Meta/Agent Maine | Red vs Blue (
mainiac) wrote in
hadriel_logs2016-03-14 07:13 am
Entry tags:
Life is a game; play war, don't refuse to
WHO: Maine and YOU
WHAT: Settling in and breaking things
WHEN: Any time after getting out of the arena up to, including, and after the mirrors show up
WHERE: All over. Mostly the city proper, a few shops, and an apartment building.
WARNINGS: Maine is Maine, which means violence is always a possibility. Also probable periodic meta about mind control because it is a Thing.
I'll drop some starters in the log itself, but feel free to start one if you've got an idea, all things are good here!
Settling in took some doing. The Meta wasn't a stranger to new situations, or new environments, but normally there was a purpose in it. An objective, a goal, something to do or get. Someone to hurt. This? This was different. Thrown into a new place without a specific reason, without a lead to follow, a mission to complete; it sat uneasily with him. There was too much space, too many unknowns, no guidance.
So he clung to what he knew, overlaid the objectives that had carried him since Project Freelancer had been ground into dust. Improve. Forge himself into something better; he'd lost his tech, it was a good goal. Would help make up for the rest.
WHAT: Settling in and breaking things
WHEN: Any time after getting out of the arena up to, including, and after the mirrors show up
WHERE: All over. Mostly the city proper, a few shops, and an apartment building.
WARNINGS: Maine is Maine, which means violence is always a possibility. Also probable periodic meta about mind control because it is a Thing.
I'll drop some starters in the log itself, but feel free to start one if you've got an idea, all things are good here!
Settling in took some doing. The Meta wasn't a stranger to new situations, or new environments, but normally there was a purpose in it. An objective, a goal, something to do or get. Someone to hurt. This? This was different. Thrown into a new place without a specific reason, without a lead to follow, a mission to complete; it sat uneasily with him. There was too much space, too many unknowns, no guidance.
So he clung to what he knew, overlaid the objectives that had carried him since Project Freelancer had been ground into dust. Improve. Forge himself into something better; he'd lost his tech, it was a good goal. Would help make up for the rest.

Shopping trip
He found a plaza, eventually, surveying the world as one perpetual threat as he did, found a place that looked likely for supplies. The door gave way with a single push, and the inside looked more or less like any other similar place he'd been in. The shelves were filled with necessities in unfamiliar boxes and containers, but he took what looked essential, what things he could recognize anyway, before leaving, and if there was a pang of something...uncomfortable as he returned to the street, well it was easy enough to ignore it. To stuff it down and dismiss it as nothing.
Find a place to call your own
It was the second objective; supplies first, then a place to hole up. He stashed what he'd appropriated then went looking, until he found a building that looked closer to an apartment complex than storage. The front door proved unlocked, but even that fact alone was more than enough to ramp up his awareness. So he unholstered the brute shot as he stalked the halls, clearing the building as he went.
Which may have included trying to kick doors in on his way, but how else was he supposed to clear the building, let alone find a room he could take over?
But eventually he found an unoccupied room that proved unlocked (which might have been better to figure out before he tried to knock the door in but still). It was a step in the right direction. Didn't make him feel any better about anything, but it was a start.
no subject
no subject
The shriek catches his attention pretty quickly, running in sharp contrast to the slam and bang of doors, and he abandons the effort to wheel towards it, muzzle following until he finds the source. Which turns out to be...some random civilian staring at him. So he steps towards him, maybe to threaten, maybe to scare off, maybe to ask for information, it's hard to tell right away.
no subject
He takes a step back, because he definitely think that it's a person who is going to hurt him or be mad at him for interrupting them or something like that. His tail is tucked between his legs and his ears are angled down in fright. "Uh-uh--uhm... S-s-sor--rry..."
no subject
no subject
Mirror mirror
It was going about as well as could be expected, until the mirror showed up.
It was a normal hand mirror, something that hadn't been around for decades, not with all the more modern alternatives, but it was still familiar enough to be recognizable. The concerning thing was more its appearance at all, unprovoked and unsolicited, not there the last he knew but there to greet him the next morning.
Of course he looked at it, how could he not? Except when he looked in the reflective surface, it wasn't him looking back.
No, instead it showed Wash. Wash returning to UNSC, Wash finding the Director. Wash putting a stop to the whole program, for good, ensuring they never did to anyone else what they'd done to them.
It wasn't what he wanted to see. Wasn't what he was ready to see, and while there was a twinge, somewhere, almost like regret, lips twisted in something closer to anger, something like frustration, and he reached for it, closed fingers around it tight enough to crack it before throwing it across the room, smashing it against the wall.
Stupid. Pointless. Useless. He didn't need any of that, all he needed was to be Better.
He needed space to breathe.
So he stepped out into the hall, armor abandoned in the room in his haste, and started moving, and if he left a trail of blood in his wake, well it wasn't all that important. Wouldn't kill him.
if this is all right?
It also showed Maketh arm in arm with a woman she hadn't seen in years.
She was trying not to think about the last part very hard. No use pining over what couldn't be.
In the meantime, she went out looking for more supplies. Coffee in particular. It was a luxury, but also a comfort in harder times. Maketh could use some of that.
She nearly crashed into the man when he came barreling around the corner. Maketh swore, one hand on her sword, and resisted the impulse to strike him. He'd stepped on her foot. "Watch where you're going!"
it is!
Her movements didn't go unnoticed; vaguely threatening, potentially something he would have to deal with, but he was confident he could stop the sword's progress, or at least counter it, before it got too far. Wasn't like he was in any better a mood, honestly he figured he was doing her a favor by not lashing out in response.
no subject
There was blood on his hands. Not much, but enough to notice. If there was a threat somewhere in the building, then it needed to be dealt with.
Maketh paused, noting the heavy scar around his neck. Perhaps he couldn't speak. "Do you sign?"
no subject
He did his best not to be disappointed. A fight would do him some good right now, a good outlet for the low-level frustration compounded by the damn mirror.
But the next question? Well that was a little different.
He hadn't needed to communicate with anybody the last time he'd been out. He'd had Wash, and Wash understood him just fine. But here? He's by himself, and he doesn't have Wash to translate or Sigma to speak for him.
Lips twisted in consideration, then he sighed, like it was some kind of Herculean effort, before raising a hand (the clean one, the one he hadn't cut on the mirror when he cracked it) and tilting it twice; wasn't like he'd ever learned anything officially, it was more...what worked. Hardly seemed to count, really.
no subject
Right then. She'd improvise. It seemed like he understood her, so he wasn't deaf. And it appeared that everyone here spoke the same language - Hope's doing, Maketh had a feeling - so there was that.
There was always combat code, Maketh supposed. "Right. Is there a threat in the building?"
no subject
no subject
Maketh huffed. "I can clean that, if you'll let me. Well?"
If he didn't want her interfering, Maketh knew very well that the man could stop her easily. She couldn't rely on rank or intimidation to get results in this place, a lesson that had been hard in coming. But if the man's wound got infected, they'd have a whole new problem on their hands, one that Maketh was in no mood to add to her list.
no subject
no subject
There was no question. He would do this thing. She spoke with the air of someone used to giving orders and having them followed to the letter. Oh, she couldn't physically force him to do anything - that was clear - but Maketh had learned that the right tone of voice and a hard look in your eye was enough to force most people to toe the goddamn line.
"I don't have my kit here," she continued, hands clasped behind her back. "You'll follow me to my apartment, and I'll clean you up. Understood?"
no subject
But all the same, the tone and the look had the desired effect.
Maine had been a soldier long before he became the Meta, and the Meta was even better at taking orders. She wasn't Sigma but the tone was the same, so he scowled and growled the best he could without the remaining tech in his armor to provide the rest but it was all for show as shoulders straightened and his demeanor took on less of that of a petulant child and more a soldier awaiting orders. So he nodded, a curt gesture of chin, and he'd follow her willingly enough when she departed.
no subject
She'd given an order. It would be followed.
Her apartment wasn't far, anyway. Thankfully Amos was out. Maketh left the door open, and stepped inside. The apartment looked about the same as all the others, though it was a tad cleaner. Maketh kept all her personal items locked in her room - the rest of the apartment was firmly impersonal, except perhaps for the coffee maker resting in a place of honor on the counter-top.
"Sit," she said, not a suggestion, and went to get the first aid kit.
no subject
The Meta dropped into the seat when the next order came, sat quietly and still as he awaited her return, forearms resting against his knees. His hand didn't drip on the floor at least, so cleanup, at least initially, wouldn't be too complicated, not that he cared. Wouldn't have been the first time he'd bled all over the place, not by a longshot. He tracked her as she moved around the room with a detached gaze, intense and dull at the same time.
no subject
The Inquisitor had also executed two of her men with a goddamn sword, so Maketh was a bit wary now that she'd made the comparison.
Still, she had a job to do.
She came back from the bathroom with the med-kit and a bottle of whiskey and knelt down on the ground in front of him.
"Hands!" she barked.
Hopefully the man wouldn't need stitches, or she'd be giving them with a sewing needle. Maketh had a feeling neither of them would enjoy that experience.
no subject
He growled at the order all the same, particularly once the kit came out, a knee-jerk reaction to the whole thing, but he offered his hands without question anyway, palms up. One was unmarred, the other criss-crossed by a series of gashes, mostly superficial. His attention stayed on the woman in front of him rather than the blood and tissue damage, because the unknown was more important anyway. He knew what happened with cuts and scrapes, could account for any injury and react accordingly. But this entire place was an unknown, and while this woman provided some measure of familiar, something that complimented his state, she was still a part of it. Part of that unknown.
no subject
Shame about that. Maketh doused a bandage with whiskey and pressed it down mercilessly on his hand. It would sting like man, but he was a big man. He could deal with it.
Besides, the wounds had to be cleaned. There would be no infection on Maketh's watch.
"You'll be fine," she said vaguely. "That one could use a stitch, but it wouldn't be pleasant with our current supplies."
She paused. "Superglue?"
Amos had recently explained this invention to her. Maketh found it very useful.
no subject
The comment about needing a stitch, however, was a different story, prompted a deeper glower and a growl, albeit a hoarse one, and a slight shift in stance in anticipation of needing to take further action; needles were one of the few things the Meta hated with a passion.
Except she continued right on past that, which helped. He nodded at the new option; glue seemed much better.
no subject
"Hold your hand flat," she ordered. "And try not to move while it sets. It will be painful otherwise."
The glue would sting when she applied it, but less than the whiskey had. So long as she didn't accidentally pinch his skin, he'd be fine.
no subject
no subject
The man in front of her had a similar feel. The moment she threatened him, Maketh knew he'd react accordingly.
All the same, she had a job to do. She applied glue to the largest of the wounds, then capped it. In a moment, once the adhesive had set, she'd bandage the rest. The wounds were clean, they'd likely heal without incident.
"You're a soldier, aren't you?" Maketh kept her voice steady, eyes focused on his hands. The glue set quickly, she could start on the bandages now. "That's good. We could use the help keeping the civilians safe."
no subject
So he nodded at the question, but pulled a face accompanied by a harsh exhale of objection at the rest of it. The implied request. He wasn't that now, hadn't been that since Sigma took over. He was a soldier, but that didn't mean he was still a protector. The only thing that mattered was the Alpha. Getting back to what he'd been. Getting enough power so he could run his armor at full capacity and making himself whole again.
no subject
Unless it hadn't? Maketh didn't trust this man - who likely had a name, though hadn't shared it - but so far he seemed to respond to logic. Therefore she would be brutally logical and gain herself an ally, no matter how much he scowled at her. "Or if your objective still stands, you no longer have the resources to complete it efficiently."
She leaned back, considering him. "I have considerable tactical experience. Help me protect these people, and I will share my resources with you."
no subject
But the offer pulled at the things that did matter. Resources. He couldn't find the Alpha here, he was sure of that, the goal of metastability was impossible now anyway since he'd lost most of the fragments, but if he could improve his armor. That was a good reason. So his lip curled, advertising his distaste for her proposal on no uncertain terms, but he nodded all the same. If she could help him, he would ally himself with her for now.
no subject
There wasn't much of a choice. Either she could keep tabs on this man and give him some help, or he'd step back into the distance and play his own game. This way she'd have some warning if it was going to blow up in her face.
Theoretically, at any rate.
"You'll report to me for now. When the town council is officially formed, you'll report to them. I'll expect you to alert the community of any incoming threats through the public network, and to respond to threats posed to the group. You will not harm civilians without due cause, or I will know why."
Maketh gave him a hard look. "In exchange for this, I will provide you with whatever collaboration or supplies you require in order to meet your objective. That means sharing in the blessing given by the gods, or any rewards taken for killing monsters, in addition to whatever technological or medical expertise individuals in the community may posses. Are these terms acceptable?"
no subject
But if he performed this function for her she would give him what he needed. In context, it was something he supposed he could live with, and if he needed to change the terms whatever binding contract she thought they had wouldn't stop him anyway. He could deal with it; she obviously didn't know anything about him, which meant she wasn't going into it with any ideas about what he'd done in the past to cast doubt. He wasn't as conniving or scheming as Sigma on his own, but that didn't mean he couldn't see how that might be useful. So he nodded again, unbothered by whatever look she seemed inclined to give him.
no subject
Most people could, eventually, be bought. That wasn't the same as true loyalty, though.
For now, this was the best she could manage.
Maketh eyed the man up and down again. She didn't know enough about him just yet. That would need to change.
She pulled a notebook and pen out of her coat, and held it out to him. "State your designation."
She needed to call him something, after all. And if he couldn't speak or sign, he could write it down.
no subject
Sigma was gone, the rest of the fragments were gone; he wasn't actually sure who he was right now, he wasn't really who he'd been when he first started in the program or after he'd left it. But he had to write something.
The M was easy, the next letter much harder, and the pen tip lingered over the paper for what felt like a long time before he continued. Fingers reached to scratch the back of his head where the tattoo was etched.
We are the Meta, but that had always been Sigma's choice. There was only him now.
MAINE was what ultimately made it onto the page.
no subject
Interesting. She'd have to gather more intelligence.
"Maine," she said, then nodded. "All right. I'm Maketh Tua. I think we understand each other for the moment."
no subject
NEED AMMO
ARMOR ENHANCEMENTS
YOUR RESOURCES?
He held it up so she could read the new offering, and stood quietly while he waited for an answer.
no subject
She rocked back on her heels. "What kind of armor is it?"
It would be better if they had a proper combat engineer, but they don't. Maketh will improvise.
no subject
EVA ARMOR
Which might not have been the most helpful comment, considering nobody here seemed at all familiar with him, but she asked, he answered, and he didn't have a whole lot of familiarity with armor that wasn't UNSC-issue, everything else was in the history books.
He could make do with artillery. He had himself, and enough for the brute shot right now as long as he rationed it, plus a few extras. He had the blade, and a few more he'd picked up when Bianca showed him around. But he'd never say no to more.
no subject
That could be helpful.
no subject
Which was admittedly not the best answer, but it was the one he could give. It had been working fine until he lost the fragments, and then there wasn't enough to run all the enhancements. Maybe she could help, maybe she couldn't, but he also wasn't the best person to ask about how it all worked.
no subject
no subject
Not the most ideal situation, maybe, but better than anything else he had right now. He didn't want to be stuck here with armor that didn't completely work for the foreseeable future, and showing it to somebody who might not be able to fix it but had the potential to was far better than continuing to wear it when it wasn't running at its full potential.
So he headed towards the door without further elaboration, and made his way back down the hallway towards the room where he'd stashed it.
no subject
Perhaps for the first time, she wished she had Agent Kallus here. He would know about this sort of thing.
Granted, he'd also gotten her killed. So there was that.
no subject
He stopped at the door of the room he'd appropriated and let himself in, leaving the door open behind him so she could follow. The room looked a mess, items overturned and broken shards of mirror and drops of blood scattered across the place, but the armor was neatly piled in a corner, the brute shot next to it and the body suit folded precisely. He stood nearby and waited for her determination, her next move.
no subject
It also said that Maine had a temper. Wonderful. Just what they needed.
Maketh went to the armor immediately, crouching down for a better look. Oh, hello, look at that. Heavy combat armor, she could tell. It could probably survive a blaster shot to the face. Fascinating. Did it have an on-board oxygen supply, or possibly a filtration system?
Oh, that was wonderful. Something new.
Unfortunately, she didn't have her datapad to run a proper diagnostic. Maketh flicked her nails against the armor, thinking. "I assume this thing has a Heads Up Display? Could you activate that for me? It's possible that the armor has a self-repair protocol, or at least directions for an engineer."