[center]
[h1]RIP SAP[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/FWMorlL.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/XZCyPaz.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/jw3F1O9.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/rF32h3E.png[/img]
[h2][color 00a99d]Ernie[/color] | [color 33ec06]Marcus[/color] | [color=B0C4DE]Brent[/color] | [color=ff57ff]Siena[/color][/h2]
[sub]A Collab by [@Chasers115] [@ERode] and [@Papitan][/sub][/center]
[hr][center][color=silver]𝕋𝕦𝕖: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟙𝟛, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘   / /   𝕌𝕊𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕃ℕ 𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕥   / /   𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤   / /   𝟙𝟛𝟘𝟘[/color][/center][hr]

[hider=Surprise Attack]Ernie stuck his head around the corner, scanning every possible location until he was satisfied that the coast is clear. From behind the wall, he emerged, wielding formidable containers in both hands. In his left, a bulky first-aid kit, far too large for use on an active battlefield. In his right, a picnic basket. Both were gently placed in a location hidden from most angles as the Aberration pulled his phone out, accessing the Team SAP group chat.

[quote][color 00a99d]"Setting up now how long til bday girl comes"[/color][/quote]

It was a very difficult endeavor for Marcus to try and hide his texting from Siena, playing it off under the guise of texting Max. Still, he was worried that at any moment, she'd look over and the entire thing would be ruined. So, he'd tried to distract her with small talk everytime his phone buzzed.

"[color 33ec06]So where are we going again?[/color]" he asked, knowing full well where they were going.

[quote][color 33ec06]T-minus 5-10, do I need to distract?[/color][/quote]
[quote][color 00a99d]5-10 is perfet for me. Any idea where brent is tho?[/color][/quote]
[quote][color=B0C4DE]Late. Stall a bit longer.[/color][/quote]
[quote][color 00a99d]Looks like its up to yuo marco[/color][/quote]

Fortunately for Marcus, Siena was preoccupied with their plans for the day. The last thing she really wanted was for any serious injury, and while she doubted that would be the case with training knives, there was always the potential. Glancing at Marcus at his inquiry, the girl took a moment to process it. A small upturn of the corner of her lips indicated some attempt at a smile, though it wasn't really the warmest one she could muster. 

"[color=ff57ff]Training grounds. You're not having second thoughts about getting poked and jabbed, are you?[/color]" 

"[color 33ec06]It's entirely possible that I'm having [i]some[/i] second thoughts, yes.[/color]" Marcus said. [i]That[/i] part wasn't a stalling tactic; he was honestly a little bit worried about knife sparring, especially considering the Ernie had speared him through the leg with an arrow not that long ago. Who knew what he could do with a knife?

"[color 33ec06]Whoops. Hang on a second, my shoelace is untied.[/color]" he added, kneeling down to tie his laces [i]very slowly[/i]. Hopefully they didn't need too much time, because there were only so many ways he could draw this out.

"[color=ff57ff]You [i]really[/i] must be having second thoughts.[/color]" Siena glanced down at Marcus's oddly slow procedure of tying his shoe. "[color=ff57ff]I'm sure that they'll only stab you a [i]little bit[/i], but you don't have to come if you don't want to.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Nono, I do [i]want[/i] to come.[/color]" Marcus said sheepishly, finishing his knot. Apparently that one hadn't exactly been subtle enough. "[color 33ec06]I definitely need the training, or at least the practice. I'm just...not [i]super[/i] confident in the other two.[/color]"

For varying reasons.

"[color 33ec06]Do you think we should get more band-aids? I've got this whole box of Precursor ones back at the suite we can use...[/color]" he said, jerking his thumb back towards the dorms.

"[color=ff57ff]That sounds a little unsettling,[/color]" Siena replied with a faint chuckle. "[color=ff57ff]And I don't think having Benediction's face plastered over a cut will really make it heal any faster.[/color]"

Still, the girl slowed her pace to a stop, facing her roommate with a cautious smile. Not entirely happy, she reminded herself--something that did its best to remove malice. 

"[color=ff57ff]If it makes you feel more comfortable, I'm reasonably certain that I can keep any serious injuries from happening, and relatively confident that I can fix anything that needs immediate attention.[/color]" One way or another. The brunette let her lips twist upward into something closer to teasing as she rounded off the thought. "[color=ff57ff]Buuuut if having the Precursor band-aids makes you feel safer, we can always go get them.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Ech. Even if Bene did heal them faster, all I've got left are Kadabra. And he's got a weird bug-eye thing going on. It's super unsettling.[/color]" Marcus said, grimacing a little and shaking his head. 

The whole 'distraction' thing was starting to delve more into issues that he wasn't certainly he wanted to face. Would Siena being there make him feel [i]more[/i] comfortable...or [i]less[/i]? Somewhere in his mind, they were at the estate again; Siena calling into account how much he actually trusted her.

But this was a lot of introspection over some dumb bandaids.

"[color 33ec06]Can we? Just as a secondary Plan C? When you guys are all bleeding and I'm panicking?[/color]" Marcus said, attempting to sound as innocent as he physically could.

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, ye of little faith. I sincerely doubt [i]I'll[/i] be bleeding much,[/color]" the girl replied with a light tone, but she realized in the back of her head that she wasn't entirely sure how serious the statement was. "[color=ff57ff]But if you're that concerned, we can grab whatever you need from the dorm. The point is to make you feel more prepared, not like you've run through a battlefield.[/color]"
[hr]
It was a few moments later, and Marcus was sincerely hoping that his stall tactics had given Brent and Ernie enough time. There really wasn't much more he could do without arousing Siena's suspicion, and he was growing increasingly nervous as it appeared that neither of them were present. "[color 33ec06]Well...we're here![/color]" he said, trying not to allow his uneasiness to show through.

Overhead, a tall figure was watching the Arbiters approach the training ground. With practiced efficiency, he dived down to deliver the perfect sneak attack, a cord trailing from his feet.

[color 00a99d]"SURPRISE!"[/color] Ernie shouted into Siena's face, noticeably golden and upside down. It seemed that he was hanging by his feet, his rope suspended metres in the air.

Siena had a few possibilities in mind when they arrived and the training ground seemed to be empty.

What was effectively someone pulling a Spiderman maneuver and shouting in her face was [i]not[/i] one of those possibilities. 

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Whattheholymotherfuckshitwhatthefuck?![/color]'[/i]

Her body jerked back, her feet spacing themselves to better brace her, eyes widening in surprise as her mind tore through plausible reactions. Not enough time for her phone first, didn't have a source up and at the ready--[i]what the fuck[/i]--she'd have to hope that her own strength was enough. Every makeshift plan fired through her head in the blink of an eye, and she felt her arm draw up, fist made--[i]shouldn't have stepped back, that removed the option of using a knee or elbow effectively[/i]--prepared to drive forward in the moment of blind instinct. 

The spectacle was amazing, really! He wasn't sure what Ernie had up his sleeve, but the sudden bungee-jump dive surprise was a neat little show. Hell, he was in the middle of giving Ernie a round of applause when he saw Siena's stance shift. Despite all the past experiences he had, and the fact that he [i]absolutely[/i] should have expected this, he still didn't. This whole situation was more a point against [i]him[/i] for not warning Ernie than anything else.

"[color 33ec06]Woah woah woah![/color]" Marcus exclaimed in surprise, nearly leaping to grab Siena's hand before she could knock Ernie around like the pinata he resembled.

While Ernie was bungee jumping, Brent had been in position as well, silver circuitry racing down his forearms to overclock the party popper he had bought at the last minute. Fireworks had been a miss with Siena, but surely this wouldn't be as bad?

...no, he was totally doing this just to see what sort of reaction he got.

Wheeling around the corner after 'surprise' rang out, the arbiter pointed the popper at Ernie's suspended back, before letting it rip, a resounding 'FWEEEEEEEE' sounding before strings of colorful silk and glitter shot out with explosive force, saturating the immediate area with prismatic garbage that he had no intention of cleaning up. WIth a big fat grin, he leaned over to the side and called out (hopefully in unison to Rope Boi), [color=B0C4DE]"Happy birthday, 'ena!"[/color]

Too many things at once. Hand was caught on something, a [i]pop[/i] that should have made her flinch, strings of color showering down. Too many things going at once. Her heart thundered, blood pounding in her ears, and the need to reason out what she was doing shut down, replaced by a much stronger need to [i]survive[/i]. 

That was probably most unfortunate for the single person that had nothing to do with invoking the reaction. 

Fluidly, her feet pushed her away from the offending presences, closer to the one keeping her in place and hindering the very [i]real[/i] need to respond to a flight or fight impulse. Unfortunately for Marcus, he was in the way of the "flight" instinct, which only left one option. She dropped her weight, one foot rising to slam down into the nearest unfamiliar foot, a heightened sense of danger pushing her to twist slightly to allow easier access for her free elbow to swing into the space behind her with as much strength as panic could muster.

[i]'[color=ff57ff]Oh my god, that's his face?!![/color]'[/i]

Explosions, confetti. These guys really had everything planned out. It was a shame Siena had just tried to punch Ernie.

"[color 33ec06]Oh yeah, I should have mentioned, Siena's not good wi- [b]OWCH![/b][/color]" Marcus started his apology, cut off by Siena stomping on his foot. He looked down for a brief moment to see what it was that was actually crushing his toes, before shooting an angry look at Siena. A look that wouldn't been seen past her own elbow.

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, shi--![/color]"

[i]CRUNCH[/i].

Oh boy. [i]Crunch[/i] wasn't a good noise. Especially not when it was coming from his nose.

Marcus was vaguely aware of a pressure on his face, and a warmth. His thoughts were a little muddled by the ensuing concussion, a thousand little dialogues firing off at once.

Where had it all gone wrong? Why was his face so warm all of the sudden? Was he falling? Or was the ground rising? Was he on an elevator? That would explain things. Everything smelled funny. Man, his nose was really runny; hopefully someone brought a box of tissues. Rewind? That was silly - he wasn't even [i]watching[/i] a movie! Man, Siena looked [i]pissed[/i]. Who made her so mad? Why was there so much fog around? Was he doing a cartwheel? He couldn't cartwheel! Well, maybe he cou-

And then he crumpled to the floor. Like a five dollar sack of potatoes.[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Birthday Bashing]Eyes colored gold with the ability and name of her favored healer, Siena had chosen to remain faithful to the duty of fixing her roommate's face.

It was hard to believe that she'd managed, for the third time in a month, to hit the scarred boy directly in the face. With Marcus too far out of his wits to rewind the damage, Siena had found that profuse apology wasn't a viable option, and instead settled for fixing Marcus's very damaged nose. Without having to rely on a secondary ability to numb the pain, the brunette was able to at least deal with the worst of it with only a few pulls of the name--[i]odd that Skonos had lingered longer that time than she ever had before[/i]. Still, the bruise had been a signal of the unfortunate event.

Grimacing, Siena focused on trying to fix that too. 

"[color=ff57ff]I can't believe I hit him in the face [i]again[/i].[/color]" 

Who could have seen this tragedy coming? No one, that's who.

While Siena wrapped up her healing magic deal, Brent was busy mentally absolving himself of any sort of guilt that may have spawned from watching his scarred buddy do a cartwheel after being elbowed in the face by a scrawny white chick. Yup, this was clear indication that Marcus needed to start working out his face muscles. Maybe he'd be more receptive than Emma to a workout routine? The arbiter took a bit of a corndog. Yup, that'll be his birthday present, whenever the hell that was.

[color=B0C4DE]"No worries,"[/color] Brent said airily, [color=B0C4DE]"I'm sure we can all agree that this was just a misfortunate accident, 'ena. Get all the bad luck out of the way BEFORE we bring knives and swords into the mix, eh?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"That doesn't sound too bad,"[/color] Ernie chimed from a distance away. There was only about the third of the silk and streamers left to pick up, though he still hadn't thought up a way to clean up the glitter. Maybe there'd be a broom in Ground Zero... [color 00a99d]"Wait, did you say 'again'?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]I didn't hit him with my [i]elbow[/i] the other times...[/color]" As if that made any of it better. Siena grimaced at the memories. "[color=ff57ff]Though I still feel terrible about it.[/color]"

[color 00a99d]" 'Times'? With an 's'?!"[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Totes wild,"[/color] Brent said, chuckling, [color=B0C4DE]"'ena's basically got Terminator reflexes, ya know? First one I recall was back in DC, where Marcus popped out from between clothes and got a...right jab, was it?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]T-Terminator reflex--[i]that's not a good thing[/i].[/color]" The girl grimaced again, scolding herself slightly when she felt an uncanny tugging sensation in the back of her mind for letting her focus drift too far. "[color=ff57ff]I just...don't do well being startled.[/color]" 

[color 00a99d]"Yeah,"[/color] Ernie sighed, [color 00a99d]"that one's on me. Sorry, Siena."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"I'll keep that in mind for future hijinks too,"[/color] Brent replied, even if it was totally up in the air as to whether or not he'd continue to mine this little quirk for entertainment value, [color=B0C4DE]"And hey, it's not totally a bad thing. If a mugger leaps at you from the darkness, you'll be the one elbowing him in the face instead of screaming and doing nothing!"[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Uuuuurghl...[/color]" Marcus softly moaned, slowly opening his eyes. Blurriness slowly formed together to actually become the world, and Marcus squinted in confusion as his eyes attempted to focus on the closest object. It was...a person...small...female...

"[color 33ec06]Siena?[/color]" he muttered out loud, slowly sitting up. Why was he on the floor? He blinked a few times, trying to regain his bearings. Training Ground. They were in the Training Grounds. And....Ernie and Brent were here too. Things were starting to come back to him. Including what had actually [i]occurred[/i]. After only a few moments of blankly staring into space, he'd reestablished his surroundings and actions.

"[color 33ec06]Did...you punch me in the face? ...[i]Again[/i]?[/color]" He said, gingerly touching his nose.

"[color=ff57ff]I-I'm sorry...[/color]" And she [i]really[/i] was. "[color=ff57ff]Try not to move too much, I'm almost done fixing the damage.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]Why [i]me[/i]?[/color]"

"[color=ff57ff]Um...well...[/color]" Siena winced a little as she tried to reason out the most plausible explanation. "[color=ff57ff]If I had to venture a guess, I'd say probably because there was only one of you behind me to keep me from bolting?[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Sounds about right,"[/color] Brent added unhelpfully, [color=B0C4DE]"Between us gym bros, breaking past definitely wasn't an option."[/color] Ernie cackled heartily in the background.

"[color 33ec06]From now on, I'm wearing a goalie's mask around you.[/color]" Marcus said, the last of daze finally clearing as he shot an irritated look to both Brent and Ernie. Lots of help they were. Team SAP...more like Team...something else.

Maybe the daze wasn't completely cleared.

[color=B0C4DE]"On the topic of hockey masks and ice skates, seguing into blades,"[/color] the amethyst eyed arbiter spoke, [color=B0C4DE]"Let's get that cake up and out here, Ernie! Get a preview of 'ena's knife skills and all."[/color]

[color 00a99d]"Sounds good!"[/color]

Reaching into the picnic basket, Ernie pulled out his creation. The icing practice had gone well, many delicately piped flowers bordering the piece. A neatly written (and spelled) 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' sat at the top, as well as an unlit candle that read '17' in bold red lettering.

It was only an instant, but she knew that the mask had failed. A flicker of something between hurt and betrayal that was just as effectively overwritten by confusion. She couldn't deny that the cake looked immaculately prepared. She couldn't deny that part of her wanted to feel [i]good[/i] about the fact that they'd cared enough to put something together. 

A much larger part was utterly uncertain of how the information had gotten out to begin with.

"[color=ff57ff]H-how did you know it was my birthday?[/color]" 

[color 00a99d]"Uhhh,"[/color] Ernie frowned. That flicker of emotion hadn't been sustained enough to make him feel bad but, between this and the reaction to the friendly surprise, it certainly hadn't looked good. [color 00a99d]"The school gives out that information if you want it. And then Marcus confirmed so...I'm sorry, was that not okay?"[/color]

Before Marcus could even come up with an excuse, Ernie had thrown him under the bus. A painful and ill-advised facepalm was quickly turned into a '[i]my bad[/i]' face, as Marcus could nearly [i]predict[/i] the accusatory glare he was going to get from Siena.

[i]How?[/i] Her gaze slipped toward her roommate, still confused and uncertain, but she replaced the expression with a sheepish grin. Sort of. 

"[color=ff57ff]I-It's fine, I was um...[/color]" [i]Careful.[/i] "[color=ff57ff]Just trying not to make it a big deal or anything. I didn't really want to think too hard about it.[/color]"

Not entirely inaccurate, if not quite the truth either. 

[color 00a99d]"Right...sorry, man. If we knew birthdays weren't your thing we never would have shoved this on you."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Oh, no, I...think I'm flattered?[/color]" Nervously, Siena tugged at the end of a stray lock of hair. "[color=ff57ff]I've never really had anyone around that put this much effort into a birthday.[/color]"

Was that weird? She had a sinking suspicion that she should have kept that to herself. 

"[color=ff57ff]Maya just used it as a count to--[/color]" A moment of hesitation, and a helpless shrug to make the entire matter seem smaller. "[color=ff57ff]--to remind me that I had to be ready by this year to be properly shown off, I guess.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]That sucks.[/color]" Marcus muttered from his still-sitting position. Birthdays were supposed to be special, not just showcases for the model child. Another of a long list of things ruined by Siena's upbringing. A list which was starting to make Marcus bitter [i]for[/i] his fellow roommate.

"[color 33ec06]Well, hey! A proper birthday today! It's a celebration [i]of[/i] you, [i]for[/i] you, and to be enjoyed primarily [i]by[/i] you. And next time we'll try and remember not to do anything surprising. Even remotely.[/color]" he gave a chuckle with the last part, which was hopefully indicator enough that there were no hard feelings.

Uwah, things got heavy real fast. Though he had really just trusted that Ernie/Marcus's information was accurate, Brent hadn't actually considered how they knew to begin with. Still...

[color=B0C4DE]"Eyup, let's have some wholesome fun before we start stabbing at each other!"[/color] A zippo lighter spun into his hand, the lick of flame setting the candle ablaze. [color=B0C4DE]"Now, just like we rehearsed, guys!"[/color]

They didn't rehearse, but a birthday song as basic as this didn't need to be, right?

Rehearsed?

[i]'[color=ff57ff]What are they going t--oh. Uh...[/color]'[/i] They were singing, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Smile? Expect it? She settled for trying to grin through the entire performance. It didn't entirely work, she was certain. 

It was a learning experience, at least. An awkward, stumbling, learning experience that was made worse by the fact that she didn't know why, after their song, her training comrades were staring at her like they were expecting her to do something--it was not until an agonizing awkward silence had passed that someone decided to tell her to blow out the candle. Of course, that had gone badly when Ernie had innocuously asked if she'd made a wish--apparently a birthday tradition because when she had foolishly admitted that she had not, in fact, made a wish, the Aberration had Brent relight the candle. When all was said and done, Siena was fairly certain that the only thing she had done even remotely correctly was cut the cake, and that was only because [i]that[/i], at least, had been self-explanatory. 

...at least the cake was good.[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Knife Prep]Well, that was over...quickly? Yeah, Brent was happy enough that all the party festivities and eating was done. There were no happy birthday cards, only a set of cute dog (Tater Tot?) sweaters gifted to Siena from someone who wasn't even there, but he was happy that they could get a selfie of the birthday girl and the members of Team SAP, all awkwardly smiling in front of a half-demolished cake. Perhaps offering her the katana for cutting the cake wasn't the most brilliant idea? ...no, these were the memories that they'd keep with them when they grew gray and old. Totally worth it then.

Doing a few dynamic stretches to get his body warmed up and his blood flowing, Brent rotated his shoulders clockwise as he paced around.

[color=B0C4DE]"We ready to go in a bit for some fun, festive Birthday Stabbing Lessons?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"Should you be so pumped up to stab someone?"[/color] Ernie joked, clearing the paper plates, [color 00a99d]"People might get the wrong idea."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]I wouldn't count on it being 'fun' or anything...[/color]" Understatement of the century, really. "[color=ff57ff]It's not exactly as flashy as it is in popular media.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Good thing we're not popular then."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Speak for yourself, neeeerrrd.[/color]" Marcus said with a laugh, walking over to give Ernie his plate and playfully jabbing Brent with his elbow as he did.

[color 00a99d]"Oof. Better watch out or you're gonna get shoved in a locker, Brent."[/color] Ernie grinned along.

"[color=ff57ff]You're all incorrigible.[/color]" Siena gave a mock-sigh before drawing her phone, tapping the screen to life, glancing through her sources, flicking through the list until she came upon the ones she'd prepared specifically for their training session. "[color=ff57ff]All jokes aside, we [i]should[/i] get started if we want to get much practice in.[/color]" 

Speaking of which...

"[color=ff57ff]Other than Brent's...[i]katana[/i], I guess our equipment is limited to what I have...?[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]I brought band-aids![/color]" Marcus said, unhelpfully as always.

[color=B0C4DE]"Well,"[/color] Brent replied whilst lovingly carressing his probably-authentic katana, [color=B0C4DE]"We do have [i]those[/i] knives."[/color]

[color 00a99d]"I still can't believe you bought that thing,"[/color] Ernie chuckled. He wasn't sure why Siena made 'encourageable' sound like a bad thing so he moved past it, [color 00a99d]" 'Those'? Did how many did you bring, Siena?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]A few, but they're all a bit on the older side.[/color]" Older meaning 'outdated', but if it had a sharp edge, it would do. With a faint motion toward the sole bag she'd arrived with, the brunette didn't seem to be bothered by her own possession of legitimate weaponry. "[color=ff57ff]You're free to take whichever ones you want. It's not like Gerwulf was using them when I left.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Ladies first,"[/color] Brent gestured towards Marcus.

"[color 33ec06]Yeah? Well, age before beaut- wait. Dammit.[/color]" Marcus started, cutting himself off abruptly when he realized that phrase didn't work in his favor either. "[color 33ec06]I'll go. Not because you told me to.[/color]" he said, glaring at Brent as he pulled a random knife out of Siena's bag. Wasn't like there'd be much difference between them; a knife was a knife, after all.

Ernie moved to pick one out too, though he put more consideration into it and took a weapon that didn't look as worn. As he did, he shot Marcus a glance that read something along the lines of [color 00a99d]'Dude, why does your roommate have an [i]entire[/i] bag of knives?'[/color]. It didn't seem like a safe question to ask out loud, especially when said owner of the bag of knives was right in front of them.

Brent grabbed one as well. No real difference, really, and if he ACTUALLY had to tryhard, these knives were one overclock away from becoming quality combat blades anyways.

Something like butterflies landed in the pit of her stomach. Ah, somehow it felt odd, being the one teaching how to hold a knife. She pocketed her phone, flashed an apologetic smile, and was in action. 

Ths was how she'd first learned it too, wasn't it?

It wasn't in line with the usual, hesitant movements the girl took. Each step served a purpose in closing a short distance toward Ernie, each mechanical motion engrained so deep into memory that it was more reflex than thought as she grabbed for clothing with her off-hand--[i][color=f7976a]Guess off-hand's misleading for you[/color][/i]--her free hand moving in equal measure for what would have been a stabbing motion had there been an actual weapon in her hand.

Ernie, whose attention had unwisely been on the scuffs of the borrowed sheath instead of the stabbing instructor, let out a small yelp as he was dragged to Siena. Fuck, he hadn't even seen her move! His gaze moved warily to where the knife would have been.

Her movements stopped short, of course. Not as precise as Gerwulf's would have been, her hand several inches away rather than a hair's breadth. The Arbiter released her grip while stepping back, expression still apologetic. 

"[color=ff57ff]Case in point on the popular media thing. Nobody's going to announce they're coming at you with a knife for a challenge.[/color]" It had been significantly less pleasant when she'd first learned that lesson, and Maya had given Gerwulf an irate seminar about the entire ordeal. Siena wasn't certain whether that was a memory she enjoyed. "[color=ff57ff]Most of the time, if it comes down to it, you won't have time to draw your weapon.[/color]"

Ernie took a quick step back as soon as he was released, taking a nervous breath. [color 00a99d]"Alrighty. Lesson definitely learned."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]Glad you're the guinea pig, Erns![/color]" Marcus said, chuckling from what he believed was a safe distance away. 

[color=B0C4DE]"Zero to a hundred real fast, huh?"[/color] Brent remarked, still becoming accustomed to the weight of the knife itself. [color=B0C4DE]"So is the plan here that...technique doesn't matter if they get the jump on you?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]It's not a plan, just a point. Knives aren't exactly a tool for prolonging a fight,[/color]" Siena noted while glancing at the knife in Brent's hand. "[color=ff57ff]They're for [i]ending[/i] a fight, and the fact we have superpowers won't mean much if someone slits our throats before we can react.[/color]"

That sounded a little too serious, so she gave a helpless shrug, tried to bring herself a step away from Gerwulf.

"[color=ff57ff]At least, as far as the four of us go. Entirely different story for the durable ones.[/color]"

Ernie frowned. slightly bummed that he wasn't included in what Siena considered the 'durable ones'. Guess he still wasn't a Callan or Kusari or Sander.

[color 00a99d]"Gotta hit 'em hard and fast, or get hit yourself,"[/color] he nodded, saying out loud to absorb it properly. It was pretty much in line with Devon's philosophies and had worked well while it lasted.

Marcus hummed thoughtfully. 'Hard and fast' was pretty much [i]specifically[/i] what his power was all about, but being in a position where he actually had to fight wasn't really his forte, despite how often it seemed to be occurring. Perfect for either evacuating people quickly...or for lethal hit-and-run tactics. Something to think about, for sure.

[color=B0C4DE]"Hm...so with that line of thought...what [i]are[/i] you going to teach us, 'ena? We gonna go through the boot camp of hell to increase our awareness of our surroundings to thwart assassins?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Hardly. I'm going to show you how to use a knife.[/color]" That was what they'd agreed on, wasn't it? She shifted her weight slightly out of nerves moreso than anything else. "[color=ff57ff]That said, [i]I[/i] was only taught how to use a knife on...um...[/color]" The brunette grimaced. "[color=ff57ff]Things that work like people. So don't...don't count on the same theories working on things that are significantly less human-looking.[/color]"

But they'd faced off against subnaturals more often than abnormal creations at that point, and the idea of being [i]targeted[/i] was still fresh enough in her head. She kept that to herself. 

"[color=ff57ff]Anyways, for now we can focus on [i]where[/i] you should aim your knife and...I guess how to avoid getting stabbed if someone [i]does[/i] get the jump on you.[/color]" It occurred to the brunette that she probably wasn't being very encouraging for a first lesson. Again, she tried to correct herself. "[color=ff57ff]Though if it's any consolation, you'll all probably catch on how not to get stabbed a lot faster than I did?[/color]"

Ernie raised his hand as if it were an actual classroom, again looking over a vast part of Siena's words. 

[color 00a99d][i]What the fuck does learning 'how not to get stabbed' mean?![/i][/color]

[color 00a99d]"For the aiming thing, are we going for lethal and...non-lethal?"[/color] He reined his confusion in for now. [color 00a99d]"Like, are we gonna learn how to just disable people with sharp stuff?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Non-lethal, primarily. I don't really think I like the idea of teaching you guys how to actually [i]kill[/i] a person.[/color]" 

Marcus remained [i]very[/i] quiet for that statement, finding extreme interest in the design on the knife sheath instead. Ernie couldn't help but have his gaze flicker in the scarred Arbiter's direction but otherwise responded with a simple, [color 00a99d]"Cool, thanks."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Would imagine that it'd be pretty simple how to move onto killing someone after disarming them anyways,"[/color] Brent shrugged, either not noticing or not caring about Marcus's sudden silence. [color=B0C4DE]"But cool, we gonna be pairing off? Or are we going to be imagining peeps for this exercise?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Let's work on demonstrations before we get to stabbing each other.[/color]"[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Opportunity]Siena had been mostly right. [i]Mostly[/i]. Her trio of students did pick up [i]not getting stabbed[/i] faster than she had, though she wasn't entirely certain whether that was a matter of their ability or her lack of it. The girl had decided that it wasn't worth the anxiety to keep thinking on it, and certainly not worth the potential injury that a distracted mind would result in. Demonstrations had been easy enough with the use of an illusionist's abilities, particularly when demonstrating how to actually [i]stab[/i] an opponent. 

Allowing herself to be cut by an illusory knife for the sake of "teaching" was also much less painful than getting hit by a solid one, sheathed or otherwise. 

It was unfortunate, of course, that illusions weren't ideal for practice with actual impact, and her ability to solidify them was...not nearly enough for their purposes, but that was where the benefit of having partners came from...right? They were all about the same level, right?

[color 00a99d]"Cool. Cool, cool,"[/color] Ernie said mostly to himself as he faced his training partner. He hadn't thought this part of the session through. Obviously they'd have to face off together at some point but...man, he really didn't want to straight up shank any of them. Luckily Siena had said it was okay to leave the sheaths on. He observed the stance she'd used and imitated it well.

[color 00a99d]"So do we count down from three then jump each other?"[/color] he asked his partner and official instructor.

"[color=ff57ff]We'll start slow. I'll try to attack, and you counter. Remember, a few scrapes with the sheath when you counter is fine--nobody really ever gets out of an encounter with a knife without a few cuts.[/color]" Even if one of the two had virtually no training with a knife. "[color=ff57ff]No countdowns though--kind of counterintuitive to lesson one if we do that.[/color]" 

Reminding herself to start at a reasonable pace, Siena gave herself a moment before starting her movements once more. [i][color=f7976a]Your typical knife attack will have one hand trying to immobilize so the knife has easier access.[/color][/i] She imitated the motions she remembered in her head, one hand prepared to immobilize Ernie's knife hand, the other keeping the sheathed blade brandished without being too overt. Not as neat as her instructor, but it would pass.

[color 00a99d]"Yeah, I think I'll take a pass on the cuts,"[/color] Ernie summoned his glow, [color 00a99d]"But--yah!"[/color]

Luckily, he'd been paying attention to Siena this time. He saw the knife whip towards him, as well as the free hand. Right, don't let yourself get pinned. But heck, he only had one knife. What was he supposed to do with that free hand while he was trying not to get snatched?

No more thinking time. It was a sloppy action. The Aberration's knife swiped at Siena's empty hand while the other hand blindly aimed to grab the knife hand by the wrist.

Not quite what she'd expected. 

The sheathed knife slid across Siena's palm, and the girl mentally commanded it to flinch back like it would have, had the blade been brandished to bite into her skin. Her attention, however, was on her knife, watching as Ernie seemed to forget, for a brief moment, that it wasn't entirely wise to try and stop a hand with a knife in it at a small target. Without breaking her rhythm, Siena simply changed her trajectory, "injured" hand back in play, grasping for the now-exposed elbow to gain control over the opposing weapon, her own weapon hand suddenly jerking out of its original pathway, now aimed for a higher target.

Slashing at the empty hand had done nothing but expose the arm wielding the knife. Butts. That was his own fault for going for such a half-assed approach. This time Ernie concentrated on the groping hand. Seeing the knife go high, he went low, trying to grab at the free hand to yank her off balance and strike her in the torso then.

Better.

Siena could see the movements, where they would lead, and knew she had a counter for them filed away in the back of her head. 

She didn't do more than adjust her steps to barely keep her from staggering into the strike entirely, muscles tensed to both brace and maintain her position. 

"[color=ff57ff]Little slow on the start, but not bad on the follow up.[/color]" She glanced down at the point of impact. "[color=ff57ff]Though you should aim lower if you can. No ribs to hit down here.[/color]"

'Little slow' seemed like an understatement but Ernie was pleased with the comments nonetheless. Easiest way to learn was from your mistakes.

[color 00a99d]"Okay, thank you!"[/color] Ernie chimed and got back into position, [color 00a99d]"Go again?"[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Alright, I'm going to go a little faster this time.[/color]" The brunette quickly calculated her next move. "[color=ff57ff]I guess we should work out dealing with powers after you get the hang of this.[/color]"

Ernie's face darkened as he recalled the Amigos. [color 00a99d]"Yeah, that sounds really important."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Like you wouldn't believe.[/color]" Siena muttered under her breath. Readjusting her stance, the brunette calculated another plan of attack. "[color=ff57ff]Hope you don't mind if I check on the other two for a second after this.[/color]"

And without so much as taking a breath, the girl lunged again.[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Marcus and Brent Stab Each Other Dead]
After unsheathing the knife, the first thing Brent did was close his fist over the bladed edge, first gently, and then firmly.

No cut. Cool. Released.

[color=B0C4DE]"Ready to go?"[/color] he asked, amethyst eyes turning to Emma's boyfriend, [color=B0C4DE]"Or should we do some dynamic stretches first?"[/color]

Marcus was [i]slightly[/i] nervous to be paired up with Brent. From what he'd seen so far, he wasn't exactly sure if Brent had a limit on anything he did. Case in point, the subtle sound of a knife sheath rubbing against metal. A sound that immediately caused Marcus to whip his attention around to his 'partner'. 

"[color 33ec06]Wh-? Are you sure that's a good idea?[/color]" Marcus started, significantly more nervous now that Brent was wielding an unsheathed knife. 

[color=B0C4DE]"Eh?"[/color] Amethyst eyes flickered over to Siena manhandling Ernie, both of their blades sheathed. Hm... [color=B0C4DE]"Right, sure. Of course."[/color]

Brent made a show of sheathing the knife again. [color=B0C4DE]"Thought it'd make more sense to train with real edges, yah know? Fight the fear."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]I-I mean...[/color]" What was he [i]doing[/i]? There was absolutely no reason to try and save face around Brent; even less if he was trying to seem like he [i]wasn't[/i] up to the challenge. [i]Why on Earth[/i] was he still talking then?

"[color 33ec06]I'm just worried about you, man. I can rewind if you shank me...I just don't want [i]you[/i] to bleed out if something goes horribly wrong.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Oh, thanks man,"[/color] the arbiter replied airily, [color=B0C4DE]"I guess, out of concern for me, you can keep your blade sheathed, while out of concern for you, I can unsheath the knife?"[/color]

"[color 33ec06]That seems like the opposite of 'concern'.[/color]" Marcus said, unsure whether he should take that as a joke or not.

[color=B0C4DE]"Concern for your growth as a world class knife fighter?"[/color]

"[color 33ec06]You know what? Let's stick with sheathed. Maybe try for 'completely intact' knife fighter first, work our way up to 'world class' some other day.[/color]"

[color=B0C4DE]"Sure, s-"[/color]

Brent dropped low, legs coiling before bursting forward. The distance wasn't crossed in any god-like speed, but the footwork from kickboxing still helped, his arms naturally adopting a position where his chest and face were protected. Without hestitation, now that both knives were sheathed and 'harmless', he swung out once with his knifehand at Marcus, a horizontal slice to the chest.

Baby steps, after all.

Brent's attempt to surprise Marcus worked flawlessly, as the scarred arbiter nearly didn't register Brent's approach until he was almost on top of him. Although his reflexes were only average, his survival instict was a prime motivator in situations like these. He took an awkward half-jump backwards, bending forward to try and pull his torso-area out of harm's way.

Backwards kept it simple. First swipe evaded, Brent continued his forward momentum, this time readjusting to a thrust aimed dead center.

With Marcus still on the defensive, he attempted to roll his body to the left, bringing his left arm across to try and deflect Brent's arm to the best of his ability. Were he more strategically oriented, this may have been a good opportunity for a counter-stab. Alas, he was not, still in the midst of just trying his hardest not to get shanked.

Deflection. Left side. Brent didn't force his arm to continue the course, instead flipping the knife into ice pick grip, a sideways thrust to Marcus's side while his free hand reached out for the scarred boy's face.

He had read somewhere that people instinctively prioritized their face over other parts of their body. Time to test.

Things were starting to get dicey for Marcus, as all he could was try and [i]keep up[/i]. He brought his right hand up, attempting to block or otherwise deflect Brent's attack at the wrist, leading with his sheathed blade. It was clumsy and off center though, as he'd also attempted to bring his left elbow up to stop whatever Brent was about to try and do to his face, more out of sudden panic than anything else.

Damn, that actually wasn't bad. Brent had hoped that a hand in his face would make the scarred arbiter forget about the knife rushing for his ribs, but both were dealt with. Props to the dude for that. But he had forgotten to move at that point, and as the palm met the elbow, Brent set his right foot down onto Marcus's, braced his core, and, hand grasping onto that elbow that was so close to Marcus's face, [i]pushed.[/i]

Christ, Brent was really going all out here. Marcus let out a small, pained breath as Brent's foot stomped down on his own. He felt the shift in weight, felt the [i]intent[/i] at least. There was probably no way he could win a shoving contest against the muscular build of his opponent, so there was really no point in trying to shove back. Instead, Marcus brought his left arm further across, trying to latch onto whatever he could grab of Brent; his [i]intent[/i] on grabbing the same wrist he'd just blocked.

As Marcus's hand wrapped around Brent's free hand, the well built arbiter clenched his fist in anticipation. They were toppling over, combined weight bringing each other down, but when it came down to it, he'd be the one on the top. No worry there then. What he needed was...

In that moment, Brent sucked in a breath and shouted as loudly and sharply as he could, splaying open his fingers and twisting his wrist out of Marcus's grasp. A shout to grab attention, a wild motion to present a threat, and then his right hand, wielding the knife, was in motion, pressing towards his sparring partner's stomach.

"[color 33ec06]GAH![/color]" Marcus shouted in surprise. Brent was yelling and flailing; shit, he hadn't accidentally caught him with something? His knife was still sheathed, right? Then why was-?

And then the thick sheath pressed itself into Marcus's flabby ;-;stomach.

[color=B0C4DE]"There we go,"[/color] the amethyst eyed youth said, taking a step back. [color=B0C4DE]"Felt like we barely did any actual knife fighting tho, ye?"[/color]

The sensation of something hard pressing against his body told Marcus that the sparring had ended. He took a few moments to regain himself, huffing slightly at the excurision; it had happened very quickly, pretty much exactly as Siena had demonstrated previously. In his head, he made a note to never get into a knife fight with Brent, the cheating bastard.

"[color 33ec06]Maybe to [i]you[/i] it did. I was fighting for my life there![/color]" Marcus said, chuckling slightly.

[color=B0C4DE]"Running for your life, maybe,"[/color] Brent grinned, slapping him on the back. [color=B0C4DE]"But hey, you managed to deal with some pretty tricky stuff, dude. Ever take martial arts?"[/color]

Marcus grinned. "[color 33ec06]I'd barely ever been in a [i]fight[/i] up until we got drafted into USARILN. Guess it's just au natural.[/color]" He attempted to look smug as he said this and nonchalantly twirled the knife in his hand, but it was stymied slightly by him immediately dropping and quickly recovering it.

[color=B0C4DE]"Smooth as a true master of the blade,"[/color] he grinned, [color=B0C4DE]"Better work on your footwork though. Siena's probably got tips for you on that, but generally, most people can move faster forward than backwards. So don't backpedal too much or you'll just get run over."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]You haven't seen me moving backwards that much, have you? Believe me, I am a [i]master[/i] at backpedaling.[/color]" Marcus said, chuckling.

[color=B0C4DE]"Both blademaster and backpedal master?"[/color] Brent took a couple more steps back, before readying himself once more. [color=B0C4DE]"Alright, let's see if your masteries get you anywhere in round two!"[/color][/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Opened Wounds (The Important Part)]It had been a moderately successful training session, Siena had to admit. It was nowhere near a level that she would have felt comfortable sending the trio into a fight with, but they'd at least managed to understand how to incapcitate a regular human and [i]try[/i] to account for the potential of powers. Of course, the concept had largely been the same--attack before a target could realize what was happening if possible. If not, observe for possible limitations. If even that failed, then a knife wasn't going to make any difference in the end. She'd run a few drills, utilizing weaker abilities in her arsenal to act as a "random" subnatural, and it had gone...[i]relatively[/i] well. As expected, there had been a few issues, but it was to be expected. Ernie, for one, took a little longer to grasp new concepts--the easiest to solve with a little extra time and attention. With enough practice, Siena was certain that the Aberration would be able to hold his own. 

It was almost unfortunate that Ernie was the only one with an easy "fix" available.

Marcus's tendency to panic was difficult to work with, though Siena couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief at that. She'd been surprised as it was that her roommate had stuck around for the training portion of the ordeal...but it was at least some minor comfort that the blonde didn't make hurting and killing a priority. Siena wasn't entirely certain she wanted to change that.

Then, of course, there had been Brent. Aggressive, which wasn't unexpected, but outside of a few minor advantages it maintained in a controlled situation...

[i]Broken in the storm again. He could have died.[/i]

It wasn't ideal.

But Siena had little choice but to file her observations away so she could focus on first-aid lessons, which had been a weight off her shoulders. It was easier for her not to be the instructor, always easier to listen to them than anything else. Unfortunately, keeping the thoughts comparmentalized was significantly [i]less[/i] simple when they had settled into the cafeteria after their training had concluded. Once again, the brunette had taken to pushing her meal around on her plate moreso than actually eating it, mind too preoccupied with "next times" and "what ifs" to remember she needed to actually [i]eat[/i] her food.

Meanwhile, Ernie had the contents of his first aid kit splayed out over the table, murmuring to himself as he counted through it all. Normally he'd be annoyed if he knew most of his supplies were going to be wasted on fake Ground Zero people but today was an important demonstration. Hopefully future missions would be more successful and less deadly because of sessions like these. He'd been worried about teaching a full class of Arbiters, the potential squeamishness that would have come from those who didn't benefit from others' suffering, but they'd actually managed to push through it and learn a lot!

[color 00a99d]"Man, I didn't think we'd go through so much of it today,"[/color] he remarked, [color 00a99d]"I'm gonna have to run into town to stock up tomorrow."[/color]

"[color 33ec06]I didn't realize you were going to go through it at all. Figured it would be more 'theoretical' than you made it.[/color]" Marcus said, attempting to hide his grimace with a fake laugh. Some of the things Ernie had done at Ground Zero didn't exactly sit with him that well. Even if they [i]were[/i] fake people, everything that happened to them was [i]real[/i]. The screaming, the crying, the fear...especially the sound...euuugh. Bones crunching was not a noise he was comfortable with, and screaming...

...well, he didn't care for the screaming either.

Needless to say, he hadn't touched much of his plate while they'd been at the cafeteria.

While Marcus went green and Ernie worried about stocking up his kit, Brent mumbled to himself, eyes out of focus as he saw a different scene before him. In his mind, the arbiter continued to replay the surprisingly bountiful amount of knowledge Ernie had disseminated towards the three, visualizing each gruesome injury and the makeshift solutions for them all. Cuts, breaks, burns, bullets. Hopefully the knowledge would help. Hopefully it'd be more useful than applying knife fighting techniques against a monster. He palmed the bullets he kept in his pockets, cool to the touch, as his gaze turned skywards. No whumpf whumpf, no dragon roars, but still...

[color=B0C4DE]"Medical aid is a physical skill,"[/color] Brent said with a shrug, [color=B0C4DE]"Not gonna learn if you don't apply it practically."[/color]

Well, as someone who regularly went to Ground Zero for his own training, it wasn't like he cared all that much for those thoughtless drones.

"[color=ff57ff]Most training works better with application over theory,[/color]" Siena claimed absentmindedly, mind still turning over what they'd gone over. She'd done her best, of course, to mitigate and remove pain where she could, but it wasn't an ability she could hold infinitely. Besides which, they wouldn't [i]always[/i] be in a situation where tearing the sensation away was an option. Her fork scraped lightly against the surface of her plate, a dim thought in the back of her head. [i]Would the people of Ground Zero count?[/i] She imagined crimson welling up on their skin, light that rose like wisps of smoke, then imagined--ah, no. Not then. "[color=ff57ff]Better to practice on people that will get better regardless of the end result than on each other though. I would hate to have my first practical on one of you.[/color]"

Ernie nodded vigorously, finally snapping the clasps of the kit shut to start on his dinner. [color 00a99d]"Yeah, what those guys said. It won't be any prettier in a real fight, though maybe throwing the newbie soldiers into the deep end was a mean thing to do..."[/color] Not that he was very sorry for it. It was only Marcus after all. Siena and Brent had dealt with it a lot better.

"[color 33ec06]Yeah...no...obviously.[/color]" Marcus said, shrugging his shoulders. "[color 33ec06]It just makes me glad that we've usually got Lily or Christmas around. The wonders of modern medicine, you know?[/color]" he added, trying to play it off. It was certainly a beneficial lesson to learn, but that didn't really make him more comfortable in the aftermath.

[color=B0C4DE]"Pretty awk that we have to cut open Christmas for him to work his magic though,"[/color] Brent replied, [color=B0C4DE]"Or have Lily open up her own body during transfers. If only Bene-bro could be our main healer. Not like they don't already have free invincibility in the form of Sparrow."[/color]

Ernie swallowed a forkful of pasta, his expression more stern than usual.

[color 00a99d]"Lily's off the table for easy heals, since it takes too long to convince her to use Kusari. Tulpas are off limits now too. Christmas can't be trusted to navigate the battlefield and his magical tell is too easy to find. Makes him easy to snatch."[/color]

'Stern' might have been an understatement. 'Calculating', perhaps. Disdainful.

[color 00a99d]"All the more important that we have more people who can 'heal' in the future. There's a good chance that the main two won't always get to our fighters in time to get them back in fighting shape, or even keep them conscious. Take how long it took for us to set up Lily on the island, for example."[/color]

Another forkful. Dark, hazel eyes trained on the table.

[color 00a99d]"But Wisford might be the better example here. That was a fucking shitshow."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Shitshow, sure, but it was also our first proper operation. Did well until gargoyle girl came out from the van and fucked everything up."[/color]

A pause, linger regret that had long been resolved.

[color=B0C4DE]"Coulda gotten at least one of them if she didn't body block."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]She...came out from the van?[/color]"

[color 00a99d]"The gargoyle abe that..."[/color] Ernie turned to Marcus. The man in the van himself. The Aberration looked more confused than anything else.

Marcus paled. Perfectly planned. It was almost as if Brent had perfectly planned the whole day around this. The mention of Wisford had brought up the first set of walls he'd hoped nobody would notice, but the outright accusation that Brent had delivered had knocked every single one of them down. His eyes nervously flicked between every single one of them sitting at the table - they weren't the friends he'd been sitting with just a second ago. Now, they seemed like predators, watching his every move. Ready to tear a confession from him.

"[color 33ec06]I...[/color]" Nothing came out. He had no explanation.

[color=B0C4DE]"Yeah,"[/color] Brent said, attention on the ones that actually spoke up, [color=B0C4DE]"I had three shots lined up for those three abes. Dunno how the gargoyle got in to begin with, but I think that surprise element was what really made things spiral out of control. Factory fight by itself was not totally horrible, right?"[/color]

Not horrible? Was that how they considered the fight against Factory? 

[i][color=ff57ff]Focus.[/color][/i]

Her gaze shifted from one person to another. Brent didn't know how, sure, but he hadn't been in charge of the evacuation. Grey eyes fell onto the scarred Arbiter for a long moment as Siena searched for the correct words. She never found them.

"[color=ff57ff]How?[/color]"

The armor piercing question. A question Marcus had only had to answer once before. 

"[color 33ec06]I don't-[/color]" the words caught in his throat, coming out as breathy whispers. 

"[color 33ec06]I don't know.[/color]"

[color 00a99d]"What do you mean, you 'don't know'?"[/color] Ernie stared at him, hard. [color 00a99d]"The APC was your job, wasn't it?"[/color]

A pause.

[color 00a99d]"Don't look so nervous, Marc."[/color] Ernie added. He didn't think it was malicious.

"[color 33ec06]I mean...I mean '[i]I don't know[/i]'.[/color]" Marcus repeated, desperately trying to stammer out his explanation without it faltering. "[color 33ec06]One second there was nothing, and then she was there. She-she...must've been teleported in or something.[/color]" That made sense, nobody knew the extent of other people's powers. It was the second bet explanation he could come up with, and he'd been struggling to come up with excuses for a while now.

[i][color 33ec06]Liar.[/color][/i]

[i][color=ff57ff]Why...?[/color][/i]

"[color=ff57ff]You're terrible at lying, Marcus.[/color]" The words came before she could stop them, and Siena didn't even have the sense of mind to mask the turmoil. Hurt. That was the word. Hurt. Her gaze turned away briefly. Too many thoughts. [i]Why did he need to lie?[/i] Hypocritical, really, considering how often she did it herself, but the emotional response was too immediate. "[color=ff57ff]So please, just...answer the question.[/color]"

"[color 33ec06]I'm not-[/color]" Marcus started defensively. Her eyes were turned away from him. Of all the people that could call him out of a lie, she was the best. "[color 33ec06]They...they were coordinated. Knew where the APC was. She...wasn't there...and then...everything...[/color]"

Marcus wasn't dumb enough to let something like a '[i]gargoyle[/i]' onto the APC. Ernie knew that. But the Arbiter was acting like a really shitty liar all of a sudden.

[color 00a99d]"Wait, so did she teleport in or not?"[/color] Ernie looked between Siena and Marcus, hoping for a straight answer.

He was still lying, wasn't he? Siena struggled to control the immediate backlash.

"[color=ff57ff]People [i]died[/i] in that incident, Marcus.[/color]" Ah, too late. "[color=ff57ff]So just. [i]Answer. The question.[/i][/color]"

A silence.

[color 00a99d]"Cal...blames herself,"[/color] Ernie said quietly, a darker emotion starting to bleed into his words with every passing realisation, [color 00a99d]"Hell, [i]Emma[/i] blames herself."[/color]

The Aberration looked to Marcus desperately. Heatedly.

[color 00a99d]"Dude, just...there's no reason to look like that. Can you just tell us what's going on?"[/color]

People died. The girls had been blaming themselves for far too long now. Marcus had done nothing to try and fix that; the only way to fix it would inevitably make things worse. That was what he'd come to accept, and the entire train of thought that had been driving him this whole time. Even when Brent had questioned him, he figured that if nobody knew what actually happened, he could keep trying to do damage control. He'd tried to help Callan in the hospital. He'd tried to help Emma when she was at one of her worst moments. He had desperately hoped that everything he'd done would [i]help[/i]. That's what he was there to do, right? Help the team when they were feeling down.

But it hadn't worked. Everything was all coming to one explosive finale, and he was stuck right in the middle.

Only thing he could do now was face the music. 

"[color 33ec06]It was an accident...[/color]" he started. That wasn't enough. It would never be enough. "[color 33ec06]There was a collector...and I had to make sure everyone was okay.[/color]" Get to it already. There would be no sympathy here. "[color 33ec06]I didn't...check. And she got through.[/color]"

An accident. [i]Not his fault.[/i] Siena likely would have done the same, and she knew it, but it didn't calm her down. She took a carefully measured breath, trying to calm down, and succeeding in the barest amount. Another breath. [i]Try.[/i]

"[color=ff57ff]Nobody expected you to manage that perfectly.[/color]" Well, that was a lie. Not his fault. "[color=ff57ff]Were you ever going to tell them?[/color]"

Marcus sighed, looking to the ground. [i]That[/i] was really the kicker here, wasn't it? The fact that he knew what happened, and had let Callan and Emma sit and stew. That was more damning than anything.

"[color 33ec06]I tried...I tried to at least let them knew it wasn't their fault. Tried to tell Callan that there was nothing she could have done. Tried to let Emma know, too...[/color]" 

He played around with his food some more, daring not to look up. He knew what he'd find in their eyes.

[color 00a99d]"You didn't try hard enough,"[/color] Ernie's glare was directed to his own plate. He didn't have the heart to look up, [color 00a99d]"You didn't try at all."[/color]

While the admission beat on his head with the full force of its many implications, Ernie merely rested his head in his hand. Tired. He was tired of being disappointed by this guy. Anger had passed during their talk on the island. Marcus wasn't worth such a heated emotion anyway, and Ernie doubted he could reignite it when his Stigma had flickered out to almost nothing. It had been a long time since he'd seen anyone besides himself do such a selfish and pathetic thing. Such a dumb mistake snowballing into something unforgivable.

[color 00a99d]"I had to watch them cry. Both of them."[/color] Ernie chuckled bitterly into his hand. [color 00a99d]"I couldn't say a damn thing to make it better."[/color]

That was an image he'd never be able to erase. Callan in his room, trying to hold back tears. Failing to keep that revelation from overwhelming her. All because of Marcus. Ernie hated that memory. He [i]despised[/i] it with his entire being.

It was a fact he'd acknowledged long ago. Marcus was likable. Marcus wasn't a scumbag that acted out whenever he was in a bad mood. Marcus would always be closer to Cal in a way Ernie could never breach. Same for Emma. So if Ernie, some weirdass new kid that sat with them at lunch, had seen both their weakest emotional moments, what the fuck had Marcus seen?

Resigned hazel eyes turned to the Arbiter. Tired. For now, he was unaware of the hypocrisy of his words. [color 00a99d]"It takes some special guts to see someone hurting, someone you're supposed to [i]care[/i] about, and just sit there doing nothing."[/color]

The Aberration sighed, hands returning to their place over his eyes. He asked it as if he was asking about last night's game.

[color 00a99d]"Did you have a nice month at least? Being in the clear while your friends tore themselves apart?"[/color]

[i]Couldn't say a damn thing to make it better.[/i]

"[color 33ec06]Yeah. Me neither.[/color]" Marcus said, softly enough that it might not even be heard. This last month, there had been a part of him that wondered how things would work out if he [i]had[/i] said something. Would it have even mattered? Callan would still blame herself for actually tackling the gargoyle, and Emma would still blame herself for not being able to help. The [i]only[/i] thing it would have done was come around to hurt him. 

Hell, it might have been [i]worse[/i] for them if they knew. At least, that was a line of justification he'd tried to sell to himself at one point.

"[color 33ec06]I would hardly call it 'being in the clear.'[/color]" Marcus said bitterly, looking to Ernie. There was an emotion that burned in his eyes, a queer mixture of sadness and an almost resigned anger. "[color 33ec06]I've been [i]there[/i] while every single one of them tore themselves apart. Right next to them. Trying to make it better. Every. Single. One.[/color]" 

Chestnut eyes focused on Ernie. He'd never be able to stop him. He wouldn't put a friend down like an animal.

They flicked to Siena. A promise he would never keep.

"[color=ff57ff]You're so full of shit.[/color]" Siena muttered quietly. She caught the gaze, didn't turn her eyes away like she normally would have. "[color=ff57ff]But I guess that's why you make such a good face for us.[/color]"

[i]Not his fault.[/i] He couldn't have known about the gargoyle, couldn't have known what would have happened. Not his fault, and she would regret this. 

"[color=ff57ff]You watched them tear themselves apart, and you kept quiet.[/color]" Not his fault. "[color=ff57ff]You can sell it as trying to fix it, and maybe you provided some modicum of comfort, but that doesn't change that you watched them hurt and decided that you were worth [i]more[/i].[/color]"

Not his fault. She was going to regret it. 

"[color=ff57ff]But I guess that lines up with what the rest of the world thinks, right Time Scar?[/color]"

[color 00a99d]" 'Time Scar',"[/color] Ernie barked out a laugh at the heroic moniker, harsh and bitter, [color 00a99d]"The heart of our operation! Didn't care enough to not shoot a guy in the face and had even less compassion for the teammates he was supposed to comfort. What a fucking headline."[/color]

"[color=ff57ff]Wh-what?[/color]"

Worth more? That was what Marcus had decided, wasn't it? Even when he was alone, thinking over everything that had happened, he'd determined that he was worth more. It the hypotheticals where he realized that the girl was an aberration, they always ended the same way. Him against her? It was no question. Even if he knew...he wasn't sure that anything would have changed. [i]Those[/i] kind of thoughts were the ones that tore him apart. He was worth more than Savannah. Emma was worth more than a regular. His wellbeing was worth more than Callan's peace of mind. 

There was nothing he could say to defend himself, even before Ernie spoke up. Even before Ernie had betrayed him to his roommate.

All he did was look at Ernie. A look that said more than he could ever hope to.

Ernie caught what Marcus was sending and all at once it was like his heart fucking plummeted through his stomach.

[color 00a99d]"W-what do you mean, 'what'..."[/color] his head swiveled between Marcus and Siena before settling on the girl. She had to have known. Otherwise that meant Ernie had just...

His tone was almost accusing. [color 00a99d]"You were there! What the hell do you mean?"[/color]

Grey eyes shifted from one party to another, and despite her best efforts, the brunette couldn't restrain a slight flinch at Ernie's tone. 

No. No, no, no. [i]No[/i].

Her eyes went back to Marcus, and the expression on his face. No. No, no. [i]No[/i]. 

"[color=ff57ff]I-I...it--[/color]" A vehement denial rose as a defense mechanism, but it was torn away so easily. The gunshot. She had heard it, but she'd assumed... Siena turned her attention from Ernie to Marcus again, seeking confirmation, denial, [i]something[/i].

Marcus closed his eyes in concentration, and let a deep breath escape.

"[color 33ec06]Yeah. To protect Emma.[/color]"

[color 00a99d]"To release your anger,"[/color] Ernie scoffed, fury momentarily reignited by the familiar excuse. He didn't care who was listening, [color 00a99d]"You could have fired literally anywhere else, used your powers. But you didn't. And you can't take that back."[/color]

He could have. He didn't. Was it panic? Was it anger? Could he attribute it to anything but himself? Probably not. He knew. It wasn't a mistake he could undo.

But again, he wasn't sure if he would, given the opportunity.

"[color 33ec06]Yeah. I know.[/color]" Marcus said, a mix of bitterness and defeat. Ernie had ruined [i]everything[/i]. Callan. Siena. Possibly two of the highest people in his world. Maybe he did need a way to release his anger. Maybe that's why it slipped out of his mouth.

"[color 33ec06]I'm sure you understand that feeling.[/color]"

Ernie's hand shot out, grabbing Marcus roughly by the shirt and hauling both to their feet.

[color 00a99d]"Don't,"[/color] he snarled through grit teeth, [color 00a99d]"don't you fucking start."[/color]

[i]Shit.[/i]

Siena shot to her feet, one hand on her phone, her eyes snapping to attention. 

"[color=ff57ff][i]Stop.[/i][/color]"

Marcus couldn't really say he was surprised by the sudden lift; he had a feeling it was going to happen at one point or another, and he quickly moved to put his feet under him and relieve a little bit of the choking. He didn't even care that Siena was speaking up. He couldn't exactly [i]worsen[/i] her opinion of him at this point.

"[color 33ec06]What?[/color] he said, voice slightly strained by Ernie's grip on the front of him, but no less defiant. "[color 33ec06]You're allowed to tell secrets, but I'm not?[/color]"

Escalate and escalate and escalate. With a single phrase, everything went to shit, and before Brent's eyes, the camaderie built up from Washington onwards crumbled just like that. Should have expected it, really. The foundations weren't all that strong, after all, and now, the bonds were burning up, disintegrating into ash by secrets kept from back in Wisford. Did Marcus seriously not tell a single soul? Did Sophia seriously not tell? Lawrence never noticed or spoke up either? Not even confided to those closest to them?

And now it was the bullet, the shot that Marcus fired to protect Emma and kill a regular. All these sins spilling out while others within the cafeteria took notice, guards eyeing the dissonant quartet. He should be taking steps to stop this, to do [i]something[/i] to resolve the situation.

But in that moment, Brent disliked the scarred arbiter as well. It was a mistake, how the gargoyle even got inside to begin with, but to keep silent on the 'how' for so long, even to his best friends? The enhancer recalled his own talk with Marcus in Washington. They weren't close then, and it was too much to expect someone to spill their guts out that easily to a stranger. That was okay. He didn't mind that. And hey, maybe Emma and Callan never asked, so Marcus was never obligated to really explain himself. Sure. That worked out too. Made sense. Maybe he just hoped that enough time had passed, enough incidents had occured, that people would eventually forget Wisford. That the mistake that cuased the death of a young girl would remained buried, never disturbed.

Amethyst eyes flickered once more to the guards. 

[i]Keep it quick.[/i]

[color=B0C4DE]"We're all assholes with skeletons in our vaults,"[/color] Brent said, locking eyes with Marcus, then with Ernie, [color=B0C4DE]"Take this shit outside before the two of you get shot."[/color]

Ernie glared back at Brent, then to Marcus. His hold didn't loosen.

[color 00a99d]"Rethink your next words, [i]buddy[/i]."[/color]

Dangerous. Nothing good would come from this. Ernie had seen the guards too.

[color 00a99d]"You've lost enough already. Don't make me take more."[/color]

Ernie let him go then but he remained on his feet, his gaze still boring a hole through Marcus.

"[color 33ec06]I don't think there's much else to say, [i]pal[/i].[/color]" Marcus said, straightening the front of his shirt. 

With that, he turned away, walking towards the cafeteria door. Staying would only cause more problems, and he didn't even bother to turn around and look at Siena or Brent.

[color=B0C4DE]"Well."[/color]

Brent watched Marcus until he disappeared into the crowds.

[color=B0C4DE]"Shit."[/color]

Somehow, the situation diffused, and Siena felt her fingers release her phone as she released a quiet breath. No relief.

"[color=ff57ff][i]Shit[/i].[/color]" Still no relief, but no regrets. Not yet. Her gaze turned away from Marcus's retreating form, her mind still buzzing. He'd killed someone--it paled in comparison to her own mistakes, but...ah, damn it. And what was he talking about? Ernie too...? Too many things, and worst of all, a declaration that remained constant like an underlying whisper. 

If it came down to it, he was still worth more, wasn't he?

[i]Fuck.[/i]

Ernie watched Marcus too, before he sat back in his seat with a tired exhale. He looked dazed. Then confused. Then mournful.

Silence echoed over the table until Ernie managed to find his voice.

[color 00a99d]"Siena, I'm..."[/color] he croaked. Words would never be enough. [color 00a99d]"I'm sorry."[/color]

Best birthday ever. How did everything turn out this way? Oh, he fucking knew how. Sliding away from the table, Brent stood up, took his tray, and said, [color=B0C4DE]"I'll be grabbing a drink. Third floor."[/color]

He'll track Marcus down tomorrow. For now, the bitterness needed to be burnt away, the mercury purged.

[color=000000]Never too deep, hm?[/color]

Siena took a moment before she turned her attention to Ernie, her mind still churning through countless thoughts, but she did what she did best. 

[i]You really never get any better at this, hm?[/i]

"[color=ff57ff]It's...I'll be fine.[/color]" Siena claimed. She wouldn't be, but that wasn't for anyone else to know. Taking her own tray, Siena gave a weary breath. "[color=ff57ff]I think I'll...get some air before I try heading back.[/color]"

If she even went back at all.

Ernie didn't try to stop her, nor did he offer to go with her.

[color 00a99d]"Okay. I'll see you later."[/color]

He packed up his and Marcus' trays when he finished eating. Pocketed Siena's phone after she uncharacteristically forgot it. Then he headed up to the bar.[/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Digestif]Brent waved at Ernie as the buzzcut boy appeared. Before him was an empty shot glass, the tips of his ears the only indication that the arbiter was slightly buzzed.

[color 00a99d]"An Old Fashioned, please,"[/color] Ernie called to the bartender and took a seat beside Brent. The drink came quickly and Ernie took a sip, slightly grimacing at the taste.

[color=B0C4DE]"Rough day, huh?"[/color]

Ernie scoffed. [color 00a99d]"I'll say."[/color]

A larger sip this time.

[color 00a99d]"You knew about the APC."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Yup. Pieced it together after a bit."[/color] A pause. [color=B0C4DE]"Never knew he didn't even tell Emma."[/color]

[color 00a99d]"What about everyone else?"[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Who else?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"Callan. Siena, me, the whole freaking class."[/color] Ernie had a dangerous glint in his eye, though he kept it trained on the tumbler in front of him. [color 00a99d]"You didn't think to tell us?"[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Talked to Callan,"[/color] Brent replied. [color=B0C4DE]"La Plata hospital. Turned out for the worst, and then she holed up. Spoke to Marcus in Washington, after I thought he had time to sort it out. He didn't, so I let it go. Confirmed with Sophia. Non-answers there, but enough to draw the conclusion."[/color]

He tapped the shot glass, slowly, like a metronome.

[color=B0C4DE]"Thought it was Marcus's story to tell. Thought that he already did."[/color]

The finger stopped, resting on the rim.

[color=B0C4DE]"No one brought that incident up, not to me. Not about Sav. [i]And not a single person in the APC ever spoke of it.[/i]"[/color]

Even then, would he have been all that eager to pin the blame on anyone? No. Perhaps this problem only escalate so dramatically because of how long it had been kept under wraps.

Ernie didn't know what he was looking for with this conversation. Another person to blame? Was he willing to drive off [i]Brent[/i] too? A nauseous feeling started churning in his stomach.

[color 00a99d]"I see,"[/color] he muttered, and gulped down the rest of the glass.

It felt like a frightening reenactment of the gym on the island. A bridge freshly burnt, still smouldering. Ernie looking to Brent for reassurance.

[color 00a99d]"I was too harsh on him."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"If I saw what you saw, I probably would have broken his nose back when I first talked with him."[/color]

Ernie chuckled. [color 00a99d]"Yeah, and get shot straight after. Thanks for stepping in when you did, by the way."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"No problem."[/color]

A thoughtful expression emerged then, the warmth of his vodka dissipating.

[color=B0C4DE]"Will you tell them now?"[/color]

Ernie hesitated. Ordered another drink, a Manhattan this time. The intent in his eyes only deepened as he drank.

[color 00a99d]"Only if I have to."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Give him some time,"[/color] Brent replied. [color=B0C4DE]"Noticed how he didn't bring his gun back on Bald Eagle Island?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"What are you trying to say?"[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Not too sure. But..."[/color] He motioned to Steve, pointing at the empty glass. [color=B0C4DE]"I can understand the fear and the regret."[/color]

Ernie stared into the bottom of his glass, taking in Brent's words. [color 00a99d]"He's not a bad guy. Selfish, cowardly maybe but not...bad."[/color] Not like Ernie. The Aberration leaned into his elbows. [color 00a99d]"It's too late either way. I don't even think I regret it this time."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Mm, relationships you want to keep are hard to make when you bury so much shit in the back of your mind, hm?"[/color] Brent raised his glass. [color=B0C4DE]"A toast then."[/color]

Ernie lifted his drink, amused. [color 00a99d]"What are we toasting to?"[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"To Team SAP. It was fun while it lasted."[/color]

A melancholy sigh. [color 00a99d]"To Team SAP then."[/color]

Glass clinked against glass, before Brent downed it in a single go, the imitation of warmth spreading through his veins once more, fuelling the embers within his stomach.

[color=B0C4DE]"So, what's our new duo name anyways? Sesame Street?"[/color]

Ernie downed his drink too, laughing heartily at the quip. The alcohol was already starting to loosen him up.

[color 00a99d]"Needs some workshopping,"[/color] he grinned.

He pulled Siena's phone from his pocket, placing it in front of Brent before ordering another.

[color=B0C4DE]"It's a start,"[/color] he replied, flipping his glass upside down.

[color 00a99d]"An excellent one,"[/color] Ernie nodded a few times too many. He pushed the phone closer to Brent. [color 00a99d]"Siena's."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Forgot it?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"She said she needed some air. Left it on the seat. It probably isn't a fun idea for her to see me right now so could you give it back to her instead? I know you guys are close."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Oof, we're not close enough for a psychic connection, yah know? Know where she went?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"I dunno. Just out."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Hm..."[/color] Brent nodded. [color=B0C4DE]"Was thinking of getting some air myself. Guess I'll head out then?"[/color]

[color 00a99d]"Yeah. I should be getting back to the dorms anyway,"[/color] Ernie replied, despite ordering another drink. [color 00a99d]"See you later, man."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Aye."[/color]

A pause.

[color=B0C4DE]"Steve also makes protein shakes, by the way."[/color]

[color 00a99d]"Oh, neat."[/color]

[color=B0C4DE]"Yup. See ya."[/color]

And with a quick phone swipe, Brent was gone, a knight galloping for his princess.[/hider]