Good. We're going to have to get in touch with everyone.
[ But they'll need a direction to send them in first. D'Artagnan straightens. It's easier, somehow, to focus on the team and what they need from him. ]
I'll speak to Armada. Find the others, Kyoya. Whatever our orders, we're going to need to get organised. No one should be alone right now.
I'm still on Blue. [a smile.] Even if we're no longer roommates, I'm sure it'll be fine. I won't object to continuing our friendship, if that's alright with you still.
[ He's not wrong about the needle, though the one d'Artagnan pulls out isn't exactly ordinary. It's a small silver gun. It'll do the same job, though. He reaches to take hold of Grey's wrist, below the injury. He knows you're supposed to inject these as close to the injury as possible, but the stab wound is right through the middle of his hand. ]
You've really been in battle, haven't you. [ He glances up at him. ] This is going to hurt. But it'll fix this, so just...brace yourself.
[ He does it quickly, injecting into the base of the hand. The nanite gets to work quickly, spreading out to fix the wound. It'll fix every part of it until it's like it was never injured, not even leaving a scar. D'Artagnan lets Grey go as it starts to work, and sits back, now looking at the other arm being cradled against his chest. He nods at it, hoping that fixing the boy's hand will have made him less nervous. ]
[ Grey's first instinct when he sees the gun is to pull away, and he would have if d'Artagnan hadn't been holding him still. It didn't look like any gun Grey had seen before, but he recognized a trigger when he saw one. He glared, mad that d'Artagnan tricked him, and that he fell for it, and that he was- what?
He sounded sincere, not at all like he was on the cusp of betrayal. Grey had already braced himself for a needle, he had no time to also prepare for a gun. It felt. It wasn't like being stitched, or even stabbed. If it was a bullet, Grey guessed he would be missing a hand right now. It felt like getting his arm caught in a piston, or being punched by a very small pretty dull knife. Not that either of those things had happened before. Grey winced and gritted his teeth.
This was supposed to help? He was about to react when he started to see what was happening. It was putting his hand back together? Mesmerized, Grey watched his hand seemingly repair itself. It itched.
Grey flexed his fingers, inspecting his hand front and back and seeing no signs of the wound at all. He looked back over at d'Artagnan in awe. Today featured an overwhelming amount of impossible things happening, but d'Artagnan hadn't lied or tried to trick him after all. He should apologize. Apologies were on his other arm, the one that was broken. What happened to it?
D'Artagnan was right about a battle. Grey thought about Franco and he should feel angry, but he's just ashamed. He tried lifting his arm and weakly mimed a snapping-in-two motion. With his other arm, still marveling at his healed hand, he tilted it so the word "Trouble" was visible. No, that wouldn't work. What if he thought Grey had done something to get in trouble and deserved it? He hadn't done anything wrong... ]
[ Miming. D'Artagnan's eyes narrow a little while he tries to make sense out of those gestures. Then as Grey's arm turns, he notices what he hasn't before - that it's not just dirt and grime on that skin. D'Artagnan automatically reaches for him again, stilling his arm to look at them. All of them, so many words. ]
They're tattoos. [ His eyes slide back to the boy's strange face, and he shakes his head. ] Who are you? So many marks.
[ Where he's from - when he's from - tattoos like this aren't common. Sailors have them, and criminals. Often criminals. But those wouldn't be this kind of tattoo. They wouldn't be words, written in cursive, and...
Written in English. D'Artagnan can speak some English, now. He couldn't when he first arrived here, but he'd learned, because of those times when the translators fail. Reading it still isn't all that easy. The one he picks out isn't 'Trouble', but 'Die' - that one, he knows. But there are so many, and they seem so random. Individual words, not sentences or quotes. Just words, written all over the boy who doesn't speak. ]
They're how you talk, aren't they? I...
[ He pauses, and then his face settles into something sympathetic. ]
Listen. This? [ He holds up the nanite gun, letting Grey see it this time. ] It gives you a shot, and it fixes anything. Any injury. Just like your hand.
[ His head tilts, and he nods to Grey's broken arm again. ]
[ And, of course, the boy wants to come with them.
D'Artagnan's eyes slide uncertainly up to Charizard. There's no doubt that the dragon would be helpful, and if this boy can control him, there's no doubt that he would be helpful too.
But they'll be risking their lives. He chews his lip. He's young, compared to the other Musketeers. When he first met them, he'd felt strongly that he had to prove himself to them.
He hadn't been this young, though. ]
When we go there, we'll be hiding. We'll be looking for people, trying to get them out.
But if the Neraki - that's the aliens who took them - if they find us, they'll attack us. They'll do everything they can to kill us.
[ He's not unflinching at the possibility, his lips parting but an answer not yet ready to be given. The thought that anyone would want to kill, or try or be compelled to, is a heavy one; it's not one he's ever considered much, not even with Team Rocket. They just did what they had to do - what they felt was right.
[ There's a small relief when the man agrees, but nothing if not the slightest pinch at the sides of his mouth to show for it. But Red does as he's asked next, slipping off the backpack and then kneeling down to get inside it easier.
There's two gun-handled shape items inside, and Red has to question which one matches to the man's own closest - and pulls out a compact gauss gun with more of a handle than the nanite gun. He had held it before when searching through the bag, but it still feels awkward in his hand - only holding it by the handle with no finger to the trigger - as he stands back up with it. ]
D'Artagnan tries to put a lid on his frustration. He has the kind of temper that makes him just want to fight, and right now there's nothing to take that out on. He has to be calm. He has to be the soldier they need him to be.
As quickly as he can, he pulls out his blackglass, with the sector map of Macha and the list of plants and animals they'd combined. He turns this, showing it to Steve. It's a lot of information, but at least it's accessible. ]
You'll have a device like this. A blackglass. You can pull up maps, and information just like this. Everything you need to know about the planet, it's here. We just got back from mapping the place a few days ago.
[ That makes him blink, in semi-disbelief. The moment they'd returned, the Kraken was here. They'd still been recovering from that attack when the second one had come and people were taken. There's barely been time to catch their breath at all. Mapping feels like an age ago. ]
We use these to send messages, too. We know that two Neraki clans were involved in the attack. Khasatsa, and Rakitsa. [ He stumbles a little over those names. He's still not used to them. ] We don't know which particular villages they've been taken to, so we're splitting into two teams and searching both clans. Our job is to find them, and then rescue them.
With as little trouble as possible. It won't be easy.
[Steve can see the frustration. He's familiar with it himself and for similar reasons. A friend in danger and being unable to do anything. He'd probably be clawing at the proverbial walls himself if he knew any of them. But since he's an outsider, it's probably a good thing that he does have the distance to step back from the mission. At least talking about the blackglass and the planet gives him something to do.]
Once we find the right villages, it's going to be tough getting out. The treeline's pretty thick, and I'm sure they're spread out. Considering the potential for pulling out injured captives... [He pauses, glancing at d'Artagnan to make sure that doesn't set off his anger.] ...There's a chance that they'll try to pin us in.
[Right now the best Steve can offer is something to focus on and an outside opinion. They'll have a better chance of rescuing everyone if they're prepared for everything, and if he gets some insights from d'Artagnan, his ability to respond to the situation will be a lot better.]
[ Steve's words don't make him angrier than he already is. It's already hard to bear. If they hurt her...
No. He can't think like that. If he does, he'll never keep his focus. ]
They'll know we're coming. They were right here in the camp. They took our people for a reason, they're trying to draw us out.
[ Which means they'll be ready, they'll be waiting. The group will have to be ready for that. ]
We can use the trees as much as they. We'll need to stay hidden until the last moment. We have teams. We're getting ready to move.
There'll be others following us, making sure that it ends here today. [ He looks up at Steve, worry clear in his eyes along with the anger. ] We can't afford any mistakes.
[Steve presses his lips together in response to d'Artagnan's breakdown of what to expect. He wasn't completely blind coming into this mission. No matter how much of the exact details were kept from him, Steve can't claim that he doesn't know how conflicts with hostile groups are handled. He's led some attacks that he isn't proud of, and in a situation where team mates are already at risk, the stakes get raised. Responses get personal. When they finally do encounter the villages, he hopes that it doesn't go down as badly as he expects it will, but it's a doubtful hope.
They'll be following. Making sure it ends. Steve can't help but scowl as d'Artagnan says that, but he forces his expression to even out into impassive calm again.]
They came right into camp and managed to take prisoners. I think they've got an advantage in using the trees for cover so far. We can sneak up on them, but what happens after we take their prisoners?
[He looks back at the worry and anger reflected in d'Artagnan's face with troubled determination. They have to get the captives back. They've already made their plan and started to set it in motion, so he has to make sure that the people around him survive it. Steve doesn't like where this is going, but he nods anyway.]
[ Well, it's a start. D'Artagnan nods, looking around, and pointing out both Kaname Chidori, and Pilot, on the field. ]
Those two. Chidori and Pilot, they're Orange Team leads. They can brief you on your mission. There's a deadline, and the rescue I'm part of has to end before it.
Our people were kidnapped. We're trying to save them, that's what all of this is about.
[ there's a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. a few months ago, he wouldn't have cared. all right, maybe a little — but unlikely enough to do anything about it. things were tough all around the galaxy. he had his own skin to think of.
han still doesn't give a fuck about the leaders or their overarching goals. but he can well understand worry for one's companions. he led his own mission not to rescue a galaxy that never gave a damn about him, but to protect and support the only people in it who meant something to him. it isn't a feeling hard to recognize in others. ]
Your mission's insane. [ so chances are it might actually be successful. no reward without risk, after all. han holsters his blaster. ] Thanks for the help. And — good luck.
[Her eyebrow raises as she honors him with a dubious expression. D'Artagnan could probably smell her from there, but she's appreciative of the compliment, even if she hasn't decided his motivations behind such a lengthy stretch of the truth.]
That's overly kind of you.
[It's the closest he's getting to a thank you. His tidbit about the weapons, on the other hand, shifts her entire demeanor into something less guarded. She thought that he was being selfish--not that she blames him, really.]
Would you really? [She pauses, glancing up towards the trees to the general location of their destination.] You have friends that are captives, correct?
[Meaning she understands the need to be locked and loaded for any circumstance one can imagine, and then some. So long as his arsenal doesn't impede movement, then he might as well carry all he's able and not share.]
[ He says it with a set jaw, and his hand tightens on the hilt of his sword. He's thinking of all of them, but more than any, he's thinking of Alina. He has to get her back. He'll not settle until he sees her again, safe and alive. ]
So yes. I'd share. I need everyone to be ready for this, not unarmed and unprepared.
[ Honestly, he'd rather not be dealing with new recruits now at all. He'd rather be dealing with people who already knew how the CDC worked, people who would be efficient and help them get the job done. That's what they need today.
He knows that's not fair, and ordinarily, he'd be wishing for the very opposite of this. But Alina's life is at stake. All their friends' lives are at stake. That's what he's focused on. ]
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For Hibari (Neheda drop log)
[ But they'll need a direction to send them in first. D'Artagnan straightens. It's easier, somehow, to focus on the team and what they need from him. ]
I'll speak to Armada. Find the others, Kyoya. Whatever our orders, we're going to need to get organised. No one should be alone right now.
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Fine.
[Armada. He'd know what to do. He'd... tell them how to right this.]
That's fine. I'll find the others.
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[ D'Artagnan takes a firm grip on his shoulder, and searches for the younger man's eyes. ]
Look at me. We will find what did this, all right? We'll find and and kill it. Both of us.
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Don't dare to die here.
[Her corpse could just as well be his; D'artagnan's body, scratched and bruised.]
Understood?
[He rights himself and stands, teeth bared.]
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For Erwin (Neheda drop log)
[ Is that a fair thing? He dislikes it. How much has happened to Erwin in his absence that he can't recall? It doesn't sit well with d'Artagnan. ]
I don't even know if we'll be living together now. Are you still on Blue Team?
you sound like a long-lost husband d'art
you gtfo he is already married to jack
[ He hadn't known Erwin all that well, though. He'd never really gotten the chance, before he disappeared.
He's all right with changing that now. ]
I'm on Green. Is there anything I can do to help you? I know your other friends, they're still here.
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omfg reiner he believed in u
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i can't believe i have good cr with him .... it feels like a dream ....
this is how the twilight zone feels
For Grey (Macha TDM)
[ He's not wrong about the needle, though the one d'Artagnan pulls out isn't exactly ordinary. It's a small silver gun. It'll do the same job, though. He reaches to take hold of Grey's wrist, below the injury. He knows you're supposed to inject these as close to the injury as possible, but the stab wound is right through the middle of his hand. ]
You've really been in battle, haven't you. [ He glances up at him. ] This is going to hurt. But it'll fix this, so just...brace yourself.
[ He does it quickly, injecting into the base of the hand. The nanite gets to work quickly, spreading out to fix the wound. It'll fix every part of it until it's like it was never injured, not even leaving a scar. D'Artagnan lets Grey go as it starts to work, and sits back, now looking at the other arm being cradled against his chest. He nods at it, hoping that fixing the boy's hand will have made him less nervous. ]
What's wrong with that one?
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He sounded sincere, not at all like he was on the cusp of betrayal. Grey had already braced himself for a needle, he had no time to also prepare for a gun. It felt. It wasn't like being stitched, or even stabbed. If it was a bullet, Grey guessed he would be missing a hand right now. It felt like getting his arm caught in a piston, or being punched by a very small pretty dull knife. Not that either of those things had happened before. Grey winced and gritted his teeth.
This was supposed to help? He was about to react when he started to see what was happening. It was putting his hand back together? Mesmerized, Grey watched his hand seemingly repair itself. It itched.
Grey flexed his fingers, inspecting his hand front and back and seeing no signs of the wound at all. He looked back over at d'Artagnan in awe. Today featured an overwhelming amount of impossible things happening, but d'Artagnan hadn't lied or tried to trick him after all. He should apologize. Apologies were on his other arm, the one that was broken. What happened to it?
D'Artagnan was right about a battle. Grey thought about Franco and he should feel angry, but he's just ashamed. He tried lifting his arm and weakly mimed a snapping-in-two motion. With his other arm, still marveling at his healed hand, he tilted it so the word "Trouble" was visible. No, that wouldn't work. What if he thought Grey had done something to get in trouble and deserved it? He hadn't done anything wrong... ]
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They're tattoos. [ His eyes slide back to the boy's strange face, and he shakes his head. ] Who are you? So many marks.
[ Where he's from - when he's from - tattoos like this aren't common. Sailors have them, and criminals. Often criminals. But those wouldn't be this kind of tattoo. They wouldn't be words, written in cursive, and...
Written in English. D'Artagnan can speak some English, now. He couldn't when he first arrived here, but he'd learned, because of those times when the translators fail. Reading it still isn't all that easy. The one he picks out isn't 'Trouble', but 'Die' - that one, he knows. But there are so many, and they seem so random. Individual words, not sentences or quotes. Just words, written all over the boy who doesn't speak. ]
They're how you talk, aren't they? I...
[ He pauses, and then his face settles into something sympathetic. ]
Listen. This? [ He holds up the nanite gun, letting Grey see it this time. ] It gives you a shot, and it fixes anything. Any injury. Just like your hand.
[ His head tilts, and he nods to Grey's broken arm again. ]
Do I need to give you more?
For Red (Macha TDM)
[ And, of course, the boy wants to come with them.
D'Artagnan's eyes slide uncertainly up to Charizard. There's no doubt that the dragon would be helpful, and if this boy can control him, there's no doubt that he would be helpful too.
But they'll be risking their lives. He chews his lip. He's young, compared to the other Musketeers. When he first met them, he'd felt strongly that he had to prove himself to them.
He hadn't been this young, though. ]
When we go there, we'll be hiding. We'll be looking for people, trying to get them out.
But if the Neraki - that's the aliens who took them - if they find us, they'll attack us. They'll do everything they can to kill us.
Are you ready for that? You and Charizard.
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That was why they had come here too. Red's lips press together with his decision made, but he turns to look to Charizard, the pokémon's eyes already down on him. It's not a question he thinks he even needs to ask, but- ] Charizard?
[ -he wanted to see that nod, just to be sure. He faces the man again, giving to him his own nod. ]
We are.
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Very strange. But he focuses on Red, seeing the resolution on his face, and he sighs. ]
All right.
[ He can't even believe what he's saying. He pulls his gun off his back. ]
Then get yours. It'll be in your pack, I'll show you how it works.
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There's two gun-handled shape items inside, and Red has to question which one matches to the man's own closest - and pulls out a compact gauss gun with more of a handle than the nanite gun. He had held it before when searching through the bag, but it still feels awkward in his hand - only holding it by the handle with no finger to the trigger - as he stands back up with it. ]
Okay.
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For Steve (Macha TDM)
[ So no, briefing was at a minimum.
D'Artagnan tries to put a lid on his frustration. He has the kind of temper that makes him just want to fight, and right now there's nothing to take that out on. He has to be calm. He has to be the soldier they need him to be.
As quickly as he can, he pulls out his blackglass, with the sector map of Macha and the list of plants and animals they'd combined. He turns this, showing it to Steve. It's a lot of information, but at least it's accessible. ]
You'll have a device like this. A blackglass. You can pull up maps, and information just like this. Everything you need to know about the planet, it's here. We just got back from mapping the place a few days ago.
[ That makes him blink, in semi-disbelief. The moment they'd returned, the Kraken was here. They'd still been recovering from that attack when the second one had come and people were taken. There's barely been time to catch their breath at all. Mapping feels like an age ago. ]
We use these to send messages, too. We know that two Neraki clans were involved in the attack. Khasatsa, and Rakitsa. [ He stumbles a little over those names. He's still not used to them. ] We don't know which particular villages they've been taken to, so we're splitting into two teams and searching both clans. Our job is to find them, and then rescue them.
With as little trouble as possible. It won't be easy.
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Once we find the right villages, it's going to be tough getting out. The treeline's pretty thick, and I'm sure they're spread out. Considering the potential for pulling out injured captives... [He pauses, glancing at d'Artagnan to make sure that doesn't set off his anger.] ...There's a chance that they'll try to pin us in.
[Right now the best Steve can offer is something to focus on and an outside opinion. They'll have a better chance of rescuing everyone if they're prepared for everything, and if he gets some insights from d'Artagnan, his ability to respond to the situation will be a lot better.]
We're counting on you to steer us.
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No. He can't think like that. If he does, he'll never keep his focus. ]
They'll know we're coming. They were right here in the camp. They took our people for a reason, they're trying to draw us out.
[ Which means they'll be ready, they'll be waiting. The group will have to be ready for that. ]
We can use the trees as much as they. We'll need to stay hidden until the last moment. We have teams. We're getting ready to move.
There'll be others following us, making sure that it ends here today. [ He looks up at Steve, worry clear in his eyes along with the anger. ] We can't afford any mistakes.
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They'll be following. Making sure it ends. Steve can't help but scowl as d'Artagnan says that, but he forces his expression to even out into impassive calm again.]
They came right into camp and managed to take prisoners. I think they've got an advantage in using the trees for cover so far. We can sneak up on them, but what happens after we take their prisoners?
[He looks back at the worry and anger reflected in d'Artagnan's face with troubled determination. They have to get the captives back. They've already made their plan and started to set it in motion, so he has to make sure that the people around him survive it. Steve doesn't like where this is going, but he nods anyway.]
They're not going to make it easy, but all right.
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For Han (Macha TDM)
Orange.
[ Well, it's a start. D'Artagnan nods, looking around, and pointing out both Kaname Chidori, and Pilot, on the field. ]
Those two. Chidori and Pilot, they're Orange Team leads. They can brief you on your mission. There's a deadline, and the rescue I'm part of has to end before it.
Our people were kidnapped. We're trying to save them, that's what all of this is about.
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han still doesn't give a fuck about the leaders or their overarching goals. but he can well understand worry for one's companions. he led his own mission not to rescue a galaxy that never gave a damn about him, but to protect and support the only people in it who meant something to him. it isn't a feeling hard to recognize in others. ]
Your mission's insane. [ so chances are it might actually be successful. no reward without risk, after all. han holsters his blaster. ] Thanks for the help. And — good luck.
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D'Artagnan blinks, not understanding at first, and then he moves towards the man. ]
What do you mean? We all have a part to play, or none of this is going to work.
[ Meaning, you can't just hear what the mission is and walk off, New to this or not, he's not going to let anyone turn their backs on this. ]
For Sheva (Macha TDM)
[ D'Artagnan pauses, glancing at her and lifting a brow. He's far from cheerful today, but even he can't help the little smirk that comment draws. ]
Don't worry. You don't look it.
[ He gestures at the gun. ]
They're locked to the owner. Only you can fire it. It's the same with mine, or I'd share.
[ Well, actually he might not. He does actually intend on using all of them. ]
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That's overly kind of you.
[It's the closest he's getting to a thank you. His tidbit about the weapons, on the other hand, shifts her entire demeanor into something less guarded. She thought that he was being selfish--not that she blames him, really.]
Would you really? [She pauses, glancing up towards the trees to the general location of their destination.] You have friends that are captives, correct?
[Meaning she understands the need to be locked and loaded for any circumstance one can imagine, and then some. So long as his arsenal doesn't impede movement, then he might as well carry all he's able and not share.]
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[ He says it with a set jaw, and his hand tightens on the hilt of his sword. He's thinking of all of them, but more than any, he's thinking of Alina. He has to get her back. He'll not settle until he sees her again, safe and alive. ]
So yes. I'd share. I need everyone to be ready for this, not unarmed and unprepared.
[ Honestly, he'd rather not be dealing with new recruits now at all. He'd rather be dealing with people who already knew how the CDC worked, people who would be efficient and help them get the job done. That's what they need today.
He knows that's not fair, and ordinarily, he'd be wishing for the very opposite of this. But Alina's life is at stake. All their friends' lives are at stake. That's what he's focused on. ]
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