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The Hub Ch. 01

By: SinisterSpiders



~*~*~*~*~*~

Authors' Note: This is a collaborative story written by DungeonsOfDread and myself. We wanted to work together on something, and thought that this was a good way to bring two unique characters to life. I (Sinister Spiders) have written for Flit, and DungeonsOfDread had given a voice to KC-847. We hope that you enjoy our tale...

~*~*~*~*~*~

KC-847 steadied himself as the transport hover truck buffeted in the air as it travelled toward its destination. The Crucial Operations Team(COT) coordinator had designated this mission as his first solo command operation.

For the past three months KC-847 had been under the supervision of a superior Derivate Retrieval Officer(DRO), advising him in the conduct and behaviour of a Government representative. He passed his review with exceptional results and immediately commenced active duty.

KC-847's first mission was a simple retrieval; unconfirmed reports of an unregistered Telekinetic- Level 3(TK3) disturbing the peace had caught the attention of the DIS and thus it would be his job to rectify the situation in the most efficient way possible. The hover mechanism of the truck hummed in the background filling the silent void of the cabin. Two rows of seats housed twelve specially trained Citizen operatives, although they lacked the psychic powers of the Derivates they had been trained for years in the art of neutralisation and capture.

Although DRO's were in charge of any operation such as this, everyone knew the truth. Government controlled Derivates were slaves to the institution. Born from test tubes and raised by scientists, they were only seen as pieces of equipment owned and maintained by The Government. They were considered no more human than the automated taxi services available for Citizens of The Hub. It was understood however that the best tool to capture a dangerous out of control Derivate was to send a controlled Derivate as they were the most suitably equipped to handle the situation.

KC-847's team paid him very little attention, only interested in completing the job and getting home to their friends and family. KC-847 had no family or friends, but he didn't envy them; he was of course only an instrument of The Government, trained to feel little or no emotion toward anything or anyone. However despite that he still felt a pang of nervousness as they neared their destination, perhaps it was just the nerves of his first mission? He tried to reassure himself but in the back of his mind something bothered him deeply. He was a telekinetic, not a telepath or precog but still the feeling remained. He touched the back of his neck tracing lines around the control chip, a neural control device designed to keep his abilities in check. The years of training provided by The Government had honed his body and mind into a well tuned machine with a defined purpose.

The truck lurched to a stop and the rear bay doors hissed as they opened. The evening street lights blared into the cabin illuminating the occupants. KC-847 focused his mind and body as he had been taught in training. The familiar sensation of this well learnt meditation calmed his growing nerves allowing him to move forward to complete this task.

"Attention company! Form ranks." KC-847 started barking the orders as he was trained to. The group stood to attention and hastily formed three lines, four in each group at the rear of the truck, their weapons were ready in their arms. He joined them standing in front continuing to issue commands.

"Alpha group, you take point. Scout the area and report back to me."

"Yes sir!" Alpha group answered in unison.

"Bravo group, follow up at the rear. Charlie group you're with me. "

"Yes sir!" Bravo and Charlie responded.

"Okay people, lets move out." Alpha team rushed forward into the sewer entrance with weapons raised. It was common practice to send a small group as to avoid alerting the dangerous individual of their presence. After a few minutes KC-847 led the rest of men into the dark tunnel.

~*~

Leah "Flit" Cross kicked a stray rock out of the centre of the walkway with her steel-capped boot as she did her rounds. Her companion, Hawkeye, sniggered and she turned to glare at him.

"What?" Flit snapped, agitated, pushing her black hair off her face and tucking it neatly behind her ear.

"Someone's in a shit mood today." He said, dismissing her glare with a roll of his green eyes.

"You would be too if you had parents like mine." Flit snapped, reaching back and rubbing the microchip in the back of her neck reflexively. It was something she did quite often, and it was something that her parents were always sure to reprimand her for. The chip was supposed to be a part of her, just like it was for the other Citizens. Do you see other Citizens playing with their chips? Her mother would ask exasperatedly.

"At least you have parents." Hawkeye said evenly "A lot of us aren't so lucky."

Flit sighed. He was right. There were very few unregistered families that survived intact. If it wasn't bad enough that The Government officers were killing their people every other day, Unregistered Deviates were prone to dying from over-stretching their powers. Sometimes all it would take was one moment where emotions ran too high, or where someone was a little too ambitious, and then death would be considered the most merciful result. 

The Residence was full of Deviates who had been permanently disabled because they lost control of their abilities. Flit was in awe of the work that the Fellows team did in the Residence. She had no idea how anyone could stand seeing so many people in such a depressing state without becoming depressed themselves. This awe, however, was often metered by the fact that her mother was one of the Healers assigned to the Residence. As a micro-kinetic her mother was able to manipulate people's bodies at the cell level to work on rehabilitating them or keeping them alive.

Today Flit and Hawkeye had been assigned the task of patrolling and securing the Northern-most passages that led down to the Residence. Flit's recent acceptance into the Security team had caused a great deal of conflict in her family. After seeing so many people damaged by Government officers or their own abilities, her mother would prefer her to be off counting stock with her father in the Supply team. Flit could think of nothing more boring than being in the Supply team. Her father, once a powerful teleporter, had accidentally teleported so that half of right arm and leg were spliced into a wall when he had been trying to escape some officers. The only way to save the rest of him was to amputate his limbs to separate him from said wall. It was her mother who had been called to the scene. That was where her parents first met.

It was this tragic story of the loss of Flit's father's limbs that was brought up, again, during the argument at home that very morning. It was something that her mother tried to use to show her that she should settle for a less active position. Flit, however, would have none of it. She was pleased to be included in the Security team, where her ability to teleport herself and her team mates was highly valued. Plus, Flit had never (even once) teleported and lost so much as the tip of a strand of hair. 

"So, what's eating you?" Hawkeye asked. 

"Parents. Again." Flit groaned.

"Still on about the Supply shit?" Hawkeye asked with a small tilt of his head. Sometimes he really did act like his namesake. Even though some of his mannerisms were patently bird-like, the real reason for his Underground name was due to his psionic power of remote viewing. Hawkeye had the ability to see locations and gather information about them from a great distance. His speciality was taking in scenes from a birds-eye view. This was particularly useful in the Security team, as they often needed to scout certain areas. Flit thought it was particularly useful as it meant he could remote view parts of their rounds and they could make it back in time to catch up with friends before heading back into the world beyond.

Hawkeye and Flit had been friends since they were young. His mother had died shortly after he was born, but luckily for him his father was part of the Control team- he was always well supported as he grew up. He had inherited his father's unnerving green eyes, but had the sandy-blonde hair was apparently thanks to his mother. Even though he was handsome, Flit had never really thought of him as anything other than a friend, or even brother. They had both of them had been relieved when they had been accepted into the same team- it made it easy for them to continue their friendship.

"Mum is threatening to talk to Harmony and Divvy about it. She thinks that they will take her side and try and get me reassigned." Flit said as she looked up at the light at the end of the tunnel that had slowly grown from the size of a marble to the size of a fist whilst they were walking. The Northern tunnels were notorious for being painfully long and straight. Flit was also disposed to thinking of them as being terribly boring.

"Don't worry too much about it." Hawkeye said with a reassuring smile. "It is really unlikely that either Harmony or Divvy will reassign you if you don't want to move. We aren't The Government, we don't force people to do things they don't want to do."

Flit shrugged her shoulders disbelievingly and pulled up her sleeve to look at her watch. Why was this day moving so slowly? Desperate to think about something other than her family's civil war she decided to change the topic.

"Can you see anything yet?" She asked Hawkeye even though she knew the answer. Luckily, he was in a good mood and decided not to call her out for playing dumb.

"Another minute or so and I shouldn't have any problems." He said.

The next minute passed without conversation, only the muffled sound of their footsteps breaking into the humid tunnel air. When Hawkeye stopped walking Flit did also, and she looked at her friend expectantly. He took a deep breath, relaxed his muscled shoulders, and focused his view on a point where the dark tunnel roof met the artificially lit night.

Hawkeye had always explained his power to be like putting up a mirror. He was able to see things from above if he could get a visual angle that would reflect the area he wanted to see. Right now he would be able to see anything that someone sitting at the top of the tunnel entrance would see. And considering that the tunnel entrance was at the top of a hill, that was a hell of a lot. There were other remote viewers that were able to see things not in their line of sight, but Hawkeye was either not able to or not yet experienced enough to do so. Only time would tell which category he fell into.

Normally it was only a matter of minutes before Hawkeye responded with the all-clear. Flit's eyebrows creased as she waited somewhat impatiently for the go-ahead to turn around and continue the rounds. At first she wasn't sure if it was the fact that her day seemed to be going so slowly that made this wait unusually long and boring, but when Hawkeye's face paled slightly and his hands tightened into fists, Flit's heart skipped a beat.

"Hawkeye?" Flit asked softly, unnerved by her close friend's behaviour.

~*~

KC-847 and his team navigated their way through the artificially lit tunnels of the underground sewer system. Most of the upper level service tunnels closer to the entrance had been mapped but he and his team would be heading deeper. The levels below were mostly uncharted and were home to the downtrodden dregs of society, those that The Government deemed unsuitable for surface living were all sent here to die.

KC-847 took again stock of the resources available to him, the team he sent in advanced were lightly equipped and armed, four individuals specially trained in stealth and reconnaissance. The remaining two teams were in full combat fatigues with body armour and heavy weaponry, some might argue that such tools and resources were not required for such a simple retrieval but The Government took no risks when it came to such an important task. Each member wore night vision goggles which became more useful the further they descended. KC-847's own goggles were specially designed, not only were they smaller and more streamlined than his team they also relayed important data in the form of a head up display. Right now he was leading the team using the map in his visor. As for his own equipment KC-847 only wore light armour as not to restrict his movement in combat, he also wore a light side arm strapped to his belt. He rarely used his weapon however as his own abilities far outmatched weapons in almost any circumstance 

Fifteen minutes had passed since the forward team had entered. They were due to report in.

"Alpha team report!" KC-847 keyed in his radio, conveniently attached to his all in one visor. He was greeted with static on the open line.

"Alpha team report! Again he tried to hail them. The ominous sound of static blared into his earpiece. Holding his hand in the air with palm up, he motioned the team with him to halt.

"Alpha team repo...." The sounds of gunfire echoing through the halls interrupted his next transmission. He gave Alpha team strict instructions not to engage the unregistered Derivate, perhaps they were caught by surprise.

"Bravo team, with me, double time, Charlie Team secure this position." Without waiting for a response he dashed forward toward the gunfire, his team hot on his heels. There was the possibility that more than one unregistered Derivate was down here, though The Government denied its existence, an organisation named The Underground was known to protect and house many unscrupulous characters illegally, their base of operations was rumoured to be within the underground network of the sewer systems.

As KC-847 and his team drew closer to the barrage of gunfire it's frequency slowed until it finally stopped and the only sounds he could hear were rushed footfalls of he and his team racing forward. He halted his team, listening out. Silence again. He focused his psychic senses outward to try and locate any Derivates in the area. All Derivates had the ability to detect one another, though they could not detect the abilities of each other, they could ascertain a location. He could not sense anything.

They proceeded further, and more cautiously. It was the smell that hit them first, the rot of dead corpses. The sight that beheld them was even more grotesque. Piles and piles of dead humans and creatures were in a small enclosed room, they were shredded beyond all recognition, KC-847 spotted the new additions. Alpha team. They had inadvertently discovered a nest of some sort. The sewers were rumoured to house more than just the bottom of society and The Underground. Early experimentation with genetics started on animals, the results were said to be unpredictable and on occasion resulted in dangerous uncontrolled mutants. The Government had convinced the general populace that unregistered Derivates and Mutants were all purged when they came into power, but he had seen his fair share of both. It was not his place to contradict The Government, only to complete the task assigned to him. However it seemed that this mission had become more challenging.

Neutralising mutants was not the mission tonight so he turned back and motioned his team to do the same. Gunfire echoed again in the tunnels, this time coming from back the way they came.

"Charlie Team Report!" He tried to contact his rear guard.

"Sir! Under Attack! Need Backup....." His radio blared into life as one of the team members responded loud and continuous gunfire could be heard through the radio. His remaining team looked back at him for orders, they knew that what ever was down here could dispatch of a fully trained team within seconds. There was only one option.

"Alright team, let move, swift and smart, we don't know what were up against tonight." They responded immediately as trained soldiers do moving as a unit, weapons at the ready. This time they arrived in time but whether that was a positive was yet to be seen. Charlie team had taken cover behind some nearby rubble, already one member was on the ground, blood pouring out, body mangled. Another member appeared to be injured and was barely holding onto their weapon. A swarm of giant mutated rats half the height of a person swarmed toward them relentlessly. Bullets sung through the air some hitting but doing very little damage. From the speed and strength of the creatures KC-847 could easily see how they were able to do so much damage.

The situation was quickly becoming ominous. KC-847 and Bravo team rushed into action assisting with cover fire, KC-847 gestured toward the swarm knocking back several of the rats at a time. It was enough to get their attention and they changed tactics rushing toward the new comers. Without cover they were quickly overwhelmed. The first three members were jumped by at least a dozen rats, and were ripped apart within seconds. The forth member was left to bat them off in melee as they nipped and ripped at his legs, slowly he was overwhelmed, his screams barely drowning out the rat's screeching. KC-847 barely held them back, using his abilities to hold the creatures back before they got too close. In the corner of his vision he spied the rest of Charlie team succumb to the sea of death. Now all of the beady red rat eyes were on him and his entire body was starting to weaken from the effort it took to keep the creatures at bay. Death, it seemed, was inevitable.

~*~

"Hawkeye, what is it?" Flit asked again when her original question got no response.

Hawkeye put a hand up to signal for her to be quiet and she bit her lip, eyebrows remaining thoroughly furrowed. She could see the strain of concentration on his normally relaxed features and every moment that passed by felt like an eternity of waiting. Just when all of her nervous energy was about to explode his posture changed and he turned to face her.

"There is a Government hover truck out there. Near the entrance to the Nest..."

"The Nest?" Asked Flit, eyes shooting open. The Nest was where the swarm of Mutant rats lived. Everybody from the Underground knew to avoid that place unless they wanted to be the creatures' next meal. "Surely they'd know better than to go there-"

Flit's statement of utter disbelief was interrupted by the loud echoes of a barrage of gunfire. Both she and Hawkeye looked at each other at the same time. The Government's Officers had penetrated the Underground sewers a number of times. However, they had never gotten close enough to the Residence or any of the Warren tunnels well below the surface of The Hub before, and had therefore never really presented much of a threat. However, the fact that a group of Agents had chosen to enter using the tunnels nearest The Nest was insane. Flit had been to The Nest a number of times and had seen how many of the Mutants rats' meals had been Government personnel. Didn't those idiots ever learn?

"We should go check it out!" Flit said, adrenaline coursing through her veins and setting her senses on edge as the loud gunfire continued to echo through the sparsely lit tunnels. 

"Are you serious? I'm not going to The Nest alone!" Hawkeye said incredulously, Flit rolled her hazel eyes impatiently. "Plus the protocol is that we return to the Warren and get back-up before taking them on."

"You won't be alone, you'll be with me! Besides, by the time we get to the Warren and back they might be gone! Or dead! They're no use to us dead!" Flit argued. Hawkeye gave her a look with his emerald green eyes that told her just how ludicrous he found her idea.

"We're going back to the Warren." He said firmly, Flit scrunched her nose up and crossed her arms over her breasts stubbornly. "The longer this discussion takes the less chance we have of catching them alive." He snapped, turning on his heal and running headlong back down the tunnel they had just walked up. "Come on!" He yelled at her over his shoulder.


The Hub Ch. 01



Flit gritted her teeth and concentrated her energy on a point in the tunnel just in front of Hawkeye. The next instant she had overtaken him and he was running towards her.

"I'll go ahead." She yelled out, teleporting again just within his natural range of vision.

Flit just had time to register the look of relief on Hawkeye's face before she teleported again. This time, however, she teleported back to where she and Hawkeye were before they had heard the gunshots. Flit grinned at her own cleverness, knowing that Hawkeye would now believe that she was heading back to base. Instead, she had other plans. Her next jump took her to the entrance of the tunnel and she stood, balanced precariously on the threshold, looking down onto the ramshackle ruins of Old City below. She squinted in the relatively brighter light of the artificially lit ruins and looked down to where the entrance to the tunnels that led to The Nest. It was the most accessible entrance to the Underground, and she could see why a foolish Government Agent would choose that location to start their trip.

Flit took a deep breath. It was a long jump for her to make and it was going to take a lot out of her. However, it was the quickest way to get to The Nest and there was no way she was going to waste any more time. With a sense of reckless abandonment she closed her eyes and hoped for the best.

As soon as her feet touched solid ground Flit opened her eyes. Pleased to see that she was alone at the end of the ruined street, she turned to see the tunnel grate had been carelessly pushed aside so that the Officers could gain entrance. She heard the faint hum of the Hover Truck and, for a moment, was tempted to go inside to see if she could commandeer it for her people. However, the sound of gunfire rattled through her brain so loudly that she knew she was close and she decided to stick to her original purpose. The Nest. With a triumphant look over her shoulder at the now tiny looking tunnel entrance that she had ported from she grinned, her abilities seemed to be improving all the time.

Two jumps later Flit was starting to feel the strain. However, it was much to her satisfaction that she now stood at the end of the dank and dripping tunnel that led to the Nest proper. She could hear the unearthly screeching of a swarm of the Mutant rats and her stomach began to churn with nervous energy, but the sound of gunfire spurred her on. Her hands flew to her utility belt and were comforted by the feeling of half a dozen small round metal balls on either hip. That should be more than enough to get her through the fight. One last deep breath and Flit teleported to a point just at the entrance to the cavernous like nest.

Flit was prepared for the horror that met her eyes when she materialised. She had seen The Nest before and the mountains of dead and rotting corpses were not new to her. What were new, however, were the cries of the dismembered and dying Government Officers as they lay prone at the opposite side of the nest. A single agent remained standing in a tunnel behind them amidst a carpet of living, breathing death. Part of Flit's mind suddenly began to tingle as she sensed the presence of a new Derivate.

The sole remaining Agent was the Derivate. He was holding the creatures back using his power of telekinesis. Flit could see, however, that his strength was rapidly fading. The circle of rats were slowly closing in on him as his body began to tremble and shake with the strain of keeping the creatures abreast. A sense of overwhelming anger at The Government and their use of Derivates to hunt down their own kind made her skin crawl. The whole situation in the outside world was so damn wrong. Derivates were living breathing beings as well, and just because they were different to Citizens they were made to suffer. No living creature deserved to be treated as heinously as Derivates were. 

With a sudden and painful pang of pity for the Derivate forced to go on what could only be called a reckless suicide mission, Flit's right hand flew to her belt. She snatched one of the little metal balls from her right side and squeezed it tightly in her fist. When she heard a long, low, beep she took a deep breath and lobbed the ball towards the surge of Rats. 

The next instant there was a loud explosion and the cavernous sewer junction was filled with a bright light. The Mutant rats' screeches were ear-piercing as dozens of the creatures caught fire. Without so much as a second thought Flit lobbed another three bombs into the swarm. More explosions and screeching ensued, but with the detonation of the fifth fire bomb the creatures turned and begun to flee down one of the tunnels on the opposite side of the room. The only sounds now were of the crack and hiss of the flames as they hungrily devoured the last of the screeching rodents. Warily, Flit ran over towards where the Registered Derivate was standing, hoping that she wasn't too late.

~*~

Just when he thought it was all over a brilliant flash of light followed by a deafening explosion erupted in front of him, the searing light and heat blinded and disoriented him. Before he could recover several more explosions interrupted him, the screech of rats filled his ears and when his vision return the sight that befell him was not expected. Fire had filled the small chamber and a multitude of dead and burnt rats lay before him the remainder were scurrying away in retreat in fear. 

When the smoke cleared KC-847 was shocked to find standing in front of him a young woman. She was short in satire but her frame was nicely proportionate, her dark hair was a welcome contrast to her hazel eyes and olive skin. Her look of concern as she studied him broke him from his daze. When he managed to gain composure and refocus his thoughts he detected her true nature. She was a derivate, most likely the one he was looking for. He straightened up in preparation for the capture.

"By order of the government under the derivate ACT, section 43, you are under arrest, you are to come with me now willingly, should you choose to resist I am authorized to use whatever force necessary to detain you. You are only a TK3 and I am a TK5 it is I'll advised that you attempt to flee." he cited regulation in his trained official tone.

~*~

Flit had to restrain her mirth as the Registered rattled of a long string of verbal rubbish. Arrest her? She had rescued the ungrateful sod from certain death! While he spoke she took in his dark brown hair and unnerving crimson eyes. Another thing about him that she found unnerving was that he was at least a good twenty centimetres taller than her. As he spoke the words seemed to act as a balm and he became more focused.

"You want to arrest me?" Flit asked, eyeing the equipment attached to his combat armour and not seeing anything particularly threatening. As she spoke she remembered him talking about her being only a TK3. A TK3? Flit thought with a grin. She was a Teleporter not a Telekinetic. And if he believed that she was a Telekenitic Rank 3 then their encounter would be fun. Very fun indeed.

"I suppose you're right." Flit said quietly, looking down at her feet. "I'm a TK3. If you really are a TK5 then I have no hope of escaping you." She looked up at him through her eyelashes and offered him her wrists hesitantly. "I will come without a fight." She said meekly.

Although her voice was soft and subdued her adrenaline from encountering the rats was still buzzing through her veins. The promise of a little more fun before the others arrived made her a very happy little Derivate.

~*~

The unregistered's response to his law citation was completely unexpected, although he had only received three months of field training, never once had a mark ever given in so easily. Perhaps word was getting around down here that DRO's were not to be trifled with.

KC-847 unclipped the cuffs from his belt and began to brace them around her slender wrists. Once they were secure he proceeded to place the neural inhibitor on her head, the device closely resembled a silver metal crown, its purpose was to inhibit psychic abilities. Even though his were all dead at least he could salvage the mission by completing the objective

~*~

Flit watched as the Registered's face quickly changed from baffled to smug. He pulled a set of cuffs off his belt and fastened them around her wrists. He then reached for a silver circlet that Flit knew was a neural inhibitor. The cuffs themselves did not pose a threat to her, but as soon as he put that on her she would stand no chance against him. The neural inhibitor would prevent her from tapping into her abilities and she would have no way to defend herself or even escape.

Just as The Government's agent held the inhibitor above her head she looked up at him with her most roguish smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What I meant to say," She said to him in a conspiratorial whisper "was that I will go with you.... if you can catch me!" 

Not bothering to wait to see the expression on the Registered's face, Flit concentrated on a spot several metres behind him and the next instant she heard a loud metallic clang as the handcuffs fell to the floor. The joy of her ability was that she was able to teleport and leave certain object behind. When she was younger she had to concentrate very hard to ensure she arrived at her destination clothed. Now, however, she had enough focus to keep or drop items along the way. This came in hand for situations like these- it required next to no effort to teleport out of those handcuffs.

"Over here big boy!" Flit called out, unable to restrain the laughter in her voice.

Flit laughed out loud as she watched the Registered try to find her. He turned to face her and stretched his arm out towards her and she felt the pressure of his abilities grasping at her body. She took a second to push against his presence, to resist the pressure of his powers before she laughed again and concentrated on the spot behind.

With the blink of an eye Flit was standing behind the officer and laughing even harder.

"Is that what they teach you in your training?" She scoffed. "I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that!" 

Before he could turn around again Flit teleported to his far right to stand amongst the pile of still-smoking rat corpses.

~*~

His attempt at grappling her had failed, she had to be at least a level four teleporter to be able to resist his abilities. What bothered him more than her power level was her complete lack of respect and the carelessness at which she teleported around the small enclosed space.

He knew he couldn't hold her with sheer force but if he could perhaps use the environment. The next jump put her to his right, in the corner of his vision he spied a small broken pipe, he turned with a hand gesture and directed the pipe in her direction; aiming at her legs, his intention was to disable her long enough to get close and place the inhibitor on her head.

~*~

Flit's body filled with adrenalin as a small piece of broken pipe came flying at her legs. Without the need to resist his grapple she was able to teleport away just in time to avoid serious damage. However, as she re-materialized directly behind the Registered she let out a loud whistle of appreciation- a sharp piece of the pipe had managed to cut into her leg with enough force to tear her thick leather pants.

"You're a quick learner!" Flit hissed in his ear before she teleported away again, reappearing so that she was next to some of his fallen comrades.

~*~

She was fast, very fast. He was surprised how an unregistered was able to combat him so easily without formal training. He decided that the conflict with the rats had drained his energy to a point where he could not perform to his maximum potential. He needed a new strategy.

From his study of other Derivate abilities he knew that teleporter's required line of sight to their intended destination. The lighting was dim, the enhanced vision provided from his goggles allowed him to see better than he normally would.

He used his peripheral vision to locate the lights in the tunnel. He would need to be quick and take them out all at the same time. Once he was satisfied with all their locations he enacted his plan, with a more subtle gesture he destroyed the lighting system.

~*~

Flit heard a strange buzz and watched as the Registered's hands moved. She had no idea what he was about to do, but judging by his cleverness so far she had to stop messing around.

Somewhere in the millisecond between disappearing from her spot and reappearing right behind the unregistered all of the light went out, filling the tunnels with absolute blackness. Hoping that she had positioned herself correctly she threw caution to the wind and jumped up, her arms and legs contorting in mid air. She was flooded with relief when her body slammed against the Officers, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as her arms snaked around his neck into a strangle hold.

"You obviously know that I need to see where I'm going if I have to jump." She panted into his ear. "So if you dare make a single move I will jump to whichever black point I find the most appealing... and I will take you with me."

Just as Flit finished speaking she hear several shouts and a rain of footsteps. Off in the distance a few circles of light appeared and grew steadily.

"FLIT!" She heard her name echo down the corridor and she could easily say that she had never before been so pleased to hear Hawkeye's voice.

"Over here! I have one of them!" She cried out. As the lights continued to grow and her comrades came closer she marvelled at the timing. She had no intention of porting in darkness, and was pleased that she didn't have to discover whether or not the officer would call her bluff.

A few seconds later she was surrounded by several of her team mates and, thankfully, the light coming from their torches. Flit had a torch on her belt, but without the beam of several others there would not be enough light to see by.

The team leader, Post-hoc glared at her before he turned his steely grey eyes to the tall man she was wrapped around.

"What's your name, Officer?" Post-hoc barked authoritatively, his bushy eyebrows knitting together.

~*~

When he blew the lights, it took at least a second before his goggles adjusted to the new lighting conditions. Where he expected to see a surprised teleporter was instead empty space. Had she truly jumped at the exact same time? Before he could locate her new whereabouts visually he sensed her behind, it was too late. He could not react in time and was slammed forward onto the ground and locked in place by surprisingly strong arms and legs.

As KC-847 listened to her threat her lack of caution shocked him. Was she truly so reckless that she would attempt such a dangerous task? Although he knew he could try to use his own inner psychic strength to resist the teleport the risk was not worth it, besides her ability to resist him had already been demonstrated, his chances were slim.

"FLIT!" A voice called further down the tunnel. 

"Over here! I have one of them!" She cried out.

KC-847 spotted the light sources coming from further down the tunnel, her friends had arrived to assist her. There was no chance for escape now. For a registered Derivate capture was not an option, he would enact order 527 and commit suicide.

"What's your name, Officer?" one of the newcomers barked authoritatively, his bushy eyebrows knitting together.

He didn't respond, looking around for a tool he could use.

~*~

Flit watched as the Registered looked around mutely. It seemed to Flit as though he didn't even hear Post-hoc's question. Flit frowned and wondered what on Earth he was up to.

"I believe you were asked a question." Said another of her team mates, Cogs. As soon as the middle-aged woman stepped forward Flit knew how this was going to go.

"If you won't come with us willingly we will take you by force." Flit hissed into his ear. Cogs leant forward and placed her hand on the back of the Registered's head.

Cogs was a microkinetic like Flit's mother. A split second after Cogs's hand would touch the Officer's head she would use her power to enter his brain and stimulate a number of neurons that would knock him out instantaneously.

~*~

He ignored the group and concentrated on his task, the nearby broken pipe from before lay nearby, the young woman demanded his attention but he still ignored her.

He focused on the pipe and calculated the angle and speed required, before he could initiate the action however an older woman approached him from behind and touched the back of his head, at first he thought it to be a gesture of kindness but when he felt the psychic energy pour out of her he tried to resist. Everything leading up to this point had drained him, so his mind slipped easily from consciousness and the world turned black.



The Hub Ch. 02



KC-847's mind returned to consciousness after an indeterminate amount of time. Despite a slight feeling of grogginess he actually felt quite well. Surveying his surroundings he noticed his captors had relocated him to a place that was most likely in their lair. It closely resembled a hospital wing on the surface and included many of the instruments that one might find in such a place. He also discovered they had restrained him to a chair. KC-846 tried to summon his psychic abilities to break free but realized they had placed a neural inhibitor on his head.

Across from him sat an older woman who, upon seeing himcon wake, placed a hand on his forehead. She wasn't the one who knocked him but, judging by the way that she concentrated when she touched him, she was a microkinetic.

~*~

To say that Flit got into trouble for her escapade was an understatement. After getting a complete and utter revving from Post-hoc, she had been assailed by Hawkeye who had given her a lecture that would rival what she would receive from her parents when they got her alone.

When she had finally managed to escape the verbal assault, Flit made her way straight to the Residence. She didn't relish having to tell her mother what had happened that day, because she knew that her bravery (or recklessness, really) was one of the reasons that her mother wanted her to take a more supportive role and pull back from the front line. As it was, Post-hoc had told her that another stunt like that would earn her a lengthy suspension from active duty. How would you like to be counting stock with your father? He had asked. Not. At. All....

Flit replayed the entire encounter in her mind several times as she walked through the maze-like halls of the Residence. The only pause in her internal replay was to use the Residence computer to determine the location of the Officer. When she finally stopped in front of the medi-bay door behind which her quarry was located, there was a small but annoying part of her mind that told her that everyone else was right. The stupid Officer had been smart, a split second longer and he might've had her.

When Flit pushed the door open, her Mother turned, surprised by the interruption, and then fixed her with a hard stare.

"Yes, Flit?" Her Mother asked impatiently, trying to keep the strain from her tone.

"I just wanted to come in to see how he was doing." Flit pointed to the Agent and couldn't stop the corner of her lips from turning up in a smug grin. He wasn't so clever now- strapped to the chair and with a neural inhibitor. 

"KC-847 is doing well. He was quite drained, much longer and his chip might've deactivated him..." Her mother said, her face crinkled with concern.

"KC-847?" Flit asked, her nose scrunching in distaste.

"That's his designation." Her mother provided, turning and placing her palm on his head again, undoubtedly running some more checks.

"And what's his name?" Flit asked, looking now between her mother's brown eyes and the agents unnerving crimson ones. Her mother gave her the same look that she used to when she forgot to say please or thank you

~*~

The woman inspecting his condition said very little to him, she did however check the chip inserted into the back of his head. 

"KC-847" she muttered under her breath. He tried to understand his current predicament, the underground rebels could have dispatched of him very easily, the network of sewer passageways and tunnels was mostly uncharted due to the length of time that had passed since they were officially used. The Government only kept them around because they would always know where to find less desirable characters should the need arise. Yet here he was, a prisoner to the very underground organisation he was trained to eliminate.

The young woman he duelled entered the room and was greeted by the older woman. Her name was Flit, an interesting name indeed, it was not like any name from the surface. KC-847 decided that the culture down here must be quite different.

They conversed between each other for a time and his designation was revealed, it didn't seem entirely friendly. It gave him the opportunity to assess the quarry whom almost defeated him in better light. Again he admired her well built frame despite her height, her athleticism made much more sense now. Her mischievous smile which she sported during the entirety of their encounter was still present, her eyes calculatingly locking onto his as if she were anticipating his next move despite his hopeless position.

He almost missed her question but decided not to talk. Something in him felt as if he needed to answer her rude tone with an equally callous response.

"I am authorised to only give you my designation which you already know to be KC-847, I am also authorised to inform you that you and your colleagues are all in violation of the Derivate ACT section Seven which details the treatment of Government property." He didn't know what sort of response he had expected, but a rude snort of laugher certainly wasn't on the list.

"Section Seven, treatment of Government property?" Flit asked him, her eyebrows raised questioningly. "Please, enlighten us..." She looked at him expectantly.

"Section Seven states that any persons responsible for damage or thief of government property will be liable legally and will face court action. Depending on the seriousness of the case the penalty can be up to twenty years in prison. In your case, since you are guilty of both and of being an unregistered Derivate I don't believe the odds are in your favour."

He was of course stalling for time, he knew that empty threats such as this would be completely ignored. Perhaps they would let their guard down at some point and give him the opportunity to execute order 527. He didn't need his abilities to complete it.

~*~

Flit's jaw dropped open at the Officer's matter-of-fact speech. She wondered for a moment whether he had been genetically engineered without the gene responsible for natural life-preservation. Threatening to put a group of fellow Derivates in jail for twenty years whilst strapped in a chair wearing a neural inhibitor? Maybe he wasn't as clever as she had first thought.

"Tell me something, KC-847" She added a particular hint of venom to her tone when she said his name "If you had gotten lucky and managed to capture me in The Nest, what would you have done with me?" 

Flit looked at him scathingly for a minute before speaking, not bothering to give him a chance to respond.

"My guess is that you would have dragged me to your leaders, had me slapped with a neural inhibitor and had one of those vile control chips places in my brain. After that I would have been tested, experimented on, and beaten into shape before they forced me into slave labour. That is, of course, if I was a decent rank. If I wasn't they wouldn't have bothered moving past the experiment phase, would they?"

Flit heard her mother gasp in horror as she sneered at the Officer. She shot her mother an angry glare, she knew just as well, if not better, what happened to Unregistered Derivates that were caught.

"Well?' Flit asked "Is that what would have happened?"

~*~

"The Government recognises the potential danger of unregistered Derivates, as such, certain processes have been put in place to deal with the problem. The Government is a very powerful and resourceful organisation. By resisting you are only delaying the inevitable, your best course of action is to turn yourselves in." He relayed his response as officially as he'd been taught

He knew that his speech would anger her even if it wasn't entirely true, The Government was most certainly powerful and resourceful but they were in no way close to shutting down The Underground. Despite the fact that regular citizens were told that everything was under control, his team had barely scratched the surface of a complex system of tunnels, passageways, rebellions and subterfuge.

~*~

Flit gritted her teeth as she listened to the Officer speak. The words pierced her ears and slithered through her mind like a snake made of sandpaper. She could only agree with him about one thing- that The Government were powerful and resourceful. It maddened her anew that this is what the bastards used their power and resources for; brainwashing Derivates and Citizens alike.

"Listen carefully, KC-847." Flit said, taking a step closer to him and jabbing her finger into his rock hard chest. Her mother put an arm between them but Flit gave her a scathing look.

"Flit..."

"There are three things that you are going to have to learn, like it or not." Flit said, ignoring her mother. "Number one; you are not a possession. You are not property of The Government. You are an individual being with thoughts, feelings, and rights just like everyone else. You have been taught to suppress and ignore your individuality. You have been changed from a being into just being. You are more. than. that." The last three words were punctuated by three more hard pokes.

"Flit!"

"Number Two; we are not like your damned Government. Where you would have taken me back to be used and tortured by your superiors, you have been brought back here by my equals to be liberated and given what you deserve for the first time in your life."

"FLIT!"

"And last but certainly not least; don't you dare threaten my friends and comrades. I don't know how you do it above the surface, but down here, in the Underground, we are a tight knit group. If, and I mean if, you are able to overcome your ill-placed loyalty to The Government, you will gain the trust and assistance of people who will want to be with you for who you are- not what you are!"

Flit jabbed him in the chest one last time for good measure and turned on her heel, breathing hard. She strode over to the door and placed her door on the handle, then looked over her shoulder at her mother and the Officer.

~*~

Never once in his life had he ever been spoken to with such fervour. This woman was truly passionate. Did she honestly believe that their kind would ever treated as anything other than products of science? Perhaps down here they treated each other as equals but on the surface it was an entirely different story.

He sat dumbfounded as she lectured him, there wasn't any logical response. What worried him more than being their captive was their willingness to accept him into their collective. Could they truly be offering something that The Government so openly denied him? Would it be that easy? He needed time to think on her statement. He could do no more than avert his eyes from her accusatory gaze, at this exact moment in time staring at the ground was far more comforting.

~*~

Flit smiled with a grim sense of satisfaction when the red-eyed Officer looked down at the ground. The look her mother was giving her was one of warning, one that told her that all hell would break loose when they got home that night.

"After you've had some time to think about what I've said, and if you decide you want to know more, come and find me. I'll teach you the ropes." Flit offered, softening her tone slightly, before opening the door and walking out of the room.

When Flit reached the passages outside the Residence she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and fell back against the wall. That was one hell of an evening.

~*~

The older woman shook her head and stared, dumbstruck, as Flit fled from the room. 

"You'll have to excuse Flit, KC-847." She said in a calming tone, "She can be quite passionate at times... She really does only want the best for people though." She looked at him in a soothing manner.

KC-847 could only nod in response he was mentally exhausted, the recent turn of events were a shock to his system. The older woman sighed and stood up slowly after patting him on the shoulder. She didn't use her ability, it was a gesture of comfort. Something he found entirely foreign.

"If you need anything Acumen is just outside here, he will be your escort." With that she left the room. A well built, tall male Derivate walked in as she left. He gave him a confident grin, his eyes assessed KC-847 as if he were a small animal that needed to be put down.

"Well looks like I'm your babysitter, Officer." Acumen stated, the way he said officer sounded more like an insult than a mark of respect.

"Lucky me." KC-847 responded with sarcastic enthusiasm. Even with his abilities this Derivate would take more than a simple push to knock down.

"Oh and don't get any funny idea's, if you know what I mean!" Acumem tapped his forehead then pointed to KC-847's head. So he was a mind-reader. With the neural inhibitor it blocked even his abilties to resist another Derviate and him being at such close proximity it would be difficult to formulate any plans of suicide. It seemed that KC-847 had very little choice but to cooperate.

"I'm feeling hungry, I assume you people feed your prisoners... or do I need to hunt the vermin to get a meal?" He asked.

"Haha! I like you, you got balls. You'll fit in here better than you think." He laughed deepl, his amusement only increased KC-847's discomfort. With an open hand gesture Acumen motioned to the open door. KC-847 eased of the medical bed feeling the dull ache of bruises from his previous engagement. He walked out the door with Acumem in tow. It was time to see how the other side lived.

~*~

After her visit to the Officer in the Residence Flit decided that what she needed was a nice hot shower. It had taken her a while to peel her clothes of her aching body. Their little spar had taken a fair bit out of her- though she was pleased when she looked back at what she had achieved. What she wasn't pleased about was the deep gash on her thigh, and the tear in her leather pants that matched it. 

The hot shower worked wonders on her sore muscles. After thoroughly drowning her body in the soothing stream she finally hopped out of the water and got dressed into the street clothes that she wore when she was up in the world above.

Coming down to the Underground was a near-daily occurrence for Flit and her parents. For the better part of the daylight hours they would work in their various positions in Citizen society. After returning home from work they would head through a series of hidden vents and tunnels in their apartment building and journey to the Underground. In the afternoons, evenings, and on their days off they would often spend a fair amount of time in the darkness of the tunnels. The Underground couldn't rely on the skeleton staff that were able to remain in the tunnels, instead the bulk of their workforce and intelligence was thanks to those who lived above (both Citizens and Derivates) that risked themselves for their cause, coming down to help out however and whenever they could.

Today had been Flit's day off from her day job. Before descending she had the pleasure of getting into a massive argument with her parents over her role in the Underground. After a very long discussion they had come down and spent the day working for their preferred organisation. So for Flit, it had been a very long day.

As Flit pulled on the deep green sun-dress and black tie up sandals she let out a loud sigh of exasperation. If it were up to her she would never go back above. She didn't like being part of that society. She hated having to hide who she was and what she could do. She hated the flippant comments that her work-mates made about Derivates. Every time someone said something it was becoming harder and harder to resist punching them in the face. At least down here she could be herself, Flit, not Leah Cross the Systems Analyst from Administration. 

After her shower Flit went along with her nightly ritual of going to the Mess Hall in the Residence for a late-night dinner. As she walked the familiar tunnels and drew closer and closer to the Mess she could hear the constant buzz of chatter that was typical background noise of that area. It was a place where people from every team would come and unwind from a shift before heading back up or back to their rooms. She pushed the large double doors out open and took stock of the people in the room.

Shit. He was there. Seated at a table with Acumen and some of the others from various teams. When the doors opened everyone looked up to see who the newcomer was. Some of them gave her a faint smile before turning back to their food, others called out her name in greeting, but Hawkeye got to his feet and motioned for her to come over and sit beside him. At the same table as the Officer.

Flit thought about turning around and leaving. She wasn't so hungry after all. She really had no desire to talk to the Officer after the day they had. However, if she ignored Hawkeye's eager invitation she knew that he would call her out on it- and he would be likely to put it down to the fact that she didn't want to sit with the Officer. Perhaps he would laugh and say she was intimidated by him... It just wouldn't do.

Flit crossed the room, weaving between the tables and the long bench seats that her comrades were on. As she approached the table where both Hawkeye and KC-847 were, she tugged on the skirt of her dress, and wished that she had brought something a little less... casual, to change in to. When she sat down on the empty seat beside Hawkeye, he looked at her with an appraising smile.

"You're looking particularly lovely tonight." He said, with a slight nod towards her nearly-bare shoulders and well-rounded breasts.

"Shut it Birdy-boy." She hissed out of the corner of her mouth, reaching out and piling some food onto the plate in front of her.

~*~

Acumen guided them through the underground headquarters explaining and pointing out various locations, being a mind-reader, he was answering KC-847's questions before he even asked them. It was becoming very frustrating, Registered readers were not authorised to use their ability unless called upon, but down here they had no such restrictions. Acumen even had several one sided conversations with the others that they passed on their tour, they conversed as if it were completely normal.

Their headquarters were unlike anything he expected, being underground near the sewers he assumed that they were all living in makeshift hideouts sleeping in their own filth. It was nothing like that. The facility was almost as well equipped as his own headquarters on the surface; state of the art ventilation and environmental controls, modern medical equipment, fully stocked armory. What surprised him further however were the social areas, large dedicated zones had been allocated for what appeared to be families living there. Parents and their children played in an artificially created park as if there were no threat at all.

"Pretty impressive isn't it officer? You're surprised that a bunch of unregistered gutter trash has these kind of resources. Ya know your so called owners don't give you the whole picture, not all Derivates are out of control loons set on destroying the world. I mean I know there have been some incidents, and some slip ups, but on a whole we aren't that different from the citizens you so blindly protect." Acumen used finger quotes when spoke the word protect, he was mocking KC-847's whole existence. Before he could respond Acumen had already read his mind.

"Look I know they train you and beat you into submission. You don't even think you're human. We understand that, that's why we like to show all of our guests the facility. Just do me a favour okay? Keep an open mind." KC-847 stilled his mind, it was a challenge not to think anything but he tried. Acumen noticed and merely nodded. They walked further on and Acumen explained more about the facility, they steered clear of some areas which KC-847 assumed to be off-limits. A thought rushed into his mind before he could hold it back.




The Hub Ch. 02



"So you're wondering if there are other converted officers down here? You're wondering if I'm gonna introduce you to some of your former brothers and sisters? Let's just say time will tell. Don't expect them to rush at you all at once, remember some memories are just too painful to revisit. You, my friend, are a reminder of a past long forgotten. Come on were almost at the mess hall, we don't serve that reconstituted over-processed crap they give you up there." Acumen led them to large room with many tables and chairs, many were taken but Acumen found them a spot next to a green-eyed male, KC-847 recognised him as one of the group that captured him.

"So you won the bet, ah?" Acumen started the conversation before the male even spoke.

"That good hey?" Acumen responded again through silent communication. They shared a laugh. The green eyed male looked up at KC-847.

"The names Hawkeye, remote viewer. So how do you like the Residence so far" The green-eyed male asked him.

"It's not what I expected." KC-847 responded evenly.

"You surface types always say that. We may be rough around the edges but we are still people! But hey, I'm not here to convince you. The surroundings speak for themselves." Hawkeye explained happily. Acumen spoke before KC-847 thought not to respond to Hawkeyes assumptions surfaced.

"Let's get some food into you, you look like my cousin Rake. Let's just say he didn't get his name for his abilities." With that Acumen directed his attention to the food on the table. The selection of food was unlike anything KC-847 had ever seen in the Food Hall on the surface. Unlike the condensed nutritional gel packs he was usually given, this food was solid, cooked and- he hated to admit, smelt very appetising.

"Here these are my favourites, oh and these, you're gonna love this stuff." Acumen proceeded to fill a plate for KC-847, when he was done KC-847 looked down upon the odd shapes, textures and sizes of food on his plate. He frowned, unsure what to make of it.

"Hey don't worry you can trust me on this buddy, it's all good. Well unless you don't like your food to have a bit of a kick." Acumen winked after he spoke. KC-847 cautiously began consuming the food

KC-847 was shocked, the food was surprisingly good, well most of it. The small finger food had that Acumen had previously described as a kick most had more of a punch to the face. Both Hawkeye and Acumen laughed loudly as KC-847 tried in vain to extinguish the invisible fire that charred his tongue, Hawkeye offered him a drink of water to wash it down.

"Ah Acumen, you are such a mean bastard sometimes! Damn, you always know how to bring out the laughs." Hawkeye joked. 

KC-847 did not see the humour. They had purposely allowed him to consume food they knew he would have very little tolerance for. Even though it angered him, the way they laughed seemed to lighten his mood slightly. They conversed for a few minutes more, talking about all manner of unrelated topics, no sensitive information of course. They even tried to include KC-847 in the conversation asking him odd questions to which every response was greeted with more laughter. Even though it frustrated him to no end, he didn't at all feel like a prisoner. They spoke to him like an equal, as if they weren't all Derivates in a secret underground facility hiding from The Government and just friends who met for lunch. A part of him felt very uncomfortable with the situation, did they really believe he could be assimilated into their culture so easily? He wasn't used to such friendly banter, he was far more accustom to being given orders and insulted on a daily basis. Strange as it seemed he felt more comfortable arguing with the young woman he'd first encountered. The way she so passionately scalded him seemed more at home. Just as that thought surfaced Acumen spoke up.

"Speak of the little devil." He motioned his head toward the entrance. KC-847's mind was being read again. At the door of the mess hall stood the woman from before, but her transformation shocked him to the core. She was wearing a green dress that complemented her eyes perfectly and unlike her previous all purpose leather outfit this attire left little to the imagination. The Government put little effort into the sexual education of Registered Derivates so his knowledge was limited, seeing her there stirred unfamiliar feelings from within his gut. Hawkeye stood up and motioned her to join them. Acumen winked at KC-847 because yet again he had been reading his thoughts. She approached them (but not before readjusting her clothing).

"You're looking particularly lovely tonight." Hawkeye said, with a slight nod. 

"Shut it Birdy-boy." She hissed out of the corner of her mouth, reaching out and piling some food onto the plate in front of her.

KC-847 stared at his food, strangely he found it difficult to maintain eye contact with the young woman in her new outfit. Even the food he had previously rejected seemed easier to stare at.

~*~

"Oh Flit, why so nasty?" Acumen tutted upon hearing her shoot Hawkeye down. Flit looked up at him and couldn't help but let her eyes brush over KC-847. 

"You got stuck on baby-sitting duties, eh?" Flit asked Acumen, ignoring his question. Acumen grinned and nodded his head towards the crimson-eyed Officer who seemed more than happy to stare at his half-empty plate.

"Hey Flit, KC-847 scrubbed up alright after giving you a beating. How'd you fare?" Asked Stealth, the security team's top telecoercionist. Flit glared at him.

"Fine actually." Flit lied, trying to ignore the way that the gash in her leg was stinging.

"How about your leg?" Acumen asked "I saw you limping as you walked in. That gash must be hurting like a bitch. Why don't you go and see Tinker about it?"

"Hey Acumen." Flit said with a sweet smile "Fuck off." Everyone at the table started laughing. Acumen often used his abilities to make people the butt of his jokes. Flit was used to it though.

"Awww, Flit m'girl! What's wrong? Normally you're such a sweetheart!" Acumen said. "If I weren't mistaken I might actually think that something in the room has made you uncomfortable. It took you a while to decide to sit with us. Anything you want to share?" Acumen asked, the others looked at him eagerly, hoping that he would reveal her secret.

Flit could feel Acumen's energy pushing at the edges of her mind. She smiled wickedly and then begun to recall every detail about the birds she had seen. The deep black ravens with their glossy feathers and sharp beaks, a beautiful brown hawk she had seen on a school excursion when she was young. She recalled how the bird swooped down and snatched a mouse up with no effort, then imagined how it would look when it used its sharp beak to-

"Alright!" Acumen half-yelled. Everyone at the table let out a groan, knowing by Acumen's response that the game was up.

"Hey, you." Flit said, nodding at KC-847 and pointing her chicken laden fork at him. He looked up at her slowly, tentatively, and she gave him a serious look. "If this arsehole gets too invasive, or if he feeds you the deviled chicken tenders again, just think of birds. Acumen is shit scared of birds."

"FLIT!" Hawkeye hissed, elbowing her in the ribs, she ignored him. If Acumen could dish it out then he could also take it. Plus, if the Officer was there to stay then he would need a way to keep at least some of his thoughts private.

"It won't stop him if he is really serious, but it will make him think twice about using his abilities to be a prick." Flit winked at the Registered and then took a spoonful of food.

"He has a name, you know." Snapped Swipe. Flit looked at the woman dubiously. The younger woman glared at her with sharp blue eyes, her blonde hair tied back into a high ponytail.

"What, KC-847?" Flit snorted. "That isn't a name, it's a bloody designation." 

"Who are you to determine what is fit to be a name and what isn't?" Swipe asked, Flit rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the swell of dislike for this macrokinetic.

"Fine." Flit said with a shrug. "Everybody else has two names. Why don't we give him one? Just for use while he is with us...." She looked at the others, "You know, to protect his identity and shit." Flit said. "I think Scraps is a fitting name for him. What do you think, Scraps?" She asked, looking pointedly into those unnerving red eyes.

~*~

KC-847 concentrated on the remaining food while the others talked, two others further down the table joined their conversation. He ignored most of the chatter preferring to keep to himself but Flit garnered his attention with advice about avoiding mind reads and a possible name change. It would be much easier without the inhibitor but it was good to know there was an alternative. As she spoke he maintained focus with her eyes, they were full of determination and confidence, perhaps too much confidence. She assumed it was acceptable to rename him, his designation wasn't just a name, it was his identity. It was everything he knew was recorded in a file on The Governent's database with the name KC-847. To change his name was like being erased from existence.

With the new turn of events however he began to question his existence. He envisioned that when the COT finally discovered their underground lair they would force they way in and find a few frightened Derivates, starving, dirty and helpless. Some might fight but would be neutralised with ease, it would be an end to a disease that had plagued society for years. The truth was far from it.

They were trained and equipped, not by Government standards but that made them all the more dangerous; there was no limit to what they were capable of. The control chip inserted in the back of his head was not only an identification device like any ordinary Citizen's, it had a built in satellite locator, which did not function underground and psionic energy focus technology. In short it was designed to aid the Derivate in focusing their abilities to use them effectively, any young or inexperienced Derivate had a strong likelihood of over exhausting their abilities and thus either killing themselves or others around them. It was the reason why The Government didn't place a great deal of resources on finding the Unregistereds, they assumed that if any were to survive birth they would simply destroy themselves during the natural development of their powers. The control chip limited a Derivates abilities so that there was no risk of danger to themselves or others. None of the Derivates he had meet so far experienced any difficulties at all with their abilities and without the control chip there was no clear way to determine the limit of their capabilities.

He returned his thoughts back to the table. She stared at him intently waiting for his response. Despite her confidence she seemed to want his approval.

"Why Scraps?" He asked genuinely.

~*~

Flit was taken aback by the Officer's eagerness to hear why she chose that particular name for him. Straight away she began to feel a little bad. She had, as usual, spoken without giving much thought to the repercussions of what she wanted to say. However, as those intense crimson eyes bored into hers as all of her colleagues looked on she had no choice but to answer.

"Well... When we need to access the tunnels around the Nest we always carry a bucket of kitchen left overs with us to distract the mutant rats. We call it the scrap bucket..." The others looked at her, the laughter already lighting up their eyes. "And when I found you, you were facing the same fate as the scraps."

The whole table laughed uproariously at her insinuation, including snotty-faced, super serious Swipe (even though she tried to hide it). It took less than a second for Flit to feel awful for being so nasty and inconsiderate.

"No, no, no..." She said, motioning for quiet. When the laughter finally subsided she gave KC-847 an apologetic smile. "In all honesty it is because scraps of metal is what you used to give me my first ever injury in the line of action." Somewhat reluctantly, Flit got to her feet, the chair scraping against the floor loudly. She pulled up the hem of her dress slightly to show the tightly wrapped bandage beneath. "Acumen was right. It hurts like a bitch."

Flit looked back up at KC-847 again, hoping that he would forgive her for her flippant cruelty. 

"Besides," Flit said with an innocent shrug of her shoulders as she sat back down. "We all have a nickname that we use in the Underground that is different from the one we use if we go above. It protects our real identities. If you ever plan on going back up there it would be best to start using a nickname ASAP- before these dunderheads here get a chance to memorise your designation."

~*~

They laughed at his expense again. The constant humorous banter between them was being very tiresome indeed. Flit however tried to save face with another explanation, he could tell by the tone of her voice that she truly meant it, especially coupled with her lifting the dress and showing the large bandage covering the wound on her leg.

Upon seeing it, he felt something he never had before. Remorse. He genuinely felt bad for hurting her, even though it was his job, but seeing her and all the others in a new light opened his mind to different emotions. His training had taught him to remain ever vigilant in the line of duty, only think then do, never to feel. Perhaps his new designation might help him adjust to his new surroundings.

"Scraps it is, I guess." He said with resignation.

~*~

"What?" Flit asked, jaw dropping open in surprise. "Seriously?" 

She couldn't believe it. After the Officer's insistence on remaining passive and adhering to duty he was willing to take up the name she had offered him. Part of her thought that perhaps it was because she had just made a fool out of herself for showing her wounds to her team mates. She had no doubt that they would use it as ammunition against her for a long while. The other part of her realised that it probably had nothing to do with her at all.

~*~

The rest of the meal progressed uneventfully. They chatted more about random nonsense that made little sense to him, for the rest of the time they seemed uninterested in his presence, that is until Hawkeye asked him a question.

"So Scraps, I think it suits you buddy." Hawkeye said patting him on the back. "What were you and your team doing near The Nest? Does The Government enjoy sending you on suicide missions?" Scraps was about to tell him that the information was classified but then thought better of it. He wasn't divulging any top secret information by telling him part of his mission.

"A simple retrieval actually. We got reports of a Level Three Telekinetic causing problems in the area. Government intelligence of this area is quite limited, we were unaware of The Nest." Scraps responded.

"That sounds like Madcap , he just can't help himself! Always going to the surface to gamble with citizens. We've tried for years to warn about openly using his abilities but he just doesn't listen, guess we'll just have to take away his surface privileges again." Swipe spoke up.

"Thanks for telling us Scraps. We know it must be hard to adjust to a different life, and I'm not saying you will, but part of that change is breaking out of your old life." Acumen joined in.

They resumed their previous conversations again, Scraps managed to finish the rest of his meal save for the so-called deviled chicken tenders. After that he wasn't quite sure the protocol for being dismissed, luckily Acumen was reading his thoughts. 

"Well I'm buggered, I wish you all a good night. Sorry Scraps, gotta escort you to your new quarters and make sure you're all tucked in for the night. Ready?" Acumen asked. Scraps nodded, he gave the group a quick nod and glanced at Flit, probably for longer than was required. She met his eyes briefly and gave him a small smile.

He followed Acumen back through the labyrinth of walkways and stairs to what was introduced to him as his new home. The door was solid metal and appeared to lock from the outside, everything he expected from a prison cell, however when Acumen opened the door the interior surprised him. A comfortable looking bed was situated and the edge of the room, a small set of draws had been placed at the end of the bed and an entertainment unit hung off the wall on the opposite side. Acumen showed him the washing and toilet facilities attached to the room and how to use the equipment.

"We don't treat our guests all that bad, eh Scraps? Ya know I like your new name, beats calling you KC-847 or Officer all the time. Oh- and sorry about Flit. She jokes around a lot when she's nervous or angry about things. She's pretty good at blocking her thoughts from me but I think that fight with you cut her a little more than just her leg. You have to understand, she's not used to losing, even when she was young. It's like losing isn't an option for her. True, it makes her reckless and downright crazy at times, but she always manages to get the job done. I think the duel you two had brought her back to reality. Nobody is invincible." Acumen explained openly.

Scraps was taught that failure was not an option, so he could relate to Flit's plight, the very situation he had found himself in was a testament to failure, not only had he not found and neutralised the derivate, but he had been captured by the enemy.

"Oh, one more thing. Tinker asked that you see her again in the morning for a check up, so I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early." Acumen added before shutting and locking the door. Scraps laid on the bed and relaxed his mind, it was a lot to take in and he needed a good night's sleep to recover. He eventually drifted into a long dreamless sleep.

~*~

Shortly after Acumen led Scraps away, Flit's parents walked into the Mess and made their way to her table.

"Looks like someone's about to get a smack on the bum!" Hawkeye said in an annoying sing-song voice. Flit looked up to see her parents making their way over and groaned.

"Guess it's time to head off." She said, smiling at her friends in turn, before getting to her feet and making her way over to her parents before reached her table and said anything in front of her buddies.

To her parent's credit, they were terribly controlled and patient. They managed to wait until they had made the long, laborious journey back to their apartment before tearing her to shreds. Her mother had been quick to reprimand her not only for the failure to comply with orders and protocol, but her horrible attitude towards Scraps. Her Father had nodded and ahh-ed in all the right places as her mother spoke, and added that she needed to realise that she wasn't invincible.

As punishment, her mother- also known as Tinker- decided that Flit would have to let her leg heal naturally. Her mother said that it would teach her not to be so stupid in the future. Flit told her that if she hadn't ignored protocol Scraps would have been just that- scraps. Her mother chose to ignore that argument and Flit gave up. She threw her hands in the air and turned, high-tailing it to her bed for some much needed rest.

~*~

The following day was another day off surface work for Flit and her parents. As such, they made the trip down to the Underground again in tense silence. After the incredibly unusual events of the previous day Flit was slightly worried about what this new day would bring. Would Post-Hoc assign her to do all the crappy duties as punishment?

The first few hours in the Underground went a fair bit better than Flit had dared hope. She spent the morning in training, sparring with her team mates and testing each other's limits. Everyone was extremely pleased when she managed to teleport a small white mouse from her palm to its cage a several metres away, and have it still be alive at the other side of the jump. For teleporters, managing to teleport an object without going with it was a very difficult task, so this seemingly small achievement was a huge deal to Flit.




The Hub Ch. 02



The fog of Flit's happiness and misguided sense of normality was burnt away when Post-Hoc called her aside. She bit the inside of her lip as they made their way towards the lower levels of the Residence. She was expecting to receive a formal punishment or another telling off. What she got, however, was much more frustrating.

"Acumen needs to spend the afternoon with Divvy going over some new placements and plans." Post-Hoc said. "So we have decided that it is your turn to baby-sit KC-847... Or Scraps, as you named him."

Flit's mouth fell open, dumbfounded, as she looked at her leader.

"There must be plenty of other people who are better able to guard him!" She argued, Post-Hoc shrugged.

"You are the one that raced into the Nest to rescue him, it is only fair that you take on part of the responsibility for keeping him in check." Post-Hoc said with a nonchalant shrug. "If I didn't go down there he'd be dead!" Flit snapped angrily.

"Yes, and if we didn't go down there you might be too!" Post-hoc barked. Flit's hands clenched into fists and she took a step back, admonished. Post-hoc gestured towards the door and stepped back so she could pass. "Holding cell 6R. Perhaps while you are in there you can take some time to think about just how much better your punishment is than what you would have gotten if he had captured you." 

Flit hung her head as she walked away from Post-hoc and his sharp tongue. The slow march to the cells seemed to take a millennium, but that she was glad for. The last thing she really wanted to do was be stuck with Scraps in a cell for most of the day. Not only was guarding prisoners an excruciatingly tedious task, but the events of the previous day left her with no desire to speak to subject herself to his assessing red eyes again.

When she finally reached 6R she knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to glide open. When it did it revealed Scraps and Acumen in the middle of a game of chess. This Derivate really did like suicide missions- surely he knew that a game of chess was impossible against someone who could read your mind.

"Post-hoc said you had other duties." Flit said, ignoring the questioning look that the two males were giving her. "I am here to replace you for the time being."

~*~

Scraps woke in the morning to a loud banging on his door, he tried looked over at the entertainment unit for the time. It was already mid-morning. Never once had he slept in so late. His body felt the strain from the previous night and he groaned loudly as he barely managed to drag himself from the bed.

Scraps heard the external locks unlatch and Acumen stepped in, he looked well rested and greeted him brightly.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty, we've got an appointment to keep and Tinker doesn't like to be kept waiting." Scraps nodded and moved to stand.

"Whoa buddy, you better have a shower and change into some new clothes. You're starting to look and smell like rat shit." Acumen added. Scraps lifted his arm to take a whiff, the stench from the night before assaulted his senses. Scraps made his way to the shower unit, stripped off and began cleaning himself. Acumen had left the room for his privacy and so Scraps proceeded to raid the draws at the end of the bed for some new clothing. It wasn't a prison uniform but he was getting less surprised by the unexpected. He put on a simple black shirt and blue jeans, a casual outfit he would have never worn before.

Acumen and Scraps made their way to the medical unit where Tinker was just finishing up with another patient, upon seeing their arrival she motioned them to enter.

"So, how are you feeling today?" she asked. It was odd that a microkinetic would ask when they could just touch and find out, perhaps this was yet again another odd ritual down here.

"Well and fit for duty ma'am." he responded. She smiled at him warmly

"We'll see." She returned. Tinker placed her hands around his head and stared directly at him, she had the same colour eyes as Flit, it was slightly unnerving seeing them on another but they held less of the determination and more calculated concern.

"Well your internal injuries are healing quite well on their own. Let's check your chip." She moved her hands to the back of his head over his control chip.

"The adjustments are still correct, how are you feeling?" she asked again

"Adjustments?" he responded with another question.

"Yes, when you arrived I disabled the locator, power control unit and kill switch." she responded.

"Wait, without the power control chip, I could accidentally kill myself or someone else!" Scraps warned.

"You'll just have to learn to control your abilities the old fashioned way my dear. Besides, with the neural inhibitor on right now you should be fine." she explained.

"Right... okay. What's the kill switch?" he inquired further.

"The Kill Switch is The Governments little insurance policy. If any one of their Derivates goes off the grid for longer than twenty four hours the kill switch embedded into their chip shuts down their central nervous system, effectively killing them. We had a few incidents a while ago with others like you, but we've learned most of what The Government doesn't want you to know." she explained with slight concern in her voice. He nodded in response. 

This news was a slight shock to him, why had trained them to commit suicide in the event of capture if they already had a kill switch in place? Did they truly believe that Derivates were not competent enough to complete the task? For the first time ever he was angry at his owners, even though he himself had failed that order.

"They really are arseholes, but at least your starting to see it Scraps." Acumen spoke up from the background, most likely reading his thoughts.

"So I hear you have a new name?" Tinker continued the conversation while she worked.

"Yes, Scraps. Flit thought it to be an appropriate designation. I mean name." he responded.

"Flit gave you the name? Interesting." she commented. "Everything else checks out, don't over exert yourself physically and you'll be fine." She concluded.

Acumen escorted them to the Mess Hall again where they sat down for breakfast. This time he wasn't introduced to anything he could stomach and enjoyed yet another solid food meal. The hall was mostly empty this morning and Scraps wondered where the rest of them were. 

"They're out training at the moment." Acumen answered his question

"Tinker seemed taken aback that Flit gave me my new name. Why is that?" he asked before Acumen could read him.

"Giving someone a name down here is a big deal. Both for the person receiving and the person giving. It usually happens between two people who know each other well or family. Tinker was taken aback because she had probably just finished reprimanding her for risking her life to save you. Perhaps she's worried that the two of you are getting too close." Acumen explained. 

Was Acumen right? He did feel an odd connection to this girl he had only just met, was it the adrenalin of the night that was playing with his mind? He decided not to dwell on it, mainly because he wasn't sure about anything anymore and because a mind reader was sitting right across from him. When they finished breakfast Acumen escorted him back to his quarters, he asked if Scraps wanted to play a game of chess. Scraps was about to argue the pointlessness of the game against him decided that it would be a good chance to practice blocking out his thoughts.

Scraps was losing five games to zero when Flit interrupted them. Apparently Acumen had to go and she was his replacement baby sitter.

~*~

Flit moved aside so that Acumen could leave the room. When the door shut behind him Flit held back her sigh and looked over at Scraps sitting quietly in front of the chess board.

"I see Acumen roped you into a game of chess... how was it going before I interrupted?" She asked. At least Acumen unknowingly gave her a conversation starter. Without that chess board she would have just been standing there quite awkwardly.

"I'm loosing, but I suppose that is to be expected. Still I think I'm getting better at picturing small avian creatures with large beaks. I think I might have won this current game. So what does my new escort have planned for me today?" Scraps asked.

"Yes..." Flit said sardonically. "Acumen does have a way of picking the games that suit him best. Though I am glad to hear you've taken my advice on board." She said with a satisfied grin, pleased to know that he hadn't been ignoring her the previous evening.

Flit walked over to the chair that Acumen had vacated and plonked down on it. She peered over the chess board and assessed the situation.

"Sorry I interrupted the game," Flit said with an appreciative whistle "you might've actually had a chance." She sunk back in her chair and lifted her legs up, resting her calves on the edge of the table and crossing her legs at her ankles, wincing as the gash in her thigh smarted. "And also sorry to say that I don't have anything planned for you- I didn't even know I was coming here today. Post-hoc pulled me out of training just after I-"

Flit stopped rambling when she realised that Scraps was just staring at her. She sighed again.

"Maybe we could go for a walk down to the river..." Flit mused. That would be a good place to take him. She assumed that Acumen had already given him the grand tour of the Residence's facilities and was trying to think of somewhere else they could go. "Right, that is as good an idea as any." She said, teleporting so that she was standing on her feet next to her now vacant seat. She quickly reached over the table to the small screen that was on the wall and brought up the keyboard. Gone for a walk to the river. Flit. she wrote, just in case someone came looking for them.

"Let's go!" Flit said.

She turned and begun to walk out of the room, assuming that Scraps would follow her. After they had walked down a few of the maze-like holding zone corridors she turned and looked at him.

"Have you got any questions or anything?" She asked, "This whole thing must be a big shock to your system."

~*~

"Well firstly I guess I should apologise for the leg, it looks painful." Scraps said, he now felt genuinely bad for injuring her. She had, after all, saved him from the mutant murderous rats. Somehow talking to her one on one made it easier to come out and say some things

"Also I think I should thank you for saving my life. The Government don't teach us to help each other in combat situations, only to complete the task." He explained. Her slight limp reminded him again of her leg.

"Have you asked Tinker to take a look at it? Or is she too mad at you for saving me?" He inquired.

~*~

Flit laughed at the suggestion.

"I have no intention of asking Tinker to fix my leg for, and she has already told me not to bother- she won't be helping me." She tried to keep her anger out of her tone, but wasn't sure that she had actually managed it. "It really isn't too bad though, I swear." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Now that he had acknowledged and apologised for her injury she was happy to forgive him- he had been acting in self-defence (even if it was misguided).

"And Tinker isn't mad at me for saving you..She is mad at me for disobeying protocol and taking risks." Flit decided that she should at least be fair to her mother, she didn't want Scraps thinking that she was a horrible woman. As they approached the junction that marked the end of the Residence Flit gestured to the darkest of the five tunnels. "Just down there. It gets pretty steep, so just watch your step."

~*~

"As long as there aren't any mutant rats down there I think I'll be fine." he answered. She smiled at his spontaneous banter.

Scraps followed Flit as she delved deeper into the network of tunnels, she was right about it being steep, they could only move at a snail's pace to prevent falling over.

"So, what's going to happen with me? How long does it take until you determine my worthiness of joining your group? Do I need to pass a test of sorts?" he asked. It was common for registered Derivates to undergo multiple tests to determine still level and competency.

~*~ "How long is something I can't tell you." Flit said, dividing her attention between the treacherous mossy path and her charge. "That will depend on a lot of things. And as for tests? We don't really do tests down here. If you want you'll get the chance to train with us and get used to life here before they really think about assigning you. When Halt thinks you're ready, and when you feel confident, you will be able to talk to Divvy about being assigned to a team."

Flit stopped talking for a moment as she concentrated on staying upright. Her thigh was starting to hurt quite badly due to the nasty incline, and she had to be very careful about what she was doing to avoid slipping over.

"As far as the inhibitor goes, you will have to wait until we are convinced that you won't top yourself- or us- to get that removed. That will be up to Acumen. Even though it's invasive, he'll be checking up on you now and again to see how you're going." She explained matter-of-factly. "I know that it probably seems a bit daunting at the moment, but there you're not the only one who has gone through this before."

"Who are Halt and Divvy? Are they your supervisors? Is Tinker also your supervisor? Is that why she was angry with you?" he asked

Flit couldn't help but smile at the rapid string of questions. The flat-toned and basic responses of the previous evening had concerned her; she was hoping that this wasn't the way he would always be. Down in the Underground you were allowed to, and even encouraged to ask questions- where as up above The Government stamped that out of you. It pleased her to see that he was capable of inquiry, it was a promising sign.

"Tinker? My supervisor? Bloody hell- you have no idea how happy I am that she isn't. Tinker is my mum. I report to Post-Hoc." She gave him a moment to let this sink in, and to concentrate on the last slope before they reached the banks of the river.

"Divvy is one of the two leaders of the entire Underground- she is a really powerful pre-cog." Flit explained. 

One thing about the river was that you could hear it well before you could see it. Flit had been able to hear the dull sound of water rushing through the caverns for a while, now they were so much closer it was significantly louder. They turned the final turn and were now at the end of the tunnel which led to the river. Thankfully for Flit, this last tunnel was as level as they came- no more steep descents that would make her legs quiver.

"And Halt is in charge of training- he is a telecoercionist.... Look, here we are!" Flit said the last part somewhat excitedly as they crossed from the darkness of the entry tunnel into the artificially lit underground cavern.

The cavern that held the river was huge- it took at least half an hour to walk from one end to the other. The floor of the cavern was made of dark golden sand which slowly settled into the dirt of the river bed. The water itself was a deep blue, and flowed in a steady stream across the cavern. There was about fifteen meters from the edge of the cavern to the where the water was currently lapping at the sand, and at high tide that distance would lessen to ten meters. There were already several people here, swimming in the water and relaxing.

Flit looked at the pretty and unusual sight for a moment before she turned to him with a grin.

"So, what do you think?" She asked.

~*~

For the last two days his mind had been overloaded with surprise after surprise, yet again he stood dumbfounded in awe of the cavern that housed the underground river. Even on the surface a place like this was rare and sought after by many citizens.

"Wow!" was the only response he could manage to her questions. He watched other underground residents swim around in the deep blue water, casually entertaining themselves. Around the cavern they had erected artificial lighting giving the whole area a mystical glow.

~*~

Flit laughed at Scraps' reaction.

"So, you are amazed huh?" She said, smiling up at him and taken up his awestruck face. "This has to be my favourite place in the entire world. Hawkeye and I come down here whenever we get a chance, which unfortunately isn't that often- they keep us pretty busy."

Flit fell silent for a moment and watched the various people splashing about and enjoying the refreshing water. The soreness of her thigh and the ache of her muscles from her earlier training session made her wish that she could join them. "Hey Scraps?" Flit asked slowly, "Wanna go for a swim?"

"Swim? I'm not sure my clothing is appropriate for swimming." He answered, his eyes filled with confusion

"Neither is mine." Flit said with a shrug, looking down at her leather pants and jacket. She reached up and unzipped her jacket then peeled it off her shoulders, revealing a plain black tank top underneath. "But I think we can manage."

Flit then undid her belt and unzipped her pants before sliding them down her legs. Luckily she had chosen to wear her plain black briefs today under her pants, so it wouldn't look too bad. From a distance her clothes would easily pass for swimwear.

"What are you waiting for?" Flit asked, throwing him a wicked grin before turning and jogging towards the water.

~*~

Scraps was shocked by her flippant and spontaneous nature, yet at the same time her behavior sparked something within him. She was only wearing her underwear now and he couldn't help but admire her well formed body. The Government put very little emphasis in the sexual education of their Derivates, only the very minimum was required. He wasn't exactly an expert but seeing her half naked twice now had stirred his feelings more than he would have liked to admit.

Scraps stripped off down to only his underwear and jogged after her, she dived into the river and burst out seconds later, upon seeing him she motioned him to join. There was no way to tell the depth from her demonstration but if she could do it so could he. He dived into the water, the cool fresh bite of the river surrounded his body, the water it turned out was quite deep. He surfaced beside her shortly after diving in.

"What is the purpose of this exercise, are you testing my swimming abilities?" He asked her.

~*~

Flit watched as Scraps followed her into the water, his tall form naked but for his underwear. As much as she hated to admit it, he was extremely handsome. His entire body was subtly toned from what must have been years of training, and his muscles played nicely under his skin as he ran. Remembering that it was rude to stare, she motioned for him to follow her in.

Flit could see the confusion in Scraps's eyes as he broke through the surface of the water and looked at her. When he spoke she was glad- she couldn't help but laugh at his question. It was a very welcome distraction from watching the way that the rivulets of cold water ran down his nicely sculpted chest. Her mind begun to float away to the last time she'd seen something like it, but she pushed it away. She didn't want to dredge up those painful memories.

Testing his swimming abilities? Flit shook her head exasperatedly.

"No Scraps- no test, just fun!" She said, looking up at him eagerly. When his confused crimson eyes continued to watch her curiously as she treaded water. Rolling her eyes, she pulled her hand back slightly to cup some water and then splashed it up at his face.

His confusion only grew, so she splashed him again.

"Come on Scraps! Lighten up!" She laughed, splashing him for a third time before backpedaling away from him a little.

~*~

Fun? A concept he was most definitely not familiar with. She splashed him repetitively but he was unsure how to respond. Scraps simply continued to avoid the splashing while treading water.




The Hub Ch. 03



Author's Note: This story was originally a Role Play between Dungeons of Dread and myself (Sinister Spiders). It has been edited for the story format, but is still on the Online Role Playing forum in its original glory. If you've read this far, we hope you are enjoying it- there is plenty more in store for Flit and Scraps!

*

The next week passed by so quick Scraps barely had a chance to keep up with the torrent of training and learning he needed to complete. His training with Swipe progressed well; no more exploding cups. He still had clumsy moments but he was most definitely getting a handle on his unrestrained abilities. They had progressed onto much larger objects and by the end of the week he was able to move several of the large storage cabinets simultaneously, it was a feat he could not previously achieve.

He wasn't just training his own abilities during the week. It was a requirement for all Derivates to undergo survival training as well. Unlike the surface, this brand of survival training involved more enclosed spaces and underground navigation. He still had not memorised the myriad of tunnels and passageways but the he could at least identify most of the markers.

Although Swipe had been extremely helpful in all aspects of his training he couldn't help but feel slightly suffocated by her presence. She insisted on being close to him physically almost all the time. He was getting used to the continued presence of the other Derivates around him as opposed to the surface but her specific attention toward him was becoming tedious. In the week he had observed the interactions between males and females more closely. He was beginning to understand it more fully the longer he spent underground and he suspected that Swipe was exhibiting some of those behaviours.

He only managed to see Flit two times during the week and only during dinner. On both occasions she attempted to initiate conversation with him but Swipe's over charismatic personality always shone through. Scraps felt an overwhelming need to speak to Flit again, he didn't even know what he would say just that he wanted to talk. Toward the last day of his training with Swipe, Acumen pulled him aside to discuss something he considered private.

"So buddy how are you going?" Acumen asked brightly.

"Don't you already know, reading my mind and all?" Scraps thought. He, like the others, had become accustomed to talking to a mind-reader.

"Well yeah, I can read thoughts pretty well, but emotions are harder to decipher." He explained. It was an interesting comment because Scraps knew that mind-readers on the surface weren't taught to read emotions.

"Good, actually, the training is hard but nothing I'm not used to. I think I am getting used to everyone here and knowing where everything is." Scraps responded contently.

"That's good to hear, to be honest when you first arrived, Control had many interesting discussions about you. Did you know that you are the freshest Registered Derivate ever to come to us?" Acumen asked.

"I did not know that. Is that a positive or negative thing?" Scraps returned.

"Both I guess, on the upside; there was a high likelihood of you adapting to our way of life quickly. On the downside it means that you may be utilised in our operations a lot more than the others that have changed. Unlike you a lot of them resent their old life, so much so, that they wouldn't set two meters on the surface again. Unfortunately the best intel and espionage is done on the surface. It's how we know what The Government is up to and how close they are to finding us." Acumen explained gravely.

"I see. So you mean they will request that I do mission for them on the surface?" Scraps inquired.

"Maybe. I wouldn't worry about it too much though....... One more thing, what do you think about Swipe? I don't need to be a mind-reader to know she's pretty interested in you." Acumen asked.

"Swipe? Interested in me how?" Scraps asked, slightly confused by the notion yet not entirely surprise based on her recent behaviour.

"Yeah, I suppose you're not used to that kind of attention. Swipe is the kind of girl that latches onto anything she likes the look of. In your case, tall and exotic. She's been putting out all the signs and you haven't caught on, it's kind of frustrating her. At the same time however she does like a challenge once in a while, so don't expect her to back down too soon." Acumen explained.

"It does make sense now, I did suspect something but now that you have cleared it up for me I understand. Even though I respect her intentions I just can't seem to return her affection, there's just something else. I can't explain that is holding me back. I am very new to interactions with the opposite sex and have no idea what it is." Scraps explained as best as he could.

"I think I do, but it's something you're gonna need to work out on your own." Acumen told him. For the next ten minutes of the conversation Acumen went through the finer points of what he knew about women. He did admit that even with his ability there were things that he just couldn't explain. By the end of it Acumen told him that he needed to let Swipe know he wasn't interested, but perhaps not during a training session or with others around. It was something he needed to tell her when they were alone.

~*~

The next week went painfully slowly for Flit. Her work on the surface was just as dull as always, and as usual she found the excess of time she spent in the Hub was terribly draining. Every afternoon, after a long, tiresome day at work, Flit would head back down to the Underground for a shorter yet equally tiresome time in Supply, counting stock with her father. The only reprieve was when Hawkeye would come down before dinner and give her a hand and updates on what she was missing out on in the Security Team. 

After counting stock together, Flit and Hawkeye would head towards the nearly-empty dining room. They had only made it on time to catch their friends twice. Both times Flit had tried to talk to Scraps, but whenever she attempted this Swipe would talk over her and glare at her. She and Scraps had apparently been spending the better part of their days together, with her retraining him intensively. It seemed to Flit that Swipe's extra time with Scraps gave her a sense of ownership over him. She acted as they were a couple rather than training partners. It made Flit's blood boil.

It wasn't until Friday evening that Flit finally managed to get a word in. She'd asked how Scraps was going, and he responded with; Good, I've been-... Then he had been dragged off by Swipe before Flit could talk to him any more.

The only good thing about the week in Supply was that it had given Flit plenty of time to think. She had come to the conclusion that she had made the right decision to save Scraps. If she had waited to get the others before she went to the Nest he would be dead. She also didn't see what the big deal was about taking him swimming. She had learnt that Swipe had been the one to tell her mother, and that she had greatly exaggerated the state in which they had returned to his cell. Flit had come to think that her mother was worried about her getting too close to someone who was still relatively unknown to them.

The other thing that Flit had realised was that the butterflies she felt whilst in the River were not an isolated thing. The two times that she had seen Scraps at dinner she had been unable to put the strange feeling down in her stomach down to hunger- she had eaten a lot those nights, just to be sure. The other telling sign was her increased lack of tolerance for Swipe. Even thinking of the other woman's name made Flit want to claw her own eyes out.

Late on Saturday afternoon Flit had been sent down to the cold rooms. The locking system on one of the large refrigerated vaults had gone haywire and required someone from maintenance to come down and have a look at it. While waiting for someone to arrive to fix it, Flit's father had requested that she begin a stocktake of the different types of food they had in there. With so many people to feed and provide for it was important for them to have accurate stock numbers. So Flit stood, wrapped in a thick thermal coat, counting off all of the stupid heads of lettuce.

"Thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven..."

"Flit?" 

The sound of her name and that now-familiar voice made her jump and lose all concentration. Shit, she thought, knowing she'd have to start again. She turned around and her anger melted around. Scraps. She smiled at him and put her tablet on a nearby shelf.

"Hey Scraps!" She said, probably a little too enthusiastically. "Finally managed to ditch Swipe, eh? What brings you down to this hole?"

~*~

The last training session with Swipe went by mostly without a hitch. Although he lacked finesse he had developed enough control now not to accidentally destroy anything. Swipe continued her usual physical contact even though he no longer required as much assistance, Acumen had warned him that it was all she could get away with while being observed during training.

Just before end of their sparing session Swipe was accidentally injured, she fell down and hurt her ankle. Acumen went through the medical supplies and bandaged her leg.

"Hey Scraps, can you go down to the store room and get some ice, we need to keep the swelling down." Acumen requested. Scraps nodded and made his way down to the lower levels.

He arrived at the cold storeroom and was shocked to see Flit inside, apparently busy counting stock. 

"Yeah, she got a little hurt during training today. I need to get some ice for her leg." He responded. Flit quickly hid her face of disgust.

"Over there, second shelf on the left, oh don't let...." she tried to warn him about something as he followed her directions. The door behind him slammed shut after he let it go and the room went pitch black.

"...the door shut." she finished unhappily.

"What? Why not?" he asked speaking through the dark.

"Because half of the electrics are fried and I was waiting for maintenance. Now we are probably locked in." Flit explained, her disembodied voice sounding eerily short in the coldness. Scraps could hear her shuffling around in the dark. He had only been in the store room once before and did not feel confident moving around.

"Sorry, I didn't know, is there an emergency torch or something we can use?" he asked apologetically. He knew that if he could see the door he might be able to force it open however without having a set direction he could very well demolish part of a wall, destabilise the structural integrity of the room and bury them both in rubble.

~*~

"I can try to see if the emergency lights will work but they probably went out with the locking system." Flit said thoughtfully as she fumbled around in the dark. "And you'd be best off staying where you are, I'll make my way over to the panel which is by the door- and do my best not to run you over." 

Flit could feel the shelf to her left and then closed her eyes, trying to picture from memory where Scraps was standing. Luckily, Flit had very good spatial awareness thanks to her ability, and slowly but surely made her way forward. Just before she reached where she thought Scraps would be she raised her right hand out in front of her and slowed her approach.

"I should be right in front of you now." She said, and the next second she felt soft fabric over hot skin. In the frigidness of the vaults his chest felt as hot as molten metal but as solid as stone.

Flit's breath caught in her throat and she jumped as she felt Scraps's hand cover hers, and his arm wrap around her shoulders and bring her closer. Their bodies pressed together and she could hear his breathing in the darkness. As much as it frustrated her, her own breathing was slightly ragged as he slowly turned her around so he could get past him. Because she was so close to him she could smell his musky masculine scent and it sent a wave of appreciation through her. She had to try very hard not to sigh longingly.

Then it was over almost as quickly as it had begun. His arm slowly dropped down from around her, but his hand held hers to his chest for a few moments longer than he needed to. When he did take his hand off hers she moved at away and turned around regretfully, reaching out for the left shelf again and walking towards the panel.

The wall of the vault was icy to the touch as she felt around for the control panel. After a few seconds her fingers brushed the smooth glass screen. Flit messed around with it for a bit, but the lights would not come on. However, the faint glow of the panel was just enough to help her eyes adapt to the darkness.

"Right, well we have the light of the panel at least. Let's see if we can get the door open, shall we?" Flit tried a number of different combinations of commands to get the door open, but it remained firmly closed. "Looks like we're stuck." She eventually conceded, her shoulders drooping.

~*~

Although she was wearing a large overcoat and her warmth was mostly self contained he could certainly tell the difference between when she was pressed against him and when she had moved away. There was a strange spark of awareness that had shot through him when she had touched his chest. After a few moments he heard her frustrated sighs, it seemed she was having no luck with the emergency lighting. She was now attempting to get the door open. Although Scraps wasn't an expert in electrical devices he did have minimal training from the surface which might suffice in this situation.

He moved toward the sounds of her voice slowly, cautiously with his hand extended in front of him. After a short while he made contact with her right shoulder, again she started at his surprise contact.

"Sorry, I wanted to see if I could help." He explained. He could now see the faint glow of the panel in front of her but still needed to use her body to get his bearings. He slowly moved his hand down her shoulder along her extended arm toward the panel, she remained completely still. By the time he reached the end of her fingers, he was pressed up against her back. Using her fingers he was able to feel around the panel. Now more confident with his positioning he manoeuvred his other arm around her other side so he could work with both hands. He tried to reactivate the system but to no avail it seemed it did require the scheduled maintenance.

"Hmm, I don't think I can fix it either." He stated flatly.

~*~

Don't move, don't move, don't move.... Was the mantra going through Flit's mind as Scraps slowly ran his arm along hers. Despite the toasty warm over coat her body erupted with goosebumps and he shivered under his touch. He is only using me as a guide, she told herself as she felt his body press against her back. Two times in as many minutes was too much for her to handle. Her stomach was churning and she had that wonderful build up in her lower regions. Stop it, she snapped at herself, he is trying to fix the damn panel.

Even though Scraps had admitted defeat he remained against her, his arms resting light on top of hers. 

"I told you so." She puffed. She meant for it to come out petulantly, but instead it was just a nervous squeak. Damn it, she thought, get your act together. Her internal monologue was interrupted by the feeling of his body shaking ever so slightly against hers. "Oh Scraps! You're freezing!" She said, turning in his arms and slowly bringing her bare hand up to his face. It was indeed cold.

~*~

He didn't actually notice the cold until she mentioned it. She turned in his arms and he felt the warmth of her hand rest against his cheek; an inferno against a wall of ice. With her so close to him now he could also feel the warmth of her breath hot against his face. Her scent which he had paid little attention to before was strong in the air, a subtle scent that caused a tingle in his lower regions. It was not a familiar feeling but at the same time it wasn't a negative experience. His arms had fell naturally to her sides after she turned, he placed them gently on her lower back, something gesture seemed right.

"It's not that bad." He tried to explain unconvincingly. Where she was fully suited for prolonged exposure to this environment, Scraps was still in the light training gear, a singlet top and thin pants. His voice and body shivered uncontrollably against her.

~*~

"You won't get any points for being tough if you freeze to death." Flit said, rolling her eyes in the darkness as Scraps tried to deny the physiological evidence. "Well, the bad news is that I only have one coat." She said, looking up at the outline of his face and trying to make out his features.

Flit tried hard to remember the layout of the room despite the distraction of Scraps's body so close to her own.

"The cooling vents are at the back, so that area will be the coldest... And we can't hover near the door, because if it opens it will his us. Here, follow me." She ran her hand down his cheek, then over the muscles of his neck, before tracking over the curve of his shoulder and down his firm arms. When she finally reached his fingers she doubted that she would need the jacket to keep warm.

Flit slowly entwined her fingers with Scraps's and stepped away from him, careful not to release a disappointed sigh. She led him carefully about a meter away from the door. She felt around with her foot and was pleased to feel that the floor was covered there with old packing boxes. 

"There are some boxes on the floor just in front of me. Sit down on them." She directed, using his hand to pull his body around hers so that he was standing on the boxes.

Flit felt Scraps's hand slide, somewhat hesitantly, out of hers as he lowered himself down onto the floor of the freezer. When he was settled she moved so that she was standing in front of him. She reached up and grabbed the zipper tab, then pulled it down slowly, gasping as the coldness of the room played with her skin through her thin clothing. The sound of the zipper was loud against the dull hum of the cooling fans. Slowly Flit lowered herself, reaching her hands below her and placing them carefully on Scraps's thighs as she sat down.

"Open your legs slightly so I can sit between them." She said. She moved her hands off him and he complied. When the noise of his movement stopped she sunk the rest of the way and peeled the coat off her body. "I will put this jacked over the both of us, it should be able to keep us both warm if we stay close enough." She explained, doing as she said.

Luckily the jacket was made for people that were a variety of sizes, and, unzipped, managed to sit over their huddled bodies easily.

~*~

Scraps could now feel the searing heat of Flit's whole body without the barrier of the jacket and he was sure it wasn't just the slight skin to skin contact that warmed his centre though. She positioned the jacket around them to preserve their combined heat. Flit leaned back against him with her head now almost directly next to his, her pleasant feminine scent filled his nostrils again. He placed his hands around her mid-section and although he would later convince himself it was to generate more heat, the truth was; the gesture felt natural, almost as if his body subconsciously knew what to do even though his mind didn't.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked, the question seemed pointless as sitting in a freezing cold room on a pile of boxes was probably the least comfortable situation he could think of at the time, but he felt the need to inquire about her well being.

"Yes- thanks... So, are you enjoying it down here?" She asked in the most light and conversational tone she could muster.

"Yes definitely, I mean, I believe I am. I can honestly say that I'm learning something new everyday." he responded, changing words quickly realising he initially answered a different question unintentionally. 




The Hub Ch. 03



They stayed still for several moments longer, as his body relaxed he found it more comfortable to lean against the nearby shelf behind them. Flit in turn also relaxed against him, he could feel the subtle changes in her breathing. The stirring in his lower regions grew and he could feel a pressure building in his penis, the feeling wasn't completely unfamiliar but The Government had trained such reactions out of him. He suspected at his point that the control chip did more than limit his psychic abilities, it definitely explained the recent new sensations he had been experiencing since his capture. Flit moved against him presumably to get comfortable, however it only made his predicament worse. He could be certain of one thing, it wasn't a negative feeling but without further knowledge and experience he wasn't entirely sure what to do about it.

"That's good to hear." Flit said, settling back against him a little more. "I know it's only early days, but do you think you'll be staying with us?" She pressed most of her weight on his upper body which relieved some of the pressure on his erect member. Her question also helped him to remain focused on keeping warm rather than the feelings of arousal.

"Before meeting you, I never knew there was a possibility of another life. Now that I've had a taste for it I have no inclination to return to my previous engagement. Have others returned to the surface? And if so how can you let them go with all the knowledge they gain down here?" he asked

~*~

Flit's stomach flip-flopped at the news that Scraps planned on staying down there with them. Even in the short amount of time they had spent together she had decided that she liked him. She could quite easily see him becoming good friends with Hawkeye and herself. However, as they sat together in such an intimate position Flit's hormones were racing, and she begun thinking things that she knew she shouldn't be. There was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to turn and press her lips against his, to taste him as her fingers explored his masculine shoulders and chest.

"Some others like you haven't been able to adapt to life down here. After a while either Acumen or Divvy will get a good idea of their intentions. If they're having a miserable time we wipe their memory and send them back up. We aren't in the business of forcing recruits or keeping prisoners." She explained.

~*~

"I see. I know that The Government and other Registered Derivates might seem like remorseless Dictators but it's not all bad. When I wasn't on a retrieval mission I was assigned to the streets as law enforcement. On many occasions I managed to intervene to prevent crimes." he recounted. At the time he didn't think much of the things he had seen citizens do to each other but now without The Government brainwashing his every thought, the idea that horrors like that existed on the surface made him sick.

"I do remember one time though, I was on a patrol at night and I heard a woman's screams coming from a darkened alleyway. When I got there, four men were gang raping her, I managed to dispatch of them quickly but the damage had already been done. They had beaten and abused her to the point of no return, I don't know why but I held her in my arms and watched her die. Later my superiors reprimanded me for not being quick enough, I was physically punished and blamed for her death. I never thought to question their decision but now I'm not so sure." He told her sombrely

~*~

Flit knew that all of the things on the surface weren't horrible, she lived up there after all. She could almost call some of her citizen colleagues at work, friends. She also knew of the crime that existed, the crime that The Government hushed up and then swept under the carpet. That wasn't to say that there wasn't any form of crime in the Underground, but at least they were open about what was happening and how they wanted to try and prevent it.

Flit listened as Scraps's voice turned sombre and he told her of a time where he was too late to rescue a woman. The story itself made her feel unwell, but when she heard of Scraps's punishment it made her angry.

"You might have gotten there late but you still tried. You were not responsible for the actions of those bastards." Flit said passionately, keeping her voice soft and soothing. She leant her head back against his chest and turned her cheek so that it was against the fabric of his singlet, hoping that the contact would comfort him.

Scraps was silent for a few moments and Flit left him to his thoughts. Over that short space of time she felt his body relax slightly behind her and she hoped that his emotions were calming too.

"Have you ever had a bad day down here?" Scraps asked. 

"Have I ever had a bad day down here?" Flit laughed. "I've had plenty... pretty much every day I'm forced to be anywhere near Swipe is a bad day by my reckoning." Flit laughed again and then shook her head, even if Scraps couldn't see the movement he would feel it.

"Seriously though, yes, there have been quite a few bad days. I've had days where we went out on a patrol or a mission and not all of us came back. We've had days where we got terrible news from the Hub about one of our agents. There have been times where one of us has let our power overwhelm us... 

"Even though mostly everyone down here is great and we have a lot of fun, the knowledge that things can turn from good to devastating in a split second is never far away." Flit said sadly, trying not to let the memories overwhelm her.

Flit sat in silence for a few moments as the recollections came to her, despite her best efforts to keep them shut away. One of them stood out, and at that moment she thought that it was important to share it with Scraps.

"There was one day just after I started were all us newbies were sent out on a patrol together with Post-Hoc. It was supposed to be a routine round of some of the deepest and darkest tunnels in the Underground. We went into one and heard this horrible screeching sound- I'll never forget it. It sounded like pain and death and agony and it made my heart leap from my chest. A few seconds later there was this other sound, like birds trying to flap against a strong wind, and the next sound was a scream. That time I knew the sound... I recognised the voice...."

Flit bit her lip, using the pain as a distraction to stop the tears.

"It was one of my friends, Crush. A whole group of mutant bats the size of small hovercrafts swooped down and attacked us. They went for him. Post-Hoc ordered us to run... But I was so close to him- I could've reached out and touched him. Then Swipe grabbed my arm and began to run. I had no choice. By the time I realized that I should have teleported back to get him the light source was gone and his had cries faded. All I could hear was the sound of flesh being torn from bones as those bastard bats ate him."

A tear managed to squeeze its way through Flit's tightly shuttered eyelids.

"Sometime I still hear his screams in my mind. It's like I should have done something, like I could have saved him but didn't...." She trailed off. "So, you ask if I have bad days? Yes... I do. But thankfully they are outweighed by the good ones."

~*~

After she finished retelling her story Scraps could only remain silent. He detected the change in her body and tone of voice and knew her mood had dropped into a depression. Scraps had witnessed briefly from the others in The Underground and also those on the surface the embrace used for positive reinforcement. He attempted to do the same by pulling her further into his body mimicking the embrace, as an addition he also moved his head closer to hers imitating her own gesture of comfort.

He felt her body relax slightly and decided that he had helped a small amount. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue the train of thought but a great deal of him had to know the answer.

"Is that why you saved me? Even though there was the likelihood of being killed or captured yourself?" He asked quietly.

"I guess that is why I saved you." She said wish a small shrug "I didn't really think about it at the time. All I could hear were the screams and the gunshots and I needed to help. I knew that while the guns were still firing there was hope, but knowing the nest I also knew it wouldn't last for long. The thought of what would happen beyond going in all gun-ho didn't really occur to me..." Flit paused for a moment,

"Plus, it wasn't like you had any chance of capturing me anyway." She added, with a slight laugh at the end.

It was a relief to know that Flit wasn't just an erratic and unpredictable person without care for her own safety or others. A part of her did feel it necessary to make up for past wrongs. Her mood lightened slightly and he got the hint she didn't particularly want to talk about past failings.

"I'm glad you came, though I'm sorry I tried to capture you. They trained us to only complete the mission so I didn't even think about the fact that you risked your life for me. Sorry again about your leg." He apologised and reached lower to feel his way to her injury, her thin pants made it easier to find the bandage. He gently stroked the outside.

"We have yet to see what the outcome of our duel, if you're friends hadn't arrived I'm sure I would have come up with something to get you." He sniggered.

~*~

"My leg's fine, it's healing well. No hard feelings." Flit said, breath catching in her throat as Scraps gently stroked her thigh. After their earlier encounter Flit decided that she couldn't let this go on- it was too much for her poor body to handle.

"Regardless of whether my friends came- you had no chance. Swipe still hasn't managed to catch me yet." She said boisterously, slicing through the mood. "I didn't get my name for no reason." 

"Maybe I'll get another chance if we ever train together." he teased.

"Oh, I look forward to it!" Flit returned with a grin. "That is if Swipe lets you go. I'm not sure if she will now she's her claws in you."

"Today is our last training session, at least just on telekinesis. I'm certain that survival training will continue though." he recalled how Swipe's physical closeness was uncomfortable but being here with Flit now was the complete opposite. He was sure of one thing, he liked this better.

~*~

"Well that's good. Always better to get away before you're completely taken over." Flit said. "By the way-"

The sound of the door opening and the bright light glaring in from outside interrupted her speech. After the almost complete darkness of the cold room the sudden light was she brought her hands up to cover her eyes.

"What's going on in here?" A voice called "I was told that there was maintenance to do!"

"There is!" Flit said, pulling her hands from her eyes and blinking rapidly. After a few moments of discomfort she saw the shocked face of Ratchet, one of the micro-kinetics from maintenance. "We just got stuck in here because the door shut! The locking system is what needs fixing... and the lighting too, apparently." Flit said.

To say that the look that Ratchet was giving her and Scraps was suspicious would be a severe understatement. Flit rolled her eyes and slowly got to her feet, scooping up the large jacket as well. She shrugged it on, careful to let Ratchet see that they were both fully dressed, before walking to the back corner where the ice packs were kept.

"Here." Flit said, throwing him an ice pack. "You'd better get back before they send out a search party." She gave him a smile before turning to Ratchet. "So are you just going to stand there or would you like me to show you what's wrong?" Flit asked, putting her hands on her hips.

~*~

Even though being stuck in sub-freezing temperatures with nowhere to go may have seemed like a negative experience, Scraps had almost completely forgotten how cold it was, their body warmth and open conversation kept him comfortable and content. Until they were interrupted. Flit was about to inform him of something when maintenance opened the door. Flit gave Scraps a quick farewell and then continued explaining the problem to Ratchet.

Scraps's joints were stiff and cramped after being in the one position for so long. He dragged his way up the stairs and back into the training room. Acumen gave him a questioning look.

"What took you so long" Acumen demanded. 

"Sorry, we got lock in and..." Acumen started to explain. But Acumen interrupted him, no doubt reading his mind.

"Don't worry, I got it." Acumen interrupted and pointed to his head, he put his hand out and Scraps handed him the ice. "We think it's just a sprain, we'll get Tinker to look at it in the morning. I'll escort you back to your quarters. Harmony can you look after Swipe please?" Acumen requested.

"Of course, Acumen. Thank you Scraps I believe that concludes your observed training, from now on you will train with the others one on one. Divvy will be watching so there's nothing to worry about." she commented.

"Okay let's go buddy." Acumen stood up and started to guide him away.

"What did you mean by 'we' Stud? Who else got trapped down there with ya?" Swipe asked. 

"Flit was down there counting stock, she didn't tell me in time and I let the door shut behind us." Swipe gave him a look of disgust.

"Flit huh?" she commented. She stared at Scraps, her eyes like daggers. Acumen broke the awkward silence.

"Okay let's go Scraps, you look frozen. What you need now is a warm shower."

On their way back Scraps knew his mind was being probed, Acumen was trying to be subtle but they had spent enough time together that he was starting to pick up on his psychic mannerisms.

"So you and Flit ah? Well can't say I'm not surprised. I am however glad that you are finally starting to get it." he stated happily

"I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Flit and I got stuck in the storeroom and used our combined body warmth to keep from freezing." Scraps explained. He felt the need to voice the situation rather than think it. Acumen nodded as he spoke his grin widened slightly.

"Look, I'm gonna spell it out for you because you're still obviously having trouble reading your own mind. You like her and she likes you even if she won't admit it, the problem is admitting it to each other." Acumen explained

"I've never had these feelings before, I'm just not sure how to go about this." Scraps replied.

"Okay, the best way at the moment is to just let it happen. You're both doing fine all on your own, my only advice is to let it happen. If it feels right go with it, sometimes your body learns quicker than your mind." Acumen replied. Scraps nodded in response, it was a lot to think about. Before coming here there was never even the remote possibility of a romantic relationship and now, in his first week he was already in the middle of two. On a positive note he knew which one he wanted to pursue.

"Yes, you better let Swipe know soon. She was not happy finding out that you spent more time alone with Flit." Acumen stated after reading his thoughts. They reached his quarters and Acumen let him inside, after securing the lock Scraps decided that he did need the shower and maybe catch up on some study.

~*~

Ratchet was still looking askance at Flit half an hour after he first walked into the cold room. Flit pretended that she didn't notice- acting innocent was the best way to convince someone that you were. She and Scraps has done nothing more than what they needed to do to keep from freezing in the darkness.

When the storeroom was finally fixed Ratchet tested the lights and the door a few times before clearing his throat.

"All done now Flit. See you later." He said.

"Yup." Flit replied, continuing to count some packages on one of the back shelves.

"Hey Flit! How's it-" Hawkeye stopped talking as he walked into the room and saw that Ratchet was with her.

"Another one?" Ratchet asked, looking at her with his eyebrows arched in disbelief. He shook his head and muttered as he walked out.

"What's he talking about?" Hawkeye asked, his expression marred by confusion. 

"No idea... You know Ratchet- always has a couple of bolts loose." Flit said with a shrug.

"How has your day been?" Hawkeye asked, walking over to her and picking up one of the packages that she had just counted.

"Cold." Replied Flit. She wanted to tell him about what had happened- she wanted to tell someone at least. However, despite how close she was to Hawkeye she remembered visibly how annoyed he had become when she divulged details of her last (and only) romance to him. She had no inclination to make him angry again.

"I can imagine so... How much more have you got to count?" He asked. She turned and pointed to the shelf behind her and some boxes on the floor. "I'll give you a hand, and then maybe we can do some training before dinner." He said. Flit was more than happy to go along with his plan.

After counting after counting the freezer and doing some training with Hawkeye, Flit was pleased to go to dinner. They were the first there. They sat at their usual table and the room slowly filled up as they ate. When Swipe came into the room she gave Flit a long and undeserved glare before limping over and sitting down at the table.

"So Flit, I hear you like it cold." Swipe said, taking a delicate mouthful of her dinner.

"What?" Flit asked, looking up at her, eyebrows furrowing.

"You did get stuck in the freezer with Scraps for a very long time. Did you plan it like that or was it just a happy coincidence?" Swipe asked. Hawkeye choked on his food and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting for her to confirm this new piece of news.

"Do you mean that it was just a happy coincidence that you twisted your ankle? Of course not Swipe, you know how I hate it when you get hurt." Flit said in a faux sweet tone.

"You'd best be careful Flit. If you get into any more trouble you might just be on Supply duties for good." Swipe said with a casual shrug.

"Luckily there is nothing to get into trouble for." Flit snapped. "Now are you going to continue carrying on like an idiot or are you going to eat your dinner?'

Swipe didn't bother answering her, filling her petulant pouty mouth with another spoonful of food.

About ten minutes later Scraps walked into the room with Acumen. Flit was pleased to see that he favoured her with a warm smile. She smiled back at him, but her view was blocked when Swipe practically jumped out of seat and waved at him. When she lowered herself back down she patted the seat beside her. Flit had to laugh at the look on Swipe's face when Acumen sunk into it in Scraps's place.

"Didn't know you'd be so excited to see me." Acumen said to Swipe with a grin. She just glared at him before giving Scraps a sweet smile as he sat down. "How you going Stud?" She asked him.

"Stud?" Flit whispered, looking at Hawkeye with wide eyes. "So much better than Scraps! Why didn't I think of it?" Hawkeye laughed at the joke before asking Acumen something about a recent training session they had done.

After they had all finished eating Swipe had asked that Scraps escort her to her room, seeing as it was partially because of him that she had been injured. For some reason, Acumen agreed to this and told Scraps that he would meet him in front of his room in half an hour. In a way it was good- allowing Scraps some trust and independence. But it was also terrible; leaving him alone with Swipe couldn't be good for his health or sanity. Swipe and Scraps left the room with Swipe leaning on him heavily and making little whimpers as her foot touched the ground. Flit could only roll her eyes at the melodrama.

"I can walk you to the residence if you like." Hawkeye said, looking at her. 

"I would expect nothing less." Flit replied with a laugh.




The Hub Ch. 03



As they walked Flit was given a very thorough run down on the group training session she had missed. Hawkeye was great at telling stories, and he knew that she was annoyed on missing out so much so he added extra flourishes just for her; he was especially good at doing voice impressions.

"So you got stuck in the freezer, huh?" He asked out of nowhere. He had just been telling her how Post-Hoc had been yelling at Cogs for exploding one of their training computers.

"Er- yeah. The door was stuffed and I was waiting for maintenance, but Scraps closed it behind him before I could tell him not to."

"I see..." Hawkeye said slowly, looking at her for more information. She didn't answer immediately, but after a few seconds of silence with him still glaring at her, she rolled her eyes.

"Nothing happened!" Flit said defensively. "He only had training gear on, so I took my coat off and we both sat under it together to stay warm."

Hawkeye's face flickered with a strange emotion before it returned to its normal calm state.

"So you're stuck under a coat, in complete darkness, and he didn't try anything? Do you know how dangerous that situation could've been?"

"Hawk! It isn't like I planned it! And what would you rather me do, huh? Let him freeze to death?"

"He wouldn't have frozen to death. And to be perfectly honest I think you need to be a bit more careful. He seems like a nice guy but he hasn't been done here for very long. I don't want you to get hurt." He reprimanded.

"Sorry Tinker. Anything else I need to know?" She sneered, turning her nose up at his ridiculous treatment of her.

The rest of their walk was quiet and tense. Flit angry because she didn't like being treated like a child by her best friend, and Hawkeye seething for reasons that Flit couldn't fathom.

~*~

Scraps had found that a warm shower worked wonders. The physical and mental stress he had endured lately was comparable to what he experienced on the surface but the recent emotional stress drained him beyond anything he'd ever known. Acumen had spelled it out for him word for word. He liked Flit and she liked him. Acumen was a mind-reader after all so he would know. All Scraps could do now was to follow the advice and just let it happen. Hopefully he would get the opportunity to tell Flit directly.

Acumen knocked on the door a couple of hours after Scraps had been dismissed from training. Scraps put down the digital pad he had been studying and was pleased that it was dinner time. He still felt like a miniature sized rodent in a gargantuan maze trying to find the cheese. On the walk they didn't talk about himself and Flit, only about the new training schedule. Now that Harmony and Acumen were happy with the progress and control of his own skills they wanted him to train with other Derivates including Acumen himself. Scraps looked forward to the challenge and was especially pleased that Acumen had recommended that Flit train with him.

"Remember, I made the request, so don't blow it." Acumen warned only half jokingly. Another expression lost on him but he understood the underlining meaning behind it. He had told Flit in the storeroom he wanted another chance to try and beat her and now it looked like he was going to get the opportunity sooner rather than later.

At dinner, Flit, Hawkeye and Swipe were already seated at their usual table. He gave Flit a warm smile which she returned, Swipe got up and tried to motion Scraps, to sit next to her but luckily Acumen interceded and seated himself in his place. They conducted their dinnertime conversation like always apart from the odd tension and ensued after Swipe mentioned himself and Scraps getting locked up together. When they had all finished dinner Swipe requested Scraps to escort her back to her quarters. At first he thought Acumen would save him again but he agreed and told him to meet him at his own quarters after. He thought it odd to be given permission to navigate the complex unescorted so unofficially, perhaps he trusted him now. Nevertheless it would give him the opportunity to talk to Swipe .

They were approximately halfway to her quarters in a narrow corridor when Scraps decided that this was the most opportune moment to tell her.

"Swipe I need to tell you something...." he started. Before he could continue she paused, turned and then looked at him like a piece of meat. She pushed him against the wall using her ability before he had time to react, at first he thought she was attacking him. His inhibitor was still in place and so he had no way of fighting back. What she did however, surprised him. Swipe rushed forward and planted her lips on his, Scraps eyes opened wide in shock and he tried to resist. It didn't deter her, she tried to use her tongue to pry his lips open. When he resisted again she stepped back with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong Stud? Did I scare you? Am I going fast for ou?" She asked slyly, she paced back and forward in front of him like a tiger stalking her prey.

"I'm sorry Swipe, I'm not interested in you." Scraps explained apologetically, still shaken by her sudden attack.

"What? Wait, is it 'cause of Flit? I knew that bitch was trying to take you off me. You don't have to worry about her Stud, I can make sure she never sees you again." Swipe explained. Her threat angered him and he responded as such.

"No! Leave Flit alone! I'm sorry Swipe, I don't like you in that way." He said angrily, Scraps barely recognised the voice exploding from his mouth. Swipe it seemed was shocked too, her eyes and mouth were wide open.

"Is that so? Well if I can't have you, then nobody can. I will make sure Flit'll stay on storage duty for the rest of her life." she retorted. Scraps felt rage bubbling deep within; he knew that Flit hated the idea of being stuck on stock duties.

"No you won't! Because if you do I will inform Acumen or Harmony about what you did tonight, I'm sure they won't be happy with you using your abilities forcefully on another." he warned. Her look had gone beyond shock, but she got the idea. She released him without saying another word and hobbled off to her room. 

Scraps returned to his room as quickly as he could and Acumen was waiting for him. He didn't need to say anything, Acumen had already read his mind. Silently Acumen opened the door and allowed him inside. Once the lock clicked into place Scraps collapsed on the bed and feel into a deep slumber but unsatisfying.

~*~

The following morning Flit was on her last day of supply duty, changing the filers in the water system, when she was interrupted by Lucky from control.

"Hey Flit, how are you?" Lucky asked, pushing some of her dark brown hair behind her ear.

"Could be better." Flit said with a shrug, looking around some pipes and at the woman who had spoken to her.

"Post-Hoc wants a word with you in training room three. He said it won't take long." Lucky said. Flit grinned and put her spanner down.

"Cool. I will come up right away. Thanks for letting me know." 

Flit was relieved to be away from the maintenance room. She hated every job in supply. The only interesting thing about her week had been her time locked in the cold vault with Scraps. And it certainly wasn't because of the work. She walked as slowly as she could justify on her way to see Post-Hoc. Every extra second she took would be one less second she had to spend doing boring tasks like changing water filters. When she arrived Post-Hoc favoured her with one of his grim lop-sided smiles and put down a heavy looking box that he was carrying.

"Flit, how are you enjoying supply?" He asked, that grin still on his face. Flit just glared at him in response- no need to answer that stupid question. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking. "Relax, relax.... I asked you to come here because we have a new assignment for you to complete alongside your normal duties."

That certainly piqued her interest.

"And what would this new assignment be?" She asked slowly, sceptically.

"Acumen and Harmony have decided that Scraps is ready for more training now. They told me that his telekinetic abilities have progressed well, and are confident that he won't be hurting himself or us any time soon. Plus, Acumen and Harmony have a lot of other things on their plate. So, they have decided to hand his training off to me. However, I also have a lot to do at the moment."

Flit didn't want to say anything just yet, but she could feel the excitement welling up within her.

"I am happy to organise a training schedule for Scraps, but I don't have the time or resources to keep track of it as much as I would like to. So, I had a talk to Acumen and he seemed to think that you would be a good choice to do this for me. Sort of like a mentor- like you had when you first started training. What do you think about that?"

"Yes!" Her response was immediate, and by the shocked look that Post-Hoc was giving her it was probably a little too enthusiastic. "Well, yeah. I don't have a problem with it." She added, a little more hesitantly this time.

"Great." He handed her a piece of paper. "That is what I have planned for Scraps. Those training times have been organised so that he gets a chance to train with everyone. On top of making sure that runs smoothly for him you will need to touch base with him as much as possible to check how he is going and make sure that he is coping well." 

Flit took the paper and looked down at it, seeing that Scraps was indeed getting a chance to train with a range of different people. The best part though, was that she had scheduled training with him every Saturday for the majority of the day. Let's see if he really can catch me, Flit thought with a grin.

"Looks good to me." She said, folding the paper in half. "Shall I let him know now?" She asked.

"Go ahead. Although he has been given today off training, so I'm not sure if he will be in his room or if he's gone out." Post-Hoc said.

Flit said a very quick goodbye as she rushed out of the door and towards the holding cells. This time, instead of taking her time and dragging her feet, she used her abilities to get her there faster. So it was that only a few minutes later she was knocking on the door of the holding cell.

When the door slid open she saw Scraps sitting at his desk reading something on his tablet and Acumen playing a game of cards with himself. 

"Hi!" Flit said, smiling at both of them. Acumen looked up at her for a moment and then nodded slightly.

"I might go to the little boy's room. I'll be back soon." He said, brushing past Flit and letting the door shut behind them.

"Hey Scraps, how's it going?" She asked, crossing the room and taking the seat that Acumen had just vacated. She looked up at him and had to make a conscious effort to stop herself from blushing like an adolescent. 

~*~

That morning Scraps decided that he didn't want to explore the complex- he just needed some time to get over the debacle with Swipe. Acumen met him in the morning and told him that he could do whatever he wanted on his day off. Scraps wanted to study, at least that what he told himself. Just when he thought he was getting the hang of memorizing the tunnel system Acumen would quiz him and find him lacking.

"Don't worry buddy, it took me weeks before I even knew how to leave this place." Acumen commented. Scraps found it hard to believe, all he would have to do is read someone's mind to get the answer. "Okay, I cheated a little when I started, but all you really need to worry about are the remote shelters. If you can find them, then you can hold up for a night or two until you can figure out where to go." Acumen explained. "Are you sure you don't wanna play poker with me?" Acumen asked holding out some cards to him. Scraps knew it was a joke, he was getting used to Acumen's form of humour. Scraps just smiled and went back to his study.

"By the way, I know you're a little worried about Swipe and what she might do, but don't be. I know what happened, I spoke to Swipe this morning before coming here, she's a little miffed but she'll stay away now. Don't expect her to be bright and cheerful to you or Flit over the next few weeks though." Acumen explained. It was good to know that Scraps hadn't got either of them in too much trouble.

After a few more minutes of studying Scraps got a pleasant surprise. Flit came to visit and she seemed very happy. The memory of Swipe was wiped clean from his mind when she greeted him, Acumen excused himself and she took his place on the chair.

"I'm going well, how are you?" He returned her greeting with a smile.

~*~

"Good thank- on my last day of Supply duty so I am pretty happy about that." Flit replied said. She looked down at the game of solitaire that Acumen had been playing and shifted a few cards around just for the heck of it. "So, I hear that you have graduated from your one-on-one training with Swipe. Congrats."

Flit watched as Scraps's face flickered for a moment with some sort of emotion. Before she could comment on it the moment had passed and he returned to smiling at her.

"I came here after talking to Post-hoc. He said that he wants you to start training with all of us individually now, he gave me this for you." She handed him the paper she was holding with his training schedule on it. "As you can see we'll be training for most of the day every Saturday. Post-hoc also asked that I be your mentor. That basically means that if you have any issues with training you can come to me. On that note, we'll need to be sure to catch up with each other regularly so you can ask any questions or tell me anything you need to."

Flit stopped messing around with Acumen's game and looked up at Scraps for a reaction.

"So, what do you think about that?" She asked, stomach churning nervously.

"That's great news, I'm looking forward to testing out what I've learnt. Especially now since I'll get another chance to catch you." Scraps replied with a smile.

Flit was relieved to see the happiness on Scraps's face. Even though their time in the cold vaults the previous day had been undeniably intimate, she was hoping that it wasn't just out of cluelessness. The way he smiled at her gave her hope that he spoke truly. She had to try hard to hide her own childish grin.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so confident if I were you..." Flit teased. "Look. I'd better get back to Supply- apparently in this day and age water filters can't change themselves. I'll be seeing you around though. I won't be available during the day during the week, but in the evenings and on weekends I am all yours... That is, except when I'm on patrol. But you get what I mean. See you at dinner." 

Flit gave him one last smile before getting up and leaving the room.

~*~

Two weeks later Flit and Scraps were both happy with their new routine. Each day of the week save Sunday Scraps would have training with one of the Underground Derivates. In the evenings they would catch up either before or after dinner and chat about lots of things- not just training. Sometimes Hawkeye would join them if he had been on patrol with Flit, but neither Flit nor Scraps minded too much. Flit had been right when she thought that they would all get along. 

Over that time Scraps was really coming into himself. He was talking a fair bit more, joking a lot more, and slowly managing to shed off the yes-sir attitude that The Government had drilled into him. As much as Flit tried to prevent it, she couldn't help but like him more and more each time they met. Even though they hadn't had another encounter quite like the one in the cold vaults, they had shared a number of looks and smiles that let her know that he was still interested. Flit didn't really want to make the first move, but judging by Scraps's past she had come to realise that anything else was impossible. She would have to be the one to take control. She would have to overcome her past and take the risk again, even though she told herself that she was never going to get into another relationship.

So it was that Flit and Scraps were taking a break from a long and full-on afternoon of training. Scraps still hadn't managed to catch Flit. With the rule that no fixtures in the training room (namely lights) were allowed to be broken, he had very little chance to catch her with anything other than psionic muscle. He was frustrated that he hand't been able to catch her, and was thoroughly convinced that if he was allowed to make it dark he would have her in no time.

"You don't have your night-vision glasses anymore." Flit pointed out to him as she took a drink of icy cold water. "Besides, you can't always rely on being able to take out the light source. What if you came up against a teleporter in broad daylight?" 

Flit watched as he processed this. There was a (small) part of her that felt a little sorry for him. Up in The Hub he had been at the top of the food chain- as a rank 5 he would have had the power over anyone lower than himself. Now though, where everyone's abilities were uncapped, he found himself no longer at the top of the pyramid.

Despite Flit's penchant for winning, she had begun to realise that some things were worth more than the ability to say "I beat you". Scraps's happiness was one thing, but what was more important was that he knew how to defend himself if another teleporter attacked him. Only Hawkeye had any idea of how to catch her, but even then it was nearly impossible for him to do because his ability was not active like hers. 

With a sigh Flit put down her glass of water and walked over to Scraps. She waited for him to finish his drink and looked up at him. His deep red eyes looked down into hers questioningly, and she couldn't help but notice the way that the inhibitor on his brow shone in the well-lit training room.

"Do you trust me?" She asked, voice filled with hesitation.

~*~

The next two weeks rushed past like a tropical storm. He was inundated with training and barely had enough time to breathe. Even though he was used to training everyday on the surface, every session was set out and coordinated. Here in The Underground the mantra they preached was improvisation. Each and every one of the other Derivates whom he trained with would give him no clue as to what maneuver they were going to try, they simply told him that he needed to learn to adapt to any situation. Coupled with the fact that there was no way to know how powerful his opponent was, he was outmatched in almost every way.

His training with Flit had a slightly different tone. Where the others were all business and learning, Scraps and her would almost play with each other as she darted around the room avoiding his every attack. He would never catch her but her playful laughs spurred him on. In truth unlike the others he wasn't trying as hard, he just enjoyed spending so much more time with her. Unlike Swipe she wasn't as aggressive in her physical closeness, a small tap on the shoulder, a pat on the hand and sometimes even a cheek rub. Most importantly he enjoyed touch, very much.

After one of their training sessions they were both huffing and puffing from their exercise and Flit asked him a question. He looked deep into her hazel eyes and knew the answer without hesitating.

"I trust you." Scraps replied honestly.

~*~

When he said that he trusted her she felt a peculiar yet familiar sensation in the pit of her stomach. She tried to ignore it as she took a big step towards him, so that their toes were a hair's breadth from touching.

"Don't resist." She whispered, and slowly wrapped her arms around him. 

Flit took a second to revel in the look of shock on his face before she jumped them both to another location in the room. She gave him just long enough to register what had happened before she jumped him several more times in quick succession. When she decided that he'd had enough she looked up into his eyes again and saw that he was clearly dazed. 




The Hub Ch. 03



Flit reached up and put her hands on his cheeks, then brought his face lower as she stretched herself up to meet him. Slowly, tentatively, she pressed her lips against his. They were hot and soft against her own, and being so close to him she could smell that intense scent that was uniquely his. After a moment she begun to pull away, but she couldn't do it. She leaned up again for another soft lingering kiss before finally managing to tear herself away.

"You need to make me jump constantly. You need to keep me on the move. If you've done it right I'll become tired and dazed. Then you need to hold me, like this, with your body and your mind.... Then, Scraps, I'm yours." She whispered breathlessly.

Flit looked up at him, feeling small and vulnerable in his arms. She waited for him to respond, every second feeling like an eternity with the ghost of his lips on hers still haunting her body.

~*~

The kiss was a welcome shock to his system, so much so he barely registered what she was teaching him. She looked up at him as if waiting for his response but he felt frozen, her kiss was most definitely unlike his previous one with Swipe. She was gentle and soft, the feel of her lips invited his own rather than forced them. Acumen told him to follow his feelings and right now all he wanted to do was reciprocate her affection. He gently cupped her cheek and bent his head down toward hers. He planted a soft kiss on her soft lips, then another. Before he knew their kisses had become more frequent and far more passionate. He felt her tongue teasing the outside of his lips requesting entry. He opened his mouth to allow her access and imitated her by using his own tongue in her mouth. There were no procedures or rules, only this and only her.

~*~

Flit melted into Scraps's arms as they kissed passionately. Her heart was a flutter and body was on fire. His tongue played with hers carefully and she couldn't stop the quiet moan from escaping her lips. She slipped her hands around him and pressed herself against him, enjoying the feeling of having his hard body against her own. 

She didn't want to pull away from him, but eventually she did. When she looked up at him she was breathing heavily, lips tantalizingly swollen from his careful attention. She gave him a small half smile and rested her forehead against his chest softly.

A knock at the door shattered the mood and Flit jumped away from Scraps to the other side of the room. She flattened her hair just as the door opened.

"How's training going?" Post-hoc asked as he opened the door. "Has he caught you yet Flit?"

"Only because I let him." She said dismissively, trying to regain her normal confident tone. She looked at Scraps and his dazed face and hoped that she didn't look the same.

"Good idea. Give him some hope.... Look guys, I can't stay, I just wanted to tell you that you two will be going for the orienteering test next weekend; first thing Saturday morning." He said. Flit's heart skipped a beat and she looked at Scraps, but she wasn't sure if he knew what the orienteering test was. "Scraps, Acumen thinks that you should have no trouble with it. He told me that you've been studying hard." Post-hoc nodded at Scraps with approval in his eyes. "Flit, it's your job to make sure that Scraps is ready to go, and then you can go with him just in case."

"I remember my orienteering test." Flit said with a smile "I will be a passive observer and nothing more." She said to Post-hoc in a solemn tone that felt unfamiliar to her lips.

"Great. Well, I'm off- see you both at dinner." With that Post-hoc turned, left the room, and shut the door behind him. 

Flit turned to Scraps and grinned.

"Orienteering test!" She said overenthusiastically. Part of her was disappointed that she was no longer in his arms, but the other part didn't mind because the interruption was well worth it.

~*~

He enjoyed every second and every minute so close to Flit, her smell, her taste, her body. He paid careful attention to the way her tongue playfully licked his own and he in turn began to experiment with hers. She moaned in pleasure as they kissed, it awakened something deep within, as she pressed her body close to him he could feel is erection hardening between them. At first the feeling of his growing penis was an awkward moment but now it only felt natural. When she pulled away and lay her head on his chest he was could still feel the blissful high that was generated by their recent lip and tongue acrobatics.

When Post-Hoc entered Flit jumped back from him and fixed her hair, Scraps assumed that she didn't want the others to know about their intimate moments; he was grateful that she wanted to keep it private between them, he needed more time with her alone to get used to everything. Scraps listened to Post-Hoc but still couldn't get the feeling and taste of her lips out of his mind. At the end of the conversation he only caught one thing of importance.

"What's the Oreinteering test?"

"The orienteering tests is when they send you out deep into the Underground and you have to find your way back to base." She said, "But you don't get a map." She smiled at him. "I will be shadowing you. My job is to watch and make sure we don't get lost too badly." She explained.

Scraps smiled at her comment and was very pleased that she was going to with him.

"That sounds challenging, I suppose I should really study more this coming week. How long does it take?" he asked.

"It is a little different for everyone, but most people have to spend at least one night camped out before they can make it back." She said, her cheeks flushing endearingly as she spoke.

That would mean they would be spending a great deal of time together, the thought of it sent warm feelings through his body and he smiled openly.

"I see, well I'll try not to disappoint you." He replied slyly.

"Oh, that's alright." Flit said with a cheeky half smile "I am in no rush to get back. You can take all the time you need next Saturday... Come on, let's get to the Mess Hall before all of the good seats are taken." Flit turned and left the room, leaving him to follow after her.

~*~

That evening Scraps had excused himself from dinner early. The talk at the table had been all about the Orienteering Test and Flit had a slight suspicion that the exaggerations of the test's difficulties had made Scraps slightly nervous. No doubt he returned to his room to study. When he left they exchanged small, knowing smiles, and a bolt of desire ran deep into the pit of her stomach.

"Hey Flit." Hawkeye said, shattering through her thoughts. "What are you doing next Saturday night?"

"I'm shadowing Scraps for his Orienteering Test." She said, turning to face her friend and was shocked to see the outrage on his face.

"What?" He asked abruptly.

"I," she put a hand on her chest "am taking," she moved her index and middle fingers to simulate legs walking "Scraps", She held her hand high above her head to symbolise a tall person "on his Orienteering Test." She brought a hand above her brow and acted as though she was peering around the room.

For a split second Hawkeye's look of outrage was taken over by one of utter disbelief.

"I heard what you said, I just didn't believe it." He said irritably. 

"Well then, you need to learn to ask more appropriate questions." Flit said with a shrug. He rolled his eyes and ignored her comment.

"Why are you the one going on his Orienteering Test?" Hawkeye asked.

"Because I'm his mentor, maybe?" Flit asked, feigning cluelessness.

"Yes, I am aware of that, but it is dangerous to send you two out there... alone! Who knows what things he could do to you?" Hawkeye snapped.

"Hmm... Who knows indeed." Flit muttered under her breath.

"Flit! I'm being serious." Hawkeye said impatiently. So am I, she thought, but then decided not to voice her statement.

"I don't understand what the problem is. For the last two weeks you've spent almost as much time with him as I have- you seemed to trust him before dinner... what changed?" Flit asked, annoyed.

"I do like him!" Hawkeye said, the frustration clear in his voice as his hands balled into fists on the table top.

"Right." Flit said slowly, "Right now Hawkeye you are making no sense!" She shook her head and took a deep breath, hoping that a change of topic would avoid further argument. "Why did you want to know in the first place?" She asked. Hawkeye looked flustered at the change of topic before recovering.

"I was thinking that we could go and camp by The River for the night. Just you and I. We haven't been spending much time alone together lately." He said far too quickly.

"Maybe another time Hawk." Flit said slowly, now feeling bad for her treatment of him. He was right, the time they spent together had changed lately- their patrols were now short and rushed, as Flit always had her mentoring duties to return to.

~*~

Three days later Flit approached the door of Scraps's holding cell nervously. She tugged at the bottom of her fitted singlet and smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in her tight leather pants. This was going to be her first time alone with Scraps since those wonderful kisses.

Flit had spent a great deal of time thinking about their kiss. The way his lips felt on hers, how he tasted as he ran his tongue along hers, the shivers that ran up her spine as he grasped her face and brought it to his so he could explore her more thoroughly.

She had seen Scraps at dinner the previous night and warned him that she had organised for someone else to go on patrol with Hawkeye so she could help him study. However, studying was probably the furthest thing from her mind at that stage. All she really wanted from the study session was to learn more about Scraps. About how his hands would feel skimming along her hips, how hot his fingers would be as they tangled through her hair, how amazing it would feel to have his hard body pressed against hers.

Get a grip, she told herself angrily and bringing her hand up to rap on the door before her mind wandered further.

When the door opened and she saw him standing there in dark jeans and a fitted grey t-shirt she had to stop her mouth from hanging open.

"Hi!" She squeaked, hating the way that he did this to her. "I'm here for the Orienteering stuff..."

~*~

"Hi." he responded. He invited her in and resumed his study on the digital data pad. She walked over and observed his progress.

"It's becoming difficult to study on this device because of its small size." Scraps complained.

Flit watched the frustration on Scraps's face as he tried to study the maps of the Underground on the small screen.

"I have some paper maps of these levels if you want..." Flit said, peering over his shoulder. It certainly was hard to see anything with any great detail. "They're in my room somewhere. We could go and find them if you like. I always prefer paper to the screen."

"That sounds like a good idea, lead the way." He said holding his hand out pointing toward the door. Flit watched as Scraps considered this and then nodded his head decisively.

Flit nodded and begun to do just as Scraps had asked. She led him out of the holding cells, past the Mess Hall, and into the main part of the Residence. However, it wasn't until she was a few doors down from her own that she realised what she was doing. They were going to be in her room. Alone. The sudden epiphany made her stomach drop and her face flood with heat.

When she approached the door she punched the code into the control panel beside it and the door slid open. Immediately she had regretted opening her mouth.

"I- uh... The room is a little messy at the moment. I don't spend much time in here really. It has just become kind of a dumping ground for my crap." She explained. She didn't even want to imagine what the ex-Registered Officer in him would make of the bomb-zone that she called her room.

Flit stepped over some old weapons and then leaned over to swipe some papers off her bed.

"Why don't you sit down while I try to find the maps?" She asked. Without waiting to see if he complied she turned and made for the concealed cupboards that made up all of one wall.

Flit pressed the small indent on the wall and the door of the cupboards slid into the other wall to reveal shelves full of an assortment of items. 

"This might take a while." Flit said, disgruntled, as she begun to pull things out to find the damn maps.

She searched high and low for the maps. Reaching to the top shelves and leaning over for the lower. Where are the damn maps? She thought impatiently as she looked and looked.

~*~

To say that the room was messy would have been an understatement. The mutant rats nest looked like a library compared to the unorganised and sporadic placement of random objects in the space she referred to as a room. Normally such disorder would have annoyed him greatly but since he had come to know Flit, the smaller and less important things that made her up only outlined her uniqueness.

As she requested, he attempted to find a place to sit while she riled through the jungle of assorted mess. He moved a few objects from what could possibly have been a bed and sat down, making himself comfortable.

As she searched for the maps he observed quite thoroughly the way her body moved. He focused most especially on her behind and enjoyed the tight fit of her leather pants, pleased to have the opportunity to watch her so freely.

~*~

Flit's impatience grew as she had to dig deeper and deeper into her cupboard. If it wasn't embarrassing enough that Scraps had to see the rest of her room, seeing her hunt through her cupboard would definitely qualify. Just as Flit saw a pile of paper that looked fairly promising she heard a crunch and a slide and she looked up to see some old boxes falling down on top of her. When the box fell and hit her shoulder she swore under her breath and wished again that she had telekinesis rather than teleporting.

Keeping her face towards the cupboard to hide the blush caused by her clumsiness she reached into the cupboard for the paper she saw before.

"Aha!" Flit cried triumphantly as she unfolded it slightly. Pleased that she had finally found it she turned to Scraps and held it out to show him.

"Scoot backwards so your back is against the wall." Flit told him

After Scraps moved back on the bed, Flit hopped on in front of him and motioned for him to move his legs apart. Then she sat between then, just as she did when they were in the freezer. When she was settled, leaning back against his chest with her chin resting just above her ear, she unfolded the map.

By the time the map was completely unfolded it was huge. It was a relatively up to date schematic of the tunnels that made up the residence. It was pretty rare for anything like this to be on paper, but it was the way that she had learned best when she was studying for her orienteering test.

Even though Flit should have been concentrating on the detail of the map all that she could think about was the warm body behind her, and the way that Scraps's breath played hot on the sensitive skin of her ear.

"Do you think this'll help?" She asked, trying to remain focused on the situation at hand.

~*~

Flit sat between his legs again just like the storeroom. He could already feel the beginnings of his arousal as she shifted her body on him to get comfortable. With her head being so close to his he was able to breathe in her unique scent; the chill of the air in the storeroom masked a majority of it and he relished in the full dose offered to him now. Even though the fact that he got to see a map printed on real, and very good quality, paper should have taken his attention there was something else that he was paying more attention to. She shifted once more to make herself comfortable, and her leather clad rear pressed against his newly hardened erection in the most pleasant manner.

"Oh yes, definitely" Scraps answered huskily, realising a second later Flit was referring to the map laid out in front of them and not her position against him.

~*~

Hearing the deep husky rumble in his tone made Flit's nether regions flood with heat. She knew he was referring to the map, but when his voice took on that erotic growl she couldn't help but enjoy it. The fact that his breath was hot on her ear only added to the sensation. 

"I found this part here particularly challenging at first." Flit said breathlessly, pointing to a spot to the right of the map. Her heart fluttered against her ribcage like a caged bird. "The tunnels that run from it twist back on themselves- so you really have to know them well otherwise they are very confusing" 

Flit leant the side of her head against his cheek softly. She hoped that he thought she was keeping it together, because she wasn't sure how much longer she could hide it. Her mind ran over the events in the cold room and then their training session. There was only one thing that Flit was particularly worried about at that time.

"The map won't be much help to you though." She said slowly, lowering the paper onto her lap. "The Orienteering test will take you deep into the bowels of the Underground. Try as you might you'll never be able to memorise the whole series of tunnels... What you need is to learn the markers. To learn the subtle hints of where each tunnel leads, and most importantly you need to be able to find the outpost shelters." 

Flit turned her head slightly so that her lips were nearly touching his chiselled jaw line.

"Maybe you can borrow the map and study it when you want- I can't help you with that. I think, though, that there are other things I can help you study." She said slowly.

~*~

He listened to her advice but still found it odd to only study a part of something. He was used to either knowing it all or none of it. None of that seemed to matter at present though as Scraps watched the map being lowered into her lap.

She turned her head slightly toward his own and he felt the soft brush of her lips on his jaw. He faintly heard her speaking about borrowing the map but the conversation was lost on him. With her lips so close to his he could not resist the urge. Slowly he edged his mouth toward hers and initiated a light gentle kiss on her lips.

"Oh..." Flit breathed into his mouth as their lips met, the sound sweet and exciting to his ear. 

After a few moments though, the sweetness gave way to something a little more insistent. Slowly Flit ran her tongue along his lips, begging for entrance as she carefully turned her body against him so that she was facing him. Flit gasped as she turned, and Scraps could only guess that she could feel his erection against her hips, the knowledge and contact sent a shiver down his spine. By the time she was facing him she her breathing was laboured and their kiss had deepened. She reached down and grasped his hands as she kissed him, then brought them around her as she knelt between his legs.

With her facing him now their kisses became more passionate. She guided his hands behind her and he explored her back taking note of her perfectly formed physique. Following his instincts his hands lowered themselves to her bottom which he gently stroked through her tight leather pants, making her moan into his mouth. His palms and fingers kneaded her skin tenderly. 

The exploration of her bottom yielded positive results. She repositioned herself, placing her legs either side of him and pressed downward. The pressure from between her legs on his arousal felt incredible. His only natural response was to press upward toward her with equal force, the action elicited a shocked gasp from her lips that muffled erotically by his mouth.

Flit responded to his upward thrust by grinding herself against his hard arousal. He matched her movements, moving his hips back and forward in time with her. Her hands guided his own along the curves of her body and brought them up to her breasts. He caught the hint and slowly began stroking them through the fabric.




The Hub Ch. 03



~*~

Flit lost all sense of time and space as their bodies collided in a heated exchange of kissing and touching. It had been so long since she had felt the hands of a man running along her curves, since she had tasted another on her lips. As they continued to explore each other intimately she was spurred on by the way that Scraps body responded to hers- the way that he ground up against her, how he stroked her breasts eagerly and well. Flit was reasonably certain that he had little to no experience with these behaviours and couldn't help but be pleased at how quickly he was picking it up.

Suddenly Flit felt guilt welling in the pit of her stomach. She was supposed to be training him to be a part of their world, not distracting him with her selfish needs. She hadn't even asked how he had felt about their kiss- she'd just assumed that his compliance showed his willingness.

"I'm sorry." She whispered between heavy breaths as she pulled her lips away from his. "I shouldn't have... It isn't fair on you! I didn't even think to ask how you felt before I..." She trailed off, looking into his eyes for acceptance of her apology. She felt as though she was taking advantage of him now. Something she never wanted to do to another person.

~*~

Scraps became lost in the myriad of feelings and sensations, the feel of her on top of him pressed against him and moving in time felt so natural. The memories of his past felt like they were being washed away. Though he wasn't a precog he knew his life was here in The Underground most especially with Flit.

She released his mouth from hers and he gave her a look of confusion. She asked if he had consented to their current actions. He almost laughed, but thought better of it and smiled instead.

"The way I feel about you, I'm having difficulty describing. But I know this. Before I met you my life was empty. You have given me a second chance, you have opened my mind to more possibilities than I could ever imagine. Every time I see you I feel complete and when you're not there I look forward to next time we meet." he explained sincerely

~*~

His words broke over her like waves upon a shore. They covered her, drowned her, and then slowly receded, leaving her with a sense of longing. It had been so long since she had actually considered another relationship that his enthusiasm warmed her soul. It gave her hope, but most of all it showed just how badly she wanted to give things a go with him.

"Oh Scraps," Flit said with a small smile. "I didn't give you a second chance. Everyone down here did- but most importantly, you gave yourself a second chance! You're doing so well in the Underground that I'm often surprised that you were Registered!" She caressed his cheek slowly. "I like you, I really do. I just don't want you to feel like you have to be with me to repay me."

~*~

His words came from somewhere deep within the recess of his mind. He had never spoken truer to anybody ever before. Even Acumen would not have been able to recite his monologue from reading his thoughts. Her praise raised his spirits further but she needed further reassurance.

"Flit." He paused and looked directly into her eyes. "Although I have not had any prior experience when it comes to a relationship, what we have together is real. Every word we share, every touch and every feeling is natural, nothing feels forced.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this but, Swipe forced a kiss upon me. I rejected her, our exchange after was very negative which is why she has been so rude at the dinner table lately." He explained.

~*~

Flit's insides melted as Scraps spoke. A small part of her was furious with Swipe for kissing him. That part, however, was quickly burned away by the emotions that his confession ignited. It was such a relief to hear that he had rejected Swipe. Not only because it meant that he wasn't interested in that horrible woman, but because he knew that he had the opportunity to explore other options and had still chosen Flit.

Flit couldn't think of anything to say- nothing she could string together would hold a light to the brilliance of his words. Instead, she decided to show him how she felt. She thrust her lips against his passionately, picking up where she had left off but with even more enthusiasm. As her tongue begged entrance to his mouth she settled her weight on his lap more firmly, pleased to feel his hardness against her again. She brought her hands up to cradle the back of his head as she kissed him more forcefully. 

A while later when Flit's lips became tender from all of the kissing she pulled away from Scraps. They were both breathing heavily and more than just a little aroused. She wanted to explore him further, but a larger part of her wanted to make sure that they paced themselves. She had to be careful not to take things too far too quickly.

Flit passed Scraps the map as they clambered off the bed and adjusted their dishevelled clothing. Flit ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to get it looking respectable again. When she was satisfied that she would look as though she hadn't just stepped out of bed she told Scraps that it was time to go to dinner. 

They Mess was reasonably busy when they arrived. Hawkeye and Acumen were already there when they came in. Flit and Scrap's got their food and made their way over to the table.

"How's the training going?" Acumen asked with a smirk on his smug face.

"Good; Scraps is really getting the hang of things!" Birds, birds, massive beaks pecking eyes out.

Acumen shook his head at her obvious attempt to keep him out of his mind.

"Good to hear things are progressing." Acumen said giving Flit another annoying smirk after he focused on Scraps for a moment. Now it was Flit's turn to shake her head.

They sat down and ate their dinner. Halfway through their meal Swipe and Post-hoc came and joined them. Flit took one look at Swipe and automatically felt anger simmering in her veins. It was only made worse by the look of discontent that Swipe was giving her.

"Flit, might I just say that you and Scraps seem to be getting along well." Swipe said conversationally, delicately spooning some soup into her mouth. "Though I must say I'm shocked. Don't you think it's a little too soon after Rook to be getting back onto the market? How do you think he would feel to see you so smitten?"

The words had barely fallen upon her ears when Flit felt her rage explode inside of her with all of the force of a nuclear bomb. She got to her feet and leapt over the table in the space of a heartbeat, her hands reaching out to dig her nails into Swipe's smarmy face.

Flit barely had time to leave a trail of bloody lines across Swipe's neck before she felt arms around her waist, pulling her back roughly. Her body fell against another and she looked up to see Acumen glaring at Swipe.

"Get out of here Swipe! NOW!" Acumen yelled. Swipe raised her fingers to her neck and pulled them away, horrified at the sight of her own blood.

"Fuck you." Flit hissed at the blonde bitch before she made three jumps to cross the room, escaping into the tunnels beyond. Her rage made her world swirl with a haze of red.

~*~

One second Swipe was talking and the next, Flit was leaping across the table and attacking her. Scraps, paralysed by confusion and shock watched as Acumen quickly pulled Flit back. Who was Rook and why did the name elicit such an emotional reaction from Flit?

Flit teleported away without so much as a word. Scraps looked at Acumen for an answer but he only shook his head. Hawkeye stood up quickly from the table and ran for the door. Scraps went to follow Hawkeye but Acumen held him back.

"She might need some alone time for this one buddy. Hawkeye knows her best, let him deal with it." he explained darkly. Scraps wanted to ask more but the mood at the table had changed significantly, and he didn't want to say anything to make it worse.

~*~

Flit made it only as far as the nearest junction before her body gave way and she tumbled to the floor. As she fell it felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs and she found herself gasping for breath. A million memories fell upon her like a landslide, burying her, suffocating her, dragging her back to place she had hoped to forget. The tears fell from her eyes as her rage was replaced by an all-consuming sorrow.

She didn't know how long she had been buried alive under her memories for before a pair of warm arms wrapped around her body. It was a solid anchor to reality that threatened to pull her from her despair. She tried to struggle free of the arms, but they remained strong. When she could fight no longer she looked up into Hawkeye's green eyes.

"Don't do this Flit." He said passionately "Don't let yourself go back there." 

Flit turned away from him, blinking rapidly as the hot tears seared trails down her cheeks.

"Swipe is a fucking bitch- she will say anything to get to you. She only said it because she likes Scraps and doesn't want you to get too close to him." Hawkeye murmured, still holding her against him. 

"Go away." Flit hiccupped miserably.

"Not until you stop this." Hawkeye told her softly but firmly. "You have come too far to let that bitch hurt you now."

Swipe's comment had been lower than Flit ever thought to expect from her. It was a calculated attempt to destroy her happiness, to send her back to a place that would take her far away from Scraps. The memories that Flit had hidden behind a solid wall of recovery were slowly driven away by the memories of the way that Scraps's lips had felt against her own and completely overshadowed by the powerful words he had used to declare his affection for her.

Slowly, and with Hawkeye's help, Flit got to her feet. The tremors that had consumed her body eventually subsided. She would not let Swipe ruin this for her. Her second chance at happiness. When she was on her feet again, Hawkeye pulled her against his body and held her fast. Flit melted into his comforting embrace, thankful again for the friend who had kept her from drowning more than once.

~*~

Scraps could no longer sit by idly while Flit was upset. Even though he knew that Hawkeye was a close friend, a large part of him felt he needed to be with her, not just for when she was happy but also when she was sad.

"Well, that was uncalled for." Swipe commented with annoyance. Everyone around her gave her a look that cut any further comment. Swipe's interruption was enough to spur Scraps into action. Scraps looked at Acumen, the mind-reader nodded back in understanding.

Scraps strode out of the Mess Hall purposefully; although he didn't know where she was exactly he knew she couldn't have gone too far. What he saw when he found her hit him hard. Hawkeye held her in a strong embrace, she was crying in his arms with her head resting against his chest. Scraps felt like his world had been shattered around him, where he should have been, was another. Perhaps the last few days with him had just been for fun. When it truly mattered she went to the man whom she cared for the most.

Scraps couldn't approach them, he couldn't bring himself to confront the truth. He retired to his room and didn't even open the map to study, it seemed only a reminder of the recent hurt. He lay on his bed and fell into a restless sleep.



The Hub Ch. 04



Author's note: As mentioned before, this is a joint writing effort between myself and DungeonsOfDread, and begun life as a role-play on the Lit forums. Many thanks to DungeonsOfDread for breathing life into Scraps, and creating this world with me. We hope you enjoy this next chapter and would love to hear any feedback you have. There is plenty more to come after this! Thanks! 



Scraps spent the next day mostly in training with Hawkeye. It was the most uncomfortable and aggravating thing he'd ever experienced. Because Hawkeye lacked an active ability they were practising close combat self-defence. Hawkeye was in an even more upbeat mood than usual and Scraps knew why. On several occasions Scraps forgot to pull back a punch or kick, as a result Hawkeye ended up with some nasty bruises.

"Whoa man! Careful, it's only training remember?" He stated happily. His annoyingly positive mood made Scraps all the more frustrated. Every time he landed a blow it felt like a welcome release to the built up tension. Hawkeye rubbed his chest after Scraps landed a well-placed kick. If they continued this way Scraps knew that he eventually hurt him more permanently. What worried Scraps the most was the fact that he didn't care too much if he did. All he could picture was Hawkeye holding Flit intimately, and that was a strong motivator.

"I'm sorry Hawkeye, I don't think I'm up for this today." Scraps acknowledged, taking a step back before he let his emotions get the better of him.

"Okay, No problem well go again next week." Hawkeye replied, he held his hand out to shake but Scraps just could bring himself to remain civil. He turned and left the room without looking back.

Scraps no longer required an escort and could freely move around the complex, his only destination this afternoon was his room. He knew with is upcoming test he should study but after the incident yesterday he could no longer motivate himself. He just lay on the bed and rested his head and mind.

After a few minutes he heard a knock on his door, it unlocked and Flit was standing there, she seemed anxious, perhaps she was going to inform him of the discontinuation of their relationship. It wasn't something he was ready for.

"Hi." he said flatly.

~*~

As soon as the door opened Flit could tell that there was something wrong. Scraps looked terrible, and when he greeted her his voice was completely devoid of any emotion. After Hawkeye had pulled her from a dark place that she thought she'd left behind, she had realised that Scraps was her second chance, just as much as she was his. However, his expression worried her, and after the emotions of last night she didn't know if she could handle losing him.

"Scraps? What's up?" Flit asked, concerned. Scraps looked up at her blankly, and the emptiness of his scarlet eyes felt like a dagger in her heart.

"I saw you with Hawkeye after dinner last night." He stated flatly and turned his head away from her before continuing, he took a deep breath as though he was steeling himself before he continued. "I thought you and I were...." he stopped himself short, "So are you with Hawkeye?" he questioned sadly.

"What?" Flit asked, eyes wide and mouth popping open in surprise. "Me and Hawk? No way!" She shook her head vigorously. "Hawkeye's like a brother to me- I've never been interested in him in that way." She said.

Flit's mind raced back to the previous night and tried to figure out when Scraps would have seen her. She didn't remember anything other than Hawkeye's voice as he talked her out of that dark place. Scraps must have seen them hugging, it was the only explanation for his dismay.

"Oh Scraps..." Flit said softly, crossing the room and sliding onto the bed beside him. She reached out and took his hand in her own, relishing the feeling of his warm skin on hers. "Hawkeye was comforting me- nothing more. He was there for me when..." She trailed off, unable to say what she knew she needed to. "Look, what Swipe said hurt me. She did it on purpose as well. She used what she knew would cut me the deepest. That is why I leapt at her- I don't normally attack people at the dinner table, you know."

Flit was momentarily distracted by the tactile memory of her nails ripping into Swipe's porcelain skin and she had to stop herself from smiling. It wasn't revenge- it wasn't nearly enough for what Swipe had said, but it would have to do.

~*~

Flits's sincerity was too pure for him to deny her words. As she touched his hand he looked back at her eyes. He felt like an idiot now, never once had he ever overreacted in a situation, he always analysed everything before formulating a solution. This girl had changed him; changed him for the better he decided as an afterthought. Without her, none of this would have been possible, just like everything in life there were bound to be positives and negatives. Even with this recent incident he still believed himself to be on top. He smiled at her.

"I understand now. Sorry about overreacting, it's not like me but all these new things and experiences have made it difficult to adapt." he explained. "I do have one question. If you don't want to talk about I'll understand, but can you tell me who Rook was?" he asked cautiously.

~*~

"There is nothing to be sorry for." Flit said sincerely, "The last couple of weeks have been emotionally draining for me; I can't even begin to imagine how it must be affecting you." Flit said. 

The smile on Scraps's face made her feel so much better. She leant forward slowly and placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. When she pulled away she let out a soft sigh.

"You're right about one thing." Flit said, looking away from Scraps. "I don't really want to talk about Rook... But I need to. You have a right to know what happened." Flit took a deep breath. "I might as well start from the beginning if you don't mind. You should make yourself comfortable." 

Flit scooted back on the bed so that she was seated beside Scraps with her back against the wall. Her stomach was roiling about and her heart was already aching, but he deserved to know, and she needed to learn to talk about it.

"I met Rook just after my eighteenth birthday. He and his parents transferred here from the Eastern Front." Flit began with a heavy sigh. "He was put into the Security team straight away- he'd been doing the same thing in the EF for a couple of years so it was an easy transition for him. At that stage I had just started proper training and was working here and there. When I did my Security rotation I did a few patrols with him, and we also did our navigation and survival training together." Flit couldn't help but smile when she remembered those times. Flit and Rook had spent their patrols poking fun at each other and trying to prank the other.

"We got along really well; we had the same ideas about a lot of things and were both pretty rebellious. It wasn't long before things started happening and we realised that there was something between us." Flit could picture Rook's face when he first admitted that he had feelings for her, the memory making her eyes fill with bitter tears. 

"The other thing was that his family was much like mine; they also lived their days in The Hub and their nights in the Underground. He understood what it was like to have to live in both worlds- not many people down here do." Flit said softly with a frown, sniffing back her tears.

"The years passed and things became pretty serious." Flit said, her mood slowly slipping from reminiscent to melancholy. "Then one night on the trip back to The Hub, he asked if we should put in the application with The Government so that we could be genetically approved for marriage." Flit's voice caught in her throat at the last word and she squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears at the memory of the look in Rook's tender brown eyes as he had spoken to her. 

"I said yes- of course- it wasn't even a question for us anymore. I told him to download the forms when he got home, and said that I'd quickly port back and let Digit in Intelligence know so that she could make sure our genetics would be compatible for The Government."

Flit's hands clenched the sheets and her chest began to heave. She opened her eyes and the dam holding back the tears was burst open.

"I went back and told Digit. When I asked she wasn't even surprised- she just told me that she'd already taken care of it. Apparently we were the last ones to think about it. I was so happy as I made my way back to The Hub, I was going to go straight to Rook's so we could get started on the forms."

Flit felt the familiar weight of her mourning settle over her, but she refused to stop speaking. She knew that Scraps was listening to her, and now she had to finish the tale. She would not let him go on without knowing something so important about her.

"When I got to his unit the doors had been blown in. The place was a complete mess- the comm screens shattered, the walls riddled with ammo holes. I found his Father's body first. After that there was a trail of blood leading from the dining room to Rook's room..."

Flit took a few minutes to allow the memories to wash over her. She couldn't ignore them, so she had to let them flow. Only then could she deal with them.

"Rook and his mother were gone." Flit said, the weight of her words settling on her and crushing her with their truth. She looked up at Scraps through her tears, his red eyes looking intensely into her own.

"There is something you need to understand about relationship down here, Scraps. They can be dangerous. At any moment one of us could expire- from natural causes, by the hand of The Government, because we over stretch our abilities... There aren't many happy endings down here, and the ones that do exist are hard fought for and bitterly earned..." 

Flit clasped her hands together in her lap and put her head down, the tears falling against her leather pants with soft splashes. It was hard for her to think, hard for her to speak, but she fought against the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her as she spoke.

"Almost two years ago, five days after Rook was taken, Digit came and found me in my room. She had discovered a new record in The Government's Archives. PF-601. Male. Twenty Four years old. Five feet ten inches. Dark brown hair and brown eyes. A Rank 5 telecoercionist who was known to have links with The Underground. Even with the control chip he tried to escape several times. The Government decided that he was too much of a risk, and was unable to be reclaimed, so they terminated him."

When Flit spoke the final word she let the tears fall freely and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her breath was coming in soft sharp bursts and her head started hurting, her eyes burning.

~*~

Scraps listened intently as her story unfolded. Her mood darkened the more she revealed. When her voice broke and she found it difficult to talk Scraps held her hand more tightly and wrapped an arm around her. When she finally concluded her tale he brought her closer placing her head in his chest. He now understood why she initially resisted their growing friendship, he himself shared the same concerns. Although he did not share a similar experience, hearing her tale brought to light the reality of their mortality.

Flit leant into Scrap's warm embrace. It took a while for her tears to subside, but when she had nothing left to cry she wiped her eyes carefully and looked up at Scraps who remained her silent sentinel.

"Right," Flit said with a brave smile, making the corners of Scraps's lips lift slightly. "Now I've cried in front of you once don't expect it to happen again. It's a very rare thing- consider yourself lucky." She joked, even though her voice was hoarse from all of the emotion. 

"No matter what happens to us from now on Flit, I will always remember each and every experience we have shared together. Thank you for telling me your story. I've always known my life would be full of risks. Danger had no meaning because I was trained to die for The Government. Now though ,being with you, I have something to live for. Every moment is precious to me now." He explained softly. Scraps shifted the hair out of her eyes and rubbed the tears from her cheeks.

~*~

Scraps spoke with such heartfelt depth that Flit's aching heart began to warm up slowly. The extent of his honesty and openness about his feelings were quite far from the norm in the underground. When she and Rook had started out they had revealed their true feelings little by little, it was a way to protect their hearts just in case the other changed their mind. With Scraps though, it was clear that he had no intention to beat around the bush. The lack of games and his genuine personality was exactly what she needed to help her heart heal.

When Scraps slowly slid the hair off yet face and gently brushed away her tears she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Yesterday you told me that I was your second chance at life... Well, I think you're mine as well." Flit whispered. As soon as the words left her mouth she knew them to be completely and utterly true.

Flit turned her face to Scraps and looked up into his eyes. This time when she slowly leaned towards his lips there was no nervousness, no question as to whether he would reciprocate. When their lips met she felt a hot rush of emotion and desire that washed away her longing and sadness.

Flit moaned into Scraps's mouth as his hands begun to eagerly explored her body. He was getting the hang of it very quickly, and her body was slowly becoming attuned to his touch. She continued their kiss for a few minutes, but then she had a sudden thought and broke away.

"Scraps we'd better stop." She said, breathing heavily. "These holding cells are subject to spontaneous video monitoring..." She pulled away from him reluctantly. "Besides, I'd better get to the training rooms. I want to talk to Post-Hoc about the Orienteering test. Will I see you at dinner?" She asked, carefully extracting her body from the tangle of limbs.

~*~

The mention of camera's monitoring the room worried him slightly. Luckily he hadn't done anything or spoke about anybody that would be considered embarrassing or incriminating.

"Sure, no problem. Now that we've straightened out our stories I think I'll get back to that study." He stated with a smile, pleased beyond all reason that she was still his.

~*~

Flit went straight to Post-hoc after she left Scraps and got the details for the Orienteering test. She needed to know exactly where the starting point was for the test. As soon as she heard where it was she was pleased. Even if he was the best navigator of them it would be pushing it to get home before a decent bed time. They would need to camp out for sure. It would probably take a while for her to get him out there, and that was using her ability to teleport them both and speed up the process. 

After seeing Post-hoc she went to her room to prepare. She packed a lot of her Underground gear into a study pack and then went to her locker to get her back up weapons ready. Once her bag was ready to go she started looking through the maps of the tunnels again just to reassure herself that she knew all the markers, and then she transferred them to a smaller hand-held device and put it on charge.

Dinner that night went smoothly. It was made better by the fact that Flit and Swipe were at completely different ends of the table and didn't have to talk to each other, or even look at each other. At one stage Flit noticed that Hawkeye was moving a little more slowly, but when Scraps apologised for his behaviour in training Flit had to hide a smile because she knew both sides of the story. 

When the group dispersed after dinner Flit pulled Scraps aside, but left her hand on his arm as she spoke to him, relishing the contact.

"I've got everything prepared for the Orienteering test. Chances are that I'll only see you at dinner until then. I have two really long patrols with Hawkeye over the next two nights. Study hard, okay? I want you to be able to delay our return as much as possible!" Flit said the last sentence with a wink before she turned away, sure to add a little extra sway to her hips.

~*~

"I think Swipe is interested in Scraps." Hawkeye said thoughtfully as he and Flit approached a junction in the eastern tunnels. Flit laughed loudly.

"I think Swipe is interested in anything with a co-" She stopped herself before saying the word. Hawkeye turned to her with an eyebrow raised.

"With a?" He asked slowly with an amused grin.

"With a Y chromosome." Flit said quickly. Hawkeye rolled his eyes at her.

"That isn't what you were going to say." Hawkeye laughed, "Anyway, I think that's why she said something the other night- she's jealous of the time you've been spending with Scraps." Hawkeye explained, Flit shrugged.

"It might've had something to do with that, but I think it's because she's a bitch." Flit said. Hawkeye didn't bother to defend Swipe.

"How are you doing anyway?" He asked, his tone suddenly more serious.

"Well, actually." Flit's surprise was clear in her voice "Thankfully I was over it pretty quickly- the last thing I wanted was you hanging around constantly because you're worried about me." Hawkeye laughed again and they fell into a companionable silence.

"You know, you have been spending a lot of time with him." Hawkeye said slowly, peering at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, I am his mentor." Flit said, "Plus he's a nice guy." Hawkeye's shoulders became stiff.

"Right. I suppose he is..." Hawkeye said uncomfortably. "How are things with your parents?"

Even though Hawkeye changed the topic Flit got the impression that he wanted to talk about Scraps more, but wasn't quite comfortable with it. Well, Flit thought, his loss. When he was ready to ask her outright if she had something for their newest recruit she would tell him the truth. Until then, it was nice that it was hers and Scraps's little secret.

~*~

Bright and early on Saturday morning Flit went down to the Underground and straight to her room. She pulled her small handheld comm device off charge and slipped it into her pocket then put her pack on her shoulders. She then strapped several guns and knives to the holsters over her tough leather pants and boots. She pulled on a singlet and then a grey flak jacket which she left open to display the hint of cleavage that peaked out of her tank top. She buckled up her utility belt and ran her hands along it to make sure she had enough of everything.

It wasn't until she made her way to Scraps's holding cell that she really became excited. The knowledge that they would be alone in those tunnels took a hold of her and she imagined all of the things they could do in the dark without interruptions or spontaneous video monitoring. When she knocked on Scraps's door it slid open and revealed Scraps and Acumen deep in conversation.

Big birds screeching and diving with razor sharp talons poised to claw out your eyes, sunlight glinting of razor sharp beaks, claws covered in dark granules of dirt. That was enough to distract her from the thought of what she hoped she would get to do with Scraps, and was more than enough to make her confident that Acumen would steer clear of her mind.

"Morning Gentlemen!" Flit said enthusiastically, grinning at the pair of them. Acumen returned her greeting with an eye roll.

"A good morning to you, Flit." Scraps replied, his happiness clear from his tone.

"Morning Flit, I was just making sure that Scraps is ready for his first orienteering, I trust you already know the contingency plans should anything go wrong?" Acumen asked in his most official and boring tone.

"Yes Acumen, I am well aware of the emergency procedures. The ones for the test aren't that different from the ones for patrols." Flit said exasperatedly. "Don't worry- Scraps'll be in good hands."




The Hub Ch. 05



Authors' Note: Sorry this has taken so long to get out, but we have been quite busy. We just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your support and feedback. If you have a few spare moments we would love to hear from you, and hear what you think of this new chapter. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms :) As always, a massive thanks to DungeonsOfDread for putting up with me and writing this tale with me.

~*~

Scraps spent the next day relaxing until his afternoon appointment with Tinker. For some unknown reason he was nervous about the check up, but not because he felt unwell. More because the way her mother felt about him. He noticed the disdainful look that Tinker gave Flit when she kissed him goodnight, and knowing that he didn't have her approval made him unhappy. When he arrived at the medical bay Tinker greeted him as usual and touched his head to assess his condition.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. There is something to note though, we don't get a lot of registered Derivates in our care but I was able to study your control chip a bit further this time. Not only was it designed to limit your abilities but also some of your emotional responses. Nothing to dramatic, but extreme emotional triggers like rage and enjoyment were probably inaccessible to you until now. I believe that other emotions like lust and empathy also fall under this category." Tinker explained. He felt his face flush slightly at the mention of the latter.

"Have you felt any of these feelings lately Scraps." Tinker asked, her eyes now taking on a sharp quality.

"Ah, yes, I believe so but I think I have it all under control." Scraps replied as reassuringly as possible. The look on Tinker's face showed that she was reluctant to believe him.

"Are you sure?" She asked again, this time more forcefully.

"Yes I'm sure." Scraps replied with more confidence. "You don't have to worry about me, or your daughter for that matter." He added. At the mention of her daughter, Tinkers face flashed with anger, then annoyance and finally resignation.

"Well." she said with a sigh. "If you have any problems, any at all you come straight to me. Okay?" she ordered. Scraps could only nod in response, Tinker dismissed him immediately after.

That evening he was summoned by Post-Hoc to conduct his first group training mission. He was introduced to his team members. Patch a post-cognitive, Cogs a microkinetic, and Blinky a teleporter. Post-Hoc led them from one of the lower levels to a humungous training room. It was easily the size of a sports stadium with a roof almost as high. How they managed such a feat with their limited resources astounded Scraps.

"Pretty impressive isn't it?" Post-Hoc commented.

"Now for today your task will be retrieval. In the middle of this room will be a small pedestal." Post-Hoc began. He then pushed a series of buttons on a control panel console near the wall. A door on the floor opened and sure enough a small pedestal slowly rose into position.

"The lid of this pedestal will be locked and it will be up to your team to acquire the goods inside. The boundary of today's exercise is as marked." He continued. After pressing another set of keys a luminous green grid of lighting illuminated the floor forming a large square at the base of the room. Several more sections of the floor changed shape until an area resembling a building floor with separate rooms now stood in front of them. Scraps was not able to follow the positioning of the rooms and so their team would now have to navigate through the maze blindly.

"Automated sentries will be set up with weapons on stun. They won't kill you but if you do get hit, it'll sting like hell." He explained.

"You have thirty minutes to complete your task, no weapons or equipment except what you have up here." He gestured toward his head. "I expect to see efficiency and teamwork, but most of all teamwork." He reminded them.

"Everyone; as you know this is Scrap's first team mission. He's not used to our procedures and techniques so be patient with him." Post-Hoc explained.

"Your time starts now." He pressed another button on the console and the exercise began. Scraps's team members rushed ahead of him and he had to sprint to keep up, they were certainly fit. Their first obstacle was a gun turret in the entrance hall way, it detected their presence immediately and began firing on their position. Patch, seeing the event before it happened, quickly led them into a nearby room in time to prevent any of them getting hit.

"Okay team." Patch began. "First things first; we need to get past that gun and then find out how to get to the middle." Patch said authoritatively.

"I can try to knock the turret off to disable it." Scraps suggested.

"No. Too messy." Patch replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Blinky, I want you to teleport Cogs over there to shut that thing down." He ordered. Both Blinky and Cogs nodded. Patch went into a post cognitive haze.

"Now!" Patch shouted. Blinky quickly grabbed Cogs and teleported her away. Moments later the sounds of the gun fire stopped. Patch and Scraps peered out to see Blinky and Cogs standing next to the sentry with large grins on their faces.

"That's how we do it down here Surface boy." Patch commented to Scraps with a triumphant grin of his own.

The team continued down the next corridor when Patch stopped them again. His eyes went wide and he charged forward. Scraps stood in his position, dumbfounded by the sudden change in pace but the other two rushed after him, hot on his heels. Just as they came to the next corner a mobile sentry appeared. They approached it from multiple angles with Blinky distracting it with a quick teleports and Cogs disabling it during that time.

The process was the same for the next three sentries. Patch guided them to a control panel that indicated the layout of the building floor, in all that time Scraps had done nothing. He felt less like a team member and more of an observer. Still though, he was learning a lot along the way. This form of training was completely unlike what he had previously experienced. He was used to one on one Derivate duelling or leading a team of non-Derivate's, but never had he seen the coordination and team work that could be achieved with so many Derivates working together.

It wasn't until they had reached their final goal that trouble arose. They were pinned down in an adjacent room next to the pedestal. They were so close in fact, that they could see the lock box situated on top of it. Despite his previously successful leadership Patch, it seemed, could not think their way out.

"Every scenario I go over in my head turns out badly. Sorry guys; this one's a bust." Patch resigned.

"Aww... we were so close."Cogs commented, clearly unhappy with the lack of resolution.

"Don't worry guys at least we're all fine. Let's just get out of here Patch." Blink suggested.

"Yeah you're right guys." Patch agreed. Scraps couldn't believe how easily they were about to give up. Scraps wasn't a post-cog and couldn't see scenarios in his head like Patch, but he would bet that Patch hadn't taken Scraps's presence into account when he was formulating his plans. Scraps stole a glance around the corner during a break in fire, he took careful note of all the sentries and constructed a mental image in his mind. 

When Patch gave the order to break out and retreat, Scraps instead rushed forward toward the pedestal. He avoided the gun fire and dispatched of the sentries one by one with his telekinetic abilities. Sentry debris went flying around the room haphazardly as Scraps left a path of destruction in his wake. Only once did a stray stun dart almost hit him. When he reached the pedestal not a single sentry remained standing. He smiled to himself and looked back and the awe struck Patch. That's how we do it on the surface, he thought to himself. Scraps reached for the lock.

"Wait, Stop!" Patch called out, but it was too late. A large cylindrical shield appeared around Scraps trapping him as it surrounded the pedestal. The ground below him glowed a bright blue and he felt a large shock rush through his system. 

The electrical current knocked him out and when he came to his team members, along with Post-Hoc, were standing in a circle around him.

"What were you thinking Scraps? You can't go solo on this anymore, this isn't like how they train you up there. Down here we work as a team." Post-Hoc reprimanded him. Scraps could see Patch snigger slightly out of the corner of his eye. "And you Patch, I told you to be patient with Scraps not exclude him. Every part of the team is important. Every part." Post-Hoc stared directly at Patch. Scraps was happy that he wasn't the only one in trouble although he could now see the danger of his actions. Had that been a real scenario the trapping device would have most likely killed him. "Also I don't care if we are retrieving the most important piece of information that could shut down The Government forever. We do not risk the life of a single person for an inanimate object. If we did that, then we would be no better than The Government we seek to overthrow. Remember that." He added disdainfully. 

"That's enough for today, I hope you all learned a valuable lesson. Back again tomorrow for more training." Post-Hoc dismissed them with a tired shake of his head.

The next few training missions progressed a lot smoother than the first, Patch apologised for his behaviour but Scraps still couldn't shake the feeling that the precog just didn't like him. Even though they had only completed one task, they had at least survived each one with no casualties. On occasion Flit managed to stop by and assist them which Scraps enjoyed immensely. She was experienced and well versed to lead; even Patch paid attention. Scraps however often found it difficult to focus on what she was saying instead of eyeing her delectable assets. On many occasions he found himself picturing her naked as she explained in detail their plan of attack, and lost track of the task at hand.

It wasn't entirely his fault though, for the next three weeks Flit and Scraps spent more and more quality time together. In each of their sexual encounters he found himself becoming more daring and was even suggesting they try new things. Flit had to halt their progress at times because they were coming too close to the final sexual experience. Although Scraps longed to be inside her he understood the need for restraint. Flit had no intention of rushing their relationship, wanting them to explore each other more before taking the final plunge, so to speak.

Also over the next few weeks Scraps was becoming increasingly familiar with their patrol route. Despite a few minor incidents, the patrols went quite well. Everything was fitting into place for him. Scraps was making friends and for the first time he was actually enjoying his life. 

~*~ After the initial dressing down from her mother after she saw Flit in Scraps's room, Flit's parents soon had no choice but to accept their relationship. Every now and again they would still make comments and voice their concerns, but as time went on Flit realised that their concerns, and any she might have had, were unfounded. After Flit had grabbed Scraps's hand in the Mess Room the news that they were together spread around the underground faster than wild fire. The reactions were mixed; some people supported their happiness, others were quick to warn her to be careful, and a handful of people believed that they had the right to openly convey their distaste. Scraps and Flit, however, were quite happy with how things were going.

Just as Post-hoc had suggested, Flit and Scraps were doing alternate nights on patrol. On her off nights Flit would study and read up on everything to do with covert ops and retrievals, as well as information on The Hub and the world beyond. If she got bored of the study she would join in on Scraps's training sessions. Post-hoc had been very tight lipped about the new assignment she would be receiving soon, but Flit didn't mind too much. At the moment she was enjoying the time she was spending with Scraps and was secretly concerned that any change in her duties would take her away from him. She tried not to think too much on it, gathering that it would be better to deal with it when it came up.

Flit and Scrap's relationship had evolved quickly, as most things tended to in the Underground. The sometimes claustrophobic social atmosphere and the near-constant sense of danger meant that they got to know each other very quickly, and were figuring out their intentions just as fast. Their sexual relationship was doing very well, much to Flit's pleasure. Scraps was a quick learner, and was now very eager and capable in their liaisons. Scraps was even learning to take control and to let Flit know what he wanted and liked. Though sometimes Flit had to put a stopper on things. There were several occasions where they had gotten carried away in the heat of the moment, their bodies poised and ready to cross the threshold that would truly make them lovers. With Scraps's eager manhood so close to her core, Flit had become distracted by the depth of their situation. Her mind had unwittingly flickered back to what happened when she had gotten so close to Rook, and her body had reared at the thought of consummating their relationship. 

Scraps never seemed to mind her gentle requests to take things a little slower, and Flit was thankful for it. She knew that the time would come when she would feel comfortable to grant him entry into her inner sanctum, but that time was not now.

Hawkeye had been gone the entire three weeks as well, and this had been a source of stress for Flit. Acumen and Post-hoc had been giving her regular updates on the progress of his mission and she was pleased to know that he was expected back at any time now. It had been good for her to get some space from him though. She didn't even want to imagine what it would be like trying to juggle the early stages of her relationship with Scraps with Hawkeye's long standing friendship.

Flit and Scraps were seated in the Mess Hall when Hawkeye and his group finally returned. Flit could hardly contain her excitement as he came into the room, freshly washed and shaven, but with his hair longer and more unkempt than she had ever seen it.

"Hawkeye!" Flit called out, jumping out of her seat and waving at him enthusiastically. When he saw her his eyes lit up and he raced across the room.

"Flit!" He laughed, scooping her into a bone-breaking hug and spinning her around. 

"Think you were gone long enough?" She asked with a crooked smile. He looked down at her then, a peculiar emotion sparkling in his eyes.

"Too long." He replied. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and he seemed confused, but then a sharp sense of clarity blazed deep in his eyes and he grinned at her. "Far too long."

The next thing Flit knew, Hawkeye's lips were pressed against hers and he was holding her tightly against his body. For a second Flit's was frozen in shock. The next moment she teleported free of his arms so that she was standing next to him. His eyes found her quicker than anyone else's would have and he looked both hurt and surprised.

"Hawk, you've been gone for a month...." She begun, trying to ignore the curious looks that all of the people in the Mess were now giving her. She glanced over at Scraps quickly, wanting to see how he was taking the situation. Scraps was stock still in his seat, his intense red eyes glaring at Hawkeye with obvious anger. He made no move though, and when Flit looked at him she could sense that he wasn't going to do anything rash. Hushed whispers could be heard all around the room but it was Acumen that broke the awkward silence.

"Okay, wow! What a reunion. I'm sure everyone is keen to catch up with Hawkeye but in all seriousness buddy you look like you need a haircut." Acumen exclaimed, voice easily carrying over the soft buzz of gossip. Hawkeye simply nodded numbly and allowed Acumen to escort him back out, his eyes searching for Flit's but not making mutual contact. Flit's heart was still a flutter and the confusion was overwhelming. When the door shut behind him and the room filled with the hum of chatter once again a hundred memories she'd brushed aside flickered through her mind and an overwhelming sense of realisation dawned on her. When she looked around she noticed that there were at least a dozen sets of eyes watching her to see what her next move would be.

"Hey Scraps," Flit said quietly, turning to her red-eyed lover. "Are you finished eating? I'm not hungry anymore." She scanned the crowd and gave the watchers a dirty look.

"No, I seem to have lost my appetite as well." Catching her hint, Scraps stood up from the table and bid the others farewell joining Flit on the other side of the room. Flit waited until she and Scraps were almost half way back to his room before she spoke. That short walk had felt like an eternity in her racing mind. At first she had been shocked that Hawkeye had kissed her, but now she felt just plain foolish. She had just assumed that his naturally flirtatious and good natured personality meant that he was just being friendly. Now, however, she noticed that he had stopped his constant flirting with other women a fair time ago. 

Flit did plan to tell Hawkeye about her relationship with Scraps. She would have told him that night after dinner, in fact. However, that idea went out the window when he kissed her. The fact that he had left the room with Acumen meant that he might just hear the news from someone else. It wasn't the way she wanted him to find out and it only made her feel worse. She would have to go and talk to him before she left for the night. She couldn't leave without at least a quick chat.

Flit shook her head and tried to pull herself out of her musings. She had Scraps walking alongside her silently, and she hadn't been paying him any attention.

"Sorry you had to see that Scraps, I honestly wasn't expecting it." Flit said, turning and giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I know you weren't Flit, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm certainly no expert on relationships. Everything I have experienced with you since meeting you is all so new. I trust you implicitly, you don't have to worry about me." He soothed with a smile that matched hers and set her nerves at ease.

"I am going to need to talk to him, Scraps. I was going to tell him about us as soon as I got the chance, but I just didn't think he would do that. Now he is probably going to find out from Acumen, I just want to go and apologise. This isn't how things were supposed to happen." Flit said.

~*~

Even though every part of him longed for her to stay with him tonight just to reinforce their commitment to each other. Logic told him that she was right, Hawkeye wasn't just a comrade or a colleague, he was as close to her as family. Even though he never had such a thing he could at least appreciate the sentiment behind caring for another beyond yourself.

"You're right; go to him. He needs to know and he needs to hear it from you. "He replied placing a hand on her face gently. Flit sighed as she leant into his hand. "Thank you." She whispered, turning to brush her lips against the rough skin of his palm. "Tomorrow after our patrol we can spend some time together properly. Maybe I can sneak to the kitchens and get some dinner so we can take it back to your room and eat it in privacy?" Flit asked. She pressed her lips against his, lingering there for a moment and pulling away with a heavy sigh. Scraps returned her kiss and then watched as she jumped away. He was most certainly looking forward to tomorrow. Knowing that there was nothing else he could do he decided to return to his room and get some sleep.




The Hub Ch. 05



~*~

Flit started to teleport towards Hawkeye's room before thinking better of it. He would probably still be talking to Acumen. She realised that it would be best to see her parents and give them a heads up; she was meant to be meeting them in an hour, and she didn't want them to go and bash down poor Scraps's door if she wasn't going to be there.

When Flit arrived just outside her mother's treatment room, Tinker was just finishing up with one of the others who had been on the mission with Hawkeye. When the woman left, her mother gave her a questioning look.

"Everything okay?" She asked. Flit shook her head.

"Not really, I'm afraid. I'm going to need to have a chat with Hawkeye, he just got back." Flit explained, her mother looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"Your Father and I will be in the Mess Hall when you're ready. Please try not to be too late, we have to be up early for work." Her mother said in a way that made her feel like a child again.

 The Mess?  Flit sighed internally.

"Fine... and just so you don't hear it second hand; Hawkeye kissed me in the Mess hall in front of everyone." Flit said. She didn't give her mother a chance to break through her open-mouthed surprise before teleporting away and towards Hawkeye's room.

~*~

Acumen was gone when Hawkeye opened the door to his room. The look of hurt and anger in his eyes made Flit flinch and her stomach drop nervously.

"Can I come in please?" She asked quietly, breaking eye contact to escape his intense stare. It took him few tense moments, but eventually Hawkeye stepped back to allow her room to pass.

Flit walked over to his desk and then turned, leaning against it and crossing her arms over her chest as Hawkeye's green eyes settled on her.

"Scraps and I are together." She said. No use beating around the bush. Now that she knew that Hawkeye was interested in her there was nothing that would soften the blow anyway.

"Acumen told me." Hawkeye snapped, looking as though he wanted to say more but restraining himself.

"Well, I'm sorry you found out that way. I wanted to tell you myself." Flit said, her voice clipped as she tried to deal with the myriad of emotions colliding in her mind.

"Well you have now. Happy?" Hawkeye asked, turning his back on her and walking over to his bed to continue unpacking his clothes.

"Hawkeye, please..." Flit sighed, watching as Hawkeye pretended to be busy. He was taking out his folded clothes and refolding them, then piling them beside the pack.

"Please what, Flit?"

"Don't be like this Hawk, you're my best friend! I didn't know that..." Flit trailed off awkwardly, remembering the way his lips had felt against her own.

"Know what, hmm?" Hawkeye asked, throwing a pair of shoes onto the ground a little harder than necessary.

"I didn't know that you..." Trying to say it out loud was even more awkward than thinking it. "Hawkeye you never told me! You just disappear for three weeks and then come back and kiss me like it's the most natural thing in the world!"

"I never told you?" Hawkeye asked. "What, all of the flirting wasn't enough for you to get the hint? All of the time we spent together?"

"Hawkeye we're friends!" Flit stressed. "We're supposed to spend time together. That's what friends do! We've been inseparable since we were in our early teens. You've had your fair share of girlfriends since. I'm not telepathic, I don't know what you're feeling." 

"Well you're apparently the only one who doesn't know." He told her, "Me and, hell- everyone else down here, were just waiting for you to cotton on." 

"Everyone knows we're friends." Flit said dismissively.

"No, everyone knows that you're my friend and that I'm interested in you. Except for you. Apparently." Hawkeye returned bitterly.

"But you've had other girlfriends; you flirt with other women all the time. How was I to know?" Flit asked defensively.

"Who was my last girlfriend then?" He asked, eyebrows raised, eyes challenging her.

"Quarry." Flit said automatically, she remembered the relationship between the two well. It had gone on for a while, but it met a grizzly end when they realised that they were too similar to be compatible. They were both remote viewers, and their natural competitive natures were bad for their relationship.

"And how long ago was that?"

"You ended it what... a year ago?" Flit asked, trying to remember when their spectacular end-of-relationship row had occurred.

"Yes. A year ago. And how many people have I turned down since?" He asked her.

"I don't freaking know!" Flit cried, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Two. And I can tell you how many times you've declined the offer of a date since Rook was killed. Four times. Do you want their names or do you get my point?" Hawkeye asked.

Flit wanted to yell at him. She wanted to launch herself across the room and shake some sense into his thick head.

"I didn't ask for you to waltz into the Mess and kiss me!" She said, unable to keep the anger from her voice.

"And you never asked me not to." Hakweye replied.

"Yes, and I've never asked you not to kiss my mother but I don't see you doing that!" Flit snapped.

"Did Scraps have to ask you before he kissed you?" Hawkeye asked.

"That is out of line Hawk and you know it." Flit said, her voice soft with warning; barely above a whisper.

"And what about you hooking up with someone else the minute I'm gone? Is that out of line as well?" Hawkeye asked.

"No! It's not even close to being out of line. We are friends Hawkeye, I can hook up with whoever I want to hook up with!" Flit stood up and began to pace, unable to stand being still any longer, her body was shaking with anger and she had to work it out. 

"Why Flit? Why him and not me?" Hawkeye asked, his tone tinged with bitterness.

"I don't know!" Flit said, throwing her arms up in the air as she paced. "You're better of asking me about the meaning of life."

"Well if you don't know why, how can you be with him?" Hawkeye asked, green eyes boring into her own.

"Because he makes me so happy Hawk!" Flit said. "Because, for the first time since Rook, I feel like I can be myself again. I feel like I have a future again. Scraps isn't like everyone else down here who knows everything about me and thinks they know what is best for me. He trusts me, he listens to me, he doesn't pretend to know everything about me." As the words poured out of her mouth she realised that she really did know why she wanted Scraps.

"And what do you know about him, then? How do you know you can trust him? You rescued him while he was down here to abduct one of us and you treat him like your knight in shining armor!" 

"Maybe I don't know everything about him, and maybe that is a good thing. What I do know is that he is honest; almost to a fault. He is kind, smart and he is an incredibly fast learner."

"And what does that leave for me?" Hawkeye asked, unable to hide the hurt that her words were causing. 

"Hawkeye, this isn't a competition." Flit said slowly, trying to make it clear to him. "I am with Scraps. I am sorry that it is so hard for you to understand, and I am sorry that you feel like you need to change that. You're my best friend, and I still want you in my life, but if that is going to happen you're going to need to accept that I am happy now."

Hawkeye turned away from her and she longed to reach out and put her hand on his shoulder. However, she feared that this comfort would complicate things further and put her arms by her side.

"When you're ready to talk come and find me. Right now I have to go. I have nothing more to say." Flit said before striding over and tearing his door open.

Flit left Hawkeye behind with a series of rapid blinks that were almost as fast as her racing pulse. By the time she reached her parents she managed to push back the tears that threatened to fall and face them with a nonchalant smile.

"Let's get out of here." She told her mother and father. For once, she was eager to leave the Underground behind. ~*~ The next day Scraps spent time training by himself. He was conducting a Defend and Avoid scenario with an automated sentry when Acumen walked in. The events of yesterday rushed Scraps's mind and it was enough to distract him from the task. A stray stun dart hit him squarely on the chest, knocking him painfully to the ground. Acumen stood over his prone form, smiling.

"Bit distracted, ah?" Acumen asked happily reaching out with his hand. Scraps groaned with pain as Acumen helped him off the floor.

"Something like that." Scraps grudgingly replied.

"Look, I know the whole situation seems crazy and out of control but I spoke to Hawkeye last night. He's not exactly happy about you and Flit, especially since he was the last to find out, but he needs time to think it over. I think it best to avoid him for the moment." Acumen explained.

"That sounds logical to me. In truth I have no desire to risk any kind of negative interaction." Scraps thought, knowing Acumen was reading him.

"It won't be forever. Like I told him, Flit was never with him in that way to start with. They've always been friends but never lovers." Acumen confirmed.

"Anyway, now that I've got that off my chest I can tell you the real reason I came to see you. Post-Hoc is very pleased with your progress with learning the tunnel system on your patrol route. For tonight he's asked Flit to take you to some of the tunnels further from the residence. In particular, the tunnels closer to the surface." Acumen explained. Scraps nodded and inwardly sighed, as much as he was excited by the prospect of furthering his knowledge, it did mean more time studying the tediously boring sewer maps.

"Well I think I'll leave you to it." Acumen bid him farewell, leaving him to finalise his training. Scraps spent the rest of the day training and studying. When Flit arrived back home from the surface he made his way over to her room to greet her.

~*~

The extra time and space hadn't made Flit feel any better. As she and her parents arrived at the Residence to check in for the evening she tried to put the sadness from the previous evening away so that she could look forward to spending some time with Scraps.

"Flit?" Post-hoc's voice was a welcome distraction and she smiled at him.

"I was just about to go and get Scraps for our patrol." She told Post-hoc.

"There's been a change of plans. Cogs and Swipe will take your patrol for the evening and I want you and Scraps to cover theirs. He is getting the hang of everything really quickly. I thought it was about time he got to see where the real action happens. You'll both be on Zone X tonight." He said.

Flit was pleasantly surprised. Zone X was one of their hot zones; a place where everyone knew that meeting some Government agents was a genuine risk. Flit hadn't been to X for a while though, and wanted to make sure that she remembered the patrol route correctly. Flit bid Post-hoc farewell and made for her room. She would do a quick bit of study before getting Scraps. Surely he would understand.

~*~

It wasn't long before Flit heard a knock on her door.

"Come in! It's open!" She called out, quickly swiping through various zoomed-in maps. When the door opened to reveal Scraps she put her handheld device down and jumped off the bed eagerly. She bounded across the room and gave him a tight hug.

"How are you?" She asked, grabbing his hand and pulling him into her room.

"I'm doing very well, Acumen informed me of the change in schedule. " He told her as he picked his way through the maze of possessions on her floor. "I can see he's already told you as well though" Scraps noted looking over her shoulder at the map on her screen. Flit grinned and nodded.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Scraps asked politely. "I was almost finished actually, but if you want to go over them before we leave that's fine." Flit said, motioning for him to sit down beside her. "The most important thing to remember where the emergency shelters are." She pointed to a spot on the map on her handheld that was labelled with the symbol of a cross. "And something I always do when I am in semi-unfamiliar territory is, when I've passed a shelter, count and remember the number of turns and tunnels between it and myself. Makes it easier to get back if there's an emergency."

It was hard for Flit to speak in such a business-like manner when Scraps was looking over her shoulder. His breath was hot on her ear and she could smell his masculine scent in the air. Flit bit her tongue, hard, she needed to concentrate. They were going to Zone X and could not afford to become distracted. She had a strange feeling that this would be as much of a test for him as it would be for her... even if it was for slightly different reasons. One of the things that Flit loved the most about going on patrol was arming up beforehand. She had been doing it for long enough now to have a ritual. That was where they went as soon as they were satisfied that they knew enough about X. Flit went about her routine as normal as Scraps went about his. She had noticed that it hadn't taken him long to fall into a similar sort of routine as her; she figured that this was something that he kept with him from being Registered.

~*~

Scraps had listened attentively as Flit explained the map system in great detail. It was difficult to concentrate with her pressed so close to him, but because Scraps did not want to endanger her in any way he paid close attention. As Flit and Scraps were in the armory preparing themselves for the upcoming mission he couldn't help but feel slightly anxious. It wasn't as if he hadn't been in dangerous life threatening scenarios before, it was the fact that he'd never had anybody he'd cared about before. Flit gave his life and his existence meaning. Before her, completing the mission for The Government held the highest priority. Over the last few weeks however, Scraps had become more than just a tool. He had friends, acquaintances and a lover. It was the first time in his mind that he referred to her as such, yet right here and now, it seemed the only appropriate word. After ten minutes Flit was dressed in her flak jacket, leather pants, and combat boots. She had her utility belt on with extra fire grenades, and had extra ammo as well. Just in case. As she did a last minute check of everything she had she warned Scraps to bring some extra stuff for himself.

Scraps was used to the methodical procedures Flit used to prepare herself for patrols, she reminded him to pack additional equipment along with their usual due to the nature of Zone X. Oddly enough, it was more than likely Scraps had already ventured into the surface tunnels of Zone X. As a Registered Derivate they had successfully apprehended several Unregistered'. After training with most of the Derivate's in the residence he concluded that it was highly unlikely it was any associated with them. Most of them were malnourished and quite underpowered. He could now look back in hindsight and be thankful he never encountered one of his new found friends.

Scraps double checked his armored vest and utility belt. He secured additional fire, smoke and flash grenades. Being a telekinetic, he preferred to carry a small side arm and would only use it as a back up. A tool more useful for a himself were the small stun darts that emitted a once off electric charge upon contact. With the darts, he would be capable of incapacitating multiple targets in one strike.

"Zone X is one of the more infamous of our zones." She explained again, counting off her fire grenades. "If you are going to run into Government Officers it will be there. The fact that they are letting us take that patrol means that they really trust you now." Flit gave him a smile that was tinged with pride as she clipped her handgun into her belt. "You ready?" She asked. "I'm ready." he replied. Putting all other thoughts aside his mind focused on the task at hand.

~*~

The trip to the upper levels had been relatively uneventful. There were a few hazards that they would need to report, but nothing life threatening or dangers, more maintenance issues. As they got closer to the surface Flit came to believe that she had prepared Scraps for the worst for nothing.

"Did you see the emergency shelter as we passed it?" She asked, looking over her shoulder and nodding at the bare patch of wall behind them as they turned a corner. "This is when we start counting turns. Sometimes it is easier than trying to think of a map when you are on the run." She explained.

Scraps looked terribly cute as he concentrated on their mission. She noticed that he went into a strange zone whenever it was time to get down to business. His concentration was admirable, and she knew that he was extremely vigilant. However, she didn't realise just how vigilant he was until five minutes later when they passed a junction and entered the heart of Zone X.

"Scraps? Are you alright?" Flit asked as he froze, his entire body tense as his eyes scanned their surroundings. Flit looked around as well. It was then that she saw the tiny light coming from the tunnels behind them.

"Shit." Flit whispered. "They aren't ours."

As she watched, the small light separated into three separate beams. She could hear the footsteps now, even though they were being careful not to make too much noise. Then she felt it. The presence of another Derivate.

~*~

Scraps felt a prickly sensation on the back of his neck, Both he and Flit looked at each other realising the same thing. Another Derivate was approaching their position. The protocol for this particular situation was retreat and conceal. They would back track as quick as they could and find the shelter so that they could report to base. Wordlessly Flit and Scraps swiftly made their way back towards the shelter. Their pursuers increased their pace, no doubt sensing their presence.

With no need of stealth now Flit and Scraps broke into a sprint. Scraps dared a glance behind and spied several small objects being thrown in their direction. He quickly pushed Flit away from him knocking her to the side whilst he himself dived opposite her. The concussion grenades exploded less than a meter away from them knocking them further back. The force of the blast caused the already weak structure of the sewer tunnels to collapse, the effect of which created a wall of debris between Flit and himself. Scraps quickly regained his composure and eased himself off the ground. 

"Flit! Flit, are you okay?." He called out through the rubble. He couldn't see her through the thick pile of collapsed tunnel. Shouts that had become much louder reminded him of their pursuers presence and now, he could see the Registered Derivate and their team were nearly upon them.

~*~

"Flit! Can you hear me?" She could hear his voice, muffled, and accompanied by the sound of smaller segments slipping and sliding over the debris. As the dust began to settle Flit was faced with a wall of rubble and cement, but couldn't see Scraps. That was when her stomach began to churn.

"Scraps?" She called, she turned around and realised that she was alone. "Are they over there?" She couldn't hear his answer over the sound of some rocks still shifting and through layers of cement. "SCRAPS! RUN! GET TO THE SHELTER! FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE!" She yelled.

Flit took a second to create a mental map of their location. She knew where the emergency shelter was from here, and she remembered where she last saw the three torchlight before the tunnels exploded around them. They would go after him straight away, she knew that, but if he turned down the tunnel they had come from he might be able to outrun them. If not.... Well, it wasn't something that Flit could afford to think about.

Flit turned, and with a clear map of the tunnel in her mind, she began to make several very fast jumps. She would be taking the long way around, but with any luck she would be able to cut them off at a junction she and Scraps had passed a while back. 




The Hub Ch. 05



It felt like an eternity before Flit reached the point where her path crossed that which she assumed Scraps would lead the Officers on. At first she stood, chest heaving and breath ragged, thinking that she had missed them. Or worse. But then her entire being flooded with relief when she heard several sets of footsteps thundering down the passage to her left. As quietly as she could, she peered around the corner. There were thirteen of them all up, including the Derivate. Scraps was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had already passed her? Or maybe they had already taken him down and were now searching for her. Flit had to decide; risk going back to the shelter and leave them free to roam the tunnels, or face them and hopefully find out what had happened to Scraps.

Flit yanked a poison dart off her belt and then teleported. Her jump landed her right behind the Derivate that was leading the party headlong towards her. The next instant her body was wrapped around the female Registered's and the fast-acting serum was seeping into the officer's body. It took another second for the woman to fall, her strange looking gun skittering across the floor noisily. It was then that the others realised what was happening. A chorus of shouts, orders and gunshots rang through the tunnels and the battle was on.

On her next jump, Flit stabbed one of the Officers in the thigh with another dart as she ran and slid across the tunnel floor. As she went she ripped a fire grenade off her belt and unleashed its power on the Officers. She didn't bother getting to her feet, instead the rolled and then jumped so that she knocked one of the Officer's off his feet and then stabbed him in the arm with a dart.

"THERE IT IS!" She heard a voice yell. She teleported so that she was standing above one of the Officer's dead bodies and saw the rest of their troops diving for something near the Registered Derivate's corpse. Flit didn't get it. What were they talking about?

"OVER HERE YOU IDIOTS!" She yelled after them. As they turned to look she jumped behind them and took out another one of them with the last of the poison darts on her belt. There were more in her pack, but now wasn't the time to do a search. Instead, she grabbed her dagger. It was time to get her hands dirty.

The other Officers had gotten to their feet and were forming ranks. Having them so close and in such a tight space would be hard, but she would be able to jump around and pick them off one by one. A quick count told her that she had already dispatched with at least six of them. That was good. She had lost the element of surprise but they were dropping faster than flies. 

Flit jumped again and leapt up onto one of the Officer's back. She slit his throat as he cried out for help and all of the eyes turned on her. Before she could jump away, one of the Officers near the front of the group turned on her and pointed the strange gun at her. Flit almost laughed. She was faster than their weapons. Instead she jumped so that she was behind the next Officer along. It was then that she realised that it wasn't a normal weapon. There was a loud bang as it fired, but there was no bullets or beams. Instead, she felt a hot blast of air wash over her and every nerve in her body suddenly felt wrong.

Flit decided it was time to up her game. She went to jump, but she felt as though her innards were stretching out against her skin and she fell to the floor, crying out in agony.

"What the hell?" She hissed, scrambling to her feet and then trying to jump further down the tunnel to recuperate. Instead of crossing the distance with next to no effort she cried out in pain as she felt that horrid sensation again. It was like every part of her wanted to jump, wanted to use her ability, but her body just refused to move. 

Flit's hand snapped to her utility belt as she fought a wave of nausea and she pulled out one of her most powerful grenades. Before she could pull the pin a small dart buried itself in the sensitive skin of her neck and her world faded to black.

~*~

Flit told Scraps to follow procedure , so he did. Due to the recent collapse of the tunnel, all of their pursuers' attention was on him. He sprinted down the nearest tunnel and quickly shuffled down a passageway off to the side. His only hope was to confuse the Derivate tracking him enough that they wouldn't be able to find the shelter.

Using his knowledge of the tunnel system Scraps managed to out manoeuvre them enough so that he could no longer feel the presence of the Registered. Scraps slowed his pace, allowing him to catch his breath. When he was completely satisfied they had lost him he made his way directly to the shelter.

Upon arrival he followed the normal procedure to unlock the door mechanism. When it hummed to life he expected to see Flit inside waiting for him. She was nowhere to be seen. It seemed highly unlikely that she would arrive after him, especially when they were following his trail. Unless... Before he could garner the possibility he felt himself backtracking down the tunnels to where they first split up. In his attempt to lose The Government agent he may have inadvertently led them straight to Flit who had to take the longer path back to the shelter due to the fallen rubble.

A myriad of possibilities ran through his mind as he raced toward his intended destination. In his mind's eye he could see her desperately fighting them off, he knew she was strong but even the strong can make mistakes. All it would take is one wrong move and she would be gone. The thought of losing her weighed heavily on his mind. The pain in his heart was not due to the strain of running, it was the undeniable fear that he could lose her right here, tonight. Scraps had never feared anything in his life, not before coming to the residence and not after. That was until now. No! He couldn't let it happen. Wouldn't let it happen. 

Suddenly Scraps heard the familiar sounds of voices and footfalls in the distance. He couldn't sense the Derivate's presence yet and so he needed to be cautious. Luckily for him the passage way that he could approach them from would give him the perfect cover to assess the situation. Slowly, Scraps edged his way closer to his unsuspecting opponents. Oddly enough he still couldn't sense the presence of the Deriviate, either they had moved further on ahead or something else was amiss. Quickly Scraps buried any further negativity. If Flit truly was in danger he needed to keep a cool head.

Scraps was nearly upon them with still no sign of the Derivate, reaching the alcove he peered over slightly to give him a better view of the situation. What he saw chilled him to the bone. The human part of the retrieval team were moving in a loose formation around two people that were half-dragging, half carrying the prone form of Flit. Now he understood why he couldn't sense a Derivate, they only emitted a psychic presence when conscious. Scraps could only assume that Flit managed to incapacitate the other Derivate first before getting captured. He still wasn't sure how they managed to capture her though. Perhaps it was bad luck.

"Is this the way we came?" the lead team member called out. He was carrying an odd looking weapon that Scraps had never seen before. It wasn't important right now. His first priority was to disarm and disable the operatives and rescue Flit. 

Without warning Flit awoke, she flailed and fought with her captors. The lead team member strode up to her and knocked her squarely on the head with the butt of his gun, knocking her unconscious again. She slumped over and the two carrying her had to reposition to keep hold of her.

"This bitch isn't worth it, we should just shoot her and be done with it." One of the others snarled.

"Good idea, but we should have a bit of fun with her first." Another one chimed in motioning toward her with pelvis thrusts. The rest laughed in response.

Scraps couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only did they suggest murdering her in cold blood, but they wanted to rape her first. Scraps felt rage boiling up in his blood and he could no longer stand idle while they joked about her unconscious form. He leapt from the alcove and sprayed a barrage of stun darts at her captors. Some of them were effective but most bounced harmlessly of their body armor. It mattered not, with the element of surprise he had already put himself in a prime position to deal the most damage. There would be no holding back. With a wave of his hand two of the closest members of the team exploded in a shower of blood and body parts. The rest of them tried to reorganise themselves, but Scraps disarmed each of them methodically, starting with the lead member. Their weapons flying haphazardly around the area and when they realised they couldn't fight him with their guns they attempted close combat. Big mistake. Combining physical gestures with telekinesis his opponents were sent spiralling away. Without the tether of his control they suffered more than simple bruises, in fact most of their injuries were fatal. He made sure of it.

When he was done Scraps looked around at the pile of bodies strewn across the sewer junction. Blood ran freely down the drainage system like water through a river and Scraps could feel a thin coat of it lining his exposed skin. None of that mattered now as he quickly approached Flit's still unconscious form. With single-minded purpose he carried her back to the shelter. When they arrived and he was finally satisfied they were safe, he felt his rage slowly subside. He laid Flit on the bed and then fetched some water to clean off most of the grime and blood before he went and had a quick shower to wash away the guilt and anger. ~*~ "Scraps!" His name burst from Flit's lips as her eyes shot open.

After her world had turned black, Flit's unconscious mind had run through every possible way that Scraps could have died. She had seen him shot, stabbed, his neck snapped, and his body being buried under rubble. Flit had been there for some of his deaths, and she had merely read the report about others. When her eyes opened she cried out in pain as the bright lights assaulted her and she wondered where she was. She sat up quickly, too quickly perhaps, and her head swam. She could feel cool trails of drying tears down her cheek as her eyes adjusted to the light and she looked around frantically.

"Scraps?" Her voice was desperate this time, her eyes searching fervently for his familiar face. 

A strange, fragile sense of relief filled her entire body and soul when her hazel eyes locked with his crimson ones. Her mouth opened in a perfect circle and she only hoped that this wasn't another one of her nightmares.

"Scraps?" This time she had to try hard to call his name and her voice was small and unsure. ~*~ Flit called his name as she woke. He answered her but she was still between being awake and asleep. She sat up suddenly and he could see that she was quite disoriented. He looked deep into her eyes and held her shoulders firmly, his gut clenching when he noticed the tracks of dried tears on her smooth cheeks.

"I'm here Flit, I'm right here" Scraps kept repeating until her mind regained focus. "Scraps." This time his name was accompanied by a genuine smile and an expression of utter relief. She leant forward slowly and pressed her lips against his. Scraps accepted the kiss gratefully. For a while he thought he saved her only to have her fall into madness. He couldn't keep his affection civil and poured as much of his passion as he could into the kiss. His hands moved from her shoulders to her lower back and pulled her closer to him. Flit eagerly returned Scraps's passion, tangling her hand through his hair and pulling their bodies even closer. However, after a few moments her body went stiff and she pulled away from him suddenly.

"How long was I out for?" She asked him, breathing heavily, her eyes wide.

"Don't worry Flit, I have already contacted the Residence. I told them we would have to stay out here for the night." He explained. "Did you tell them about the Officers though? And the gun!" Her expression became frantic. "Oh shit, Scraps, did you get that gun?" Scraps could see the panic rising in her eyes. Scanning his memory Scraps suddenly realised what she was referring too. The odd weapon held by the lead team member; the haze of rage that consumed him blocked all rational thought which had probably led to the destruction of the weapon.

"They know about the officers, don't worry. Oh... and about that gun? I think I destroyed it when I came to rescue you." He explained, eyeing her warily. "What's so important about it anyway?" He asked trying to brush of the discomfort of her intense stare. He was hoping it wasn't hugely important as it was most likely in pieces now. ~*~ "It's why they captured me!" Flit said frantically. She stopped speaking for a moment, took a deep breath to centre herself, and then continued to speak, a little calmer this time. "I don't know how it works but they shot some strange energy wave at me and I couldn't use my abilities. Every time I tried to teleport I felt as though my body wanted to move but my skin wanted to stay put." Flit shivered, remembering the terrible feeling. "The guys back at base need to know about it... If they can neutralise our abilities we're screwed!" She said.

Then, a horrible thought filled her mind. Gently pulling away from Scraps she got to her feet slowly, her head spinning as she did do. She concentrated all of her energy on a spot a few feet away and then went for it.

When Flit opened her eyes she had managed to port the distance. She felt even queasier than she had before but her relief made the extra sensation negligible.

"I'm okay!" She said happily, turning back to face Scraps as he sat on the ruffled covers of one of the five beds in the room. This shelter was much larger than the last one they had stayed in. 

Shakily, she made her way over to the cabinet with the red cross on it and rifled through it until she found a small silver packet with a few numbers on it.

"Did you give my anything while I was out?" She asked, "And how long was I out of it for?" "I haven't given you anything. I..I wasn't sure what they'd done to you yet." Scraps explained shakily. "You weren't out for too long, by my calculation probably thirty minutes at the most." He informed her. ~*~ "Oh good." Flit said, eagerly ripping the top of the foil packet and downing the pills inside without even getting some water to help her swallow. If he had given her something she would just have to deal with the pain, but with any luck these pills would dull the throbbing in her head. When she was done she walked back over to the bed and sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry about that Scraps." She said, not able to meet his eyes. "I was so worried when I saw that they were there and you were nowhere nearby. I thought that... Well, for a second..." Flit closed her eyes and remembered to breathe. She couldn't even think it without getting upset, let alone talk about it. She had to change the topic. "Who would've thunk it, eh?" Flit said, giving him a small smile "You were the one to save me this time!"

"I guess that almost makes us even then." Scraps agreed with a grin before his expression turned serious again. "Flit, I almost lost you today. When I arrived at the shelter and you weren't there, my mind just went crazy. I kept going over it in my head. All the terrible possibilities." He explained sombrely. "I know now that I cannot live without you. You have become everything to me. To lose you would be like losing a fragment of myself. I know it seems a strange thing to say to someone I've only known a short time, but when I look at my life before you I just cannot to go back. I will not go back." He continued passionately. Flit watched as emotions tugged at his awareness and she was felt with an overwhelming sense of appreciation for him.

"When I found you with the retrieval team, unconscious and helpless, it was like my worst nightmares had come true. However, it was when they contemplated how they were going to deal with you that I snapped. It was like my sanity was only being held back by an elastic band and it suddenly broke free releasing something I never knew I had. It felt like I had no control of my body anymore Flit, when I fought those soldiers I literally ripped them apart. There was barely anything left but blood, bits and pieces of what used to be human people." Scraps voice began to break as he told his tale and Flit's heart broke also."Even though you're safe now, I'm worried that if I lose control like that again I might hurt someone I care about. I might hurt you. I couldn't bear the thought of causing any harm to befall you." As he finished what he was saying a tear squeezed from his eyes and he looked away from her. Flit reached out, putting a hand on either of his cheeks and turned him back to face her. In his voice and in his eyes she could see her own feelings reflected back at her. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that she meant just as much to him as he did to her. It was mutual, there was no question about it.

Flit wasn't sure what to say. Her own emotions were running just as wild as his, and she could feel his desperation blending with hers in the tense air that surrounded them. As he looked deeply into her eyes the devastation that her dream self had felt at the thought of losing him played through her mind anew. 

Slowly, carefully, Flit leant forward. When their lips met it was with such tenderness that her heart ached for it. She wasn't sure what to say to him; what could she possibly say to match such heartfelt words? Instead, Flit decided to show him how she felt. She put all of her emotions into their kiss, the tenderness, the desire, the attachment. As their tongues met Flit moaned softly into his mouth and wrapped her arms around him, wanting to feel him closer to her. ~*~ Flit's kiss broke him out of his dark brooding. The intense passion he felt streaming from her lips washed away every shadowy thought that remained. Scraps's mind only focused on one thing. Her. He felt his own passion stirring within the confines of his pants as her body moved in an amorous dance with his own. His hands pulled at her clothing desperately, his only desire to feel her hot naked body against his own.

He managed to unclip her body armor and remove it shortly followed by her shirt. He quickly turned his attention to his own clothing and relieved himself of the same. With the initial part of his task complete, Scraps resumed their passionate kiss and pulled her closer luxuriating in the contact of their heated skin.

~*~

As their bodies pressed together, hot and eager, the only thing between their torsos was Flit's bra. Without a second thought she let go of Scraps and unhooked it eagerly, then pulled it from between them. She sighed as their skin collided and she captured his lips again. If felt so good to be pressed against him, both of their bodies filled with the fire of their passion.

It wasn't long before Flit wanted more. She pulled away from Scraps, breasts rising and falling rapidly, and she gently pushed him back against the bed. Her fingers undid his belt and pants in a manner of seconds and she pulled them down. His underwear was tented with his arousal and the sight made her moan in anticipation. She wanted him. Now. 

Flit pulled Scraps's underwear down and then grabbed his pants, taking them off his legs eagerly. Then she crawled on top of him, her legs straddling his hips and her leather clad womanhood pressed against his naked erection eagerly. This time, when she kissed him, she rubbed herself up against him desperately, her hips rolling as her tongue explore his mouth. His manhood was hard, and if felt wickedly good against her desperate body.




The Hub Ch. 06



Flit's mind swirled about as she slowly became conscious of the sound of Scraps shifting about on the bed behind her. It wasn't long before she also became aware of the feeling of his morning erection pressed against her gently. She opened her eyes tentatively, pleased that the lights were dim, and then pushed her behind against him.

"Good morning," She whispered, her voice croaky from sleep. "What were you planning to do with that?" She asked, rubbing herself against his erection suggestively.

Scraps didn't speak his response, instead he grinded himself against her more enthusiastically. Flit moaned at the heady sensation an rested her head back against his chest as he eagerly kissed her neck. After a few minutes of this teasing Scraps pulled back from her and then gently pushed her onto her back. He climbed on top of her and used his knee to spread her legs open. They were both still naked from the night before, and when his hips came to rest Scraps's manhood was poised at her entrance.

"With your permission?" Scraps asked, lips whispering against her own. His tip was pressed, hot and round, against her entrance and he made sure to keep tantalizingly beyond her reach as she bucked her hips towards him.

"Seriously?" Flit chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Get in there before I have to take matters into my own hands."

Scraps's grin as he pushed into her made her heart flutter. The look of pleasure on his face strengthened her affection for him as he kept his strokes slow and strong. Every thrust reached deep within her, and each retreat was drawn out, making her desperate for more of him again. When she moaned his lips would find her own and his tongue would caress hers.

~*~

Despite his desire to continue making love to her for ever, Scraps soon found that she felt too good. His peak arrived on the back of a long and sensuous session of intercourse where his hands explored her glorious curves just as surely as his tongue explored her own. His seed burst forth into her and her moans of pleasure were music to his own as he struggled to keep thrusting through his release. 

Love. The word still seemed strange even thinking it, yet he knew that it truly represented how he felt for her. In time he was certain that it wouldn't seem so foreign but for now he revelled in the uniqueness of the whole experience. Their second coupling was as much about love as the first had been about passion. After spilling his seen inside of her his body collapsed against hers, and her legs and arms wrapped around him in an attempt to keep their bodies intertwined. 

"Wow, that was amazing," Her voice was hot in his ear, echoing what he had told her the night before. He grinned as he enjoyed the intimacy of the moment and the gentle teasing in her tone. Eventually Flit let out a long sigh and Scraps lifted his head to look at her.

"We'd better get going," She said, reluctance saturating her tone and expression. "We'll need to head back to where you fought the Officers to gather some information before we head back to the Residence. It'll be one hell of an interrogation when we get back there, you can count on that."

Even though he knew it was coming, the truth of her statement was sobering. As his mind and body left the serene fantasy that their coupling had created, the reality of their situation hit him hard. Scraps had no desire to return to the blood bath of his own making but he knew that they needed to. If The Government began to mass produce such a weapon they needed to know how it worked to combat its disastrous effects.

"You're right, hopefully I didn't do too much damage to the weapon," Scraps responded, knowing that it was an ill-founded hope. 

They repacked their gear and headed back to the junction of death with Scraps leading the way. When they arrived, evidence of the massacre had been cleaned by the flowing sewage water and the other resident scavengers. Scraps tried to recall where the weapon would have been thrown in the scuffle. The events that took place flooded his mind and he felt a cold sweat form on his body. The gruesome vivid images were still fresh and so were the strongly negative feelings. After a slight shudder he looked over to the edge of the junction to where he estimated the weapon would have fallen. Sure enough, in several pieces, lay the smashed components of the enigmatic gun. He pointed it out to Flit upon his discovery. 

~*~

When Scraps began looking for the gun amidst the blood-washed tunnels she saw small beads of sweat welling up on his skin. She took a step closer to him and put a comforting hand on his back. She was certain that he had seen a dead body before, and just as certain that he had taken a life, but the most likely cause of his reaction was the fact that he had literally torn apart a human being. Flit had guessed that Scraps was powerful, but she had to admit to herself that his strength was impressive. His inhibitor was doing him a great disservice, and she had to wonder if he or The Government ever knew the true extent of his abilities.

Flit hid her disappointment upon seeing the shattered weapons behind a shrug and a small encouraging smile. She took the pieces from him and slipped them into her pack carefully. It was better than nothing.

"That should give them a good starting place," She said, looking up at him reassuringly and taking his hand. She hoped that her well-honed tone of confidence would reassure him. "Those components alone will give them a lot of information."

Flit got to her toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"It is kill or be killed down here Scraps. All of this," she gestured around the tunnel "might have been pretty horrific, but you're alive.... and so am I. Thank you," she kissed him again before she wrapped his arms around her body. "Now what do you say we high-tail it back to base so we can let the others know about this new weapon? Tell me if you need a break," she said before beginning a series of long and quick jumps back down towards the Residence.

When Flit and Scraps finally got back to the Residence they checked in with Post-hoc and Harmony and had given him as much detail as they were able to remember. They were grilled thoroughly on the events, and Flit was pleased that she had used the time to journey back here to replay everything in her mind and prepare for the inevitable questions. Flit had been able to do it with ease, replaying the fight in her mind and trying to think of anything that was of particular importance. Scraps, however, seemed to have a bit of trouble with this. There were a couple of times where he stopped speaking, rethinking what he was saying, before continuing. Harmony and Post-hoc had been pleased with his explanation, but Flit could tell that there was something that he was holding back. The whole event had shaken him more than she had expected, and she had to put it down to his explanation the previous evening. He had been confronted, for the first time, with the prospect of losing someone that he loved. That would be enough to shake almost anyone.

When the interrogation was finally over Flit and Scraps were told to take the weapon components straight to the research and development facility in Intelligence for further analysis. After that they were given a quick check over, and later an okay, by Patch. Knowing that her mother would be frantic with worry, Flit kissed Scraps goodbye for the moment. Flit couldn't help but feel a little sad when she said farewell to him. She had been lucky enough to be down in the Underground for the night, but she knew she would have to go back up to the Hub with her parents. After the previous evening and their intimate morning, Flit could think of very little worse than knowing that she had to go back to an empty bed.

After reporting Flit had returned to the Mess hall to grab a bite to eat before she met her parents for the trek back to the surface. Scraps wasn't there, but all of her other colleagues were. They greeted her with enthusiasm as she sunk into a seat at their regular table.

"Flit! Are you okay?" Hawekeye asked before she was even seated.

"All good." Flit replied with a smile "Just had a little encounter with some Officers. No big deal." She said with a casual shrug. Harmony and Post-hoc had asked that they keep the full details of their ordeal private for a while.

"The message from the Emergency Shelter said that you'd been hurt." Hawkeye's voice cut through the chatter and Flit turned to face him, his green eyes assessing her carefully.

"Well, I was. I got knocked out for a while, but Scraps had it under control. I'm fine now." She reassured him with a smile.

"If I was there you wouldn't have been hurt at all." Hawkeye said bitterly, "I would have seen the Officers before they had a chance to get close."

Flit rolled her eyes.

"Well you weren't there Hawkeye, and there is nothing that can be done about it now. Scraps and I did the best we could, followed procedure, and came home alive. That is all I dare ask for." She said.

The rest of dinner went by without a hiccup, Flit learning all about the group training exercise she had missed out on. When she got up to leave, Post-hoc walked into the room and called her aside.

"How are you feeling, Flit?" He asked, concerned.

"All good," she replied with a bright smile.

"And Scraps?" 

"Not too sure. He just went straight to his room. I think it was a little harder for him than it was for me. I don't think he's ever really had to come to terms with his mortality before, or that of the others around him," She said.

"You're probably right. I might send Acumen in to check on him later tonight. They seem to get along quite well," Post-hoc said, Flit nodded her agreement. "Now, the reason I am here is to ask that you and Scraps report to Intelligence as soon as you arrive tomorrow evening. We've had a meeting and we have decided that we need to talk to you two again."

Flit frowned but agreed to meet up with Post-hoc and the others tomorrow evening.

~*~ 

Flit's mother was terribly pleased to see her. After forcing Flit to allow her to use her abilities to ensure that Flit was, indeed, healthy her mother had finally pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Her father arrived a few minutes later and had given her another hug that left her feeling as if she was a wrung out sponge.

It was a true testament to her mother's mood that she didn't grill Flit about the events of the previous evening, or carry on about her assignment to the Security team again. Tinker had even stated that she was pleased that Scraps wasn't hurt. While her mother was in a good mood Flit considered stretching her luck and asking if she could fake her death and go down to the Underground full-time, but decided better of it. She had a stressful couple of days as it was. It would probably be better to let sleeping dogs lie.

~*~

After Scraps returned to his room he immediately proceeded to unpack and organise his belongings. He found the ritual soothing and familiar; compared to the previous night stressful incident he needed something to keep his mind calm.

When he was satisfied that everything was in order he ran a shower to wash all the muck from the sewers off his exhausted body. He wished that Flit could have stayed with him for the night but he knew that she needed to be with her parents after their ordeal. As hungry as he was he decided not to go to dinner, the last twenty four hours had been stressful enough and the last thing he wanted to do was answer more questions from his well-meaning colleagues. Scraps also knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the memories of making love to Flit from his mind, and he knew that staying in his room was the safest way to avoid sharing them with any probing mind-readers.

Later that evening when Scraps was relaxing on the bed he heard a knock at the door. Acumen stood at the threshold awaiting permission to enter.

"Hey buddy, do you mind if I come inside?" Acumen asked politely, Scraps didn't feel like visitors tonight but Acumen probably already knew that.

"I know you don't feel like it right now, but you need to talk about what happened to you out there," Acumen said trying to convince him. Scraps sighed. There was little chance that Acumen was going to let this one go, so he stepped to the side to let him in. Acumen went over to the nearby desk chair whilst Scraps laid back on the bed.

"Look, we all have those 'oh shit' moments in our life. Especially if we end up in a situation like yours. I know it sounds redundant but folk like us can't afford to dwell on bad experiences, we have to move on," Acumen attempted to console him.

"I know what you're saying Acumen, I really do. Even before I came down here I'd already seen and been in many life threatening situations but this was different. It wasn't me who was in danger; it was Flit. I just snapped when...when I heard what they were going to do to her. They spoke like she was just a scrap of meat." Scraps explained sombrely, trying to keep the memories from digging their unrelenting claws into his tired mind.

"We all lose control Scraps, you're not alone there. Hell even I've been in some bad shit that's made me wanna really lose it, really rip something apart," Acumen replied, his hands mimicking tearing to add effect to his speech.

"I don't doubt that at all and since you've been without a control chip much longer than I have you've probably dealt with it on more than one occasion. But when you want to rip something apart you have to actually use your own limited physical strength. When I rip something apart, it literally rips apart. Those men down there didn't stand a chance, they were dead before they even knew it. I even remember thinking about how much pain I could cause them if I pulled at specific parts of their body. Needless to say none of them died with a smile on their face," Scraps explained without a hint of pride or achievement in his voice. Acumen sighed.

"You're not the monster you think you are Scraps, I would know. Also Flit doesn't think of you that way either and I don't need to be a mind reader to pick up on that. We all have our demons Scraps, I know better than most. If it's any consolation, I think I would have done worse if I had your ability; the human mind is capable of thinking and picturing images worse than anything in reality.

"You take the time to rest buddy and if you need to talk to anybody I'm always around... especially if you don't want to voice it out loud," he finalised. Scraps nodded in understanding and Acumen stood up to leave.

"Oh one more thing; talk to Flit about it as well. She is worried about you and she needs to know that you're okay. Plus, you'll find that she is good to talk to about this because she was there with you." Acumen added as he left the room.

Scraps spend the next day in quiet contemplation, he did manage to get a few hours training with some of the others but he mostly spent time in his room. Later in the evening a knock on the door broke him out of his trance. Flit stood before him with her happy smile, all the negative emotions he felt washed away as they embraced each other warmly.

~*~

As requested, Flit made her way straight to Scraps's quarters he following evening. As she knocked on her door she hoped that he had been able to get a good night's sleep, and that his day hadn't been too busy.

Flit closed her eyes and rested her head on Scraps's chest as they hugged each other in greeting. The relief that she felt at being back in his arms almost overwhelmed her. She had missed him greatly. The pleasure of being able to sleep in his arms the previous evening had spoiled her. Sleeping alone after the tender night they had shared was disappointing indeed. Eventually Flit pulled away from Scraps and smiled up at him. 

"We've got to report to Post-hoc and the others." She said. "For some reason they want to talk to us again." Flit tried to keep her nerves from her voice.

She had spent her day at work worrying about what this meeting was going to cover. She and Scraps had already recorded their statements and given their superiors their full reports, what more could they want? Flit reached out and took Scraps's hand in her own, hoping her need for contact didn't betray her nerves. Just as they had begun walking, Flit felt Scraps tugging at her hand, and she turned to face him, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"There's one more thing I have to tell you Flit, it's about last night," everything about his tone and demeanour were hesitant and it took an encouraging smile for him to muster the courage to continue. "I told you that I lost control of myself when I came to rescue you but I didn't explain myself properly. When the retrieval team were dragging you back they spoke about killing you instead of bringing you back with them... Not only that, they wanted to rape you as well. I just couldn't bear the thought of those men abusing you. As you know I have already witnessed the aftermath of similar attacks and the terrible images overloaded my mind. I tore those men apart and I made sure they suffered as I did. I wanted them to hurt so badly for even thinking about hurting you." he recounted. 

Flit's eyes widened as anger surged through her veins at this news. She was as angry about the men's intentions towards her as she was about what they had put Scraps though. She couldn't even imagine how horrible it had been for him to hear that, and then to live with the repercussions of his own anger.

"Do you think I'm a monster for thinking and acting that way?" Scraps asked her earnestly, as though it was really a possibility.

"No," Flit's response was quick and firm. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "Scraps, listen to me now, and listen carefully. You are not a monster. There is not a single part of you that could ever be considered monstrous," she stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes with a fierce determination, hoping that he would listen to her. 

"You were angry. Someone that you love was threatened and what you did was completely natural. Plus, you didn't completely lose control, you were in control enough to stop yourself when they were dead, you knew why you were doing what you were doing, and you had enough of your wits to get me back to safety and to tend to me. Then, you even remembered protocol and sent a message back to base."

Flit looked up at Scraps, his crimson eyes looking sadder than she had ever seen them. It made her entire body ache to console him, not wanting him to persecute himself for even a moment more.

"I love you and I think of you no differently because you have told me this. You did exactly what you needed to do to keep you and I alive, and to be honest, I'm grateful that you did it even though it came at great personal cost." She grabbed his face with both hands and pulled his head down so that she could kiss him softly, reassuringly. 

When Scraps and Flit finally pulled away from each other Flit could see that Scraps was already looking more relaxed. His eyes had turned from tormented to grateful and he smiled at her.

"Thank you Flit, it means a great deal to me. For a moment I thought I had lost myself but I think with the two of us together we can solve any problem," he replied.

"Now let's get to the meeting, we don't want to keep them waiting." Scraps said with a sense of confidence that reassured Flit. 

~*~

When Flit opened the door to the meeting room there were already several people waiting in there. Post-hoc was the first that caught her eye; he nodded his greeting with a small smile on his face. Acumen was also there, however he didn't look quite as pleased as Post-hoc did. Harmony, Divvy from Control and Shadow from Intelligence were also seated at the table, all looking at them expectantly. When Flit and Scraps shut the door behind themselves Divvy got to her feet, standing up on the opposite side of the large round table, and motioned to the two empty chairs nearest the door. On top of the table there were two handheld computers with blacked out screens and two paper files.




The Hub Ch. 06



"Flit, Scraps, thanks for coming. Please take your seats." Divvy said with a kind smile. Flit and Scraps sat down as asked, and Flit looked around and the people gathered with interest.

"We know that you both gave very detailed statements yesterday, and we thank you for that, but we have brought you here for that and another reason." Harmony said, looking at them both seriously before turning to Shadow.

Flit had only seen Shadow a few times, but she remembered him easily. He was a teleporter as well, but he carried himself with a grace that Flit would never manage. Where Flit's jumps were true to her name sake, quick and sudden, Shadow's presence seemed to ooze into the space around him, and when he shifted he was like a cat emerging from the shadow of an alley, slinky and smooth. He, as far as Flit knew, was one of the people who were higher up on the pecking order in Intelligence.

"The reason we have called you back is this," Shadow spoke, his voice surprisingly deep and smooth as it slithered over Flit's body. He reached down under the table and picked up a box. He emptied it onto the table and the fragments of the strange weapon that Flit had been hit by scattered on the smooth surface. Flit could feel Scraps tense beside her and she put a hand on his thigh to comfort him. 

"We've already told you everything we know about it," Flit said, her eyebrows furrowing as Shadow pushed the fragments around on the table with a probing finger.

"We know," Acumen said, giving her a gruff smile that she thought was supposed to be reassuring. It wasn't. 

"That isn't the issue. We trust that you have both told us as much as you possibly can about the weapon. The problem is that it exists at all," Harmony explained, her tone soft and comforting. Flit couldn't help but smile, but then she had to wonder whether Harmony was using her abilities on them.

"You see," Shadow begun slowly, his eyes rising from the fragments on the table to catch Flit's in a curious stare "we have agents planted on the surface in several positions, and these agents should have known about this weapon."

Flit's mouth opened slightly in surprise. So The Underground hadn't known about this this? She was amazed that this was as much of a shock to them as it was to her. She had assumed that they had heard about it, but it perhaps was out for testing faster than they had anticipated.

"We hadn't even heard a whisper of a rumour about something like this being created. Sure, we knew that The Government was eager to get their hands on something like this, but as far as we, and our agents, knew it wasn't possible. Yet..." Shadow said, his lips turning into a disgruntled frown.

"What is it?" Flit asked, unable to restrain herself.

"It inhibits a Derivate's ability. But you already know that," Shadow told her, "We don't know how it works just yet, and Whiz believes that it will take a long time to figure out which parts go where, let alone discover how it operates," Shadow sighed and swiped the pieces of gun back into the box in one smooth motion.

"And what does this have to do with us?" Flit asked, even more confused now. Sure, she was the only one who had been at the receiving end of the weapon, but letting her know all of this information was useless. What was she supposed to do with it? And what about Scraps? Did they really need to carry on like this and make him feel worse for shattering the gun in the first place? She looked over at Acumen and noted that he didn't look any happier than he had when she and Scraps had come into the room. She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly and he merely shrugged.

"We have new assignments for the both of you," Divvy said, getting to her feet and sliding them each a handheld computer and a file.

"Scraps, so far you have proven yourself not only as a capable fighter, but as someone who is able and willing to care for your team mates," Divvy smiled at Scraps genuinely, and then at Flit. "We have had talked with Post-hoc, and have decided to assign you to the Security team if you wish. Now, this need not be permanent, but we think it would be the most appropriate place for you to start."

Flit turned and looked at Scraps excitedly as he pulled the handheld computer and the paper file closer to him. He smiled back at her shyly and she turned to grin at Acumen. Acumen's face was hard as stone though, and he shook his head ever so slightly. Flit looked back at Divvy, confused.

"Now Flit, we also have a new assignment for you."

Then, Flit connected the dots. All of the extra study she had done on Post-hoc's orders had been leading up to this. Perhaps the events with the gun had rushed things forward, but she knew now that she was being reassigned, and she had a feeling of what her new assignment might entail.

"We know you've always wanted to be part of the Intelligence Outreach team, and due to your ability to work independently and as part of a team; we have decided to grant you that wish." Divvy said.

Flit's mind swirled with conflicting emotions. This was what she had always wanted, wasn't it? Why wasn't she leaping up and down with joy?She looked at Scraps out of the corner of her eye and her heart skipped a beat.

"All of our Agents on the Surface are otherwise engaged," Shadow said, smiling at his newest acquisition. "We held emergency meetings all through the night. Initially, we were going to assign Newton and Sway to this case, but when we got in contact with them they shared some news with us. They have just discovered that Sway is pregnant, so we decided to recall them."

Flit had only met Newton and Sway once or twice, but she knew that they were partners for more than just work. As was the case with a lot of operatives sent to the surface, they were in a romantic relationship. Hearing that Sway was pregnant made Flit smile. However, recalling them made her wonder what on earth Shadow was planning.

"They are currently based in a Government Outstation in Metro Five. We have our best data-manipulators going through the Government's files to organise a transfer for them into the R&D Team in The Hub. They have been granted a four week holiday from the outstation in Metro Five, so we were hoping to send you and your partner to their new assignment in their place. We can alter all of the files and give you some new DNA Microtags that will make the transition plausible."

All of this information made Flit's head feel as if it were about to explode, however there was one part that stood out in her mind.

"My partner?" She asked, her hand involuntarily tightening on Scraps's thigh.

"Yes, we will be sending you to The Hub with Hawkeye." 

Flit's mouth dropped open in shock and she looked at Acumen. Acumen gave her an I-told-you-so look. Flit didn't even dare look at Scraps. She didn't know if she could stand it.

"For today Blinky and Hunter will look after your patrol, you two will have the night off. Tomorrow, Flit, you are to meet with me as soon as you arrive after work and we can go over the details. Scraps, I'll talk to you during the team training session. Are there any questions?"

Flit was too shocked to think of anything to say, instead she just shook her head mutely.

~*~

Scraps had been here before, more than once. Even though they were deep underground the feel of the department was the same. The Government headquarters radiated a sense of authority and secrecy that seemed to transcend the simply designed walls and architecture. He was prepared however, with Flit by his side he was ready for their judgement.

When he entered the room Scraps immediately recognised Post-Hoc, Harmony and Acumen. The other two he'd never met, the woman in the middle exuded an aura of confidence and authority, he could only assume this to be the Divvy; Harmony's co-leader of the underground. The other man seemed to almost hide within the shadows of the room, the peculiar thing about that, was in the brightly lit room, there were no shadows.

Divvy began by thanking them and explaining the reason for their attendance. The man he didn't know stepped forward and emptied the bag of useless weapon parts they had retrieved. The sound of metal clashing skittering along the table echoed the rapid beating of his heart. Despite the fact that Acumen and Flit had tried to convince him otherwise, Scraps still felt heavily responsible for the loss of the weapon. If he had the expertise he would use his abilities to reconstruct the weapon but alas, it was his abilities that destroyed it in the first place. Flit placed a reassuring hand on his thigh which comforted him greatly.

They continued the story explaining how their own intelligence had not been able to pick up on such an important discovery. Scraps was in no way privy to the details of Government research and development but he did know one thing; they prided themselves on only letting people know what they needed to know. The mysterious man explained the purpose of the weapon which Flit and Scraps already knew but they unfortunately weren't able to determine how it functioned. Scraps felt another metaphorical blow right to the stomach.

Scraps was suddenly surprised however when Divvy praised his combat prowess even in light of his recent actions. As he accepted the digital information pad and paper he decided that this would be his chance to prove himself further.

With his spirits lifted so high the news of Flit's assignment made him feel as though an aircraft crashing back to earth. He felt as though his body had been crushed into a thousand pieces. They had finally brought their relationship to a level of intimacy he scarcely believed he would ever reach only to find out that she would be taken away from him. Not necessarily in the emotional sense, but with her working on the surface, they would be spending little to no time together.

As if that devastating piece of information wasn't enough the next nearly tore his heart from his chest. Hawkeye was to become her new partner. He felt as if the breath had been taken from his lungs and when they asked if there were any questions his mouth failed to work. He caught Acumen's eye by this point and he could only give him a depressing nod. It seemed there was nothing for it.

They were dismissed, Scraps felt his body move on autopilot out the door. Flit followed behind and when they had reached a comfortable distance from the meeting room Scraps spoke.

"I can't believe it Flit. I just... I know you have to go but I don't want you to," his voice failed him and he barely managed to get the words out.

~*~

As Flit and Scraps walked through the tunnels of the Intelligence base Flit's mind raced at a million miles a minute. Her entire body was held together by a weak thread of restraint as conflicting emotions threatened to turn her apart. She heard Scraps's footsteps stop and she turned to him. The look on his face sent a crack through her tenuous composure, but when he spoke she was completely and utterly shattered. His tone was even more fragile than the one he had used before the meeting. Flit wanted to race forwards and hug him but her entire body was frozen in place with dread.

"Scraps, I-" She begun but stopped quickly, not knowing what to say that would make any difference. She had wanted to be a part of the Intelligence team for a long while, but that was when she was single. It had been the goal of all of her endeavours to impress Shadow and his people enough for them to pull her over to their team. She never thought that she would find something that would make her happy to be part of the Security team, but now she'd found it, it was too late.

"I can tell them no." Flit said, the solution suddenly so strong in her mind. She looked up at Scraps with a reassuring smile that was nothing more than a forced veneer. "I can say no and they can't reassign me!" She told him, more confidently this time. If she said no then they wouldn't be able to force her to move. Suddenly, the comfort of her known routine and her time with Scraps was much more preferable to the intrigue, excitement and danger of being part of covert ops. They couldn't say no to her, because if they did they would be no better than the Government.

"Unfortunately you're the best we've got." Acumen's voice came from further down the tunnel. Flit looked around Scraps and saw the disgruntled mind reader walking towards them, holding out the handheld computer and file that had been intended for her. "You left these behind." He said, by way of explanation.

Flit took a step closer to Scraps as Acumen approached and put her hand on her Lover's chest, desperately needing to feel his heat on her skin.

"I can't do it," Flit said, her voice more confident than she felt.

"You can. You are the best person for the mission," Acumen said gruffly. "You just don't want to. There's a difference between can't and won't."

Flit glared at him, her anger radiating towards him.

"Don't worry, I didn't need to read your mind to see that!" Acumen said, his voice softening slightly. "Look Flit, Scraps, I tried to talk them out of it. It is not usually our way to split up lovers. I suggested that you go in Hawkeye's place, Scraps, but they are concerned about the time limit. There is only four weeks to train you up, and they already have a head start with Hawkeye and Flit. They've been reading up on Covert Ops for a long while, and Hawkeye did some as part of his last mission," Acumen explained.

"I seriously don't want to do this," Flit said, trying to block out the obvious logic in Acumen's reasoning.

"The discovery of this weapon has caused a shockwave down here Flit. We should have known about it. The fact that we didn't shows that either we are not being effective enough Up There, or that The Government has become suspicious of our agents. Either way they want you up there, someone they know they can trust... Someone that has enough ties with the Underground to ensure that they will remain faithful to us..."

Acumen looked at Scraps when he spoke that last sentence and Flit gritted her teeth angrily, her mind fogging with the overpowering emotion. Someone with enough ties to the Underground to keep them faithful?

"So they are keeping Scraps here to blackmail me?" Flit asked, appalled.

"Well, no..." Acumen sighed "It isn't like that. Not really. The decision between Scraps and Hawkeye wasn't easy. After all, Scraps has an in-depth knowledge of the Hub that would be an invaluable resource. When it comes down to it the deciding factor was that Hawkeye is closer to being fully trained." 

Acumen's words only lessened her anger slightly. He held the computer and file out to her and she looked at them as though they were high powered explosives.

"I'm not asking you to decide now, and I don't want to tell you what to do, I just want you to think about it. Sway has to be recalled, there is no question about it. And Newton? Well, it is unfair to ask him to stay in The Hub when his child will be born in The Underground. Just think about it Flit, please? And while you do I will see what I can do to get Scraps sent up with you instead, okay?"

Reluctantly Flit took the items from Acumen's outstretched hand. He gave her a grim smile before saying farewell and heading back in the direction of the meeting room. Flit tucked the items under her arm and looked up at Scraps, barely able to contain the tears of confusion. "Acumen's right Flit, we need to look at the bigger picture. Hopefully this will all be over soon and we can go back to the way it was before," Scraps voice was a robotic monotone that made Flit's heart freeze. Acumen nodded at Scraps in agreement.

Reluctantly Flit took the items from Acumen's outstretched hand. He gave her a grim smile before saying farewell and heading back in the direction of the meeting room. Flit tucked the items under her arm and looked up at Scraps, barely able to contain the tears of confusion.

Scraps took Flit by the hand and guided her away from that area of the Burrow. He walked her to his room in silence not. As they got closer and closer Flit could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. When they arrived at his room he finally broke.

"I'm sorry Flit, I know you must think I was cold back there but I had to say that to get Acumen off our back. I have no intention of letting you go, we have to find another way out that doesn't compromise the whole situation," He quickly explained. Flit threw her hand-held computer and file on his bed, none too gently, as she listened to his words. A guilty sense of relief flood her and she took both of his hands in her own.

"I don't know how we can make it work." Flit said through gritted teeth. "If I'm up there on assignment I can't risk coming back down here. Being up there with Mum and Dad is one thing, but as soon as I am in a privileged position I will have to act as if my every move is being monitored. I can't just come back down here for the night." She dropped his hands and started to pace around the room, mind racing. 

"Just when I found you... Just when I was finally happy again..." She muttered to herself. As she paced she unconsciously started jumping a few steps at a time. It was something she did when she was angry, and she didn't even realise she was doing it most of the time; teleporting was as natural to her as blinking.

"Scraps, I really don't want to do this. I know they need me but... I need you."

The frown that Scraps gave her was equal parts frustration, confusion and anger.

"I still don't understand why someone else can't go. Surely there are others just as qualified as you," he said, tone pleading.

"Well there are others, but there is one main problem," Flit said, "You know how I can live on the surface? Have you ever wondered how I get around without other Derivates knowing what I am?"

"Uh no. I guess the thought never crossed my mind. Is there some kind of technology you use whilst on the surface?" He looked at her with bewilderment in his eyes, as though he couldn't believe he was only just thinking about this now.

"Not technology, not like you're thinking," Flit said with a shrug. "It's an injection. They put a drug in my system which blocks the radiation of my psionic energy. How long it lasts depends on the dose. It is a great creation, but there is one problem; it only works properly on certain people. Me? I have no trouble with it, but give it to someone like Patch and they are vomiting up their stomach lining for a week. They aren't sure what the problem is with it, only that there is something in the genetics of people that it works on that keeps the side effects away."

~*~

Some of the pieces of the puzzle were now fitting together. Although Scraps had little knowledge of genetics he was well aware of the uniqueness of each Derivate; registered or otherwise. He couldn't believe that he hadn't wondered about this before.

"I'm guessing that Hawkeye is also fine with the drug and that's why he's going up to," he asked rhetorically, wondering who else would be suitable but couldn't tolerate the drug.

"So it doesn't look like there's any other way then. Now that I've become so much a part of this society and culture I cannot in good conscience allow you to decline their mission. It's not just about us anymore Flit, it's about our whole existence. If The Government develops this weapon on a mass scale we won't stand a chance against them," he replied with resignation.

"I know, I know." Flit said through gritted teeth. Her anger and frustration was palpable as she massaged her forehead. "I understand that and considering the circumstances I don't think I can decline. I just wish I could. As much as the idea of being in Intelligence is awesome, if it means missing out on being with you the experience will mean nothing to me," Flit paused for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I just need time to adjust to the idea." 




The Hub Ch. 06



Now that both of them were on the same page they would just need time to get used to the idea. Scraps no longer wanted to talk about her upcoming mission or the fate of their existence he only wanted to spend what little time they had left enjoying each other.

He pulled her into a deep kiss trying to drown away their worries with passion. She responded with equal enthusiasm and Scraps pulled them toward his bed knocking the data pad aside without a second thought.

The third time that they made love was just as special and amazing as the first two. The way that their skin felt when it was pressed together, their bodies moving in synchrony, was truly incredible. Despite the complete pleasure of it all, Scraps found it difficult to keep the knowledge of the mission from creeping into his mind. He tried hard to focus on the fact that they would only have another month with each other. Whatever would happen beyond that was out of his control. He had to focus on what he could do now, with Flit, and push everything else from his mind.

~*~

Flit had waited until she and her parents arrived at their unit in The Hub before letting them know the news. They took it better than she had expected, but were visibly shaken by the fact that their nightmares were coming true. They were so shocked, in fact, that they didn't even bother taking it out on her. Instead they looked at each other desperately and told her that they couldn't believe it was actually going to happen. They knew that she would need to fake her death on the surface, and each member of the Cross family knew that her parents mourning would only be partially faked. Losing her identity in the Hub meant that she could never come back as herself; her parents would never be able to talk about their daughter as if she was still alive.

Before Flit had gone to sleep her mother had even asked what Scraps thought of the arrangement. Tinker was not surprised to learn that her daughter's lover was just as apprehensive about the new assignments as she was. Even though they had warned Flit against him, her parents were slowly starting to come to terms with their relationship. Even though they weren't too pleased about it, they knew it made their daughter happy and were genuinely disturbed that this new mission would get in the way of her joy.

~*~

The next day was Scraps' first patrol during the day and without Flit. He would have felt a lot more positive about his new responsibility and position if his first patrol had not been with Hawkeye. It had been a few days since they had last conversed; the incident in the dining hall left a gaping chasm between them. Hawkeye spent most of the patrol boasting about his vast knowledge of the sewer system in the zone. Scraps mostly kept to himself, all he could see were images of Hawkeye and Flit together on the surface which made him feel slightly ill.

Hawkeye caught him not paying attention on several occasions and unlike Scraps, he was in a particularly bubbly and yappy mood. Scraps knew that deep down there would be nothing to worry about with the two of them together, but since they had no time frame for their mission there was always the possibility that Hawkeye and Flit may become a lot closer than intended. They were, after all, already best friends.

When their patrol finished Hawkeye turned to him with a genuine expression of concern on his face.

"Look, I know how you're feeling. That night when I found out that you and Flit were...well, together, I just felt like my whole world fell apart. Like everything I'd ever cared about had been taken from me," he began. When they crossed the threshold of the residence Hawkeye took a seat and motioned for Scraps to join him. Scraps did so reluctantly, and had to stop himself from telling Hawkeye that their situations were nothing alike. 

"I just want to let you know that I'm not going to try and take Flit from you. I've accepted that you two are together now and there's nothing I can do about it," he continued and placed a hand on Scraps's shoulder. Scraps's entire body tensed at the contact, his fists tightening on the edge of the bench, knuckles whitening.

"Scraps, you can trust me okay? I know we haven't really spoken much since the other night but I can assure you that the only thing that Flit and I will be focused on is the mission. I promise that I'll look after her. I always have and I always will." Hawkeye explained, with a friendly gesture Hawkeye held his hand out to Scraps.

Scraps wasn't a mind-reader and couldn't be sure if Hawkeye was being truthful but he seemed so genuine he couldn't deny his trust. There was one thing he was certain about; if anybody was as good at looking after Flit as himself, it would be Hawkeye. With a short grunt and slight smile Scraps thanked Hawkeye and shook his hand.

Hawkeye and Scraps parted ways and Scraps returned to his room. He still needed to study the maps further as his patrols would transcend several different zones of the underground.

~*~

The next day passed quickly for Flit. Now she felt as though she was living her pseudo-life on borrowed time; and it was already starting to slip through her eager fingers. She had trouble concentrating on her tasks knowing that soon, her identity would be dead. She knew that she would have to fake her death and her mind raced with the possibilities.

When Flit arrived in the Underground she made her way through the labyrinthine tunnels that belonged to Intelligence. When she got to the meeting room and opened the door she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. 

"Come in Flit. We have a lot to discuss," Shadow said with a smooth smile. Flit looked at the other occupant of the room and glared at him as he gave her a broad grin. "Did you get a chance to look at your file?"

"Nope," Flit hummed as she walked to the opposite side of the large round table to Hawkeye and Shadow.

"That's okay, there's nothing in there that I can't tell you myself," Shadow returnef, the disappointment in his tone thinly veiled. Normally that would have made Flit feel bad, but she would never feel guilty for enjoying her time with Scraps, especially as it would soon be in short supply.

Almost an hour later Shadow dismissed Flit and Hawkeye. Flit was to go to one of the Intelligence operatives, Trojan, and work on the details of her upcoming death. Hawkeye (much to Flit's dismay) volunteered to show her the way, as he had something to discuss with Killjoy whose office was next to Trojan's. 

"So, looks like we're partners, eh?" Hawkeye said as soon as they were out of earshot of the office, his tone far too jovial for Flit to stomach. 

Flit ignored him.

"I'm glad we get to go up together. I don't trust anyone but myself to cover your arse," He continued, oblivious to her mood. "I went on patrol with Scraps today; he doesn't seem to be taking it too well." The thinly veiled smugness in his tone set Flit on edge.

"Hawkeye?" Flit growled through gritted teeth.

"Yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up." 

~*~

It turned out that Trojan was fond of Flit's plan for her death. A hover-speeder crash in the wild would be the perfect way to ensure that there was no suspicion. The flames would be enough to destroy most of "her body" and they would be able to use some remains from The Nest to fake her charred corpse. Trojan would mess with the DNA test without much trouble. The next task was to set a date. Trojan had asked for two days and Flit had agreed. It was much sooner than she expected, but she guessed that it was best done before she had too much time to think about it.

After the long meeting with Trojan it was dinner time, so Flit made her way to the Mess Hall. Trojan had given her a lot of extra information as well, and now Flit had a good idea of what she was getting herself into. When she got to dinner and saw Scraps sitting at the table her heart pounded against her ribs, and she dreaded telling him the details of her mission. Flit was pleased to see that Scraps was already seated at the table. As she arrived he got out of his seat and greeted her with a warm hug, which she melted into without a second thought.

"How was the meeting today? I hope they weren't too angry you didn't do any study last night," he whispered with a wink. Flit laughed and rolled her eyes before pulling away. Ever since he had begun to settle in his natural sense of humour had come out, and she noticed that he seemed to have a way of making her feel better without really trying. 

"Not really." Flit replied, sinking into her seat. 

Dinner went by without incident and as they stood after their meals Flit asked if she could go back to Scraps room with him so that they could chat. It was more out of habit of being polite that she asked, because she knew he wouldn't refuse her.

When they were settled comfortable on Scraps's bed, Flit seated between his spread legs as he leant back against the wall, Flit decided that she had to share what she knew with him. Holding information back from him wouldn't be helpful to either of them, no matter how much she wished she didn't have to tell him. 

"So," Flit sighed "I'm not really meant to talk about the mission too much, but there are some things that I can tell you... and even if I wasn't allowed to I would anyway."

There were a number of things about the mission that made it even harder for Flit to agree to go along with the assignment.

"I guess the worst part is that we don't know how long it will be. If it were just a matter of finding the blueprints for the guns and hightailing it back here it mightn't be too hard, but they want us to stay up there and have a very good snoop around before letting them know what they might have missed. After that? It is up to them to recall us. It could be a month, or a year... or longer. We just don't know."

Flit's voice turned from matter-of-fact to downright sad as she spoke. Saying the words that Shadow had spoken to her only made it more real. "Will you be able to send messages to me directly when you're up there?" His question was slow but hopeful. Flit frowned and shook her head.

"I don't think I will even be able to do that," She uttered regretfully. "I will be in touch with Shadow; he's asked for a check in every twenty-four hours. However, the messages will be heavily coded and may contain sensitive information. He has stressed that we have to be as discreet as possible. I'm worried that if I send too many messages back and forward, The Government might pick up on it," She explained.

~*~

The reality of their situation crashed down upon him more violently than the explosion in the sewer a few nights prior. Even though he already knew that the length of time for her mission was indeterminate he still held onto a strand of hope that she would be done and dusted well before he would get the chance to miss her.

Of one thing he could be certain of was that she wouldn't have time to loiter around on the surface, the fact that The Governmentalready had a working prototype meant they were very close to mass production. On the downside, it meant that Flit would probably have to take a lot more risks to get the information they required and if in the event she was too late, then the possibility of a sabotage mission was very likely.

Scraps strongly disliked the idea of her in such immediate danger without his assistance. He knew that Hawkeye was a skilled combatant but without an active ability, he may not be as effective. Scraps felt a nagging feeling at the back of his neck that something was wrong with the whole situation. Scraps nodded slowly. The thought of not seeing her was bad enough, but the thought of not even being able to communicate with her was even worse. He felt as if this was a pivotal turning point in their freshly new relationship and it wasn't a positive one either.

"Just promise me that you'll look after yourself Flit. I cannot bear the thought of losing you. My life began with you and I don't want it to end yet," he replied sadly touching her cheek and relishing the feeling of her warm skin against his own.

"Of course I'll look after myself," Flit said with an exaggerated tone of bravado, "I have no intention of letting you off the hook that easily. You're stuck with me buddy, like it or not." Flit sighed heavily and leaned back into Scraps's strong embrace. 

"There is some good news at least." Flit said. Scraps certainly hoped so, he needed something good to ease this increasingly bleak situation. "I get to fake my death in less than thirty six hours. Goodbye Leah Cross and hello just Flit! It means that I will be down here between then and when I have to leave for the mission. It isn't much time, all things considered, but at least we will have more time to be together before..." Flit's voice broke and Scraps's heart broke along with it. "Well I suppose we shouldn't waste what we have." Scraps said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. With a few quick flicks of his wrists he used his ability to unbutton her top.

~*~

"Scraps!" Flit gasped, surprised. She turned and gave him a wicked grin. "Really? You, mister, are insatiable!" 

Flit closed the distance between them as she shrugged off her shirt eagerly. As her lips pressed against his her hands searched eagerly for the hem of his top. When she found it she broke their kiss so that she could pull it over his head and toss it across the room. The next item of clothing to join the pile was her bra.

Flit's breathing was heavy as she straddled her Llover's lap. She had to stop herself from thinking about what it would be like to say goodbye to him and take his advice and focus on the present. It was easy to do when his rigid member was pressing up against her so deliciously.

"We don't have long." Flit muttered reluctantly, pulling her lips away from his barely enough to allow her to talk. "But seeing as you are such a quick learner," she pecked his lips "and oh so enthusiastic, I thought we could try something new... do you want to give it a go?" Flit asked with a grin.

"Try something new ah? Sure why not?" he responded whilst using his ability to mimic the shape of hands and caress her supple breasts. Ever since his control chip had been removed Flit marvelled at his increased precision.

Flit moaned through slightly parted lips as the ghost force caressed her breasts gently. Her eyes locked with Scraps's and she felt desire pooling between her legs. Hating the fact that she had to move she slid off his bed and kicked off her shoes before carefully peeling her pants and underwear down her legs.

"Lose the clothes, I want you naked," she ordered before climbing back on the bed. She gave Scraps a wicked smile before she turned away from him, getting on her hands and knees and throwing him a suggestive look over her shoulder. "Stay on your knees and enter me from behind. I think you'll like this one." She winked at him.

Scraps took his swollen member in hand and approached her slowly. She could see him stroking himself as he inched towards her. He sunk to his knees behind her just as she had asked and placed his tip right at her entrance. Flit moaned as he sunk into her, his girth a welcome sensation in her desperate orifice. When he thrust forward and sheathed himself to the hilt he grunted in satisfaction. Suddenly, his slow and thoughtful entry was turned around. His hands grasped Flit's hips and his nails dug into her tender flesh as he begun to thrust with all the gusto and force that he could muster.

Having Scraps slam into her from behind was pleasurable enough without his fingers digging into her sides and letting her know just how good it felt for him. It seemed as though the first thrust shocked him a little, his body tensed inside and behind her and she smile as her fingers clawed at the sheets. Her desire thrummed through her body and she ground her hips against him suggestively, desperate for more.

When Scraps complied with her carnal suggestion she moved one hand down to her womanhood and pressed a finger against her clit. She waited for a few minutes, until Scraps had built a regular pace before she begun to stroke herself. With the slightest movement of her fingers her inner channel contracted around Scraps and she cried out.

Scraps exploded deep within her just as her orgasm went super nova, sending bone-shaking pleasure shooting through her entire body. Flit's fingers and toes went numb and curled as she threw her head back and cried out her pleasure. She could feel Scraps's member pulsing eagerly inside her, filling her with his hot seed and making her cry out all the louder for it. 

When Scraps collapsed against her back she relished the feeling of his hot skin against hers as he softened inside of her. She waited for a few minutes before carefully shifting so that she was on her back and he fell down against her front. She kissed him softly, closing her eyes and focusing on how wonderful he tasted. Flit broke the kiss with a long sigh and pulled her face back from his.

"I have to go now," She said. "I have to go and tell Mum and Dad about the speeder crash." 

Flit jumped out from under Scraps and threw him a cheeky grin as she bent over and gathered her discarded clothing, making sure he got a good chance to look at her naked rump as she did so. She pulled her clothes on quickly, making sure to comb her fingers through her hair so that she looked mildly presentable before she leant over and brushed a light kiss over his Government marked forehead.

"Love you. See you tomorrow." She said before heading out of the sanctuary of his room and into the tunnels beyond, trying hard not to think that their time was now limited.

~*~

The reflective glass surfaces of the tall buildings of The Hub passed in a blur of light and shadows as the speeder passed them. The air inside the speeder was cool, the climate control set to help cool Flit's nerves and ensure that she remained calm. She had been in the hovercraft for around half an hour and was only now journeying out towards the outer reaches of The Hub. The buildings were not as tall here, and the streets and airways were mostly free of congestion.

To Flit, it felt as though the past two days had gone by faster than the speeder. Everything she did, she had done like she was on borrowed time. She knew that her death was going to be fake, but there were some serious ramifications that surrounded it. Perhaps the most saddening was that her parent's mourning wouldn't entirely be in vain. They knew that their daughter would survive the crash; they had no doubt that she would be able to make the jump. They did, however, know that her mission would take her away from them. 

Something else that had made this whole experience very real to Flit was the knowledge that she wouldn't see her co-workers again. Even though she and her parents had lived quite a compartmentalized life, she still held some of her co-workers in high esteem. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to see them again, and not being able to say farewell, wasn't a very nice feeling. 

"Flit, you hear me?" Trojan's voice pierced through her thoughts thanks to the earpiece she was wearing and she jumped out of the pilot's seat.

"Yup." She replied, voice wavering slightly.

"Good. You will reach jump point in twenty seconds. Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen."

The countdown continued in her mind as she made her way over to one of the large windows on the side of her speeder. The buildings had given way to sparsely distributed trees and patches of shrubs when she had gotten lost in her thoughts. The speeder continued to follow its pre-set path. A path that would see it crash into the side of a hill.

Sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve.

Flit looked out of the window and she could see the rock formation approaching quickly. She concentrated on the spot and tried to think of nothing other than Trojan's voice in her mind as she took slow, deep breaths. 




The Hub Ch. 06



Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.

The rocks were clearly visible now. She could see the patch of grass in front of them and focused on that instead. Her swift reconnaissance of that area the previous evening had told her that the spot she now focused on was the safest to jump to. It was about a meter in front of the rock formation and free of branches and debris. It was as safe a spot as it got for this sort of jump.

Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. 

One.

Flit felt her feet land on the spongy grass and a split second later she heard a loud crash as the speeder impacted with the nearby hill. She turned quickly, watching as a mushroom cloud of smoke and fire billowed from the catastrophic collision site.

The next thing that she heard were several pairs of footsteps; Flit's heart leapt into her throat as she turned. "Trojan. Shadow." Flit said, relief flowing her tone.

"You look great for someone who just died. What's your secret?" Trojan asked her with a grin. Flit laughed and felt some of her nerves slowly begin to fade.

"Let's get you back Underground," Shadow said, looking at the speeder which was now lodged in the hillside and engulfed in hungry flames. "Your parents are so nervous that I'm worried that they'll give themselves heart attacks." 

Flit nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Trojan stepped behind Shadow and wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist. Had she not been a teleporter Flit would have been puzzled by the move, but in the next instant Shadow proved to be as graceful and elusive as his namesake as he filtered out of existence in one spot and faded into one about thirty meters away. 

Flit had no trouble keeping up with Shadow as they made their across the land and then into the tunnels. They had gone over the escape route the previous night when they had checked out the location so none of it was new to Flit. As she descended deep into the bowels of the Underground the fact that she no longer had to return to her duplicitous life finally dawned on her. Despite her misgivings, a smile crept onto her face.

Shadow and Trojan stopped their journey at the entrance to the nest of tunnels that belonged to Intelligence. They both favoured her with smiles and nods as they said their official welcome to their team. Shadow then told Flit that she had better go and see her parents before they caused a medical emergency. Funnily enough, Flit was all too eager to comply. So it was that, when she arrived at the door to her mother's medical bay, she found herself biting her lip with anticipation. The moment the door opened to reveal her parents she launched herself at them, wrapping an arm around each of their necks and taking comfort in the solidness of their bodies. 

"Leah, you're alright!" Her mother said breathlessly, her arms tightening around Flit.

"Of course I am," Flit laughed, pulling herself out of the embrace and crossing her arms over her chest. "The jump was easy. It was the waiting that damn near killed me," She said matter-of-factly. "Now, can we please get something to eat? I'm starving?"  

For the past fourteen years Flit had been having an early dinner with her friends in the Underground and her parents had taken their meals in their apartment in The Hub. The previous evening her parents had expressed their desire to spend time with her before she left for her mission, and they had agreed that having meals as a family would be a good place to start. Even though there were still some contentious issues between them, Flit's parents seemed to have calmed down of late. Flit wasn't sure whether they had finally realised that she was a grown woman now and could call her own shots, or whether they were tired of arguing. Either way, Flit wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

~*~

The next two days went by painfully slowly for Scraps. Even though he managed to spend time with Flit over those two days the amorous high of their passionate couplings were suddenly replaced by a deep melancholy low whenever she left. It seemed the distraction of sex was only a temporary solution to the encroaching loneliness of their separation. Whenever they were together Scraps watched Flit and tried to memorize every line and curve, every single detail lest he never saw them again. 

When he wasn't with Flit he was on patrols or training. He and Hawkeye had come to a silent agreement not to talk about the upcoming mission on the surface and instead focused on their patrols. He couldn't help but notice the way Hawkeye happiness was inversely proportional to his own despair.

Their patrol for that evening took them into the lower levels beneath the Residence. They were very close to the sections of his orienteering exercise and so he felt relatively comfortable. Hawkeye's voice echoed in the dank sewer tunnels as he recalled a prank he played on Acumen.

"You'd think that a mind reader would be able to tell she was playing him for a fool but I suppose we were a bit younger then and Acumen hadn't been laid in a good long while. Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when we dumped the soup all over his clean shirt. I laughed so hard my sides hurt," Hawkeye reminisced fondly. Scraps couldn't help but smile; seeing Acumen, who seemed so sure of himself all the time, in that situation would have been highly amusing.

"Poor Acumen, I really felt for the guy. I apologised of course but to this day I don't think he ever forgave me. I guess even for the best of us, things can turn to shit pretty quickly, eh?" Hawkeye commented. Suddenly Scraps was reminded of the recent turn of events in his own life.

"No matter how hard we try, it seems some things are just out of our control," Scraps commiserated. Hawkeye noticed the turn in his mood and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing will happen to her, okay? You have my word. I'll even put myself in harm's way to make sure she comes back safely to you," Hawkeye said honestly. Scraps looked at him directly, it was the first time he felt sorry for him. Even though Hawkeye was the one going with Flit he could now see the sadness in his eyes. Flit would never be anything more than a friend to Hawkeye and he knew it, every day on the surface with her would be as torturous to Hawkeye as everyday away from her would be to Scraps.

"Thank you Hawkeye, I know you will. Just make sure that both of you make it back," Scraps replied. Hawkeye nodded with understanding. They continued their patrol each with a greater respect for the other.

They continued on their designated route with Hawkeye in the lead, suddenly he stopped and turned around. Hawkeye's eyes were wide with fear and before Scraps could ask him what was wrong, Hawkeye launched at him, pushing Scraps back and sending him crashing to the ground. A nearby explosion rocketed the tunnel walls and the floor beneath Hawkeye gave way. He disappeared into the abyss below and Scraps quickly got up to investigate. Scraps peered over the edge of the newly formed gap in the tunnel floor, the lighting below was insufficient and he was unable to see Hawkeye.

"Hawkeye! Are you okay?" Scraps yelled, heart hammering against his chest as adrenaline coursed through him. He heard a soft groan from below followed by a cough.

"Hey Scraps, you have to get out of here! A leaky gas pipe in the tunnel next to us exploded! This whole area is unstable." He explained with difficulty, coughing and wheezing between words. As if to verify his claims more of the floor below Scraps broke apart, and he had to roll backwards to avoid falling in. Scraps heard a louder groan from below and surmised that the rubble had most likely landed on Hawkeye's position.

"Are you still there Hawkeye?" Scraps called down again. With no response he became increasingly concerned. Normally in this situation he was required to find a shelter and report back for aid. Unfortunately the nearest shelter could not be reached with the collapse of the tunnel and so Scraps would need another option.

Scraps unclipped the climbing gear from his backpack and set himself up. With careful deliberation he lowered himself into the pit. As the light faded, Scraps struck a glow stick to better see his surroundings. Hawkeye had fallen into a natural chasm. The rocky walls of the cave were slick with sewer water and the ground below seemed to be made up of hardened dirt. When Scraps landed on solid ground he searched about for his companion.

Scraps spied the limp form of Hawkeye half-buried under a mass of rubble near the edge of the cave, Scraps quickly ran over to him to assess the situation. Most of Hawkeye's upper half was free but he sported a long gash across his forehead and his clothes were torn and bloody in several different places. Scraps placed two fingers to the side of his neck to check for his pulse. He felt the faint beat of blood and breathed out a sigh of relief. Hawkeye woke upon feeling his touch.

"What are you doing? You have to get out of here, this whole place is going to cave in!" Hawkeye weakly commanded in a croaky voice.

"I'm not leaving you here." 

Just then, more of the tunnel above collapsed down upon them with an almighty groan. Scraps used his ability to deflect all of the falling debris, keeping it away from himself and Hawkeye.

"Just leave me Scraps, it's hopeless." 

"No. You told me you would give your life to save Flit. I believe you. I won't let you die here Hawkeye. Now are you going to fight or give up?" 

The two glared at each other for a moment before Hawkeye nodded and tried to move some of the rubble of his legs. The action caused him to cry out in pain and he nearly fainted with the effort.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that. You just stay awake for me okay?"

Scraps used his ability to deftly remove each stone off Hawkeye's broken body one by one. He was worried that if he tried to move too much too quickly it would make things worse. Sweat beaded on Scraps's forehead whilst he worked, the strain of keeping the falling debris above them away and removing the rubble off his friend was taking its toll. In his exhaustion Scraps also received several solid blows on his back and shoulders whilst trying to keep Hawkeye safe. His painstaking work paid off and he managed to free Hawkeye from his rocky prison.

"Can you stand?" Scraps asked him, exhausted. Hawkeye leaned forward but let out a strangled cry when he tried to add weight to his legs.

"Stop. It's okay. I'll carry you." Scraps commanded. Scraps slid his arms under Hawkeye's limp body and lifted him onto his shoulders with aid of his telekinetic abilities. Scraps dragged Hawkeye away from the danger zone and deeper into the caves. Before he went much further the glow stick died and Scraps cracked another to illuminate the area ahead.

"We can't go back up buddy and I'm not sure where this leads. Just hold on and we'll be fine." Scraps reassured him. Hawkeye closed his eyes briefly then opened them quickly.

"I can see where we are, I'll guide us to a nearby tunnel. You'll have to break through the wall when we get there but I'll tell you how." Hawkeye responded, all despair from his voice was gone. Scraps could tell that he was barely holding on to consciousness, but the determination in his eyes showed that he would do as he said. This determination coupled with the renewed confidence in his voice guided them through the dark dank caverns.

After a slow and agonising journey the pair finally made it back to base. They stood in front of a man-made wall that stretched up one side of the cave.

"You have to use your ability break through here. Any explosives may cause the whole thing to fall down on us." 

Hawkeye directed Scraps to a specific portion of the wall. Using a precision guided push Scraps opened a gap in the wall barely large enough for them to enter through. Hawkeye lost consciousness as soon as they broke through. Luckily Scraps recognised the tunnel and hauled the two of them through the labyrinth leading towards the Residence.

By the time they arrived at the gate Scraps had used all of his remaining energy. He barely managed to complete the security check system before he collapsed, both he and Hawekeye falling to the floor. The last thing Scraps remembered was a group of people rushing toward them before the world spun around him and he fell into darkness.

~*~

Flit and her parents were nearing the end of their meal when the door to the Mess Hall crashed open. Flit looked up, mouth full of rice and meat, and saw Patch looking around wildly. For a moment she felt sorry for whoever he was trying to locate; when someone from the Health team burst into a room with an expression like that it meant trouble.

Patch's eyes found Flit's and the look that he gave her made her entire body turn to ice. Her sense of pity for whoever it was that he was looking for suddenly drained away, to be replaced by all-consuming concern. 

"Flit, Tinker, we need you both." Patch said over the eerie silence in the room. Flit didn't need telling twice. With a difficult gulp she swallowed her food and teleported across the room to stand beside him.

"Scraps?" She asked quickly. Patch nodded gravely.

"And Hawkeye." He confirmed. Flit had to cover her mouth as it fell open in dismay.

"Where?"

"Ward C." Flit could vaguely hear the sound of her mother's rushed footsteps as she bolted across the room.

"Thanks." Flit said to Patch. As soon as her mother stood beside her, Flit wrapped her arms around her. "Hold tight." She said knowing that it was going to be one hell of a trip to the ward.



The Hub Ch. 07



Flit got herself and her mother to the door of Ward C in record time. As soon as they arrived Flit let go of Tinker and pushed the door open, the bright lights from within the sterile smelling room dazzling her for a moment and she reflexively closed her eyes. When she opened them again she saw Scraps and Hawkeye passed out on adjacent beds, both looking worse for wear. Between them stood Hack, one of the more talented microkinetic healers. Flit's next teleport set her down between the two beds and directly beside the wizened derivate.

"What happened?" Flit asked, her voice coming out as a choked half sob. She reached out and cupped Scraps's cheek, looking at him for any sign of how bad he was. His chest was rising and falling steadily, and his skin was warm against her own.

"They turned up at the gate to the residence. Scraps was carrying Hawkeye. As soon as he saw Patch he just collapsed. Judging by Hawkeye's injury we think that a tunnel has collapsed, but we need to wait for them to wake before we can confirm this," Hack replied somewhat distractedly, his fingers tapping away at the screen of the data pad he was holding.

"Hakweye's injuries?" Flit's body went rigid as she moved her hand off Scraps's warm cheek and turned to her oldest friend. Now that she looked at him, really looked, she had no doubt that he was much worse off than Scraps. His skin had paled significantly and taken on a sickly green tint, and even though he was unconscious his eyes were tightly scrunched as if he was still in terrible pain.

"His legs were crushed from the upper thighs all the way down. Almost completely shattered." Hack explained, looking up from his data pad and watching her carefully. Flit stepped past him and put a hand on Hawkeye's still shaking shoulder. She moved her hand to the sheet that was pulled up to his chest, but Hack stopped her.

"Not a good idea," He said softly "It's a mess down there. Not something you need to see." 

"Will he be alright?" Flit asked, looking at Hack over her shoulder, and trying to shake herself out of the consuming shock she felt.

"He will live, but the real question is if he'll walk again. His injuries will take a long time to heal, and even longer for him to get back to the way he was... If he can."

A tear rolled down Flit's cheek as she pictured the Hawkeye she knew in her mind and compared him to this unconscious creature on the bed. He looked so sullen, so lifeless, as he just lay there. More like a shadow of himself rather than the actual Hawkeye.

"And Scraps?" Flit asked, her hand reluctantly sliding from Hawkeye's shoulder as she turned around and looked at her Lover.

"He'll be fine in no time," Hack said with reassuring confidence. Flit couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "He has some scratching and bruising, but nothing major. What knocked him out was that he over exerted himself- whatever happened to them down there, coupled with the fact he carried Hawk back, really took it out of him. He is probably lucky that his abilities didn't backfire on him."

Flit nodded as she reached down and took Scraps's limp hand in her own. She looked back and saw her mother smile at her sadly as she gently pushed a stool against her. Flit fell into it gratefully and rested her head on Scraps's bed, her eyes schooled on him for the first hint of any change in his condition. As she did she was vaguely aware of the low buzz of a hushed conversation behind her as her mother took stock of Hawkeye's injuries. Flit knew that she should pay attention, but the shock of seeing two of the three men she loved the most on hospital beds had taken its toll. So, instead, she continued to memorise the handsome features of Scraps's face and tried not to think about what the injuries would mean for Hawkeye.

~*~

Images and voices flashed in Scraps's mind. His body felt like a dead weight; unmoving, unresponsive and alarmingly uncomfortable. Slowly awareness crept back into him, the first thought that hit him was the intense pain he felt all over. It felt like a million needles were pricking at his skin whilst a large iron hammer pummelled his head relentlessly. The pain from his physical injuries paled in comparison but their dull thud against his skin was still uncomfortably present. He knew that the majority of his pain was due to the over exertion of his abilities; it was the downside of being a Derivate. Without the training he received from his Underground companions he would not have survived the ordeal.

He opened his eyes gingerly and the light of the room blared painfully in. He turned his head slightly to see Flit sitting next to him.

"Flit? Where am I? Where is Hawkeye?" His voice croaked with strain, but he was beyond pleased to see Flit at his side. "You're fine!" Flit's head lifted off the mattress and her eyes were wide with surprise. A moment later her emotions settled and Scraps could see relief in her pretty brown orbs. "You're in one of the wards in the Residence and Hawkeye is just over there," She pointed to the unconscious Hawkeye who was in a bed parallel to his own. The sound of Flit's voice sent a tidal wave of relief washing over him. Hawkeye had spent the last part of their journey unconscious. Scraps wasn't a doctor and had no idea what his friend's condition was. He sat up slightly and leaned forward, the pain cause him to groan loudly but he needed to see for himself. 

The bright illumination of the hospital ward revealed how bad his injuries truly were. His exposed upper body were covered in bandages and his skin was sickly pale, only the rise and fall of his chest presented signs of life.

"Flit, I'm so sorry I tried to get him out as fast as I could but...How is he?" Hawkeye did not look good and Scraps was grievously concerned. 

"He'll live. His legs were crushed, but Mum and Hack think that, in time, he'll be able to walk again," Flit's voice was filled with a strange high-pitched confidence that Scraps had never heard from her before. The overly large smile of reassurance on her face was also worrying. He knew that she was covering something up.

"Relax, lay back down," She cooed as she reached out and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What happened down there?"

Scraps still wasn't sure about Hawkeye's condition, but he knew that if his survival was unlikely Flit would be an emotional wreck. He was reassured by the fact that she had managed to put on a smile, even if it was fake, and decided to answer her question without challenging her.

"A leaky gas pipe exploded and took out most of the tunnel we were in. Hawkeye pushed me out of the way. He pretty much saved my life. I couldn't leave him down there Flit, so I went in after him. We barely managed to get out of there," Scraps explained, his face settling into a deep frown as he spoke.

~*~

Flit listened and then nodded slowly as Scraps spoke. Burst gas pipes weren't uncommon in the tunnels; apart from the mutated creatures the pipes were one of the most dangerous things in the sewer network. She squeezed Scraps's shoulder as he spoke, and couldn't help but smile when he mentioned his desire to save Hawkeye.

"You did well, Scraps," Flit insisted, leaning forward and kissing him on the lips gingerly. "It looks like you were lucky to get out of there alive. Thank you for bringing Hawk back, and thank you for coming back to me safely." 

Her next kiss lingered a little longer than the first, just to reassure her that he was real and that he was all right. When she pulled away the expression on Scraps' face had lightened and he sighed, leaning back against the headboard.

"So how was your day then?" He asked, clearly wanting to change the topic.

"Let's see." Flit said slowly, looking around. On the wall between the beds she spotted a hand-held computer sitting neatly in its charge pod. She grabbed it and typed in her ID number and password and then brought up a search screen. The News page was easy to find, and so was the article in the "Breaking News" section.

"As you can see," Flit begun with a grin "I'm officially dead." 

She handed Scraps the computer so that he could read the article for himself.

High Speed Speeder Crash Kills Young Woman

A young woman identified as Leah Cross was killed when her Speeder crashed into the side of a hill half an hour outside of The Hub city limits. Authorities have searched through the wreckage and have ruled out foul play. Ms. Cross is survived by her two parents; Jack and Tina Cross. There will be an investigation into the cause of the crash but Detective Reacher of the Skyway Traffic Authority claims that it was probably due to driver fatigue or neglect. 

Flit watched Scraps' expression as he read the article and then took in the picture of the grisly wreckage that accompanied it. He looked up at her and then back at the picture a few times and then shook his head.

"Wow I'm glad you got out of that alright. So Leah Cross, ah? I prefer Flit," He commented with a bright smile. Flit couldn't help but grin back at him. "How does it feel to be dead?" "Dead?" Flit scoffed "I've never felt more alive in my life," She reached out and caught Scraps' hand. "And yes. I am -- or was - Leah Cross. Not any more though. Thankfully. I hate my name."

"Well I am certainly glad you are alive," Scraps said with a cheeky grin. Patch walked over to them and placed his hand on Scraps' head.

"Well, looks like you're doing fine. You'll still need a bit of rest though. My advice to you right now is to avoid using your abilities for at least another twenty four hours," Patch explained, before turning to Flit.

"I know you want to be with these guys but you need some rest yourself." 

Flit opened her mouth to argue but Patch put a hand up to stall her.

"Don't worry, well take good care of them both."

Flit wanted to argue, she truly did, but right then an unexpected yawn was desperately trying to surface and she knew it would be no use. 

"Fine," She sighed, knowing that Patch was right, despite the fact that she didn't want to leave. Flit got to her feet and stretched her body slowly. She turned around and walked over to Hawkeye's bed, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead, before turning to Scraps.

"Get some sleep, okay? You did well today," She told him. She leant over and gave him a much more intimate kiss than she she had given Hawkeye. "I love you." 

Flit reluctantly made her way out of the ward, but as soon as she fell into her bed her entire body felt drained. She wasn't surprised. It had been one hell of a day. After a few moments her eyelids fluttered closed and she fell off into a dreamless sleep.

~*~ 

At Flit's departure Scraps felt the effects of exhaustion start to overwhelm him. Patch dimmed the lights and gave him some pain killers. Scraps feel into a deep slumber.

The next morning he was awoken by Tinker's investigative touch. She nodded in approval to her own assessment and made note of it on a small data pad in her hands.

"It seems you are doing very well Scraps, are you in any pain?" she asked. He assessed his condition by flexing his various muscle groups. The pain that consumed his body previously had reduced into only a small strain and the hammering on his head was now only a dull thud.

"Not bad, I think the worst is over," he responded confidently. "How's Hawkeye doing?"

"I was just about to have a look." She shifted over to Hawkeye's bed and placed her hands on his head, neck and chest. She let out a sigh of resignation.

"He's much better from when you brought him in. We managed to halt a lot of the internal bleeding and have started to reset some of his broken bones, but his body is going to have to heal a significant amount on its own," she explained grimly. Scraps nodded in response.

"Don't worry Scraps, you did very well bringing the both of you as far as you did. I heard that you and Hawkeye shared a disagreement recently involving my daughter. To be honest I wasn't particularly keen on the whole arrangement either, but it means a lot to all of us that you saved him. Thank you." 

"You're right, Hawkeye and I haven't exactly been best friends of late. But even though Flit is the main reason for our conflict she is also the reason we both made it home. I know how much Hawk means to flit and I knew how much it would mean to lose him," Scraps explained.

"I'm glad. You keep resting, Hack will be over shortly with some breakfast," Tinker informed him and left him to rest. Scraps allowed his body to rest but his mind still raced, the events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind.

A few minutes later Hack arrived with breakfast, it was at this moment that Hawkeye gained consciousness, Hack moved over to him to check his condition. A soon as his eyes were fully open, Hawkeye tried to sit up, but Hack held him down to stop him from injuring himself.

"Hey buddy, welcome back to the land of the living. Don't try to move okay? I'm going to get some more Zydrole." Hack explained to Hawkeye gently. Zydrole was the commonly used pain killer of their time. Hawkeye opened his eyes and turned his head to the side to see Scraps lying on the adjacent bed.

"Hey Scraps man, you're okay. Last thing I remember is you busting through that wall. Sorry I couldn't do more. Are you okay?" he spoke weakly.

"Without your help we wouldn't have even made it that far. Hey I wanted to thank you for saving me when the pipe exploded. I have a feeling it would have been a lot worse for me than you," Scraps started.

"We wouldn't be good friends if we didn't help one another out, yeah? I think you've got a few screws lose up there by staying to save me though, but I am glad you did," Hawkeye responded as he looked around the room slowly, as if still slightly confused. Scraps smiled in response. Hack returned with the Zydrole and proceeded to administer Hawkeye the drug.

"Well Hawkeye the good news is that you're going to live. The bad news is that your legs took a lot of damage from landing in the pit and the fallen rubble on your legs. It might be some time before you can walk again and you may never fully regain use of your legs," Hack explained grimly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Well... If it weren't for Scraps I wouldn't be here at all," Hawkeye commented, seemingly unaffected by the grave news.

"Alright, there's enough breakfast here for the two of you. Scraps do you mind feeding Hawkeye, I've got a few other things I need to do." Hack asked. Even though his arms were working fine, Scraps assumed that Hack wanted to avoid Hawkeye doing anything that would use up what little energy he had.

"Sure. No problem." Scraps proceeded to organise the cutlery. They ate breakfast while Hawkeye told him about more practical jokes he played on the others in the Underground, it was good to see him in such high spirits even when he was probably going through so much pain. They finished breakfast and continued conversing about various different topics all through the morning.

~*~

Flit woke the next morning, for one of the very few times in her life, to the sound of an alarm. Usually the first thing that her conscious mind heard was her mother screeching at her to wake up. She didn't know what was more frustrating; the nagging yell or the high pitched wailing of her alarm. She felt a sudden pang of nostalgia and then brushed it away quickly. It was her first day of not being Leah Cross, of just being Flit, and she wanted to enjoy it.

Flit was showered and dressed in fifteen minutes. The trek to the Mess was short and she found that there were very few people there for breakfast. Perhaps she was too early. Either ways she ate quickly before she made her way through the hornet's nest of tunnels that belonged to Intelligence. 

When Flit entered the meeting room she noticed Shadow first, quickly followed by the two people who were seated at the table with him.

"Newton? Sway?" It had been such a long time since she had seen the two of them; and they both looked significantly different to how she remembered them. It wasn't just their age; their features had changed as well.

"Surely it hasn't been that long!" Sway said with a warm smile.

"You look different," Flit mused, trying to shake the disorientation.

"You will too, soon enough," Shadow said smoothly and Flit looked at him.

Of course. It made sense. With her photo splashed on the news net there would be no choice but to alter her appearance for her return to the surface. The idea caused a cold shiver to run down her spine.

"Sit down Flit, we have a lot to discuss," Shadow urged, pulling out a chair for her and gesturing to it.

"Aren't we waiting for Hawkeye?" Newton asked, peering over Flit's shoulder at the door as she sat down.

"Hawkeye has been involved in an accident. Part of tunnel fifty eight caved in due to an explosion caused by a gas leak. Hawkeye's legs were crushed by the debris and he won't be healed in time for the mission. If he heals at all," Shadow explained calmly, watching the two operatives carefully for their reactions.

The looks of dismay on Netwon and Sway's faces matched the way that Flit felt inside.

"Who's going with Flit then?" Newton asked, his voice was slightly strained and he put an arm around Sway's shoulder.

"Not you, so don't worry," Shadow replied. His normally smooth voice had a hint of exasperation in it and Flit wondered what it meant as she looked between the two men. "Either way, you both had a lot to organise with Flit. Intensive training starts tomorrow, so I expect you three to sort out a schedule that suits you all. Let me worry about who will be going on the mission with her." 

The rest of the meeting went by in a blur of planning. Even though Flit tried to give Sway, Newton and Shadow all of her attention, she found her mind wandering to the ward, wondering how Scraps and Hawkeye were holding up. She also wondered what would be happening now that Hawkeye would no longer be her partner. When the meeting concluded Flit had a very detailed outline of the training sessions for the next three and a half weeks as well as the individual study she would be required to do. If even the smallest part of her dared hope that she would be given some time to herself over the next few weeks she was gravely mistaken.

Sway and Newton packed up their things and Flit got to her feet to leave. Shadow called her name and she stopped in her tracks.

"Flit, this afternoon you need to go and see Tinker about getting some new DNA microtags into your system. If we do it gradually over the next few weeks it should be an easier transition for your body to handle. If you report to the medical bay in an hour and a half the MTs will be ready for you."

"Will do," Flit confirmed as Sway and Newton got to their feet. They smiled at her before they left the room. "Hey, Shadow..." Flit begun slowly, steeling hersel.

"Yes?"

"About my new partner... Can't I go up with Scraps?" Her voice came out in a quiet squeak and she watched Shadow's emotionless face as he contemplated her words.

"I'm not sure we can get him trained in time. And will he be able to take the radiation blocker?" Shadow asked.

Damn, Flit thought, the radiation blocker!

"He is trained for missions of all sorts. The only reason he was trained down here was to get used to our way of things. He was Registered, remember? He knows all the protocols for these types of things." Flit said with more confidence than she felt. Well, at least she thought he did. "Can't we get a DNA run up to see if the drug will work on him?" 

Shadow was silent for a few moments before he nodded slowly.

"I'll have a talk to the others Flit. I'm not sure who your partner will be yet, but if he is suitable Scraps will be considered." 

Flit thanked Shadow and almost skipped from the room. Consideration was even more than she had dared hoped for. She had expected Shadow to shoot her down as soon as she mentioned it, so that caged acknowledgement was an extra bonus.




The Hub Ch. 07



~*~

Flit knew that she should probably go and get lunch before heading to the medical bay, but not knowing how Scraps and Hawkeye were going was driving her insane. So instead of turning left at the junction that would lead to the Mess she went straight and made her way for the ward instead.

When Flit opened the door it was the second pleasant surprise of the day. Hawkeye was awake, and he had a smile on his pale face. Scraps was sitting on a chair beside Hawk's bed with his long legs crossed at the ankles and resting comfortably on Hawkeye's mattress.

"Hawkeye!" Flit cried. She used her ability to teleport across the room and she wrapped her arms around him in the most delicate hug possible. She kissed him on the cheek before she pulled away and placed her hand on Scraps's shoulder, giving him a smile in greeting.

"How are you feeling?" Flit asked Hawkeye excitedly, he raised an eyebrow at her and looked at her as though she was mad. Both Hawkeye and Scraps laughed at the same time as though sharing a private joke. Flit wasn't entirely sure that she liked it.

"Better than ever," Hawkeye said, his green eyes still twinkling mischievously. "You?"

"Me? Why are you worried about me? I'm not the one in a ward bed! I'm just so glad that you're alive!" Hawkeye gave her a brave smile, but she had known him for long enough to see the sadness beneath the bravado.

"Speaking of alive. If Leah Cross dead yet?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yep! Burned up in a speeder crash! I am now officially just Flit!"

"Well, just Flit, shouldn't you be out training or something?" Hawkeye asked, this time his voice faltered a little.

"Actually no, I should be eating lunch. But I wanted to come here and see how you two are doing. What about you Scraps? How are you feeling today?" Flit turned to her lover and felt a pang of guilt for not talking to him first.

"Feeling much better than yesterday, that's for sure. Now that you mention it though I am hungry. Maybe we should get some lunch. Do you want me to bring something back for you buddy?" Scraps asked looking at Hawkeye.

"Nah, I think breakfast is already doing number on me. Something about food and medicine; they just don't mix," Hawkeye answered with a polite smile. "You to go ahead, don't worry about me. I'm not going anywhere." 

"We'll be back, don't lose my score." Scraps laughed, getting to his feet. Flit rolled her eyes and threaded her arm through Scraps' before leading him away from their friend.

~*~

Spending time with Hawkeye; even though it was in the Hospital wing and they were both recovering from near-death experiences, was great. They conversed like they had before the incident with Flit and Hawkeye all those nights ago. Hack discharged Scraps after they finished breakfast but he felt bad for leaving Hawkeye on his own and since he'd been given time off from patrols he thought it best to keep his friend company.

Hawkeye was his usual self; recounting all his past comical adventures and practical jokes. Scraps was pleased that he actually understood most of what Hawekeye was talking about. Scraps was even able to portray his own take on the more humorous side of training and living in the Residence.

They were in the middle of an electronic game on Hawkeye's datapad when Flit has arrived. Even though she had spoken to Hawkeye first it didn't bother him; the last time she had seen him, he'd been unconscious. As soon as Flit had mentioned food his stomach had begun to rumble and Scraps was eager to get something to eat. He felt bad to be leaving Hawkeye behind, but he didn't seem to mind. Scraps was glad to be alone with Flit again and enjoyed the walk to the Mess with her.

When they arrived at the Mess hall Scraps dashed for the food. Once he had piled his plate high he and Flit sat with the others as he recounted his story of how he and Hawkeye survived. They rewarded him with several hugs and pats on the back, all of which he received gratefully. He could tell they truly appreciated his efforts and Scraps was feeling more and more a part of their large family.

"I wonder if Hawkeye is going to be able to recover in time for the mission?" Scraps asked, addressing no one in particular but hoping that someone would have an opinion. Even though he'd prefer that the whole mission was cancelled, he understood its importance and just hoped that Hawekeye would be able to go up to ensure Flit's safety.

"I don't know what is going to happen with Hawkeye and the mission," Flit sighed. Despite her nonchalance, Scraps could see the evasiveness in her answer. "I'm sure Shadow will figure everything out."

Scraps returned to his meal and let the buzz of conversation resume. At one stage they all commented on Flit's recent death and congratulated her for finally being free of her alter ego. When the meal was finished the others left, and Flit and Scraps were left sitting at the table.

"So, you're feeling alright then?" Flit asked, placing her hand on his cheek. Her eyes latched on to his and were filled with a tenderness that warmed him through.

"Physically I'm fine. Everything is healing well and although I can't use my abilities yet I'm certain I haven't done any permanent damage," he replied distractedly. He took her hands in his across the table and looked into her eyes.

"I'm more worried about you Flit. I trust Hawkeye I know he can keep you safe but what if they replace him with someone who can't? You're going up there Flit, I know what it's like. The Government are suspicious of everything. All it would take it is one slip up and...well, if your partner isn't up to it then...I don't want to think about it," he explained unhappily.

"I don't need someone to take care of me Scraps, I can take care of myself. And I will... if it means coming back to you safely I will make sure I do everything by the book. I don't plan to make mistakes," Flit reassured him, though it did little to calm his nerves. "Besides," Flit lowered her voice so that the others around the Mess wouldn't hear, "they aren't sure who my new partner will be. I have made some suggestions though... hopefully they get back to me soon, huh?" Flit explained softly, giving him a suggestive look. Suggestions for a new partner? The thought suddenly occurred to him that, with her input, there was now the likelihood he could join her on the surface. Suddenly an overwhelming sense of elation filled him at the possibility of his participation in her new mission. Not only would he be there to support her, but also to continue and develop their relationship further.

"Really? You mean you and I could? That would be great!" He exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Woah, relax tiger!" Flit said, her tone hushed. "I'm not sure they will pick you because I don't know who the alternatives are. They'll still need to test your DNA to see if the drug will be compatible with you and there is still the matter of training. I have planted a seed, that's all. I just hope like hell that it grows into something good.

"Let's go and see if Hawkeye is still awake, hey? I'd like to chat to him before I finish my break."

"You're right, we can't assume anything. Still though, it's better than nothing," Scraps resigned. "Let's get back to the medical bay. I still want to finish that game we were playing. I had no idea digital entertainment could be so addictive. Yet again another Government commodity I was deprived of," Scraps added with chagrin.

Scraps and Flit cleaned off their plates and then made their way back to the medical bay. Both walked in companionable silence, lost in their own thoughts about the future. When they were halfway there, Flit slipped her arm through Scraps' and rested her head on his shoulder. The action was comforting, and Scraps slowed his pace so he could enjoy the contact a little longer.

~*~

It turned out that Hawkeye had been true to his word and kept Scraps's score very safe while he and Flit got some lunch. When they returned Flit watched them continue to play their game, amazed by how well they seemed to be getting on. It wasn't as though it was completely unexpected, but it still pleased her immensely. Before Hawk had left for his mission the three of them had gotten along famously; the only thing that had ruined that was when Hawkeye realised that Flit and Scraps were together. Now though, their shared scrape with death seemed to absolve their past anger and things were returning to how they previously were. When Flit left the room the two barely acknowledged her, too busy with their game to make a fuss. She wasn't annoyed though, she was just pleased that they were being friendly to each other again.

Her mother was waiting for her when Flit arrived. Before Flit even managed to apologise for being late she was pulled into a tight, and long, hug.

"Good to see you Flit," Her mother said as she finally released her from the embrace.

"Seriously? I thought you'd love being free of me!" Flit joked with a grin. Her mother rolled her eyes.

"I've been told you need some microtags," Her mother's tone was all business, clearly she had decided not to humour Flit. Apparently her mother did not miss her enough to do that just yet.

"Apparently so."

"Luckily we still have quite a lot of the batch that we gave to Sway; it'll make things much easier for Trojan and the team. If The Government tests you, the tags will show your DNA to be the same as Sway's... It's a lot less to worry about and keep track of." 

Her walked over to a nearby refrigerator and pulled out a vial of clear serum. Her next few steps took her over to the draws beside the sink.

"What the hell is that?" Flit cried, as Tinker opened a draw and drew out a very long and very thick syringe.

"What did you think this was going to involve?" Tinker asked with a frown , "Lay on your left side and get into a foetal position. Oh, and Flit? You'll need to relax," Tinker's frown turned into a sadistic grin and Flit knew where she got her attitude from.

After the needle her mother made her lay in that same position for nearly four hours. Tinker had to see a number of other people in that time, so for the most part Flit was left to her own company. When Flit finally left her Mother's room it was with an awful pain in her lower back and a new appreciation for anyone who ever had to get microtags injected. If Shadow had told her about the size of the needle and the method of insertion she would have told him to shove his mission (and that needle) up his arse. As it was, she still had three more injections to go before the start of her mission and she was already dreading it.

As Flit made her way to the ward that Scraps and Hawkeye were in she was pleased that Shadow hadn't requested her for another meeting that afternoon. Her back hurt terribly, and after that experience she had no desire to sit in a hard chair and talk business. 

"Hey guys," Flit sighed as she pushed the door open. She walked over and groaned as she sunk into the bed that had been Scraps's the previous evening. "You aren't sick of each other yet?"

"Oh hey Flit. Were almost on the last level," Scraps informed her quickly before quickly returning his attention to the screen. That brief span of attention was the entirety of his acknowledgement of her.

"Yeah Flit, Scraps is a legend! Even you and I didn't get this far. Best team mate ever," Hawkeye added and gave Scraps a quick high five.

Just before they reached their final confrontation Acumen stepped into the ward.

"Hello everyone. How are you holding up Hawkeye?" Acumen asked with concern.

"Great man, thanks to my buddy Scraps here we are not only alive but are kicking arse in 'TacOps4'. We're already on the last level," Hawkeye informed him excitedly. Acumen paused a moment before he answered, most likely reading Hawk's mind.

"I can see that. I'm really glad you two are getting along, it was getting tiresome having to see you both separately all the time," Acumen admitted. He then turned his attention to Scraps.

"Hey Scraps I know you're in the middle of something but I was wondering if you and I could have a chat? Just the two of us. Nothing serious, kind of like a follow up on your new role down here," Acumen asked politely. 

"Sure no problem. I'll be right back guys, don't lose our place Hawk," Scraps reminded Hawkeye as he paused the game. He stood up from this chair, stretched his body, and then followed Acumen from the room.

The moment that Scraps left Flit slid herself gingerly onto his vacated chair and picked up the hand held device.

"Oh yay!" She said, somewhat sarcastically "My turn now!" She unpaused the game and looked at Hawkeye expectantly.

"Ahh, Flit? I think I should wait for Scraps to get back. He wanted me to save the game," Hawkeye said slowly, looking at the ward door that Acumen and Scraps had just exited through.

"I am sure he'll forgive us."

"But we were having a great time together..."

"Seriously?" Flit's voice was deadpan. 

"Yeah- we've been working on this for hours!" Hawkeye said, not seeming to understand Flit's surprise at not being able to play. 

"Shit, forgive me Hawkeye.... I spent four hours in the foetal position after getting a needle inserted in the base of my spine. I thought that when I came in here you might actually want to interact with me," She put the hand held back on the bedside table and leant back in the chair. Flit groaned slightly as the site of the puncture pressed against the back of the chair and sent thrills of pain running up her spine.

"Flit..." Hawkeye looked at her warily and used his most conflict-resolving tone. 

"No, forget it. I'm sorry for interrupting your date. Perhaps I should just go?" Flit asked, sliding forward and reaching for the bed to help her get to her feet.

"No!" Hawkeye said quickly, putting down his own data pad. "Stay... please." 

Flit fixed Hawkeye with an acidic glare before settling in the seat again. She took her time to get comfortable and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"So. How are you?" Flit asked, her voice returning to a more amiable conversational tone despite her stiff posture.

"Good thank," Hawkeye said brightly, fixing her with a large grin.

"Hawkeye..." Flit's voice was soft as she spoke his name. Hawkeye was always a friendly joker, it was his nature, but there were times that his casual manner was used to hide some deeper thoughts and feelings that he didn't want others to see.

Hawkeye sighed.

"What do you want me to say Flit?" He asked, a tang of bitterness lacing with his confident tone. "You can see how I am. I'm stuck in this bed because my legs have been crushed. It hurts, hurts like hell, and what's worse is that I don't know when I'll be able to walk again. If I'll be able to walk again."

Flit reached over and grasped the hand that he had placed on the side of his bed.

"But what can I say? I'm alive. Thanks to Scraps," Hawkeye shrugged and refused to meet her eye.

"And he's alive thanks to you," Flit told him, Scraps nodded grimly.

"The only thing that I had to look forward to was the damn mission with you! And now? I have two broken legs, I'm stuck in a ward, and they'll be sending you up with someone else." 

"You don't know that!" Flit said quickly, desperately wanting to placate her friend. However, it was Hawkeye's turn to fix her with a glare. "Well, they still haven't made a decision about that yet," She said with a shrug, knowing that her attempt to mollify Hawkeye had only made the conversation harder.

"It won't be me. I think we all know that by now," Hawkeye said, they both knew it was the truth. "Now what do I have? You'll be leaving in a couple of weeks, I have nothing to do until I can get out of this fucking bed, and if they send Scraps up with you then I'll be losing another friend. Even if they send someone else up with you it will suck, because I don't think I trust anyone else as much as I trust you and Scraps." 

Hawkeye sighed and let his head fall heavily against the headboard.

"You know, at first I was pissed off that he got you. Being able to go on the mission with you was awesome, I'd have my best friend back, and I wouldn't have to share... But Flit, if anyone else in this stinking sewer system deserves to be with you it is Scraps. I can't hate him, even though a part of me- hell, all of me- wants to." 

Flit tightened her grip on Hawkeye's hand as he continued to speak freely to her. This was something that they had always shared; the ability to talk to each other without worrying about what the other would think. They trusted each other implicitly, and knew that they would always have a wonderful person to confide in. Hawkeye spoke a little more about his anger at being too late to win her affection, and it was terribly awkward, but he moved on from that quickly. As far as Flit could tell he was genuinely pleased for her and Scraps (even if a part of him deep inside was still hurting over it).

By the time Scraps returned Hawkeye and Flit had been manage to talk through a fair few issues. Even though Hawkeye was nowhere near as happy as he always pretended to be, Flit's non-judgemental listening and well-timed words had soothed him and he was starting to foster a slightly more positive outlook on things.

"Hey Scraps!" Flit said, turning and looking at her lover over her shoulder as he entered the room. She felt Hawkeye's hand tense in hers after their deep and meaningful conversation and she squeezed it reassuringly. "How about we go get something to eat? I'm starving!"

Flit turned to Hawkeye and smiled at him.

"How about you get some rest while we're gone? I'll see you tomorrow Hawk," She said with conern, before teleporting to where Scraps was standing.

~*~ Acumen led Scraps to one of the lower levels of the complex. It was the artificial park that he'd walked past many times but never stopped to explore. They walked over to one of the benches and Acumen sat in it, then motioned for Scraps to follow. Once he was comfortable, Acumen sighed and then begun to talk 

"Firstly, I know I said it before but I really want to thank you for saving Hawkeye. He's a really great guy and an even better friend. I know he jokes around a lot but deep down he's all heart."

Scraps started to think about Acumen as the butt of Hawkeye's jokes and had to expeditiously clear his mind of those stories, lest he break out in laughter.

"He's a good friend of mine as well. Saving him was no more a chore than eating or breathing. I mean, sure there was the threat of death looming over us, but I knew that bringing him back was the right choice. Not only my mind but my heart as well," Scraps replied honestly.

"It really is good to see you have settled in so well. I know there have been some upsets along the way but I think you've really come through it all well. I realised that ever since you've been down here I've always talked about how you would adapt to our lifestyle and ideals. I have asked very little about your life on the surface and how you feel about all of that. What do you think about the surface now? What do you think about The Government?" Acumen inquired. Scraps had to think about his answer before responding. He then realised that Acumen was probably reading his mind any way and decided to skip the middle man.

Now that I can look upon my past from this stand point I can see how the corrupt influence of The Government tainted my whole existence. For so long I believed myself to be the property them and nothing more. Now I see them for what they are; an overpowering system that is strangulating the future of our whole civilisation. Not just for Derivates but also for the citizens they so openly lie to. All of our lives are so intertwined with the secretive regime of their political schemes that no one is unaffected by their actions.Scraps thought openly.




The Hub Ch. 07



"I'm glad that you don't hold any ill will toward the Citizens. They are, after all, under control of The Government like we are. The only difference is that we turn in the direction of our choice and not what they determine," Acumen's statement reinforced Scraps' own thoughts.

"Do you have any ill will to The Government officials and other Derivate's still within their control?" Acumen probed, further forcing Scraps to assess his new found perspective on life.

Not directly. If any of them tried to attack us right here and now I would defend myself and others to my last breath. If however I saw one in a different situation my first thought would not be to kill on sight... more just suspicion as to their motives. 

"Good. My last question relates to a more hypothetical situation. Some of our other ex-Registered Derivates have expressed a strong distaste for ever returning to the surface. It seems that their feelings on the subject have become so negative and deeply rooted into their subconscious that they believe if they ever returned, it would have drastic consequences on their mental wellbeing. Do you think you could ever return to the surface? Assuming of course with The Government still in power."

Scraps had to quickly hide his excitement. It may have been wishful thinking but for Acumen to be asking, even hypothetically, about his return to the surface it could mean they were seriously considering his position at Flit's side.

When I think about the surface I don't feel any debilitating emotional responses. I mean, I won't say that I would be happy about returning but I know that if it were necessary I would be able to conduct myself in a proper orderly manner. Not to say the others are less experienced or capable than myself, but I think that because I spent very little time up there as opposed to some of the other's. My adaptation skills and psychological stability may be a lot stronger.

"I'm glad to hear that Scraps. I'm especially glad that you did join us, not just myself either. Flit of course, Hawkeye, and pretty much everyone else as well. I know it seems harsh now but some people will always see you as a representation of The Governement. The fact that you have amalgamated yourself into our society so fluidly shows that there is hope for the surface dwellers. The reign of The Government will not last forever. Eventually, I hope, we will win the day and be able to return to the surface. We all share the assumption that when that day comes we will be able co-exist with those already living there. Believe it or not, you are that proof of that."

It was a lot to think about. Scraps had never believed himself to represent anything so important. The rest of their conversation consisted of much more trivial topics like his general health and wellbeing, the conditions of his living quarters, entertainment needs and other such subjects. After they finished they made to the Hospital Wing and Acumen bid him farewell, Scraps deeply hoped that he left a lasting impression on the mind-reader but one could never know when it came to the intricacies of reading thoughts.

Flit and Hawkeye were holding hands when Scraps arrived. It didn't bother him too greatly as he understood now that the gesture wasn't always between lovers and did extend to close friends. Hawkeye looked slightly glummer than he had left him and he hoped that the conversation wasn't too taxing. Flit greeted him immediately, teleported right next to him and reminded him that it was dinner time.

"Well I was thinking about finishing that level with Hawkeye but now that you mention it sustenance does sound appealing. I'll be back after dinner Hawk," Scraps said with a short salute. He and Flit made their way to dinner holding hands and enjoying the comfort of each other's touch. He noticed for the first time the way she was limping in pain.

"How was the DNA tag insertion?" he asked with concern.

"You ask now?" Flit laughed as she shook her head, leaving Scraps wondering what it was that he had done to earn her disapproval. "It was pretty painful actually- it was a needle about this thick, and this long," she motioned with her hands to show him the size, "and Mum put it in my spine. Then, to add insult to injury, I had to stay in the foetal position for hours before she let me get up.

"So, what did Acumen want?" Flit asked, looking at him with obvious curiosity. After having a chance to vent her frustration she seemed to get over her apparent annoyance. Scraps did feel sorry for her though, he knew what it was like being poked and prodded, and he hated needles.

"Acumen asked me a few things about how I was doing down here and what I thought about The Goverment. More importantly, however he asked me about going to the surface. It was a hypothetical question but it might be a good thing," Scraps explained.

"Definitely a good sign!" Flit agreed with a grin.

Dinner went by with the usual amount of joking and conversation. Flit's parents weren't able to make it to dinner, so Scraps had Flit's attention all to himself. When the meal was finished she let out an appreciative sigh as she leant back in her chair and gave him an endearing smile.

"Did you have plans for the evening?" She asked. 

"Yeah Hawk and I are going to finish that level off, we are so close now I feel victory approaching." He responded immediately and excitedly. He wondered if there were more cooperative games he could play, the genre was certainly suited to his limited tastes. 

"Oh, okay then," Her tone was normal, but the way her eyebrow was raised expectantly told him that this wasn't as simple a question as it appeared. "In that case I may do some study tonight in my room. Maybe you can pop by when you defeat the all-powerful Lithian Corps?" She suggested.

Scraps caught her distaste for his choice of evening plans and he realised why she appeared displeased. It occurred to him then that there was still the possibility that he would not be going to the surface with her. She would most certainly wish to spend the time they had together and with him, not studying in her room whilst he played games with Hawkeye.

"Uh, sorry. You know I can defeat them another day. We should spend some time together this evening, maybe you can give me a head start on covert ops study," Scraps said in an apologetic tone.

"I'll just quickly tell Hawkeye, Maybe you can bring your study back to my room, I mean, it's just that I have a bit more room to move there," he added the last part quickly, hoping to avoid offending her further.

"No, no..." Flit sighed, resigned. "Hawk could do with the company. Why don't you two finish that level. When you're done come and get me from my room and we can head to yours," She gave him an encouraging smile and he was reasonably sure that he was off the hook. 

Scraps was quite relieved that she wasn't annoyed with him. He had every intention of spending the rest of the evening with her. After being given leave Scraps returned to Hawkeye's room. Hawkeye was just finishing dinner when he arrived.

"Hey Hawk, how was dinner? Are you ready to finish our game?" Scraps asked politely.

"Sure man, I'm just gonna finish his last bite then we're off." Hawkeye replied. 

When Hawkeye was finished his dinner they continued the last level of their game and finished with a new high score. A set of victorious high fives followed as they watch the credits roll down the screen.

"Hey Scraps I got another game we can play. It's not too late, wanna give it a go?" Hawkeye asked with a grin. His enthusiasm was contagious, but Scraps had to reign in his desire to give the new game a go. Scraps felt bad, he really did enjoy spending time with Hawkeye who seemed y happy to teach him so many new things.

"Sorry Hawk, I promised Flit I would join her for some evening study," Scraps replied with a frown. Scraps caught Hawkeye's quick flash of sadness as he took in his response, but it was soon replaced by his usual lazy smirk. It seemed that some wounds might never heal.

"As soon as my patrol is over tomorrow I'll come right over," Scraps added trying to alleviate the growing tension.

"Hey man don't worry about me, you go spend time with Flit. We don't want her thinking that you swing the other way now would we?" Hawkeye responded cheekily. Scraps had absolutely no idea what he was talking about but nodded and left the room. He made his way to Flit's room and knocked on the door.

~*~

When Flit got back to her room she realised just how much study she really had to do before she left for her mission. There was a thick bundle of paper documents she needed to read through and even more digital files than she dare count. With a heavy sigh she settled on her bed and did some reading.

After an hour of study Flit got off her bed and stretched her cramped limbs with a groan of relief. She looked around her room and frowned. She knew she'd have to clean up before she went to the Hub. 

Just in case someone else needed the room. 

Just in case she didn't return. 

Flit gritted her teeth and pushed away that second thought. She would return. There was no question about it, so thinking it was pure folly. So it was that she put down the booklet she was reading and took a long look around to determine where would be the best place to start. It was a sign of her distaste of study that she would rather clean than continue to read.

Flit decided to clean her cupboard first, as she would need somewhere to put her things when she tidied up the rest of the room. Her cupboard held all manner of items, most of which were useless to her now. Flit created two piles, one on either side of the door. One pile was for rubbish and the other pile was for things that could be recycled. Luckily, a lot of the items she had could still be reused by someone, so the rubbish pile was much smaller. 

The trouble came when Flit pulled a simple metal briefcase off one of the top shelves. It had been buried under a pile of old paper notes that she no longer needed. There was a reason she had hidden it there; on the most difficult to reach shelf, under a pile of heavy and dusty old papers. Flit ran her fingers over the cold silver, tracing patterns in the dust that covered it, and bit her lip. 

"You can go back on your shelf," She said, but as soon as she'd returned the briefcase to its home she pulled it down again. One look won't hurt, she thought to herself.

Flit carried the briefcase over to her bed and sat down. She put the case beside her and punched in the four digit security code, causing the locks on it to pop out of joint and the case to open slowly with a sinister hiss. Inside were all of the tangible memories that Rook had left her with. An old black t-shirt, some photos that Acumen had printed for her, some notes they had written to each other. Flit picked up the black t-shirt eagerly and held it close. Because of its time in the case it was all creased, and when she took a deep breath she could no longer smell Rook in the fabric. It was stale. Nothing. Flit put the t-shirt back in the case gingerly and tried to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. She had Scraps now, it was time for her to let go of the past. 

That was when Flit noticed the data pad. Her fingers ran over the blank black screen as she recalled what she had stored on it. She was trying to decide whether or not to turn it on when she heard a knock on her door. Quickly, she put the data pad back into the briefcase under the black shirt with all of the other stale memories. She put the case on the bed beside her, dabbed at her eyes, and decided that the interruption was for her own good.

When the door opened she gave Scraps a bright smile, the sight of his face chasing away most of her melancholy.

"Hey! Did you finish the game?" She asked, getting to her feet and brushing her pants off. Her voice was weak but he didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah we finished the level with a new high score," Scraps announced happily. Flit rolled her eyes knowing that it meant that the high score she had worked so hard towards had been obliterated.

"So how is the study going? Can I join you?" He asked looking around at the room with curiosity. 

"The study has been alright so far," Flit said, trying not to sound too despondent "But there is so much to learn! I need to know pretty much all of it by the time I leave here."

Seeing Scraps walking over to her bed she flicked the locks back into place on the briefcase and picked it up. She saw Scraps's sharp crimson eyes watching her as she secured the case, but she then put it on one of her cupboard shelves and gave him a beaming grin.

"I did about an hour of reading, and then I decided to start cleaning my room. It's a bit overdue really. We can get back to the study if you like, or we could just go back to your room. I'm getting pretty tired actually."

Scraps' eyes lingered on the silver case, but after a moment he turned back to her and matched her grin. Flit let out a breath of relief that he didn't question her.

"When The Government drilled us with their rules and regulations, we were taught that one of the best ways to remember a great deal of information was to repeat it to another person and to have them confirm its accuracy. If you like, we can go back to my room and you can repeat to me what you think you've learned and I can also benefit at the same time," Scraps suggested.

"Of course if you think it is too late then there are always other things we can do," He added in a sly tone. 

This time Flit's smile was entirely genuine. He had never requested her affection in such a manner before, and the suggestive look in his eyes made her lower regions tighten in eager anticipation. 

"Other things?" Flit asked, stepping towards him and reaching out to place her hands on his chest. She could feel the warmth of his skin through his cotton shirt. "I think, perhaps, we can still study. How about you show me all of the things you have learnt from me, and then I can confirm just how right you are. I'm sure that I'll benefit from it as well." 

Flit got to her toes and placed a lingering kiss on his lips, then pulled away from him and fixed him with a suggestive smile.

"That certainly sounds like an assessment I'd be willing to take." Scraps opened the door to her room and motioned her to follow. They hurried along the hallways of the complex hand in hand. They waved quickly at those they knew, not wanting to delay the events to come.

Flit had to stop herself from smirking as Scraps pulled her through the halls towards his room. She had begun to think that this type of excitement from him would only be caused by games, but she was terribly pleased that she was wrong. When he fastidiously locked the door behind him she snickered softly. Her laugh, however, was cut short when his lips fell against hers. She wrapped her arms around him and continued their kiss eagerly.

It wasn't long before the kissing made Flit eager for more. Her hands slowly moved down his back and to his waist before grasping his t-shirt and pulling it over his head. She threw it gently onto his desk and then grinned as she ran her hands over the soft skin of his chest. In a few moments he copied her actions and her shirt had joined his. His hands ran over her bra and then around to the clasp at her back. After a few attempts at removing it blind, he leaned over her shoulder to get a better look at it. Flit laughed at his fumbled attempts, but after a few more tries he managed to get it. With a triumphant grin he looked at her, seeking permission to remove it completely.

"Very good Scraps! It seems you are a very quick learner. How about a reward?" Flit stepped back a bit and pulled the bra from between them, throwing it on the growing pile of clothes. When it was gone she stepped closer again, pressing her naked breasts against the searing skin of his chest. "Now, how about you show me what else you have learned and you may be in for an even better reward?"

~*~

Scraps gave Flit a mischievous smile as the bra fell away from her body. He would never get tired of seeing her naked body. The feelings that he got from seeing the soft smooth skin so openly presented to him filled his body with sexual energy that centred around his groin.

When she pressed herself against him forcefully, Scraps felt the teasing touch of her nipples against his muscled chest. At her request, he decided to give her more. He transferred his enthusiastic kisses from her luscious lips down the line of her neck. His hands trailed up the sides of her naked torso and gently cupped the two enticingly warm mounds of flesh. Using the newfound hand and finger skills learned from his recent gaming experience he fondled her breasts and nipples.

Before long the downward trail of his kisses met up with his hands. Without warning Scraps used his ability to suddenly push her onto the bed taking him with her. His controlled precision allowed them to land gently and without injury but also repositioned him to gain better access to her magnificent peaks. From this new angle he swiftly engulfed her erect nipples taking the tips with mild force between his hungry lips. The way that Flit gasped in surprise at his actions made his head spin, and he pressed his erection against her body, eager for anything that would relieve the tension down there.

"Impressive Scraps, very impressive," Flit purred between heavy breaths. "But remember; an average student aims to learn what the teacher teaches. A good student goes above and beyond what they are taught. Show me how much of a good student you are, Scraps. "

Her moans of pleasure gave Scraps the approval he needed for this particular test. Her challenge however presented him with the opportunity to improve.

"Yes ma'am," He answered her between the suckling of her breasts.

Following the strong impulse of his instincts Scraps bit down against her nipple with mild a force. Flit yelped out in surprise and his member twitched at the sound. 

"Mmm... That's more like it," Flit said, her hand coming down to bury in his hair, her body gyrating against his.

With tiny nibbles on each peak of her breasts Scraps alternated the feelings of pleasure and pain, completely reliant on her continuous encouragement. His mouth gradually made its way down the middle of her silky smooth stomach.

With slow nips along her skin he met the barrier of her pants. Deciding he needed to prove more of his precision technique Scraps stood back from the bed, feigning the act of finishing. Before she had the chance to react to his sudden change, using only his ability, he undid the button of her pants, pushed her legs upward and pulled them of her legs in one fluid motion.

"Your skills are improving," She said, keeping an admirable amount of lust in her appreciative comment. "Show me what else you can do."

Scraps closed him eyes and stilled his mind. It would take a great deal of concentration to be able to use his abilities with as much finesse as he now desired. He opened his eyes, ready to go, with a short hand gesture he spread her legs open as wide as they would comfortably go.

Using finger like force he spread her wet folds aside, presenting him with her aroused bud. Forming a tongue like shape and using similar force he began to work her clit with the accurate skill she so enjoyed. He varied the pressure and speed using her bodily responses to guide his work.

~*~

Flit's moans began as Scraps continued his work on her, her hands clenched at the sheets and her eyes twinkled as she watched the concentration in his red orbs. The pleasure built deep within her as she imagined him entering her. Her orgasm began to take a hold of her body, but instead of letting it consume her she focused her abilities.




The Hub Ch. 08



There was a lot of information that needed to be absorbed. Luckily Scraps' Government training had given him the memory skills needed to retain all the required knowledge. Along with his own experience of Government policies and procedures he found most of the material easily palatable. He presumed that all his prior knowledge was the exact reason why he was the most suitable for the mission, even despite his lack of experience in covert operations, his time as a Government operative gave him invaluable skills to call upon.

By the time they called for a break, he was well and truly ready for one. Flit threw herself at him as soon as they were out of the training room and he relished her excitement.

"Now don't go getting yourself hurt, okay? I don't want another partner now that I have you," Flit warned with a grin.

"Don't worry, now that I've been reassigned I'm sure they won't ask me to do patrols anymore. That should lower the odds nicely. We should probably go and tell Hawkeye, I think he will be pleased that I am the one going up with you," Scraps suggested.

"Hmm, we probably should," Flit agreed with a grim smile, as though she wasn't looking forward to having that conversation. "We'll go there on the way to the Mess."

A few minutes later Flit and Scraps pushed open the door to the ward. Hawkeye was playing a game of some form on the hand held, but he put it down and smiled at them when they came in.

"How are ya's going?" He asked sitting a little straighter in his bed.

"Good thanks. But we're not the ones in the ward," Flit replied, looking at him seriously. Scraps could see the genuine concern in her expression, but Hawkeye merely rolled his eyes.

"It still hurts like a bitch, but other than that I'm doing fine," Hawkeye said with a shrug. "Scraps man, I reached level fourteen on Speeder Escape!" 

Now it was Flit's turn to roll her eyes.

"We just stopped by on our way to the Mess for lunch. We have some news..." Flit said when they closed in on his bed. Scraps stood beside her so that their sides were just touching and tried to keep the smile from his face.

"Yes?"

"Scraps has been assigned to accompany me on our mission," She told him, her head dipping apologetically as she spoke. Scraps wasn't quite sure why she was acting so seriously about something that had previously made her entire body hum with excitement.

A strange emotion flashed on Hawk's face before he forced a smile looked at them as brightly as possible. 

"That's great," He said, voice far too enthusiastic. "It is good to know they are sending you up with someone who will take good care of you."

"I don't need to be-" Flit began to protest.

"Taken care of?" Hawkeye laughed dryly. "Of course not. Congrats Scraps man," Hawkeye's emerald gaze turned to Scraps. "Shadow came by last night and I put in a good word for ya. Glad to see you were the one they picked."

Scraps was getting much better at judging other's emotional state and right now he could tell that Hawkeye wasn't entirely happy about him getting the assignment. 

"Thanks. I agree Flit does need some looking after every now and again," Scraps pointed out, knowing that Hawkeye would enjoy teasing Flit a bit.

"You have no idea how much trouble I've pulled her out of. When we were younger she certainly had a reputation," Hawkeye added in a tone of mock wisdom.

"If you want, I can come back here after dinner and we can try some co-op," Scraps suggested. Hawkeye paused for a moment as if trying to decide something.

"Nah, it's okay, I think I need to take a break from this anyway. My vision is getting blurry, maybe next time." He replied. Scraps tried not to take the rebuff to heart; it must be a difficult time for Hawekeye.

"Sure no problem. I suppose we better get to lunch" Scraps offered and turned to Flit for confirmation.

~*~ 

"I'll catch you later Hawk," Flit said before she and Scraps left the room. She knew that Hawkeye wanted them to go together, but it was clear that the reality was even harder to acknowledge than the thought. The way he had shut down after their conversation concerned Flit, but she knew that he needed some time alone to work through his emotions; she would talk to him later

As Flit and Scraps were eating their meal Tinker came over with the offer of a family dinner. Flit nodded, eager to talk to her parents and tell them the news (though she knew they would not be as pleased as she was). After lunch Flit and Scraps made their way back to the meeting room and were ten minutes early. Their quick chat with Hawkeye seemed to put them in a sombre mood, but Newton and Sway (if they picked up on it) didn't mention anything.

By the end of the afternoon Flit's curiosity was finally sated. She and Scraps would be able to access a lot of highly secretive information from every department of The Government. For most departments they would be given a Level Two Clearance, and for the Intelligence Department they would receive Level Three. There were ten possible levels of clearance in The Government, and Level One was the highest. Scraps appeared to be quite impressed with this; the best he'd ever managed was Level Nine, which was one level above what the Citizens were privy to. 

Sway and Newton sent volume after volume of Government Policies to Flit and Scraps to familiarise themselves with. They both admitted eagerly that neither of them knew the manuals from cover to cover, but knowledge of the indexes at the least would help them greatly in their new positions. They were told to study the manuals over the next couple of days, and at the end of the week they would be given several exercises to try out their new found knowledge. Their mornings were to be dedicated to study of the policies, and at least three hours each afternoon was to be allotted to acquiring the skills that would be required to make the assessments of need that would make up the bulk of their work in their new positions. 

"Looks like we've got a fair bit of reading to do," Flit sighed heavily as she and Scraps left the meeting room and made for The Residence. "Look, I might head back to my room and do a bit of tidying up before dinner. I want to try and get my room pretty much emptied before we leave for The Hub," Flit stopped walking and put her hand on Scraps's shoulder.

"As you heard at lunch, I'm supposed to be having dinner with my parents tonight," Flit said. In the rare snatches of silence during their meeting with Sway and Newton she had given the situation some thought. "I was thinking that you should join us. Mum and Dad should get to know you a little before we go, and you should have a chance to get to know them better too... Well, outside of the 

"As long as your parents don't mind me coming over I'd be happy to join you for dinner," Scraps returned; Flit could see that he was pleased by her invitation/

"I'm sure they won't mind too much," Flit said with a nonchalant shrug. In all honesty she wasn't actually sure that they would want him to come along, but the two of them were together now and it was time her parents came to terms with that. The last thing that she wanted was to leave for her mission knowing that her parents were still uncomfortable with their relationship. 

Flit got to her toes and planted a quick kiss on Scraps's lips before she teleported towards her room. As soon as she opened the door she groaned to herself. She couldn't help but think that she'd rather be cleaning Scraps's room than her own. Not that it needed it of course, but for some reason he seemed to think it did. It made her pleased that he hadn't wanted to come back to her room with her; this mess was embarrassing enough without having someone else actually witness it.

~*~

Two hours later Flit gave up her seemingly pointless cleaning and made her way to the Mess. She spotted her parents, deep in conversation, at a table in the corner of the large room. As soon as she sat down they stopped talking and smiled up at her in a way that told her that she had been the topic of discussion.

"Flit my girl, how are you?" Her father asked, his brown eyes twinkling as they met hers. 

"Good thanks Dad. You?"

"Could be worse," Her father said with an indifferent shrug. That was his usual response.

"Mum, Dad, I've asked Scraps to join us tonight. I'm sure he'll be here any minute., She gave them a meaningful look and sincerely hoped that she wouldn't have to have the talk with them.

"Really?" Her father asked, an eyebrow raised curiously. "After all this talk about the young man I still haven't met him." 

"I know. That's why I thought it was good that you two get a chance to know him. He has been selected to replace Hawkeye on the Intelligence mission, so he's the one I'll be going under cover with. I want you both to be comfortable with that." 

Flit's mother and father gave each other furtive looks before returning their attention to her.

"I gave him some Masquerade this morning," Her mother confirmed with a sullen nod, "I figured that was the reason. See Stride? I told you so."

Tinker looked at her husband and his shoulders fell in resignation.

That was news to Flit. She wondered why Scraps hadn't mentioned that her mother had been the one to give him the Masquerade? It didn't matter really, but she wished that she had been able to tell her before she figured it out like that.

"It could have been for anything," Stride mumbled giving her mother an impatient look before he turned back to Flit. "Who made this decision?" He asked Flit, his voice clipped.

"Shadow told him this morning. It seems as though he talked to others about it first. He went to Hawkeye to ask for his two credit's worth, and I know that there were others at our initial meeting who probably had their say in it as well," Flit shrugged. "Regardless of who made the decision, Scraps has accepted and our training has begun."

"But he only got down here a couple of months ago," Her father grumbled, a discontented scowl playing at his lips beneath his bushy black moustache. His tone had changed from petulant to angry and Flit didn't like it. "Is it wise to send him back up so soon? What if his old allegiances arch up?" 

That comment made Flit roll her eyes. She was about to respond when she heard the door open. She turned to see Scraps standing in the door way, looking around eagerly.

"You can ask him for yourself," Flit hissed, before getting out of her seat and waving her arm above her head to catch his attention. When their eyes met she gave him a large smile and beckoned him over eagerly.

~*~

Scraps spent a short amount of time cleaning and organising what little belongings he had. Newton and Sway had informed them that they were unable to bring any of their own personal belongings to the surface in the possible event of their house being checked. Almost everything Scraps owned was given to him by the Underground and so he had no sentimental value attached to anything.

He spent the rest of his time studying the paper work he'd been assigned. Like he had already surmised; the policies and procedures were easy to remember. He hoped that Flit wasn't having too much difficulty with them. After a couple of hours Scraps realised it was time to have dinner.

He stood at the doorway of the mess hall searching for Flit and her parents. They were situated at a small table in the corner away from the rest of the rabble he was used to sitting with. With a quick nod and smile in their direction he made his way over.

"I hope you don't mind me joining you for dinner," Scraps stated politely, standing behind the chair and waiting to be invited before taking a seat.

"Not at all Scraps. Please, sit," Tinker said with a wide smile as she gestured at the chair. "This is my husband Stride," Tinker added when her husband reached over the table and offered Scraps a hand. Scraps took it and shook Stride's hand firmly before sinking into his seat. "Nice to meet you Son. I've heard a bit about you, especially how you saved my daughter and Hawkeye. Not many surface folks would be willing to do that," Stride commented, his eyebrow was raised and his tone was gruff in a way that reminded Scraps of Flit. It was the expression she used when she was being cautious.

"Thank you Stride. I will endeavour to continue that support for Flit on the surface as well," Scraps replied humbly, nodding as he spoke. He hoped that the words would reassure Flit's father, but a somewhat exasperated  hmph from the older man proved otherwise.

~*~

Flit had to bite her tongue at her father's comments. He wasn't being overtly hostile, but nor was he being friendly. Her father had lost an arm and a leg after being chased by Officers, and even though he was generally friendly, he had always harboured a special distrust and dislike for anyone willing to hunt down their own kind. Stride, like Flit, had once been a quite powerful teleporter. After the loss of his limbs, even though he had the most realistic prosthetics available, they were still not good enough to allow him to continue his role in Security. Instead, he had been assigned to supply. He never openly grumbled about his job, but Flit knew that he wasn't happy there.

"Let's go get something to eat," Flit said, getting out of her seat and hooking her arm through Scraps's, pulling him up with her. The spread was the usual fare, and it took little time for them to get what they wanted. "My Father can be a little.... hostile at times. Please don't worry about it too much. I know that, once he gets to know you a little, he'll get over his prejudice." 

When they got back to the table they settled in for their meals.

"How are you feeling after the Masquerade?" Tinker asked Scraps, looking up from her plate.

"Mum!" Flit groaned, rolling her eyes. 

"You eat your dinner young lady, I wasn't talking to you," Her Mother said flippantly before focusing on Scraps again. "You'll be sure to let me or one of the others know if you have any side effects, won't you?"

"It's okay Flit. I feel fine and I'll be certain to let the appropriate person know if I incur any side effects," Scraps responded calmly.

~*~

They continued to eat their meal mostly in silence, Scraps noted that one of Stride's hands seemed to be a lot stiffer than the other. He wondered if Flit's father had suffered some kind of debilitating injury in the past. Stride noticed him staring and opened reopened their conversation.

"So Scraps. How many unsuspecting un-registered Derivate's did you catch when you were on the surface?" Stride piped up. The question threw Scraps off slightly, oddly enough nobody had ever asked him the question since he'd been down there.

"Uh, I never kept count. I was just following orders," He replied, uncertain of the correct response.

"Just following orders, eh?" Stride mimicked.

"Stop that! He's not a Government officer anymore," Tinker interrupted.

"Right..that's what they said about Long shot and look what happened with him," Stride grumbled under his breath. Scraps became very curious as to the mention of another possible ex-registered Derivate.

"What happened?" Scraps inquired. Stride sat up straighter and furrowed his brows at Scraps.

"Well, Long shot was an ex-registered like yourself. We caught him about fifteen years ago. Flit was only little then so she probably doesn't remember. We gave him the usual song and dance; told him about how he could be free of The Government, how he could live like us. Well he had us all fooled didn't he, even Divvy couldn't see it coming. 

"The sneaky bastard managed to subtly coerce the other few ex-registered Derivates into staging a little rebellion down here. We lost a lot of good people during the fight and if I had my way I would have fought alongside them. As fate would have it I had to help evacuate the less combat experienced residents, including Flit and her mother. In the end, a group of the security team managed to take him down, lucky too, after he was done down here he was going to return to the surface and take out all of our other operatives. 

"That was a terrible day for us, we very nearly lost the war against The Government right then and there. So you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little bit sceptical as to your allegiance." 

Scrap's heart sunk as he listened intently to Stride's recollection. He knew that they all took risks allowing people like him to survive, it would be difficult to convey his commitment to their cause.

"I'm so sorry Stride. I understand why you don't want to trust me but I can assure you, I have no ties to The Government. I've found life down here to be much more affable," Scraps replied sincerely, his hand squeezing Flit's underneath the table.

"Just know this, if anything happens to Flit while she's up there with you. I will make sure that even The Government processing facilities will seem like a dream," Stride warned.

"Dad that's enough," Flit snapped, Scraps could feel her body tense beside his. "Scraps came here to meet my parents and to get to know them a little bit, not get interrogated, threatened and talked down to because of the actions of someone he most likely never met." Both of her parents looked at her, her mother's expression was wary but her father's was still angry. Scraps was embarrassed by all of the attention, but couldn't help being pleased that Flit was willing to defend him.

"If you can't stay civil and ask normal questions, like what Scraps's favourite food is, or how he enjoys spending his free time, then this dinner is over," Flit added, resting her fork on the table for good measure.

"Stride?" Tinker said, looking at her husband questioningly. When the gruff man remained silent Tinker took a deep breath, smiled, and then looked back at Scraps. "So Scraps," Tinker said brightly, ignoring her husband's petulance "what have you been doing in your off time?"

It was hard for Scraps to revive his joyous mood from before, the negative tone from the story had darkened the atmosphere significantly. He could tell that Tinker was trying to alleviate the tension so he sat up straighter and gathered his emotions.

"Oh..Well recently Hawkeye introduced me to digital gaming. I especially enjoy the co-operative scenarios we play," He replied quickly.

"Oh, Flit went through a stage where we couldn't get her away from those games." Tinker said, popping a piece of steak into her mouth. "We used to have to disconnect the mains to get her to go to bed. She and Hawkeye used to be quite competitive... So, you and Hawkeye get along, do you?"

"Too well."

Scraps heard Flit's mumbled comment and smiled.

"I know that we had a confrontation recently but we settled our differences and now we really do enjoy spending time together. I am a little bit worried about him though, being cooped up in the hospital wing all day long can't be good for him."

"You're right it's no good for anyone, I should know," Tinker responded with an exasperated look. Scraps just realised that she probably spent a great deal of time there also which meant he likely insulted her with his comment.

"Oh sorry I only meant-" Scraps began to apologise.

"It's okay, I know you mean well. Hawkeye hasn't been in the best of moods lately. It really is hard to say if he'll ever walk again; even with my abilities to aid him. The damage to his legs was so extensive and there's only so much resetting we can do without causing more problems. Unfortunately, only time will tell. It's good to know that he has you two though." 

"Well, do our best." Scraps replied. Now that he and Flit were going to be spending a lot more time together he wanted to make sure that he gave Hawkeye more of his attention.

"Just don't get into any trouble like he and Flit did when they were young. Oh the messes they used to make," Tinker warned.




The Hub Ch. 09



Scraps woke to a dull throb pulsing through his body. It was similar to muscle strain but without the usual sharp ache. As his mind drew closer to full consciousness he realised that he was on his back, completely naked and covered in a sheet from neck to toe. Shadow had told them that while a vast majority of their cosmetic work would revolve around their faces, any distinguishing features, or in his case perfections on the rest of their body would also need to be reworked or removed. The strong sedative was still having a noticeable effect on his body and he could barely muster the strength to turn his head. When he finally managed to rotate his neck his eyes fell on the prone form of Flit. Not Flit, Ava, his wife. 

The dark tan of her skin was no longer present and her hair was also a much deeper shade of brown. The undulated rise and fall of her chest confirmed that she was okay but he wouldn't truly know until he spoke to her. 

It wasn't long before she began to stir, and he watched as she struggled to open her eyes. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw her new chocolate brown eyes watching him. He would miss her hazel eyes, he knew that for sure. It was going to be difficult to get used to seeing her like that. 

"Scraps!" Her voice was soft and croaky. It was clearly an effort for her to talk, and Scraps knew how she felt. his own throat was uncomfortably dry and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to talk if he tried. 

"Brian," The next name that left her mouth was the one that she was supposed to use. Somehow, hearing her voice from a different looking body made the new name feel more natural. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine Av,." He replied huskily, it seemed to be easier to call her by the new name with her looking so different. Scraps tried to sit up but a sharp pain cut through his whole body and he had to lie back down. 

"Argh, a little sore. But fine," He added as an afterthought. 

At that moment Doctor Yarin entered the room. He was carrying a datapad in his hand and wasn't even looking at them as he approached. 

"Good to see you're both up. Vitals look normal and both procedures were a complete success. You will need to rest for the next couple of days at least, no extraneous activities and refrain from using you're abilities. The DNA restructuring and tagging takes quite a toll on the body and it will need time to adjust. Now I suppose you'll both be quite hungry, I'll go get Jack to fetch us some breakfast," He explained without emotion, all promptness and purpose as though this operation was a standard occurrence. 

At the mention of food Scraps suddenly felt the twist of emptiness in his gut. They were told to fast before the procedure, but it felt like he hadn't eaten in days. He turned back to Flit. 

"I don't know about you sweetie, but I could eat a large domesticated animal," he jested. 

~*~ 

Flit couldn't help but laugh. Instead of being greeted by his deep crimson eyes and dark brown hair that barely covered a tattoo of The Government's logo she was faced with crystal blue eyes, brown (almost blonde) hair, and a forehead that was as fresh and clear as a white linen napkin. Flit was speechless for a moment, her mouth falling open at the way that the stranger before her looked at her so intensely.  

It was Scraps beneath that face. That was what she had to remind herself. Even though he might look like Brian Parkes, he would always be Scraps underneath. She could see him in there, behind those foreign blue eyes. His stare still held the same amount of intensity and love that she was familiar with, but it was just masked differently. When he tried, but failed, to sit up the sheet fell back to show that he had nothing beneath it, his wonderfully familiar chest exposed for her to see. That was when Flit realised that she too was naked beneath her sheet. She held the top of it against her breasts. 

"Breakfast?" She asked the doctor, raising an eyebrow. Her own stomach felt uncomfortably empty, but she assumed it would be closer to lunch time. 

"Yes," Yarin replied with a slight nod and a smile. "You were unconscious for all of yesterday and last night. It's breakfast time now," he gave her a few moments to think about this. "Are you hungry?" 

"Yes!" Flit replied eagerly, part of her unable to believe that they had slept for so long. Doctor Yarin exited the room and Flit looked over at Scraps again. 

"Your face is so different," she said, finding her voice easier now. She wanted to reach out, to stroke his skin and see if it at least felt the same, but the distance was too great. Instead she decided to attempt to sit up, very slowly. 

By the time Flit was seated with her back resting against the headboard of the bed, Doctor Yarin arrived with two trays of food. He put one down on the end of Flit's bed, then pressed a button on the side, and a table slid out and up from somewhere beneath the mattress. He put her food on it for her and did the same for Scraps. 

"I'll let you two eat your breakfast, if there is anything you need or want just call out for me and I'll come back. Sean will be in some time soon, he wants to talk to you both about something. Oh, and there is a mirror in the top draw of the cabinet between you both, feel free to have a look at the alterations," Doctor Yarin said before taking his leave of them again. 

Flit's limbs felt heavy and tired, but she was so hungry that she was able to push past the lingering effects of the sedation. It was strange to see her own hand as she ate, the colour markedly different from her normal olive tan. She stole a look out of the corner of her eye at Scraps, and couldn't help but marvel at the changes. She knew that she needed to check out her own new appearance, but the smells of the food were wafting over to her and she decided that eating was her top priority. 

~*~ 

Scraps dove into his breakfast with no amount of propriety, Flit seemed quite amused by his enthusiastic eating technique and threw him playful smiles as he shovelled food into his mouth. When he was done, Scraps reached over to the top draw to retrieve a mirror. 

As expected, he felt like he was looking at an entirely different person. His eyes no longer held the intense bright crimson stare and The Government tattoo no longer branded his forehead. Even though he technically spent the last few months of his life free of oppression this single physical change seemed to bring that notion closer to reality. 

He looked over at Flit to see that she had finished her breakfast and was also conducting a self inspection. Before he could open a line of conversation Shadow stepped into the room with Jack in tow. Shadow was carrying two data pads under his arm and after a brief look at their new appearance he nodded with approval, Jack quickly scooped up their finished trays and briskly left the room. 

"Doctor Yarin has informed me that your operations were successful. I understand that you will both need a few days recovery time which has been factored into your training schedule," Shadow informed them. He split the two pads apart and handed one to each of them. 

"For the next few days. I want you to study these operation notes on computer system use and management. In some cases, the sensitive information you will become privy to may be in industry jargon you are not familiar with, especially the back end science of the weapon they are constructing. This information will need to be sent to us and deciphered if we are to extrapolate any kind of useable data," He explained. 

Scraps looked down at the notepad briefly, he saw the familiar format of a step by step instruction manual on computer usage. As a registered Derivate Scraps had been given formal training on the use of basic systems but even the first topic 'File encryption algorithms' seemed well beyond his already limited understanding. 

"Will we be transferring this data directly to the underground?" Scraps asked. 

"No. We cannot risk any transfer of information to be traced directly to the underground, nor can any unauthorised activity be directly linked to you. Your job will be to understand the file structure of their data system, it is mostly encoded and you will need to get a specific location of the information in the vast database of The Government. You will give this location to me which I will then give to our experienced covert microkinetics, it will be their task to retrieve the data," Shadow explained. 

"I understand." 

"Good, if there are no other questions I will let you get to work. As always the information on these datapads cannot be taken with you. Everything you learn must be memorised. Good Luck."The moment that Shadow stopped speaking he shimmered out of place before them and they were left alone. 

~*~ 

Flit waited for Shadow to leave the room before she put her mirror down with a sigh and looked over at Brian-Scraps. 

"File encryption algorithms?" Flit's despair was clear in her voice. "Of all of the things we have to memorise..." She shook her head as she swiped through page after page of extremely complicated looking material. Computers had never been her strong suit. She knew how to use them, and how to fix little problems that arose, but this was something else entirely. "I'm gonna need some help learning this crap," Flit moaned, looking over at Scraps seriously. 

Despite the fact that what she was reading made her tired (even though she'd just awoken from twenty-four hours of sleep), she was thankful for the distraction. Her eyes kept drifting over to the other bed where Scraps sat reading his own material and she tried to drink in every detail of his new appearance. She thought that he was fine the way he was before, even with that blasted tattoo, because it was him. Now he looked different she had to concentrate on remembering that it was still her Scraps that sat on the other side of the room. The algorithms also provided her with something to distract her from the constant urge to look at herself in the mirror again. It had been a thoroughly disconcerting experience to look in a mirror and see someone else peering back at her. 

~*~ 

Using the time on the data pads as a guide, it was nearly mid day when Flit finished reading the first document. She put her data pad down on the table and looked around before she slid out of the bed carefully. Aware that she was still completely naked, she looked through the set of draws where the mirror had been and was pleased to see a plain white medical robe in one of them. She slipped it on before making her way over to Scraps. Her arms and legs still felt weak, but she was stable enough to be able to shuffle her way over. 

"Mind if I hop in?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and letting out a breath of relief at the familiar feeling. If she closed her eyes she could pretend that this was still her Scraps. 

"The bed isn't that big, I think you'll have to sit in front of me," He suggested. Scrap spread his legs and pulled the sheet off to give her room to sit. 

"Scra- BRIAN!" Flit gasped. There he was, exposed in all his wonderful naked glory. If she didn't look at his face she could almost think that nothing had changed about him. 

Flit's mind flew back to the times where the two of them had been studying in his room and they'd sat in this position. The thought brought a flush to her cheeks and warmed her groin. Flit bent over and rifled through the draw for another robe, then threw it at him. 

"No strenuous activity, remember?" She said. "Plus, the last thing we need is for Shadow or Yarin to come in and find you naked with me between your legs!" Her scolding was only half serious. 

Scraps caught the robe deftly. And shrugged it around his body after tying up the waistband he looked back at Flit. 

"I never implied that we 'do the dirty' but now that you mention it..... Yeah you're right we should focus on studying," he replied. He shifted over in the bed and patted the space next to him. 

~*~ 

Flit laughed at Scraps's attempt to use colloquial language. 

"Whatever you say big boy," Flit said as she slid into the bed beside him and looked at what he was reading on his data pad. "Database analysis, huh? Let's hope this document is more exciting than the last one!" 

It turned out that none of the documents on the data pad held Flit's interest for too long. Even though she knew she had to learn the material she found it terribly boring. The next two days passed in a flurry of study and check ups. Their procedures had gone as well as anyone dared hope, and they only required minor adjustments before Doctor Yarin was happy to release them to Shadow for their reassignment. 

When Shadow had arrived to show them to their new apartment Flit's stomach began to swirl with nervous anticipation. Instead of teleporting them out as he had done when they arrived, he led them through a maze of sterile looking corridors and out onto a very busy Hub street. Flit looked up and around her in awe, she had known that they were above ground, but she had no idea that they were right in the middle of the city. The skyscrapers around them soared high into the sky, as only those in the middle of the pyramid shaped city could. At first she thought it was risky, to have operations like Doctor Yarin's based in such ordinary locations, but then she realised that hiding in plain sight might not be such a bad idea. 

Shadow led Flit and Scraps into a hovercraft that was waiting in front of the building and he piloted it as he told them about their new jobs tomorrow. As they approached Flit watched Scrap's face and was pleased that seeing him in a different skin was becoming more familiar. They had discovered that, in the dark, they were still much the same as they were before. Even though they had decided not to do anything too intimate in the clinic (in case there was surveillance there), their time alone in the room had gone far to familiarise themselves with their new appearances. The time had also shown Flit that their true selves had more to do with what was inside of them than their changeable exteriors. 

Their new apartment was midway up one of the inner city buildings, right near Centre One, which was the main building of The Government. The apartment itself was a decent size, two bedrooms with all of the modern conveniences that the Citizens enjoyed. It was nothing spectacular, in fact it was quite ordinary, but that was exactly what suited their aliases.  

"Tomorrow morning you are to report to floor thirty four in Centre One at oh-nine-hundred for your first work assignments," Shadow said after showing them around their apartment. "Keep to your cover, remember your objectives, but most of all stay safe." 

Flit was about to thank Shadow for his help, but he phased out of the apartment without another word. Instead she turned and gave Scraps a grin before making the way to the room that had been set up as their bedroom. One entire wall was made of glass, on which was the image of a plain painted wall to match the others in the room. Flit walked over to a panel above a bedside table and pressed a few buttons. The image on the window changed from a plain wall, to a forest, to a beach, to a stormy evening sky before the window finally cleared and gave an uninterrupted view of the glittering glass buildings beyond. 

"Looks like we're higher up in the world now Brain!" Flit called out as she kicked off her shoes, she ran over and jumped on the ridiculously comfortable bed and let out a loud sigh. There was a part of her that refused to believe that this was real, but all it took was one look at the lightened skin of her hand to remind her that it most certainly was. 

~*~ 

Scraps wasn't entirely sure what he would feel returning to the surface again. The sights and sounds of the high rises and constant buzz of hover traffic moving about on the busy streets drew all the buried memories from his past. He now truly understood why former Registered Derivates loathed to return. He reminded himself that this was different, he wasn't a slave to The Government anymore; he was a free man, with friends who cared for and loved him. 

The apartment building was equipped with all the usual amenities that one would expect living on the surface. Scraps took began to explore all the draws and cupboards to get a feel for their new environment. As expected all the domestic equipment and supplies including food and clothing had all been provided to them. Flit jumped on the bed and began to relax, with much less enthusiasm Scraps pulled of his own shoes and laid down next to her. 

"So Ava, which side of the bed did you want again?" He asked cheekily. 

"Sides? Why must it always be about sides?" Flit asked, "I am happy right here. I think diagonal is the new vertical." 

Flit reached out and tugged at the fabric of Scraps's shirt so that he fell onto the bed beside her, and then she rested her head on his chest. 

"You don't seem terribly happy," Flit begun her hand tracing circles on his stomach "what's wrong?" 

"It's not that I'm unhappy. It's just that the last time I was up here, my position in society was very different. I was lower than the vagrants and miscreants of society. Underground it was different, everyone there treated each other with respect because we were all on equal ground, but up here, it's not quite the same," He explained. It was difficult for him to express these feelings in such a typical Hub apartment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

"On the surface I was expected to treat every citizen with the highest respect, even if they were spitting on me. They all knew it too and treated us worse than animals. They knew what we could do with our abilities but at the same time with the restrictions on our usage we had no more authority than a vending machine. Tools to be used by society." 

"I just hope that I can step up and pretend to be on equal footing with these people again. I'm worried that if they see any weakness I will be stepped on like a piece of meat," Scraps sighed heavily, despite how difficult it was to talk about such things he was relieved that he had a chance to talk to Flit about it. 

~*~ 

Flit listened carefully as Scraps talked openly about his feelings. It was one of the things that she loved the most about him; his willingness to talk about what he was thinking without holding back. 

He was right of course, Flit was no stranger to how most Citizens treated Derivates. Even though she had never been on the receiving end of their maltreatment it disgusted her nonetheless. It was the hardest part of growing up and having to hide who she was; she was forced to stand by and watch as a fellow Derivate suffered the humiliation and degradation at the hands of a Citizen. The worst part for Flit was the emotional confusion she felt when the Citizen was a friend or colleague of her, someone who was normally thoughtful or kind. 

Flit scooted up higher on the bed and pressed her lips against Scraps's cheek. 

"I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this is for you," She whispered, her hot breath caressing his skin. "Now that we will have to pretend to be Citizens, try and think of the others like you thought of the people in the Underground. Think of them as your equals and nothing more; people will treat you the way you let them treat you. You are intelligent, strong and you are worth just as much as anyone else in this world. More, in my biased opinion." 

Flit propped herself up onto her elbows and looked at Scraps's new face, taking in his strange blue eyes and changed hair colour. 

"I think it will be hard for other reasons as well. I have no doubt that the time will come where we see a Derivate treated the way that you were. When that time comes we will need to remember our mission. Finding out about the weapon and trying to halt its production will save Derivates everywhere," Flit's voice was filled with determination and her eyes swam with ethical passion. "I always imagine that, one day, we won't need to hide any more. I know that it will be difficult if it ever happens but I am sure the time will come where Derivates are truly on equal footing with the Citizens. That is what we are working towards in the Underground, what all the operatives are gathering intelligence for on the surface. That is what we need to keep in mind." 




The Hub Ch. 09



Flit sighed as she fell back onto the bed and looked up at the stark white roof. 

"Not long before Rook proposed to me, he asked me if I ever wanted to have children. My answer was a firm 'Hell no!'. How on earth could I bring a child into this world knowing the danger they would face just because they dared to exist?" Flit's hand crept across the bed to find Scraps's and she held it fast. "That's why I wanted to work in Intelligence- that is why I wanted to be an operative. I wanted to be in a position to make a real change, to work towards creating a revolution that would bring about a world that I would feel comfortable living in. A world I would be happy to bring a family into." 

Flit heard Scraps's tired sigh as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her so that her head was on his shoulder. He kissed her softly on the forehead before speaking. 

"I never thought I would even be allowed to consider having a child. I know that what happened to Rook left painful memories in your mind but do you think you could consider it again?" Scraps asked. The question melted and scorched Flit's heart at the same time. 

"Consider it?" Flit asked slowly. "I could, but the same fears come back to mind. I know how dangerous it is to live in the Underground, I am not sure if I could knowingly bring a child into that... And to have a child who will most likely have abilities like ours, and try and hide them up here? No, that won't work either. 

"I know there are plenty of people who have done it, but right now? No. Perhaps in time I'll feel differently. Maybe in a couple of years I'll find a way to make it okay in my own mind. What about you? It must be a big deal to have spent your whole life thinking that you would never be able to have a family, only to learn that it is now a possibility." Flit hadn't said what she did about Rook to persuade Scraps to talk about family, only to show why she wanted to do what they were doing. She was sure that this was a big question for him and she felt quite guilty for putting him on the spot. However, he didn't seem to mind asking her if she would consider it so perhaps he wouldn't mind sharing his own thoughts aloud either. It was different with Rook; he had wanted children despite the way they lived. It had been a point of contention between them, and Flit would now never know what would have happened if he had survived. 

"To be honest. I wouldn't know the first thing about raising a child, in fact I don't even know what it means to be a child. My whole life, I've been treated as property of The Government. You are definitely right though, in our current situation we cannot consider bringing into the world," Scraps stated in a voice filled with as much logic as passion. 

A few minutes passed where both were lost in silence, both knowing what their priority was at that stage. Flit didn't resent it though; she knew they had a wonderful opportunity to make a change for the better, she just hoped it would be enough. 

"Shadow said we should get to know our surrounding environment better. Should we map out the apartment block and area encompassing it this afternoon?" Scraps suggested, breaking them both out of their pensive mood. 

"I suppose we should," Flit said. "If you're sure you want to go out. Perhaps we can get some dinner while we're out there?" 

"Dinner sounds great." He replied.  

~*~ 

The apartment building was fifty stories high with a nearby park across the street. As instructed they had been issued a standard size hover car. The shopping village was only a ten minute walk so they decided to stretch their legs and get some exercise. 

Scraps took careful note of all the surrounding landmarks to get a good idea of their new living situation. Seeing the sun again was quite the change, he spent the first few moments of their stroll squinting against the bright light but enjoying every minute of it. 

~*~ 

The restaurant that Flit and Scraps went to had been great. It took Scraps a long while to choose from all of the options, never having had the opportunity to select his own food from such a vast range. It had been an interesting exercise in feigning normality as well; they were able to act like a real couple in a public restaurant, and found that nobody gave them a second glance. 

After dinner was when they had the real fun. On the walk home they had stopped at a store that specialized in ice cream and indulged in the treat. Ice cream was not provided in the Underground as the refrigeration cost was too great considering the low nutritional properties of it. Flit, having lived part of her life on the surface, had already tried ice cream before, but was still thrilled to have it again. Scraps seemed to withhold judgment though, as the creamy delight left him with headaches that almost brought tears to his eyes. 

When they returned to the unit Flit noticed something sitting on their dining room table. She looked around suspiciously and wondered who had been into their unit. 

"Hey Brain. Get a look at this," She called over her shoulder before walking towards the table cautiously. There were no markings on the box, but there was a thin piece of paper beneath it, folded in half. "There's a note!" 

Flit felt her nerves hand tremor as she picked up the wafer thin paper and unfolded it. 

Brian & Ava There was a wait on parts so these were only just finished. Please wear them. Sean P.S. This is digestible paper. Please eat this message. 

Flit let out a sigh of relief when she looked at the impersonal message. She gave Scraps time to read it over her shoulder. 

"I'm too full from dinner. Perhaps we should put it in the fridge as left overs?" Flit asked with a cheeky grin before screwing up the paper and shoving it into her mouth. It started to dissolve as soon as it touched her tongue, and Flit had no doubt that it would be completely consumed by her digestive system. With that done, she reached across and picked up the small box. It fit in the palm of her hand and weighed next to nothing. 

"Let's see what this is, shall we sweetie?" Flit asked, opening the container. Her nerves were now replaced with curiosity as the tiny parcel was revealed to her. 

"Well," Flit harrumphed, unable to think of anything more intelligent to say. Inside were two shiny gold rings nestled next to each other on a black velvet cushion. Wedding rings. "We are married I suppose." 

It was one thing to pretend to be married, but another to wear something that would mark her as married. The rings symbolised something that she had hoped for and lost, and now had only begun to hope for again. Wearing them was something she hadn't even thought of. In the Underground couples tended to do without the pointless artefacts; there were better things for them to spend their resources on. On the surface, however, rings were a norm. They were not only a mark of marital status, but of status in society. The more expensive the rings the higher a person's disposable income. These rings were nice, even Flit could tell that, but not so nice that someone would think them rich or frivolous. They were certainly something that Flit could never afford for herself. 

Flit put the box down on the table carefully, biting her lip as she did so. The pain distracted her from all of the conflicting emotions, and she didn't look back at Scraps to see what he was thinking. 

~*~ 

When they returned home Flit pointed out a package that had been left for them, something that Scraps would have missed if she hadn't brought his attention ti it. It seems that Shadow had left them a parting gift. His study on surface culture had already educated him in the purpose of the two rings in front of them. Flit seemed quite distant when she picked up the small box to inspect the goods. Scraps wasn't sure as to why her reaction was so sombre but he guessed it had to do with her former relationship. From what little he learned, she and Rook were close to being married for real. 

Scraps stood next to her and reached forward to grasp his own ring. 

"My research never elaborated on the relationship change between being married and not married," He stated simply, hoping that Flit would enlighten him and perhaps tell him why she was so sad. 

"Well, it isn't a change in the relationship. Not really." Flit begun, watching as Scraps inspected the ring more closely. "It's just making it official really. Making it legal. In a relationship you love the person and you want to spend time with them. When you get married you take it one step further, you make a promise that you'll love them and be with them for a long time. It's about commitment, and about making that commitment known." 

Flit pulled out one of the chair and sat down at the table. She gingerly took the box from Scraps and ran her fingers over the ring. With a heavy sigh she took her own ring out of the box and turned it every which way, watching as the gold caught the light. Scraps watched as a myriad of emotions danced behind her eyes and he tried to understand what she was saying. 

"It is a pretty big decision, to get married." Flit said. "Ah sweetie. Sorry. I am prattling on like a lunatic. I knew that our aliases are married and all that... It's just that I had always imagined that the first wedding ring I wore would be my own. Not Ava Parkes's." 

Marriage was almost an entirely foreign concept for him, he'd seen married couples on the surface and in the Underground before but never even thought it would be something for him to experience. Obviously marriage was more than just a legal binding, otherwise he didn't think she would be so concerned by it. Scraps had already decided that he wanted to be with Flit, and that their relationship, so he wasn't sure what more something like marriage had to offer. 

"Maybe when this mission is done and dusted, we can get married for real. That is if you want to," Scraps suggested with a shrug, hoping that he could lift Flit's mood. 

"Thankyou Scraps," Flit said with a small smile, "But you don't have to suggest it just because of this." She made a general sweeping gesture. "When we decide to do it you need to be sure that it is what you want, without any hesitation. I am happy to wait for you, so there is no rush. " 

Flit got to her feet and put Ava's ring back on the table before wrapping her arms around Scraps and pressing a lingering kiss on his lips. 

"Please don't think that I'm rejecting you," She said softly as she rested her head on his chest. 

"I think that, after all this is done, there would be nothing that would please me more than to marry you. But please don't think you need to suggest it to make me happy. When we do it you need to be sure that you love me, you need to know that you're ready to commit to me like that. Usually people have other relationships or explore their own desires before committing to another. The reason that marriage is a big deal is because by that stage you know who you are, what you want in life, and you know that the person you marry will help you be all that you can be." 

"I know very little about marriage," Scraps conceded, feeling free to be honest because of her confession. The way she described marriage cleared it up for him a little bit, and he thought that he might have the basic understanding of what she now meant by commitment. 

"All I know is what I've read and I've read very little on the subject. With everything happening lately it's been so overwhelming, first learning about being free and living in the underground to pretending to be a citizen living in the surface. I hope when all this is all over and the threat of death and danger are minimal we can discuss this again." 

Scraps knew what she meant about figuring out his own life. He had just been freed from the shackles of the Government and had an entire paradigm shift. Even though he knew that he wanted Flit, he didn't know what he wanted to be himself, or what he wanted from their relationship in the long run, and he needed time to figure that out. 

Scraps looked over at the pictures that had been placed in the living room of their apartment. During their training both Scraps and Flit posed in front of a blank screen so that they could be digitally pasted onto false backgrounds. There were scenes depicting them hugging and smiling at parties, holidays and other leisure based activities. Even though he knew both their smiles were faked he still felt a strange sense of longing at the activities he'd never actually experienced with her. Even so with all the fake memories, the real ones he cherished the most all involved Flit to some degree, perhaps in time the false images and stories could become a reality. 

"So now that we've had dinner and we don't have to study or train anymore. What do you want to do?" He asked. 

~*~ 

"I know what I'd like to do," Flit purred, looking up into Scraps's strangely coloured eyes. "But there are a couple of things we need to do first." She gave him one last hug before she pulled away. With a heavy sigh she slipped the wedding ring onto her finger and tried to ignore the way it felt cold and weighty on her skin. 

"If we are going to blend in we can't be eating out every night. We have two options; cooking or getting pre-prepared meals delivered on that." Flit pointed over to a machine in their kitchen that had a rolling metal door on it. "Honestly though, the pre-prepared food is pretty gross. I think we should cook. But, to do that, we need ingredients. So we'll need to do a stock take to see what we have here before we do the shopping... We can do that tomorrow night though. We'll just make a list tonight." 

Scraps spent the next hour calling out the names of whatever was in their kitchen cupboards for Flit to record on a data pad. There were a lot of utensils he had never seen before, so in those instances he would hold them up and Flit would grin and tell him the name. The look of concentration on his face warmed her heart; he was genuinely trying to learn everything he could. Seeing him like this made her realize just how far he'd come, but also how much further he needed to go. Flit was pleased that this was something that they could do together. Even if their marriage was fake, their relationship was real, and this was their first home together. 

When the list was done Flit had a good idea of what she would need to buy. The only things they didn't have were the fresh food and ingredients. The Underground had started them out well stocked, and it was nice to know that their first shopping order wasn't going to be obscenely large. 

Flit's next task was to go through the unit with Scraps and discover everything they could about it. She knew that there were things that they would have missed but she figured that those would come in time. They discovered the locations of a lot of the data pads and control panels, found the streamlined storage, and discovered just how much they now owned. 

The discovery that concerned Flit the most was contained in the wardrobe in the bedroom. As she sorted through the clothes hanging in their she couldn't contain her dismay. If there was one thing to say about Ava Parkes, it was that she had terrible taste in clothes. Brian didn't have it so bad, but it was very difficult to go wrong with male office attire. 

"Looks like I'll be doing some clothes shopping too," Flit sighed, shutting the cupboard door. "But right now I think I'm going to get ready for bed. Would you like to have a showed with me?" She asked looking at Scraps with a grin. "There are a couple of spots on me that are very dirty, and I'll need some help if I'm going to get them clean..." 

Flit held out her hand, the left one, with the wedding ring on it. The look in her eyes gave Scraps no illusion as to the true purpose his aid in the shower. Scraps took her hand eagerly and followed her into their bathroom. He stopped in front of the shower thought and his head tilted slightly, Flit could see him sizing it up. 

Flit chuckled softly then distracted Scraps by using his top to tug him closer to her. It seemed almost natural when his head bowed down so that their lips could meet. As she kissed him, she slipped her hands under his shirt and then lifted it, pulling it up and over his head. Their kiss was only broken for long enough for Flit to rid Scraps of his top. 

If she closed her eyes, she could almost believe that nothing had changed. The muscles of his chest and his skin felt the same beneath her hands, and his unique taste made her moan as they kissed. She ran her hands all over his exposed chest and torso, eager for her fingers to have the comfort of knowing that it was still the same man she loved before her. 

Flit didn't want to stop touching his chest, but she could feel his growing erection pressed against her stomach and her desire to feel other parts of him took precedence. Without hesitation her hands begun to undo his pants and shove them down so that they pooled around his ankles. A few seconds later his underwear followed suit and her fingers were softly brushing the deliciously hot length of his shaft. 

"Well, it looks like I'm ready, but if we're going to shower together you'll have to get naked too Ava," Scraps said, his husky voice lightened with humour. 

"I suppose you're right," Flit said, looking down at the clothes that were separating their bodies. 

Flit pulled away from Scraps slowly and then slid open the door to the shower. She reached in and touched the control panel and set up the temperate and spray of the shower. It was similar to the one her parents apartment had. There were jets hidden in tiles all around the cubicle, and there was a range of temperatures that the shower could hold. She made it warm, but not hot, and decided that only the jets on the side need operate. That would make it much easier for her to kiss Scraps. When the shower sprayed to life she stepped back and made a sweeping gesture. 

"Brian, you'd better hop in and get clean while I undress." 

Without waiting to see if he would comply flit turned her back on him and begun to, very slowly, peel off her top. Bit by bit her smooth skin was exposed to him. Next, she unclipped her pants and bent over, sure to press her arse against the glass of the shower, as she pulled them down her legs. When her pants were around her ankles, the thin black fabric of her underwear was pressed against the cool glass. She took her time to straighten up before she looked over her shoulder and smiled at her lover. He watched her, captivated by her slow strip tease, and she could see his arousal growing. 

Flit reached behind herself with one hand, unclipping her bra with practiced ease and shrugging it to the floor. She turned, watching Scraps reaction as she got closer the glass, her nipples hardening as they pressed against it slightly. As he watched, her fingers traced luscious circles over the skin of her stomach and hips before dipping under the waistband of her underwear. 

With soft moan, the dexterous pads of her fingers found her clitoris and she began to pinch and rub it softly, teasing herself as her lips parted and her eyes fluttered closed. 

When Flit looked up she saw Scraps watching her with his new brown orbs, and their eyes locked. Seeing the arousal on his face made her task infinitely more pleasurable. As much as she wanted to climb into the shower with him, and have his fingers replace her own, the look of shock and desire on hid face made her hold off. Teasing him like this was fun. 

~*~ 

Just as Flit began removing her bra the steam from the water began to fog up the screen, obscuring his view slightly. Scraps was about to wipe away the condensation when he noted her approach and subsequent assault of the shower wall. The image of her naked breasts pressed against clear glass was such a tantalizing tease he nearly opened the door right then and there to pull her in. 




The Hub Ch. 09



He could barely make out her hand plunging under the fabric of her panties, however the soft moan that escaped her lips filled in the foggy blanks. Scraps wanted to say something but all he could do was watch, frozen in anticipation. Flit continued to pleasure herself though, showing no sign of joining him despite his growing erection and burgeoning arousal. 

At this point Scraps surmised that Flit wasn't going to join him anytime soon. Taking matters into his own hands, Scraps focused his ability on the two luscious mounds of flesh pressed against the glass. With an assertive push he repositioned her off the glass and began an erotic massage of her breasts, paying careful attention to the two erect buds of flesh at the ends. 

"If you wont join me then I guess I'll have to find my own way to have fun," He said silkily, though loudly enough to be heard over the pitter patter of the water. 

The look of surprise and shock on Flit's face was incredibly sexy, so Scraps kept up his work long enough to usher her through an echoing orgasm. He was so focused that when she teleported in directly beside him he felt his heart jump slightly. His shock was quickly replaced by the roiling lust that her tease had caused, and his heart rate did not calm. 

Scraps pulled Flit into a deep kiss as the water splashed around their bodies, the warmth had a soothing effect against his skin but it was overshadowed by the naked wonder pressed comfortably against his body. He accentuated his nakedness by pressing his erection firmly against the surface of her mound; at this angle he couldn't enter her but the tickle of her pubic hair against his rod kept his sensations on edge. 

After a few moments of agonizing teasing, Flit shifted her hip up and wrapped her legs around his waist. To help brace himself, Scraps placed one of his hands under her thigh and his other he used to position his rock hard member at her dripping entrance. He slipped the head of his penis up and down her slit several times before easing himself in. 

Her delicious tightness slowly gave way to his invading rod. He needed several purposeful thrust before he could fully sheath himself within her. When he'd finally brought her up against the base of his penis, he took a moment to enjoy the sensation. 

~*~ 

Flit's fingernails dug into Scraps's back as he thrust into her. When he stopped moving the only thing she could feel besides his stiff member was the way her breasts were heaving up and down and the erotic trickle of hot water running down her sensitive skin. 

"Please." Was the only word she managed to breathe, pressing her pelvis against him more firmly. 

The time they had spent in the clinic had been used for getting used to their new aliases and appearances. At first it had been hard for Flit to remember that it was Scraps behind that new face. All it took to remind her was a touch of his skin or a quick peek at his familiar body, and she knew he was her lover. That time spent so close to him, yet unable to touch him, had set her desire on edge. It had been excruciating in a ways she would have never have imagined. What she had longed for the most was to feel his body pressed against hers, to help her remember who it was that she loved. To show her that he was still the same. 

Now, though, she had the chance to act on her desires. Away from the sterile environment of the clinic, and in their own private apartment, she wanted nothing more than for their bodies to collide in a heated dance of passion. 

Flit pressed her lips against Scraps's wet shoulder and sunk her teeth in gently, her fingernails digging into his back. Her hips began to move slightly, but from this angle she could achieve little more than a slow and awkward stroke. 

Luckily it seemed that Scraps required no more encouragement to spur him into action. With a quick shift in position he began thrusting into her with what Flit imagined was all of the force he could muster. With the combination of his strokes and use of his abilities he balanced them perfectly as he poured every once of his lust and love within her. 

Nothing else mattered at this point. Not the physical changes they had undergone, not the mission, nor anything else around them. There was only her and him. Together. Alone. And as his essence rushed into her core with a guttural groan they knew that nothing had changed, not really. 

Scraps continued to pump well beyond his own release and it wasn't until his abilities and legs were beginning to waver that he released Flit. She was lowered gently to the ground and then pulled against his quivering body as he leant against the shower stall. She led a trail of soft kisses down his cheek and neck before resting her lips on his collar bone. 

"I love you," She murmured, voice still breathy from the wonderful exertion of their coupling. 

With a heavy sigh Flit reached over and swiped her finger over the panel; the pure warm water was now laced with fragrant cleansing fluid. Flit ran her hands up Scraps's chest, her finger slowly kneading the muscles. 

"I love you too" He replied, his words warming her more than any shower ever would. 

~*~ 

After their shower and a cleansing massage Flit and Scraps settled in the large bed, laughing at the fact that they no longer needed to squeeze into something that was far too small for them. 

"I might get lost during the night." Scraps positioned himself closer to the middle of the bed and put him arm out in a gesture for Flit to cuddle up to him. It had become common practice for them to embrace each other warmly before falling asleep. "So, big day tomorrow. First day of work. Are you nervous?" He asked. 

"Nervous?" Flit asked with a gently laugh. "Absolutely. I'm not sure how well I'll sleep tonight. It's always scary starting a new job, but this one doubly so. I'm sure we'll be fine though. I'm awesome and you're not too bad yourself. It'll be a real test for us though, put our memory to work... How about you?" 

"A little bit. Working on the surface as a regular citizen is going to be a big change for me. We have prepared as best as we can, all we can do is hope that it's enough," Scraps responded. He felt the pull of sleepiness draw his mind away from the present. With one last stretch and yawn he gave Flit a good night kiss. 

"Love you," He told her before he fell into a deep sleep. 

~*~ 

The next morning Flit and Scraps woke to the shrill piercing call of their alarm. As Flit reached over to switch it off she groaned and struggled to open her gritty eyes. 

Flit wished that it had been as easy for her to fall asleep as it had been for Scraps. She wasn't sure exactly how long it took, but she knew for certain that it was too long. Her mind had raced with the possibilities that the morrow would bring and most of them didn't end up in a way that was conducive to helping her sleep. Scraps obvious concern about being able to fit in hit her the hardest; she knew that she would have little trouble slipping into character, but for her lover it would be a great deal more difficult. She knew he could do it, to her there was no question about it, but she only hoped that he continued to have faith in himself. 

"Ready for the day Ava?" Scraps's voice was offensively bright and excited for this time of the morning. The only thing that stopped her from burying herself under the covers was the feel of his lips on hers in a tender kiss. 

"Suppose so Brian," Flit sighed, forcing her eyes open reluctantly. When she turned her head and saw the enthusiastic look on Scraps's new face she couldn't help but smile. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and threw the covers off herself before she decided that staying in bed was a better option. 

"Let's get this show on the road then, huh?" She asked him as she slipped out of bed. 

Flit walked over to their wardrobe and pulled out a drab grey dressing gown that she had seen in there before shrugging it on. 

"Any requests for breakfast? We have oats, toast or oats." 

Her negative musings from the previous evening and the lackluster dreams that followed had left her in a not so good mood, Flit was looking forward to getting this first day over and done with. Even if it was only to get some shopping done so they could have some decent food. 

"Well since we've allowed a generous amount of time for getting ready this morning I think we should stop by the cafe we passed on the way out to dinner last night," Scraps suggested as he pulled on a pair of underpants and began to sift through clothing that had been designated for work. Flit watched as he eyed the suit he had selected with a mixture of apprehension and awe. 

"Well," Flit said, stopping in her tracks at Scraps's suggestion. "That sounds much more appealing than oats." 

As Flit spoke Scraps began to pull his clothes on quickly. She made her way back over to the wardrobe she watched as the pieces of his suit slowly came together to present his new work uniform. Normally Flit was more partial to the casual and fatigue gear that the lads in the Underground wore but Scraps looked incredibly good in a his business suit. 

Flit's own business attire was much less impressive. She tugged on her clothes with a minor sense of trepidation; Flit sincerely hoped that her performance at her new job would be much better than her new range of clothing choices. When she was dressed she turned to Scraps with a sheepish grimace. 

"Right, let's get out and brave the world before I decide to barricade myself in here until I get some nicer clothes," Flit said, tugging on the awkward brown skirt in hopes it would sit a little better. 

~*~ 

Scraps gave Flit a pleasant smile as he enjoyed her dry humour. He was finding her distaste in the provided clothing quite entertaining. Hawkeye had mentioned to him during their 'how to be a man on the surface training' that complaining about the average woman was quite common practice among fellow men. Perhaps he could store this point for later use. 

It's not like gender specific complaints and banter didn't happen underground either, he'd heard his fair share of sexist jokes but since they lived in such close proximity with each other, it was never malicious. Hawkeye told him that he would experience much worse on the surface and he had to be prepared to accept and even contribute if the situation demanded. 

Scraps could never see himself speaking ill of Flit in front or behind her back. Luckily Hawkeye had given him the best avoidance methods for dodging any kind of socially awkward moment; 'Drink more beer and yell some profanity'. Hopefully he would be able to pull it off legitimately if the time came up. 

Scraps continued readying himself for the day. There was some paperwork he needed to bring with him on the first day of their job and so he double checked that everything was in order and neatly organized in his briefcase. For him it was odd to prepare for a big event without having to pack weapons and defensive equipment. Even though his suit consisted of three layers he felt light and under prepared for the day. 

"Well I'm ready to go." He announced to Flit as he made his way to the door. 

After having breakfast Flit and Scraps realised just how much time they had given themselves to get ready. Instead of taking their new hovercar they decided to walk and get to know their new neighborhood better. The walk went by pleasantly and quickly, and in no time they found themselves walking through the innermost circuit of the Hub. 

Scraps looked up at the towering glass and metal spires above the. It seemed almost impossible that buildings so high could remain standing without toppling over. There was nothing new about the sights around them; before living in the Underground he had been patrolling the streets in different part of the Hub. This time it was different. Previously he was treated no better than the automated information bots that frequently patrolled the streets, helping everyday citizens with general inquiries but now, now he was a citizen. 

The people on the street that passed them by didn't give him looks of distaste or disrespect, they didn't see him as a tool or implement to be used. He was one of them, in that instant he spied a Derivate on the opposite side of the road. The short man stood like a lamp post, never moving, never feeling. A woman dropped her purse accidentally in front of him, though it would have been just as easy for her to reach down and pick it up she coughed irritably at the Registered motioning for him to pick it up for her. With no hesitation he complied. Seeing it now from a different view point angered Scraps greatly. He felt compelled to approach the woman and educate her on the inhumanity of her actions. For now there was nothing he could do. He neatly tucked his anger away and pushed through, knowing he had a mission to do. 

After a few more minutes of walking Flit and Scraps reached Centre One. This building was the highest structure in the whole city and for good reason; it was the main headquarters of The Government. Everything he now stood against loomed ahead in an overbearing monolith of smooth polished glass. 

~*~ 

If Flit thought that the Centre One was huge on the outside, the inside was completely staggering in size. As they walked through the large tinted glass doors, it seemed as though a huge cavern opened up all around them. Outside, surrounded by the soaring buildings, it was hard to think of the city as anything other than crowded. In this building, though, all of the artistry and technology of architecture had come out to play. The glass windows that had been simultaneously bright and protective on the outside were as clear as clear could be on the inside. They had a perfect view of the street beyond, and if Flit hadn't known that there were windows there she might have thought the whole bottom level was open air. 

The ground floor atrium was light and airy, even with hundreds of people hurriedly making their way to its center. The building itself was a large square, with dozens of doors that led out of it. The heart of the room was clear for all to see; a large circular core of elevators. The core was divided into what Flit guessed to be at least twenty sectors, each one a splendid glass elevator. 

As Flit watched, the elevator cars zoomed up and down the transparent shaft, making the room feel as though it was nothing more than a tribute to the throbbing vein of the building above. Several meters away from the center lifts there was a neat row of security scanners. Like everything else in the building they were minimal, and designed so that they didn't detract from the building around them. 

Flit slid her arm down Scraps's so that she was holding his hand and she gave him a brave smile. 

"First day at the new job!" She said as brightly as she could as they joined the surge of people making their way through the scanners. 

As she approached the thought of stepping through the flimsy looking threshold became more and more intimidating. As they got closer, Flit could see a team of security sentinels stationed between every second scanner. Their metal casings gleamed in the bright room, and the red light of their eye sensors scanned their surroundings with mechanical precision. Not far to their right there was even a Registered Derivate wearing the black fatigues of the Government's security force team. His face was seemingly indifferent, yet his eyes watched his surroundings with unfailing vigilance. His eyes brushed over her on their search, and her heart began to beat faster. Quickly, Flit thought about their new apartment. Her mind then slipped to the fun that they'd had in the shower. She thought of every detail with painstaking deliberation; if he was a mind reader that ought to keep him out. 

They were in Government territory now, and she had no idea if there were any Registered Mind Readers about. She had to be careful. Very careful. 

"Floor Ninety Eight, wasn't it Brian?" Flit asked as the lady in front of them stepped through the scanner. 

"Yup floor Ninety eight, section twenty, subsection four." His elaboration went far beyond what Flit had memorised, and she was thankful yet again for his presence. Scraps's eyes scanned the elevators before them and he then told her that the best elevator car to use would be '10E' 

"This way sweet," He pointed. He gave the Derivate a quick glance before moving on. 

The ride in the elevator was particularly unpleasant. After spending a month in the Underground Flit had grown used to the luxury of being in an area where her personal space was a staple part of her day. There were so many workers in this lift that they were all pressed up against each other, her only comfort was the fact that it was Scraps who was all along the length of her back. She wanted to talk, just as she always did when her nerves took over, but there were so many people that she didn't dare. Plus, the music playing in the lift sounded horrible enough without awkward conversation as a bonus track. 

It wasn't until the fiftieth floor that the elevator began to empty and Flit could breath properly again. Somewhere between the ground level and this one she had to let go of Scraps's hand, and she decided it was probably best that she didn't grab it again. Instead Flit stood close to him, their arms brushing slightly as they continued to rise. Every level they passed seemed to be designed in a similar open plan way, each one looking as light and airy as the last. There were definite differences in things like lay out and apparent function, but the architecture and interior design of Centre One flowed just as smoothly as the glass lift. 

"Floor Ninety-Eight," A pleasant sounding female voice announced as they finally stopped at their floor. Flit and Scraps stepped past a man wearing a suit to exit. 

Just as Flit had guessed, this floor was as white, chrome, glassy and open as the rest. The area immediately surrounding the lift core was free for a few meters, before a long sleek reception desk encircled the entire area. There was a man standing at the desk, looking at them curiously, as they looked around and tried to gather their bearings. 

"New to Ninety-Eight?" The male asked them with a smirk on his face. Flit put on her brightest smile. 

"That obvious, huh?" She asked conversationally, turning and walking towards where he stood. 

"You could say that. What are you both doing here today?" He asked. He seemed friendly enough, but there was a sheen of caution in his curious blue eyes . 

"I'm Ava Parkes and this is my husband Brian. We are here for our first day," Flit explained as she approached the desk. 

"Ahh, our two newest victims. Great." The man pressed a few buttons on the hidden side of the desk and a retina scanner and finger print reader popped up from the seemingly seamless surface. "I'm sure you both know the drill." 

Flit nodded and stepped forward. As she leant over slightly for the retina scan she heard a short beep that she knew was a chip reader, they must have a sensor over head somewhere. She put her finger on the reader pad. A split second later there was another quiet beep and the man nodded in approval. Flit stepped aside and allowed Scraps to go through the same process. 

"Perfect. Follow me." Another few touches on his hidden screen and a gap slid open a few meters to their right. "Come on through, I'll take you to Jane." 

Behind the desk there was a thick transparent wall that showed rows of desks beyond. However, when they walked through a door in it, they realized that it was actually just a projected picture. Behind this one way screen were rows of glass cubicles. Each of the cubicles was sized to house either two or four desks, and half of them were already full. Flit had lived and worked on the surface for most of her life, but there was something about this that felt so wrong. Her eyes were drawing to a cubicle whose two occupants looked as though they were deep in discussion, but she couldn't hear a thing. Then she realized what felt so wrong. All of the cubicles were soundproof.