A Change of Pace

--- Last Time ---

*For a moment, T does nothing, before rubbing her eyes a little, trying for a weak smile.*

Agent T: *A little shakily to herself* Hey, at least I can….heh….brag to N I got to be a waterbender…..someday….

*Sniffing a little, she goes over her notes again at the sequence of movements she had been given, swallowing.*

Agent T: ….Assuming I don’t just fall on my face first…..Why didn’t I keep up yoga practice……?

*Slapping her cheeks to psyche herself up, she gets up. Pauses a moment, before doing a quick doodle right at the back of the book about the teacher, pulling a dumb face, just to make herself feel better, before scribbling it out and, turning back to the movements page again, begins to follow the sequences*

--- Temple, Izumo Region, Japan ---

*After leaving Agent T, the teacher hurriedly makes her way to her quarters*

Teacher [Inner Thoughts]: Well, that could have gone better… to be honest, I’m not sure where to go from here…

*She pauses for a moment, leaning against a wooden beam*

Teacher [inner thoughts]: When I was still ‘here’, it was easier to train recruits, but this one might be a little difficult to reach out to. I need to see a spark? No, a fire is probably a better word. We’re on the edge of war, and I have a feeling that if I simulated that sort of environment…. But, then again, that might be what she needs.

*Being careful not to be seen, the teacher pulls out the hair pin that neatly kept her too tight of a hair bun in place, jamming it into the side of the wall, and twisting it rhythmically.With a slight rumble, a door appears. After collecting both her pin and her thoughts, she enters inside.*

Voice: What! Ok… ok, so where is Agent *The name is muffled by the sound of a chair scraping across the ground* headed? Yes, to that medical center... Uh huh… ok, yes I understand. I want a security team there and stay with them ‘til they wake up. Send my apprentice there, too, incase they need anything… Yes, thank you. I’ll inform my Lady as soon as I’m able.

*As the Teacher enters the room, she is able to see the only other two who are currently inhabiting it. Alastair is currently speaking on the phone, his tone somewhat urgent under his usual calm, while the Monk is seated at a table, absently running a finger over the lip of a bottle. As the door closes behind the Teacher, the Monk looks up, squinting at her slightly, before huffing*

Monk: And another worried face. Seems like something else is amiss. What’s wrong this time? May as well have you join this little depressing party.

Teacher: Huh... you too? Well, from the sounds of it, your situation’s more interesting, Otou-san. I just wanted to report that agent’s progression and minny blow up, to yourself  and Alastair. I have an idea in mind, but I’m going to need both of your help to get through to her, or at least to find some middle ground. Otherwise there’s not much I can do. ‘I’m not a soldier’, well, isn’t that a scary thought? A Pandora agent, not a soldier….  I’m surprised you don’t tell them that each and every one of them is one as soon as they pass the ‘exam.’

Alastair: …

*Combing his fingers through his hair, he lethargically makes his way over to his luggage, ripping through his belongings before pulling out a decadent bottle filled with a thick red liquid. As he opens the bottle, a waft of copper permits throughout the room. Returning back to his chair, he pours two glasses, one for the teacher and the other for himself, his eyes seem to flicker as he elegantly takes a sip*

Alastair: I would have thought it be obvious, but what is clear to both you and I is not always so vivid to the younger ones.

*The teacher brings the glass to her lips, the crimson liquid seems to paint them red, as her eyes roll for a brief second*

Teacher: Umm... When was the last time I tasted… hmm

*A smile appears on her face. Flicking up a file with the Agent’s portrait, she begins to run though her bio*

Teacher: I really wonder why you decided to make a member of our research and analysis department a field agent? Sure, they’re given a small amount of combat training, but it’s only for ‘worst case scenario’. I mean, I have to pat her on the back for the quick thinking back at HQ’s little infestation, but, seriously…

Alastair: Enough! There were reasons… I won’t get into them now. There’s no need.

Teacher: Oh, I think there is. If you're going to leave her in my care, then you're going to need to tell me EVERYTHING. From the way you're clutching your communicator, and staring at that file, means something’s up. Care to share?

Alastair:.....

Monk: Ya know, there’s not much point in hidin’ this, right? If you want that girl at her best, to actually survive whatever it is you’re obviously tryin’ to train her up for, then letting her primary instructor know will probably help her to, you know, train her to do it? Besides, you know she won’t give up. She’s too much like her old man to let something like this go. May as well fess up, Alastair.

Alastair: *Sigh*  I know that already, but it’s complicated. Right now, I want to just focus on her gaining the skills she needs, but… it won't be effective if we can’t get her into the right frame of mind. I have something that might help, but… I don’t want to pull out that card quite yet. It might just do the opposite of what we want.

*Lowering his voice, he explains his plan and the situation with the phone call, his eyes becoming steely every time he mentions the organisation’s foe. The room becomes cold as he continues*

Alastair: So there it is… we have three months to reforge her into a soldier. At the end of the day I have my back up, but I want to see how far I can go with the Agent we have. I was impressed with her before, but if this is as far as we can go with her, then I’ll change course. I don’t believe that she will let us down, but I’m only giving her a set time. We all know war could break out any day now… and I have a feeling that, this time, it’s going to be more painful psychological undertaking than anything we’ve ever faced before. She needs to be ready for it.

Teacher: Damn… what in Mother’s name is going on here? What about your go to team, 626, was it? 226’s counterpart?

Alastair: It’s still in its early days. *sigh* It’s that bad that even my mistress has come out of hiding just to organise it.

Teacher: Then we need to move quickly. I’ll do my best with our agent, but I’ll leave the motivating to you. Right now, she needs someone to vent to. Do you think either you or Otou-san could go that? I don't believe that I’m the best qualified for it at this point in time.

Alister: Sure, I was thinking the same thing.

Monk: Pft, don’t look at me. We’ve already seen how she responds to direct confrontation like that. No, what you need is a hard-soft approach. We already know that, due to the time constraints, her teacher can’t hold back on her, so what she needs is an understanding ear, someone to, perhaps, explain things to her, to make it seem like everyone here isn’t her enemy, that she can trust people, that, despite everything, the help is there for her.

*He sits back a moment, taking a long drink from his bottle, before huffing softly, eyes half closed in thought*

Monk: I only saw a little of her during my test, but from what I can tell, she has….a soft heart. Not to say it’s a bad thing: you’d be surprised what a soft heart can do in the right situation, but she doesn’t deal well with pressure. But, with people’s support, she can have a different outlet than lashing out in frustration or trivialising things in her mind to lower the pressure. We can’t provide that support, because we both, in her mind, represent a goal, or the unfriendly eyes just waiting for her to slip up, because she was a clerk, not the usual agent we have that is usually blunted to such a response. On the other hand, you have been the one to encourage her onto this path. So, your responsibility to continue to encourage. You lead her to this Hell, your responsibility, Al.

Alastair: It’s that soft heart that will lead to trouble… *Downs the rest of his drink* I do not intend to coddle her, but I’ll be there for her to vent, guide her, but I’ll let her take the map  and find her path. This path she expected so now we need to fan that flame, so… so maybe I should set up a situation that would require just that. Ah!

*Jumping to his feet, he reaches for the communicator that now rested on the the table, and quickly types a message to an acquaintance. Taking a breath explaining his plan*

Alastair: I’m going to set up the situation and then tell her about *muffled name*. It’s a gamble, but I think that, if it all goes to plan, the results will be worth it. So, if the Monk will join me, we’ll go to see her now.

Teacher: I’ll stay here and rest before getting back to the plan. Should we regroup tonight?

Alister & Monk: Sure.

Monk: I do have a few words of caution for you, though, Alastair. Try not to make this some kind of emotional manipulation. The last thing we need is for her to think there’s no one she can trust. You know how tales say the enemy once preyed on such things. But, if you think this is the best way, lead the way.

Alastair:.. You don’t need to lecture me on the old literature. I’m well versed on the works of our enemies past. I do not intend to stoop so far….unless need. It is my job to mold tools my mistress can use. If the tool ends up broken or reforged, it is up to them, not I. But, if this is too much, well… again, I have my backup plan.

*The pair make it to the training grounds, were Agent T is practicing the movements.*

Monk: Wow, cold. Future of the balance….hah! *The Monk shakes his head, before taking a drink* Whatever, it’s not my place to lecture you on how you treat your people. But….hm….I wouldn’t count on things just yet. You find that young’un’s sometimes have a way of surprising us. But, I’ll be a bud and help out. Not like I’ll be doing much here anyway. It’s your show now, pal.

*He turns to the Agent*

Monk: Hey, kid, break time. Your old pal Al is here to chat, for what it’s worth.

*The Agent, who had been in the middle of one of the moves, glances over briefly, but continues with the moves*

Agent T: I was instructed to practice. We can talk at the same time, can’t we? I don’t have that long to get these moves down.

Alastair: That's, fine  but  if you feel like you need to take a break then you can stop.

Agent T: Uh, yeah right. I got yelled at for keeping my own spirits up. Taking a break? Pft, yeah, no, I don’t know about you, but I prefer not to make everyone mad at me. Besides, I’m usually pretty good at movements like this. Well, not magic based moves, but, you know, moves. It’s not strenuous or anything yet. Not like I’m using any magic here other than the required stuff to stop my ‘pal’ here *shakes the bracelet* from, you know, eating me alive. Got to get the moves down first, so I won’t blow myself up or something stupid. So, what’s up anyway? Other than the sky.

*Both Alastair and the Monk shair a look before turning back to Agent T*

Alastair: Well, I wanted to see how you were finding it thus far. It's come to my attention that you need someone to vent to.

Agent T: *Snorts* I get it. ‘Teach’ thinks I can’t handle it already, so she wants to send a babysitter now? *Sighs, before stopping the movements, looking at Al with a tired smile* I….I appreciate it, honestly, but I already know that none of you guys really think I can pull this off. I wasn’t brought into Pandora as a soldier like nearly everyone else on the front lines. So I don’t have the training everyone else expects I should have. I can’t follow the harsh orders without a flinch, I can’t handle being yelled at. *she closes her eyes* I just…..find other ways of keeping my spirits up so I can do what I need to. Humour is….how I deal with things. Doesn’t mean I’m not actually taking things seriously, you know? *smirks* Somehow, I doubt you’re here to go ‘there there, it’s ok’ to me anyway, so…..is there a point to me ranting? I….Kinda already know not going to change things anyway. You’ve all been driving it home - no time.

Alastair: You’re right, I’m not here to give you a ‘there, there’ speech. It’s tired and redundant at this point. You’re right and there isn’t enough time. You’re right that you don’t have the correct training. But.

*He take a step forward towards her*

Alastair: You ARE a soldier. The moment you step out onto the field, the moment you became one of our agents, you became a soldier. So, little one, what do you intend to do about it? You have people waiting back home; what are you going to return as? The same you that left? Or are you going to be more than what you were? If so, then you need a tougher skin, a different mind set and a clean slate. Your teacher knows the way forward, so do I, so does this intoxicated gentlemen. All here are holding our hands out to teach you, mold you into being more than what you are, into the soldier you can be. I’m sure you remember when I told you you could either be a soldier or a healer. I still stand by those words. We need healers just as much, as…. as one of one of our undercover agents was nearly killed by our enemies. Can you guess just who that soldier may be?

Agent T: …

*T’s hands clench for a moment, knowing exactly who he was referring to, but unable to do what she wanted due to the distance between them*

Agent T: A healer isn’t much use if they can’t get out there, and protect themselves long enough to heal anyone. That’s one of the reasons I can’t just give up here, either. A dead healer is pretty much useless to anyone. What exactly do you expect me to do for N, anyway? I’m not a healer. And she’s not anywhere near here right now. So what, exactly, are you trying to accomplish by telling me? Are you trying to test me more? For this whole ‘thicker skin’ thing? I already know all that! I’m not stupid, no matter how much you all seem to think I am. So stop beating around the bush and tell me what exactly you want me to do about N. Or, if you’re just saying it as an update, then….fine. I’ll do my best to speed up and kill off my ‘weak’ side. But tell me things straight instead of just talking around it. Did you want me to go into the healer corp instead? If that’s the case stop leading me on here and just assign me to that kind of training. Otherwise, stop distracting me and let me train.

Alastair: *Leans forward, expression turning slightly colder* It was a Healer that saved her. It was a former solider that protected her - two different roles, one person, along with a former agent that brought her in. Don’t disrespect the profession. They are equally, no, more important than our frontlines, little one. If you know what you need to do, then do it. You wish for me to be blunt? Fine. So use some damn passion, or else. You have three months to show is what you have, whether or not you can handle the field or not. We are all taking a chance on YOU, so if you have time to sulk, then to have time to find that passion and use it to be more than you are. It is not my job to hold your hand but show you the map to get to your destination. The rest comes from you. You can be strong enough to face adversity.

*He brings up several file images and clips of the Red war, the teams last ditch attempt to fight off the enemy, their bravery in their hopeless situation, some escaping and some falling. The former 226 mourning their loss and eventually supporting each other and getting back to work again*

Alastair: There's a reason why I resurrected the group: you have the charm and potential to be a great asset to 226. But only you can motivate you. We can only do so much. So, what are you willing to do? And how far are you willing to evolve, to be the soldier we need?

*The moment that Alastair had mentioned disrespecting professions, T’s eyes flashed, and she looked ready to interrupt, only to bite her tongue hard. The pain was a good shock, enough to let her begin to concentrate on her breathing, to force herself not to outright throttle the man speaking to her. After all, as everyone kept saying, she was a Soldier now. However, now she was being given the chance, she was going to set things straight*

Agent T: You want to know how far I’m willing to go? Then, for once, stop making assumptions about me and actually listen to me. Because for some reason, all of you have been hearing something completely different than what I’ve been telling you. First I show spirit, then you tell me it’s insubordination. Then I find a way to channel nervousness so I can then focus my full concentration on my work and you guys say that’s wrong, and now you’re totally getting the wrong point! So, if you please, since this seems to be off the record or whatever this counseling session is, maybe you’ll let me speak my mind and actually correct you on a few things, because, for some reason, you have it in your head that I either misunderstand the situation, or have given up, or am insulting people here when I’m not!

*T takes a breath and calms.*

Agent T: Listen, I know I’m not too good at words. I stumble on them, I’m not good at just saying things on the fly. And, ok, maybe I was frustrated, and so what I meant came out wrong. But I was certainly not saying anything bad about healers. I’m looking at things realistically. I’ve studied wars. Hell, N was one of my best friends, and, true, she kept trying to keep me innocent of the fact, but after she left, I did look up what happened to her old team. So, what I was saying is that the way to victory is often by preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best. By being ready for anything, you can face anything, and win! So if a healer can defend themselves, just imagine how many they can save, because they know how to save themselves, too. People tend to go after ‘weak links’. No one would expect the healer to kick their asses, you know? It’s like that guy you mentioned who saved N, right? He, as a soldier, could get her to safety, while he as a healer could save her. Why would I see this as a thing to disrespect? What I want to be is the kind of person who can face the dangers and come out on top, who can save those lives because I was capable of going into those dangers, because I believe in myself, that I can get in there with my comrades and save them as fast as possible if they are hurt, or fight with them to stop them ever getting hurt! I want to be the kind of person who can keep up their spirits with my humour, so that everyone keeps up hope to fight on, because we know we can see the end, because we are prepared for anything! Is it wrong, to keep up good humour, to not lose life because of the enemy in any way? I want to be a person who can save others in body and mind, because they can count on me for anything!

*She looks them over for a long moment*

Agent T: I know that maybe it sounds naive. But that’s why I want to learn this, too, so that I have the strength to be that person. I have the ambition to do it. So, instead of constantly thinking that I’m disrespecting people, or wasting time, because you misunderstand my intention, because you come to a conclusion without listening to me….

*She places a hand over her heart and smiles*

Agent T: So, if you truly do believe in me the way you say you do, then trust me. Because, I think - no, I believe, with everything I am, that I can do this. I can learn this, and I can become the best soldier I can be. Well as long as people, you know, let me train?

Alastair: *Turning his heels* It’s why I brought you here. I wish to reforge you to be able to fight on your own and with 226. It was my fault that they perished. And I don’t wish to make that happen a-

*The communicator comes to life, the tune for the emergency call rings profusely and Alastair, with shaking hands, pick up*

Alastair: What? What happened is...? … DAMN IT! I’ll take the next flight out - do whatever you can to keep them alive. Find a god of healing, just don't let them die!

*With those words he sprints towards the teachers quarters, collects his belongings, prepares to on his temporary leave.*

Monk: Huh…..looks like things are getting pretty bad out there.

Agent T: Should we be….you know, helping?

Monk: If he wanted the help, he’d have said something. Way I see it, the faster you learn what you have to here, the faster you can help out there. Alastair has faith in you that you can become reforged as the person you want to be. Time to practice what you preach, kid.

*Agent T grits her teeth, but knows the Monk is right. As such, she took a breath and, while not a religious person, made a quick prayer that a god of healing would be able to help out whoever had sent Alastair away so frantically. That done, she squared her shoulders. It was true she couldn’t help out those teams right now, but if she left suddenly, with that bracelet still on and only half trained, she would just end up dead*

Agent T [Inner Thoughts]: I want people to believe in me, so I need to believe in them, too. I have to get stronger, but when I do, I’ll be able to be that person I want to be, to help save others. In the meantime, I just have to hope that things will work out. That team….N….Please be ok.

[END]