A Frightening Friend's Return

[broken_frightener]

[In the aftermath of the Wulgaru attack a familiar face makes a return... at least for a while. Leos and his team - not just the two that accompanied him but a number of other pilots as well were taking some time off at a Unity Group base.]

Well... I'm glad not much changed. Like I said to everyone out there.... its good to see you all again.

[There's something odd about Leos as well. For one he doesn't seem as energetic as he was before, and his voice was significantly more calmer too.]



"So this is the Unity Group huh? Can't say I'm impressed."

Boyle. Do shut up. Remille. Keep your brother from talking too much please.



"Understood Commander Klein."

[Boyle simply grumbles and folds his arms while the rest of the Frighteners chuckle at his expense.]

So. About that Pudding.

Comments

[star_of_sad]

Leos?

[His bearing - and his company, give Setsuko pause. She is reluctant to bring this up, but still... it seems like the same Leos from before. Same, yet different.]

What were you up to during those months?

[tiger_ken]

'Commander' Klein, was it?

[Ken is lightly tossing a pudding cup in hand.]

You join the military or something?

[actuallyselfish]

"Yo, Leos." Dido says. "Who are the Creeps?"

[a_linear_mind]

Huh...those are some generic mercenaries...

[Willis' attention seems to be focused on your crew Leos.]

[broken_frightener]

I was offered a chance to do some work with my skills by some people in ESUN... do something useful you know? I guess when you kill Nineball several times over people take notice... even if I did have help.

They figured that maybe I needed a team of my own too. They really like calling me 'The Nine-Breaker' when they aren't calling me Commander Klein.

[broken_frightener]

Sort of. People in ESUN offered me work. And then a team of my own. I figured I may as well make the best of it.

[Leos toyed with the pudding cup for a while before opening it.]

How are Mizuki and Dido doing?

[broken_frightener]

"An amusing observation coming from the one who looks like she does some creeping around herself."



Now now Remille. Dido's a friend. Play nice.

[He forgot she was Boyle's twin sometimes. Things like this remind him of that little factoid.]

They're my team. When I took on my new job they came with it.

[broken_frightener]

"And you look like a generic womanizer. Perhaps you would like to try make your opinions known a little closer?"



Remille. Down. Willis is a friend.

[She merely remains grim faced while the other frighteners glare at Willis. Leos simply moves closer to talk.]

Maybe they are... but they're the people ESUN stuck me with. Make the best of what you have after all.

"HEAR THAT UNITY GROUP?! COMMANDER KLEIN THINKS WE'RE THE BEST! YOU GOT NOTHING ON US IF THE NINEBREAKER THINKS THAT!!"

I'd appreciate it if they stopped doing that though.

[brought_it_back]

I'm not much of a sweets person, sorry...

Who are your friends?

[broken_frightener]

"We aren't Commander Klein's Friends. We're his team."



Remember what I asked Boyle. Shush. Still. He has most of it right. They are my team. I won't bother with the introductions.

"Damn right. We don't need to-"

Boyle.

"Keeping quiet now Commander Klein."

Line #34 in Small Talk For Dummies

[brought_it_back]

Well...how have you been?

[broken_frightener]

Oh, so-so. There hasn't been anything worth talking about at all.

[brought_it_back]

...I...See...

[Something...something is wrong.]

Um...I've been busy, as well...

[broken_frightener]

I'm not that surprised. I've heard a lot about what's been happening since I was away.

[That frozen in place smile wasn't helping the feelings at all either was it Eva?]

Or... did you mean you finally found a hobby?

[a_linear_mind]

Just don't let it get to your head, the last thing any of us need is another inflated ego.

As for you, if you have a problem with my assessment you might want to stop playing into the stereotype of a generic merc.

[If he was bothered or threatened by those glares, he wasn't showing it.]

Anyways, it's good to see you again. Though, I didn't think you were the type to join up with ESUN.

[gravitons]

Hey, kid! I heard that you're bac-

[Chika's approach is stopped by the general appearance of Leos' new group. She just stands there, stunned.]



...Whoa...what's with all the dark...?

[Meanwhile, Shu is somewhere in the background, but he's only watching from a distance.]

[broken_frightener]

Trust me... that won't be my problem.

[He glances at Boyle as if to make sure the now extremely irritable pilot would sit still.]

And honestly I wanted to see if I can make a difference. Not just with everyone else here but on my own as well. I figured since the Unity Group was started up by them, checking around with some of their member nations would be a good start.

[brought_it_back]

[That's the long and the short of it, yes.]

Um...I did that before you left, actually...

...If you don't mind me asking...what happened? You feel...different.

[broken_frightener]

"What the hell. That bird's talking."



Well of course she is Boyle. Its to be expected of a brilliant familiar.

[Leos ducks down to reach out and carefully press a finger to Chika's beak, a nostalgic chuckle working its way from the Frightener leader.]

Boop.

Don't mind them so much. You get used to the dimness after a while.

[broken_frightener]

I just decided to grow up a little. What I was like before didn't help much at all.

[Somehow this doesn't even feel like it was remotely the right answer.]

[brought_it_back]

...It's...

[A lot like that time they fought with razor blades. Calm and commanding, but...]

Not comforting.

[keep_your_dignity]

[A little, heavily scarred fairylike humanoid looks up from the touchscreen she was maneuvering around, trying to write something despite her tiny arms, and scans the group behind Leos.

She seems most definitely unimpressed.]

[broken_frightener]

"Hm..."

[Remille seems to look at Kagura with an interest that seems... distinctly unpleasant.]

"I wonder what sort of noises it would make if I pulled its limbs off."

[Leos' smile seems to get a tiny bit more thinner.]



Major. Its been a while. I hope you haven't had too much trouble lately.

[The Frighteners behind Leos seem to smirk and nudge each other as they snicker wondering what sort of scatter brained organization would be willing to make such a tiny looking thing a Major.]

[broken_frightener]

"Commander Klein's mannerisms should not have to be comforting to anyone. His position as Leader of the Frighteners as well as the Ninebreaker means-"



Thank you very much Remille, but I would quite prefer to explain things myself.

[His wingwoman nods as Leos steps a bit closer to Eva.]

A while ago I thought you would have preferred me to show a little more professionalism... or at the very least tried to be calmer.

[tiger_ken]

They're doing... okay. We're working through some things right now, so...

[Ken shrugs.]

Seems a bit strange to run away from an ESUN facility, to go and work for a different part of it. What is it you do?