Six

3 - Domino Zero

Ellie was generally a master of her emotions- the angrier she was, the quieter she became. It was a necessary practice she'd developed as she worked with Six, lest her frustration with his unorthodox behavior end up jeopardizing a mission. He couldn't exactly fault her for it, but it didn't make him any less apprehensive towards her when she became silent in his company, just as she was now.

"Ellie?"

Above him, he could see the smallest of swivels as she rotated her head to look at him with her 'eyes', two sets of cyan lights situated on the face-plating that formed the front of her 'head'. She looked away just as quickly, continuing to ignore him as her metallic footsteps echoed off the walls. He furrowed his brow.

"C'mon, Ellie-"

"Don't, Six- just don't."

Though others might not have thought it possible, Six found that artificial intelligences were just as capable of sulking as any human. Despite his earlier claim of her emotional mastery, it seemed that even a seven foot-tall experimental Titan chassis was not immune to the occasional moue.

In any case, there wasn't any time to resolve the little spat between them- the pair reached the end of the hallway, and waited for the door before them to allow them access.

Roughly ten seconds passed before it opened, each of its segments sliding into the edges of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"You may enter."

As the voice invited them in with a warm familiarity, Six couldn't help but let a smirk cross his features. Both he and Ellie accepted the call, slowly walking towards the back of the room where a single occupant stood guarding an ornate throne of white and gold coloration, the color scheme that made up the interior of most of the ship.

The man, wearing an officer's robes of the same palette, gave a stony nod towards him. "You look mighty pleased with yourself."

"That's just his normal expression," Ellie muttered sardonically.

Grabbing his chest, he faked an expression of pain. "You wound me- I'm gonna spend all night thinking about that one." He raised his arms into the air in mock disappointment. "Am I not allowed to simply enjoy the company of a good friend?"

The officer's facade finally broke, and he smiled. "It's good to see you again, Six. How was your last mission?"

"Same as always, Alastor," he drawled in an exaggerated fashion. "Successful."

Alastor had been a mentor to him for as long as he could remember- some of his favorite memories as a boy were of the two of them sparring on the holo-deck, different environments and scenarios accompanying their often all-too-close matchups. He could still remember the sweat on his back and brow as he tried to regain his breath every time the older man managed to best him, and the words of his teacher that drove him to do better each consecutive match ...

"You were born into greatness, Six- but glory is something you must earn on your own."

Each and every time, he would get up. Each and every time, he fell again.

Until he didn't.

Now, with his days of training behind him, Alastor fulfilled a different role- that of a friend. He'd been in Six's life longer than most, as very few were permitted to prolong their contact with him. Ellie would have been next, having been working with him for nearly five years now- but even she would be replaced by a newer model at some point, an AI partner more up-to-date with current specifications and requirements for an AI in her position of constant adaptability.