Con made his way forward to shake hands in parting with their sarge, whom they rarely used that tittle for. The moment their hands clasped Con gasped in shock and arched his back, a surge of a feeling like grabbing an electric fence raced through him. When he blinked rapidly to clear his vision he found himself standing in a place he did not recognize. It was pouring rain and watery mud ran everywhere. He was noticing small details, like sometimes in dreams, like how the rain made thousands of little pits when they met the ground. All around was only grey and brown, stretching forever, all flat and desolate. It was slightly depressing and alarming as there a pall of smoke, the color of the clouds they obscured, made it seem there was no sky! Only a blur across the vision. Random stretches of posts holding strands of rusting barbed wire leaned at crazy angles. Wire had fallen loose on many and they curled forlornly every which way. Con turned to his right, seemingly under the influence of something else, like a viewer at a movie. Only this way terrifyingly real. There was a shallow ditch, really only a long worn place going on out of sight in the deluge. The aftermath of something big lay everywhere. A large twisted melted shape looked what used to be a jeep. Wooden splinters of boxes lay mingling in the mud. Shrapnel was everywhere, and shards of now indiscernible origin were strewn across a large clear area. Then he became aware of a young man kneeling amidst it all. Surrounded by fallen fellow soldiers. The lone survivor of a whole platoon. He had his legs tucked underneath him and was holding fistfuls of the front of his friends uniform shirt. His rapidly filling helmet beside him. He was sobbing and seemed to cave in on himself. His grief beyond self-centeredness or caring. As Con looked on, helpless, the young man turned his face to the sky, letting rain and tears mingle on his face, and Con looked into his soul. Sham.
With a lesser jolt, like waking in the night, Con found himself just as he had been. Gripping Shammrock's hand to shake, the others were completely unaware, and obviously what felt like ages to Conner, had been only a moment to them. He managed to choke out something through the strangling feeling in his throat and chest. "Why? Why did you let me see." Shad locked eyes with him and the dark green fire in his eyes burned deep into him. "Because yu needed to know why I cared, why I do what I do. Yu were wondering weren't yu?" Con nodded. "If it was in my power, we would never need to have a war again. Training agents like you, makes that a chance not just a wish." Con nodded and backed away letting others continue in their goodbyes to him. A moment later he turned to look back, and in true Shammrock fashion there was no trace. A watery smile flickered across his face, they would indeed meet again one day. ✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤✤
It was fortunately only a short time until Eagle showed up. They roared up in a tan and black jeep, screeching to a dramatic halt in front of the newbs. Before it was even stopped a door flew open and they all hear the hinges crack as a blur named Lilly tackle-hugged Nexo at the speed of light. Before he could even halt his stagger or hug her back she was gone, darting around slightly less fast greeting the others. A moment later she was back to him, dancing around and pelting him with questions and asking if he had eaten. Con didn't pity him in the least, women were a complete mystery most of the time and even more confusing when they liked you. Essa climbed out a bit more sedately and made her rounds of introductions and greetings with a grin on her face. Damian, being himself, slide out and sauntered around the front of the truck.
He was wearing sunglasses and nice jeans with a button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was arranged in spikes like usual and his hands were shoved in his pockets, thumbs out. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement towards Nexo, who nodded back just as chill. Eventually Essa came and towed him around for introductions but he managed somehow to keep his hands in his pockets like they were glued there. Once the bags were tossed in, everybody climbed aboard and Damian made haste for the first time that day to claim driving. They were off. How strange it felt, to once again start over. But really, if he thought about it, Conner realized that his whole life aside from a brief stint in Ireland had been starting over and over and over. He only hoped and prayed it would get easier. Con nudged Lilly, who sat between him and his brother, and waited for her to turn her attention. She blinked at him questioningly. "I wanted to know, what's it going to be like in Eagle?" His life may have been a series of changes but that helped him learn that knowing what lie ahead of you, sometimes helped you leave what was behind you. "Oh it's way different. For one thing you get to stay in your own houses and things, no barrack tents. For another you get awesome gear and cars and resources, not a power to be abused mind you. Not that I think you would. And of course we are active agents now, which means missions." Her eyes sparkled in excitement. Con nodded and thanked her. Reaching out to touch his brother's mind had become habitual. Not reading his thoughts or anything, just checking his presence. It was comforting in a strange way, like looking across the room to make sure of something. He always could check for his brother's familiar presence if he ever felt the panic of being alone start to settle on him. It still did at times. Cutting off the channel he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, resting everything and letting the happy chatter flow around him.
Cool. I have friends who love nerf. I never really realized how big it was. Well, nerf is by far more fun and safer then poison ivy. XD (Aren't we all living with something we hath regretith. Never was a fan of that guy… )
*pops in* I'm driving 10 hours to go to a college campus national nerf war in a week.
*then Loli pops in* Good for you, bit offa long drive for me tho….
Conner stuffed his extra fatigues, jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies into his dark olive green canvas duffle bag. He cramed his things into the corners as hard as possible, making sure there was no wasted space. Struggling to ignore the acid feeling of sadness washing around his ribs and heart, he focused on zipping the bag shut just so. He swung the bag up over one shoulder and walked past the rows of sturdy bunks for the last time. Stepping out into the bright mid day sun he dropped his bag onto the pile of seemingly identical ones already accumulated. He moved into cluster of his fellow agents and immediately picked up on the many tendons of emotion running among them. They all felt the same way he did. Bittersweet moments fleeting by every second. Shad appeared and they all pulled their circle tight, waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat, "Well, it's all for it now lads and lasses. If a few minutes the senior agents will be here to get yu. I want you all to know how glad I am to have gotten to be with and teach yu all. I am so proud of each and every one of yu." Jay ducked her head and gave a quiet sob. Shad went on, "I dinna belive that this will be goodbye forever, we will meet again. Until then, go with my blessings and thoughts. Take on the world head on. Make lives, friends, family, memories. Make changes. And don't any of yu ever, ever think you can't do anything yu set you minds tu." His accent deepened towards the end as he cleared his throat again of the emotions they all felt. Jay gave him a teary goodbye hug, and everyone else went around shaking hands and hugging their teacher goodbye. Even Nexo felt the moment, wipping briefly at his eye and complaining about, "That drated wind, blowing around dirt all the time…"
cont….
I approve of my story-persons wardrobe selections. Good fashion choices, Conner.
Carpet! What an insane sensation. Conner wiggled his toes deeper in the spectacularly cozy thickness beneath him. They hadn't had carpet in his Ireland home, easier to keep clean, functional and cheep, and they definitely hadn't had carpet in the barracks tent. This brought back one of those strange random splinter memories. He was three, standing on the beautiful pearly colored carpet in his mother bedroom. Her hand carved cherry wood four poster bed stood graceful and strong surrounded by the slender vases and silk curtains. He was watching his mother, transfixed as she used a delicate blade to put intricate curls and detailing on the flower beneath her fingers. Whenever she got a spare moment she was doing tiny flowing patterns and pictures and scenes on any wood she got her hands on. Conner was completely engrossed. Blinking back into the present he sighed. That bed and everything else had burned when they're father set fire to their house. Con stomped into the spare room of his brother's house, he was pretty sure he just about hated his biological father. It was a pretty good thing that they had never seen his father again, he didn't want to do something he would later regret. Tossing his duffle bag onto the bed and his shoes and socks into the corner he threw himself into the wheely chair near the desk, sliding backwards a few feet. Slouching down into it and turning himself to the computer he flicked it on, it had been a while. He logged on and speedily read the ten emails from his family, smiling and clearing his throat he spent the next thirty minutes typing back about everything that had happened. It was strange to eat dinner around a nice table without the rest of his friends. It was strange to stretch out on a king size bed. It was even strange to have a half bath connecting to his room, over the weeks he had gotten used to the cat shack and its rust. Flopping around for a few hours he stared alternately at walls and the ceiling, eventually drifting off with his arm across his face.
When he woke in the morning he stretched, then froze and groaned loudly, note to self, do not ever sleep like that again. Conner shook the struggling arm gently, trying to gain feeling and lose the stiffness and soreness that gripped it. Padding downstairs he rooted through the fridge and found everything he wanted to satisfy his growing teenager appetite. Cereal, toast, cinnamon rolls, juice, a leftover waffle, one and a half muffins, and some carrots. He arranged it all on the table and added milk to the cereal last, cause everyone knows that's how you avoid soggy cereal. Just before he put the milk back he unconsciously took a swig of the milk to see whether it was sweet or not, then nearly dropped the cardboard carton and had a heart attack when a shriek ripped through the air behind him. He swiveled in shock and saw Lilly looking horrified, holding three paintbrushes. "What? what's wrong are you okay!" Conner's face was pale, worried she was hurt or something. "You drank straight out of the milk! Do you have any idea how horrible that is! There's all kinds of reasons and scientific proof on why you should NEVER do that!!" Con blinked a few moments as his adrenalin drained slowly away and he began to grasp the situation. "What." He asked in disbelief. She was shaking her paintbrushes at him now. "It is a habit that must be broken! So help me! If I catch you at it again, I don't know what I will do." Con blinked a few more times with the offending carton still in his limp hand. "Your mad, about the milk?!" "Pfff. Of course!" Conner really was flummoxed, he had no idea what to say to that, so he blurted the first thought in his head. "What are you even doing here, this is Nexo's house?" She huffed again but Nexo drifting in with his empty bowl diffused the situation.
He froze when he entered and eyed his brother with the milk in front of the open door, and his girlfriend, hands on hips squaring off with him. Luckily Nexo was quick on his feet and realized what was going on. "Con, I forgot to tell you, Lilly paints sometimes in the sun room, it's big enough and has great lighting. I totally should have warned you that she might be popping in and out, sorry. Um, she....has a thing about drinking from the carton, which I too learned the hard way. But I'm sure that you didn't mean anything by it, and she will be very understanding." He gave them both a look saying it would be best to let it go as a lesson to them all and cleared his throat, "Why don't you show me what your working on Lil." She relaxed her shoulders and led the way back out of the kitchen, and Conner just shook his head and put the milk away. Sitting down at his meal, he glumly realized that all the logic he'd used to avoid soggy cereal had all been in vain. It was as he expected, time and patience would be needed to learn how to adapt and thrive in his new situation. Fortunately, he could do that.
It was that kind of cloudy cool morning that makes people with active imaginations and quick minds get stir crazy. Something gets under their skin and they just have to do something. That's why he was doing the slightly insane job he was. Edmond Marccone (Mar-son) that is, he was the he doing the job. Edmond was a bright, motivated young man who had been working for the Brixxtton Weekly, national, newspaper for about five years now. He was trusted, and his bosses always let him tackle the hard stories because he wasn't known for backing down. His family had moved to Brixxtton when he was about thirteen, and asid from his lingering accent he had adjusted quite well. So he'd took off, and hadn't stopped his purposeful march until reaching the position of his dreams, the job he loved. Head writer in the biggest newspaper for the nation. Sure it was hard, sure the hours were long, sure his life revolved around the job. But he was unattached and absolutely loved everything about his life. Except on days like this. One of the keys to being a good reporter was curiosity, and days like this when nothing curious was happening, simply wouldn't do. So he went to the source most everyone did when faced with a situation like this, the internet. When he was a teenager, before he wanted to go into news, he had been quite good on computers. It wasn't long before he had settled down on five different live chats that were kind of the underground grapevine, they stayed behind the scenes and new all kinds of things that they either shouldn't or "didn't". On the record at least. Finding these places where exclusive, but after you found them it was like having a finger on the pulse of the world. True 99.9% of them were hackers of some level, but they weren't harming anything at the moment, so no red flags were hitting the government.
After rooting around a bit, he finally lit upon something that peaked his interest. Mysterious company buyings, share holding that tipped the scales, world wide chain buying, secret disappearing rumors, world domination even from the more radical thinkers. Edmond grinned showing his white teeth, this was more his style. The best reporters were the ones with an uncanny sixth sense, a tingle along the spine, a vague feeling, hair standing on the scalp, goosebumps even, a sense that told you when you hit the pay dirt. Journalism gold, a secret hiding away, and the best kind of gold was the kind that people didn't want you to find. He had a strong need for justice, so the kinds of stories he wrote often were ones that took down rotten people, corrupt politicians, horrible role models, anyone that was the worst dirt of the world and getting away with it. Until he got his teeth into the story. He was getting that feeling for real right now. So that brings us to now. He had picked up a few leads for various sites and was heading out, destination a tall building outside Galexia Headquarters. He carefully, put his long distance camera into a special protecting case and grabbed his mobile recorder and notebook, nothing beat good old fashioned paper sometimes. He had his mission fixed in his mind, and whatever rat was rotting behind the wall was going to bite the dust. Now he had pep in his step, the gloomy day was forgotten, the jaws were locked.
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