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Blood Relatives; Who says you can't go home again?
Topic Started: Oct 31 2014, 11:21 AM (4,036 Views)
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Jenosa let out a long sigh, "Y'know Grace, in my old days, I might agree with you. An AI was just a nice little service software that ran for me back then. But, well, I've spent a lot of time with Thea."

She took a moment to sip more of her drink, allowing it to sooth her stressed mind. Ironically, she actually hadn't realized just how much anxiety she had built up until now. Now, at some place of calm, her nerves were beginning to ease.

"Let me put it this way," she tried to explain, "Thea isn't exactely a...thing. She isn't some HAL either. ...Yeah, that was certainly one of my concerns when I had been left alone with her. But she ended up panicking about my health when I...fainted from over exertion. Yeah, don't ask."

She took another slow sip of her drink. About half way done. Half-full, she liked to think.

"My point is, Thea can act with actual, human reason. She also has limits, despite what you like to think. She can't physically move objects, and she's really just a kid stuck inside a ship...well, ok, maybe that's not the most comforting analogy. But I can't imagine her depressurizing the air lock for no reason."

She looked at Grace, and saw she was getting no where with the subject. "Ah hell, whatever," she relented, waving off the subject with a hand, "its your damn problem. Just don't go trying to delete her."

A long moment of silence hung between them, and it was only when she saw her cup was nearly empty - and her thoughts a little clearer - did she try and change the subject.

"So...sisters. Got any advice on stubborn, un-talkative siblings?"
=============

"Peaceful, isn't it?"

Alissa could have looked to see Beggie standing not to far in pleasant clothes. He had no shades on. And holding a thermos bottle.

"I do hope I'm not spoiling the mood," Beggie said, sincerely, "I know you're not exactly trusting of us, or me, but, well, one of the reasons this bio-dome was built was to ease the nerves. Mainly for those who chose to remain on our ship 24/7, as we don't exactly dock in public sectors. Although we do make it habit of exploring the occasional uncharted planet. Does help to get out once in a while. And diversify our flora.”

Without asking permission, Beggie took off his own shoes, and sat down crossed legged, a few feet away from Alissa. He held a completely relaxed air about him as he opened the thermos bottle and poured some of its contents into a cup.

He took a sip, and then looked at Alissa.

“What? This is my private Yoga spot. I come here all the time.”

Nonchalantly, poured more of the thermos, and proffered the cup towards.“Green tea?” he offered, “it can be quite a relaxing beverage. You look like you could use some.”
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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“Peaceful, isn’t it?”

The words brought her back into the moment; the fact that she hadn’t noticed the man approaching said a good deal to her about how lost in thought she truly had been. She sat up slowly watching as the man sat down not too far from her. At first she was annoyed at the intrusion; then again she was the guest in this place, maybe not even that.

Alissa regarded the man quietly for a long moment before reaching out quietly and taking the offered tea, she lifted it and sniffed quietly, though did not take a drink quite yet.

“Do you know why that is?” she asked quietly “Aside from the fact that I trust almost no one, why I am disinclined to trust any of you?” she said quietly lifting the cup and taking a small sip “and discounting the fact that you revealed you had been secretly keeping tabs on us as we attempted to make our escape from vertigo. Why do you think I have no trust for people like you?”

She grew silent, staring down into the tea cup quietly for a time “none of that matters….I need your help” she sighed quietly “I need to put my fate into the hands of people I do not know or trust, to save my sister, whom I thought was dead for a long time now.” She sighed quietly looking back up too Beggie a moment “It likely comes as no surprise that I am not adept at dealing with emotions, mine or other peoples. Mine make it impossible to think clearly right now, and every hour I delay here is an hour I am not in route” she was frustrated with the pace of planning, frustrated with the need for a team, frustrated with the lack of progress, and frustrated with her inability to control even the smallest part of the situation, everywhere she turned to try and get control she could not gain even a shred of it.
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Beggie sipped his tea peacefully, having brought a spar cup for such occaisons. Talks like these happened more often than one might think, and he usually liked himself to prepared to provide solace, solitude with a blend of enlightenment.

Setting the cup down, Beggie maintained his cross legged yoga pose while his eyes still remained open and attentive twards Alissa. Not out of fear or caution, but with an alert kindness.

"The irony," he finally spoke, "is that your fear is sometimes all too similar to the ones who created you. It simply just in the opposite direction. Just as they fear those that aren't just different but capable of doing great harm, you fear them because of the table they'll try to put on you."

He took another sip of his tea.

"Both fears are understandable," he continued, "although the NGC's is pretty much xenophobia. Honestly, I've always wondered what it was that brought about such an attitude. But you, well, human experimentation or otherwise is never a pleasant experience."

He poured himself more tea. "But that is neither here nor there. If you must know, the reason we normally avoid contact with those we keep tabs on is largely because of the scientific work we not only do here, but also contain on this vessel. Not all of it is ours – in fact, a good portion of the more vile, dangerous science within our collection and archives portion originally belonged to, well, you know, highly unethical bastards.”

“Now you might be asking, 'Why would you keep things like mind control and zombie serums if they're that bad?” he said, raising his hands in exasperation, “Well, to answer your question with another question: 'What happens in some other random tit decided make his own mind control of similar design?' I mean, at the very least, we would have some mild means of reverse engineering a counter to it with what we already have.”

“Seriously, the lengths some will take just to force 'true love' boggles my mind.”

He paused for a moment before taking another sip of his tea, and then clearing his throat. “Apologies for getting off topic there...just a personal pet peeve about the universe. Anyway, I realize a lot of what I say are just words – I mean, besides actually showing you the vaults where we keep all the nasty bits. Scarabs probably wouldn't like it though... but- veering once again back on topic -what I mean is this: everyone here is doing all they can to be ready for the moment, and be ready as fast as we can. And it cannot be understated how much everyone here wants to rescue your sister.”

He then poured the last of the green tea for both him and Alissa.

“As for you emotions,” he advised, “the best solace I can offer you for them is this: do not hide from them. They are a part of you, just as they are a part of any normal human. If you do, they will end up controlling you just as they, in fact, are doing so now. Face the impulse for what they are, and you may end up becoming more free than you ever thought.”

Taking his final sip and screwing back the cap of his thermos, Beggie stood up, brushing his pants. Looking at Alissa, he offered her a hand, and he said, “Well, I do hope this exchange was enlightening for you. Oh, I'm always happy to offer yoga courses. For the stress.”

===========

Moria could feel every bit of her fine muscle strain in effort, sweat profusely dripping from her forehead.

In the last few days, Moria had mostly done a mix of two things. Spend time with Chel, or pump up in a major work out. Usually both in a single day. It was funny, really, but normaly she needed to be told to go to someone by someone else, but here she was, completely on impulse, coming to visit Chel. Usually in the morning.

She no longer questioned the impulses going through her in general. As long as they weren't murderous thoughts, she seemed content to actually let them flow through her. Unless Tamaki suggested otherwise, she was going to follow in on them. Largely because, in some sense, Moria have had to deal with a good portion of impulse handling all her life, and rather than surpressing it, she had been taught to simply put it somewhere else.

Not that this really applied mentally in this scenario. Nor did she technically ever consider it or anything barely beyond the thought. All she knew was that she quite like Chel's company – even if it got a bit confusing at times with her cloned personalities. But it was Fury she spoke with the most, and in some ways, liked the thing she did. She felt she understood the woman in how she let herself be a guinea pig; even if it was for more personal reasons.

Moria had been surrounded by scientists all her life, almost as a family. And now she thought she found one – or at least someone who liked science in general but wasn't one – as a friend.

The company was nice. It was...different, but nice.

The other part of the day, she was a muscle pressing monstrosity. Or at least she had used to be.

Now, however, she couldn't quite get that burst of work like used to able to. It was...troubling, because as everything in her life move forward, she began what only came naturally for what she had been created for – combat. And preparing for it was part of her forty. She had honestly been preparing for combat her whole life, truthfully.

She had been preparing to be deployed for actual missions. And even though that seemed to be in the mists now, she couldn't help but follow the routine like it had been inbred instinct for her.

The issue was creating feets of super strength. Yes, she was glad to be free of the murderous impulses, but the whole point of having gone through the infusion was for that strength. And part of her felt she wouldn't be living up to the scientists wishes if she was not capable of it.

She knew she was. She felt she was. But it was harder than she thought.

She worked for over an hour lifting weights, breaking into huge sweats as she did. After going through that, she dropped the wait with a loud clang. And then a 500 lb wait. She gripped her hands on the pole, closed her eyes, and concentrated on the flow going through her arms. What it had been like to let all that energy surge through her arms.

It did. Her muscles felt super charged, and with a roar, she briskly lifted the weight into the air.

Then, with a startled gasp, her arms collapsed, and the weight fell dangerous down with a clang. She hadn't cared whoever else in the room looked at her; she let out a series of exlicitives, kicked the weight, and then went to the corner to sulk.

Short bursts. That was it. That was all she could manage.

She gritted her in why she couldn't do it. She felt it was there. Even Tamaki told her it was – potentially. Yet it was like...everything was still out of synch.

At this rate, she thought, she'll never be ready. For what, she had no idea, now. Only that...she had to be.

As time went on, as her emotions began to turmoil, her mind wondered, constantly straying to the mission her sister was going on.

And Alissa.
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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(OOC: Uber filler post)

Five days.

It had 5 days since Moria had learned that her ‘big sister’ was going to be aiding Alissa on what might be a very dire mission. Five days of internal unrest in pondering what path to take; should she go, or should she stay. If this had been before the fall out of project Vertigo, she would have been simply happy to be ordered onto it. But that was then, this was now. By a completely ingrained reflex, she no longer took orders, and felt she had to practically thinking with total independence. It was an action she felt she struggled with everyday, despite her usual reliance on Tamaki, Moria felt she could not obtain a sense of direction by talking with her.

No, internally, somehow she felt she needed to make the decision – that it was even expected of her. She just simply did not know how to, though. Impulsively, Moria wanted to go strait with Jenosa and fight alongside her; she envied Jenosa’s confidence, and longed to see the extent of the woman’s combat experience.

On the other hand, Moria felt repulsed by the fact that she would be aiding Alissa; or even be fighting alongside her. Granted, she admired Alissa’s combat capabilities, especially in hand-to-hand combat, but she had been a former enemy who’s presence brought about too many painful memories. Every time she glanced at the woman, she would feel a bitterness well up inside her at how Alissa had been instrumental to Vertigo’s downfall. How everyone she had known was gone, in a sense. And how the government now perceived as the enemy.

She simply could not support someone who had once told her to rebel against what she believed in; even if what she believed in was now a threat to her. She just could not bringing herself to view the government she government as the enemy. But nor did she see them as an ally. Honestly, because of all this, she did not know what to look at them as.

Regardless, Moria felt Alissa was responsible for most of the grief in her life.

Despite what felt like a pressing matter for her, however, this dilemma only really came to the forfront of her mind occasionally. Usually whenever she saw either Alissa or Jenosa, or resting in the luxury of her own, private room. That last fact had become an interesting aspect of her stay on board the Galapogos. She really never had a ‘room’, at least nothing as spacious or as isolated when she had been born.

Oddly, she found herself enjoying it, as well as that of the company of the Galapogos’s crew. It wasn’t hard for her to tell that most were scientists busy with this and that, but likewise, it seemed that, despite the ship’s size, many of them could recognize a new face. And new faces would instantly get their attention, especially a face like her hers.

Initially, this started out with some obviously, awkward introductions, and a mildly even more difficult conversation for Moria. Afterwards, though, it gradually began to get easier for her, and by the beginning of the fifth day, she began to feel…comfortable in talking with. But what was most surprising of all was that they were not afraid of her. Not even when she demonstrated a moderate amount of incredible strength. Or had Tamaki explain what she was.

All of this took her aback. She had been so used to being prided and yet feared at the same time, it shocked her almost that a simple passerby, even when busy, would either casually introduce himself to her, wave a simple hello, or even have a quick conversation. As though they had absolutely nothing to fear of her. It bothered her so much at one point that she openly admitted of the things she used to be able to, that she had done, and the impulses that had once raged throughout.

The response to this was a quizzical look, followed by a cheerful laugh; a reaction reaction that only left Moria bemused for a time. They simply replied her capabilities did not bother them; that it was only her intentions that concerned them, and right now, her outward intentions were more or less amusing.

By the beginning of the fifth day, Moria had woken up as though she felt like she was home, and more. Even if she barely knew them, they spoke to her like she were any other person. She felt…more accepted than she had anywhere else, and she had barely done anything to earn it at all. She couldn’t tell how she had earned it to begin with, only that she had.

However, not too long after she had finished a routine work out, and had visited Chel, she could sense a change in the atmosphere in the hallways. It had gone from busy but cheery to intense, disquieting anxiousness. She could see some scientists walk past her, concern in their eyes, as though preoccupied with some big. And when she entered the mess hall, she could see several of them, including Tamaki, around a table talking fervently with troubled expressions.

Ever perceptive of emotional change, Moria grabbed a protein heavy meal, and walked strait up to them without any hesitation.

“What’s going on? Tamaki, why is everyone here acting to…tense?” she asked directly, without hesitation or greetings.

Many of the scientists, who had gotten used to Moria’s social repartee, turned to her. One, wearing a pair of glasses, Afood, as his alien name went, said, “You don’t know?”

Moria shook her head curtly.

“Well, to answer your question, it is almost time” Afood said.

“Time for what?”

Afood looked at her perplexed, and shifted his glasses. “You mean you don’t know?”

Moria blinked twice before the realization dawned on her, “Jenosa’s missions.”

“Geia’s rescue operation, to be more precise, but yes,” the old fogey confirmed, “many of us wish we could do more to help with the rescue.”

Moria’s brow furrowed, “But…why?”

The man look at Tamaki, who nodded, and then turned back to Moria, who beckoned, “Please, take a seat.”

She followed suit, although she had yet to start eating. Rather, everything about this was starting to eat at her.

“We know that from Tamaki, you have had a…slightly better upbringing than other science experiments,” he explained, without getting an understanding blink from Moria, “but for some, it was, and still is, Hell.”

Moria furrowed a brow in trying understanding the word ‘Hell’, but at this point, all she could grasp was that its current context was something painful. Otherwise, she felt the emphasis elude her.

“Anna, Alissa’s sister, chose to stay in that hell and aid many who were stuck in the same prison as her. Some were ‘subjects’ like you, and Alissa. Others,” he sighed, “were scientists like us.”

“Personally,” came an old woman, “I found myself disgusted and mortified by what I was being made to do that, and all for what, I don’t honestly know anymore. Working for Olympus tech was like working in a prison. Some of us were forced to commit horrors or be black mailed, killed, or worse. Much much worse.”

MOria could see the horror in the woman’s eyes as she recounted something…terrible. Something about this touched the core of Moria’s being, sending shiver’s throughout.

“Anna did something incredibly selfless,” Alfood continued, “and many of use want to do all we can to repay the favor.”

“So…why aren’t you?”

Alfood snorted, “That’s just it. We are.”

Moria looked at about the table, still finding herself unable to grasp what he meant.

Tamaki filled in for Alfood, “Moria, you must understand, for all our scientific knowledge, we have limited resources, and limited capabilities. The best we can do is moderately prepare the party going out to rescue Anna.”

“And beyond that,” Alfood snorted, “all we can do sit on our wankers and hope for the best. Can you imagine how disconcerting that is for us to send an away team, mostly made up of strangers, to a place where we’ll there will be absolute radio silence between us and you?”

Moria tried, but it was hard for her to do so, and before she open her mouth, Alfood beat her to the punch.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, you’re ‘sister’ is quite a nice woman. And a determined one. She’s definitely out there to help Alissa, who’m my heart bleeds for. I also hold no doubt Alissa stresses the most about this, and will undoubtedly do everything she can to get the sibling she loves back. But she’s a damn hard conversationalist, even more than you, and she barely trusts us to let use give her proper condolenses and best of luck.”

“And then, of course, you got the two other dubious strangers,” the older woman added.

Aflood sighed, “Yes, but that is not the crux of the matter. Simply put, we’re are not content in standing in the dark after we feel we could have done more.”

Moria nodded, if only in difficult acknowledgement. Try as she might, she simply couldn’t understand why this bothered them so much; but when it bothered it them, it now began to bother her. Even as she ate her meal in silence, the more she gazed at their expressions, the more ‘impulses’ began raging deep inside her, until…

The table shook abruptly, and everyone looked at Moria. Her hands slammed against the table, and her eyes brimming with azure fire said, “I’ll go for you.”

Everyone looked at bemused.

“Moria, I – we appreciate the gesture,” Afood said, “although that I doubt it would alleviate our feelings on the current.”

“I – I don’t care,” Moria said, her greens eyes flaring even more, “I’ll fight for you. I – I vow to free Anna. To see this mission completed, and protect her if I must. I swear on this. Even – even if I have to die.”

Shock hung in the air. Followed by a familiar, energetic laughter coupled with clapping hands coming from the back.

“Well spoken sis. I don’t think there’s any better way to say you’re commited, although I think the dying part is going a bit far.”

Moria whirled around on her chair, staring wide eyed at Jenosa, her stood behind her with crossed arms and impressed smile. A glimmer of mirth hung in her eyes.

“How – how long have you been there?”

“Oh, just long enough to hear you little declaration, that’s all,” she replied, walking up to her, “but I gotta admit, I never thought I’d see you take to this job with such fire all of sudden.”

She looked up to Jenosa, feeling a swirl of emotions ride through her, but non of them negative. Or contradictory. She finally felt she had a sense of direction again. Carefully, she turned to look back at everyone else, and her heart rose as she saw everyone become more at ease. And Tamaki revealing a face of…pride.

Turning back to Jenosa, she asked dilligantly, “What do I need to do?”

“Well, first thing first, we need to get you prepped. Can’t be going into a fight without armor and weapons. I don’t suppose you have that old armor of yours still active.

Moria’s face faultered and looked at Tamaki.

“I’m sorry to say,” Tamaki said with regret, “but her suit has almost been entirely destroyed. Weaponry, armor, even the interface is capoot. The only thing that survived her resurrection is the computer core and focus crystals.”

Jenosa snapped a finger, “Rats, I was hoping we could bring something Moria’s used to. I guess we’ll have to settle with the spare armor on my ship.”

Hold on,” came one of the scientists, “this armor, it wouldn’t happen to be Olympus technology much like your ship, would it?”

Jenosa furrowed a brow, “Why yes it would. I hope that isn’t an issue.”

The man smiled, “Not at all. In fact, there may be one other thing we can do for this missions. Mind if we borrow that armor?”

“As long as no strings are attached, sure.”

----------------------------------

Jenosa stood in the departing ship waiting as Alissa entered it, her armor slightly more armored, and her hands against her hips.

“Sorry, Alissa, I’m coming along with you whether you like it or not,” she said, with a staunch attitude, and added, “Oh, and to make matters worse, my sister’s coming too. She’ll be along shortly. Said she had something to do quickly.”
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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Alissa had been a flurry of activity for five days, making plans, securing a ship, getting supplies, planning everything she was able to plan for. Some mused that she must not sleep, and indeed she hardly had except for one night in which Thea had chosen to engage her systems safety protocol after Alissa had finally drifted off locking her into 12 hours of rest.

Regardless of the stress and the work they had a ship, Thea’s secondary core had been installed on board to allow the AI a presence during the mission while maintaining her existence on the blackbird which was not coming along. They were loading in supplies for the trip the NGC territory and eventually to Athens itself which is where they were going to begin looking for Anna.

When she entered the cabin to find Jenosa standing there defiantly declaring she was going to come along. Alissa stared at her friend for a moment before taking a deep breath. She had come to know the look on Jenosa’s face, the woman was universally stubborn, and there was no chance that Alissa would be able to change her mind. It was the declaration that Moria was going to be joining them that shocked Alissa though and the surprise was visible on her face.

“She…..she hates me…” Alissa said at last, it was the only words for it and Alissa was not sure she could really blame Moria for that. She even understood it to a degree and was content to let the woman go on hating her. To Alissa’s mind she had save the woman from a life of slavery, she didn’t need to be friends with her as well.

Alissa’s mind was spinning, she could trust Jenosa, Grace was a not trustworthy but Alissa knew she could be depended on to act in her own self-interest at least and in the thick of it that made them allies. Jenosa knew or trusted the others and that was enough for Alissa, but Moria actively hates her…and that was dangerous. Alissa stopped having not realized she had started to pace and looked at her friend a moment. There was a long pause.

“Thea….where is Moria?”

Thea’s translucent blue form flickered into existence near the pair of them “Moria is in the armory”

Alissa departed without another word heading directly to the ships armory where they were putting the finishing touches on Moria’s new armor. Alissa could see right away that the armor shared some DNA of sorts with her own, but also knew there was a great deal added to the suit. She looked around at the technicians a moment before speaking in a calm even voice.

“May I have a word with miss Arma please……alone” she stood waiting for the room to clear.

“why does someone, who has a clear dislike of me, want to help in the rescue of my sister?”
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Following her little declaration, Moria felt a renewed sense of purpose - a renewed sense of self, really. It was like she was suddenly back in the Vertigo facility, still training and preparing herself, and yet...not. She could not immediately describe what or why, only within the hour, she felt a kind of energy surging through her. Nothing like the Phazon infusion she had been given, no, but nor did she question the feeling or talk about it to others. In fact, she found herself simply going with it.

It was only standing within her room, peering at herself through a mirror, could she aptly say she felt somehow liberated.. The irony of this feeling was lost to her, but rather than questioning them, she found herself making a declaration of it. She scavenged for scissors as well as a razor – one that she had seen when they had first cut her hair – began to go to work. As the time for departure closed in, she found herself just making whatever touches she wanted to her new...hairstyle.

She felt rather pleased with the end results.

Arriving at the armor, she could see personael giving her raised looks. And how could they not. Her entire, near-shoulder length hair was gone, with the sides of her head completely shaved. Whatever top hair she had remaining had been bundled into a short, stubby, high pony. This, coupled with the sole remaining bang of her – her cyan bang that she simply could not find it in herself to cut – helped to emphasize the meaning of 'spunk.'

She not waste time with any pleasentries upon entry, or have anyone do so. She was direct and strait to the point: receiving her weapon, and fine tuning her armor. The weapon, a plasma ROD rifle, was an easy enough weapon to understand and use, but it was the suit she found very...different from the one she previously had previously worn. Truthfully, she always liked wearing her previous one because of how much it became almost a complete extension of herself, especially in regards to how her energies flowed out from into it so easily. And how well she could channel them.

That simply wasn't the case here, though. There was no surging sensation or existential awarness when she put the suit completely on; just the fact that she was hearing a much harder skin around her entire body. The protection, she mused, was probably adequate and better than nothing, and she also noted how similar it was to Alissa's suited, but more with more solid plates; but she found herself sorely missing nerve link inteface that made using the suit's function so much more intuitive. As of now, the only means she had of accessing the suit's various functions was through a display on the side of her right arm.

As the tech guided her through using the interface, she did ask there was anything finer means of control. He said there was, but that required neural implants, or whatever they were. He also mentioned something else that Tamaki had made him do but said was practically useless without this or that, and left him pretty confused; but otherwise so no harm in adding 'it' – whatever 'it' was.

All of this chatter came to an immediate stand still when Alissa entered, and asked to talk to Moria privately. Moria's arms immediately went rigid. Although externally she still held an obvious dislike of the woman, another part of her strongly feared directly facing her – not after her sudden outburst. It had been the woman's complete change in demeanor that had left her unsettled even more.

As soon as the tech departed, having pretty much almost finished his work anyway, Moria stood before Alissa with clear nervousness. It was like being before a giant, but one, Moria felt, that could go from mean to ugly fast. However, she knew full well she was not backing down from this mission, and took the courage to look Alissa in the face.

Interestingly, could see that the woman had kept with her electric blue hair, a consistency that she actually appreciated to some degree.

And as if to comfort herself, she flicked her own blue hair to side with her armored hand, and after taking a deep breath, finally spoke. “I am not doing it for you,” she said, quietly and anxiously, “I'm doing it for them. The scientists. The one your sister helped rescue from this...'Hell' they've described.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, her hand clenching hard as she huffed.

“I just...I just want to see them happy. I want to make sure they are.”
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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Not only had Alissa kept the blue hair but she had quietly maintained it, given the time that had passed there should be just a hint of her white hair starting to come through, most notably at the roots. For reasons Alissa hadn’t bothered to explore, she was keeping her hair the way it was, she liked it, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. Alissa stood there face to face with Moria, recalling their last real confrontation, where the huge soldier had managed to fracture Alissa’s right arm, through her armor.

“You are coming if I agree you are coming….” She said quietly, over the last few days she had managed to get a firmer grip on her roiling emotions, though it was clear that in the moment that was not necessarily the case. There was an unsaid part of her statement, that she was willing and able to stop Moria if she felt it would negatively impact the likelihood of success. She paused a moment taking a breath.

“No…I’m not here for a confrontation” she sighed a moment and moved over to the table where they had laid out some tech, seeing a familiar influence but the differences as well “We can’t go on this mission together if we don’t trust each other.” She said turning her attention toward Moria a moment as if trying to define something for a moment. “I still have a lot of trouble putting my feelings into words…” she said, knowing that the other woman would know something of that experience.

“You don’t trust me…I am actually generally alright with that. I think it is a sign you are smarter than your creators gave you credit for.” She said turning her attention toward the table again for a time “This mission…is not to save Gaia…some faceless operative, an asset.” She took a shaky breath “it is to save my sister. I know the people here are committed, I know some of them feel deeply indebted too her, but they talk about her like she is this….” She paused “mythic figure, not a human being…I know I’m biased, but I feel like to them we are not human…” she abruptly moved to a bench and sat “Maybe if I’d had someone like Tamaki I could trust them…”

Alissa sat staring at the plates on the floor quietly before looking toward Moria a moment “I know why you hate me, why you don’t trust me…but do you know what I really did at vertigo? Why I did it?”
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Moria immediately became tense, her hands clenching and, for the briefest of moments, her eyes flashing with fear. She was not keen on Alissa having the absolute say so, but she not miss the 'veiled' threat either; the soldier was fully aware of Alissa's capabilities, and, in all fairness, she looked at Alissa like a big, scary giantess. Calm one moment and ready to smash the next, and though she was willing face many dangers, something about seeing the same, angry visage that had cowed brought about...other unpleasent memories. Ones she desperately wanted to forget.

But more to the point, she also distinctly knew that Alissa was absolutely vital to the success of this mission. Jenosa and the scientists had made her aware of that, and she knew that either way the fight went, the results would make her job completely null.

So instead, she just stood absolutely still, as if Alissa's words were in fact absolute authority, and the woman her commanding officer. She relaxed only mildly as the woman breathed a sigh in not wanting conflicting, and continued talking as she moved about. By ingrained habit, she watched and percieved every minute detail about her mood and words, from her bare, emotional expressions to her speech.

Like in most cases, something she caught, other things she completely missed. She could now easily see that Alissa had similar...troubles in emotional expression, something that she could at least remotely relate with. Yet Alissa's talk of trust, for Moria, was...ambiguous at times.

Her mouth opened to vow that, given her vital role, she would actively protect Alissa, and then it just shut, as if the rest of her was repulsed by the very idea of telling Alissa such a thing. And there was the matter that she was 'alright' with her generally not trusting her, which Moria just found totally confusing. Does she want my trust or not?

And more to the point, she thought internally, why is it even necessary? Doesn't she know I'll do what needs to be done? She's like – or used to be like me? And does she feel does she feel she needs to be acknowledge as 'human.' That she totally did not get it. Alissa was Alissa to her, and Jenosa was Jenosa, and that was it. To her, that was all she needed to know

Moria honestly didn't know the answer. She didn't even know why? All she knew as that she had to go on this mission, and that she now strongly needed Alissa's. Even though ideologically, they didn't meet eye-to-eye.

There was a brief moment of silence after Alissa finished before Moria heaved an anxious sigh, also trying to forms her thoughts into words. Her mouth opened and closed a few time before words began flowing properly, but slowly.

“I..I only know what my sister told me. That the scientists who created you put you through this...'hell'...whatever that means.” She was silent for a moment before she lifted her head and looked at Alissa, her eyes narrowed, “You say you know why I hate you? Do you, really? Do you understand that every time I see you, I..I feel this pain. Pain that comes from no where else? And when I feel that pain, I...I remember everyone else. People that I wanted to make happy, people that were a comfort to me, even if they were scared of me at the same. And...”

“...And I...I almost became that thing in my nightmares-” tears began welling in her face “-I – I lost almost everyone I knew. I lost my home. I - almost became a monster.”

She couldn't handle it anymore. Part of her broke down. Old wounds that hadn't properly healed opened again, and a tumult of emotions she had been trying to hold back flooded her. Her knees buckled and hit the floor with a clang, , and she began sobbing. She felt completely embarrassed by it, but she just couldn't help it.
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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Alissa couldn’t put a name too it, she stood there a moment watching this woman wracked with feelings she couldn’t fully understand, grief for a home lost, innocence lost. Part of her knew that pain, or something close to it. She could not put it into words; then again maybe it was something that was not meant to be conveyed in words. Alissa stood there quietly unsure of what to do before an impulse took her and before she really allowed herself to think about it she had moved toward Moria, lowered into a sort of kneeling crouch behind Moria. She reached out slowly at first before placing her hand on the woman’s shoulder, a firm but gentle affirmation that she was not alone.

Alissa drew a breath as if to speak before pausing and closing her mouth in thought. “But you didn’t…” she said at last pausing again before she continued “you didn’t really lose any one, the worst thing that happened to anyone at vertigo was arrest.” It had been the plan, the purpose behind every move she had made while she infiltrated, to mitigate the risk to the staff in the facility. “I’m the one who was there, you place the blame for what happened on me because I was the one you saw just before it happened” she was quiet a moment “if you were not going to be coming along I would be content to let you sort that out on your own.” She was quiet a moment longer seemingly lost in thought.

“if you are coming along though we need to help you figure out how to not tense up every time I enter the room” she could see it on the big soldier, there was no way that she could not in truth. It was her nature to observe the actions of others. And Moria looked as though she was expecting a fight every time Alissa entered a room, and that was the first thing they needed to overcome.
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Moria felt ashamed. She needed to go on this mission, she had vowed to, but at the very moment she needed to stand strong, she was on her knees; and she could not find the will power in herself to lift herself up. This only added to her roiling emotions and sudden doubts; especially since it was all before Alissa.

For a moment, the only world she knew was hers, and herself. The places she had been, and the people she had wanted to aid; her desires to live up to their expectations. The things she had failed to do, and everything else that had fallen; gone, out of sight, out of mind.

She sobbed for what felt like an endless eternity for her.

Then voice pulled her out of it. She was so surprised by the gesture on her shoulder, and even more so, the voice behind her. The woman felt almost like the voice of the past, pulling her out to a time where comfort and compassion seemed alien; yet all the more warming.

Her hands clenched as she listened to her. Yes, what Alissa had said was true; the Alissa was the only thing she could cleanly rememeber in those final moments at Vertigo. Everyone else, to some degree, had been a blur, except Jenosa. Only she never even associated Jenosa with the force that invaded the facility even though Jenosa would be just as quick to confirm it.

Alissa, however, was so many things to her; had played so many facets that had been, at least to her, critical in making it all vulnerable. And, in the process, making her vulnerable too.

But...Moria knew there was nothing she could do about those events now. They had played out, and everything was gone. Now she just had the people here, Jenosa, and...well, Alissa.

A part of mind turned over what the woman had said; how she always tensed up in her presence, a reflex she knew was entirely true. She couldn't help herself, but...dealing with impulse something actually quite family to her. Very. She had just never decided to deal with 'this' one differently until now.

Her face turned to Alissa finally, her face tear streaked, and still sniffling as she spoke back. "When I was just...infused, I found it difficult to control certain...impulses. Impulses that were always building up inside me, but Tamaki said if it was that bad, I should release them anyway. Just...put them somewhere else, and not at anyone."

She turned around more to get a better look, the emotions in her face beginning to clear. "Despite what I might think of you, I have always admired your prowess in close quarters. I don't suppose...there's time for a quick spar?"
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."
— Monty Oum
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