Carbon spun on her heel, landing a furious kick to the gut of the man
approaching her from behind, and sending him sprawling. It felt good to
release her aggressions. Her foot on the back of his neck finished the job.
He twitched once, then melted into the pavement of the alley he'd jumped
out of. One down, three to go. She stepped up her pace, loping along now,
searching for her next target. Search and destroy, her favorite game.
She pulled up short as the street she was on came to a wooded park. Hm, tall, thick trees, forbidding shadows, and of course, a fog rolling in from the river. This was the perfect place for those other three bozos to set up an ambush. Usually, she'd sneak in, picking off her attackers one by one, but she was in the mood for a little carnage. She wasn't here to think, in fact that's why she came here to begin with, to escape the feelings of guilt that were gnawing on her insides. She smiled, a cruel, vicious smile, before charging headlong into the trees. Bring it on.
She was quickly enveloped in a world of shadow and fog. Cold, misty fingers played across her bare arms, and found their way underneath the fabric of her tight-fitting training suit to wrap her in damp. She shivered, wondering for the first time if this was such a good idea.
She remembered her conversation with Burn. She'd asked Carbon why she'd been avoiding them. Carbon had made it her personal mission not to see her friends when at all possible, but how could she tell them why? They must have enough problems of their own, adjusting to life in their new bodies, she didn't want to bug them with her issues.
A rustle, then a disturbance in the air that was felt, more than heard or seen, and she was brought back to the present. She ducked just as an object came sailing at her head. She couldn't make out any of the figures features, just his shadowy silhouette. He came at her, and she dodged with a back flip, her feet landing against his chin. He stumbled, but she didn't have any time to take advantage of his weakness, because the second and third remaining men were already advancing.
She sidestepped a kick that would have put her in the hospital, but wasn't quite quick enough to avoid a punch from the other one. She shook her head, feeling her cheek growing puffy already. That was going to smart tomorrow. The first guy now had himself righted, and was barreling into he fray. Carbon dodged him easily, and gave him a push as he passed her. He ran directly into Bozo Number Two, the two of them falling down in a tangle of limbs.
Now, to deal with Number Three while they disentangled themselves.
She whirled to face him, giving him a cocky smile, and waving him forward. He obliged, and brought him to one knee with a well-placed kick. A moment later, she had his head in her hands, giving it a merciless twist, the sickening CRACK reverberating through the forest. She turned from him, not bothering to watch him dissolve like his late partner. Two down.
Number One, and Number Two were back on their feet now, and didn't even spare a glance for their fallen friend. They attacked in a fury of fists and feet. Carbon blocked easily at first, then with more difficulty. She laid one out with an upper cut, then turned her attentions to the other, stalking forward like a panther. She was focused on him, so she didn't notice when the one she punched hauled himself off the ground, shaking his head. She was taken by complete surprise when his arms snaked around her from behind. He pushed her arms over her head, lacing his fingers behind her neck.
Her pulse quickened as the other one charged toward her. At the last moment, she kicked her legs up, ignoring the pain of what was surely a dislocated shoulder. Her heel hit him nose, shattering it, and he stumbled, doubling over, trying in vain to slow the flow of blood that poured from his face.
She smiled in satisfaction, and drove her heel into the man holding her with as much force as she could muster. She heard his bones crack as his grip loosened. She threw herself forward, her adrenaline too high now for her to feel the pain in her shoulder, and he released her. She spun on him, kicking him savagely in the face. She leaned over, gripping his hair with her good hand and smashing it into the ground until he dissolved.
Just one more left.
She turned, running her hand over her face to wipe away the sweat, and leaving a trail of blood in its wake. She almost thought she saw the last one tremble… but that was impossible, he was incapable of fear.
They began circling, then suddenly, the whole scene disappeared, to be replaced by darkness.
"Simulation terminated." Came the monotone electronic voice of the computer. The lights came on, revealing a bare room equipped with holographic projectors and five training drones, one still in the holding unit, three on the floor where she'd left them, and the last one, standing upright, facing her in a crouched position, but unmoving. She straightened.
"What's the big idea?" she hated to have her training interrupted.
"I've been meaning to ask you the same thing."
The voice was unmistakably Frost's, but it was grittier, like her vocal chords were stretched over sand paper. That was one of the changed that her transformation had brought, her beautiful singing voice traded for the ability to purr. Carbon wondered how she felt about the trade, then again felt a stab of guilt. If only she'd gotten there earlier.
"You've been avoiding Burn and I since we got back from the prison… don't tell me you'd throw away our friendships just because we're different."
"Oh… that." It wasn't that she didn't still care about them, my god, they were her best friends, but… she just couldn't look at them without feeling guilty. She was responsible for them, they were her team, and she'd failed them. She'd danced around the issue before, 'I've got to tune up my ship,' 'Time for dinner already?' and, about twenty minutes ago, 'I've got to go do some training, I've been slacking lately.' But this time, Frost had her jaw set, angrily, and Carbon could tell she wasn't going to get around it.
"Well? You know, we only stay here because you guys want us to. If we aren't welcome anymore, Burn and I will leave."
Carbon sighed, "can we do this a little later?" she asked, gesturing to her arm hanging limply at her side.
"No, we'll do this right now." Frost said, punctuating her statement by jabbing her fingers against the injured shoulder.
"God damn it!" Carbon cried, then bite her lip to hold back her tears, "what the fuck was that for?"
"To get your attention, since you don't seem to want to talk to us anymore."
Oh, right. Carbon sighed, cradling her arm to her chest. "Fine, you want to talk, let's talk."
"I never knew you were such a selfish bitch, Carbon. I hate to mention this to you, but you aren't the one who was changed, you aren't the one who's going through a period of adjustment."
"I know that!" she screeched, "don't you think I know that? That's the problem, Frost. It should have been me. I was responsible for you guys; I should have protected you. If anyone was going to be experimented on, it should have been me." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I feel like I failed you, alright. Is that what you wanted to hear? Fine. I'm a failure as a leader."
"Better a failure as a leader, then a failure as a friend," Frost said, reaching a hand to Carbon's good shoulder.
"I'm sorry if you guys got the wrong impression."
Frost shook her head. "You're admitting failure, and apologizing, you must be in more pain than I thought." Her smile said plainly that all was forgiven, "come on, let's get you to the infirmary."
Carbon smiled wanly, and let her friend lead her out of the door, and down the hall.
Carbon spun her shoulder around, with relief. She'd never notice how perfectly all the muscle and tendon worked together until they didn't anymore. She placed one grateful hand on the med-unit, glad that she'd convinced Faulkin to spring for it. "Ah, what the hell," she said to herself, leaning over and planting a kiss on its metallic surface.
"My aren't you two cozy?" Burn said, from the doorway. "Should I go out, and come back in a few minutes, when you've had a chance to wrap this up?"
"Better watch out, thanks to this baby," Carbon gave the machine a wrap, "I'm in peak physical shape." Then, she added soberly, "did Frost tell you I was in here?"
Burn confirmed this with a nod, then she stepped forward, shaking her crimson head, "Why didn't you just tell us what was going on?"
"Part of the 'mysterious aura' I try so hard to cultivate… sharing your fears with your peers is expressly forbidden." Her voice had the bite of sarcasm in it.
Burn bit her lip in frustration. "This isn't funny, Carb. Do you have any clue how mad I was at you?" he tail had taken to swishing back and forth in irritation. "Jesus Christ, I've been turned into a fucking fox," she illustrated her point by pulling a clump of short, copped hair, out of her tail. "Look at this shit." She held the sample up for Carbon to see, "I'm shedding! I'm shedding, and you're too busy worried about your precious leadership skills to be there for me."
Carbon sighed, and dropped her head, feeling the stab of guilt once again pierce her heart. "Look, I said I was sorry, okay."
"Yeah, I know," Burn replied, her anger melting away as quickly as it came, "let's go get some grub."
Carbon nodded, glad everything had been put right.
There was one empty chair at the dinner table, when the pair made it to the mess hall. Harley's. The first time it had happened, Faulkin and Nina had insisted that Carbon go check up on her, and see if she was okay. She'd found the mouse sitting in her room, staring at a star chart, and trying to find Mars in the galaxy. She looked so homesick. Carbon, who could barely remember a home before the Carlisle Prize, couldn't begin to relate.
Harley had asked to be taken back to Mars, but Faulkin had refused to return the woman to her home. And who could blame him? Mars was too dangerous for them right now. He had agreed to take her as far as he dared, a space station just beyond the orbit of Pluto, and give her enough money to hire someone to take her the rest of the way. It was obvious the mouse was disappointed, but Carbon though her captain most generous.
No one asked her to check on Harley now, though. They'd become used to her absences.
That didn't keep the empty plate from making Carbon feel uncomfortable. She'd lied, she could understand how the mouse felt. She'd felt something similar when she was locked away in her prison cell. And before… a vague memory of herself alone in her room, listening to the drone of the engines, and crying for a mother she'd never again see, a father who would never hold her again. Her sobs had been easily lost in the noise of the engine, her pain, in time.
She pushed back from the table, her chair making a teeth-grating noise as it scraped against the metal of the floor. Carbon smiled weakly as all eyes turned to her.
"Not very hungry tonight," she muttered, "think I'll hit the sack."
She pulled up short as the street she was on came to a wooded park. Hm, tall, thick trees, forbidding shadows, and of course, a fog rolling in from the river. This was the perfect place for those other three bozos to set up an ambush. Usually, she'd sneak in, picking off her attackers one by one, but she was in the mood for a little carnage. She wasn't here to think, in fact that's why she came here to begin with, to escape the feelings of guilt that were gnawing on her insides. She smiled, a cruel, vicious smile, before charging headlong into the trees. Bring it on.
She was quickly enveloped in a world of shadow and fog. Cold, misty fingers played across her bare arms, and found their way underneath the fabric of her tight-fitting training suit to wrap her in damp. She shivered, wondering for the first time if this was such a good idea.
She remembered her conversation with Burn. She'd asked Carbon why she'd been avoiding them. Carbon had made it her personal mission not to see her friends when at all possible, but how could she tell them why? They must have enough problems of their own, adjusting to life in their new bodies, she didn't want to bug them with her issues.
A rustle, then a disturbance in the air that was felt, more than heard or seen, and she was brought back to the present. She ducked just as an object came sailing at her head. She couldn't make out any of the figures features, just his shadowy silhouette. He came at her, and she dodged with a back flip, her feet landing against his chin. He stumbled, but she didn't have any time to take advantage of his weakness, because the second and third remaining men were already advancing.
She sidestepped a kick that would have put her in the hospital, but wasn't quite quick enough to avoid a punch from the other one. She shook her head, feeling her cheek growing puffy already. That was going to smart tomorrow. The first guy now had himself righted, and was barreling into he fray. Carbon dodged him easily, and gave him a push as he passed her. He ran directly into Bozo Number Two, the two of them falling down in a tangle of limbs.
Now, to deal with Number Three while they disentangled themselves.
She whirled to face him, giving him a cocky smile, and waving him forward. He obliged, and brought him to one knee with a well-placed kick. A moment later, she had his head in her hands, giving it a merciless twist, the sickening CRACK reverberating through the forest. She turned from him, not bothering to watch him dissolve like his late partner. Two down.
Number One, and Number Two were back on their feet now, and didn't even spare a glance for their fallen friend. They attacked in a fury of fists and feet. Carbon blocked easily at first, then with more difficulty. She laid one out with an upper cut, then turned her attentions to the other, stalking forward like a panther. She was focused on him, so she didn't notice when the one she punched hauled himself off the ground, shaking his head. She was taken by complete surprise when his arms snaked around her from behind. He pushed her arms over her head, lacing his fingers behind her neck.
Her pulse quickened as the other one charged toward her. At the last moment, she kicked her legs up, ignoring the pain of what was surely a dislocated shoulder. Her heel hit him nose, shattering it, and he stumbled, doubling over, trying in vain to slow the flow of blood that poured from his face.
She smiled in satisfaction, and drove her heel into the man holding her with as much force as she could muster. She heard his bones crack as his grip loosened. She threw herself forward, her adrenaline too high now for her to feel the pain in her shoulder, and he released her. She spun on him, kicking him savagely in the face. She leaned over, gripping his hair with her good hand and smashing it into the ground until he dissolved.
Just one more left.
She turned, running her hand over her face to wipe away the sweat, and leaving a trail of blood in its wake. She almost thought she saw the last one tremble… but that was impossible, he was incapable of fear.
They began circling, then suddenly, the whole scene disappeared, to be replaced by darkness.
"Simulation terminated." Came the monotone electronic voice of the computer. The lights came on, revealing a bare room equipped with holographic projectors and five training drones, one still in the holding unit, three on the floor where she'd left them, and the last one, standing upright, facing her in a crouched position, but unmoving. She straightened.
"What's the big idea?" she hated to have her training interrupted.
"I've been meaning to ask you the same thing."
The voice was unmistakably Frost's, but it was grittier, like her vocal chords were stretched over sand paper. That was one of the changed that her transformation had brought, her beautiful singing voice traded for the ability to purr. Carbon wondered how she felt about the trade, then again felt a stab of guilt. If only she'd gotten there earlier.
"You've been avoiding Burn and I since we got back from the prison… don't tell me you'd throw away our friendships just because we're different."
"Oh… that." It wasn't that she didn't still care about them, my god, they were her best friends, but… she just couldn't look at them without feeling guilty. She was responsible for them, they were her team, and she'd failed them. She'd danced around the issue before, 'I've got to tune up my ship,' 'Time for dinner already?' and, about twenty minutes ago, 'I've got to go do some training, I've been slacking lately.' But this time, Frost had her jaw set, angrily, and Carbon could tell she wasn't going to get around it.
"Well? You know, we only stay here because you guys want us to. If we aren't welcome anymore, Burn and I will leave."
Carbon sighed, "can we do this a little later?" she asked, gesturing to her arm hanging limply at her side.
"No, we'll do this right now." Frost said, punctuating her statement by jabbing her fingers against the injured shoulder.
"God damn it!" Carbon cried, then bite her lip to hold back her tears, "what the fuck was that for?"
"To get your attention, since you don't seem to want to talk to us anymore."
Oh, right. Carbon sighed, cradling her arm to her chest. "Fine, you want to talk, let's talk."
"I never knew you were such a selfish bitch, Carbon. I hate to mention this to you, but you aren't the one who was changed, you aren't the one who's going through a period of adjustment."
"I know that!" she screeched, "don't you think I know that? That's the problem, Frost. It should have been me. I was responsible for you guys; I should have protected you. If anyone was going to be experimented on, it should have been me." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I feel like I failed you, alright. Is that what you wanted to hear? Fine. I'm a failure as a leader."
"Better a failure as a leader, then a failure as a friend," Frost said, reaching a hand to Carbon's good shoulder.
"I'm sorry if you guys got the wrong impression."
Frost shook her head. "You're admitting failure, and apologizing, you must be in more pain than I thought." Her smile said plainly that all was forgiven, "come on, let's get you to the infirmary."
Carbon smiled wanly, and let her friend lead her out of the door, and down the hall.
Carbon spun her shoulder around, with relief. She'd never notice how perfectly all the muscle and tendon worked together until they didn't anymore. She placed one grateful hand on the med-unit, glad that she'd convinced Faulkin to spring for it. "Ah, what the hell," she said to herself, leaning over and planting a kiss on its metallic surface.
"My aren't you two cozy?" Burn said, from the doorway. "Should I go out, and come back in a few minutes, when you've had a chance to wrap this up?"
"Better watch out, thanks to this baby," Carbon gave the machine a wrap, "I'm in peak physical shape." Then, she added soberly, "did Frost tell you I was in here?"
Burn confirmed this with a nod, then she stepped forward, shaking her crimson head, "Why didn't you just tell us what was going on?"
"Part of the 'mysterious aura' I try so hard to cultivate… sharing your fears with your peers is expressly forbidden." Her voice had the bite of sarcasm in it.
Burn bit her lip in frustration. "This isn't funny, Carb. Do you have any clue how mad I was at you?" he tail had taken to swishing back and forth in irritation. "Jesus Christ, I've been turned into a fucking fox," she illustrated her point by pulling a clump of short, copped hair, out of her tail. "Look at this shit." She held the sample up for Carbon to see, "I'm shedding! I'm shedding, and you're too busy worried about your precious leadership skills to be there for me."
Carbon sighed, and dropped her head, feeling the stab of guilt once again pierce her heart. "Look, I said I was sorry, okay."
"Yeah, I know," Burn replied, her anger melting away as quickly as it came, "let's go get some grub."
Carbon nodded, glad everything had been put right.
There was one empty chair at the dinner table, when the pair made it to the mess hall. Harley's. The first time it had happened, Faulkin and Nina had insisted that Carbon go check up on her, and see if she was okay. She'd found the mouse sitting in her room, staring at a star chart, and trying to find Mars in the galaxy. She looked so homesick. Carbon, who could barely remember a home before the Carlisle Prize, couldn't begin to relate.
Harley had asked to be taken back to Mars, but Faulkin had refused to return the woman to her home. And who could blame him? Mars was too dangerous for them right now. He had agreed to take her as far as he dared, a space station just beyond the orbit of Pluto, and give her enough money to hire someone to take her the rest of the way. It was obvious the mouse was disappointed, but Carbon though her captain most generous.
No one asked her to check on Harley now, though. They'd become used to her absences.
That didn't keep the empty plate from making Carbon feel uncomfortable. She'd lied, she could understand how the mouse felt. She'd felt something similar when she was locked away in her prison cell. And before… a vague memory of herself alone in her room, listening to the drone of the engines, and crying for a mother she'd never again see, a father who would never hold her again. Her sobs had been easily lost in the noise of the engine, her pain, in time.
She pushed back from the table, her chair making a teeth-grating noise as it scraped against the metal of the floor. Carbon smiled weakly as all eyes turned to her.
"Not very hungry tonight," she muttered, "think I'll hit the sack."