Going back to Headquarters wasn't out of the norm for them, the regular occurrence practically apart of their weekly schedule. Exusiai packed up the same way she always did. Shirts and shorts and skirts and jackets were stuffed haphazardly in the suitcase that would barely zip shut once it was crammed with all she planned to pack. Sitting on the mound of stuff while yanking the zipper was tradition at this point, the bite of metal stinging her straining fingers slightly as she finally zipped the suitcase shut. The wheels attached groaned in protest as the pink case was set upright. Latched to the handle was a hat she could never wear but still kept. Texas had won it for her at the fair they went to together two years ago. She appreciated the sentiment, even if she literally could not wear it without a hangover inducing headache.
"Croissant, you ready?"
"No, not yet. Another minute ought to do it."
Exusiai hummed a tune under her breath. She didn't remember where she had heard it from, though if she had to guess it was probably from one of Emperor's soundtracks. It would be good to see the boss again, especially for Texas. All this stuff about Lappland has her freaking out for sure. For whatever reason Emperor seemed to know what to say in every situation, at least, in her opinion anyways. The penguin had certainly been helpful whenever she needed comfort over the absence of a certain messenger. A certain messenger who STILL hadn't come home.
"You better not be packing all your weapons again. There's no point Croissant."
"Says the angel who wants eight more guns." Croissant countered back.
Exusiai snickered. "I don't want them now, not when I've already got them!" She hollered back down the hall where she knew Croissant's door was cracked open. Her opinions on the Doctor had improved greatly since receiving the monumental gift of all the guns she could possibly want. Now she just wanted to find a way to get the light over her head to shut off for a second. Exusiai had always wondered what it would be like to be in complete darkness. In her entire life she was in some form of light, the rays from the sun or the beam over her head keeping her company. A part of her didn't mind this, but she knew it could be irksome for those who weren't Sanktas.
"Oh! No fair! When's the Doctor going to give me upgrades?" There was a whine in Croissant's voice that made her giggle. She put a hand over her mouth to muffle the noise, using the other to drag her packed up suitcase behind her. Those fore mentioned guns were already packed up in the van . . . aside from her favorite of course. The first gun she had ever received was strapped to her back, nestled between glowing shard-like wings.
"I don't know. I guess you could ask?"
From what she heard, Ptilopsis had been given upgrades recently too. It was strange to think of how the upgrade process worked and moreover how the Doctor went about picking who to upgrade. And why does Amiya keep calling it E2? What does that mean? She assumed it had to do with the new promotion, another nice touch though somewhat unnecessary. Exusiai just wanted to party and have apple pie with friends, what more could she possibly need?
"Ugh! No! Yer asking me to do the impossible." Croissant moaned. Bed springs creaked abruptly afterwards. She could picture the defender flopping on the bed, right next to her untouched hammer. It was the only weapon Croissant kept on her at all times. "Never know when a hammer might come in handy." She remembered Croissant saying at one point.
"No it's not. Just ask." She repeated again. Why elaborate when there was no need?
"Easy for ya to say, you've known Doctor Y/N for months!" Croissant exclaimed.
"Not my fault you were recruited later," Exusiai said with a shrug. "That's the way the pie crumbles."
"Isn't it supposed to be cookie?"
She shrugged again, then realized Croissant couldn't see her. The walls were thin but not transparent. She wondered how long it would take for Closure and the other technicians to figure out how to do such a feat. "Meh. Pie is better."
"Of course. You would say that."
"Hmm, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Ya know exactly what I'm talkin' about. You're obsessed."
"With pie?"
"Duh."
"Then I'll take it as a compliment. Apple pie is the best!"
"Yes. You would say that I suppose."
Another sigh was heard, this one much louder. Exusiai was beginning to get the feeling her friend was annoyed. Deciding to take pity on Croissant, she dragged her suitcase down the stairs, ignoring the jumbled thwacking the case was forced to endure every time it touched the metal in an odd way. The hat flapped like an off kilter flag. Just as she had imagined, Croissanf was flopped on her bed when Exusiai came in —after knocking of course, she wasn't an animal after all. Her deep blue green suitcase was open on the floor.
"I'm not sure how I can help in regards to the Doctor, but I can help you pack!" She offered with a bright smile.
Croissant eyed her warily. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Oh come on! Why not?"
Croissant averted her gaze briefly to Exusiai's suitcase before meeting her gaze again. "Yours looks fit to burstin there."
"So? That just means I won the game!" Exusiai threw her hands out wide, a pleased smile on her face growing wider by the second. A few of the plastic bags laying scattered on the floor fluttered with the movement of the ceiling fan over the bed. There was no lack of light here, between two lit lamps and Exusiai's halo the room was practically over lit.
"What game?" Croissant asked, seemingly even more wary than before.
"Texas said I couldn't fit anything more in here from the last time we went on a trip. Said there was no way. She even bet me on it!"
"Uh huh. This the same Texas we're talking about? The one who never places bets without all the information," Croissant said.
"Yeah, it is. She said there was no waaay I could do it but here we are."
Croissant shook her head as if dismayed. Exusiai didn't miss the way the defender side eyed the bag, the way a piece of clothing poked out from the slight gap in the zipper. Fit to burst but still capable of moving. Could anything be better? The real question will be how I can unload it properly. So far there had been no improvement on the slow opening of the crammed bag. The clothing explosion to her room back at headquarters happened every time.
"Uh huh. I can't say I blame her for making that estimate. If does seem pretty worse for wear."
"But it works! So, can I help?"
"I think I'll take my chances on my own. But thanks for the offer."
"Aww fine. You better finish up quick though so you can help me with Sora's stuff."
That elicited another groan from Croissant. "Don't tell me we need to haul some equipment again. All this heavy lifting the past few days, ugh!"
Exusiai tsked to herself. She could hardly blame her friend for the negative response. Rhodes Island had a habit for working them hard with every visit. Sora's music equipment was often toted around back and forth between PL and RI, something about improving morale at the Pharmaceutical Company really made Sora happy. So at least it sees use. This didn't take into consideration how heavy the stuff was however. Maybe we can get someone to help us one of these days. It would be nice, especially if Sora started to get the desire to bring even more equipment with her— something that would happen whenever she received upgrades. Until then, Penguin Logistics would just have to grin and bear it.
"Yeah I hear you. But it is what is. Bye!" She waved Croissant off before heading out the door, suitcase clunking behind her.
****
"Texas? Texas! Where are yooooou~?"
She rounded the last hallway before the entrance to the apartment style space all the Penguin Logistics liaisons shared. The lights at the door were dimly lit though she picked out her partner's silhouette with ease. Exusiai knew how to spot those dark ears and narrow frame from the farthest distances with the smallest light available. It was a good quality to have in battle, when the smallest mistake would wind up in terrible tragedy. Her shots were point blank accurate when they had to be, capable of being less than a centimeter away from Texas as they fired at the target she was dealing with.
And just as Exusiai knew how to shoot right around her partner, she recognized the trouble playing out on Texas's face as she turned around to face her. Blue-amber eyes were downcast, a white-knuckled grip on the Lupo's suitcase. There was a hunched look to her frame too, hardly visible but impossible for Exusiai not to pick up on. With Texas, reading body language was just another step in the long list of ways to get to know her better.
"Exusiai. I guess you won the bet then." Texas gestured to the pink suitcase with her free hand. For once it was her left and not her right. From how smoothly she moved both limbs, Exusiai wouldn't be surprised if Texas was ambidextrous. She could probably dual wield too, if she wanted to. Exusiai had never seen her partner wield double blades. It made no sense, not with the second sword she had seen Texas have strapped to her before.
"Uh, yeah. Haha, I guess I did." The earlier happiness over winning faded with her friend's uneasy attitude. "Is there something wrong Texas? You can tell me you know. I won't say anything."
Texas took a shuddering breath. There was a storm brewing in her gaze. Some people might say Texas was emotionless, heck, Exusiai herself would make jokes about it from time to time. But that simply wasn't true. The Lupo may act emotionless on the outside, but on the inside . . .
"I know you won't. And I do trust you." Texas blinked tiredly. "I'd just rather not talk about it. I hope you understand." Another breath, the next words like the background pitter patter of rain. "You'll be finding out soon enough anyways."
She wanted to ask what that meant, really, she did. The appearance of the other liaisons shut off her words however as Sora and Croissant came into view. Both of them were hauling some of the equipment with the trolleys they kept for transportation purposes. The clicking wheels were the most effective end of any words she might have said.
"Sora. Croissant. Good to see you both." Texas nodded to them in greeting. "I don't suppose that's all the equipment, is it?"
"Just about, but another trolley is that a ways." Croissant gestured over her shoulder. The visor on her head glinted with the overhead light. It looked like a plastic material, but after head butting Croissant that one time on accident, she suspected there was a bit of metal in it too.
"Good. I'll go get it. Meet you guys at the van." And then Texas went off, disappearing around the corner. Exusiai watched her go, and she could feel Sora and Croissant's gazes also following along.
A pause, and then. "Did something happen?" Sora asked. The singer was biting her lip, an old nervous tick that coincided with rubbing arms and fidgeting fingers.
Exusiai sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I think so Sora. And from the sounds of it, we'll be finding out soon enough."
*****
Texas kept true to her word about being at the van when they arrived outside of the floating aircraft carrier (a little unsure what Rhodes Island's base of operations is . . . Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). The problem wasn't with Texas's punctuality, nor with how she had someone arrived before her friends despite hauling more equipment. Instead, it was the other presence on the deck.
Leaning up against the side doors was the same white haired woman who had been the topic of problems for the past two weeks. An easy smirk played on her face, the kind that said she knew something that no one else did. Her gray-black attire was unchanged, matching the dark shards embedded in her leg like broken pieces of glass. Or maybe not glass, perhaps black ice. Exusiai could see frozen shards as far more dangerous then the ones coming from a creation of sand being heated over time. Silver eyes paid little mind to Exusiai, Croissant, or Sora as they kept their owner kept her attention on Texas. Texas, who seemed to not be meeting anyone's gaze from her spot in the driver's seat. The van —off and left to bake in the midday sun— could not be a pleasant temperature. But the Lupo seemed to care very little about the sweat beading up on her forehead.
"What are you doing here!?" Sora's voice came out as indignant as Exusiai felt. Even the small warning earlier didn't wash the surprise down.
Croissant clenched her hammer tightly, eyes narrowed with an amount of steely warning she had not seen from the otherwise carefree woman in some time. "You shouldn't be here little doggie. Run along."
Their hostile reactions were to be expected, as was the one at the tip of her tongue. But the angel couldn't voice her anger when Texas lifted her head up, shaking it once. Blue-amber eyes were dismal like raindrops in dying sunlight. Exusiai knew what that head shake meant; unease crawled up her spine as the realization became apparent. Lappland is supposed to be here, but why? What happened? She had a horrible feeling the truth wouldn't be coming out yet, at least not the full story anyways.
"Texas. What's going on?" Are you okay? Are you under duress? Those last questions were conveyed by the tilt of her head and the worry she knew was in her eyes. Texas always said she was easy to read. Exusiai didn't know if that was true, or if Texas was just that good at reading people.
"Lappland is coming with us to Penguin Logistics." Exusiai opened her mouth to reply, more questions popping up in her head. Texas's next words came too fast for them to come out. "Rhodes Island thinks it's only fair if they lend support to their allies from time to time. It's a new program, and Emperor has already signed off on it so there's nothing to be done."
"What! That, that," Sora stumbled over her words.
"That's bonkers! I knew Boss could be a bit crazy, but isn't this taking it a bit too far. Bringing this . . . stranger with us?" Croissant seemed to have another, less friendly word for Lappland, but it stayed stuck in her throat.
Lappland chuckled. There was still a smirk on the white wolf's face. Her nails were painted black, the same shade as the originium shard embedded in her leg. Her ears twitched slightly. She didn't seem at all bothered by the tension she was causing amongst the members of Penguin Logistics. Her cocky attitude reminded her of someone else. How exactly would she have reacted to Lappland? It was hard to tell, but Exusiai thought the blue angel would have handled the situation better.
"Hehe I'm glad to be so welcomed," Lappland said. She seemed highly amused instead of insulted like Exusiai felt she should have been. "Getting this chance to know Texas's friends, I won't waste it."
Sora made a noise that sounded oddly like a growl. The bunny disguised as a wolf stepped protectively in front of Texas, cutting off Lappland's view of her. Sometimes she wondered if the facade got to Sora's head, tricking her into believing she was something else. Something wild and untamed. "I'm not sure we want to get to know you. Not if you're being mean to Texas." The microphone in the smaller girl's hand was brandished like a weapon in Lappland's direction.
Lappland laughed this time, head tilting back as if Sora's protective instincts was hilarious. "Oh my! I didn't imagine I would see the day where a bunny would impersonate a wolf. Takes the whole wolf in sheep's clothing and flips it on its head, doesn't it Texas?"
Sora startled, shock on her face. "How did you?"
Texas let out a sigh, drawing everyone's attention. One of her hands was pressed up against the steering wheel. "Wolves like u. . . Lappland can tell by scent if something's off. Don't bother her about it Lappland, if Sora likes it then let her make her own choices. Okay."
There was no question in Texas's words, just a silent command. The white wolf shrugged. "Fine, I suppose I'll let it slide. Though I must say if she was amongst other wolves, well, they'd think she was mocking them."
"Perhaps. And you better. It's not your place to judge." Texas warned again. Sora watched the exchange with an open mouth, her body language stuck still as her eyes fixated on the shining swords the Infected wolf toted.
Lappland didn't seem perturbed at being ordered around. She kept up that smirk, so full of cockiness . . . and a hint of something else entirely. Perhaps everyone had their own facades. She knew Texas and Sora had their own. Maybe she could have one too, if she wasn't an angel that was. Angels were known for a great many things, but being liars wasn't one of them. Not that anyone here is, though Lappland . . .
Well, she still didn't know how to feel about Lappland. The loyal side of her was spitting mad, a righteous fury to protect those beside her rearing up. Memories of nights with an emotionally charged Texas, the names she would whisper in a drunken state . . . Exusiai had a terrible feeling Lappland was somehow connected in all this. At the very least, she was responsible for heartbreak. Yes, a loss of love, that was whatever Texas and Lappland shared before. It had taken awhile to piece together but, with the pieces sliding into place it was hard to believe she hadn't noticed it before.
And that was the other side of her: confused and worried. No matter what happened in the past, Lappland had done something to upset Texas, and she would not condone another folly to befall her friend. Texas, her partner, deserved better than needless suffering and crying on lonely nights. Despite how strong the dark haired Lupo would act, she knew Texas was just as vulnerable as the rest of them deep down.
"Well, with that awkwardness out of the way, I suggest we all get moving. No time like the present right?" Croissant said. The defender nudged Sora towards the van, pulling open the door for her to hop in. Sora did so, but not without casting one last nervous glance back at Lappland. Once Sora was safely inside and out of Lappland's line of sight, Croissant shuffled over to the equipment they'd left lying on the ground and went to grab the bags to stuff in the back.
"I can help you with those." Exusiai tried to offer.
Croissant shook her head. "No. It's alright. Just make sure you know who doesn't sit up front with Tex. She looks a few seconds away from erupting, no need to put them together."
"I don't think Texas would let . . ." Her words died as she saw Lappland was indeed trying to sit next to Texas up front. Her friend kept the passenger door locked, bicolored gaze staring at anything but Lappland.
"Come on Texas. Let's sit together." Lappland was tapping the glass, a more realistic tip to her lips now.
"Lappland." Texas breathed out the other wolf's name like she was too tired to even say it. Which might not be far from the truth. Exusiai didn't consider herself the most observant member of PL, but even she picked up on the dark smudges under Texas's eyes. When did she last get a proper night's sleep.
Feeling bad for her friend, Exusiai made her way over to the passenger side. She tapped Lappland on the shoulder with what was probably more force than strictly necessary —though she doubted it would matter to the crazed wolf— her other hand clasped around her favored vector gun. Silver eyes turned to greet her, white hair flouncing.
"Ahem. Hate to be a bother but I usually sit up front. So if you don't mind . . ."
Not giving Lappland a chance to respond, she nudged her aside before tapping the glass to get Texas's attention. The dark haired Lupo unlocked the door, pressing the paneling without even looking at it. Exusiai felt the second the door clicked open, situating herself in the seat with an amount of quickness that might've been nauseating under other circumstances. Her hip was whammed against the gear shift. Cool air blasted in the van, ruffling her hair.
"Oh. Well then, I see how it is," Lappland said after a moment. Exusiai could see how Lappland was directing her words to Texas, the way her tongue poked out to briefly wet chapped lips, revealing the glimmer of pointed incisors. "Maybe you're closer than you thought Texas."
A rumble rose at the back of Texas's throat. She couldn't recall ever hearing such a sound from her wolf friend before. It wasn't gentle like the normal sounds coming from Texas, though it retained the same quietness.
"We're not. Stop insinuating."
"Fine fine. Just calling it as I see it." Lappland replied with an ease that just seemed to set Texas off further if her erect ears were anything to go by. There was also the tips of her incisors poking out of the dark wolf's mouth, a promise of danger to come. Both of the wolves held this aura to them. It reminded her of thunder booming as lightning raced across the sky.
The white wolf hopped into the back row, nestling herself right behind Exusiai's seat, probably after noticing the one behind Texas had already been claimed by Sora. Croissant sat in the middle, sandwiched between a wolf who looked to be enjoying the situation way too much and a disguised rabbit who still appeared a bit flustered.
"Everyone buckled up?" Texas asked. It was a question that was hardly mandatory as much as it was traditional. Exusiai appreciated the routine. The amount of times this car had been purposefully crashed into buildings —usually at the Emperor's request— made it extremely stupid to not wear the seatbelt each time. The idea of flying out the windshield was less than appealing, like the time she walked into a pole on accident.
"Yes."
"All good here."
"Yeah! Let's get this show on the road."
"Oh. Texas. I didn't know you cared." Lappland crooned. Texas's grip on the wheel tightened marginally, wondering if the sharp grip would leave behind any imprints. While Lupos didn't exactly have claws, their nails were sharper then the average Terran's (they live on terra and they aren't exactly humans so this is what I'll call them).
"Shut up." Texas growled. "Exusiai, can you grab my pack? It should be in the glove compartment."
"Oh. Sure."
Startled into action, Exusiai opened the latch and pulled out the favored red box. It must have been recently replaced, the cellophane wrapping clinging to the red papery material. Texas opened her mouth slightly and she dutifully slotted one of the chocolate covered sticks into her mouth. The release in tension came with a lowering of shoulders, put back on track again. Well, as close as we're going to get I suppose. She could still sense the unwanted eyes on her even as she pulled away from Texas's face and stuffed the pocky box away. Lappland's smirk had faltered for a single moment. She couldn't tell what the flickering frown was for, but the burning intensity laying below suggested nothing good. Texas kept herself facing forward, deciding to ignore the issue entirely. Amber-blue eyes slid her way.
"Thank you. Now let's get going. The boss is waiting for us."
And the engine revved as they took off into the night.