Life's Second Chance

Torque

The biker couldn't help but feel betrayed. Most importantly, since when did these two girls get along!? He watched as Carbine released the girl from her handcuffs.

"Hey.." Ray's voice came out just as surprised and as awkward as she stood. She had clumsily stumbled into one of the fold-able metal chairs, and fell forward onto the table after being shoved into the room.

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" Played a very cold remark, the human girl had completely overlooked the fact that Throttle was there-her eyes fixated on Carbine.

The beating she had received under the order of Torque was far from civil, and had left her feeling quite bitter. The brute of an officer seemed to be overly protective over Carbine and had taken her previous act of choking the femme wih the cuffs personally.

"Freaking rat.." Ray groaned in pain under her breath as she straightened up. "What's this bozo doin' here?"

The towering officer shoved the back of her head in a scolding way.

"Ow-hey! WATCH it pal." Ray hissed through gritted teeth as she turned to face Officer Torque head on.

"Or you'll what?" The Martian glared down at the human girl threateningly.

"Pfft, you're not worth my time." The agent mumbled as she turned her back to the towering male.

"Yea yea yea.." The officer commented in a dropping octave. "Keep telling yourself that."

Ray scowled, "That didn't even make any sense!-Ouff!" she curled over as a younger Cadette punched her in the gut.

Throttle flinched at the sight, and took one protective step forward-only to stop the moment Sargent Torque reprimanded the young soldier and threw the assailant out forcefully.

Carbine hadn't strayed from Throttle's side and just sighed.

Throttle's fists were curled as he saw the defiant Ray straighten up hugging her sides. And before another word could be thrown, he stepped into the scene and pulled the agent behind him protectively with his tail. The two brutes seemed to stare each other down through zapping like glares.

The agent was about to beat against Throttle's back when Throttle coiled his tail higher up constricting her shoulders and around her lips- muffling her protests. "There's no need to man handle the gal," he retorted angrily. "And that was outta line. Beating a girl like that under your watch- you must think you're really-" Throttle's words were cut short as Carbine intervened.

"AND that's ENOUGH gentlemen." Her authoritative high notes seemed to command the tension in the air.

"You have one hour soldier." Carbine spoke at an awkward tangent as she glanced at Ray and pointed an angry finger. And with that said she nodded at Torque before they both left the meeting room.

~*~

"Throttle-" angry fingers managed to get a coil of tail away from her face, "Let me go!!"

Turning to the girl, the biker defiantly folded his arms as he faced the human. "Now now, this is no way to greet a friend," he joked darkly.

"I'm warning you, let me go Throttle!" she hissed.

"Not until you tell me what's goin' on here darlin'" his sarcastic play. All the girl did was drop her gaze and turn to the side as she rubbed her sore arm. To his line of sight however, it looked like she was just merely avoiding the situation.

An awkward pause arose. "Will you just look at me!" Throttle made a grab at the agent's shoulder, only to have her flinch under his grasp.

"OW!" Ray hissed.

With not another word he released his hold and just stared at the girl. "Here, let me see that.." he softened his voice as he gently took hold of the girl's arm. Eyebrows raised as he sighed. "That looks bad..."

"Throttle-just don't.. Okay?" Ray just whipped her badly bruised wrists away and just huffed in exasperation. Why did things always have to be so awkward between them?

The man really didn't want to fight Ray- and here above all places. It was obvious all she wanted to do was talk.

"How do I know you're really my Ray, and not that lookalike of hers?" He decided to break the ice with an obvious question.

Sighing the agent leaned up against the wall beside him ignoring his question. Her features were down cast as she folded her arms formally. "Did you get the message?" she asked vaguely after a slight pause.

It was then the mouse remembered the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket and pulled it out, reading it for the first time.

"When the time comes, I want you to be the first." He read aloud. "This message?"

Seeing the girl slouch her shoulders, released a heavy sigh as well. The girl's hunched shoulders were very uncharacteristic of the agent who usually held herself with pride and confidence.

He knew also that behind the mirror pane, Carbine and Torque were watching and listening. He also knew this was why she refused to say anything specific.

Releasing a deep breath once more, the man walked up to the reflective mirror with his back leaning against it and tapped it, "Uh-guys a little privacy here."

Carbine was surprised by his keen eye, and muted the speakers. As much as she trusted her Throttle, she still didn't trust Ray. However, the last thing she wanted was for Throttle to get angry and so left the two to their own devices.