While Percy was enjoying his time with his daughter and friend, he soon realized he should probably get back to base - he was probably going to get griped at if he didn’t show up at ALL that day. Just because he [i]should[/i] didn’t mean he [i]wanted[/i] to, though. He did after Zach assured him everything was gonna be fine and he should go and “kick some ass.” 

When the red-headed pilot arrived at the base, he gave a subtle wave to the guy that drove him there. Security cameras noticed him, and soon afterwards the facility’s intercoms, with Sophia’s voice, sent out a message; “Percy Moore, Elizabeth Jackspar, Joe Verona, report to the briefing room.”

Percy tried not to show how unenthused he was about that - he literally just walked in, after all. Then again, it was [i]his[/i] choice to just now arrive. He wondered briefly if he’d missed anything important at all, but the thought left as quick as it came as he walked to the briefing room. Just before he walked into the briefing room, he quickly got himself something to eat while he listened to Sophia drone on about who really cares what..

When he actually got into the briefing room, he soon realized Sophia wasn’t there. He was actually the only one in the room. This shocked Percy, because usually [i]he’s[/i] the late one. For kicks, he sat where Sophia would usually be if she wasn’t late - at the head of the table. It made him feel powerful, even if it was just for a couple seconds.

[color=8882be]”Yeah, it is pretty comfy isn’t it?”[/color],Sophia commented when she walked in. [color=8882be]”You’re really predictable, y’know that?”[/color]

Percy nearly screeched when he heard Sophia and he bolted up out of the chair, his face red in embarrassment. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice wouldn’t sound high-pitched as he asked, maybe a little too quickly, [color=d3d3d3]“W-whatd’you mean?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Of course you’d sit in [i]my[/i] chair, just to feel a little bit of power that you don’t deserve. Now get the fuck out of my chair. You can sit in it when you earn it.”[/color]

The pilot looked at his captain for a minute - this is twice now that she’s belittled him now. The first time it was.. excusable, at least, cause.. yeah, he was being a bit of a turd. All he did was sit in her chair this time.[color=d3d3d3]”What did I do to piss you off, exactly?”[/color] he asked, genuine curiosity (and maybe concern) in his voice.

[color=8882be]”It’s simple, really.”[/color]. Sophia reaches into her pocket and gets out a butterfly knife, of all things, before throwing it to Percy. Percy’s first reaction was to get out of the way, but when it landed on the table, he saw it was totally fine.

 [color=8882be]”Fucking stab me. Can you do it? Do you have that ‘killing intent’? You won’t survive without it.”[/color]

The redhead looked at her with a dumbstruck expression on his face. [color=d3d3d3]“What?”[/color] was all he could utter. He understood what she said, but he didn’t [i]get it[/i]. [color=d3d3d3]“A-are.. Hahahaa!”[/color] Percy laughed [color=d3d3d3]“You’re kidding, right? You’re joking?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”I don’t expect you to actually do it anyway. That’s what I’m angry about.”[/color] Sophia walked around the table and looked Percy in the eyes.. with disappointment. [color=8882be]”Good people like you never have that ability. You’re a decent man. I think you deserve better than this, but honestly? This stupid game was rigged from the start… It’s disgusting, really. Only the people who would do wrong with that ability have it...”[/color]

[color=8882be]”How are you supposed to live like this without that?”[/color]

Percy interjected before she could say much else, [color=d3d3d3]”Have you been drinking? Are you ok?”[/color] This is the first bit of compassion he’s actually [i]shown[/i] to one of the group. [color=d3d3d3]”Uh, sh-should I get someone so you don’t do something crazy?”[/color] The confusion in his voice almost nullified the concern in his words. Almost. He was only confused because she hadn’t shown this before. How was he supposed to react?

[color=8882be]”I’ll be fine. Now give me my knife back.”[/color]

Percy looked down at the knife he was toying with in his hands - not with any intent to USE it, of course, he was simply focusing his nervous energy into fidgeting. [color=d3d3d3]”You’re not gonna do anything crazy, right?”[/color] He looked at Sophia, not quite keen on handing it over yet. [color=d3d3d3]”Not gonna hurt yourself.. or me.. Or anyone, really..?”[/color] his lips turned into a nervous smile - it was definitely a fake, too.

With venom, Sophia commanded, [color=8882be]”That’s an [b]order[/b].”[/color]

Just cause it was an order didn’t mean he trusted her to not do something drastic, frankly. She came in looking frazzled and maybe a little insane. Why would he trust that kind of person with a knife? As Sophia continued to stare him down, he relented and gave her the knife back, tensing up just in case he had to get out of the way quickly - can never be too careful. He could easily pick up a folding chair and use it as some kind of shield if need be.

Sophia sighed and smiled at the knife, eyeing it like an old friend. [color=8882be]”Do you even know how to use one of these?”[/color]. Sophia, then, suddenly and very quickly stabbed it down into the table, before sitting down. One blink, it was in Sophia’s hands, second blink and it was solidly in the table.

Percy’s chest felt like it was stabbed, even though it was the table that had the knife in it. He stayed standing for a moment longer, uncertain if he really wanted to sit with this very obviously insane person. He decided he’d just not sit too close instead. All the way at the end closest to the escape route, to be precise.

[color=8882be]”..I can’t believe I still got it…”[/color]. Sophia smiled, looking at the knife intently. [color=8882be]”Meeting’s off.”[/color]. She then resumed her emotionless facade, before ripping the knife out and putting it back in a pocket. 

[color=d3d3d3]”What?”[/color] Again, Percy was absolutely baffled. [color=d3d3d3]”Wait. Wait a second-”[/color]

She wordlessly left the room.

Percy continued to sit there, trying to figure out what in the fuck just happened, and why he didn’t run out [i]screaming[/i] as soon as she started showing signs of absolute lunacy. Before he knew it, he saw something grey arc above his head and land on the table. The closed knife.

[i]That’s[/i] when he shrieked. He didn’t realize his screaming was for naught until he realized the blade wasn’t even out.

[color=8882be]”Keep it!”[/color] could be faintly heard.

[hr]

Sophia stalked through the hallways, and soon saw Elizabeth, walking to the briefing room. [color=8882be]”Hey,”[/color], she said bluntly, [color=8882be]”Meeting is off. Walk with me.”[/color]

Eli recoiled at that, but the captain passed by nonetheless. She cast a glance back towards the briefing room, had something happened with the new mission? What about Stein and Jan? What about their upcoming duties? All this she put aside, at least for now, to turn about and follow Sophia. 

[color=8882be]”So, how’s it been?”[/color], she strangely asked. [color=8882be]”All this was nice while it lasted, but you know how it is. Can you do something for me? My last few orders?”[/color]

[color=6ecff6] “[b]What[/b]”[/color] Eli stuttered in her steps, but was quick to catch back up. [color=6ecff6] “You’re leaving? You can’t leave. You can’t just abandon everything. What about New Anchorage?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Yeah, have some advice. As an NC pilot, you’ll hear lots of shit like that. ‘Whuhh, you can’t do that’. Fuck anybody who says that. Hell, me included, if I’ve said similar drivel.”[/color] The Captain sighed, [color=8882be]”I’m not doing this because I want to. My… ‘soul’ belongs anywhere but here. You’ll understand.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Mathew’ll pick up my slack. If you want, give ‘status updates’ on what happened with me recently to the other pilots. They deserve it.”[/color] 

Eli was dumbstruck. She knew the captain had been struggling, but for her to actually [b]act[/b] on the idea of deserting was beyond unexpected. Was there even a process to this? Could Sophia hope to just waltz out, take a truck and leave? Was she the captain still, until then? Orders were orders, of course, but this was different, surely that was obvious. 

With that in mind, she reached out and took Sophia by the arm. Eli had a firm grip, mirroring a corpse’s. [color=6ecff6]”This is wrong.”[/color] A weaker argument than she might have been hoping to build, but among her list of skills, ‘arguing’ really wasn’t among them. They had been ordered, [b]all[/b] of them, to protect New Anchorage, and so that was what they would do. That was right. 

[color=6ecff6]”If you do this, you’re the bad guy.”[/color] 

[color=8882be]”Yeah, I agree. I was never good anyway.”[/color]. Sophia then stopped, turned Eli around, and… hugged her. 
[color=8882be]”That’s why I’m leaving. I’m just going to screw you guys up if I stay. Bad people like me and good people like you and Percy… we’re never supposed to mix.”[/color] Sophia pat Eli on the back, before continuing her exit. 

Eli felt her grip loosen against her will, and stood like stone as the captain walked away. All the same she wasn’t finished, her face contorted in frustration, anger even. She straightened up, worked the air into her lungs, and shouted “stop” as loudly as she could. 

Or at least, that’s what the plan had been. Her mouth opened, sure, air even leaked from her core, but there were no words, no sounds loud enough to merit. Sophia left, and there’d be no further obstacles from Eli. 


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Cause I'm the one that posted, there's probably something that didn't get a color on my part. If I see it, I'll fix it. :P
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