And the frames will freeze.
Perfectly random scene/fic of our darling X5s. Features Simon, Jess, Coeur, Mary, Sonya, Silas and (indirectly) Grey. Visuals to be found here.
They were all sitting outside, the one hour they got to do whatever they wanted, no guards breathing down their necks, no orders getting barked around.
Silas was leaning against the wall, scanning the grounds while the others were seated on the ground, not paying attention to the other transgenics roaming the square. A few feet away Mary was explaining her new medical treatment to Coeur, who seemed to be listening with wide eyes. Next to Silas, Simon and Jess were also seated on the ground, backs leaning against the wall and shoulders touching.
"So where's Grey?" Jess suddenly asked as she looked around the grounds herself, knowing Silas would know the question was directed at him.
"Signed up for the 0900 training, inside."
"Voluntary?" Simon looked up, an incredulous look on his face.
Shrugging, Silas returned his look to the ongoings in front of them. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Simon looked back to Jess, incredulous look still very much in place. Jess rolled her eyes while fighting down a smile.
"And Teir?" She questioned again as she looked up at Silas herself.
"Who cares?" Simon puffed as he crossed his arms across his chest, sending Jess an annoyed look. Which really was a perfect excuse to elbow him in the side.
Silence fell over them all, as Mary finished her explanation, and both her and Coeur joined them at the wall.
"So," Jess suddenly started up again as she shifted, gaze fixed on Simon, "X5-471, you know, from that other unit in the back there? Came up to me last night, said she felt sorry for me being paired up with you."
Simon smirked. "What you tell her?"
Settling back against the wall, she pursed her lips, fingers idly playing with her hair. "Oh, you know, said I felt pretty sorry for myself as well. One time, good, two times, nice, three times, sweet--- but five times in that one hour, man, that's killing."
She looked up at the sky, thoughtful look on her features. "She muttered something about me being a 'smug bitch' when she turned to leave."
Mary frowned. "How rude. What did you do?"
Jess moved to look at Mary, bright grin gracing her face. "Punched her out cold."
Jess' grin mirrored on Simon's face as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "That's my girl."
"You're awfully quiet all of a sudden, Silas," Mary remarked as they all looked up at their leader.
"Checking out the competition," he merely answered, still staring across the square.
"Gimme a break, everyone knows we're the strongest unit around."
Silas didn't answer Simon, nodding in the direction in which he had been staring for the past twenty minutes.
Across the grounds, another, larger group of X5s was gathered in a circle, cheering on two X5s within the circle.
"The hell?" Jess said, sitting up a bit straigther.
"Free fight," Silas said, as if that answered everything.
"Barbaric," Mary muttered as she pulled Coeur closer, the smaller of the two calmly resting against Mary's side.
"Care to explain?" Simon asked, raising his eyebrows.
"It's quite simple, actually. Two X5s in combat against each other. If you win, you get to pick out your next opponent."
"And if you lose?"
"You end up in lock-up, day or two," Mary simply said, the rest following her gaze towards the guards near the circle.
"And Renfro's okay with this?" Jess asked, frowning as she saw the one who lost the last battle got dragged away by two guards.
"What doesn't kill you..." Silas murmured, and Simon sighed in an exasparated manner, before thumping his head back against the wall, several times.
"They could pick out you, me, anyone. If you reject--"
"Lemme guess, lock-up?"
Mary glanced at Simon, who instantly held out his hands. "Do I get a prize now?"
Jess smiled and turned away from the scene in front of her, ready to hit Simon on the head.
"X5-500!"
Everyone's heads, except Coeur's, shot up as the designation was shouted across the square.
"Well, shit," Simon said as they all watched Coeur stand up and slowly made her way over to the circle.
"She can handle herself," Silas said calmly, the echo of the word Attack reaching their ears.
"Yeah, she'll be fine," Jess added, though that didn't stop her from watching the fight, nerves alight and senses working overtime.
"What up, chickadees," Sonya said as she flopped down on the ground, next to Mary. None, except Silas, had even seen her coming.
"I thought Coeur was with you guys?"
They remained silent, and after a few seconds Sonya followed their line of sight, her own eyes widening.
"Please tell me that ain't free fight."
After another moment of silence, Sonya got her answer.
"Ah, fuck," she cursed, and got up on her feet again, making her way over to the circle in the distance.
Mary shot Jess a panicked look, and Jess leaped up herself, going after Sonya.
"Son--- Sonya!" She shouted, hand shooting out and grabbing hold of Sonya's wrist, staring in a face filled with anger and...fear? "You can't interrupt, you'll both end up in lock-up."
"Did they say attack?"
Jess shot Sonya a confused look. "What?"
Clenching her teeth, Sonya repeated her question. "Did they say attack. Or fight? Come on, Jess, we don't have much time here."
Shaking her head, Jess looked over Sonya's shoulder, watching Coeur slowly circle the other X5, hand clenching and unclenching near her hip.
"Jess!"
"Attack, they said attack, but I don't see how it matters what they-- Sonya!" she called out as the other made her way over again, looking back for a few seconds.
"She'll kill him if I don't stop it now, Jess, don't you get it? Fight equals fight, attack equals kill and they know it, know her, know she'll make a fatal move and take out her knife cause that's what they ordered."
She stood still for a moment, Jess standing still a few feet away as well, face a mask of shock. Sonya glanced back, seeing Coeur was still circling, waiting, and turned back to Jess with a pleading look.
"She's a freak among freaks, Jess. Who knows what they'll do if she kills that guy. I have to interfere."
Jess could only stand and watch as Sonya walked on, pushed her way through the circle, and kicked the other X5 in the face, an immediate knock out. The guards made their move, and within a matter of seconds they all watched Sonya getting dragged away towards lock-up, alongside the X5 she kicked unconcious, mouthing "I'm sorry" to Coeur, who looked for all the world like a lost and confused puppy.
That's when Jess' legs forced her to move, closing the distance and taking Coeur back to the wall with her.
"Sonya?" Coeur questioned as she looked up at Jess with big eyes, and Jess sighed.
"We'll explain later, babydoll. Later."
Arriving back at the wall, Mary stretched out her arms towards Coeur, "Come on sweety, let me check your vitals", while Jess remainded standing. Suddenly Silas moved away from the wall, hands in his pockets, and started walking towards the building.
"Where are you going?" Jess asked, eyes burning.
"Damage control," he answered, and Jess rubbed her eyes, suddenly and forcefully having enough of it all.
"I'm gonna go find Grey," she said, and turned to leave.
"Jess."
Stopping in her tracks, Jess turned, looking down at Simon, who was looking up at her with a mischievious smile, though his eyes told her otherwise.
"You can take it out on me too, y'know?"
She continued to stare at Simon, eyes suddenly hardening before she turned and left again.
"Jess! Hey, Jess!"
"She can't, actually," Mary said as the three of them watched Jess leave, Coeur cuddled up against Mary again, Simon still sitting against the wall.
"What?" Simon looked genuinely confused, and Mary allowed herself a quick smile before she moved, hands making their way in Coeur's hair and starting on a simple braid.
Simon sat back against the wall, crossing his arms.
"She looked pretty pissed off, huh."
They remained silent for a while after Simon's last remark, and as Mary finished the braid, Coeur sat up and looked at Simon, chin resting in a hand as she regarded him, eyes suddenly sparkling.
"Uh oh, no copulating for Simon tonight."
Simon turned his head around and glared as the small voice reached his ears.
Coeur just smiled.
They were all sitting outside, the one hour they got to do whatever they wanted, no guards breathing down their necks, no orders getting barked around.
Silas was leaning against the wall, scanning the grounds while the others were seated on the ground, not paying attention to the other transgenics roaming the square. A few feet away Mary was explaining her new medical treatment to Coeur, who seemed to be listening with wide eyes. Next to Silas, Simon and Jess were also seated on the ground, backs leaning against the wall and shoulders touching.
"So where's Grey?" Jess suddenly asked as she looked around the grounds herself, knowing Silas would know the question was directed at him.
"Signed up for the 0900 training, inside."
"Voluntary?" Simon looked up, an incredulous look on his face.
Shrugging, Silas returned his look to the ongoings in front of them. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Simon looked back to Jess, incredulous look still very much in place. Jess rolled her eyes while fighting down a smile.
"And Teir?" She questioned again as she looked up at Silas herself.
"Who cares?" Simon puffed as he crossed his arms across his chest, sending Jess an annoyed look. Which really was a perfect excuse to elbow him in the side.
Silence fell over them all, as Mary finished her explanation, and both her and Coeur joined them at the wall.
"So," Jess suddenly started up again as she shifted, gaze fixed on Simon, "X5-471, you know, from that other unit in the back there? Came up to me last night, said she felt sorry for me being paired up with you."
Simon smirked. "What you tell her?"
Settling back against the wall, she pursed her lips, fingers idly playing with her hair. "Oh, you know, said I felt pretty sorry for myself as well. One time, good, two times, nice, three times, sweet--- but five times in that one hour, man, that's killing."
She looked up at the sky, thoughtful look on her features. "She muttered something about me being a 'smug bitch' when she turned to leave."
Mary frowned. "How rude. What did you do?"
Jess moved to look at Mary, bright grin gracing her face. "Punched her out cold."
Jess' grin mirrored on Simon's face as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "That's my girl."
"You're awfully quiet all of a sudden, Silas," Mary remarked as they all looked up at their leader.
"Checking out the competition," he merely answered, still staring across the square.
"Gimme a break, everyone knows we're the strongest unit around."
Silas didn't answer Simon, nodding in the direction in which he had been staring for the past twenty minutes.
Across the grounds, another, larger group of X5s was gathered in a circle, cheering on two X5s within the circle.
"The hell?" Jess said, sitting up a bit straigther.
"Free fight," Silas said, as if that answered everything.
"Barbaric," Mary muttered as she pulled Coeur closer, the smaller of the two calmly resting against Mary's side.
"Care to explain?" Simon asked, raising his eyebrows.
"It's quite simple, actually. Two X5s in combat against each other. If you win, you get to pick out your next opponent."
"And if you lose?"
"You end up in lock-up, day or two," Mary simply said, the rest following her gaze towards the guards near the circle.
"And Renfro's okay with this?" Jess asked, frowning as she saw the one who lost the last battle got dragged away by two guards.
"What doesn't kill you..." Silas murmured, and Simon sighed in an exasparated manner, before thumping his head back against the wall, several times.
"They could pick out you, me, anyone. If you reject--"
"Lemme guess, lock-up?"
Mary glanced at Simon, who instantly held out his hands. "Do I get a prize now?"
Jess smiled and turned away from the scene in front of her, ready to hit Simon on the head.
"X5-500!"
Everyone's heads, except Coeur's, shot up as the designation was shouted across the square.
"Well, shit," Simon said as they all watched Coeur stand up and slowly made her way over to the circle.
"She can handle herself," Silas said calmly, the echo of the word Attack reaching their ears.
"Yeah, she'll be fine," Jess added, though that didn't stop her from watching the fight, nerves alight and senses working overtime.
"What up, chickadees," Sonya said as she flopped down on the ground, next to Mary. None, except Silas, had even seen her coming.
"I thought Coeur was with you guys?"
They remained silent, and after a few seconds Sonya followed their line of sight, her own eyes widening.
"Please tell me that ain't free fight."
After another moment of silence, Sonya got her answer.
"Ah, fuck," she cursed, and got up on her feet again, making her way over to the circle in the distance.
Mary shot Jess a panicked look, and Jess leaped up herself, going after Sonya.
"Son--- Sonya!" She shouted, hand shooting out and grabbing hold of Sonya's wrist, staring in a face filled with anger and...fear? "You can't interrupt, you'll both end up in lock-up."
"Did they say attack?"
Jess shot Sonya a confused look. "What?"
Clenching her teeth, Sonya repeated her question. "Did they say attack. Or fight? Come on, Jess, we don't have much time here."
Shaking her head, Jess looked over Sonya's shoulder, watching Coeur slowly circle the other X5, hand clenching and unclenching near her hip.
"Jess!"
"Attack, they said attack, but I don't see how it matters what they-- Sonya!" she called out as the other made her way over again, looking back for a few seconds.
"She'll kill him if I don't stop it now, Jess, don't you get it? Fight equals fight, attack equals kill and they know it, know her, know she'll make a fatal move and take out her knife cause that's what they ordered."
She stood still for a moment, Jess standing still a few feet away as well, face a mask of shock. Sonya glanced back, seeing Coeur was still circling, waiting, and turned back to Jess with a pleading look.
"She's a freak among freaks, Jess. Who knows what they'll do if she kills that guy. I have to interfere."
Jess could only stand and watch as Sonya walked on, pushed her way through the circle, and kicked the other X5 in the face, an immediate knock out. The guards made their move, and within a matter of seconds they all watched Sonya getting dragged away towards lock-up, alongside the X5 she kicked unconcious, mouthing "I'm sorry" to Coeur, who looked for all the world like a lost and confused puppy.
That's when Jess' legs forced her to move, closing the distance and taking Coeur back to the wall with her.
"Sonya?" Coeur questioned as she looked up at Jess with big eyes, and Jess sighed.
"We'll explain later, babydoll. Later."
Arriving back at the wall, Mary stretched out her arms towards Coeur, "Come on sweety, let me check your vitals", while Jess remainded standing. Suddenly Silas moved away from the wall, hands in his pockets, and started walking towards the building.
"Where are you going?" Jess asked, eyes burning.
"Damage control," he answered, and Jess rubbed her eyes, suddenly and forcefully having enough of it all.
"I'm gonna go find Grey," she said, and turned to leave.
"Jess."
Stopping in her tracks, Jess turned, looking down at Simon, who was looking up at her with a mischievious smile, though his eyes told her otherwise.
"You can take it out on me too, y'know?"
She continued to stare at Simon, eyes suddenly hardening before she turned and left again.
"Jess! Hey, Jess!"
"She can't, actually," Mary said as the three of them watched Jess leave, Coeur cuddled up against Mary again, Simon still sitting against the wall.
"What?" Simon looked genuinely confused, and Mary allowed herself a quick smile before she moved, hands making their way in Coeur's hair and starting on a simple braid.
Simon sat back against the wall, crossing his arms.
"She looked pretty pissed off, huh."
They remained silent for a while after Simon's last remark, and as Mary finished the braid, Coeur sat up and looked at Simon, chin resting in a hand as she regarded him, eyes suddenly sparkling.
"Uh oh, no copulating for Simon tonight."
Simon turned his head around and glared as the small voice reached his ears.
Coeur just smiled.