sixthiterationlogs | OTA Arrival: Welcome to A New Beginning

WHO: North Dakota
WHERE: Bunker, Outside 'Dojo', Around South Village
WHEN: February 1-5
OPEN TO: Arrival Locked to Aqua, OTA otherwise
WARNINGS: Possible discussion of canon character death

Bunker Arrival: Locked to Aqua

A tube. They are in a tube. Which of course makes a little bit of sense. Well, no, not any sense at all. Theta could probably justify it as something to do with slipspace travel, but the AI knew that couldn't be all of it. After all, there was no reason he should be aware when North wasn't. Worse, he couldn't find his chip. So things were definitely stressful for Theta, hovering there in North's mind while North hovers in a tube.

Agent North Dakota the display reads. He's here now, and Theta wishes he could find a way to wake his partner and get him out of this place.

Outside the Dojo: Obstacle Course Anyone? | OTA | (Feb 2)

He knows what it is the second he sees it, and for the life of him, North wants a piece of that obstacle course. Too many years in the UNSC Marine Corp, and with Freelancer after that, to not want the challenge.

Are you sure this is the best idea, North?

"I'm sure. Time me, okay?" North chuckled as he shifted to remove his coat and toss it up to the nearby porch. Doesn't matter that it's cold out. This place isn't nearly so cold as his home colony was. So really, going for an obstacle course in the middle of winter isn't all that bad at all. He's even quick across it, speaking of experience and serious training.

Basic, maybe, but damn it feels good to do this.

Around South Village | OTA | Feb 2-5

It's a lot to process. Being dead. Being here, being so many things. This place looks nothing like any place he's ever known before. The houses are just strange compared to even the backwater colony world he'd come from. It didn't even look like there was proper computer tech here, which was making Theta a touch annoyed. The inn itself was nice enough, warm and cozy and North found himself digging in a closet to try and find some gloves so he could be warm when he's outside. And of course he spent some time enjoying the food.

Where he really spends the most time, though, is near the jailhouse by the inn. Not because there's any particular reason to. It's just that there are so many animals there, warm and fluffy and the joy Theta radiated in his mind over seeing these animals.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wash's eyes narrow at that. Shows what North knows, which is fuck all.

"Wasn't anything to do with me. The Meta wanted the fragments. It's easy to make a connection to people who betrayed me when everyone did."

When all of the other Freelancers had fled, or died, of course the Meta was going to find some people who betrayed him.

That wasn't what he was saying, Wash. He sighs and shakes his head and folds his arms over his chest. What he had been saying was that Wash was sent after the man who was killing the people Wash didn't like anyway. So had he even really tried? But that would be wrong. That would be unfair. So he doesn't say it.

"How many of us did he kill?"

The gesture makes him bristle, spine straightening with indignant. The way North shakes his head, like Wash just doesn't get it, like he's some stupid rookie he needs to condescend to.

Good questions. "A bunch of people. But people you might give a damn about? Carolina. Maybe Tex. York got offed by Wyoming. Wyoming got killed by Tex. Fuck knows what happened to Florida."

And Then Wash had killed the AIs and the Sim Troopers had killed what was left of Maine.

"And you?" North asks softly. Because whether Wash wants to believe it or not, he cares. "I've met people here who said they didn't die before coming here. I don't know what to think about that. Did you?"

Please say no.

What about the Alpha?

"I don't care about the Alpha right now," North got out between grit teeth. And Theta jerked back from him again.

The concern pisses him off. He's not North's concern anymore. North doesn't get to fucking care what happened to him. Not now. He lost that right a long time ago.

"There's about an even chance I'm going to bleed out and die of my injuries," he says, as flippantly as he can. He's not exactly convinced about the medical skills of, well, their medic. None of the Reds and Blues are what he'd call competent. "Or maybe they'll just execute me instead of sending me back to jail."

His lips tighten, a hard expression when Alpha is mentioned. "Alpha's dead. All of them are gone. Except Epsilon." And even then, there was a tiny chance of recovering him. Fuck...

Perhaps he doesn't have the right to be concerned, but he is anyway. Whether Washington likes it or not. Regardless, he looks hurt at the idea that Washington, were he to go back, would likely shortly after die. No, North doesn't like that idea at all.

He wants to ask what 'back to jail' means. Theta wants to know how the AIs died. Maine wants to know if the Meta is still around, how Wash got injured, a lot of things.

Instead he just nods briefly.

"Thank you. We both know you didn't have to tell me any of that. I know you wont' believe it, but I'm more sorry than ever that I failed you, Washington. I hope some day you'll be willing to listen to my side of things. If you do, I'm staying at that place with the obstacle course out front."

Something tells him he shouldn't hold his breath on that one. Beyond just because he didn't want to be like Utah.

"I should probably thank you. At least I figured out how stupid I was to think that anyone had my back," he says, bitterness thick in his voice.

He isn't going to tell North where he and Maine are living. He's not giving away that sort of information. Although... they come down here often enough that he probably can't keep them from encountering each other. Maine would be fine. North...

"Maine's here," he says bluntly. "Just Maine. Doesn't even remember Sigma. Don't fuck things up with him." Or they'll have more than words.

"If you say he's just Maine, I don't have any problems with him beyond what the Director had him do in the match against Texas," North assures Washington. They were teammates.

And whether Washington believes it or not, he cares about that. They were his team. His friends. His family.

"Whether you believe it or not, Wash, I always tried to have your back. I'm really sorry I couldn't get you out of there, away from whatever the Director did to you. And away from what my failure put you through."

But that isn't something he can fix with words. Not now. He definitely looks like he wants to reach out, as if he needs to confirm Washington is real. Is there.

Can you tell him something for me?

Yeah. What is it? For a moment he closes his eyes, listening to the wash of feelings and disconnected words. But hey, he can put it together the right way.

"Wash? Theta says he's sorry. For how Epsilon hurt you. And thanks for teaching him about skateboards."

That's so long ago, he barely remembers it. It feels like another lifetime. And now it's tied up in fighting Tex so recently, in remembering her as part of himself, because Alpha had felt that. it's confusing and he hates it. Wishes he could scrub his brain clean so he's just himself again.

"It doesn't matter now," he says flatly. "It's too late." He knows better now. He won't make the same mistakes twice.

He's ready to walk away when North speaks again. "Skateboards? What-" He shakes his head. "I don't even remember."

Doesn't remember? That doesn't seem possible.

He had a lot of memory issues after Epsilon, remember?

Yeah, he does, now that he thinks about it. As it was he smiled softly. Weakly. But it's a smile anyway.

"Theta started using a skateboard in his holograms after you told him about them. He actually spent a lot of time trying to learn them. And trying to hack Freelancer files to find out where you went. He wanted to show you his tricks. He tried to simulate a reasonable learning curve."

It sounds ridiculous. There's a fuzzy sort of recollection there. It doesn't sound entirely implausible. But it belongs to someone else. Another lifetime. One that he wishes he could leave behind for the most part.

"I don't skateboard anymore. Haven't for years."

North ignores the pang of sorrow from Theta at that.

"Well, who knows, maybe you'll find a time to get back into your hobbies here," North shrugged. He doesn't know. Feels like he hasn't had hobbies in a long time. "I suppose I should let you be now. I'm sorry to bother you, Washington."

Because he really does feel bad about it. Perhaps he should have let Washington go, but he didn't like to abandon his teammates.

Hobbies. Who the fuck has time for hobbies? What would he even do? And he doesn't like experiencing North's concern. It feels so fake, because it hadn't been there when it really mattered. "Just... stay out of my way," he says flatly. "I'm not interested in anything from you."

Probably better that they just ignore each other from now on.

OTA Arrival: Welcome to A New Beginning

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