“Why can’t you deal with Team B42 and be done with it? They’re annoying us while we’re trying to train and it’s really affecting our work!” 24-42 asked the Major as she sat on his desk. The “Team Prank War” was showing no signs of abating after two months of angst – if anything, it was getting worse.
“Because it’s good for you guys to solve your problems yourselves. It helps to build your problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills and team bonds. Now will you please get off my desk, you’re messing up my files.” M42 tapped his pen impatiently against his sticky-notes.
“We’re SUPPOSED to be having lunch together!” 24-42 protested.
“I’m busy.” Was the short reply.
“You PROMISED!” 24-42 pouted.
“Maturity, Experiment.” M42 gently shoved her off his desk.
“You just don’t like being seen with me!”
“I like to stay professional during working hours.”
“Lunch isn’t working hours!”
“But I’m not on lunch yet.”
“You’re a pain.” 24-42 groaned. The Major sighed.
“Give me ten minutes to finish off these forms and we’ll go and have lunch. I have authorization to go off-site, and we’re pretty close to the beach.” He told 24-42. “Go get your swimming gear.”
“You mean it?!” 24-42 nearly squealed.
“TEAM A42 AND TEAM B42 REPORT TO THE MISSION BRIEFING ROOM IN 30 MINUTES. REPEAT, TEAM A42 AND TEAM B42 REPORT TO THE MISSION BRIEFING ROOM IN 30 MINUTES.” 1B-42 blared loudly.
“Nooooooooooo!” 24-42 cried. “Our date!”
“We’ll have other times to go out.” M42 calmly got up from his desk. “I promise the day after we get back I’ll take off and we can go and spend the whole day at the beach.”
24-42 responded by throwing herself at him, burying her face into his chest. M42 blinked, and was about to pull her off when something about her face made him stop.
Long, auburn hair with bright blue eyes, a button nose, small full lips and a face full of trust flashed before his eyes. His ex-wife, who swore she would love him no matter what, no matter how grumpy and gruff he was.
He gently patted the Experiments back. “Go and get your gear.” He said, before giving her a quick kiss. 24-42 grinned, and ran to get her stuff together. He watched her run out, and sighed. She was a bouncy, happy kind of person when things were going smoothly, but if they were going on a joint mission with Team B42 then there was a huge chance that her evil temper could come out again.
He headed to his own lodgings to get his pack. His ex-wife had similar characteristics to 24-42. She was determined, bubbly, loving and friendly. Unlike 24-42 however, his ex-wife wasn’t capable of extreme cruelty when mad. Instead, she just became despondent and wounded. He could still hear her voice as she walked out on him.
“You were my hero. I loved you. I just can’t believe you’d do that, knowing that it was my father you were killing. No matter what he’d done, he was still family.”
He picked up his bag and made sure everything was still packed. He sat on the bed and exhaled, trying not to remember but failing.
After their son had been killed, they’d spent the night together, as if trying to recapture everything they had lost.
“I don’t think I can ever stop loving you. But I can’t stop hating you either. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay.”
From what he’d heard, she’d married again, and had another couple of children. He tried to be happy for her, but his heart was burning painfully for her, ten years on. He knew it was unfair on 24-42, who was probably madly in love with him for all he knew, but…
He shook his head. His ex-wife was part of a world that he was no longer a part of. She had left him, she loved someone else now. He couldn’t hold on to something that he could never have.
Hold on, he thought. It will get better.
But how long would he have to wait?
–
“There have been threats of terrorism in the rural City F in Allied Nation 62. You are all being sent to monitor the situation and to prevent any outside strike. Operatives inside the city will do their best to prevent any internal attacks, but they may need to call on you.” C42 explained as everyone sat in the Mission Briefing Room.
24-42 was a bit shocked. Terrorism? How long before that sort of thing came to Ostraya?
She looked over to the Major, who was staring at the ground, lost in his own thoughts. She thought of her past love, who wasn’t really one for getting lost in his own thoughts. He was more one for action, even if he did need a little prodding to really push himself.
“Good luck!” C42 finished the briefing. The two teams eyed each other warily.
Suddenly it was a mad rush for the door. Daniel got jammed in the door with 07-42, and it was on.
“MOVE.” Daniel growled.
“YOU MOVE.” 07-42 growled back.
“Move it 07-42, we want to get through!” Alexis snapped from behind them.
“Why doesn’t 16-42 move? Ewen was going through first!” 20-42 asked pointedly.
“I SAID MOVE.” Daniel growled louder.
“AND I SAID YOU MOVE.” Was the icy reply.
“Can we all just grow up and move along PLEASE?! We’re SUPPOSED to be saving lives not being petty!” M42 roared angrily.
“Well tell your Experiments to hurry up!” Was the instant reply from MB42. M42 groaned.
C42 was calm. Getting up and walking towards the door, she quickly shoved her boot into the backs of the two who were stuck in the door, sending them flying.
“NOW, Experiments.” She warned, before heading back to her office.
24-42 stuck close to M42 as everyone else forwarded out without further incident.
Not until they got to the plane anyway.
“I usually sit at the front!” M42 tried to tell MB42.
“Well now it’s my seat.” MB42 replied.
“As the Major in charge-,”
“Get over yourself, Experiment.”
Meanwhile at the OTHER end of the plane…
“This is where I usually sit.” 24-42 tried to calmly explain to
05-42, who wasn’t having a bar of it.
“I’ve ALWAYS sat here on missions THANK YOU.” 04-42 death-stared Alexis.
The bickering was beginning to escalate quickly, until the plane took off and everyone was flung to the back of the plane.
“GET OFF ME!” Tytus roared at 04-42.
“Move your knees out of my ribs!” 20-42 fired at Henna.
“Get your butt off my face!” MB42 yelled at Alexis.
“Someone’s touching me inappropriately!” Daniel yelled.
Yup, Team A42 and flying, huh?
–
The two teams were given a small resort to themselves, so there was little risk of the Experiments being exposed to the outside world. The place had a nice little restaurant, two large pools on the roof and a gym.
“I guess this ALMOST makes up for the beach.” 24-42 walked back to her room with M42 after dinner that night.
“We’re on task Experiment, we’re not to be fraternizing.” M42 said sternly.
“Awww.” 24-42 slumped a little.
“Naww, looks like you won’t be getting laid until we get home.” Tytus ran up and gave her a slight bump.
“Rack off Tytus you goof.” 24-42 shoved him back with a small smile.
“So, any idea of when this attack is going to be?” Tytus threw his arms around the pair, much to the annoyance of the Major.
“Within the next three months is our intelligence, so we’re here until either three months is up or the attack goes ahead.” The Major glared at Tytus, who dropped his arm.
“Fair enough. Anyway, I’m beat, I’ll see you lovebirds tomorrow.” Tytus headed into his room, yawning.
M42 and 24-42 continued along to their rooms at the end of the corridor. When they got there, 24-42 looked pleadingly at the Major.
“Just one little kiss?” She begged.
“No. Good night Experiment.” The Major opened the door to his room and disappeared through it, leaving 24-42 feeling a bit flat.
“Oh well, his loss.” 24-42 was used to rejection. Hell, hadn’t she faced it every day from him?
Oh lord, now she was thinking about him again. When was she going to get over him?!
–
“How was patrol?” Henna asked as 24-42 walked over to the pool the next evening.
“A quick walk around the outskirts of the city. The Army base is in the outer suburbs so we had a quick look at that too. Dressed in civvies so we just look like people going for their daily jog or something.” 24-42 said. “There was a protest going at the front of the base, but nothing for us to handle.”
“I was watching the news, it seems that those protests are getting more and more frequent.” Alexis, who was sitting next to Henna, mused. “Probably why we’ve been called in.”
“I dunno. If I were planning a terrorist attack, I’d want to be invisible, not keeping the Army on their guard.” Henna replied.
“Not if I wanted the Army distracted.” 24-42 pointed out. “The two could also be completely unrelated. We need to be careful, if we’re too focused on what’s going on at the base then we might get caught out in the city.”
“You think too much. Probably why you have so many anger issues.” Alexis waved her off.
“Hey, I’ve gotten better!” 24-42 protested.
“Getting laid regularly definitely helps.” Henna teased.
“You guys!” 24-42 pouted as Alexis roared with laughter and Henna giggled.