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Taurus

Just... Leave me alone for now...

0 · 318 views · located in L4T8-001 (First Mission)

a character in “The Adrenaline Project”, as played by God_of_Darkness

Description

Paul "Taurus" Buffet

Image
Position in the Sector : Taurus
Version : 8
Sector : American 

Name : Paul Buffet (boo-fay)
Gender: Male
Nickname(s)/Alias(es): Bull, Torro, Oushi
Age: 20

Appearance: His well maintained attractive body has many scars that cover along his body from rigorous training and deadly missions with his teacher, the previous Leo. Has a cigarette and water-proof wind-resistant match tucked behind his right ear as a back up if he has no pack on him.

Preferred Clothing: Loose fitting clothes that are light and open, he exerts a lot of energy throughout the day and wears clothes that will cool him down but not wick up his sweat and get cold and heavy. He wears thick and heavy steel in fused combat boot, black mid-calf lock strap style. The sole, toe, straps and heel are all steel reinforced.

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 189 lbs
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Pale Leaf Green

Notable Features: A barcode is tattooed on the back of his neck.

Personality: A charming and calm person who has lost the father figure in his life, causing him to become stoic and almost emotionless. Training his body is the one thing that makes him feel connected to his lost mentor and does hard training for hours at a time. When he fighs another, he becomes more of a machine than the fact that he become a Titan, it's like he shuts his humane side down and becomes a living weapon. Since the death of his previous partner he has taken up his expartner's habit of smoking cigarettes.

Oddities: Will train until he bleeds, it soothes his troubled soul and makes him forget the pain his heart feels by replacing it with physical pain.

Charm Points: The Damaged Bad Boy Appeal

Likes: Training, Solidarity, Silence, Peace
Dislikes: Killing, Death, Opening Up
Hobbies: Training, Meditation, Drawing, Smoking

Fears/Phobia(s):  
Caring about People
People he Cares about Dying
Becoming a Murderer

Skills: In-depth knowledge of several martial arts from around the world. 

Personal History: Paul was the first to join the ranks of the Sector's 12 in 4 years, and was the newest member for 2 more years before the presumed death of his teacher and partner on the field the Third Leo. He klled the seventh Taurus in combat for selection. He started as a scared 18 year old, but in the two years of conditioning and training he became one of the strongest Tauruses in 5 generations

Like many in the program, not much is remembered of his past life before being abducted by the American Government for the Adrenalin Project. His accent is similar to a Montana southern drawl.   


Titan Form: Taurus V.8
Image

Color Scheme : Blue and Silver

Theme Song: Headstrong by Trapt
Lyrics :
Circling your, circling your, circling your head
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth I got a doubt
A different motive in your eyes
And now I'm out, see you later

I see your fantasy
You want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well, now that's over

I see your motives inside
Decisions to hide

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're headstrong

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away

Conclusions manifest, your first impression's
Got to be your very best
I see you're full of shit and that's alright
That's how you play, I guess you get through
Every night, well, now that's over

I see your fantasy
You want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well, now that's over

I see your motives inside
Decisions to hide

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're headstrong

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Where you belong?
(I can't give everything away)
This is not where you belong
(I won't give everything away)

I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about
Your motives inside and your decision to hide

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're headstrong

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Where you belong?
This is not were you belong
(I can't give everything away)
This is not were you belong
(I won't give everything away)
This is not were you belong


Other: He has a Montana souther drawl.
Now that his mentor is gone, it is time for the student to become the master, or at least the older brother.

So begins...

Taurus's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Scorpio Character Portrait: Taurus Character Portrait: Cancer Character Portrait: Dr. Blonde
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Dr. Blonde held a cold and wicked smile as he walked into the commons area. His eyes locked onto the tall young blonde boy Milo as he walked over towards the doctor with his soccer ball in hand.  "Uh heeeey Doc. How's the morning round going? Anything interesting yet?" He said nothing in response as he looked towards Milo, as if he was looking past him instead of at him.

Dr. Blonde began to walk towards Milo as he continued to ramble on. "You know, apocalypse, World War Three, puppy in a tree? Gotta be something for us to do. Been sitting in here for weeks since our last job. Kind of bored here." The doctor then walked past Milo as he began to nervously dribble his ball, only to toss it aside under a bench realizing what he was doing. 

"Uh I'll get that later. Just kind of in the way." Milo said with a ridiculous grin. "But if not any of those, can I get some spar time at least? Maybe with Paul or Jacqueline? Hell I'd even settle for Roxie even though half the time I can't understand a word she's saying." Dr. Blonde didn't look back but continued to walk over to the wall where Milo had kicked the ball against. He leaned down to the practically spotless wall and with his right index finger and thumb reached and plucked a tiny strand of a scuff mark.

He turned back towards Milo, still holding his cruel smile. He walked over to the tall boy, his fingers still pinching on the single spec he had found on the wall. He held the his fingers in front of Milo's face and asked in a voice smooth and soft, but carried an air of wickedness behind it, like a cloaked dagger. 

"What is this...?"


-Taurus-

Paul bounced on the balls of his feet as he bobbed and weaved from side to side as he worked on the heavy bag. Swift jabs, powerful hooks and crosses, stiff arms and elbows, haymakers and rapid rolling punches. Paul had been punching the heavy bag in the gym for the past hour after the three hour weight lifting and cardio training he had be doing after he woke up early that morning. This Paul's normal morning schedule. Wake up, a hour of weight lifting, two hours of cardio running, climbing, and swimming in the training/combat area, or the Arena, as it was known by some of the others in the complex, and then an hour shadow boxing and heavy bag. 

Fresh blood was already staining the black punching bag which was covered in aged dried blood as Paul continued to make his strikes, uncaring that his fists were bleeding or that they were bleeding because of his brutal training. Paul didn't care about the pain, none of this really mattered. He was just a caged bull, only to be released to his job or die, like a fighting bull of Spain, prodded and poked until he did not serve his worth any further. The thought made him angry and with a strong right haymaker, he punched a hole right through beaten bag. Out poured thick sand that emptied out onto the ground.

"That's as good a place to stop as any..." Paul said as he watched the bag empty onto the floor. He looked up at the ceiling and spoke out as if talking at someone there. "I'm going to need a new bag tomorrow." He knew that there were dozens of micro-cameras and microphones in every room and hall of the complex, watching and listening to everything that happened in the complex. They were made to be hidden, but he knew they were there. He knew that the doctor was always watching. 

A hot sweat slowly rolled down Paul's body, wicking along the creases of his muscles of his shirtless chest. He walked over to the bench that he left his towel hanging over. He picked it up and began drying himself off as he began to  walk for the exit, his bloody hands staining the white cloth. He was heading for the shower, the final part to his morning workout routine, to wash the blood and sweat from his body, the warm water soothing his troubled mind and ease his body's pain.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Scorpio Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus Character Portrait: Cancer Character Portrait: Dr. Blonde
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Dr. Blonde remained calm and composed as Milo rambled on, watching him as he retrieved his soccer ball and walked over to Roxanna to try and herd her with him out of the room. Suddenly, Dr. Blonde grabbed Milo by the back of his hair with his left hand and violently yanked him back. He swung his right arm through and slammed into Milo's gut, keeping his grip on the tall boy's blonde hair. Dr. Blonde released his hair and let the boy drop to the ground in front of him. He began to speak calmly and sweetly as if he did not just punched him in the stomach, "Now Milo, you know if you have any concerns you can always tell me..." With that the doctor kicked Milo with his shiny white wing tips right below the rib cage. "I am here to watch over you," Another kick. "Help you grow," Another kick. "Keep you safe." Suddenly he uppercutted the boy right under the chin and then held his hand, having punched hard enough to hurt his own hand. He walked over and grabbed Milo's head from the floor by his hair and yanked him up to look him in the eyes as the doctor talked. "So..." this time when he talked it was with a merciless coldness, like a murderer talking to his next victim. "I don't give a shit if you're bored, you're not here for your interests, you're not here to voice your opinions, you're here TO DO AS YOUR TOLD!" He dropped the boys head and stepped over his body. "There's your spar time." The doctor used the tails of his lab coat to wipe the blood from his hand and began to whistle again as he walked towards the door to the halls.


-Taurus-
Taurus sighed out as he rubbed the towel through his brown hair, wiping away the sweat from his head and in his hair. He didn't pay much attention as he left the gym, in almost two years he had never had issue walking directly and undisturbed from the gym over to the showers. So it came as a surprise to him when he ended up walking right into someone coming the opposite way. While running into the person did not knock him off balance, bumping into them snapped him out of his introversion and his reflexes kicked in in time to catch the person before they fell. He held the person up gently, "You okay?" He spoke with a soft but cold southern drawl. He then began to pay more attention to whom he had ran into, it was none other than his new female partner, the new Leo.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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A soft yelp slipped from Jacqli's throat when she felt herself be caught mid-air from her near fall. Someone . . . had caught her. Damn, why did she have to run into someone, and then they catch her? She would have rather have fallen flat on her ass, and just been left there, alone, with no regard. She didn't want anyone to bother with her, just like she didn't want to bother with them, she was not worth their time, she never was nor would she ever be! The time she was wasting wasn't hers anyway! It was useless until someone gave her a damn order anyway, then the time was being put to use by those it really belonged to. Delusion, all of this is a delusion. . . .

Keeping her crystal-colored eyes shut, Jacqli did not bring herself to look at the one who'd caught her, but hearing their voice was enough of an identifier for her to know who they were, the simple question of, "You okay?" laced with an unmistakable speech marker--a light accent, a Southern sort of drawl that remained in his voice still, despite being away from that place for God knew how long. It was Paul; or Taurus . . . her field partner, the man who had been mentored by her predecessor. Of everyone she could have possibly run into, why, why did it have to be the worst conceivable person of the Titans . . . ? For her, anyway.

Couldn't he have just let me fall, and walked on, it would've been easier for the both of us. He wouldn't have to see the person who is suppose to replace his mentor, and I wouldn't have to worry about wasting his time. she thought to herself, sighing, still noting that Paul was holding her up. Jacqli opened her eyes enough to see, and simply turned her head to the side, making sure she did not directly look at Taurus once. There was no expression on the girl's face as she cast her gaze away from the man, knowing him of course, Jacqli could surmise that he was probably finishing up some training regime he put himself through every morning, carrying it out like clockwork, going at it until he couldn't handle it anymore, drawing too much blood out of himself, or the gym equipment needed replaced.

". . . .I'm fine." she replied to him finally, her voice utterly dull and apathetic sounding. "If I caused you any disturbance, I apologize. . . ."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Scorpio Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus Character Portrait: Cancer
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Scorpio


Milo waved her hand off. Roxanna looked down at it for a second, as if to access what was wrong with it. Concluding it would look odd to examine it in any depth, she saved the action for later, shrugging it off. "Thank you sir may I have another!" Milo yelled off after the Doctor. Roxanna cringed, knowing how it would upset the Doctor, knowing what it could mean for both of them. "Come on Boss Monster. I've taken worse than that from the Navy. Navy can't hit worth shit and you know it!" Her mind pleaded with him, but no words came out. Stop it, stop it. She starred at him intently, scanning his face for possible purpose for this madness. He seemed happy and confident; it was something that didn’t compute in her head.

"You could get rid of me at any time but you don't and you and I both know why. It's not because you need me and it's not because the others do. It's because I'm the best at what I do. I take hits. I grin and bear it. And you know it." ”Milo, no. Don’t taunt him.” she whispered it, but it was backed by a cornucopia of fear, concern, frustration, and confusion. With every word he got cockier, he smiled more. Roxanna furled her brow, what Milo was doing wasn’t appropriate behavior.

”If you stop, I’ll train with you. We can leave right now.” she felt wordy, but this was about to become a situation. She started down the hallway, hoping he’d follow her if she led. Her eyes searched the hallways for the Doctor, but he seemed to have disappeared.

However, she did see Jacqli, the new Leo, and Paul. In a way, she resented the new Leo, but it was a combination of two things. One was that she very much enjoyed the company of the last Leo; he was a friend. He treated her kinder than any of the others and had protected her on occasion. That’s when Paul was my friend too, but now he
. Roxanna shoot it off. Moving on. The other reason was that most simply, she was jealous of her. Jealous of the innocence she still had, of the way she presented herself. Roxanna grew up at a young age, having to deal with the world around her. This girl
.she kept some. She wished more than anything to have been like her, but she wasn’t.

Paul was holding Jacqli up, or so it seemed. They were talking. Roxanna looked away, no use focusing on something she wasn’t a part of. She had Milo to worry about. And herself.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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Paul helped this young woman to balance on her feet and then released her. To be honest, he really didn't want to be near this girl. He couldn't help but hold a resentment towards her, she had taken the place of his mentor. The man that had taught him how to bare through these past two years was gone. Nothing was discussed or explained, he was just gone and nothing more would be asked. Paul never even got to say goodbye.

"It's fine. As long as your okay." Paul began to walk past the girl, continuing for the showers and to be away from this girl. He felt bad for feeling this way, especially to a young woman who did nothing wrong to him, at least purposefully. But he just wanted to focus on his shower so he could unwind. He stopped at the door of the showers and remembered what it was like when he joined the sector... The pain and fear he felt. "I-it gets easier..." And with that he walked into the showers.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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He let her go, all the while Jacqli kept her eyes averted from looking directly at Paul, she couldn’t look at the man who’d been the partner to her predecessor, it’d be too much and she’d break—she knew it. She was only here as a replacement, and because she had desired an escape from the pain all those tests and experiments went hand-in-hand with. Why couldn’t he have just let her fall over and been on his way, it would have been so much easier. She was a big girl; she could pick herself up after tumbling backward. Besides, he wouldn’t have had to bother with her at all, Jacqli was sure that he didn’t want to, given everything. It’s fine. As long as your okay.” Jacqli could only sigh to herself when he said that to her.

Like hell it was fine . . . nothing was really ‘fine’ in this screwed up excuse for existence—being made to live in a delusional world where your life belonged to another, where it could be ended if you no longer held any use for the people who took another’s time as their own. Reality was bleak, outside and in, the world let pathetic souls like herself continue breathing when good souls got the short end of the stick, and had their lives cut short because of another’s whim. Jacqli shouldn’t have become the Fourth Leo, because there shouldn’t have been a need for a new one, the Third Leo should’ve still been allowed to live, he’d been looked up to, and everyone knew him, great things came from him. All that could come from her was hindrance, anger and impatience, she was a nuisance.

Quietly, Jacqli moved herself to the side so that Paul could get by her without a problem as he began walking away. The girl kept her crystal-colored eyes only half-open, and locked to the ground, a nigh unreadable expression over her young face. The new Leo simply stood where she was as her partner continued passed her, hoping that the silence would maintain itself. She would move again after she was sure that he was gone, and that there wouldn’t be a need for anymore words to pass between them. ”I-It gets easier
” Again, the Taurus spoke to her, this time, his voice actually sounded as if it carried some semblance of pity for her, something beyond ice.

Hearing that caused a crack to form in Jacqli’s heavy mask, her head turned upright and an expression of shock formed over her face, her heart skipping a beat, not really prepared to hear any words of any sort of pity directed toward her. She wasn’t ready for anything other than apathy. Jacqli heard a door shut, and she knew that she was left to her own devices then, that she could take the silence back if she wanted to, resume her usual self. But, that crack refused to be repaired so soon. Why . . . why did he sound like he actually cared, even if it was a little bit? A sigh came from her, as she moved backward, letting her back hit the hallway wall with something of a thud. Confusion seemed to spread over Jacqli’s face, that and sadness.

She set a hand upon her face, covering her eyes as she felt them prickle with an attempt of tears. Her body actually wanted to cry, did it? This was why she wanted to be left alone, why she avoided meeting with the other Titans, because any show of emotion directed toward her always made her mask falter, and it left her overwhelmed, and uncertain of how to handle anything. Without meaning to, a soft whimper came from her throat as she quietly found herself sliding down against the wall, until she was seated upon the floor. I can’t take this, I’m not ready for people to show any compassion toward me, or anything, not when I’ve replaced someone in their lives. Especially when I’m such a terrible replacement too. . . . she thought, biting onto the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay. Although she’d originally set out from the library for food, Jacqli’s body no longer had a desire to eat. . . .

“I’ve locked myself in, there was a door for me to escape through, but I locked myself into a delusion. . . .”

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Taurus Character Portrait: Aquarius Character Portrait: Dr. Blonde
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- Dr.Blonde -


The door just to the right of Selphy's dorm room slid open and out stepped the doctor, wiping his hands with a tattered and ripped sheet, covered in blood splatter. He was whistling a jolly tune as if nothing was odd about him stepping out of a dorm room with a bloody cloth. The door slid shut behind him, covering whatever he had done. He looked over at Selphy, just seeming to notice her. "Ah, Selphy, my dear, how are you this fine day?" He smiled cheerily at her as he tucked the cloth into his labcoat's right pocket.


- Taurus -


Paul walked into the men's showers and sighed deeply, but not in the same way he had been for weeks. He actually had a sigh of relief, like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he would know the feeling, he had squated 300 lbs that morning. He began to strip the rest of the way down while thinking about the interaction he just had. It was not that he hated the new Leo, he understood the replacement of sector members and knew it wasn't her fault, she didn't even face Grant in combat.

Grant was the previous Leo, and one of the oldest members of the sector at 56, a member for 34 years. Despite his age, he was a very strong man, in all ways. He even made those around him feel strong. He was like a father to Paul, who was just like the new Leo when he first had joined the sector. The only difference was Paul had to kill for his spot. Grant helped Paul get through the trauma and fear, he taught him how to steel himself so he could not be hurt but that it was still important to feel.



~~~
"Why would I want to feel anything, Sir? Would it not just be easier to not feel a thing?" Paul asked Grant after a hard sparring session one day.

Grant gently laid is hand on Paul's shoulder and spoke with a confidence that exuded strength and faith, "We cannot allow ourselves to not feel anything. We must steel ourselves from the pain and fear they will try bring us, but we cannot let them take our happiness, take our love, our sadness, our anger, our hope. Without emotions, we would become just what they want us to, monsters."
~~~



A soft tear fell from Paul's eye as he thought of the memory. He walked over to one of the shower stalls, leaving his clothing and towel on the bench in the middle of the room, between the two rows of shower stalls. His sweaty, chiseled muscular body glistened in the fluorescent lights as he stepped into the shower. He turned the cold faucet twice and the hot faucet three times. The warm water came from the shower head powerfully, pouring against his pale skin and through his deep brown hair. The water ran down the creases of his muscles, washing the sweat from his flesh. Paul soaped up is hands and washed himself slowly, enjoying the warmth of the water spraying against him.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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Suddenly the hallways lit up with the flashes of blue and a siren went off over the P.A. system. A virtual female voice spoke over the siren. Attention! Attention! Team Gamma proceed to common area to be escorted to the launch pad. Units Taurus and Leo, report to the common area. Repeat. Units Taurus and Leo, report to the common area.

Paul got out of the showers quickly, grabbing up is clothes and quickly began to dress. As he was finishing putting on his shirt, he stepped out of the shower room and into the hallway, seeing the new girl sitting on the floor just outside the doors. He didn't think much about it, he just yelled out over the siren. "Let's go kid, we've got a mission." He extended his hand down to her to help her off the floor. Paul may not have liked the sector, but they still protected the country from some pretty bad people out there, they're self sacrifice was protecting millions. That was at least his way to rationalize this whole crazy program.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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As the sirens went off, and Jacqli heard the announcement with the hallway flashing blue, she looked up, evidently startled. She was . . . being called out for a mission. For the first time since her initiation into the sector, she was being sent on a mission. This was the first time she’d be doing anything under the name of ‘Leo,’ the first time that her life would be put to use by those who now owned it. And the first time Taurus is going to be going out on the field with the person who is suppose to replace someone who should still be here. she thought with a sigh, looking down in uncertainty. She really wasn’t meant to be here, to be doing any of this, she’d only said yes to becoming the new Titan in order to make the experiments stop, to end the daily bouts of pain she had to undergo in that lab. . . .

The memories were enough to haunt her, to scare her, to make her remember why it was she’d said yes to something she knew she shouldn’t have. Even if she wasn’t ready for this, she had to do it. She . . . she had to.

Even if she wasn’t worth the time of day for anyone here, even if everyone was better off not bothering with her, she had something she had to do now; although she had no right to even be called the successor to the Third Leo, she still had something she had to do. A breath left her lungs as someone stirred her from her thoughts, catching her off guard and getting her attention. ”Let’s go kid, we’ve got a mission.” Jacqli looked up as a hand was held out to her; her partner. Swallowing back what doubt she could, she nodded with a vacant expression before she took hold of Paul’s outstretched hand and took his help in getting to her feet. Despite her expression, there was no doubt that Jacqli was trembling in trepidation.

Worthless, problematic and caught within the hold of a powerful delusion, she had to cope with her world. What her life was giving to her; and even if she didn’t deserve to even be breathing in the world, she . . . she was. Jacqli was doing something, her time belonged to others now, and only worth something to others. She was someone’s field partner, even if she had no right to be . . . she was someone’s partner, she had to work with someone, help them. Even if she didn’t know what was coming, and even if she knew that she was probably more trouble than she was help for anything, she had to try her damnest, to be the least of a bother as possible. At least if she could help out even a bit, prevent an injury or . . . anything, she wouldn’t be so much of a bother for Paul. The less of a problem she was, the better it was for everyone around her.

“. . . .all right, let’s get this done.” She murmured, before heading off to the common area, uncertainty passing through her eyes.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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Waiting in the common room were two men in identical three black piece suits, with white dress shirts, solid maroon ties and slim thick sunglasses. Their hair was gelled back but looked almost exactly the same. They were the same height, body type, complexion, and facial structure. These men looked exactly the same, except for the one on the left had red cuff links and the one on the right had blue cuff links.

As Paul and Jacqli walked up to them the one on the left spoke first in a monotone voice. "Special Agent Taurus, Special Agent Leo, I am Mr. Red."

The man on the right stepped forward speaking in an almost exact identical tone. "And I am Mr. Blue, we will be escorting you up to heli-pad. You are required to be blindfolded and restrained." With that the two men placed locking helmets that canceled out all sound, sight and smell, and then their arms were bound behind their backs with forearm restraints. They were then lead out of the commons area through the entrance hall to the elevator. The four of them took the elevator to the roof where a stealth heli-jet was already roaring and ready to go. It blew strong air at the four of them as they loaded into the heli-jet.

After about an hour in the air, Paul and Jacqli's restraints were released and the helmets were removed. Sitting across from them were Mr.Red and Mr.Blue. Mr.Red spoke up, "We will now brief you on your mission."

Mr. Blue than said, "As always, remain calm and cooperative or we will use deadly force if nesscessary."

Paul rubbed his wrists and streched his arms, which were sore from his restraints.

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Character Portrait: Leo Character Portrait: Taurus
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Jacqli said nothing as she was at last released from the restraints. The entire time that she’d been restrained, the only thoughts that’d passed through that skull of hers regarded much the same things as she’d been thinking about before she’d even accepted Paul’s help in getting to her feet before leaving the facility. How she wasn’t ready for this, yet how she had to do it, how she had to try and be the least problematic partner she could. Not for her own sake, but for the sake of the one who’d gotten stuck with her. It wasn’t as if Paul had chosen to have her assigned to him . . . it was something forced on him, and Jacqli knew well enough that she didn’t even deserve to be where she was. It was her own selfishness and want to be free of the pain she had to endure that got her where she was now—acting as the evidential replacement for someone who didn’t need to be replaced. She was worthless in comparison to everyone else, and she had no worth even being a part of the Titan program as she was. . . .

A sigh came from her as she drew her crystal-colored eyes up to the officials sitting in front of her and her partner. Even though the restraints had indeed hurt her arms, she made no effort to show signs of discomfort; the pain they caused was a trivial matter, and in her conscious memory, she could recall much worse. . . . Jacqli simply adjusted her ponytail before she drew her hands into her laps without a sound coming from her. All she wanted to do was get this over with as quickly as possible so that she could go back to simply biding away the time that no longer belonged to her. She just wanted to go back into the delusion that was now her life. The sooner I can be alone again, the better. . . . she thought, eyelids lowering a bit as a passive expression stayed over her features.

All she had to do was complete the task these men had to give her and Taurus, that was all; she just had to make sure that she wasn’t a burden to anyone, just . . . do her duty and then she could be alone again with her thoughts, and not a bother to anyone. “Please, just tell us what we need to do, sirs. . . . I just want to get this done with, the sooner it’s over, the better for everyone.” Jacqli spoke, her voice quiet.

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Paul rested his head back looking up to the ceiling finally being able to see something more than complete darkness, he breathed deeply and exhaled hard. Paul thought about the first mission he had with Grant. Paul was just like this little girl beside him. A beaten broken shell of a person who murdered another human for his spot in something just better than the injections. Paul felt like he was all alone, but Grant made it so simple. He was so strong, everything was like an exercise. In the years Paul knew Grant, he never thought he had seen him at 100%. That's why his sudden disappearance was odd, for Grant to just die... It couldn't seem possible to Paul. But regardless, he couldn't let this girl come into this alone. Grant was gone, so maybe it was time Paul tried to be the hero he was.

Paul sat forward and snatched the paper folder from Mr.Blue, which contained the information. "I'll breif her, you guys just stay out of the way, as usual. Nothing has changed here." Paul spoke strongly and confidently, obviously never having issues with these guys before, the just took them to the drop site and picked them up, they were chauffeurs with hand cuffs.

Paul turned towards to Jacqli as he quickly read over the information on the mission in the folder. After a few moments he looked up to Jacqli and smiled comfortingly. "Look, this is gonna be a real simple mission. We're droppin' into a remote fortress to eradicate the whole place. We're after a arms deal name Kerem Housali, he's decently armed but nothin' that could stop a Titan. So just relax and focus on destroyin' anythin' that moves and isn't me. You're going to be fine, I'm going to be going in and pulling their fire, you just stay more towards the back and take out stragglers." Paul reached over and put his hand comfortingly on her back, "You're gonna be just fine kid."

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She kept herself quiet as he spoke, just listening to what had to be done without saying a word . . . all she had to do was get it done, finish the mission and make sure that she was not a burden or problematic for her partner. The least amount of problems she caused, the better it was . . . even if this was hard and she wasn’t sure of herself, she had to do what she had to. She was here in the stead of a person who she shouldn’t have been, playing a role she wasn’t suited to. Because she’d been selfish enough to say yes to a deal she knew she shouldn’t have agreed to, she was sitting in a place that didn’t belong to her, she was a part of something that didn’t need her.

Living on time that was someone else’s, her life only becoming worth a thing when someone decided to use her time, she was just a part of a delusion. And she just wanted to go back to that delusion, she wanted to finish this up and get back to living in her delusion, forget about time and just . . . be alone again, and not bother anyone with her presence.
Jacqli simply sat there with her eyes cast down to the floor, as she finished listening to Paul brief her on what needed to be done, what they had to do and what he wanted her to do. Play the part of backup; something she wasn’t suited to do either, but a role better for her to take. Simple enough . . . just play cleanup. she reasoned, Just do what you’re told, and then you can just go back to the delusion and not have to worry about bothering anyone until they want you again. . . . It was still cracked, her mask was. From before, it was still breaking apart, and she was barely keeping it on right then.

So, when a hand was set on her back and she heard unnecessary words spoken to her, ”You’re gonna be just fine kid.” it jolted her from her semi-collected state almost entirely.

Under the touch of her partner, Jacqli’s body completely tensed up as her head lolled forward, and she began to shake just a bit, despite her attempts to not do so. She was being shown something she didn’t deserve again, shown kindness, a sort of sympathy that needn’t be expressed toward her. Why . . . why did people keep bothering doing the unnecessary with her? Why was Paul going out of his way to . . . ? She was sitting in the place of his ex-partner, the great Third Leo, a man who shouldn’t have had to be replaced by her. Not again. Not again, please stop it, please just stop acting like that, don’t treat me with something I don’t deserve. Why would something like me deserve any sort of kindness when all they are is a catalyst for bad things? The teenager clenched her eyes shut, doing her best to hold back the overwhelmed tears which were forming in her eyes.

A shaky breath escaped from her lungs, as she did her best to pull her crumbling mask back over her. It was heavy and hard to hold up as she felt now, but she needed it; she needed to not let anyone know that she was so overwhelmed, that she was feeling so weak. Weakness only caused problems, it did not help anything, it only made things worse . . . worrisome, and annoying, that’s what she was. She was weak, and unworthy of sitting where she was. . . . Taking in an uncertain breath, forcing her crystal eyes open, Jacqli turned her gaze to her partner, able to force an empty look over her face as she did so.

She needed to speak . . . say something so that she did not appear so shaken up, “. . . .pl-please do not refer to me as ‘kid,’ whereas your experience and seniority over myself is well-noted and respected, I do not think of myself as a child or a kid.” Her voice came out quickly and monotonously. In truth, Jacqli could not have cared less what Paul called her . . . by her name or whatever title he saw fit to refer to her as, it was really his choice since she wasn’t worth the time anyway. . . . But she’d needed something to say to him. Turning her eyes away from him, she forced herself to look straight ahead. “I am sixteen, and the things I’ve been through and experienced are tantamount to that of an adult’s life, not a child’s, s-so, please.”

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Paul smirked as if looking at himself when he first came. He almost said the exact same words to Grant when he first called him kid. Paul felt a bittersweet laugh come from his lips, he finally understood how Grant must have felt when he told him what he did in response. Paul spoke the same words, "My old partner use to call me 'kid', your my partner now, so that's your name now."

Paul reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, popped one out, put it in his lips and with a lighter from inside the pack lit it. Paul chuckled softly and leaned back. "I was 18, and he still called me kid. I guess it beats rookie. Look kid, I know how you're feelin', I was just like you and want you to know it's okay to feel like you do. In fact, it's important. So I'm gonna to need you to stop trying to keep it all in. That's how people go crazy. It's not your fault that you're here, we've all been dropped into hell, it's not our job to climb out, it's our job survive as long as we can." Paul took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly, staring coldly ahead. Remembering something Grant told him that he desperately needed to hear.

"Don't blame yourself for taking Grant's place." Paul leaned his elbows onto his thighs. "We are all bound to be replaced and you don't deserve to bear the weight of something that is not truly in our control. Grant wouldn't have blamed you, hell, that old stubborn bastard probably would have thanked you."

Paul exhaled another cloud of smoke. "Grant wouldn't want you blaming yourself, and I don't either. We're partners now," Paul looked over to Jacqli and smiled warmly. "That means we're family, kid. You don't hold qualms against family."

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It didn’t help, what he had to say didn’t really help her. It did nothing but make her feel even worse. She was not worth being called ‘family,’ she wasn’t anyone’s family. Look what her very existence managed to do to those who were her blood kin . . . her grandmother and mother parted ways due to her conception, her own father abandoned her mother, and her mother never even came around to get her after she was suppose to have gotten clean. She tore her ‘family’ apart just by being born. . . . And now, she was just suppose to accept that she was worth being called family when it came to people she didn’t know, a group she’d just been dropped into?

I’m not worth it, just stop . . . damn it, please just stop showing me kindness. It only makes it worse, makes me know how very wrong it is for me to even be sitting here. she thought, body tensing up as she forced her eyes down and away from Paul. Jacqli did not want his kindness, his pity, or his sympathy. She didn’t even want to be regarded as an equal or someone beneath him, she just wanted to end this mission and return to her isolation. Soon enough, you can go back into the delusion, soon enough . . . just do what you have to and then you won’t have to be a bother anymore. A forced breath escaped from her lungs as she clenched her eyes shut. As hard as it was, she was forcing her composure back over herself. “I’m not worth being called family, all I do is cause problems to everyone who is stuck being around me. It’s better if everyone has as little contact with me as possible. It really is.”

“You can call me family, say that our circumstances make us as such, but that’s not true . . . I’m someone who was dropped into all of this, and who they had replace someone who should well still be here, even if you don’t hold a grudge or ill feelings against me for anything, you still shouldn’t waste your time showing me sympathy. I don’t deserve it, Paul.” Jacqli breathed all of that out, quickly, keeping her head down. “I’m just here to do what I have to, so I can go back to being alone, and out of everyone’s way.”

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Paul's fist came down ontop of Jacqli's head lightly but firmly. He then opened his hand and grabbed her head with his large hand. He spoke like a big brother scolding his little sister, the more heated he got the deeper his drawl became. "Now see here, we are siblings in circumstance, I need to trust you and you need to trust me. Aye' can' do that if yer gonna shell up like a crawdad, so you need to work with me on this, Aye' promise it's better not to do it alone."

Suddenly a yellow light on the ceiling of the heli-jet began to glow and flash. Mr. Red said, "We're approaching the drop zone." Mr. Blue then added in, "Get ready for your injections."

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She squeaked when his fist came down on her head, and he held onto the top of her skull with his hand. Jacqli winced at this, at being touched, and the fact that he’d acted in a manner akin to a sibling scolding another sibling. He was treating like the family she was not. She wasn’t his family, they were caught in the same situation, but they weren’t family, she could never be family to anyone, not after the misfortune she’d already caused the people around her in the past. He scolded her, and she could tell that he was riled up to her earlier melodramatic monologue about how she didn’t belong. His accent had gotten stronger. . . .

Honestly, she wasn’t worth . . . this, getting worked up over. It would’ve been easier to ignore her and to just get the mission done without getting exasperated up over what she’d said, but then also, she shouldn’t have let slip what she did. What she had said was fuel to anyone’s fire, to get them going. She knew better, but . . . it’d gotten out, normally she watched herself, and kept any trace of weakness, of her real thoughts locked up so that no one knew of them specifically because they caused this to happen. But even if she’d upset Paul, he was still insisting on what he’d said before, despite her words and what she believed. He wanted her to trust him, and for himself to be able to trust her? He doesn’t have to worry about me trusting him, he’s capable of this, of doing something worthwhile, I am not, I’m. . . . she began thinking, sighing.

The little Leo found herself chewing on her lower lip, uncertainty filling her heart and mind. Paul was so sure of this, despite the fact that someone as insignificant as herself was sitting next to him instead of the person who really should’ve been there. He was insisting . . . why? Why was he bothering to exert such effort into convincing her of this? She was doing it again, causing someone strife. Just like always. But . . . he sounded certain of himself, despite the fact that she was being difficult, he was still trying. And that was enough to cause another crack to form in her already crumbling mask. He’d already made one earlier, and so had Dr. Sterling.

Yet, in this instance, enough of the mask Jacqli wore had crumbled off before she could repair it to allow just a bit of her real self to surface. Unable to really grasp why it was that someone was trying with her despite the trouble she presented, Jacqli felt her cheeks go a bit red in embarrassment, that uncertainty she felt making an evident appearance over her features. She moved both her hands from her lap and set them on Paul’s hand, which was still on top of her head just before the yellow alarm light began to go off. . . .

”We're approaching the drop zone." Mr. Blue then added in, "Get ready for your injections." Jacqli heard the warning, and knew that she needed to be ready for something she’d not undergone before, not in these conditions. But still, she couldn’t help peeking up at her field partner, an apologetic look on her flushed face.

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"Look kid, I didn't want to drop all of this on you, but we need to work together on this or we could die. Every day is a survival, we are responsible for our country's safety but we need someone to watch our backs too. We're partners and there's no time to be less." He smiled apologetically at her. "I'm sorry kid, but keep faith, I've got your back." He smiled warmly and winked, his homeland aura just exuded welcoming and support.

Paul reached out and grabbed his syringe filled with 6cc of Rush. "How long does it take you to change?"

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She’d listened to what he had to say to her following it before, the expression upon her young face was still one of apology, and embarrassment. Honestly, she still didn’t grasp why he was exerting the effort with her that he was, but he seemed so sure. . . . He was being nice to her, and she didn’t understand it. There wasn’t a reason for it, given the circumstances she’d not given him a reason to regard her as he already seemed to. He said they were siblings of circumstance; family. Despite the fact that she was being so difficult and insistent about herself and what she did, he still was willing to try to make her believe otherwise. All she’d been ready to do was her simple duty of not getting in the way and playing as his back-up as he’d instructed before. That’s all he needed her to do, but then he went ahead and gotten riled up with her for saying what she’d said about herself. Why . . . ?

It’s not that I don’t have faith in him, I do, I know he’s capable of this, very much so . . . it’s myself that I worry about. If I screw up, I could get him hurt, cause problems and just be more of a burden. she’d already let herself slip, and gotten him upset, made him bother with her more than he should’ve. Even if it is my fault, I still cannot understand why he is bothering so much with me, I just, I just don’t. Most people would’ve just blown me off and let me think as I so chose, but even though I’m sitting where his real partner ought to be, being so much trouble, he still is insisting on what he said, and not just. . . . This was all suppose to be a delusion, a terrible delusion that she couldn’t escape from, where her life was as worthless as before unless she was given an order, where people didn’t bother with her unless they had to. But, this was not the case this time.

In truth, it almost made Jacqli feel like crying. She didn’t understand, knowing only for certain that the notion that someone was making a point with her beyond being a Titan made her feel like crying. The sentiment was something she just didn’t understand; why someone would even want to do so. . . . He’s sure of this . . . of me for some reason, Jacqli thought biting down on her lip, turning her head away to look at the syringe that’d be stuck into her soon so that she’d assume her Titan form. If someone like him is capable of even trying to have faith and trust in me, then maybe. . . . Her thoughts ended there, as she hesitantly extended her arm out, and lightly grasped the Rush, bringing it back to her, looking at it with a sigh. Maybe I can do a little more than just not be a burden. . . .

”How long does it take you to change?” she heard Paul ask her. Her reaction was a bit belated, as she slowly turned her head up and looked at her partner, staying quiet for a second or two before she answered, remembering back when she’d been forced into a Titan form, when she’d been injected with Rush as parts of the experiments and such at the lab. . . .

It didn’t take her long, she’d overheard what some of the scientists had to say about her and her body’s reaction time to the transformation-inducing drug. They’d said how quickly her body picked up on the Rush was remarked, surprisingly fast considering that she had been inducted into everything so soon ago. . . . Jacqli let out an uncertain sigh, “I-It doesn’t take me long, my body reacts almost instantly to it, so I change in less than ten seconds. . . .”

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"That's good! Grant use to take nearly a minute, I'm use to shooting right out the gates while he was warming up. I take about 4 seconds, so this is the plan." Sudden Mr. Red stood up and opened side door hatch, opening to the bright and warm desert air, blowing strong outside the heli-jet powerfully, about 3 miles above a dark steel fortress in the sandy and rocky hills. Paul yelled out to be heard over the roaring wind. "We're going to jump out of the jet and dive until we're about 1000 ft from the ground, about the time you can start to make out the shape of the guards we take our injections so we can change to Titan form before we hit the ground and catch them with their pants down. You got trouble with heights kid?!"