A reunion... and an unexpected side

*He paces in his room, hands clasped behind his back, not seeing /anything/ really, just.. frowning deeply, lost in thought. Uncharacteristic of him? Yes, it was, but no one was around, no one to see him so agitated, and that suited him fine, of course. A quick look over at the intercom device, he thought he’d heard it… no, that was wishful thinking and he sighs loudly, runs a hand through his blonde hair – loving the fact that he didn’t always have to wear his mask now – and scowls deeper. Damn red tape, to hell with all this waiting, screw proper authorities. And as he’s about to reach over and ask to be patched into dispatch /again/, for the umpteenth time in weeks, the light blinks. Red light.. incoming call. He’s all over it, scrambling to hit the button, eager… calms himself down before he answers, and then speaks into the com with his usual tone belying his anxiousness* // Okay, sir, you’ve been granted clearance for leave. We tracked down the signal on the member in question. We got a lot of interference though, so our coordinates are a bit off…// *Pole bares his teeth in a growl and rolls his eyes. Damn kids running this place..* Yeah yeah yeah.. just set the damn thing up, I’m heading over and I want to leave NOW. *The voice from the other end doesn’t bristle at his gruff nature anymore, used to it now, and just sighs softly* //Yessir. Trans techies waiting. Don’t forget to sign the paperwork before you --// *He cuts the other off short with a snort even as he grabs his jacket and starts to leave* Don’t remind /me/ junior.. I know what I’m doing… Unlike SOME people… *the last a mutter, tho clearly heard, and he’s out the door, half-running down the halls. Okay, a quick jog. His pace raises a few brows, but he ignores them, and no one asks… they’ve seen that look before and know better than to stop him and inquire. Moments later, he’s on the transpad, gear with him tho hidden, and nodding to the French Techie* Maintanent. Vite.

*She had managed to sneak back in to her and Liz's home. Looking around she can't see that the police had left anything. Panicking she tears the rooms apart. It had to be here! It had to! But it wasn't.. Gone was her last link to the only place she had truly called home. The lab coat one of the scientist had shoved on her was gone. In tears she heads out of the building. There was nothing left for her now. She was alone again. Where was Pole now that she needed him the most.*

*The techies pause a moment, hand over the button to send Pole off as the signal they had latched onto keeps moving. Some muttered words between themselves, meant not to be heard… but Pole is a Cyhunter, with enhanced hearing and programmed for many different languages. He rolls his eyes and snarls at the techies, impatient* Just put me /close/ as you can, then! Dammit. Let’s go, people. *he growls to himself* Bloody non-Americans. Slow as molasses in January. *then he raises his voice* NOW. *with a start, the techies flurry about, and the button is pressed… and Pole vanishes from the HQ to reappear.. he glances about, then closes his eyes, cyber brain working* Portland. *his eyes reopen and he buttons his jacket, zipping it before hand, sleek leather thing. His eyes rove about, narrowed, infra-red engaged, senses at his command, sifting through scents and sights… lock onto her.. key in.. where /was/ she? He scans… and tries an old technique, if it hasn’t been damaged in her, the psi-implant* ~//~ Toshi… ~//~

*Her eyes blinded by tears she wonders down the street. What would she do now? She knew she could survive, but was that enough? Without a friend she is lost. Until the R.UN.ner attack she had never been alone. There had always been a tech around. Turning a corner she sees a man standing across the street at the other end of the block. Something about him...* Pole.. *She starts to smile and then realizes it can't be Pole. This man wasn't wearing a mask. Pole /never/ went without his mask. A new wave of anguish hits her. Leaning against the wall of the building she sinks down. Pulling her knees up she hugs them. Bending her head down she lets the tears fall freely.* Pole.. Where are you?

*He shakes his head in disgust at himself.. dammit, too much working with the others.. perhaps too eager to find her, and he forgot… she’d never been given a psi-implant. Something in her files about it being rejected from her system. A rare occurrence, but not unheard of. And the bracelets only made telepathy fuzzy. He sighs deeply, and growls again. /And/ she wouldn’t know him by face. He hadn’t /had/ one until recently. All right, the hard way. Cyberoptics switch from heat seeking to signature seeking, and he takes a slow, careful scan of the street and the people. Divide screens… engage genetics code seek…. He frowns. No, that one wouldn’t work. He’d need to see her to know that and if he saw her, he’d know her anyway. Turn off genetics seek, engage spectrum seek, power aura… he walks slowly, this could take forever, really… Scent sift. Pollution rate is… his computer brain gives him thousands of statistics that go along with the sifting, from gas content in the air to barometric pressure . He shoves these aside, narrows the search margins, and continues. God, where was she? She had to be close, the coordinates were only a little off, but HOW close and… his mood is not improving*

*Lifting her head she looks over at the man again. He was so like Pole... Wait!! Remembering Pole had a device to make him look normal she scrambles to her feet. Hope rising up in her for the first time in a long time. Taking a quick look around the area she starts across the street. Her eyes never leaving his form. Raising her voice just a little she calls out to him.* Pole... *Please let it be him. If she could touch him she would know. She knew his genetic signature so well.*

*Small, plaintive calling of his name. He isn’t facing her direction, but he blinks and slowly turns, knowing.. /knowing/ its her by the signature of voice, the scent that comes to him, the weight of her footsteps, and when he sees her… the signature of power, the spectrum of it, more… of course he’d used his illusory device before, not always just wanting to appear as a masked person in her life, or his own. This was truth tho, his new body a clone of the last, but it hadn’t sustained damage in the accident. His tension melts away, and he grins, a genuine delight and joy in his blue eyes. Rare was it when anyone saw him this way, more open than usual, not all gruffness and ego. She was one of the few he showed it to. Maybe the only one in.. god, YEARS. He just nods, training taking over, don’t make this look too desperate because if enemies are around… don’t openly acknowledge the name… don’t --- oh, fuck that --- * Yeah. Toshi, its me. *quiet, but barely contained relief smothered under it. He starts towards her, picking up a small amount of speed as he does, until the slow walk is a trot*

*As he turns she knows it is him. Forgetting everything he had told her about never showing a weakness in the open. Smiling in relieve and joy she begins to run to him. For once glad that there were so few people around. All she could think of was getting to him. A small part of her still thinking he was an illusion. Please, oh please let him be real.. Nearing him she opens her arms.* Pole!!

*He /almost/ hushes her, yelling out his name like that, but at the moment, he doesn’t care. He closes the short distance between them and with cybernetic strength, he echoes her actions, throws his arms open and gathers her up in them, lifting her from the ground and holding her in a crushing embrace* God, Toshi… *he’s quiet for a moment, just happy he’s found her, /finally/, that she was whole and alright here in the open, among people. He holds her thus for some time, and slowly lowers her again, checking her over for injuries, malnutrition, anything, concern deep in his eyes* Are you okay? Where have you been? Have you been eating enough? You look thin. Where have you been staying? You smell like drugs.. *he scowls, cyber senses picking up traces of things… blood and other things* Why the hell weren’t you in a transpod when the HQ went down??

*As he lifts her up she wraps her arms around his neck. At the first touch she knew it was him, but there was something different. Overcome with joy at finally being reunited she doesn't pay any attention to the changes. She grins as he checks to make sure she is OK. This was the Pole she knew. Shaking her head at his questions she tries to answer as best she can. * Yes I'm OK.. I've been here. *waves at the buildings around them.* No I don't always eat enough. *When he gets to the drug question she frowns. Her eyes mist over with tears and she can't hide the sadness she feels* I know.. My friend used them. *Finally at his last question she takes a deep breath.* The scientists I was with were killed before we could get to a transpod. I didn't know where one was and everyone was pushing and screaming..

*Pole straightens and sighs heavily, running a hand through his short hair again, then, still in that pose, scrutinizes her intently* You’ve been /here/… *he makes a small face, GUARDians were used to good accommodations… not poverty and dirty buildings. He notes the misty eyes and raises his brows, conjecturing, then nodding to the rest* Okay… why don’t we get something to eat? You look like you need it. Something warm. There’s a café across the street, and you can tell me about yer friend. *he shifts, taking hold of her shoulders, aiming her towards the café, walking behind her and wary of anyone who looks their way. This was a protective gesture, covering her back and putting him in the position to push her down and cover her should his senses, which were active yet, pick up anything untoward* I woulda been here sooner, you know… just all the damn red tape and rigmarole they put us through to get a few days leave to hunt you down… I’m glad yer okay, Toshi. You had me worried shitless, you little brat. *he’s smiling as he says it tho… an old name for her, ‘brat’.. cuz he spoiled her shamelessly. Whatever she wanted, he got for her*

*Nods* Yes.. I've been here.. I didn't know where to go. Then I met Liz and…. *Thinking about Liz she chokes up. Not yet ready to talk about her. Grabbed and turned around she can't help smile just a little. It felt so good to be back in the safety of GUARD. Or more specifically, back with Pole. She had always thought of him as a big brother. Seeing the café he directed them to she stops.* Umm… Pole.. They won't let me in there. *Even with money the café had refused to server her and Liz. They hadn't wanted their kind in the place.* I'm glad you're here. I was beginning to think I had been forgotten or given up as dead. *Unable to hide the fear she had felt being alone, lost. She hadn't known anything of the outside world.* I was so scared…

*he sighs and listens, picking up her sorrow and grief, her worry keenly, and not just thru his senses. He notes the reluctance to speak of Liz, whoever that was, and doesn’t press the issue, but scowls deeply. And as she saw him as her big brother, so maybe did he see her… his little sister when he’d lost his own, long ago… when she stops and speaks of the café, he literally snarls, gripping her shoulders tighter in reassurance* They’ll let you wherever the /fuck/ I say to let you. *Someone keep his girl out? He doesn’t /think/ so. She was GUARD, and more importantly, someone he cares about. If he has to ‘convince’ people to allow her in, he will, and very happily. His gruff demeanor alters a bit, softens as she admits things that are usually difficult to admit* No, never forgotten. You should know better. I just.. hadda tough time getting the time to leave. The HQ crash was a huge upheaval to the system and.. we’re in France now, by the way. The HQ there was renovated for bigger numbers. Better security too. *he gives her another brief hug, then, feeling too mushy, he coughs* hey, it’s okay now. /I’m/ here… *and he grins, ego slipping into place*

*She can't help but chuckle at him. Here was the Pole she remembered. He had always been the one to push her the hardest. Yet he was also, the one that would fight for her when she needed a break. Having him here her composure slips. Turning in his arms she slips her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest as she fights back the tears. All she wanted at this moment was to be back in her room. Isolated from the harsh realities. It had not at all been like she thought it would be.* Can… Can we just go home….

*he looks a bit uncomfortable, his brows raising as she turns and embraces him, buries her face in his chest and lets the tears comes. But it’s more surprise than discomfort, and maybe a smidgen of worry as his brows knit. Plus, he’s a /man/, right? Men don’t get mushy, as he’s been doing… men don’t… aw, hell, she’s a just a kid, and she’s been through a lot, and… he sighs, his expression softening, ignoring any odd looks that passer-bys toss their way, except for the glare he throws back here and there, that scowl which makes them look away quickly, fearing. His own arms, strong, cybernetic, thickly muscled with living tissue over the mechanics, hold her in turn, and he strokes her hair in comfort, tone quiet, gentle… something she, probably, alone has ever heard* Course we can, punkin… course we can go home. *he knows she’s always been isolated. How difficult it must be for her, seeing this, the real world… he sighs and nods slowly*

*She isn't aware of any of his discomfort. All she knew was that right now, for the first time since the attack she felt safe. If any other had come for her she may have hidden from them. All of the others she knew had been killed. Her trust and naiveté had died with them. She would never be the child he had known, but right now.. Now she was more the child than ever. His soft soothing tone does as he had intended. Hearing the endearment pumpkin she pulls away. It had always seemed such a contradiction when he called her punkin, a big strong man that was gentle and caring. Her hand shaking a little she reaches up to wipe the tears away.* I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to break down like that. *smiling slightly her hand then goes to his shirt* I've gotten you all wet…

*he’d already figured, with her words and expressions regarding Liz, whomever that /was/, that she’d changed.. learned, seen things he’d have rather kept her from seeing. Maybe done things he’d hoped she’d never have to do. As she pulls away, his soft face holds, caring… he continues to stroke her hair gently, doesn’t fully lower his arms, but allows her the freedom of motion, loosening his hold slightly* hey, hey, hey… don’t apologize. Yer friends don’t need apologies and yer enemies won’t believe ya anyway. *he grins slightly, chuckles.. a deep rumble in his chest* Believe me, I’ve had worse than tears on my clothes before… *he cups her chin in a deceptively soft hand, and raises her face to meet him a little better, eye to eye, searching her own, his voice now very soft, pitched for her alone* And we all break down sometime or another. Part of being… human, I’m told. *his grin becomes slightly lopsided, even charming* You gonna be okay?

*She tries to smile up at him, nodding.* yeah… Now I will be… *closing her eyes she thinks back over the last few months. She couldn't talk about it all now. Perhaps soon she would be able to tell him it all. Although if she knew what he thought she would tell him he was wrong. In a way she had been lucky to meet Liz. In her own way Liz had protected her from the harsher realities. Yes Liz had used her, but she had protected her too.* You have always been human to me… How did you finally find me?

*His grin widens, flashing white, perfect teeth at the girl as he playfully, gently, cuffs her on the chin with his knuckles* There’s a girl. Knew you would be. *Even if he has his doubts.. even if he’s still worried. And its not that she should never have seen the real world, or experienced what she has gone through… it built character, strength… he just, simply, never wanted her hurt. Protective instinct, a strong one, but he knows he can’t always protect her from such things, no matter how hard he tried or how much he wanted to. She had to see to learn, and to learn.. she had to hurt. Doesn’t mean he LIKES it…* We managed to track down your signature, once it was transferred over, uploaded from a smaller safehold of information. Plus, while you don’t have a psi-device, you do have a tracking one. It was fuzzy tho… hard to tune into you. Happens, sometimes. I guess yer makeup interferes with /that/ as well. So while I couldn’t go directly TO you, I was able to get close. *he leans down and whispers* ‘Sides, cybernetics has its advantages…

*Laughing she shakes her head* You know nothing cybernetic stays in my body.. *holding up her wrists she grins. Her mood lightening with him.* It took them long enough to figure these out to stay on me when I shift. *Others may not have been able to see the worry in him, but she wasn't anyone. She probably knew him better than most. Reaching up she cups his face with her hand.* It wasn't so bad Pole.. I just missed you. Things weren't bad until this last week when Liz died.. I… I kinda lost it.. *Frowning she looks away.. She would have to tell him about what she had done .. If she told him nothing else he needed to know about her killing.*

*Pole’s eyes narrow in amusement, and he chuckles softly, nodding* I know, I know, dammit. *His smile lightens as she holds his face, his eyes roving over hers… and he knows she’s telling the truth, or most of it, through his cybersenses, his ability to hear and gauge such things, even without infrared to /show/ him* I missed you too, punkin… and the jerks at HQ didn’t make it any easier… *he trails off and nods slowly, not pulling away, but frowning minutely as she looks away* Yeah… well, that happens to the best of us, losing it. *he straightens then, and shakes his head, scowling at her obvious pain* You don’t haffa… you don’t haffa tell me now, you know. I /want/ to know.. about what happened, but when yer ready, Toshi. I won’t push. I’m just happy yer safe… sound. You have no idea how much I was worrying… *he trails off, and just smiles, covering the truth a bit*

*She can't get over his face.. Not the mask, but a real flesh face.. Sighing softly she steps away. Turning her back to him as she looks back at the building that had been her home for most of the last few months.* I know.. but there is something you do need to know now.. *hesitating she tries to figure out how to tell him. Finally she just blurts it out. Softly.. Barely a whisper, but knowing he will hear her.* I killed some people… *She couldn't look at him. Afraid of what he may think of her. She could still remember how it had felt to rip apart all of the people in the drug den. Still feel that feral pleasure as the skin ripped and blood went everywhere.. He needed to know though.. Needed to know how close she had been to losing herself in the animal mentality.*

*Pole allows her the dignity of space as she pulls away, knows she /wants/ to be away, for a moment, and lets her go, without holding on or saying anything. He simply listens for now, follows her gaze as the back of her head turns towards the buildings, pauses there, and then he travels back to her, silent and statuesque as she blurts, in a whisper, her confession. Several emotions rush through him at hearing it… and he blinks, frowning now and again, like twitches over his brows… The Hell? Why, he wants to ask… what the hell happened that you had to… /kill some people/. He takes in a breath, not sure what to say or do, and it’s a long moment before he responds* What… do you want me to say? I’m hardly above moral judgments in that department, you know that. But I trust.. Toshi, I trust… you had reason for doing it. Good reason. I’d rather… you never did that, for your own sake, sake of conscience and assuaged guilt. Blood on yer hands can… be weighty on the wrong people. But yer not a killer. I know you… know you did… what you.. */had to do/, he doesn’t say. He doesn’t know what to say, how to respond, what she wants. He’s a killer, he’s done it before and learned long ago to… ignore it. But Toshi.. she wasn’t like him…* Punkin. Look at me.

*Unaware of it she holds her breath as she waits for his response. Yes she knew what he did.. You weren't raised by GUARD without knowing. But these weren't R.UN.ners. As he begins to speak she holds herself stiff. Waiting.. for what she didn't know.. Tears slowly roll down her check. A brief fleeting thought of how she had cried more in the last few minutes, months than she had every cried in her life. Pole must think she is weak to react like this. When he asks her.. No tells her to look at him she can't.. He had always been this strong tough figure. Always expected the most from her. How could she let him see she couldn't handle it. Afraid to look at him she is even more afraid to respond. Knowing her voice will break if she tries to talk to him. Closing her eyes she begins to shake. She needed him to understand what had happened, but was afraid of what he would think of her.*

*Eyes roll in frustration. Not at Toshi, but the situation… he doesn’t know how to deal with this. He’s never had to before. A deep grimace as Toshi begins to shake, to sob silently… he can sense the saline content rising, he knows she’s crying. And he can guess why… guess why she doesn’t turn when he tells her to. So he steps forward, just a single step, silent, and murmurs to her, for her alone in a calm, soothing tone* Toshi. Yer no killer. /I/ am. That sort of thing should be left for us who are that way… I know… I know this is hard for you. I know you… *he stops, inhales deeply, feels organic lungs expand, and switches tactics* There are few.. /few/… who can handle things like taking lives. Most can’t. Its not… something people should be doing normally. I won’t judge you, or hate you, or think any less of you for crying over killing people… for being… human. What you did won’t change my opinion in any way. Understand? *Tentatively, he reaches a hand for her shoulder, doesn’t touch yet, but extends..*

*She listens to him. Knows he reaches out to her, but he didn't understand. Turning quickly she yells at him.* You’re wrong.. I enjoyed it.. *seeing the looks of people around them she drops her voice to a whisper.* I loved the feel of their skin ripping under my claws. I enjoyed ripping limbs and heads off.. I loved the taste of their blood. *closing her eyes she was shaking so much from fear, anger and so many other emotions. She didn't want to see the shock and horror she knew he would feel. Sure that now he would understand and hate her. She wasn't his sweet little girl anymore.. Right now she wasn't sure what she was.* I loved it so much I almost didn't want to return to human form. I wanted to stay an animal…

*Shock, yes… her response was vehement, impassioned, /loud/. People look over and Pole ignores them. But horror? Hatred? Who DID she think she was talking to? He lowers his hand, his scowl deepening, his voice turning stern, tho still quiet* Okay, that’s enough, young lady. *he leans back on one foot, shifts his weight, folds his arms and fixes her with a solid, blue gaze* Yeah, it can be fun. Yeah, I know how the bloodlust gets, even I’ve been affected, we all have. And you.. you have it harder, maybe. Yer not the only shifter we have, ya know. I know the files. Get into animal mode and humanities can go flying out the window. Yer not the only one to experience that. Ask Craze, or any of the others. Instinct rises, and… *he sighs deeply, loudly, shakes his head* What do you /want/ to hear? I don’t hate you, I won’t hate you. Yes, what you went thru, I wish I could change, I really do, but I can’t, and you have to deal with that. /I/ have to deal with that. I don’t like it, but… hell, shit happens, ya know? So you loved it. Now you know. Know you can either choose to embrace that or combat it. Its up to you. Control it or be controlled by it. Either way… what’s done is done.

*Now she is the one to be shocked. For several minutes she stares at him. She didn't know about the others. No one had ever talked to her about anyone else. She only knew a little really about Pole. He had always treated her as a porcelain doll emotionally. She had been so afraid of what he would do when he found out about them. If he had turned his back on her she would have lost it. He was all she had. But he didn't condemn her. Didn't hate her. She could see that. What he told her now was what she needed. Needed to know she wasn't an animal. That what she felt had been normal. As his words hit her she slowly crumples back to the child in need of comfort after a nightmare. With time and his help she knew it would be ok.. Pole understood… He knew!! This time she reaches her hand out to him.* Thank you….. I thought I was alone… No one told me……..

*Pole can see the flickers of emotion play across her face, see the changes, the surprise, the… happiness as his words penetrate, and she knows.. she knows she’s not alone, not /wrong/, not evil or wicked. He smiles as her hand reaches for him, and his arms unfold, one larger hand stretching for the one she offers… and he closes his fingers around it, pulls her in close for an embrace, little, tight hug* Yeah, well… damn red tape and all. Classified junk, you know the drill.. *he murmurs it lightly, trying for humor. She hadn’t been told because she wasn’t a field operative. Why bother letting her know? /Why/ indeed… he sighs* Yer not alone, you never were. Sometimes, people hold back telling others things to protect them.. when they really /need/ to know. Now ya know. Don’t worry, punkin… we’ll get over this… *he uses the word /we/, to let her know… he’d never abandon her. Not if he could help it*

*As he pulls her close to him she almost collapses against him. After being alone and afraid to tell anyone anything about her it is so good to be able to tell someone everything and not have to worry about it. Sighing she snuggles against him. She should have known her 'big brother' would never abandon her. It had been that fear that had hurt the most. Now she knew nothing would come between them. Pulling back she smiles up at him. Relaxed for the first time since he showed up.* Home now?

*He supports her weight easily, his embrace both tight and gentle, protective and possessive.. warm, solid. And he smiles at her reaction, even the snuggling. Pole, the Great Ego of the GUARD, chuckles softly, strokes her hair again, looks down at her with dancing blue eyes, feeling the form relax… and happy… happy that what she looked up to this time wasn’t a mask, but his face, his true face, before the accident had taken it and more, forcing him to hide behind a mask… and that monstrous ego. Of course, he’d still carry around the ego, it infuriated people and he enjoyed that anymore. Did she notice a difference? Probably, knowing how her power worked, knowing her sense of touch was more than skin deep. But it was him.. just a new him. A whole him. And somehow… he’s a bit changed too, now. Both of them, altered for experiences, maybe both better for it. Certainly, it gives them even more of a common ground, something to explore together. Like his little sister.. so much like her. He nods, grinning* Home, honey. Let’s go home. *Its fast… psi GUARDs hide their sudden departure as Warpole contacts the teleporter room mentally, with his implant. Small flash of light, and they both vanish*