ℝᴀʏᴍᴏɴᴅ
After some time, I'd (thankfully) managed to relax but that sort of backfired when I let my guard down and meanwhile became so oblivious of my surroundings that I'd nearly jumped my skin when a voice from behind suddenly piped up. The mental rambling of rants to follow was inevitable at this point, considering the borderline heart attack I just had to endure. Merda santo! Lo giuro, nessuno ha mai bussa più in questi giorni... Turning around, I was unsettled to be met with the all too familiar face of Brine. "Oh." This wasn't surprising. Carefully setting down a rather expensive, long-distance communication device I almost dropped in my start, I nodded in acknowledgement to him. "Lieutenant Commander Sharp." This almost felt like a business meeting. And I hated that. What's worse is that the last time I addressed him by title in those exact words, it was when I had futilely attempted to prevent an 'unfortunate incident', for lack of a better term, from worsening. Rin ended up having to interfere and the results were unsatisfactory, to say the least; I received a dislocated shoulder and Brine ended up getting his head blown out. For Christ's sake, this isn't elementary school where we both choose to ignore the stupid elephant in the room and begin to sulk while passive-aggressively getting back at each other. Unholstering the concealed sidearm I always carried around with me as nonverbal warning to Brine, I undid the safety and loudly smacked it onto the nightstand by my cot. Crossing my arms, I stared at the man before me. "Care to explain why I was your target of choice yesterday?"
Lt. Commander Brine Sharp
I glanced at the small pistol and snorted loudly, I knew he was a crack shot but it pissed me of that he underestimated me like that. "Not unless you care to make that an order, Sir." I say with disdain in my voice then start eating. The fact that he would even try to play stupid on this one pissed me off no end and I was already in a bad mood from being shot. "Also Commander if I wanted you dead, your pee shooter there wouldn't do a damn thing to stop me." I comment in between mouthfuls.
ℝᴀʏᴍᴏɴᴅ
Oh no, I wouldn't allow him to have me play that card. Talk about a low blow. Ranks were to be disregarded, completely ignored if not thrown out the window during the duration of this conversation. It was just him and I, man to man. Even if things couldn't go back to the way they used to be, an outcome I'm beginning to suspect is very likely to conclude this, at least this will give me one less thing to worry about. Closure, just tied up loose ends. "Brine" the name felt foreign, odd, almost taboo as it rolled off my tongue. I can't believe we've come down to this point. I used to trust this man with my life and now I can't even turn my back to him. "As much as I hate to admit it, I am not a mind reader. You clearly have a problem with me and until you stop acting like a fucking child, and lay that shit out on the table where I can see it, we are not leaving this room." My patience was wearing dangerously thin now, plus I just barely refrained from adding that's an order to my last sentence. By the end of my warning, my voice had raised and I was waving my hands around, gesturing frantically, out of frustration.
LT. Commander Brine Sharp
I had stopped eating by this point, I was too angry to eat, and had grabbed the metal frame of the bed. I didn't realize how hard I was squeezing until I heard the metal squealing and groaning under the strain. "You don't need to be a mind reader to remember when you screwed someone over!" I say in a quiet rage, the kind of low growl that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. "Maybe you'll remember this, 'If it was anyone else I'd already have left Brine, but for you I'll wait a week. Go get your loose ends tied up then we'll leave together.' Two hours after you said that you left! Two FUCKING hours! You were my brother, I would have died for you, I did bleed for you, and you didn't even wait until I got home!" I say this time loud enough it hurt. I could feel the blind rage seeping into me like an empty jar with nothing left to keep it out, everything I had cared about had been taken from me starting with the person I had trusted most. I held on even tighter to the bed frame and felt it start to fold and crumple under the fierce pressure but I didn't dare loosen my grip, I knew what would happen if I did. "You left me there in that hell hole with no one to watch my back and one by one they took everything from me. Our squad... My squad died because there was no one in command willing to do the right thing, they just watched them being slaughtered because that was their orders." I closed my eyes and tried to will away the memories of that day as tiers of rage, pain, regret and sorrow filled my eyes.
ℝᴀʏᴍᴏɴᴅ
His words hit me unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Thirty-eight years ago... I know exactly what he was talking about; I remember that day clearly now like it was no earlier than yesterday. My breathing hitched, got caught somewhere at the back of my throat. I'm not even sure where to begin but words can't possibly begin to justify what I've done to him. Although in the bigger picture I had saved his life, to him I'm probably just some cruel bastard who decided to use him, raise his hopes, and stomp on everything before tossing him to the wolves. My lungs are burning and I suddenly realize that I've been holding my breath. I'm probably looking pale, too. Letting out a sigh, I run my hand -it's shaking- through my hair. There's a pause where I find myself unable to even look at him now. Taking a moment to pull myself together, I lean back on the wall behind me and look up at Brine. He deserves to know the truth. I was left with no choice but to leave him in the dark back then though now, here, we're safe.
It was back when we were both serving the UKD forces. Fourteen years and I was practically on top of the world with my clean records and collection of medals. My achievements and status were earned through blood, sweat, and tears yet some claimed I was born with a talent. Regardless, what I had was something most could only dream of. I wanted none of the fame nor hatred that came with it, I just needed something to give me a reason to wake up the next morning. My life on the streets gave me plenty of practice; I had the skills, so why not put them to use? Make a living off it? This was a legal and 'clean' way to get my hands dirty so I decided to try it out. Within the first month it was basically a done deal, so I'd been a soldier since the age 24. But like they say, everything that goes up must come down. Some woman even had a quote for that: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And the better the world liked seeing them fall." Oh how right she was. My swift rise in ranks didn't sit well with some of the higher ups, especially those who's families have been in the system for generations, so they wanted me out of the picture. Someone did a little digging and my history was eventually uncovered. Excuses such as bullshit scientific reasoning for ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄɪᴇs stemming from an ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, and an elaborate ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴄʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅs meant to tarnish my name were brought to light. Being that this was all done without my knowledge, I had no say in any of it and ultimately, no way of speaking up for myself. One thing led to another and eventually, they came to the conclusion which sealed my fate. ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ﹕ ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. Yes, those words are precisely what had been printed on my files, something I'd managed to attain through the assistance of a former colleague who was also the one to alert me of these plans. I knew I had to leave, but I wanted to take Brine with me. Sparing him most of the details for his own safety, I asked him to come with me. But somehow I'd been compromised and in a last ditch effort to save those close to me, I was forced to depart much sooner than anticipated. I'd abandoned everything and everyone I ever knew.
This is where our problem lay.
Upon arriving in the RAS, I was promptly arrested upon arrival and incarcerated. It took an extreme amount of convincing but I'd managed to negotiate my way through. All information preceding my date of release is confidential, I don't think even Rin has the clearance to access those files, however I could be underestimating her. Plus, I've never spoken a word of my past to any other human being, including Brine. He respectfully accepted that it was something I simply couldn't share.
I sighed again. A long silence has stretched out between Brine and I yet I can't think of what to say. Without giving it much thought, I decided to finally tell him everything. From the beginning.
Lt. Commander Brine Sharp
After a moment of silence Commander Marksmen started to speak, but it wasn't him, almost everything about him had changed. This was the man I had known for fifteen years, this was the Ray that led our unit into hell and brought us back in one piece. He had let down every wall, every defense and made himself an open book, all so I would see he was hiding nothing. Slowly the anger started to subside and the longer he talked the more I listened, parts of his past I hadn't known before, the witch hunt by his enemies, everything that happened the night he left and the hell he had to go through getting to the RAS and after. There were no excuses, no lies to make him look better just the facts of what had happened and why. I don't know how long it took him to tell his story but when he finished he had the same tired expression as he'd always had at the end of a long mission, he was just ready to be done with this mess and move on come what may. After a long sigh he sat down on the edge of the bed, looked at me and said "That's it, now you everything." I sat there staring at him for a full minute, I've hated him for what he did for so long now that, even though everything he said makes sense, I don't know if I can forgive him. "I don't know Ray... I say as memories flood my mind throwing me even more off balance. "I just don't know what to think any more man. I need some time to sort this all out." I needed time to think, to figure this out and to decide what I was going to do.
ℝᴀʏᴍᴏɴᴅ
His reaction was to be expected. But just as he is not a priest, I am not here to be pardoned or beg on my knees to ask atonement for my sins. No, none of that. Truth is all I want is to be left alone. Plain and simple. The reasons why I chose to explain the situation with Brine is because one, I know that he understands this information isn't something he can ever speak of and two, I'm just trying to neutralize the tension between us. However, this solution is merely a bandage meant to mask these wounds rather than heal them. "I understand. And honestly? I'd rather we simply stay out of each other's ways from now on." I meant every word of that and can only hope he'll accept this new-found gap forced between us.
LT Commander Brine Sharp
My mind was a mess, I had no idea what to do, think or say. The longer I talked to Marksman the worse it got and when you have been augmented mental clarity is a must, otherwise you might hurt or kill someone by accident. "Maybe that's what's best for now." I mumble. I need time to myself, I need to figure this out and get my head right and I'm not going to do that here. I grab my toiletries and say. "I'm going to hit the showers." Then walk out and down the hall to the communal showers.
