[h3][I]Michael Sonnen[/I][/h3]

It was there now, an anger and resolved forged by fire. He saw then that there was no changing her mind. That was okay, he decided a split-moment afterwards. It wasn't his life or anyone he loved. Cramped in the tunnel was readied warriors, men and women whose armor left much to be desired but whose eyes spoke of hope, fear, and a cauldron-stew of other emotions. Among them all though it was their hope for [i]today[/i] that shone the most. Michael's breathing became even as he near-instinctively tried to calm himself. The situation was [i]awakening[/i] something

He hadn't noticed how tensed his fist were, how strong his veins were pushing against his scarred skin. Then... like the explosion from earlier, an inferno blazed in his hazel eyes. They were shaded by suddenly down-turned brows and a tightness was in his jaw. Those words were all he needed to hear to drive his nightmares of Galatec into a corner. A corner that was wrapped in a impregnable fortress, a defense unlike anything he could conjure. It wasn't hard to figure out why but not many had strayed towards the topic of his cousin.

The pickaxe in his hand was nearly forgotten until he felt the chafing of his skin against its wood. Michael loosened his grip on it before touching the old weapon in her hand. It had some of the same features of the newer model weapons; a barrel, a trigger, but it held a kind of style that simply fitted him, he thought awkwardly.  

He eyed it with curiosity, hefting the ax onto his powerful shoulder while doing so. 

He spoke next without looking up, [color=red][b]"An entire three-sixty at the mention of one word."[/b][/color] Because to him it was really only one that sparked him. "Cousin". That single word often invoked alien emotions in him. [color=red][b]"Either way, I'm on board but you'll have to show me how to use this,"[/b][/color] he told her finally.