Sev shivered, but didn't move. Didn't even appear to notice when she spoke. But as soon as she was done, a whisper of a reply greeted her.
"It was only orders. It was what I was bred for, the sole reason I existed."
Glancing across, she grimaced at Fumika.
"You would've done the same in my position."
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Fumika pauses for a moment, deliberating over Sev's reply.
I will say that I understand what it is like to live without your life being your own - to be raised by your parents with only a single purpose in mind... no thought given to what you really want.
It is why I respect Evangeline's choice. She is the one who gave me respite from my own "old life". Now she's saving you from yours.
It becomes apparent that, despite the significant amount of time that has passed since the women took their seats, the ship has yet to move. Only once Fumika finishes speaking, with suspiciously accurate timing, do the engines roar into life.
Evangeline, residing in the cockpit at the front of the freighter, turns to face the small tunnel linking her to the cargo bay.
Hold on tight ladies, I'm about to throw us outta here.
With her words the entire floor of the salvage frigate begins to move, two gigantic doors opening out underneath the relatively small freighter. In amongst the massive wind created by the escaping air Evangeline fires small ACS rockets affixed to the extremities of the olive-green craft, steadily pushing it out of the frigates' cargo bay and into space.
Once free of its' parent vessel Evangeline throttles up the shuttle's primary engines, thrusting it out of the vicinity of Newark's external mooring points and into a high spatial orbit over Planet Manhattan.
The planet's surface becomes clearly visible through the line of dinnerware-sized porthole windows lining the wall opposite the retrofitted line of seating.
Sev looked back to Fumika, thrown slightly from the sudden movement. It took her a short while to respond.
"Well...Saving is a matter of opinion. I didn't want anything. Still don't..."
She stared at the porthole, seeming to think.
"My only purpose is, still, to follow my orders or die trying."
Grimacing, she leans back in the seat.
"I only hope that changes soon."
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Fumika, once again, remains silent as she compiles her words. She stares out of the porthole window opposite her, unmoving, for a noticeable length of time.
Haven't you realised?
That chapter in your life has drawn to a close. The current chapter may not be inherently better however it is, still, a new one.
Think about where you are and what you're doing for a moment.
Sev smiled. Just the slightest smile, but she didn't even look at Fumika. Her eyes remained mostly hidden.
"Maybe i've misjudged you."
Looking down at the floor, she thought for a moment.
"I am...in a rusted ship, with four girls I barely know...after being shot until I pass out, and almost melted...and now i'm going to some planet i've never heard of, but is apparently important-"
She cut herself off, swallowing slightly as her nervousness had become apparent in her voice.
After a moment of stillness, she glanced at Fumika. And instead of the mask she had worn before, her face showed all her emotions. And she was scared.
"And I know how my kin think. I know what's waiting for me."
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
The same as what you tried to do with Vixen, I assume.
Fumika leans back in her chair and stares down at the shorter woman; her steely eyes cutting through Sev's emotions, demanding attention.
The same punishment you received by my hand awaits anyone who puts your life at risk.
Fumika's cold expression remains despite her words betraying it.
I have orders to keep you alive.
Orders which I intend on honouring.
Throughout the conversation the porthole scenery changes steadily as the ship flies around Manhattan, the ship gliding effortlessly in low orbit.
It becomes apparent, however, the docking ring facility is not getting closer. By a chance observation it can be seen drifting off around the haze-laden horizon of Manhattan.
Evangeline, still at the flight controls, once again turns around in her seat and shouts down the short tunnel linking to the cargo bay.
Grab on to something or someone or hell... anything, really. This is gonna get rough!
Without a seconds delay Evangeline pitches the small freighter downwards, the vessel now caught in Manhattan's gravity well and plummeting towards ground level.
The ship was now free-falling through the atmosphere on an almost vertical descent. It begun violently pitching in all directions as the atmosphere of Manhattan buffeted the tiny craft.
Despite the gallant aura that Fumika portrayed under normal circumstances, being only human, she, much like the rest of the passengers, had her seat firmly clamped in her hands - the group riding out Evangeline's antics with vehement solidarity.
Sev grips the chair instinctively, her eyes wide with fear as the ship starts to toss and turn.
After a moment, she realised what was happening, and managed to calm herself from a logical standpoint- She trusted Eva, even if she didn't want to accept it.
And over all of the fear and the ship being thrown around like a ragdoll, a flush of adrenaline ran through her system. Even though the experience was scary as hell- It was fun.
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Although the shuttle had been designed with Unassisted Atmospheric Descent and Launch Protocols in mind, it was still an arduous and inherently dangerous operation - any fault in the high-temperature shielding which offered the ships' infamous green colour raising the potential for catastrophic failure.
Despite the risks Evangeline confidently drops through the atmosphere, the vessel quickly becoming uncomfortably warm as the friction created by the air passing over the shielding transmits itself throughout the hull and interior fixings.
For what seemed like an eternity the violent shaking continued, the ship falling almost completely vertical through the upper edges of the atmosphere. Despite being small by interstellar standards, the shuttle still boasted a significant mass - which was reflected in the ever increasing speed of descent.
However, almost as quickly as it began, everything was over. Evangeline pitched the ship's nose upwards, bringing it on a level heading with the surface. The sudden increase in surface area forced a reduction in vertical velocity, the floor in turn heating rapidly.
The main engines were reignited and throttled up, replacing the rapid vertical descent with a leisurely horizontal cruise at the upper limits of Planet Manhattan's atmosphere.
A few seconds of pleasant smoothness pass by, relieved sighs escaping the passengers.
Sev looks at the floor, the heat reaching her even through her suit. Sighing softly, she tried to shrug off the adrenaline rush, even if she knew it didn't quite work that way. Looking back to Fumika for a moment, the conversation returned to her mind.
"I never intended to harm Vixen, Fumika. I was never ordered to do anything except bring her back."
Shaking her head, she grimaced.
"I guess it isn't like it matters now. If I die, I die."
A million dollars isn't cool. You know what is cool? A basilisk.
Fumika, once she was able to recover the regal air Evangeline had disturbed, again resumed her thoughtful stare. With her cold, steely eyes watching Sev closely, she absorbed the cat's last words.
The other girls on-board, had, to this point, kept silent. They continued to intently listen in on the normally quiet and courtly Fumika, captivated by her speech.
Whatever your intentions may have been is, as you say, irrelevant. You've been forgiven.
Fumika goes silent again, however, unlike before, she seems slightly agitated by something.
What I ask for in return is...
Fumika stutters in her speech, now clearly outside of her comfort zone for some reason.
That... on behalf of myself and Evangeline...
Another stutter and, now, a vague blush is apparent across the cheeks of the normally cold, hostile young woman.
You can forgive us... for what we did to you.
For what I... did to you.
Fumika locks up again, her prideful, almost cocky aura now dissipated. In its' place stood a woman bearing on her shoulders a deep regret, one which now presented itself clearly.
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