Twi249

Megaman - Friday, April 21, 2000, 9:28 PM
-----------------------------------------

Command Center <Hunter HQ>

Rick Morgan sits in the command center, in one of the big chairs lined up with the rest of the terminals. Understandably, he isn't sitting back as nonchalantly as he usually does, in lieu of those injuries he sustained yesterday. Elbows rest on the countertop in front of him, as he stares quietly at a screen in front of him.

Twila Peterson emerges from the grav lift quietly. As she steps into the center she catches sight of a lone operator. The girl waves meekly in greeting while approaching where he sits, feeling some of the chastisement arise such as it did last night when she was tending to the injures he had procured during the incident. "Hey. How you feeling?"

Rick Morgan hmmmms quietly at first as his only form of answer, before flicking his fingers over the keys and shutting down the screen he was looking at. Slowly, he leans back head tilting to rest against the backrest of the chair as he takes a breath. "Ok...considering I coulda wound up like a bag of broken glass otherwise..." A small shrug is given then, as he swivels to face Twila fully.

Twila takes in a breath, fidgeting slightly. Her eyes focus on the terminal which the cyborg had been working instead of looking towards the man's directly. "Still upset with me?"

Rick Morgan doesn't answer right away at that, as if questioning it for himself as well. Finally though, he brings his gaze back up, eyeing his sis quietly. "I think I'm past being upset now after resting up..." he says. "...guess now just reflecting on, how it felt when I realized you were there."

Instead of offering a ready response to that Twila slides into an empty seat nearby. "Maybe a bit of what I felt, knowing you were walking right into a trap?" she points out. There's a sigh emitted as she realizes what she just said may very well end up provoking a rise of defensiveness. "I know why you did. But it couldn't help stop me from worrying."

Rick Morgan sighs again, sliding over in his seat just a bit, and wincing as his bruises are aggravated once more. "I know..." he says quietly. "I'm...sorry about my tone from last night." he murmurs. "I guess it was just from the heat of the moment is all..."

Twila Peterson presses her lips together and looks up. "I guess," she murmers with a slight shrug. "Not always easy being the one on the homefront...knowing that there may be a time you go out...and don't go back."

"It's what I do Twila..." Rick says quietly. "It's what I've done since I got here...and it's what I -want- to do. At least I know that this way I'm doing my own part to help out with this crazy upside down world. I kinda figure things won't change..." he shrugs, and leans back further in his seat, tilting it back somewhat. "I guess the danger was just something I accepted all along. Now it's taken on a whole new meaning in a way..."

Twila perks an eyebrow towards that. "Hope you realize how much you sounded like Rock," she comments. There's a slight pause followed by, "I've known what it's like here soon after I arrived. So, it's nothing new. Just...strikes harder at some times more than others. Guess the news I gave before you departed didn't exactly help that."

Rick Morgan does allow the edge of his mouth to quirk upwards. "I guess not..." he muses, before shaking his head, and swiveling to bring his full gaze on Twila, a final sigh being given. "Sis...I'm sorry I got upset, but you know why I did it right? Just like I know why you came anyway..." he shrugs again, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'd just die if anything happened to you..."

"Just as...I'd die if anything happened to you," the girl manages a bit slowly before conceding, "Yeah, I know why you did."

Rick Morgan tilts his chair forward, feet setting down on the floor as he manages a small smile. "Yeah....does it help that I said I'm sorry?" He asks.

He dosen't wait for an answer though, before tilting forward and standing up out of his chair, moving slowly as per his body's desires. Even as he straightens, he extends his arms. "C'mere..."

A smile spreads across her features. Even as she nods she lifts herself from her seat and envelops him with a gentle embrace of her own. "It helps," she assures him, slightly sniffling. "Sorry that I worried you..."

Rick Morgan raises his right hand, gently touching it to the back of her head as he holds her close. "I know..." he murmurs. "You did it cause you were worried too...I can't blame you for that." he can't help but smile just a little wider. "...I guess it's kinda flattering for the fact that you thought fit to go out after me like that."

Twila Peterson can't help but blink in a little bit of surprise to that. "What makes you think any thought went into it..?" she confesses slyly. Actually, after the idea of placing her borrowed transportation in the middle of those tracks and meet up with the train her plan had somewhat...trailed off.

Rick Morgan hmmms at that, and arches an eyebrow. "I guess not..before anyway." he muses, as if reading her mind. "Though I figure the price tag on that hoverbike you trashed must have got some thought going through." he teases gently, reaching up with a finger to tweak her chin. "Don't worry about the cash needed to handle it...we'll put it to the Hunter funds." A quick wink is given then.

Her cheeks somewhat blush as he indeed reads her mind. "Thanks. And yeah...it did. Um...would have tossed something *else* on those tracks if something else had been available. Figured it was a small price to pay...I mean...considering..."

"Shhh." Rick says, tapping the tip of his finger to her lips and shaking his head. "It worked. That's what matters, Twila. Alot of people would freeze up under pressure, but you used what you had on hand. There's not too many folks that can do that." He grins faintly. "When the Mavericks found me after I kicked in the boiler pressure pipe I was too busy running to think about stopping the train outright."

Twila Peterson tilts her head ever so slightly to the right. "Guess...that would account for those shots I heard," she muses before resting her head on his chest. "Had to do something..."

Rick Morgan hmmms, and nods. "Guess I was lucky in that case, there was alot of steam in the cabin, made it hard for them to see me too. So that helped..." his hand pats her back reassuringly, "I dunno, guess that makes it the two dozenth time I've been shot at or something."

"Have to admit, 'moving target' doesn't sound like an attractive addition to your resume," Twila muses. "Just glad you were able to keep moving." She stops to consider something. "One of the Mavericks that was there...wasn't he the same one at the dam? I recall seeing him close up on some replays on the news..."

Rick Morgan sighs at -that-. "Yeah it was him...." he mutters. "Terror Gecko...appropriate enough name, cause he's startin to become a holy terror." he shakes his head slowly. "At least in my life for that matter. I've seen him too many times than I would care to recount by now."

Twila Peterson questions, "Think...he was the one who radioed you with that tip?"

Rick Morgan shrugs faintly. "I don't know...lord knows why he WOULD. The Mavericks acted like they didn't even realize I was there until I kicked in the boiler pipe. It's like I completely took them off guard."

Twila shakes her head, not knowing what to think. "Was a thought. The voice even sound familiar?"

Rick Morgan shrugs. "Hard to tell." he admits truthfully. "It caught me so off guard I never had a chance to check. Maybe it was him, maybe it wasn't...I really don't know. Nor can I figure out -why- I was told." He makes a face then. "What matters is that they were stopped from causing the deaths of alot of innocent people."

Twila offers her brother a squeeze in response. "You're right. Maybe you'll know someday, but for right now...that's enough..." she muses, perhaps more th herself than to him. It's then she pulls back out of the embrace a little to sneak a look-see towards the terminal he had been at. "What were you working on?

Rick Morgan hmmms, turning to face the terminal then as well. "Just schematics and such. You know, yawn stuff. The kind that makes you want to go to sleep right after waking up," he gives a quick wink.

Twila Peterson has to chuckle at that. "Don't tell me...I kept you from a nap?" she teases.

Rick Morgan smirks. "Gimme -some- credit." he chuckles, before pulling back then and grunting at the motion, easing back into his chair once more with great care and caution. "Oof...I think I'm gonna be feeling this for a week or so."
Twila Peterson hmmms, watching. "You think a small back massage would help any?"

Rick Morgan hmms at that, "I wouldn't know..." he grins faintly. "I'm into robotics, not human physiology." He moves his shoulders a bit, grunting once more, then sighing and drooping forward. "Just be gentle...."
The young woman smiles while moving her hands onto his shoulders, feeling the tightened muscles underneath. She begins carefully kneading within small circles at the shoulder blades first. "I promise. You really think I would be anything but...*especially* after that rough tumble you took last night?"

Rick Morgan hmms at the touch, tilting his head further forward until it's almost resting on his forearms. "Yeah...." he muses quietly. "Still suprised I came outta that ok...guess I landed just right..." he murmurs.

Twila Peterson notes hopefully, "Well, helps that the grass was soft. Just let me know if there's a place that's a bit sore," as she continues working with her fingers. After a few moments she comes across a particurly balled up muscle (which may cause him to jump...at least at first) and centers on on that area in hopes of loosening it.

Rick Morgan indeed does jump, taking a sharp intake of air with the sudden contact. A few moments later he settles down again though, letting his head sag once more under the gentle attentions. "That helps..." he murmurs, closing his eyes then. "...alot."

"Least I can do..." Twila tells him shyly as she moves slowly to the other side. "Besides, feels as if your muscles may have needed this. You're wound up pretty tight." Not that he doesn't good reason.

Rick Morgan hmmms quietly at that, letting his head bob slowly, his stray strands of hair bobbing at the same time. "Not like I can get them unkinked with any ease...save that of a hot shower." He takes a breath as another tender spot is touched, before letting it out again. "...even that only helps so much."

Twila Peterson slows once more as she keeps watch over her brother's reactions to the back mucle massage she's currently offering him. "You make yourself sound like you needa libe job..."

Roll covers a yawn with one hand as she walks out of the grav lift, trying to remain awake as she comes in to just do a curiosy check on things in the command center. In the dimmer night-lights of the lab, the glow of the various monitors and consoles around the room give off an almost eerie visible light of their own, and she takes the time to see if anyone else is in the room, expecting perhaps Michael, or that Repliforce female Blaze.

The doors of the grav lift are the more noticible if not much other noise is present to overtake the sound. Twila chances a glance up while she continues kneading and offers the entering android a smile. "Hi, Roll."

Rick Morgan is indeed in the room, with Twila of course, getting those fresh bruises on his body tended to in short order. "A tune-up is more like it..." he muses. "Guess I need to find some spot where I can walk in and they tighten everything in place or something huh?" He then trails off and glances up at the new arrival as well, offering a small grin. "Hey Roll." he greets. You'll pardon him if he dosen't get up.....he's had a rough previous day.

(Ch. A [Hunter-Main]) Rock transmits: 'Twila? You around?'.

Roll smiles, seeing the twins together in the room. "Hi," she replies in a light tone, waving cheerily in their direction, finishing a quick scan of the displays around the room before heading over in the pair's direction. Her gaze moving down from sister to brother, she gives Rick a slight frown. "What happened to you?" she asks, wondering if she missed a recent report or something.

Twila Peterson pauses a moment from the massage for a moment as her radio chirps. After retrieving her radio one of her hands goes back to it's gentle kneading of the man's back, allowing Rick to answer Roll while she answers her communicator.

(Ch. A [Rock]) Twila Peterson transmits: 'Yeah. Currently within the Command Center with Rick and Roll.'

(Ch. A [Hunter-Main]) Rock transmits: 'Alright. I'm on my way up.'

Twila Peterson lowers her radio and whispers into her brother's ear.
You whisper 'Rock's on his way up...' to Rick Morgan.

The door to the gravlift slides open, and Rock steps out, shortly after Twila whispers to Rick.

Rick Morgan sits up just a bit straighter, giving a glance in Roll's direction. "Suffice it say a bit of a Maverick excursion happened, that I happened to get caught up in. Near the end of the whole deal I hadda take a flying leap off a moving train." He shifts his free shoulder just a bit, then returns to sitting as he was before. "Needless to say I'm lucky I got off with bruises I'll feel into next week."
Rick Morgan gives a quick nod to Twila's whisper, letting his eyes trail over to the gravlift as Rock steps off.

Roll leans with one hand against a nearby counter near Rick and Twila, having only just arrived there herself. She nods slowly as she listens to Rick's explanation of the source of his bruises. "But you're alright, right?" she asks him worriedly, examining him again with her eyes just to double check anyway.
Rock gives a wave to the three gathered. "Hey sis, Rick, Twila." He steps forward, and hops up to sit on a bare counter, across from Roll. "What was that about leaping off a train?"

The young woman straightens as the reploid steps into the center shortly after informing her brother of his imminant arrival. Boy, that was fast, wasn't it. "Hi, Rock," she says somewhat shyly. Her hands come to a rest on the cyborg's shoulders now, looking a little nervous now.

Rick Morgan gives a quick nod. "Yeah, I'm ok. I managed to land just right and roll with it. Instead of breaking every bone in my body I just got bruises that'll be screaming at me for the next while or so. Considering the alternative, I think I got off all right...." he then tilts his gaze in Rock's direction. "Simply put I got an anonymous call about a train loaded with poison gas headed for Denver. Since everybody else was answering an issue in Texas, I went to check it out myself. That's when I found out there were a couple Mavericks behind it..."

Rock frowns lightly at Rick, "Erk. And I was busy in Shanghai. Someone had reported that the Mavericks that attacked the other day had returned; when I checked it out, I couldn't find them, so... I assume they were there and left fast, or not there at all." He nods, though, and smiles a little, "Glad you're okay, Rick."

Roll continues to frown as she regards Rick, memories of people telling *her* to take safety precautions when going out, so that she doesn't get hurt, only to then find out that Rick has gone out and gotten himself battered about. Leaning against the console, she quietly listens to the conversation between Ricky and Rocky.

Twila Peterson doesn't add comment about her "tagging" behind Rick during that episode. Would probably only result in a scolding of some sort more than likely.

The Blue Bomber glances up, at Twila, then, holding a little note. "This note said you'd needed to see me," Rock says, sapphire orbs focusing on Twila.

Rick Morgan seems to be on the same wavelength as Twila in that case, as he dosen't bring up her own involvement with it. Best not to risk a repeat of last night for her in that case. "Things just worked right in that case. Managed to stop the train as it was....."

Rock nods back to Rick, "And was there poison gas?"

Twila remains quiet until the report of the recent Maverick activity is over, but she does offer the reploid a quiet nod.

Rick Morgan says, "There was SOMETHING. I saw a big missile that was loaded up and the Mavericks hovering over it. When I kicked the boiler to overload and..." he hesitates for a split second, before adding, "..we struck an obstruction that derailed us, that's when one of the Mavericks hauled it out and was gonna use it to try and get at me. But I shot the boiler of the locomotive and it blew sky high, taking him with it."

Rick Morgan adds. "So if there was poison gas it was suddenly subject to several thousand degrees centigrade of heat."

Again, no real need to mention that Twila was the one who provided the obstruction. Irrelevant really. =)

Rock nods lightly, "At least noone... well, except that Maverick... was hurt badly."

Rick Morgan fehs quietly. "No loss on that account, trust me." He shifts in his seat to tilt back then ever so slightly, liding his eyes a bit as he takes a deep breath.

Rock chuckles, "I kinda figured, Rick." He grins, then looks back up at Twila.

Well, that seems somewhat of a cue anyway. After taking a deep breath Twila states, "Rock...I'm...going to have to ask for a leave of absence."

Rock looks up, "Sure. How long were you planning on asking for?" He slips into business mode for the moment.

Rick Morgan falls silent at this part...it's up to Twila to ask. Though he's there of course.

Twila Peterson bites her lower lip. "That's what I'm unsure of. You see Lauren, our birth mother," she states, indicating her and Rick, "is seriously ill and...will soon be undergoing treatment. But, the treatment is experimental and it's unknown how she'll respond to it."

Rock frowns a little. Family comes before anything in his mind. "I... I'm sorry about your mother." He stands up, and moves across to one of the consoles, sitting down in it. "When were you planning on leaving, Twila..." he says, tapping a few controls and bringing up duty rosters. Considering Twila's not 'really' a Hunter, affiliation-wise...She's just on-staff.

Rick Morgan lets his fingers gently drum across the tabletop in front of him as he listens to Twila's words, leaning back enough in his seat to give her form a reassuring bump with his back.

"In about a week," the young woman answers slowly. "It would give me time to work with what I needed to here and give Lauren the time she needs to work through the doctors to get ready for the tests..."

Rock nods slowly, and brings up Twila's files... a few clicks of buttons, and movements of a pointer, and Twila's duty status is changed to: Indefinite Vacation; saving the file, the Reploid then turns off the console. He turn in his chair, looking up at Twila with saddened sapphire eyes. "There y'go, Twila," Rock says, smiling a little bit.

Roll crosses her arms in front of her while listening. Having had half her attention on one of the nearby monitors, she was only partly listening to what Twila was saying, though when Twila mentions 'birth mother', she instantly snaps her attention back to the group. A sense of surprise and sympathy going through her when Twila mentions that their mother is ill, her attention shifts from Rick to his sister. "How long...has she been ill for?" she asks. "In a way, it's too bad your mother wasn't a reploid or an android, because then I'm sure the doctors here would be able to fix her up in now time."

Rick Morgan gives Roll a small smirk. "Don't we all wish it was that easy..." he murmurs, before shaking his head. "We can get her this new treatment though, and hope for the best as it turns out. Twila would be staying with her, but I'd be staying here."

"Thanks, Rock," Twila bids the Blue Bomber in return. "I'll let you know before I leave." She then turns towards Roll. "Several months back she was stricken with a virus. Although she's no longer with the virus, it began a damaging process within her systems. She knew of it. But neither of us did. Or, we wouldn't have except she collapsed when I was with her at the mall several days ago."

Rock frowns lightly, standing, "Hopefully this treatment will fix her..." Rock nods at Twila's thanks and notice that she'll let him know when she leaves. "I can understand why she wouldn't want to tell you... she wouldn't want to worry you."

Roll sighs softly, looking down at the floor sadly at the news. While she's happy to not have Twila and Rick both leave, she refrains from saying so, instead offering her best wishes for the sibling's mother. "I hope the treatment works, I really do," she says, mainly to Twila, "And hopefully you'll be back here soon."

Rock nods, seconding is sisters' sentiment. He hmms, glances over to Roll, then says, "Rick... are you feeling up to taking a taxi somewhere?" He shoots a second glance at Roll, conspiratorial.

"Hope so, Roll." Twila states, although she doesn't sound all too certain she will. An amount of nervousness will do that.

Rick Morgan blinks slowly, tilting his head in Rock's direction. "Wha? What for? I was just taking it easy on my poor bruised body here..." he shifts in his seat once more, wincing again at the stab of their aggravation with the movement.

Rock hmms, "Maybe tommorow, then." He steps forward, and, as a gesture of comfort tp Twila, and a gesture of reassurance to himself, slides his hand in with Twila's and gives it a gentle squeeze. "Just let me know if you're up for going on a short taxi ride tommorow evening, up to the upper level of Tokyo."

Roll nods to Rock, agreeing with his decision, though she lets her brother do all the speaking.

Twila Peterson offers a smile as well as a slight blush as she gives a squeeze of his hand in return. "Oh, I think that can be arranged."

Rock smiles, "good." He notes the blush, surprised at how often he and Twila can make each other blush.

Although, it really shouldn't surprise Rock....they've only been blushing from one another ever since they first met... :)

Twila Peterson idly watches as her brother starts getting a bit *too* comfy within his chair and soon falls asleep. "I should have known he was going to do that," she notes with a smile. She bends over to gently kiss the top of his head before pulling back and offering Rock's hand another squeeze. "Aside from Rick I think I'll...be missing you most of all."

Rock chuckles, "He did the other night after dinner." And then the Blue bomber nods a little, "Yeah. I'll miss you too... you've been my closest friend, and more, for a long time."

"Just as you've been mine," Twila returns, and then falls silent. "Amazing what can happen within an 9 month period, huh?"

Sensing a sensitive moment here, Roll simply nods to Twila in a silent goodnight as she backs away and goes to the lift to turn in for the night herself.

Twila Peterson gives Roll a nod as well. Yes, she saw it. She's only sorry she momentarily had forgotten the android was here within the room.

Rock bobs his head somewhat, "Yeah, really." He smiles a little, "But I've enjoyed it. All the good times, and even the bad."

"I believe I can say the same," she replies before moving her other hand to cup his, slightly sniffling. "But, it's a little too early to get sappy like this. Maybe it's better that we wait until it's time."

Rock nods lightly, giving both hands a squeeze this time. "Yeah... it's too early," he seconds, meeting her eyes with his own. "I'll miss you... more than anyone else, maybe even Roll, that could leave the labs," he says, softly.

Rock returns the hug, slightly tighter than Rick did (or would've). After a few minutes, he breaks the embrace, and steps back. Unsure of what to say next, since there's so MUCH to say, but it falls under the 'sappy' direction...
Upon seeing Rock's features, and having a fair enough guess that her own features may mirror his, Twila has a feeling it's better if she lifts that ban entirely...not that she would be able to abide by it that well herself. "I'm not entirely sure what to say or can say," she admits.

Rock smiles, "And thanks for you being you... I don't think I would... ever be as ... mature? Maybe that's the word I'm groping for... as I am now if I hadn't met you."

True, he has grown in a lot of ways since they first met. And alot is for the better. "We all grow at our own pace and our own rate. I'm glad that I was able to help, and that I was there to help in whatever way you needed." Twila's eyes sparkle with some form of amusement. "Still, nothing wrong with going back at times and recapturing. I'll always remember when you showed me some of your Transformer toys way back when...and even us playing with them. Remember me as Op giving Scorponok his 'wet noddle' attack?"

Rock laughs at that, "Yeah. Sometimes it's fun to just sit back and have fun." He smiles, "And we've definitely had some fun times together."

Twila Peterson emits a soft giggle as some of the memories come back to her, but straightens a little as those memories contain both the good and the bad. Coming to mind in particular was remembering she had met Rock shortly before Zero had been taken captive by the Masters. It was a captivity which lasted for at least 3-4 months, which left Rock a bit shaken. "As well as others. Remember that your never alone out there, kay? No matter what happens? No matter what may come?"

Rock nods, "I will. And you remember the same. I'll always be here, whenever you need me." He also remembers the good and the bad...the Halloween party... Twila's capture by Wily...and so much more.

"I promise," she assures him before venturing a step forward and kissing his cheek. "And remember that you will always be loved?"

Rock nods, "I will, Twila." He returns the kiss on the cheeck, and says in response, "And you too, remember that there's always someone here who loves you."

Twila Peterson smiles once more and offers a nod of her own. "I promise that as well." After a period of silence which follows the girl lets out a small sigh. "It's getting late. I...better call it a night, get in a good rest."

Rock nods softly, leaning in to give Twila another kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, it is kinda late. I'm gonna hit the sack shortly." He lets his hands trail out of hers, as he says, "Good night, and sweet dreams."

Twila Peterson offers the reploid a mock salute. "You too, Rock. Sleep well. Love you." As she turns away, there is a slight mist that clouds her eyes. Possible that it could have been missed...could it? She doesn't allow a second glance but a brief glimpse. It comes after she steps onto the lift, after she turns back towards the center, just as the doors close.

The Blue Bomber doesn't give any outward expression that he catches the slight mist clouding Twila's eyes, but he does. As she glimpses back, he gives her a lopsided half-smile, which is then cut off as the doors close. To the quiet of the command center, he replies, "I love you too, Twila."