01-24-2011, 03:08 AM
The hybrid twiddled his thumbs, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet on the conference table. He had been holed up in this room for three hours, just waiting for his assault team — the team of crazy, masochistic soldiers who were (albeit probably unknowingly) throwing their lives away — to arrive. He didn’t know who was in it, or what type of abilities they had that made them think they were ‘capable.’ He just knew that they had signed up, which meant that their mental health must be, in some way, impaired.
Even Juno had been told the lack of hope on this mission. The militia didn’t expect them to succeed; they didn’t suspect anything to succeed, not against these invaders. But they had to try, and so they had to find the best people they could muster to take on the extraterrestrials’ mother-ship, and the half-Saiyan had been willing, and qualified. He’d seen the enemy base — well, sort of — and he had killed tons of the invaders. So… he supposed that he knew enough to lead the team.
And, to be quite honest, the seer had been okay with consequences. They were going to die — all of them. Juno was sure of it. One or two might survive, but the hybrid knew that chances of them living were slim. And he didn’t mind. It was strange, but something inside of him told him that this was it — this was the type of thing the past two years had been building up to. It was funny: it had all started with that stupid bitch, the one who had seduced him, drugged him, and handed him over to Kai Demolic. If she hadn’t done any of that… he wouldn’t even be on the map. None of this would have happened.
“You know, I’m pretty drunk,” the hybrid acknowledged, “So… I may not be making good choices right now.”
“Oh, I think you’re making an awesome choice,” the redhead smirked, leaning over and kissing him on the neck. He moaned slightly, and then grasped her wrist. She stopped, and slid back onto her barstool. “Something wrong, Juno?”
“…how do you know my name?” he asked, but he quickly wrote if off as a drunken slip. “…and, I think that’s a bit too… hot for a public bar, miss.”
The redhead smiled her seductive smile and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him again. Juno didn’t realize it, but while his eyes were closed, she dropped a tiny white tablet into his drink. After she released him from the kiss, he reached over, grabbed the glass, and took one last swig.
“Why don’t we go up to my room?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrow, “I’m feeling a bit… tired.”
“Sure,” the hybrid hiccupped. He had no idea what he was getting into.
Now, however, he had to think about the present. There was a ship waiting for him and his crew members — ten seats, if they needed that many. That ship would take them up to the Grand Ship Myreen, and there, they would have to do what they could to survive; even though in the end, it would probably all be in vain.
The door swung open.
“Shit.”
Juliet Bracken, purple hair flowing down her back, sauntered in, a smile on her face, and sat at the opposite end of the conference table. She leaned back, mimicking Juno’s sitting posture, and let her grin grow wider.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Juno muttered, quickly jumping to his feet, “They hired you? Do they even fucking know who you are? You’re a fucking criminal.”
“And you’re a hopeless, washed-up, wannabe hero,” Juliet replied, raising her eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend. She stood, and walked around the table, getting as close to the hybrid as she dared. “I’m on your team because I’m capable. You know it, and I know it. And I promise I’m not going to try to usurp your power, Juno. That’s the last thing I had in mind.”
Juno had never been a guy for serious relationships, but Juliet had been the exception. They had worked together on Frost, and the hybrid had thought her to be dead. He had been wrong.
The violet-haired girl had turned up again months later, on Earth, as the leader of a revolution against the government of Central City. Juno had followed her, in some desperate attempt to get ‘love’ or whatever it was that she offered to him — and then, he had played a role in making sure she went to prison for her crimes. Now, she was here, fighting for what she had tried to destroy, and he didn’t know her motivations — he was comforted by the fact that he didn’t think she did, either.
Juliet looked over her shoulder, and the hybrid followed her gaze to see a Namekian sitting in the chair she had vacated. Juno, confused, shuffled past Juliet and narrowed his eyes — he hadn’t seen many Namekians before, but this one most definitely did not fit the description he’d imagined. He seemed less… meditative and more… angry, for lack of a better word.
“Hey, buddy,” the seer started, “Mind telling me who you are?”
“Maleficus Nova,” the Namekian hissed, “And I will be joining you.” Unsure, the hybrid glanced back at Juliet — a gesture of trust that he could’ve slapped himself for — and she shrugged in reply.
“Uhhh,” Juno bit his lip, “Sure, yeah. D’you mind if I call you Mal? It’s shorter, and easier for guys like me.” The green alien did not reply, but merely looked up at the half-Saiyan, his scowl remaining stagnant on his face. Turning back to Juliet, Juno muttered, almost to himself, “…guess not.”
He’s intriguing, the purple-haired woman projected to Juno telepathically.
He’s freaking me out, the hybrid replied.
I can hear you.
Juno and Juliet almost jumped out of their skin, turning around and looking at Maleficus. The Namek’s scowl had grown deeper. “I have companions,” he said simply, “Outside. They must join us.”
The hairs on Juno’s neck continued to stand on end. This guy freaked the hell out of him, and he didn’t really want to know what company he kept. But he sold out. “Sure,” he said, “The more… the merrier.” He bit his lip nervously, and turned back to Juliet. Her expression showed she was as confused as he was.
Another pair of warriors hobbled in — well, at least, one of them was hobbling. He wasn’t exactly injured in the legs, but he was nursing what appeared to be a broken arm. He was also very familiar: Vad Zulenka, the gargantuan Saiyan warrior who had met the resistance in defense of Central City’s government. He was bloodied and bruised, but aside from the broken arm, appeared to be in fighting condition.
Aside from the broken arm. Juno almost shot himself. How the hell was he supposed to fight these aliens with only one arm? The hybrid began doubting how much importance the militia placed in this mission — sure, its failure had been pretty much guaranteed, but it was if, by sending him a crippled warrior, they were sealing the deal. Did the higher-ups even want them to succeed?
Beside the Saiyan was another, notably smaller-framed, man. He was slightly more meek-looking than Vad, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether or not he wanted to be here; he wore a full-body black suit, not dissimilar to the lower class of soldiers.
“…wait,” Vad coughed, “…it’s you.”
Juno smiled. “Yeah, it’s me — ”
“No, not you,” the Saiyan held up his good hand to signal the hybrid to stop talking. He pointed at the purple-haired vixen standing behind him, “It’s you. The girl from Central City. You were on the posters.” Juno looked back at Juliet, who bit her lip nervously, and stepped forward, standing beside the hybrid.
“Yeah, about that,” she began, “I’m… not exactly into this whole dying thing, so whether or not I actually care for my bosses doesn’t matter right now. I’m helping to kill these aliens. And then after that I can do what I please.”
The hybrid glanced over at Juliet, relieved by this — at least he could be certain that this wasn’t her attempt at sabotage. Unless, of course, she was lying; but the hybrid didn’t think so. He didn’t see her lying about something like that. The Juliet he knew — both of them, because the one he’d met on Frost and the one he’d met on Earth seemed to be vastly different people — did have one constant: her desire for self-preservation. Which meant, he hoped, that she was as fully committed to this mission as she claimed to be.
“Your friend is kind of scrawny,” she continued, kind of frankly, gesturing toward the smaller man next to Vad.
“Oh,” the black-suited man spoke up, “I’m Falconer. Robert Falconer. I’ve got a… special weapon, if you catch my drift.”
“You had better not be trying to flirt with me,” Juliet leered.
“No, no, not at all, miss, I just — ”
A low growl was heard from Mal Nova’s direction, and the four other warriors glanced over at him. Juno, in an attempt to break the awkward air that had filled the room, clapped his hands and grinned.
“Alright,” he said loudly, “So… who wants to move out?”
Even Juno had been told the lack of hope on this mission. The militia didn’t expect them to succeed; they didn’t suspect anything to succeed, not against these invaders. But they had to try, and so they had to find the best people they could muster to take on the extraterrestrials’ mother-ship, and the half-Saiyan had been willing, and qualified. He’d seen the enemy base — well, sort of — and he had killed tons of the invaders. So… he supposed that he knew enough to lead the team.
And, to be quite honest, the seer had been okay with consequences. They were going to die — all of them. Juno was sure of it. One or two might survive, but the hybrid knew that chances of them living were slim. And he didn’t mind. It was strange, but something inside of him told him that this was it — this was the type of thing the past two years had been building up to. It was funny: it had all started with that stupid bitch, the one who had seduced him, drugged him, and handed him over to Kai Demolic. If she hadn’t done any of that… he wouldn’t even be on the map. None of this would have happened.
~ + ~
“You know, I’m pretty drunk,” the hybrid acknowledged, “So… I may not be making good choices right now.”
“Oh, I think you’re making an awesome choice,” the redhead smirked, leaning over and kissing him on the neck. He moaned slightly, and then grasped her wrist. She stopped, and slid back onto her barstool. “Something wrong, Juno?”
“…how do you know my name?” he asked, but he quickly wrote if off as a drunken slip. “…and, I think that’s a bit too… hot for a public bar, miss.”
The redhead smiled her seductive smile and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him again. Juno didn’t realize it, but while his eyes were closed, she dropped a tiny white tablet into his drink. After she released him from the kiss, he reached over, grabbed the glass, and took one last swig.
“Why don’t we go up to my room?” the woman asked, raising her eyebrow, “I’m feeling a bit… tired.”
“Sure,” the hybrid hiccupped. He had no idea what he was getting into.
~ + ~
Now, however, he had to think about the present. There was a ship waiting for him and his crew members — ten seats, if they needed that many. That ship would take them up to the Grand Ship Myreen, and there, they would have to do what they could to survive; even though in the end, it would probably all be in vain.
The door swung open.
“Shit.”
Juliet Bracken, purple hair flowing down her back, sauntered in, a smile on her face, and sat at the opposite end of the conference table. She leaned back, mimicking Juno’s sitting posture, and let her grin grow wider.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Juno muttered, quickly jumping to his feet, “They hired you? Do they even fucking know who you are? You’re a fucking criminal.”
“And you’re a hopeless, washed-up, wannabe hero,” Juliet replied, raising her eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend. She stood, and walked around the table, getting as close to the hybrid as she dared. “I’m on your team because I’m capable. You know it, and I know it. And I promise I’m not going to try to usurp your power, Juno. That’s the last thing I had in mind.”
Juno had never been a guy for serious relationships, but Juliet had been the exception. They had worked together on Frost, and the hybrid had thought her to be dead. He had been wrong.
The violet-haired girl had turned up again months later, on Earth, as the leader of a revolution against the government of Central City. Juno had followed her, in some desperate attempt to get ‘love’ or whatever it was that she offered to him — and then, he had played a role in making sure she went to prison for her crimes. Now, she was here, fighting for what she had tried to destroy, and he didn’t know her motivations — he was comforted by the fact that he didn’t think she did, either.
Juliet looked over her shoulder, and the hybrid followed her gaze to see a Namekian sitting in the chair she had vacated. Juno, confused, shuffled past Juliet and narrowed his eyes — he hadn’t seen many Namekians before, but this one most definitely did not fit the description he’d imagined. He seemed less… meditative and more… angry, for lack of a better word.
“Hey, buddy,” the seer started, “Mind telling me who you are?”
“Maleficus Nova,” the Namekian hissed, “And I will be joining you.” Unsure, the hybrid glanced back at Juliet — a gesture of trust that he could’ve slapped himself for — and she shrugged in reply.
“Uhhh,” Juno bit his lip, “Sure, yeah. D’you mind if I call you Mal? It’s shorter, and easier for guys like me.” The green alien did not reply, but merely looked up at the half-Saiyan, his scowl remaining stagnant on his face. Turning back to Juliet, Juno muttered, almost to himself, “…guess not.”
He’s intriguing, the purple-haired woman projected to Juno telepathically.
He’s freaking me out, the hybrid replied.
I can hear you.
Juno and Juliet almost jumped out of their skin, turning around and looking at Maleficus. The Namek’s scowl had grown deeper. “I have companions,” he said simply, “Outside. They must join us.”
The hairs on Juno’s neck continued to stand on end. This guy freaked the hell out of him, and he didn’t really want to know what company he kept. But he sold out. “Sure,” he said, “The more… the merrier.” He bit his lip nervously, and turned back to Juliet. Her expression showed she was as confused as he was.
Another pair of warriors hobbled in — well, at least, one of them was hobbling. He wasn’t exactly injured in the legs, but he was nursing what appeared to be a broken arm. He was also very familiar: Vad Zulenka, the gargantuan Saiyan warrior who had met the resistance in defense of Central City’s government. He was bloodied and bruised, but aside from the broken arm, appeared to be in fighting condition.
Aside from the broken arm. Juno almost shot himself. How the hell was he supposed to fight these aliens with only one arm? The hybrid began doubting how much importance the militia placed in this mission — sure, its failure had been pretty much guaranteed, but it was if, by sending him a crippled warrior, they were sealing the deal. Did the higher-ups even want them to succeed?
Beside the Saiyan was another, notably smaller-framed, man. He was slightly more meek-looking than Vad, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether or not he wanted to be here; he wore a full-body black suit, not dissimilar to the lower class of soldiers.
“…wait,” Vad coughed, “…it’s you.”
Juno smiled. “Yeah, it’s me — ”
“No, not you,” the Saiyan held up his good hand to signal the hybrid to stop talking. He pointed at the purple-haired vixen standing behind him, “It’s you. The girl from Central City. You were on the posters.” Juno looked back at Juliet, who bit her lip nervously, and stepped forward, standing beside the hybrid.
“Yeah, about that,” she began, “I’m… not exactly into this whole dying thing, so whether or not I actually care for my bosses doesn’t matter right now. I’m helping to kill these aliens. And then after that I can do what I please.”
The hybrid glanced over at Juliet, relieved by this — at least he could be certain that this wasn’t her attempt at sabotage. Unless, of course, she was lying; but the hybrid didn’t think so. He didn’t see her lying about something like that. The Juliet he knew — both of them, because the one he’d met on Frost and the one he’d met on Earth seemed to be vastly different people — did have one constant: her desire for self-preservation. Which meant, he hoped, that she was as fully committed to this mission as she claimed to be.
“Your friend is kind of scrawny,” she continued, kind of frankly, gesturing toward the smaller man next to Vad.
“Oh,” the black-suited man spoke up, “I’m Falconer. Robert Falconer. I’ve got a… special weapon, if you catch my drift.”
“You had better not be trying to flirt with me,” Juliet leered.
“No, no, not at all, miss, I just — ”
A low growl was heard from Mal Nova’s direction, and the four other warriors glanced over at him. Juno, in an attempt to break the awkward air that had filled the room, clapped his hands and grinned.
“Alright,” he said loudly, “So… who wants to move out?”