Dynamis | Chapter 23 - Distraction (Patreon)

Lilibelle worked her jaw as Derrin continued to bother her. He was an incessant guy, constantly trying to make friendly. His tone grated on her nerves, as if he couldn’t comprehend that maybe some of the people in the room weren’t as thrilled to partner up as he was. The fact that Deadeye saw fit to pair her up with someone like him who wasn’t Harmonic was just the rust on the gun. He may have been the next best thing, but he was still a step below the best.

“So, uh, your previous partner is in there, right? Donovan?” Derrin asked.

Lilibelle kept her arms crossed, glaring at him from the corners of her vision. “We haven’t been split up yet, Testarone.”

“R-Right, I know, I just… I’m trying to be considerate.”

“You’re doing a wonderful job,” she said sardonically. “Look, just do your job in there and I’ll be happy enough.”

“I have a hard time believing that.”

Lilibelle closed her eyes, counted to three, then opened them. “I have a lot on my mind right now. Your poking and prodding isn’t making me feel any better, so if you’re trying to help me out, knock it off.”

He sighed. “If you say so. I wish you’d give me a chance.”

Lilibelle turned toward him, her lips twisted into an incredulous expression. “Stop talking like we know each other, creep. I told you to leave me alone. If you don’t, I’ll take this up with the higher-ups, got it?”

Slowly, he nodded. “I read you crystal clear.”

“Good,” Lilibelle said after a pause. She returned her attention to the large, egg-shaped dome. Occasionally, her gaze would veer off in the direction of the numerous screens the technicians were observing, but they were too far away to discern any details. If the test was anything like the prior one, then Karl and Daidari would be offered a choice of DF models. Their choice, approach to the situation, and their performance in combat—if it were to occur—would all be graded, then looked over by not only their conductor professor, but Captain Veren and Admiral Chovek as well.

No one knew what the parameters or metrics of each test were. Not until the test was over. The last test had offered three wildly different approaches to the mission, and none of them immediately stood out to her as the obvious choice. ‘Met Expectations’ was the result they received last time. They were somewhat vague on the details, offering praise for hers and Karl’s quick thinking, but chiding them for their combative cooperation.

Lilibelle clicked her tongue as she tapped her foot against the pristine floor. Her impatience was getting the better of her again. Her heart hammered against her chest, she clenched her jaw, pressed her tongue against the inside of her mouth. Lately, her emotions had been all over the place. Every day she woke up angry. The students were making a more active effort to avoid her, and despite her initial friendly interactions with Millie Roux, she had yet to speak with her since the last time they had lunch together.

Rubbing the small indents made by the bracelet she usually wore when she wasn’t armed for combat or dressed in the neurosuit, she briefly wondered if Millie might want to sneak to the scrapyard together and pick out a few interesting trinkets from the pile.

No. Get your mind in the game. You’re a Katsun. Act like it.

“Simulation successful,” one of the men in the far corner said. Professor Almezer walked over with brisk steps, a friendly hand on the man’s shoulder. He nodded approvingly, patted him on the shoulder, then stepped over to the man beside him to look at a series of graphs and charts. Lilibelle couldn’t hear what they were saying. That bothered her.

“All right, gentlemen,” Almezer said as he walked away from his colleagues, “shut it down and let’s get the next pair inside.”

The door to the simulation pod hissed, causing Lilibelle’s heart to skip a beat. Balling her hand, she knocked it against her chest and coughed. Knock that off, she warned herself.

“Are you all right?” Derrin asked.

“Fine,” Lilibelle answered.

Almezer hunched toward the pod as he had with her and Karl when they’d taken their test together, then gestured the occupants out.

Daidari was the first to step out. She handled herself like a princess made from cold stone. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she perched her chin on top of her hand, leaning her weight to one side as she waited. Almezer said something to her, to which she nodded, then spoke to Karl, who was still inside.

When Karl exited, his face was covered in sweat. He bore none of the combative features he’d displayed during his simulation with Lilibelle. There was an air of defeat about him. His brow was furrowed and he kept his hands balled into fists at his sides the entire time Almezer spoke. A thin line broke across his lips when Almezer pointed to Lilibelle and Derrin.

Gah, no! Don’t associate me with Derrin! Anticipating that Derrin would do something weird again, she took a step away from him, toward Karl and Daidari, and glared at him over her shoulder.

After a bunch of curt nods, Almezer waved to Lilibelle. Lilibelle’s heart quickened with every step Karl and Daidari took toward her. Daidari passed her by with nary a passing glance, her eyes cold and focused. Karl stopped beside her, but even as she opened her mouth to say hello or at least bid him good wishes, she found she was unable to utter even the simplest of words.

“Good luck,” Karl said. He strode away with the same complicated look on his face that Lilibelle’s father often wore after a difficult conversation with troublesome dinner guests. She watched his back the entire time, stepping out of line—

“Miss Katsun, Mister Testarone!” Almezer said. “You’re next!”

Lilibelle licked her lips. “Damn it,” she hissed under her breath.

Karl threw off his neurosuit and got into a comfortable T-shirt and shorts as soon as he returned to the locker room. Then he tore the bomber jacket off the hanger and slipped it on. He took a bit longer than he normally would in an effort to avoid speaking to Daidari. Once he was dressed, he left the room and dropped the suit off at the neurology department.

He paused in the hallway, leaning against the wall and pinching the bridge of his nose to alleviate his headache. Daidari’s no-nonsense attitude hadn’t come as a surprise, but he hadn’t expected her to be as ruthless as she was. There hadn’t been a lick of concern on her face or in her body language the entire time during the simulation.

I wonder if she has a soul, he thought. Who kills people so readily like that?

Karl sighed and opened his eyes, tucking his hands away in his jacket pockets. Someone’s shoes clicked around the corner, and moments later Millie Roux and Ader Sareau appeared.

“Karl!” Millie’s gaze brightened, and she quickened her pace and fell in line beside him, cupping her hands in her lap and smiling from ear to ear. The neurosuit she wore cupped her exceptional feminine curves, causing Karl to stammer. “How did your test go?”

“U-Uh, it went fine,” he said, his gaze veering toward Ader in an effort to calm himself down. He had his arms crossed and his eyes squinted in a disapproving manner. “What about you?”

“Oh, my test is coming up now,” Millie said as she rubbed shoulders with him.

Ader shook his head and started down the hall toward the simulation room. “I’ll wait for you in the testing room, Millie.”

Millie nodded. “Okay.”

“I thought your test was this morning?” Karl asked when Ader left into the other room.

Millie giggled airily as her head sunk between her shoulders. “It was, but… the person I was assigned to didn’t work out.”

Karl frowned. “What happened?”

“Um. He quit.”

His eyes widened. “Who was it?”

“Rean Clavis.”

Now that didn’t come as a surprise. Ever since the partnership announcement, Rean had taken every opportunity he could to question Deadeye’s methods and motives. “Did he say why?” Karl asked.

Millie shook her head. “No. By the time I found out, he’d already been escorted off the base. A helicopter took him home.” The dark circles under her eyes betrayed her smile. “It’s okay, though. I have Ader to help me out.”

Ader has a partner, though. “It’s probably none of my business, but how does Ader’s partner feel about it?”

“Oh, um.” She pursed her lips and toed an indentation in the floor. “Daisy’s fine with it. She knows that this is for the betterment of not just Deadeye, but for humanity as a whole. She’s always been great at looking at the bigger picture. I admire her for that.”

Those two looked like they were attached at the hip last I checked. “I see. Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter. What else are we supposed to do?”

“Quit?” She laughed, but the tone in her voice was so very matter-of-fact that Karl wondered if she was serious.

“Not a chance,” Karl said quickly. “I have too much I want to do, too much I want to see and experience here. I might not agree with the partnership situation, but maybe it’ll work out for the better. I would like to be wrong in my assumptions.”

Millie leaned her head on his shoulder. “Is that so?”

Heat rose to Karl’s face. Every muscle in his body tightened, and his toes felt unusually uncomfortable in his shoes. A brief silence surrounded them as he racked his brain for something to say. No girl had ever gotten so close to him before. Not like this, anyway.

“Mhm,” Karl finally managed. It was the best he could do to stop himself from stuttering.

“Hey, Karl?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time, you and I should run a simulation together.”

Karl’s heart hammered against his chest. “I’m not sure they would like that. They seem pretty intent on matching us up on their own.”

“But I think we would make a good team.” Her voice came out like a whimper. “You seem to care about your friends, your partner.”

He frowned and rolled his head along the wall away from her, stared at the doors to the simulation room. “You mean Lilibelle?”

“Mhm. Even though you two disagree, I can tell you still care about her in your own way.”

He chuckled. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. Lilibelle Katsun is abrasive, selfish, egotistical—”

“And still, you try to include her in almost everything,” Millie giggled. “You go the extra mile in ways most people wouldn’t. I think she’s lucky to have you.” She paused.

Now she’s definitely mistaking me for someone else. I don’t think she understands just how much Lilibelle dislikes me.

“You’re very kind,” Millie continued. “I want a chance to see what you’re like when you’re pushed against the wall and forced to fight back.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I am certain it’s a beautiful sight.”

Karl turned his head toward her. The skin of her cheek on his neck was so soft and her hair had a floral scent to it. She adjusted her posture, leaning closer so that their legs were touching. Karl’s mouth was dry and his heart wouldn’t stop pounding. With her head leaned up against him, he was provided a generous view of her breasts, and he stared at them for much longer than he was comfortable admitting.

This is swerving into dangerous territory. I need to get out of here, and fast.

“I should go,” Karl said. Gently, he shifted away from her and felt the weight of her body slip. The material of her neurosuit squeaked as she pushed away from the wall.

“Okay.” She put her arms behind her back and bent forward slightly. It took every ounce of willpower Karl had to keep his eyes on her face. “I’ll talk to you at lunch?”

Karl smiled. “Absolutely. Talk to you then.”

Once Millie was gone, Karl booked it to the hangar. Right about now, Jark and the others would be taking their break and he needed someone to distract him. At Karl’s approach, the doors hissed open to the hangar, and like clockwork, his friends were lounging around stacks of metal crates.

Something I can make sense of.

Karl panted as his run slowed to a breezy jog. He took care not to get in the way of any of the mechanics walking past him. “Hey, guys, long time no see.” He offered a casual wave.

Jark blinked his big, dopey eyes, then grinned. “Carrying Karl! My man! Where have you been the last couple of days?” He set down the copper pipe and rag in his hands, then brushed his hands and threw one arm around Karl’s shoulders. “Been worried about you!” He suddenly let go and stepped away. “Oh, sorry, sweat stains.”

“Y-You have?” Karl said, cocking one brow.

“Crunchy’s back!” Wrench said, wiggling her brows. She had her arms draped over the crates behind her. For some reason, she’d unzipped the front of her jumpsuit and chosen not to wear a bra today. All it would take was one simple gesture and—

I came to get away from these thoughts, and here I am, stuck with them again.

“Yeah! Figured the whole switching partners thing had to be doing its work on you,” Jark said. “You’re sensitive like that.”

Karl narrowed his eyes at Jark. “Oh come on, I’m not that sensitive.” The mechanics made various grunts and gestures of disbelief. “Okay, fine, whatever. Sort of. Yes, I guess I’ve had a lot to think about lately.” He sighed. “What about you guys?”

Dart scoffed. “Grinding us into the ground over here.” He perched at the top of the crates, one leg hanging over a crate and his arm over the knee of his other. “Pay’s good, so don’t got any right to bitch, but still. It sucks, man.”

“Where’s Short?” Karl asked.

“He got held up with somethin’.” Wrench shrugged. “Said he’d be back soon, but that was twenty minutes ago, so who knows what he’s doin’ now.”

“Well, you guys seem in better spirits than the last time I saw you,” Karl said, hoping to offer some mirth. “Are they finally letting up some?”

“Somewhat,” Dart said. “Still working our asses off, but they’re at least letting us sleep now.”

Wrench, especially, looked to be in better shape. The mischievous smile Karl associated with her was back, as was the usual light in her eyes.

“I’m still catchin’ up,” Wrench said as she cracked her neck side to side. “I’ll need a week of sleep before I feel normal again. But hey, at least I’m not doin’ twenty-four hour shifts anymore, so that’s somethin’.”

“Gotta let the passion drive you in situations like that,” Jark said as he nodded sagely.

“You and your passion,” Wrench said, rolling her eyes. “Passion only gets you so far, Piston. The body wasn’t made for all this grunt work.”

“Passion gets you everywhere,” he corrected confidently. He shook his gloved fist for effect. “Passion is what got me this job,” he said as he gestured to the hangar.

“Fuck!” someone said in the distance. “What the hell are you doing?”

Wrench snickered.

“Passion is what drives me to do better every day,” Jark continued as if nothing had interrupted him, “and passion is what I will be feeling on my deathbed.”

Wrench raised her brow and gaped as if Jark had said the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. “You’re gonna feel passionate about your death?”

“Would it really surprise you?” Dart asked. “He’s unhinged like that.”

“I could see it,” Karl said, giving two quick nods.

“Why not?” Jark asked, then raised his arms. “I’ll have lived a life without regrets! A life where I was passionate about everything I did! I’ll accomplish anything I want to, and more! So, if they work us to the bone, so be it. I’ll be the one on top at the end.”

Wrench’s eyes widened. “Shush, you idiot. Don’t say shit like that.”

“But it’s true! If I work forty-eight hours, seventy-two hours, then I’ll hammer every one of those hours just as I do these nails.” He patted a plastic container of nails resting on the crate behind him. “Passion,” Jark said slowly as he met Wrench’s eyes, “means everything.”

Wrench formed a small ‘o’ with her lips. A gentle hue of pink colored her cheeks. She scratched the back of her head then leaned it over the crate behind her. “Numbskull.”

Jark puffed out his chest and crossed his arms over his chest like he’d won the battle of wits. Karl stifled a laugh.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Jark said, “me and the guys were thinking of heading out to Cever next week. My uncle owns a bar there. Do you want to come with?”

Traversing the surface without a DF or a couple tons of explosives sounded like suicide. The last time he was on the surface, he was surrounded by hundreds of Fiends. If Lilibelle hadn’t shown up, he would’ve been dinner for the Fiends.

Then again, he’d never been to Cever.

“I’m not sure,” Karl said.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun, I promise!” Jark said with a tone better served for a child than a friend. “My uncle’s as tough as they come. Makes some of the hardest drinks in Nesharis. You’ll be in good hands.”

It’s not the place I’m concerned about so much as it is the journey there. Most human settlements were located underground, so once he arrived there, the risk of Fiend attack was usually minimal. Additionally, Cever was one of the safer cities, reputed to be one of the few places that resembled what life used to be like before the Fiends emerged.

“It’s the trip there that I’m worried about,” Karl admitted.

“I’ve gone plenty of times,” Dart grumbled. “Seen Fiends a few times, but they weren’t nothing a good old energy pistol couldn’t handle. Ain’t nothing ever happened to me.”

There’s a first for everything.

“It’ll be fuuuuun,” Wrench said. “I’ll even pay for your drinks if you tag along.”

Karl drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “You said next week?”

Jark nodded. “That’s right.” Then he held up both hands and curled his fingers one by one as he silently counted. “Eight days from now!”

So, a little over a week then. Karl drummed his fingers along his jaw. As dangerous as this was, he had to admit that getting away from Deadeye Headquarters for a while did have its appeal. “All right,” he said.

“Woohoo!” Wrench shot to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. “We roped him in! No takesies backsies!”

“Piston roped him in,” Dart said, lazily sitting up.

“Ah, whatever. It was a group effort.”

Karl chuckled. “I still have to get it approved. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

“Don’t keep us hanging!” Jark said, patting him roughly on the back.

“I won’t,” Karl coughed.