The Pendulum Swings

Into the Fray

Chapter Six: Into the Fray

"Benjamin, put on your armor. Don't make this like that Siberia mission."

"You mean the one Tabitha got the meet up wrong and you two nearly froze solid?"

"Yeah, that's the one Chris. I was fine, managed to get by with the EGR they gave me. Ben nearly froze to death because using his ability meant giving up the fact we were there."

"You're the bastard that wouldn't share, Max, and you know it."

"Ohoh! Like mine would fit you anyway."

Meta swept bland colored cloth out of his way as he stepped into the ready room, hearing the chatter of amusement lightly fading, his own steps drawing everyone's attention.

"Well, looks like the only that's missing is Tabitha. Makes sense I suppose, she's got that check in thing with the higher ups before each mission. Plus that special armor she wears. Shouldn't be too long before she walks in to slap our asses around as usual th..."

"Nice to know you still have as high an opinion of me as ever, Maxwell." Tabitha poked her head out from behind Meta with an acidic smile adorning her face. "Good to know everyone is here though, even the class clown. Is everyone geared up?"

"Ben won't put on his armor." Lucy spoke up from the corner, looking up only for a moment before sheathing her sword and strapping it to her back.

"Well that's normal." Tabitha walked out from behind Meta, who was still reeling slightly on the inside as he took in the moment. She stopped behind Benjamin, who was clearly trying to ignore her, and she put her hand around his neck from behind, squeezing slightly. "So what would you do right now if this was a mission?"

"Considering its you we're talking about, die, considering my abilities are useless against you." He didn't move in the slightest except to speak, calling Tabitha's bluff.

"And if you wore your EGR like a good little drone, you'd get at least two uses out of the Nullifier in it before you were out of chances. So what's better, dying and being a disgrace, or being a cautious soldier and living?"

"I say option three."

"And that is, Benjamin?" Tabitha increased the pressure slightly.

"Saaayaaaaaaaaah" Finoto stretched out his arms and inhaled, as if he was yawning. "Mion." He finished, lowering his arms back into his lap as he sat on the terrain map in the center of the room.

Suddenly Meta's vision flashed burgundy, a reticle appearing over Tabitha's head as he felt energy pour into his pilot light. It took him a moment, but he was able to calm himself and reverse the sudden state he found himself in. A prompt appeared in the top right of his vision, the angry red color still not disappearing as he stepped forward and took hold of Tabitha's should, pulling her away lightly. "Perhaps it is not the time for conflict."

Tabitha Lowered her arm, aghast, her expression hidden from Meta's gaze as she stared into Finoto's eyes, his face stretched with a toothy, smug smile that vanished as he turned his face away again. "You and I will have a chat later, Finoto. Count on it. Insubordination isn't something that's taken lightly." Tabitha straightened herself out and stepped back toward the door, around Meta, and turned back toward the center of the room. "Let's do this. The sooner we head out, the sooner we get paid and can move onto whatever is next. Lucy, Christopher, Maxwell... FInoto.... you are all with me. We will follow the iron giant here through until we reach the facility. If there's hostiles, the point is to stay out of their sight, and let Meta act as a magnet, as usual. If he needs us, we go in, but not before." Tabitha looked up to Meta's azure gaze. "You won't be stupid like the last guy and just wing it, right? At some point confidence leads to stupidity, and that's when people die."