jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:54:12 GMT -6
Garrett watched in awe as the events unfolded as if he was in a dream. Neither the enemy soldier or Sapphire acknowledged him. She had ran passed him, seemingly towards something and despite shouting after her, she kept running. The adrenaline began pumping in his body again as he ran faster, the impact of his powers having not taken effect on his stamina quite yet. "Hey! Sapphire!" He had called, panting as he sprinted after her and looking on in terror as she confronted another enemy. He began to shout at her to run only to see something he never expected.
"Sapph--" was all he was able to shout as the sniper lifted his rifle to take aim and end her. But that's not what happened. Instead of shot ringing out and taking this woman's life, the soldier's gun was whipped out of his hands like a child having a toy taken away. She was at least 30 feet away! Amber was right...she was indeed a psychic! And what's more was that she was still that powerful despite her head wound! What...who was she?
The sniper had a similar thought process but unlike Garrett, he had no intention of letting her live so that he could find out. This freak was damaged goods, a wounded animal that got in his way. He only wanted to take out the iron soldier that had annihlated his comrades but if she wanted to go first then he was happy to oblige! But suddenly the script was flipped as he was powerless to prevent his trusty rifle from being torn from his hands! This thing...this thing had that much power?!
The sniper locked his eyes on her head, particularly the gash of a wound that was hidden under that soldier's scarf. If he could just make one hit. He darted forward and yelled out, heart pounding as his right hand reached across to his left hip, unsheathing his combat knife to attempt to land a lethal stroke, closing the distance between them to a mere 10 feet. He was almost there, if he could just strike first he might survive the day!
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:54:53 GMT -6
Sapphire had shown tremendous courage by doing what she did to save Garret. However, as she watched the sniper unsheathe a knife and start to move towards her, that courage instantly faded away... Instead, she started to feel scared...more scared than she ever had in her life... With fear creeping into her heart at an unprecedented level, she could only take a step or two back before the fear paralyzed her. There she stood, shaking like a leaf in the wind with extreme anxiety taking over her body as a mad man charged to end her life...
Lost in her fear, all Sapphire could do was watch as the sniper closed the distance between the two of them. And the closer he got, the more scared she became... Him being merely ten feet away had sent such a panic through her system that she could have honestly gone into cardiac arrest. Despite the danger, she still stood...unable to move an inch... It was almost as if she were a helpless child and didn't know what to do in that moment...
The gap between them closed even more, until finally the man was right upon her. The entire time, Sapphire never once moved... The man was even able to raise his knife over scared girl's head and threatened to kill her without facing a trace of resistance. And things only got worse when that knife started to plunge towards her skull...
It was when it became crystal clear to Sapphire that she was going to die that she finally reacted. However...she was still so paralyzed with fear that all she could do was cry in her paralysis... Frightened tears streamed from her blue eyes down her bloody face as she watched the sharp edge of the knife plunge down towards her... The blade fell to within mere inches of her head when something inside of her...snapped...
In the blink of an eye, the sniper's blade suddenly came to a halt directly above her open wound... Not only that, the sniper found his assault suddenly turned when his attacking arm was strangely thrown away from her only to be twisted behind his back. There, his arm was held back so tightly that it threatened to dislocate his shoulder... All of this happening on it's own...it was painfully obvious that Sapphire had somehow tapped into her psychic powers to save herself. With her too scared to move just moments before...how did she do it...? The answer would prove to be very complicated if not downright terrifying...
As Sapphire held the soldier captive with her psychic bind, the girl's fearful face suddenly turned into an emotionless expression of darkness. Her eyes were no longer the soft sapphire iris her attempted killer may have seen moments before, but were now a dark, piercing red. She glared at her attacker with no emotion or fear and finally addressed him in a way that showed great confidence, if not even arrogance...
"...You would dare strike a lady...? Do you not realize that society frowns upon that sort of thing? I would have thought a soldier of Master's army would have been raised better than this..."
It became clear in that moment that this woman wasn't the same person either Garret or the sniper had seen just moments before... It was impossible to say what had happened, but something about her was clearly different and terrifyingly so...
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:57:09 GMT -6
Garrett had still been about 50 feet away from Sapphire and had again begun to sprint towards Sapphire, knowing he couldn't live with himself if he had leg anybody else whom he was supposed to be protecting perish on the battlefield. His messy hair blew wildly in the wind as he tried to close the gap between them. "Get out of there!" He shouted futilely, unable to draw his weapon to take a shot as Sapphire stood in his line of sight and blocked his ability to get a clean shot. Damn, she was going to get herself killed at this rate. A soldier that close range with a combat knife was beyond deadly, their speed and precision practically beaten into them in training. This was it, he was about to watch her lose her life. The terror of that thought however was nothing compared to what he would soon witness. He finally reached Sapphire as she had seemingly snapped out of her fear and decided to fight back with a ferocity and coldness that had yet to see from her. Suddenly she was calmer, more in control. Even her posture and demeanor seemed to shift. Was this really the same woman? Garrett's mind tried to keep up with what his eyes were witnessing, but reality seemingly was moving too quickly. This woman was a psychic and was somehow this powerful despite such an intense wound on her head. Not only that but it seemed she was much more fierce than she let on. An act so he would drop his guard perhaps...? He stayed silent for the moment, a dreadful curiosity and need to understand guiding him to lament for the moment and watch the events unfold. Though he could've used the sniper to inform him on Calvert's plans, it seemed his fate was indeed sealed.
Meanwhile the sniper was also trying to comprehend his new reality, though pain and confusion kept any sort of conscious thought at bay. How was this possible?! Weren't they supposed to be on the same side?? Then what could drive her to protect that man from his deadly intentions rather than eliminating him herself?! His arm felt like it was on fire and while it was overwhelming to feel his own body bending to the will of this psychic woman, her words made him grit his teeth in a rage.
"You're one to talk, witch! You talk about his plans as if you're still following orders yet here you are saving the life of an enemy. As far as I'm concerned, woman or not, you don't have a place in society, let alone in HIS world!" His words were venomous as he dropped to his knees, the strain from fighting against her telekinetic hold becoming too great for his body to bear. At this rate he was almost ready to beg for mercy but he refused to. He wasn't about to give her the satisfaction. He peered over her shoulder toward Garrett, his eyes mad with pain, fear, and hate.
Garrett meanwhile continued to be a silent observer, his duties as a soldier being overshadowed by his humanity for the moment. This man was being toyed with and suffering, being dealt the fate of someone who served a tyrannical beast like Calvert. Regret began to swell in Garrett but it subsided as he turned his attention back to Sapphire whose back was to him. He clenched his fist. If she was indeed one of Calvert's, had she been playing him? Her fear and sadness seemed so raw that it couldn't have been an act. Still, what was transpiring in front of him now just couldn't be ignored...
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:58:08 GMT -6
After her initial words, Sapphire just quietly stared at the sniper suffering from the psychic hold he was in. Even as he went so far as to insult her and claimed her to be a traitor with no place in this world, she showed no emotion to his remarks. What should have enraged her seemed to fall on deaf ears. Those remarks should have been enough to cause her to do the unthinkable to this man, yet she caused him no more pain than what he was already in... That said, her grip also never let go showing she seemed to be in perfect control of her emotions...Or was she just simply insane...?
Regardless of the case, she callously watched as Calvert's soldier fell to his knees. She actually expected him to start begging and had to smile sadistically when he didn't do so. Since he seemed to be in the mood for a conversation, the cold woman felt more than happy to oblige him...
"...So I'm a witch, am I? I'm a traitor who has no place in this world...is that it?" Sapphire responded before giggling at nothing in particular. "...Resorting to name calling after attempting to strike a woman... You really are the scum of the earth..."
With these words, Sapphire strangely released the soldier from the psychic hold that was threatening to break his arm. However, she used her telekinetic abilities to pull the knife out of his hand the same way she had the gun earlier leaving him unarmed. This time though, instead of the letting the knife simply fly away, it gently floated around and landed perfectly in Sapphire's hand showing the great mastery Sapphire had over her power.
"...Let me tell you something you may not know..." Sapphire softly responded as she examined the blade she had just stolen. "...I know my place in society... That it's at the beckon call of my Master... He did though give me permission to kill whoever I saw as my enemy... Seeing as you were attempting to strike me, I deem that as an attempt on my life..."
Despite what she had said, Sapphire once more giggled darkly before looking at the kneeling soldier with those piercing red eyes of hers. She used a finger to gently side sweep her bangs out of her eyes before giving this soldier the sadistic smile so many had seen before their lives had ended...
"...Friend or foe...doesn't matter to me... You make an attempt on my life, and it's yours that will be lost... As far as I'm concerned, you are nothing more than the scum of the earth and it would honestly be a better place without you... So let's fix that, shall we?"
In those final moments, Sapphire looked the soldier before her square in the eye. As she did, her own eyes began to glow with an almost otherworldly reddish glow... If the soldier was unfortunate enough to be making eye contact, he would find himself immediately lost in her hypnotic gaze... His senses would begin to fade along with his consciousness. In mere moments, he would know nothing but Sapphire's absolute control...
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:58:30 GMT -6
The soldier's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and indignation. His teeth were bared under his mask, gritting them in pain and anger as the psychic continued to hurl insults and at him like he was a petulant child at a principal's office at school. Just who was this woman? Did she really get direct orders from Calvert? And if she did, why did she help the soldier that had taken out five of their comrades. If she was indeed told to eliminate all foes to their cause then surely he was on that list! His eyes narrowed in disdain, staring at her scarlet eyes with nothing but a searing wish that she would drop dead on the spot. But we those eyes took on a glow unlike anything he had seen, all his questions and thoughts were pushed to the background. It was like everything in the periphery ceased to matter as those glowing eyes seemed to make everything else just...fade away...
The sniper wasn't the only one with questions. Garrett had been listening intently, their conversation revealing many details about...whoever this woman was as he berated for possibly having switched sides. Garrett dared not interfere and instead put his deductive reasoning to use as he crossed his arms and his eyes focused on the expression of the sniper. From what Garrett could tell, he had been looking at Sapphire's eyes before shutting up, confirming some form of ocular ability on her part plus telekinesis. She was definitely formidable.
On top of that she mentioned her Master which could only mean one person. Calvert. Garrett didn't like where this was heading. Just what had he gotten himself and Amber into? Amber! He grit his teeth as his body tensed. He just realized that with Sapphire here, what had become of his ally? Had she been hurt or...? He shook his head furiously, no she couldn't be gone. Whoever this was stated that she would eliminate anyone who would make an attempt on her life and he was sure that didn't mean Amber. Why would she?
"You're really something else," Garrett said cautiously, his tone communicating respect and wariness for what was transpiring. "You have all this power despite that wound...and you can somehow go from a scared woman in need of rescue...to someone who talks of death and her willingness to survive in what seems like the blink of an eye..." he said as he continued to stand behind her.
"Like you, I don't plan on hurting someone that isn't going to try to take my life first...my question is...what do you intend to do once you're done with him?" He asked, his eyes moving from the soldier to Sapphire's back. It was too late to save the guy, not that he wanted to anyway. He just needed to understand all this and if she could be reasoned with, hopefully he could get out of whatever insanity was unfolding here.
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 23:00:00 GMT -6
As the sniper stared into Sapphire's glowing red eyes, the sadistic woman just quietly laughed under her breath. As she anticipated, her eyes were the source of his focus and with his gaze firmly on hers, she had total control over his being... In a sense...this man had signed his life away to her the moment he set eyes on her own...
With his gaze on hers and his mind now practically in her hands, there was an unlimited amount of things Sapphire could have done to him... She could have easily wiped his memories or implanted new ones to make him think things he may not have otherwise. She could have even used her powers to take total control over his being if she so choose. Before she could do any of those things however, she heard the voice of Garret speaking behind her... When he did, she finally became aware of his presence...
Somehow during the madness, it seemed as if Sapphire had forgotten about the man she had saved earlier. She was so preoccupied with Calvert's goon that she didn't even realize he had gotten behind her. When Garret spoke for the first time, her body seemed to become tense... Whether it was from fear or anger...no one could tell at all...
Silently the woman stood her ground looking to the sniper she had taken control of as Garret spoke to her. What he said though...didn't seem to register with her at all... She was a woman who could go from needing saving to holding her own at will...? While this was indeed true, the sadistic woman seemed puzzled by his statements as if she had viewed them as far from true...
Obviously confused by what he was saying, Sapphire's glowing eyes returned to their normal state. Though she still held the sniper's will for the moment, she felt it was time to address the one who had been eavesdropping on their conversation. It was in that moment that she simply turned her head towards Garret and looked at him from the corner of her eye. When her head had turned, Garret could see the blood red iris that made up her eyes for the first time...
"...Are you speaking to me, rebel...?" Sapphire questioned, almost as if she didn't recognize the man before her. "...What is this nonsense you spout about me being helpless? Are you trying to insult me in some way? If so...you should know I don't take kindly to such things..."
After saying this, Sapphire slowly turned herself towards Garret with him now in her sights. As she did, her expression never once changed... This woman may have seemed innocent and timid when they had first spoken, but this...was clearly not the same Sapphire Garret had seen just moments ago. Now she was cold, emotionless, and had this sense of evil about her...
She stared at him with her dead red eyes for several moments before glancing down to the knife that she had in her hand. The thought did enter her mind to make a stab at him, but she remembered she had other plans for this knife for the person behind her... With a huff, Sapphire simply dropped the knife to the ground and gently kicked it back to the sniper behind her. As she did, she gave him some very dark instructions as to what he was to do with it...
"I do admit that I enjoy killing my foes. It's the most invigorating thing I get to enjoy outside of those laboratory walls. However, I have a terrible headache right now, and someone more important than you to deal with. Would you be so kind as to take your own life for me so I can attend to more important matters?"
Her request to the sniper behind her to any individual would have been insane to say the least. However, she was so confident in her powers that she literally could turn her back on the man and entrust that he would follow through on her words... Words that, to his entranced mind were law that had to be followed. Sapphire wasn't worried about the man behind her who she was confident would take care of himself. Her attention was now focused on Garret...
"...You asked what I intend to do, rebel...? All I'll say is what I do will depend on what you try or say next..."
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 23:01:24 GMT -6
Sure enough in that highly suggestible, empty minded state, the sniper had given no thought towards what the woman had asked of him. She was, at that moment, the center of his entire universe and was therefore beyond questioning or arguing. Robotically the sniper reached forward and grasped the hilt of his knife in his hand, turning it towards himself and proceeding with his grim assignment. A sharp pain filled his senses and suddenly the world went dark and he saw no more.
Garrett continued to be party of this demonstration, his eyes moving from the newest body on the ground to Sapphire. As she turned around to face him, Garrett's eyes narrowed then widened in confusion. She looked like Sapphire, but her demeanor..her posture...and even her eyes were so different! Her eyes had become scarlet red! Garrett caught himself and turned his eyes to the ground, having no intention of being manipulated like her last opponent.
"My intention remains the same," he said calmly, his hands calmly hanging at his sides as he addressed her. "I intended to get you help for your wound. You are powerful and there's no question that you can take care of yourself but if they were all Calvert sent...then your only hope to avoid certain death is to come with me and let us help you," he said in a matter of fact voice. This man was again full of surprises, choosing to continue to extend the olive branch despite knowing whom she served and the nature of her powers.
"Now if we go find Amber," he added, using this as a way to confirm that she was indeed still alive, "maybe we can get you patched up. But I want your word that you aren't going to harm any of my people," he said plainly. Frankly he didn't know how much of what he said was true about her chances or if there were more reinforcements from Calvert on the way. He just knew he needed to survive and prevent this psychic from falling back into his hands. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't faking before. It was like she was somebody completely different.
"What do you say Sapphire?" He asked, using the name he had given here, though now he wondered if her amnesia was a ploy as well. He braced himself for the worst.
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 23:02:33 GMT -6
Sapphire never once looked back to see if Calvert's sniper had done the deed she had 'requested' of him. Instead her cold eyes never once left Garret. The only attention she gave to the man behind her was a simple sadistic smile of satisfaction when his body fell to the ground lifeless... She may have been the cause, but there was just something about people making her job killing easier that she found pleasure in...
Not long after the soldier fell, it did cross Sapphire's mind to initiate the same fate on the man before her. To her surprise though, Garret was swift to look away and never once gave her the opportunity to look into his eyes... Either he already knew of her power's weakness, or he was very observant. Either way, it was enough to cause her sadistic smile to fade into a more natural one showing respect for him if nothing else...
As she stood there staring in Garret's direction, Sapphire found herself surprised even more when the rebel before her gave her an intriguing offer... Not only did he reveal his intentions to help her get the medical help she clearly needed, he laid out a clever case before her making it sound as if he were her only hope. Then, this was followed by the mentioning of a strange name...a name in which Sapphire seemed to not know...
"...Why do you address me as Sapphire...? Are you mistaking me for someone else? I don't have a name, rebel. I am simply known as S-103, the third ranked psychic-soldier of Master Calvert's defensive forces..."
With these words, Sapphire looked back towards the now dead sniper. Using her telekinetic powers on the knife that was now plunged into his dead body, she once more willed it from his corpse causing it to gently float into her waiting right hand... Heaven only knew what she intended to do with this weapon...
"...As for your offer...you puzzle me with it..." Sapphire responded as she gently wiped the sniper's blood clean of the blade on her only gloved arm. "...I helped slaughter hundreds of your comrades in the previous battle before one of your...buddies decided to blow himself up on me and give me this wound. I'm nothing more than the enemy to you, a murderer who admittedly took great delight in killing your allies... So why on earth would you make such an offer to me knowing all of that?"
As strange as it seemed, despite how insane Sapphire may have came across earlier, she actually seemed somewhat reasonable. Or...at least more reasonable than she had let on earlier. To Garret, there could have been numerous reasons why she was actually engaging in talks with him instead of outright attacking him. In reality though, the main reason the psychic wasn't attacking was because she didn't feel like her life was being threatened. That combined with a bit of respect towards Garret's 'appreciation' of her abilities and being was just enough to keep her civil...at the moment...
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 23:03:50 GMT -6
Garrett was still in the midst of trying to comprehend this strange 180 that Sapphire was showing him. She was clearly well trained if she could seem so genuinely confused and scared before. Still he couldn't pass up all of this information that she was providing him. S-103 huh? How many were there total? Did this mean there were two psychics stronger than her? He could see that she wasn't taking drastic steps towards him or flexing any of her powers towards him now. Was she spent after that display? Or perhaps she didn't see him as a threat? Maybe she wanted to defect. He could only hope.
She had asked him about why he called her by Sapphire and demonstrated that almost fanatical sense of duty that he had been debriefed about. Master huh? As much as he wanted to express his disdain for Calvert's practices, he could tell that any sort of opinion expressed against that tyrant would possibly lead to her retaliation let alone her distrust of him. "I call you Sapphire because that number of yours...that's not something that I can refer to you as. You're a human being Sapphire, and I'll treat you as such," he said as he dusted himself off. "So that's why I call you that," he said as his eyes followed the knife.
"As for my offer, I'm here to save people. Sides. Political views. Opinions. None of those things matter here Sapphire," he assured sullenly, looking over his shoulder briefly where he had left the other soldiers. "Like you I have no intention of throwing my life away. But something you and I both can agree on is that you and I... don't mean each other any harm," he said as he held his hands up at his sides.
Garrett's eyes moved to the top of her head, carefully studying her physical state. Between the amount of power she exerted and the injury that she had already sustained, she was surely putting herself in danger. "Now...I can take you back with us Sapphire. And we can save you," he held his hand out to Sapphire, unthreateningly and reassuringly holding out his hand to Sapphire, offering possible salvation to this battle hardened woman in hopes that even if he couldn't change her mind, he could at the very least offer her perspective to their cause.
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 23:06:31 GMT -6
Choosing not to insult Calvert proved to be a brilliant move on Garret's part. If he had done as much, there was no telling what this woman who saw him as her Master would have done... Needless to say it wouldn't have been pretty, especially with what she had already demonstrated. Instead, the rebel soldier seemed more than content to keep his poker face on and continue to offer her a peaceful transition to their little standoff.
Sapphire quietly listened as Garret explained to her the reason for giving her a name. Though she didn't exactly seem amused by his refusal to address her by her true identity, she also never showed any indication of finding his reasons offensive. Through it all, her emotionless state never seemed to changed. Even as Garret extended his hand to her again reiterating his desire to get her the medical attention she desperately needed...
With Garret's hand extended, Sapphire's eyes trailed to it for only a brief moment before a sharp migraine hit her. No doubt caused by the wound, the pain was so intense that she was forced to grab the right side of her face and close a single eye to contain it as best as she could. Though obviously in agony, she just smiled in Garret's direction refusing to show the rebel before her any sort of weakness...
"...You're...something else, rebel... The first soldier I've ever encountered who has actually seen me as something other than a monster..."
Following her initial response, Sapphire gently turned her only open eye away from Garret and onto the blade that rested in her free hand. Glancing at it carefully, she began to examine her own reflection within the contours of the bloody relic to get a full view of her current situation she had been blind to until now...
"...As much as I would like...to accept your offer, I don't see how I could... Doing so would go against everything Master...has beaten into us... Our duty is to fight until death...and yet...I find myself incapable attacking you..."
With those words escaping Sapphire's lips, the cold woman softly turned her left eye back towards Garret once again. She continued to smile at him to hide away her true feelings. However, the extreme pain that she was in was obviously displayed on her face... It took everything in Sapphire not to let the tears of pain flow down her face most likely viewing such an act as a sign of weakness... Though she refused to let herself physically show any trance of weakness, her words went on to prove just how miserable she truly was...
"...You shouldn't help me... I am nothing to you... But...I can't accept death on these terms... I am...programmed to only die by HIS hand, or on the battlefield alone... If I die here...If I die now...it would dishonor him... I...I can't take the shame of dishonoring Master... Rebel...I shouldn't ask, but please...please help me... Save me from dying in disgrace... Please..."
In that moment of asking Garret for help, a solitary tear of sadness finally made it's way down the sadistic woman's cheek. It may have been such a small thing to give in to those tears, but for Sapphire it was the hardest thing she had ever done... While the pain of giving into her weaknesses was indeed great, it was nothing compared to the pain that hit her head as a result of going against her own being...
Dropping the blade from her hand to the ground below, Sapphire was forced to grab both sides of her and thrash about wildly as a sharp migraine hit her at full force... At one point, the pain was so intense that she was forced to fall to her knees screaming in pure agony. To any onlooker, it might have seemed as if she were being attacked or tortured by some sort of demon. In reality though, this pain she felt was simply the wound finally settling in and taking its toll after everything she had done. Strange as it was though...something else started to come out of this little episode...
As fast as the migraine had set in on Sapphire, it seemed to have just as swiftly past... The injured woman remained huddled over clasping both sides of her head tightly for several more moments before she finally felt decent enough to lift her face up. As she rose up once more, before Garret was no longer that sadistic woman with piercing red eyes... Instead before him was the face of a familiar timid girl with a pair of soft, sapphire-blue eyes looking about as if she were lost and confused... Somehow, Sapphire had once more undergone a strange transformation and didn't seem like the person she was just moments ago..
Sapphire looked about nervously for several moments trying to process what was going on before her eyes finally landed on Garret. As soon as she saw him, it was almost as if she had seen an angel or something wondrous. Tears of joy began to gently streak down her bloody face as she wept for joy seeing that her savior was alive. So overtaken by joy, the only words she could seem to utter were the soft whispers of his name. "...G-Gar...Garret...? ...Garret..."
...There was no clear explanation as to what Garret was witnessing right now... In a strange twist of fate, Sapphire was once again displaying the same innocent behavior that he had witnessed when he first met her. Not only that, it was almost as if Sapphire wasn't even aware of what she had done or said just minutes ago... If this wasn't some sort of act, it seemed as if there were two different beings inside of this woman... Could...that really be true...?
Garret wouldn't be given a great deal of time to contemplate the facts. For out of the silence of this moment suddenly came the sounds of a familiar voice. A voice that Garret would surely be relieved to hear from.
"Garret!? Garret, where are you, you big lug!?" Came the voice of Amber finally answering the question of what had became of her earlier.
Her voice only had time to make itself known to the pair when Amber came flying around the corner of debris. As she passed that corner, the first thing she saw was her partner safe and sound! She swiftly made her way over to his side and gave him a friendly smack on the back to greet him.
"There you are! Oh my gosh, I was so worried about you!" Amber joyfully shouted to her partner. "I had NO doubt you could take on those soldiers by yourself. I was worried though when that psychic we found started going after you. I thought she would come and do something terrible to you. No psychic is getting through your hard defense, though!
Glancing over to the kneeling Sapphire, Amber just smiled and crossed her arms... She hadn't the faintest idea what had just happened and only assumed Sapphire was on her knees due to Garret's fighting abilities... As such, her words went on to reflect just that...
"Glad you could bring this lowly psychic to her knees. It's starting to get late though and we need to get out of here. Just shoot this woman now and get it over with so we can go home. There aren't any more survivors to be found here and I REALLY don't want to be around if Calvert sends in anymore search and recuse troops. Please kill this...freak so we can go..."
Hearing those words naturally sent a small shock to Sapphire's being. With a great sense of fear, she looked at Garret sadly and began to tremble nervously... As she looked at him, she seemed even more lost and confused than she already was. As confused as she was, Garret surely had to be worse off... Before him was a strange woman who seemed to have some sort of severe mental disorder... It would be so easy for him to just pick her off right then and there and be done with it... No one would ever know, and it would spare him whatever trouble he might come to inherit taking care of his 'freakish enemy'. That said...could Garret really bring himself to truly end the trembling girl before him...? Would he take the easy way out and eliminate a burden that clearly wasn't his to carry? Or...would he stick to his promise and get her the help he had promised Sapphire so many times already...? At this moment, this strange woman's fate was in his hands... He was her judge, jury, and if he deemed necessary...her executioner...
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 3, 2018 21:33:51 GMT -6
Garrett again was thrown for a loop as he listened to Sapphire to continue to refer to him as 'rebel' rather than his name. Where was this coming from? Had the head injury caused her to forget his name or something? Maybe that was the reason behind a lot of her seemingly drastic changes to how she was addressing him and carrying herself. His confusion and apprehension were soon dispelled as he began to listen to this woman talk about her life and her servitude to this master of hers like she was some kind of indoctrinated cult member or an abused slave. Both sentiments seemed accurate as she talked about her own life as if it was so forfeit. Whatever hold this psycho had on her, Garrett could see clearly that she needed more help than he had originally anticipated. "Look, Sapphire..." he began to say but was interrupted by her recoiling in pain. Garrett took slow steps forward, cautiously moving closer in a nonthreatening manner to remind her once again that his first intention wasn't to harm her. Though when the screaming stopped and her eyes found his again, that steely, cold demeanor seemed to somehow melt and giveway to that innocent woman that he had found on the battlefield only minutes before. It was so strange to consider how short of an amount of time had passed since then and yet it almost felt like years due to all the intensity. His heart sank as he heard the sad and lonely way she spoke his name, the sound like a stab to his heart as he listened to her calling out to him. He began to speak, not realizing that Amber was close behind him.
"Hey..." he began to say, his tone soft and kind, a contrast to his battle worn demeanor as a small smile formed on his face. She was saying his name again, that was a start he figured. Though before anything else could come of his hopes, Amber had arrived on the scene, much to his initial relief."I had YOU worried?! After I saw Sapphire alone I thought something had happened to you!" he responded, their typical banter beginning to resume despite the circumstances. When Amber had turned her attention toward Sapphire and began discussing what she had thought had happened between them, he at first could empathize. After all, with him running ahead and Sapphire running after, that easily could give the impression that she had some malicious intent to aid Calvert's soldiers in ending him. Though before he could clarify, that was when Amber's fears of Sapphire began to bubble to the surface, not only frightening Sapphire but also showing just what fear and uncertainty could do to such a hopeful person as Amber. He clenched his fist. The pragmatism of the situation made sense. Why waste medical supplies and resources for someone that would possibly turn right around and wipe out the rest of his comrades at the base. But at the same time....she was clearly not someone who was choosing this life. Calvert had his hooks so deep into her that she was resigned to being a weapon for him and willingly let herself be cast aside and killed.
Garrett looked at Sapphire with an expression of calm consideration. Finally Garrett took several steps towards Sapphire, slowly and steadily as he looked her in the eye and knelt down in front of her. "I'm not executing a woman whose been beaten down into being that scumbag's attack dog. We're taking her with us and that's the last I need to hear about it. This woman is a victim turned soldier, she didn't choose this. Just like I'm choosing not to allow this bloodshed to take priority over my sense of right and wrong," he said as he gently took her hand and helped her to her feet, allowing her to use him as a support. "Now let's get going."
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 3, 2018 22:05:35 GMT -6
When Garret took the time to examine Sapphire, the timid girl could barely move a muscle. Her light trembling only seemed to became worse when he finally started to advance towards her. The entire time, all Sapphire could think about was that he was coming to kill her which naturally scared her. As he knelt down in front of her and spoke...both she and Amber were shocked by his response...
As Garret explained that he intended to help this woman who was merely a victim and would spill no more blood, Sapphire's anxiety began to melt away... She showed no fear or hesitation as the kind man before her gently took her hand and helped her up to her feet. Though she didn't seem to really understand what was going on, his kindness wasn't missed. In fact, it seemed to ease her a great deal as Garret offered it to her...
Sapphire might have been accepting of what Garret had decided, but Amber was not... It took her several moments to come out of the shock of what he had just said and started to do. Before she could say a word in protest though, Garret laid down the law saying this was how it was going to be. As a simple healing medic in the field...she was under his order and couldn't challenge them...
"Garret... I..." Amber replied before sighing in frustration. "...This isn't right, and you know it... As long as you understand you are taking full responsibility for what you are about to do...who am I to say otherwise...? Fine...let's go... Judging from that wound...I have my doubts she'll even make the trip..."
Amber may have been speaking out of spite with her words, but there was a grain of truth to what she was saying... Sapphire was indeed in bad shape and...pushing herself as she had since being found was starting to really catch up with her... It may have taken longer than anticipated, but the full severity of her injury finally took it's toll as Sapphire attempted to take a step in the direction Garret was going... She was no more able to take a single step before stumbling and requiring Garret's assistance just to not fall...
Regaining her footing, Sapphire looked ahead as best as she could, but her eyes started to glaze over... Her vision became a bit blurry and she started to sway a bit losing her balance. As more blood began to stream down her face from her wound on her head, it wasn't but a moment after that the poor girl lost consciousness and fell entirely to Garret's support... Sapphire had done too much and lost so much blood that she was unable to stay conscious anymore... After all the stunts she had pulled...it was all catching up to her in a horrible way...
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 6, 2018 22:03:28 GMT -6
"I do take full responsibility Amber. She just saved my life and I think that does mean something," he added, knowing that part of Amber's reaction was from a lack of understanding of what had transpired between him, those dead enemies, and Sapphire just moments ago. I know that what I'm doing seems insane and I know that you and I have fought as allies for a while now. I've protected you and our cause for so long now. The cause of ending Calvert's reign and release the grip he has on our country. It's just that right now....Sapphire here is a smaller part of the bigger mission," he said calmly, though he was uncertain if these statements would provide Amber any comfort or reassurance. Garrett looked to Sapphire from the side of his eye and allowed himself to curl the side of his mouth into a small, sad smile. "Maybe you'll see things our way, maybe you won't. But I'm more concerned about the here and now," he said simply, knowing that regardless of what choices Sapphire would make in the future, if she succumbed to her wounds and perished there it wouldn't matter.
Garrett could feel more and more of Sapphire's weight being placed on his body until finally he picked up her body in his arms, taking care to lean her head against his shoulder to keep her level. "Make sure they have full detail of her injuries when we get evacuated, there's definitely not going to be any room for error here," Garrett said hurriedly as he began to pick up the pace, his steps becoming more pronounced and increasing in speed and urgency. It wasn't long before they were strapped in and being taken to their headquarters, with Garrett's eyes doing their best to remain on Sapphire rather than the questioning glances of his allies. Though he couldn't help but hear the doubtful murmurs, he tried his best to block them from his mind. It was okay if they didn't understand his reasoning, so long as they did what they were asked. Now wasn't the time for doubt. If they could save her and help Sapphire with whatever hold Calvert had on her, maybe they could take that knowledge and apply it to the other psychics and effectively take the bullets out of Calvert's gun. Though that seemed like a farfetched reason to take such a risk. Even more than that, he simply couldn't allow this woman to die in such a place. Not that he wasn't worried about the apparent benevolence he was willing to show someone who was supposed to be his enemy. Garrett had been so distracted by his own thoughts that he hadn't registered that they had arrived at the base.
As impressive as Veritas was, even here there were parts of the city that were left to wither and decay as modernization and Calvert's influences continued to lead the populace towards what he promised to be a brighter future. The rebel forces had been able to master quickly assembling and disbanding their base of operations with short notice, making old warehouses that had been left behind by Calvert and his forces prime real estate for them to set up shop. Windows were blacked out, preventing any outside reconnaissance from being able to look inside, as well as keeping movement in and out to a minimum during the day. Sapphire's bed was kept separate from the rest of the base with curtains placed all around it to prevent her from seeing where she was or getting any possible sneak peeks at anything going on the facility. Garrett's orders might have saved her life but naturally they didn't make the other members of the rebel team trust her.
|
|
|
Post by Emiko on Apr 6, 2018 23:26:08 GMT -6
Hearing her partner explain the various things that he did wasn't necessarily enough for Amber to agree with him or his decision. However, she respected him and his rank enough not to question it... If Garret felt this strongly about saving this woman, who was she to judge...? She'd say no more about it to him for the remainder of the trip. Unfortunately lost for words, she would also end up saying nothing more for the rest of their mission due to the awkwardness of the situation...
As soon as Sapphire had lost consciousness, Garret was wise to pick her up and keep her head level. She had pushed herself beyond her limits physically and lost so much blood that she was very close to death's door. Thankfully, Garret's attempts to keep her level and limit her movements may have saved her life. It certainly spared her long enough to get to the abandoned warehouse that the rebels called 'home'...
Sapphire was fortunate to be unconscious for the entire ride back to the base as well as when she actually arrived. Garret was met with so many negative murmurs and complaints from his allies for carrying around an injured enemy, let alone a psychic... Considering what she had done to a soldier that had called her a witch earlier, there was no telling how she would react to those around her that were no doubt accusing her of just as much, if not worse... Thankfully for Sapphire, not ALL of the people at the base looked down on Garret for bringing the injured psychic back. Some saw the same exact thing that Garret had considered...an opportunity to learn something about their enemy.
It was for the sake of research that a small team of three doctors were willing to take Sapphire back and treat her injuries. Unfortunately considering where they were, they would have to rely on the makeshift medical office to work on Sapphire. And as medical professionals, they strictly refused to let anyone else come back to watch while they worked. Garret though wouldn't be completely in the dark... Despite her opposition to Sapphire, Amber cared about Garret a lot... Certainly enough that she agreed to use her medical clearance to join the medical procedure and return later to give him a status update when it was over.
Sapphire's medical procedure ended up taking some three hours to properly complete. Various X-rays, CAT scans, and other sorts of things were used to properly diagnose her injury. While the injury was thankfully only confined to her head, Sapphire's condition was very critical... An emergency surgery was needed to stop the bleeding and secure the injury. However, while they were able to at least stabilize the young woman, they weren't able to solve all of Sapphire's problems... Further X-rays and scans confirmed something that all the doctors feared before they had started... The reality of irreparable brain damage...
After the procedure had came to an end, an exhausted Amber came out of the medical room with a long frown on her face. It wasn't until she wiped the sweat from her forehead that she saw Garret sitting in a chair off to the side. Rather quickly, she put a small smile on her face and pretended like there was nothing wrong. Even as she spoke to him in her typical sunny disposition face, it was obvious by the softness of her voice that something was weighing her down...
"Oh! Hey there, Garret. I didn't see you there. I thought you'd be resting back in your room after all the stuff that went on today. Were...you having trouble getting to sleep, or something?"
|
|
jojo
New Member
Posts: 32
|
Post by jojo on Apr 8, 2018 21:30:36 GMT -6
Garrett remained planted in that chair throughout the entire time that Sapphire was being operated upon. His body was upright and tense, his arms crossed in front of his chest as his eyes were shut, though not for sleep but rather to prevent himself from showing just how much he was rattled by the whole situation. Rather than show any sense of a tired or anxious gaze, glancing around the room feverishly to keep himself from tearing his own hair out. While Amber had previously thought made it seem that Garrett didn't recognize the weight of his choices and how they could impact the war, this was hardly the case. Garrett's mind was racing with the possible outcomes whether that was Sapphire's demise, the destruction of the rebels, or any multitude of possibilities. For all he'd known, maybe Sapphire somehow telepathically communicated their location. Still, whatever violence or punishment that would come for his good deed, Garrett would take full responsibility. He couldn't believe that being a soldier felt like such an easy way of life compared to the knowledge of what consequences could come about this. For all he knew, he had just given Calvert the war by saving Sapphire. But still, he remained hopeful that this wouldn't be the end, but rather the answer to all of their prayers.
He hadn't realized that the procedure had been finished and nor did he detect Amber's presence until she began to speak. Garrett's face had been turned upwards, facing the ceiling as his eyes were closed. His clothes had been changed following the battle that took place in the wreckage. Though he left his hat off, Garrett once again wore his military jacket after it had been washed of dirt and blood. His hair however was still messy for he hadn't bothered to shower. Times like this were when he had to forgo self-care in order to remain steadfast. He would do so once he heard the results of the medical team's efforts. Garrett slowly lowered his head back down and looked at Amber, a small shrug accompanying a nonchalant tone of voice that was used in hopes of dispelling the discomfort that Amber felt though it would likely be clear to her that this was only a ploy. He wasn't expecting miracles especially with a wound like that. After all, he'd seen his share of lethal injuries.
"I've asked you to take an enemy into our base. A powerful enemy. A psychic. I'm already asking so much of you Amber. I couldn't possibly justify leaving you to do that without me being here. Thank you," he said sincerely, his tone betraying a strong sense of admiration and appreciation. Though she was younger than him and certainly not as experienced in combat, he was making it no secret that he thought highly of her and understood that his actions could feel like a betrayal to her. Garrett sighed, his whole body heaving and slowly losing all of its tension as he hunched forward, his elbows moving to his knees as his closed hands propped themselves under his chin to keep himself conscious as he looked at Amber. What a day. "So...how'd it go in there? Don't sugar coat anything."
|
|