06-05-2015, 02:51 AM
Samus felt her heart skip when Mickey stepped back into the world. Back into safety. There were three of them now. Suddenly the prospect of reuniting MESH became real. Pepsiman was gone, but … Harry could still be out there. It ached. That was the problem when you started bringing friends into your work. Tragedy happened. It hurt so much more when you had to witness it. But she couldn’t let herself stop moving now. If they could just make it a little further … then at least one of them could escape. But not until they were all together.
At the back of her mind, Samus was beginning to think about the possibility of winning the competition. They’d come this far … and she knew she had the skill to take it. Gaining such a prize would help her efforts to unseat the Empire. But what would that mean? Winning. It meant that some of them would have to go through the agony of death.
She didn’t want to think about that right now. It was too far off. But at the back of her mind, it waited. Soon, it whispered.
With a great effort, Samus shook off the dark thoughts and returned to the present. Adrenaline filled her once more. “We’re halfway to the end, people. Let’s not get complacent.”
The group around her nodded, even as their faces lost some of their new cheer. Even now, enemies might be watching them. Waiting to put a bullet between the heads of two old comrades as they reunited. Samus could not let down her vigil for even one second.
“I trust the Sword kept you well,” said Samus.
“Yes.” Mickey smiled, but it held something behind it that told Samus their time apart hadn’t been easy.
That’s good, thought Samus. It will help him survive.
“What’s that on your hand?”
Samus glanced down at her left hand. The claws. Something about them unnerved her; they looked like they had a history of blood, and in the same way the Sword filled her with courage and faith, the claws did not. They felt like they had needs of their own. “I found them,” she muttered. Everyone knew what that meant.
Mickey hesitated. “Do you want your sword back? I can take those claws … if …”
Looking at the sword did fill Samus with longing. It was true, and Mickey saw that. But she shook her head. “No.” He needs it, she thought. “You’re a better swordsman than me anyway.
Mickey couldn’t argue with that, and he seemed a bit relieved. “Thanks, Samus.”
She waved her hand dismissively, but the claws gave an eerie edge to what would otherwise have been an offhanded gesture. She was glad they weren’t permanent. She turned to Gildarts.
“What are you planning to do now? Stay with us, or go alone?”
The man balked a bit, scratching the back of his neck. “You mind if I stay with your group for a while? You guys seem … able.”
Samus nodded. “Good. I just wanted to hear it from you.” As far as she was concerned, Gildarts was one of their group now. But in a competition like this, there was no possibility too small to be taken account of. Erza might trust him, but he was still a stranger to Samus and had to be treated as such.
“So what next?” piped in the red-haired woman.
Samus withdrew her map, removed a Caterpie from it, and began pointing.
At the back of her mind, Samus was beginning to think about the possibility of winning the competition. They’d come this far … and she knew she had the skill to take it. Gaining such a prize would help her efforts to unseat the Empire. But what would that mean? Winning. It meant that some of them would have to go through the agony of death.
She didn’t want to think about that right now. It was too far off. But at the back of her mind, it waited. Soon, it whispered.
With a great effort, Samus shook off the dark thoughts and returned to the present. Adrenaline filled her once more. “We’re halfway to the end, people. Let’s not get complacent.”
The group around her nodded, even as their faces lost some of their new cheer. Even now, enemies might be watching them. Waiting to put a bullet between the heads of two old comrades as they reunited. Samus could not let down her vigil for even one second.
“I trust the Sword kept you well,” said Samus.
“Yes.” Mickey smiled, but it held something behind it that told Samus their time apart hadn’t been easy.
That’s good, thought Samus. It will help him survive.
“What’s that on your hand?”
Samus glanced down at her left hand. The claws. Something about them unnerved her; they looked like they had a history of blood, and in the same way the Sword filled her with courage and faith, the claws did not. They felt like they had needs of their own. “I found them,” she muttered. Everyone knew what that meant.
Mickey hesitated. “Do you want your sword back? I can take those claws … if …”
Looking at the sword did fill Samus with longing. It was true, and Mickey saw that. But she shook her head. “No.” He needs it, she thought. “You’re a better swordsman than me anyway.
Mickey couldn’t argue with that, and he seemed a bit relieved. “Thanks, Samus.”
She waved her hand dismissively, but the claws gave an eerie edge to what would otherwise have been an offhanded gesture. She was glad they weren’t permanent. She turned to Gildarts.
“What are you planning to do now? Stay with us, or go alone?”
The man balked a bit, scratching the back of his neck. “You mind if I stay with your group for a while? You guys seem … able.”
Samus nodded. “Good. I just wanted to hear it from you.” As far as she was concerned, Gildarts was one of their group now. But in a competition like this, there was no possibility too small to be taken account of. Erza might trust him, but he was still a stranger to Samus and had to be treated as such.
“So what next?” piped in the red-haired woman.
Samus withdrew her map, removed a Caterpie from it, and began pointing.
![[Image: 0bwAI3j.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/0bwAI3j.jpg)