area of expertise, but she'd at least taught him how to use one. A skill that he was exceedingly grateful for now. Pistol? Check. Ammo? Check. Holster? Check. Knife, pepper spray, and baton? Check. That would have been all for him, had a few other things in the boxes not caught his eye. A trusty crowbar - apocolypse survivior's best friend. All the bludgeoning power of his collapsible baton, but with the added benefit of utility. Hopefully Daisy wouldn't be too mad if he snagged one before the requisition form could go through. He traded the spot where the baton sat for a makeshift crowbar-holster, leaving it hang clumsily at his side. It'd probably be less annoying in the long run if he just carried it, but that belt loop would serve as a makeshift holster for now. And finally, the bright orange pistol. Flare gun. Neatly clipped to his side in the event of an emergency. A surefire way to get a million different enemies to come swarming over them, but a potential life-saver if there were already a million enemies swarming over them. He fastened the belt around his waist, the crowbar bouncing lightly, but expectedly, off his leg. He untucked the hoodie and pulled it over the belt, double checking to make sure he could still reach everything just fine. Geared up and ready to go, or that's what he hoped. [hr] A swarm. [i]'[color=ff57ff]You'll be okay.[/color]'[/i] Siena remained silent through the briefing, her mind turning over a myriad of scenarios. She had been aware that they were going to be sent into combat situations, and had evena accepted that bleak reality early on. Every rational part of her body told her that she should be afraid, and yet the brunette felt an unnerving calm. It wasn't the same feeling as the training exercise from hell, it was...relieving? Plenty of excuses why, of course. No people as opponents, only monsters. Monsters that were cold, unfeeling machines in literal sense. There was lingering concern over the wellbeing of her teammates, but the girl had seen what they were capable of. Her mind went back to the training exercise. [i]Collateral damage[/i]. There were people still there, still trying to escape certain death. Still praying that they could run far and away from the clockwork fiends that felt nothing as they trampled them like grass underfoot. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Far and away from the monster you are.[/color]'[/i] Siena was quiet as she examined the equipment, as she traced a finger over the hilt of the knife--[i]it was heftier than what she was used to[/i]--and considered her options. Firearms would likely be of little use against what they were up against, or...at least conventional ones. The knife would be equally useless without serious support from a name unless... ...well, that was a thought better left for the heat of battle. With a soft sigh, Siena unbuttoned her coat. Losing access to her pockets was absolutely out of the question...perhaps it was time to look into getting her hands on something less cumbersome than an e-reader for her abilities. Really, she doubted the utility of the Wishalloy in the position that support would be in, but it was better safe than sorry. If it even worked at all...but that wasn't what she was after. The knife, the baton, no pepperspray...her eyes drifted towards the firearms again. Not useful against the monsters, she told herself. Not useful against the monsters. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Unless that monster is just like you.[/color]'[/i] "[color=ff57ff]Stop [i]thinking[/i].[/color]" If only it were that easy. "[color 33ec06]How're you feeling?[/color]" Marcus said, giving Siena a little nudge with his elbow. Siena was one of the few people that he was legitimately worried about, and he didn't even know how she was taking the whole situation. A voice made her jump, her fingers immediately gripping the hilt of the blade. Had her mind been slower in reminding the girl of her company, no doubt she would have drawn it. A breath, her fingers relaxed as she turned to the source, the blade staying safely tucked into its place. "[color=ff57ff]O-Oh...Marcus...[/color]" Another breath and the tension dropped, grey eyes peering at her roommate. [i]'[color=ff57ff]Careful...[/color]'[/i] "[color=ff57ff]I um...I guess I'm a little worried...[/color]" Nervous, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. "[color=ff57ff]What about you? You're the one that has to worry about...well, other people...[/color]" "[color 33ec06]It's...yeah.[/color]" Marcus said, sighing a little bit. "[color 33ec06]Little tense, that's for sure.[/color]" he was understating that fact - there were people out there that would be counting on them - and there were people that they weren't going to be able to help. That was the part that was drowning his thoughts out the most. "[color 33ec06]Should be fine though; just keep my eyes open and pull people into the truck. Nothing to worry about![/color]" He followed this statement with a hesitant smile, eyes darting to the rest of the people in the room. "[color 33ec06]Any idea who you're gonna use?[/color]" he said, referencing her power. "[color=ff57ff]Yeah, between you and the others, I'm sure you'll all do the best you can.[/color]" A faint smile and a little distance between herself and the next question. "[color=ff57ff]I'm hoping I can get away with someone that can soak up the hits, but in the worst case scenario...[/color]" Here, Siena hesitated, a faint light of discomfort breaking past the mental barriers for a fraction of a second before she replaced the mask. Her problem, not his. "[color=ff57ff]Well, if it gets to that point, I'll have to fight fire with fire.[/color]" Or...well, a monster with a monster. "[color 33ec06]Just make sure we know which one is which: I don't want you running up on us and scaring the bejeezus out of me![/color]" he said, giving one last look over the gear in the box. He had everything he needed; adding to his belt would just weigh him down. [i]But what if there was some situation he wasn't prepared for?[/i]. "[color 33ec06]Get in a couple shots for me, too![/color]" This statement was met with another shaky grin, his optimism slowly starting to dwindle as he fretted about the mission. Uncertainty, and it wasn't her own. Countless thoughts came to mind, but the faint echo of sympathy quicky doubled over the rest of the sea. Certainly, it wasn't as though Marcus was going to be running into battle facefirst, but responsibility over lives that weren't one's own was always taxing. The thought plucked a chord of guilt out over the girl, but she tucked the turmoil away. There would be time enough for that later, when there wouldn't be adverse effects. Instead of returning the grin, she released a breath that had been coming too slowly and drew from experience. What was it that Maya did...? The memories were harder to conjure up properly. "[color=ff57ff]Marcus, you're going to do a good job out there.[/color]" A reassuring smile, a gentle hand on the shoulder to associate with the emotion she wanted to elicit. It wasn't quite as easy without a target in mind, without Maya telling her exactly how to behave and feeding her lines as she went. Her mind went on. [i]Pull hand away before changing tone. Good.[/i] Siena replaced the warmth with a--[i]not too much[/i]--halfhearted grin. "[color=ff57ff]But sure, if kicking a few monsters is what it takes to encourage you, I can do that too.[/color]" "[color 33ec06]That's all I ask![/color]" Marcus said. Siena's enthusiasm had at least given him a little bit of a jump, which was all he really needed at this point. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was a little too 'motherly' for his taste, but he wasn't going to tell his roommate to stop being so supportive. "[color 33ec06]You all geared up? Taking anything fun with you?[/color]" Not a great attempt at small-talk, but perhaps he could be excused in this one instance. "[color=ff57ff]U-Um...if a knife and baton are...fun...?[/color]" Giving a nervous laugh, the brunette found her fingers tangling themselves in her hair for a moment before she brushed the locks behind her shoulder. "[color=ff57ff]I don't really want to shoot one and then have the bullet ricochet into someone else. Magic armor or not, I don't want to shoot my teammates...[/color]" Marcus hummed to himself. He'd forgotten that he was one of the few people here who actually knew how to use a pistol - a skill that he figured should have been at the top of the training list, instead of push-ups and junk like that. It was a useful skill to have, and he imagined that the first fight could have gone way worse without it. Perhaps if the institution wasn't going to train them, he'd have to take up the mantle himself, if only so they could have another line of defense if things went wrong. "[color 33ec06]Tell you what! When we're done with this, I'll take you out and show you how to fire a pistol! Then you won't have to worry about accidentally shooting your teammates![/color]" "[color=ff57ff]That...actually might be a good idea,[/color]" Siena replied with a smile to mask the surge of uncomfortably familiar memories that came at the offer. Calloused hands and gruff words. [i]"[color=f7976a]Hm, guess we'll stick to knives 'ntil you get a little bigger.[/color]"[/i] She continued smiling through it, putting a faint sense of cheekiness into her next statement. "[color=ff57ff]I'll trade you lessons on not getting pushed into sewage for firearm training?[/color]" "[color 33ec06]I think I learned the one lesson from that experience: 'Don't let the opposing team fall directly on top of you because who knows what's gonna happen after that?'[/color]" Marcus said, shrugging and rolling his eyes at Siena. "[color 33ec06]But if you've got any other tips you'd like to impart, then I would be happy to hear them.[/color]" "[color=ff57ff]A good a lesson as any,[/color]" Siena shot back. "[color=ff57ff]But really, I can show you how to use a knife when we get back. In case you ever need it.[/color]" Adjusting her coat, the brunette checked her pockets by patting them down briefly, making sure that all her usual sources were in their proper place. Another smile that wasn't entirely there. [color=ff57ff]I guess we should head to the truck before we have to stand for three hours.[/color]"