brave

Natalie gave an amused laugh at the reaction of the other - did she really just scream? “Is this a joke?” She took a couple steps towards the other before pausing. “You scream and then show no experience with aiming a gun - and you wish for me to be intimidated? Joke.” Laughing, she continued towards the other and grabbed the kunai from the tree. “If I wanted to of hit you, I would of - do you think I hit the tree by mistake?” She shook her head as she mocked the other with another laugh and went to sit by the fire again. “She is perceptive, too.” Rolling her eyes, she leaned her back against a tree near the fire. “Is CARMA so desperate, they send out pups now? Tell me - is the safety even off?”

Deja huffed in frustration, “The safety is off, thank you very much. I am highly trained, just wasn’t expecting to encounter flying blades and others on the trail.” It was Deja’s off day today, and all she wanted to do was take a nice hike. Deja lowered her weapon and looked at the woman, “Can I join you at this slightly illegal bonfire for a small rest on my hike?” She asked looking at her, “Forgive me for my cowardness, honestly it’s embarrassing but I’m a pretty timid person outside of work.”

“Quinn is a wonderful scientist, though I think she treats the meta’s too kindly. They are contemptible creatures.” He said taking a sip of his coffee and looking up with her with confusion. 

“Terrifying? How so?” He wasn’t putting together that shooting a gun meant actually shooting people or could mean that. He was thinking targets and the like. 

“Spatial control. I will see what I can find. I’m not sure what’s been captured. I just got my lab again.” He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I’ll keep you posted on my experiments. Can I have your number. That way I can text when you should come to my lab.” He said pulling out his phone and entering her name. “Mm yes. I figured that would be the case and wondered what it might be like. I’ve never had the chance to fire a gun. It must be exhilarating.” 

She nodded, and took his phone to enter her number. “You can also find me walking around the base a lot, mostly hanging with Quinn. We’re good friends, but I still have to do my field agent duties so no  lab work for me yet.”

“I don’t see why not. I’ve read nothing in the policies and procedures that wouldn’t allow it. Once I find a meta worth taking apart we can step through the process. There are new ones cropping up daily, with powers I have yet to neutralize. I’ve created virus’ that could easily kill the ones that work for CARMA and a various others, but there are a great deal more I have yet to investigate. Are there any powers you are interested in learning about?” He asked and smiled to the girl. “I would like that very much. I’ve never held a gun before save for an injection gun. Similar build but much different execution I’m guessing.”  

Smiling awkwardly over at Deja, Seung tried to keep the conversation going. “It’s…not, really. I’m just…trying to better being at English.” He said, then looking down at his food and back up curiously. Sliding it over towards her slowly. “Ahh-haa. Yeah, you’re wanna trying it?” He asked curiously, sliding over the spare set of chopsticks he’d brought. “It is very spicy…so…being careful?”

“Is it now?” Kaeden mumbled to herself, barely loud enough for the field agent to hear. “Anyways, what has you so happy?”

Deja shrugged, “Optimistic personality, doesn’t take much for me to be pleased with my surroundings...”  Except in this situation, Deja was extremely uncomfortable as it was only her and Kaeden in the room. 

Quinn’s expression shifted into something along the lines of subtle sympathy. She knew that Deja had nightmares often at night, and recently, she knew the feeling. “I’m sorry you had a rough night,” she replied genuinely, gratefully accepting the mug of coffee. She took a small sip and immediately a smile pulled at her lips as she lowered the cup from her lips. “God, you are the best, Deja, thank you. What are you up to for the rest of the day? Anything interesting?” 

“It’s the typical, y’know. I’ve learned how to run on minimal rest,” Deja said half-heartedly, smiling at Quinn as she sipped her coffee, “I’m not really up to much, I was going to hang around the labs or at home until I got called something. I’m not much for roaming Pansaw today...”

“If you’d like to sit in on an experiment sometime I would love to cultivate your curiosity on metas. Do know my methods have been called extreme, but it because of that I was able to create a meta. I have yet to find another who has done so successfully, though I may have made a mistake in giving her so much free will. She is growing…petulant to say the least.” He muttered idly stirring his coffee. “Would you ever entertain teaching another how to shoot?” Lucien figured he needed to get some kind of abilities to protect himself. He was the standard lab geek and had no idea how to fight.

“To make humanity better. Create the next evolution in man, one not full of corruption or stupidity, but I seem to have given my creation far too much free will, though one without is lesser in every way. It’s hard to find a medium. I wish it were as simple and reliable as a gun, but emotions tend to never be reliable. You must be a good shot to be human and a soldier. I find that rather remarkable.” 

“Miss Parker. Yes I know her.” He was mixed on her methods. She left far too many metas living. “Deja. An interesting name for an interesting girl.” And Lucien was interested. “Are you part of her super soldier program?” He questioned sipping his coffee. “My name is Lucien Gaudet. My goal is to erraticate the current meta genes and create a genetically perfect meta.”  

Lucien looked around and noted all the tables were full. He could have forced her to sit with someone else, but she wasn’t rude or crass, she didn’t impose herself on him and she looked somewhat familiar though he couldn’t place her. “Do you work for CARMA?” He asked gesturing for her to take the seat across from him. “You look familiar.” His eyes scrutinizing slightly wondering if she was a meta that crossed his table and survived. If so he’d have to change that. 

“Your enthusiasm scares me.” Kaeden mumbled, staring at the field agent, “How are you so enthusiastic?”

“It’s easy when you’re not hating your current situation I guess...” Deja spoke a little quieter after realising who it was. She began to keep her distance, as her female companion was a very powerful metahuman. It’s almost like Deja was scared of every other person she worked with.

Samara had just sat down with what was now her fourth cup of coffee for the day when Deja ambushed her with her over-cheerful greeting.  It was probably a good thing she hadn’t seen the younger agent until now.  The super soldier grimaced and grunted as she downed half of the hot liquid before bothering with a real response.  “Inside voice Knopf, we’re not out in the field.”  Her coffee was gone by the second knock-back of her cup, and she scowled at the empty thing as she added, “You’re way too peppy even for mid-day.  You know that right?”

“Oh- sorry.” Deja lowered her voice before speaking again, “Just trying to spread a good vibe I guess, is it working? Or do you need me to fetch you another coffee?” Her finger pointed at the empty cup sitting in front of Samara, Deja’s eyes shifting up to the scowl on her face.

The streets were wet with fresh rain. He’d had his debrief and was free to roam the city once more. It had been a long time and he missed the coffee shop there. It wasn’t as good as any in France, or at least he’d never admit that aloud, but it was something he missed. About the only thing he had. Things had gotten strained and his need to leave was prompted by the French Government needing him for a special project, one he’d been on for the last few months. His work gruesome as ever having much more leeway there. 

Ordering his coffee it was soon brought to him where he sat and stirred it lightly to cool it before drinking, his eyes drifting around the familiar and unfamiliar faces. Could he play the reformed doctor he wondered. A man bent on madness that had been away to find himself. He bowed his head and smiled cruelly. Never. He hated Metas and everything they stood for. A hate so raw, so potent, he could almost taste it every time he uttered that curse. Meta. 

“This table is taken.” He said noticing another approaching him. 

“O-oh sorry.” Deja mumbled, “I just wanted to drink my coffee at one of the only open spots in this place.” She recognised the man, but she didn’t dare to bring it up. She remembers him being one of the scientists a few months back, though he seemed like the most sadistic of them all. The two of them shared a trait in common though, they both seemed to strongly dislike metas.