anything, so long as my patient is still breathing when I get him. It isn't a comfortable feeling."
Around the room, the men shook their heads in agreement. Sal assumed most of them had endured Risk's healing and hoped to never do it again.
"Think of it like all the pain shoved into a few minutes," Zep said. "It ain't fun."
"Ok, so what about you, then, Zep? What do you do?"
"Well, I fight." He smirked. "I can beat just about any of these guys at any weapon. I tend not to lose." His eyes met hers knowingly.
Sal realized he was saying her victory in their spar meant more than she thought. If Zep could beat most of the Blades at their weapons of choice, why had they put him up against her?
"Before your pretty head gets tied in knots, I've lost a few times. You aren't that special. And yeah, I decided to fight you because I planned to show the others that you weren't unstoppable."
"I never thought I was!" she snapped at him. "I just wanted to score a touch on you before you took me out."
"Oh."
The room had gone still, the others acting uncomfortable, looking away from Sal as she glared at Zep.
"And your ability?" she growled. "Is it as impressive as your ego?"
"Sadly, no." Zep sighed, meeting her eyes. "I don't have one, it seems, or if I do, I haven't found it yet." He sighed again. "Look, Sal, I'm sorry. I come off rude at times, and like a hard-ass, but I don't mean anything by it. I just figured you were mentally patting yourself on the back because that's what I would have done."
"I wasn't. Actually, I'm even more shocked, because I never thought I'd win against you to start with." Looking around the room, she decided to just get it out. "I don't know how any of you came into elite service, but I'm lucky they even let me apply. My kind isn't typically a candidate for small operations like the Blades, and this is my dream, something I've wanted for as long as I can remember. I never thought I'd have a chance, let alone make it this far. I always assumed you'd find some reason to force me out of the running because I can't blend in and play human, and now I wonder if that's why you chose me to spar with, because you wanted to get rid of the scrubber."
The room erupted at that. While voices decried her accusations, she heard the click signifying Arctic had opened her to the link. Into her mind swelled images of disbelief, denial, and appall that she could feel so unworthy. Feelings of their enthusiasm for her chances hit her, mingled with visions of her excelling at one thing or another. Through the deafening haze in her head, she found no thoughts against her.
"Sal," LT said from across the room, gesturing for Arctic to close the link. "I let Zep fight you for two reasons. First, because you were the only one that stood any chance against him. Second, I had to see how combat with a human would affect you. The sparring only demonstrated how unprepared a few candidates were, nothing more. If you haven't noticed, your breeding is an asset to us, not a reason for us to be fearful or shun you. I can promise you that the only reason you will be excluded from the Black Blades at this point will be due to your own actions, not ours."
She nodded, ashamed she hadn't trusted them more, but she'd always been treated like the outsider.
"Did you get what you need?" he asked kindly.
"You didn't tell me what role you play, sir."
"Ah, in this case, it won't matter. I won't be among your soldiers." His eyes lit up wickedly, and Sal realized it was a hint, if she could ascertain what he meant. "But for now, I think we're done. Dawn comes sooner than we'd like, and I, for one, have a meeting with people who think they're important. C'mon guys, let's get to bed and let Sal get some sleep before she tries to figure out what it is I have planned."
Tossing back drinks, the Blades got to their feet and began to make their way out. Each one stopped
Around the room, the men shook their heads in agreement. Sal assumed most of them had endured Risk's healing and hoped to never do it again.
"Think of it like all the pain shoved into a few minutes," Zep said. "It ain't fun."
"Ok, so what about you, then, Zep? What do you do?"
"Well, I fight." He smirked. "I can beat just about any of these guys at any weapon. I tend not to lose." His eyes met hers knowingly.
Sal realized he was saying her victory in their spar meant more than she thought. If Zep could beat most of the Blades at their weapons of choice, why had they put him up against her?
"Before your pretty head gets tied in knots, I've lost a few times. You aren't that special. And yeah, I decided to fight you because I planned to show the others that you weren't unstoppable."
"I never thought I was!" she snapped at him. "I just wanted to score a touch on you before you took me out."
"Oh."
The room had gone still, the others acting uncomfortable, looking away from Sal as she glared at Zep.
"And your ability?" she growled. "Is it as impressive as your ego?"
"Sadly, no." Zep sighed, meeting her eyes. "I don't have one, it seems, or if I do, I haven't found it yet." He sighed again. "Look, Sal, I'm sorry. I come off rude at times, and like a hard-ass, but I don't mean anything by it. I just figured you were mentally patting yourself on the back because that's what I would have done."
"I wasn't. Actually, I'm even more shocked, because I never thought I'd win against you to start with." Looking around the room, she decided to just get it out. "I don't know how any of you came into elite service, but I'm lucky they even let me apply. My kind isn't typically a candidate for small operations like the Blades, and this is my dream, something I've wanted for as long as I can remember. I never thought I'd have a chance, let alone make it this far. I always assumed you'd find some reason to force me out of the running because I can't blend in and play human, and now I wonder if that's why you chose me to spar with, because you wanted to get rid of the scrubber."
The room erupted at that. While voices decried her accusations, she heard the click signifying Arctic had opened her to the link. Into her mind swelled images of disbelief, denial, and appall that she could feel so unworthy. Feelings of their enthusiasm for her chances hit her, mingled with visions of her excelling at one thing or another. Through the deafening haze in her head, she found no thoughts against her.
"Sal," LT said from across the room, gesturing for Arctic to close the link. "I let Zep fight you for two reasons. First, because you were the only one that stood any chance against him. Second, I had to see how combat with a human would affect you. The sparring only demonstrated how unprepared a few candidates were, nothing more. If you haven't noticed, your breeding is an asset to us, not a reason for us to be fearful or shun you. I can promise you that the only reason you will be excluded from the Black Blades at this point will be due to your own actions, not ours."
She nodded, ashamed she hadn't trusted them more, but she'd always been treated like the outsider.
"Did you get what you need?" he asked kindly.
"You didn't tell me what role you play, sir."
"Ah, in this case, it won't matter. I won't be among your soldiers." His eyes lit up wickedly, and Sal realized it was a hint, if she could ascertain what he meant. "But for now, I think we're done. Dawn comes sooner than we'd like, and I, for one, have a meeting with people who think they're important. C'mon guys, let's get to bed and let Sal get some sleep before she tries to figure out what it is I have planned."
Tossing back drinks, the Blades got to their feet and began to make their way out. Each one stopped
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