Chapter One :: Call to Arms

[Stella]

She raised her head slowly and looked at him for a long moment. So he was out here to talk to her and it seemed like it was strictly business. Good. There were things she was feeling that she would barely admit to herself let alone someone who was pretty much a stranger to her. Carefully she twirled her gun back into the holster and leaned back agaisnt the bench.

"I need to know just how enclosed this under ground base is" she said flatly looking across the space at him. It probably seemed like a pretty strange question but she wasn't inclined to give an explanation unless it needed.

"I could be a serious liability if I'm not prepared for it" she carried on feeling that familiar itch in her finger tips. She would kill for a cigarette right now.

[Reese]

Reese listened to her, frowning a little at the word 'liability' as he fished a partially smashed box of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. He packed them against his palm a few times and pulled one out.

"I would say it's fairly closed-in." He replied, before placing the cigarette between his lips and taking a moment to light it and pull in a drag. "But I mean," he took the cigarette away from his mouth and politely turned his head away to blow smoke. "It's not, like, a dark-and-dingy type of place. It's very bright and very clean. Almost like being in an underground hospital?"

He took another drag on the cigarette and blew again before looking back at her. "There are some spacious areas, but there are no windows and there are only a few exits. Is that going to be a problem?"

[Stella]

It was like he read her mind. She watched in stunned amazement as he pulled the pack of cigarettes out and started to smoke one. The temptation was amazing.

"I should be able to handle it" she said shortly hoping that it wasn't a lie. She sighed loudly. It hadn't been in her plans to tell him why she was worried but he deserved to know after all a lot was riding on this mission, "I'm claustrophobic and I can have some pretty bad episodes. Especially if I'm caught off guard or not prepared"

"Can I have one of those?" she asked quietly suddenly changing the subject as she was prone to do when talking about something uncomfortable. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could almost hear Rayden yelling at her. Normally she wouldn't even consider it but after all that had happened she really needed something to mellow her out.

[Reese]

Reese felt his eyebrows raise just a little as he glanced over at her. You smoke? He'd almost had the urge to say it out loud, but realized how stupid a question it would have been before doing so.

"Sure," he replied, pulling the pack from his shirt again and slipping out another. He held it between his fingers and lighted it for her before passing it over.

Claustrophobic... He looked away, thinking back on what it had been like to walk through Headquarters -- the hallways and rooms. The idea of her having an 'episode,' whatever that was, didn't sit well with him. If it would be anything like the sniveling pathetic ball Stardust had turned into during the fire at Advelo, he wanted nothing to do with it.

"Well, the corridors and rooms are of an average size." he spoke again, forcing his mind away from Advelo. "I can't think of very many cramped quarters, and the ones I can we shouldn't have to pass through anyway." He glanced at her again. "Just so we're clear, what do you expect to happen if you do break down? Is this something you're going to be able to recover from, or will we need to carry you out?" He paused and cleared his throat. "My intention is not to be condescending, by the way," he added. "I only ask because, like you, I want to be prepared."

[Stella]

She took the cigarette from him and took a long practiced drag before exhaling the smoke through her lips. It might have been psychological but it instantly made her feel better and took some of the stress away. She smirked lazily looking down at the white cylinder in her hands. Hyne it felt so good to have it there, like an old friend had returned.

"I had some pills from the doctor that would have helped but now they are at the bottom of the ocean. But if I've got people around and its not cramped then I should be able to handle it" she nodded to herself. It was always worse when she was alone. The memories it brought back were onces she never wanted to relive.

"I doubt you'd have to carry me out most of the time I can recover. I can get pretty delirious though. Shaking, panic, the sweats, that sort of thing. Once" she said with a little smile as she remembered, "I shot someone in the leg"

"The fact that we are in the DotNA headquarters won't make it any easier for me" she said her smile instantly slipping away.

[Reese]

Reese glanced over at her, a variety of different thoughts and feelings running through him. If he was correctly filling in the blanks she left, DotNA had done something horrible to either her or people she loved. Naturally it left him feeling a little bit of guilt, as well as wondering what she must really think of him underneath how accepting she was being.

Oh well. What's done is done. He told himself, brushing away his conscience.

"Well, if you shoot me in the leg, I can promise I won't be in the mood to carry you out of there." he remarked wryly, glancing over at her as he brought his cigarette back to his lips.

[Stella]

Stella chuckled softly taking another drag off her cigarette. An image of Van and Jamie staring at her in abject horror flashed through her mind. The four of them together was going to make for one interesting mission.

"I'll do my best not to sour your mood" she said with a little snicker. It had been ages since she had just sat and enjoyed a cigarette with someone. It was pretty nice that it was happening right here and now.

"I don't know how much you've been briefed about me but another thing you should know is that I don't use magic. At all. So don't expect me to toss off any healing spells or anything like that. I'm firepower and that's about it. Granted I'm damn good at what I do" Stella said with a little shrug figuring she better get out all the bad news at once. He was basically the leader of their team and he deserved to know all that she could tell him no matter how crappy it made her feel.

[Reese]

"Yeah, Leonhart mentioned that." He replied. "I'm not worried about it at all, to be honest. The one with the short hair -- Yanagi? She uses a set of boomerangs. Down in those corridors and rooms there are way too many walls; her weapons are going to be pretty much useless. I plan on letting her know during our flight tomorrow that I want her to watch her stock of curative magic and concentrate on keeping the rest of us alive."

He looked over at her, his eyes shifting between the gun in her hand and her face. "Leonhart said you were quick and accurate with those. Said you'd be ideal for cutting a path down there." His gaze returned to the street in front of them. "Like I said, I'm not worried about us. If anything, I'm worried about the other teams he's put together."

[Stella]

It was really nice to hear someone compliment her abilities. Very rarely did she actually get praise. It was always tellings off for her lack of magical ability. But he was right about the other teams.

"I'm with you there, one team relies on someone who isn't even SeeD and the other is counting on Hadrian. A recipe for disaster" she agreed with him.

"But at least we are finally doing something, this mission should have been initiated months ago. DotNA has been allowed to hatch their little schemes for far too long. Its time we strike a blow at them" she said her voice a bit steely. Stella looked at him and realized she might be making him really uncomfortable for what he had done in the past.

"For what its worth, I have read the file on you and I don't hold any thing agaisnt you. Hell, I don't really even know you. It's all in the past and what matters to me is that you are here now" Stella let her words trail off as she pulled another drag off the cigarette. She wasn't in the mood to let the conversation end and was suddenly very worried that he was going to go storming off now.

[waterlily43]

"Jun.'" She looked up at the sound of Lawric's voice and shifted the glance his way. Although he seemed much friendlier now, he had lost some of his easy manner with her, and for that she felt immeasurable regret.

"I'm glad you decided to talk things through. If you guys do decide to join the mission, report back here tomorrow morning. I've already asked the Headmaster to give you guys time to thrash it out so don't worry about losing your place." She patted him on the shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "And of course I wouldn't mind if you came up to my room. I just don't know the number yet. Follow me."

She went up to the reception and asked for her room key, reading out the number to Lawric.

"So see you later..." She jingled the keys with a little smirk. "Best not to keep your buddies waiting."

[Reese]

Reese looked over at her, listening to her with interest. He surprised himself at how nice it felt to have someone say that about him. That they knew who he was, what he had done, and they honestly didn't care. He didn't think he cared what anyone thought of him anymore, only what he thought of himself. But Stella's words gave him the feeling that on some level he must care, because they put him more at ease with her.

He looked back out at the street, pulling a long drag off of his cigarette and letting what she had said weigh on his mind. He had gone into this thinking it would be really hard for him. There were so many reasons it should be. Facing the people he had lied to during Trinity, as well as new people who would probably judge him based on his past. Trying to prove himself to the people who had no reason to give him a second chance, like Leonhart and Almasy. Returning to Headquarters to wreak havoc, now a traitor to all of the people who had been loyal to him once. Working with Stardust again...

He glanced over at Stella. It would definitely be hard, but maybe not every second single minute of it.

"Thanks," he said quietly. His gaze returned to the road. "It's worth something."

[Lawric]

Jun's reaction to him instantly washed away some of the uneasiness he felt. Either she really didn't mind his recent behavior, or she was being really sweet about it in choosing to ignore it. Either way, he didn't care. As long as she didn't feel differently about him.

He nodded with a smile. "Okay. Talk to you later," he turned and headed back over to the others.

[Stella]

"Good" she said quietly gazing out at the street like him. Even though her home had been destroyed the city of Balamb still rolled on. Cars whizzed past them without a care in the world. Everything was so bright and colorful and it made her angry. She almost felt as if the town had no right to be so alive when the place she had been building her life in was dead.

She took another long drag off the cigarette watching the cherry smolder in the night air. The silence between the two of them was comfortable and easy. Almost as if they had known each other for years instead of days. It was nice, really nice. For some reason she felt his presence comforting in a friendly sort of way.

[Reese]

Reese took one last drag off of the cigarette between his thumb and index fingers before letting it drop and crushing it between the sidewalk and his boot. He glanced over at Stella as the smoke left his lungs. She stared at the street ahead, seeming to be contentedly lost in thought.

He looked back out ahead as well, content to lose himself in his own thoughts.

His mind drifted toward what it would be like down there tomorrow. How many familiar faces he would see, and which ones he would prefer not to. Just the thought of the mission made him appreciate the moment he was experiencing now. Complete tranquility. He wasn't sure when he would experience it again. He passed Stella another brief glance. Surprisingly enough, her presence there didn't bother him at all. Perhaps his aloofness had unintentionally placed her in an awkward silence. Or maybe she simply understood him. He looked away again, deciding not to give it much thought. If she wanted to leave, she could leave. Or she could stay. He actually didn't mind if she did.

[Blaze Sanaku]

omg I read Zacke's post as "Zacke was wondering how many MALES he should order for room service" instead of meals and I was like !! NAUGHTY ZACKE!!! hahah

---

Blaze clomped down the stairs after her prey like a T-rexaur that hadn't eaten for days.

Mess with my hair will he... It will take pounds of conditioner to untangle those knots!! Blaze reached the bottom of the stairs and whipped her head around the lobby floor, ravenous. The elevator was right across from her but was completely empty and about to close.

Dammit! He's nowhere to be seen.

"Sir, please hold!!" an old man called out to the empty elevator, hobbling as fast as he could. Why was he calling out to an empty elevator??

Crazy old bat-- wait a second... Blaze dashed foward, knocking the old man to the floor and made a flying leap towards the elevator doors a split second before they were about to close.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Blaze shoved her hands against either side of the elevator doors and pushed them back open forcefully before striding inside.

DING! The doors slit shut and the elevator made its way up to the conference room again. Blaze stared up into Zacke's eyes with a wide grin on her face before she suddenly pounced, noogying and mussing up Zacke's hair violently and painfully.

"HOW YOU LIKE THAT HUH?? HUH? WHO HAS HORRIBLE HAIR NOW?!" Blaze cackled madly, holding Zacke in a death grip. "WEEEE!!! NEW HAIRSTYLE FOR ZACKIE!!"

The elevator doors reopened and Blaze found herself within the presence of all the Opps and seeDs again.