[center][color=0076a3][h3][color=lightsteelblue]PERCY MOORE[/color] AND [color=olive]GRAHAM[/color][/h3][/color][b]MESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b][/center]
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[color=olive]"So I can test them for neural plug compatibility and see their value.”[/color]

Percy shot a look over to Graham, having a difficult time hiding the shock on his face. He did [i]not[/i] just say that. He must have misheard. He must have. Graham didn't just suggest that he was possibly going to put Ana or Vera into an NC. Unless he did. If he did, he wouldn't allow that over his dead body. Graham would have to put Percy down before he ever allowed that to happen. He covered his mouth in an attempt to keep himself quiet so the commander could continue answering Tahlia's question, but just as Graham finished his statement, he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. 

[color=lightsteelblue]"You're not putting my child in one of those things,"[/color] Percy's voice was calm, but it held the serious, almost scolding tone that fathers just [i]have[/i].

Graham looked sternly at the red-haired pilot. [color=olive]“Not at the moment, no. I am [i]testing[/i] her for compatibility. Are you deaf, Moore? I would assume not, since you were taking Sky's ridiculous advancements like a girl at her first dance. What's the issue?”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]"The fact you're even testing her for that is concerning me."[/color]

[color=olive]“It’s standard procedure; and by New Anchorage law she is old enough to make the decision.”[/color] Graham looked at Ana without considering Percy's feelings or thoughts on the matter. [color=olive]“Would you like to see if you have the ability to pilot a NC?”[/color]

Ana looked down to the floor, not sure if she should really speak or not. Percy had told her to not speak to him if she could help it. She opened her mouth to give a "maybe," but Percy spoke first, [color=lightsteelblue]"I don't care what the law says. She is my child. She is [i]not[/i] piloting an NC."[/color] The pilot's couldn't keep his tone of voice level or keep himself from getting louder at this point. The first thought to come to Percy's mind was that Graham was acting absolutely [i]insane[/i]; especially if he thought he was going to just sit and allow him to test on his kid. [b][i]Insane.[/i][/b]

Graham moved forward, closer to Percy's face. Percy wasn’t good at confrontation— his little spat with Sophia, Stein, and Jan were proof of this in the past and it was making him feel about the same as he had before. He felt his face getting hot, his throat tense as if breathing was something he couldn't do. [color=olive]“Then stop me. Run away. Just like you ran away from your wife's death.”[/color] The military commander, soldier, and NC pilot shot at the man with a toxicity to his words as he grabbed the collar of Percy's shirt. A few of the armed soldiers that accompanied Graham had stepped in to prevent any of the pilots from intervening during his little "lesson"; as if on instinct or some sort of mental command from their commanding officer.

Percy turned his head slightly to the left. He wanted to tear into Graham's [i]ass[/i] in that very moment, but he knew he couldn't. Not in front of Ana.. or any other person, really. Graham could probably tell Percy wanted to wring his neck, or punch him in his damned face, but the pilot didn't do either of those things, or anything else. He was shaking from both the adrenaline and the fear that he was about to get beat himself.

[color=olive]“That’s what I thought.”[/color] Graham replied at Percy’s non-reaction as he removed his grip from his collar with smoke blowing in the pilot's face before he pushed forward with a bit of force— sending Percy’s ass down to the bench behind him. [i]Did that just happen?![/i]

Ana had stood up just a moment before Graham shoved her father to the bench, shock on her face. Why would Graham bring up her mother like that? She looked at her father, then at Vera for a moment, like she was even able to do anything. She then looked Graham again, gaining the courage to [i]shout[/i] at him, [color=violet]"You can't bring up my mom like that!"[/color] 

Graham’s eyes looked to Ana— they were icy and [i]angry[/i], but he surprisngly did not strike her for her comment, despite his body language suggesting he may have very well been on the verge of doing such a thing.. In fact, her courage seemed to make the man visibly smirk before he looked to his pilots. [color=olive]“Heh, with that dealt with if you all could follow me to the hangar, that'd be [i]wonderful[/i].”[/color]

It didn't even take Percy a second to grab Ana and hold her close, covering her head with his hand before Graham could hit her. Even if Graham didn't plan to, it was his first instinct, and when it came to his child, he trusted it immediately. He then whispered to Ana, [color=lightsteelblue]"Go to the room and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me. Okay?"[/color]

Ana nodded, then sprinted out of the mess hall as fast as she was able, holding back tears of both fear and confusion for when she got into the room and locked the door. 


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This has [i]got [/i]to be the quickest I have ever been inspired to post.
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