Brothers in Arms

Eclipse: Terror and Tribulations

"Good morning, Agatha," I reply with several embarrassing voice cracks, coughing a bit to lower my voice. "Ahem. Right."

"Did you sleep okay?" She asks, concerned by the lack of enthusiasm.

"I suppose. I'm just...tired," I say, rubbing at my eye.

"Well, hopefully, you won't have a long day," she comforts, reflecting a moment later on the statement. "You probably will, but I'll try to keep any scientists off your back for 'extra tests.'"

"Thanks," I respond, trying to wrestle my mind away from the soft pillow and warm comforter that I desperately want to go back to. I straighten my back, standing up and yawning, firing the cylinders on my brain. It helps a surprising amount, pretending I am awake.

"You must be tired." She shakes her head, sighing. "I'm sorry you have to do this today."

"It was my choice," I say, confused. "It's my fault, not yours."

"I shouldn't have let you sign up for it. Rouge tells me Shadow said it wasn't all that bad, but he has a ridiculously high pain tolerance. It's engineered, after all. I'm worried it will scar you, and I don't just mean physically."

"I'll be fine," I protest. "Worst case, I will faint. And that is more my body itself than me. I can handle pain--I've fought Shadow several times. I know how much damage it takes to hurt him. I'm prepared."

"If you're sure..." Agatha worries, sounding like she's not believing it even a bit.

"I'm sure," I say firmly, holding myself to my choice.

"Alright. Then, we should get going." She gestures towards the door. As I follow her out into the familiar hallway, she glances at me as if from a sudden thought.

"You're using many more contractions today," she observes, the mention taking me by surprise.

"I am? I wasn't trying to--Huh." I frown, wondering when this habit resurfaced. Then, just as we get into the elevator, I remember my nightmare. "Oh. I had a dream about...well, er, my mind must have switched to how I talked back then."

"You had a dream?"

"Well," I say embarrassedly, "more like a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She inquires as we walk into the main lab, acute as always.

"I want to forget it," I answer honestly, lifting my eyes to the ceiling. "I've wrestled with that battle enough times already. Reliving it doesn't change the outcome."

"But, it can change the way you see that event," Agatha remarks gently, and I give her a surprised look, eyes so strongly drawn to her compassionate expression that they almost fail to register the scientists bustling about behind her. "Do you think of it as the defining moment in your life, or was it just the inciting incident?"

"I--" I find myself a bit speechless, unable to process that question. "I suppose it was both. It was the turning point that completely changed my future, but it was hardly the climax of my life. I've just gotten started."

"That's good," she comments, smiling at me. "I've found it helps a lot when people think of catastrophic events as having changed them, rather than as having become their defining trait."

"It sounds like you know that concept rather well," I say, curious.

"Oh, well," she replies, "you witness it a lot, working in the military. I've...lost some good friends to despair over things they couldn't change."

"I'm sorry," I tell her, sincere. I cast my gaze to the side, giving her some room to breathe without me observing. "I understand what you mean. No one should be separated from a friend while they are still alive, not over such a grim matter. Does it still bother you?"

"Sometimes, yes. But, I wouldn't be a very good advice giver if I didn't practice the ideas myself, now would I? Hold on; I'm going to go sign you in." She smiles as she walks away, and I mimic it, not wanting to spoil her return to a pleasant mood.

Which, of course, means mine gets to be spoiled instead.

"That sounds rather familiar," a particular voice that I very much dislike points out from behind. "'No one should be separated while still alive'? And, there was something said about practicing advice yourself in there, too? Well, it was Topaz bringing that up, so I suppose I can't hold it against you."

"Shadow," I growl, voice gravel, turning around to see him scowling, arms crossed and hip jutting like usual. "Trying to pick a fight, are you?"

"Not really, just noting what I heard. I came for a different reason," he states, shifting his weight and flicking his ear in annoyance. "I happened to be informed of something quite concerning just a few moments ago, and I'll admit it's made me a tad frustrated."

"Oh, really?" I ask sarcastically, not hiding my disdain for him.

"Yeah, really. What. The. Hell. Are you doing, getting the most painful test in the books done? Who talked you into it?"

"Myself," I huff, annoyed by the question. "Why? You think I cannot handle it, too?"

"Not the issue. I want to know who told you about it."

"Professor Ayers did, after I asked about how healing factor is tested. She did not exactly go out of her way to tell me. In fact, everyone tried to talk me out of it."

"Bull," Shadow snaps stubbornly. "Like hell they would. G.U.N. would be thrilled for you to go through the heal test. So, who brought it up?"

"I told you," I snarl, "Professor Ayers briefly mentioned it, and I thought it was something I should do."

"She didn't suggest it?"

"No!" I growl, rapidly going from fed-up with him to straight enraged. "Stop pelting me with questions unless you are going to flat out accuse me of whatever you are tip-toeing around!"

"I'm not trying to drive you crazy or accuse you," he placates, taking an audible calming breath. "I just think it's a terrible idea for you to allow those kinds of tests to be done on you. This should never have been mentioned to you in the first place. "

"And why is that?" I demand, glaring daggers.

"You don't know what places it leads to. You're inviting being treated as an experiment, and you're not prepared for holding your ground on what you will and won't do. Not to mention, you're not in a position to be agreeing to things anyways--"

"I know what I am getting into!" I cut him off, incensed.

"Oh, really? You do?" He questions, infuriatingly condescending.

"Yes! Because I was the one who asked to do it in the first place!" The sentence finally breaks through his arrogance, and his eyes widen considerably.

"You actually wanted to do this?"

Author's Note: Here's this week's chapter! I'm sorry it's a week behind, but life's been real nasty recently. My mom was in the hospital, for one thing, and she just got out. So, I've had some hang-ups. But! Never fear, for this story will continue on it's update schedule. 

Please feel free to leave some comments telling me how this chapter made you feel! Have you ever had arguments like this? I know I have, and I'd be interested in whether or not you think this reflects reality. I love hearing feedback from you all!