Twila@M3 - Thursday, September 06, 2001, 3:29 PM

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You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Jet Stingray: "Jet...you copy?"

Jet Stingray sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Jet here, Twila... How are you?"

You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Jet Stingray: "Not really all that sure about right now. Though thought I'd give you call and see how things were. Nothing much has happened on this end. Although I'll probably have to leave where I'm staying soon."

Jet Stingray sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "If you are running out of money that fast, I can give you a decent chuck to keep going, no problem..."

Twila Peterson is mixed in with some of the crowds...speaking on her radio which looks more like a cell phone. Just one within a city of how many...

You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Jet Stingray: "It's...not that, Jet. Not sure if I can explain it all over tightbeam."

Jet Stingray sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Well, if you need to talk or something like that, I can be there in a flash... Where you want to meet up at?"

You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Jet Stingray: "Well, currently in the London business disrict at the moment. Mixing in with the crowds. Although close wnough to the teleporters I suppose too."

Jet Stingray sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Don't worry, I'll be there ASAP. You'll have a better chance of seeing me before I see you, so I'll just make myself rather obvious. See you in a few."

You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Jet Stingray: "Thanks, Jet..."

Jet Stingray sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "You got it. Just doing what anyone else would... or at least should do anway."

<Soon enough...>

London - Business District

Unfolding in all directions is the massive Business District of London. Corporate skyscrapers tower off the ground and a multitude of mega-hotels, specifically for those on business trips from other cities are all located here. The buildings in this district are unbelievably larger, as if each one is struggling to outdo the latter, stretching further into the atmosphere to touch Heaven itself. Beneath the omni-level highways and streets is the lower business district where less staggeringly huge buildings are located, where super stores and some malls can be found.

The young redhead appears to lower her "phone" and place it back within her purse before leaning against a wall outside an old "five and dime"...or the equivalent thereof. She's currently only a block or two away from the teleporters, blending in with the other pedestrians.

Wearing his beloved blacktrench coat made just for him, Jet Stingray is currently in the skies, hovering about twenty feet above the streets of London. He makes an effort to hold his trenchcoat away from his foot jets, not blasting fasting enough to have the wind keep the bottom of his only piece of clothing (save his Repliforce hat) from getting burned. He scans the crowds carefully. .oO(She shouldn't be that hard to spot.)Oo.

Admist the normal sounds emitted from the sorrounding traffic, Twila chances a glance up as she overhears familiar jets. She slightly steps out from under the small pavillian that was there for the store and glances up. Soon after, she offers him a small wave.

Other pedestrians cast some stange looks towards her...as well as the overgrown fellow in the trenchcoat...but otherwise mind their business. Stranger sights have been seen.

Just not as strange as in New York.

Jet Stingray isn't stared at by too many... Or if he is, he is at least easily IDed... Unlikes the Robot Masters fashion, Jet leaves his unbutton, more for some warmth and fashion than hiding who he is. Unlike Robot Masters and Mavericks, he doesn't have to be a cloak and dagger sort of guy... Which is good because he's awful at it. Moving toward Twila as he spots a wave directed at him, the stingray is given room to land. "Twila?" he asks, as if givng a final check as to who he is getting ready to talk to.

Twila Peterson steps closer to him. She's seen him before within that coat of his. And since he did say where he would be arriving...gave her good hints. Especially the Repliforce emblem. "Hey, Jet," Twila states shyly. She looks well enough, still dressed casually. Nothing seems differnt. But something seems to be weighing on her. For those who wouldn't know her, they would probably miss it altogether.

Jet Stingray puts his hands in the pockets of the trenchcoat, using the pockets while he has them... It's not like Jet wears pants or the like. "Hey, Twila... Can we talk here, or do we need to go elsewhere? It's up to you, since it seems to be rather important." His optics show some concern, his tail swaying back and forth slowly, as if ready for almost anything.

"To be honest...I wouldn't really know where to talk exactly. Um...maybe the park. There's one near where I've been staying recently," Twila says...thinking it a better location than some. She gestures towards the south.

Jet Stingray nods slowly, Twila's response only causing him to worry that much more. Could be just more problems with Zero, but he would think that wouldn't be so secretive or something. Shaking his head, he merely takes a step closer, as if being a bodyguard... Which he intends to be. Better safe than sorry is a Repliforce saying... And this is one of the few kinds of cases he actually observes it. "You got it, Twila," the marines offers in response.

<And...>

London - Park District

The noise of the rest of the city subsides as the Park district unfolds before you. Consisting of numerous zoos and a plethora of protected woods, this is where technology and nature meet as one. Most beautiful and inspiring of all are the parks built onto massive blocked platforms, where the roots can be seen growing from beneath when viewed from below. Songbirds and small woodland animals frolic through the woods, and those with enough money can even live here, though the majority of them work for the city zoos and animal control systems.

After some travel time has passed and the two have already entered the park, Twila starts leading the Repliforcer towards the far side of a pond...one of the patches not as crowded as the others. A mother and her small band of ducklings swim past across the water, chattering quietly while the young woman muses as to what to say. "Hard to know where to start. How much do you know...about what's been going on with the Maverick Hunters?"

Jet Stingray shrugs faintly, his own gaze moving to the animals for a short while. "I know it's getting to a lot of the Hunters... I asked Dischord about it and she told me all of the past and recent stuff, and I have been in the know for the here and now for a bit." He lifts his watch over the animals to look around once, still being somewhat careful.

Twila Peterson nods slowly. Still trying to formualte her thoughts. "It's been slowly falling apart ever since the Seige with Repliforce over there. Sometimes more nicable than others. Guess I always had the fear that if they turned against some allies, why couldn't they turn against others?" She offers a hopeless shrug and pushes down some emotion. "I had been thinking on relaying my concerns to the others for quite some time. And...I have talked it over before with Rick as well as Dischord. Finally...I told Dischord if things didn't turn around I was seriously considering resigning. I didn't want to be a part of something where I felt I was comprimising who I was."

There's a lengthy long pause. "Them Zero got onto the broadband and was basically accusing me of treason. Disch got me calmed down afterwords and encouraged me to write the members of the CoC in business-letter type form...and also make an official report. Which I did. Zero could only see what I said as a personal stab in his direction, thinking I was lashing out for having my 'feelings hurt'. Said I should stop allowing myself to be taken by Masters...despite the fact when I am taken it's usually 6 on 1. And I already know what damage androids can doing with a smiple flick of the wrists. He also ignored the threats to my relatives from Bass. Then Rock returned from who knows where and made his 'I'm back - Stop bickering - Don't like it, then leave' post. So..he wasn't planning on taking any of my concerns either." She stops then, trying to keep herself composed, then let's out a sigh. "Heck, I haven't even heard from my own brother in any of this either."

Jet Stingray nods slowly, tapping his faceplate in thought. "Well, it sounds like both you and Zero are coming from... Um, two different places. He's well, Zero, who thinks that everything he does is right and that if he screws up its because he's angsty or something like that. You feel that the Hunters aren't doing too well and feel like trust has been broken. Seems like you Hunters have a lot of trust issues." With that, he folds his arms, clearly trying to think this out as best he can... Not often his smarter side comes out.

"Zero's a mere symptom," Twila asserts with more force than intended. "He's never acted like this before while he's been himself. He's been a jerk at times but he still cared. He's like another person altogether. The only time he's ever gotten this callus, apathetic and belligerent was when he was about to go into one of his rages. This is more than just Zero. More than about me. This is about ackowleging there may be problems and at least looking into them, not brushing them, or whoever speaks them, aside as if these concerns, or the person don't even matter. For an organixation that's supposed to be helping out others...what kind of message does that send if they treat their own people in that way?"

Jet Stingray sighs as he sits on the ground and crosses his legs, clearly getting into a /heavy/ thinkinh mode. "I see... So, you think that the Maverick Hunters are not doing their job anymore and not helping people like they are supposed to?" he states slowly, trying to take this piece by piece.

Twila Peterson takes in a deep breath and folds her arms over her chest. "Simply put, yes. That's exactly what I think. And I doubt most will even realize or acknowledge it until they hit rock bottom and the only way the direction they can see is how far they've fallen."

Jet Stingray nods once, looking to the ducks for a moment. He would offer some 'don't worry, be happy' sort of help, but that would most likely have a chance to make things worse. "So, /why/ do you think they don't see they are heading where they are?"

The young woman eyes one duckling as he strays from it's mother, curious of the two stranges, before a *quack* is heard and the youngster soon rejoins them. Just the same too. The mother waddles onto the bank at a small distance and is followed by her tiny clan. One can disticntly hear the feathers flapping as they releive themselves of the water.

"What I think?" she tones more quietly. "I think pride has an aweful lot to do with it. You often heard the saying 'pride comes before the fall'? Well, it's true. People don't often want to admit when they're in the wrong. Simple fact of nature. And when they suspect something is wrong, rather than trying to deal with the issues and face them head one, they rather bury them...or distract themselves. And one of the ways people build themselves up...is by tearing others down."

Jet Stingray lets his hand travel around the ground, his left hand reaching for a human fist sized rock, which fits nicely within his own hand. "So, you are saying that the Hunters are just being mean to each other because they can't help people?" He seems to be asking a lot of questions, but maybe it's because he sounds a bit confused.

Twila shakes her head gently. "More like...the Hunters are being mean because they have problems inside they don't know how to come to terms with."

Jet Stingray nods slowly. "So the Hunters are being mean to each other because they have problems with themselves.... Each person has their own weaknesses and because they fail to rely on one another, they aren't doing their job right?" He tosses the stone up and down gently, looking to it as it rises and falls... Only to rise and fall all over again.

Twila Peterson dips her chin in slow agreement. "Yeah...that says it about right."

Jet Stingray nods slowly. "So, what if I said, that if they are doing that, you are doing the same thing.... Though I admit you are doing so in a different way than Zero." With that, he crushes the stone. His tone is controlled, trying his best to focus on the ducks. "When I joined Repliforce, believe me, I didn't fit in. To a certain degree, I /still/ don't fit in. Some of them understand me, admire me, but I am not like them except for the one fact that I believe in what Repliforce stands for. It sounds like you guys merely need to know what you are standing for, and stick together, knowing that in your cause to kick some bad guy aft... That you guys are a family. That's what you are supposed to be aren't you?"

He pauses for a moment, looking to the pieces of rock that fall from his hand. "Of course, I might be totally out of it and stuff. It wouldn't be a first time. After all, I was made to be a protector of life and an aft kicker, not a head doc like Fugue."

Twila turns away. Just as last night when she was dicussing this same matter with Jack, one of the new Hunters, feelings of running from the issues tend to be covered and buried thick with her own pain, hurt, confusion and feelings of betrayal. She had expected better from those she once thought of as friends, not this. "Someone else stated something about family not that long ago. But family doesn't turn against family. And family doesn't make one of their members feel as if they're little more than a liability to be humored, but ultimately ignored. I *thought* I knew who family was and what it meant. Now I don't know anymore."

Jet Stingray sighs and stands up. "Believe me, Twila... I know how you feel. Want me to tell you why? That night some of those Repliforcers attacked San Ann... Right before the attack on Repliforce Island. Well, I'm not sure you knew, but when I was restationed at NYC again, Sentinel was the first person I met. He became one of my best friends there. He trusted me and I trusted him. When he was a Maverick and tearing it up, I was shut down... Wasn't even online when one of my best friends died. You know what I would have done if was though? I would have been there, trying to remind him who he once was, why he fought those battles, the traits that made him one of the coolest people around. And while I couldn't be there for him even if I wanted to, I still have that regret."

He takes a step to turn to Twila. "I know, it stinks.... And if I could make them all sudden realize they are messing around, then I would. I know, the Hunters can stink, Zero can stink, Repliforce can stink too. Wars aren't easy, Twila... And I know you think of the Hunters as being close to you, but even family turns on itself sometimes when there is a lot of stress put on them. I know Repliforce was almost to the point of breaking at the time of the siege... But we had one thing. And that was vision. Maybe /that's/ what the Hunters lack." He shakes his head and turns to the water again, pausing for a moment. "If I really screwed up and made you mad, you can hit me... I don't mind at all. More so if I deserve it and just don't know it yet." His voice is rather peaceful, as if talking about the Hunters somehow makes his problems seem more distant.

The young woman doesn't state anything for the longest time. She can't find it within herself to. She inwardly searches for something...anything that could help her believe in what he's saying is true...that maybe she is over-reacting in someway. That maybe it perhaps isn't as bad as it seems. But something refuses to let her. Whether it's because she's stubborn...or something else altogether she doesn't know.

But the truth of the matter is, Twila's quickly becoming danergously close to burn out. During all the events that had happened over the course of the last few years she's always retained some semblence of hope and faith that things would never remain the way they were. Things would always get better. It was there during the splicing of the time and fabric of time and space. It was there during the Seige. It was there when she played her part within the Judgment Day senerio and sacrificed her life in the hope others would be saved. Somewhere along the way, little by little, she began to loose that. And she doesn't know how to get it back.

Even appointed Mothers can get tired of the struggle.

"I couldn't get mad at you Jet. If I had...I would only be getting upset at you for the same thing I was doing back at the Labs: merely sharing concerns."

Jet Stingray nods slowly, taking off his trenchcoat and placing it on the ground with a sigh. "Well, I presume that sticking through it thick and thin wouldn't help any..." He pauses for a long moment again, tapping his faceplate for a long moment. "So, you think that if things were like they were back before the mess started... Would you feel differently about the Hunters?"

Twila winces at his comment of "through thick and thin" and wonders if he realizes how badly some of the situation has gotten at all. If this was the normal, everyday spats between the Hunters she wouldn't be concerned. But there has been actual talk of some not even caring if civilains were to get into harm's way. Something that, if it was in fact carried out, would more than likely actually label some of the Hunters as Mavericks if that indeed happened. Of course, she can't expect him to fully understand either. Perhaps...no one does. The thought grips her, and perhaps prods her into unknowingly debating to alienate herself further.

"I commented in my resignation that if there were sincere and drastic changes made I would reconsider and ask if I would be recieved into the Hunters," is all she replies. "As it is, I'm not going to watch them destroy themselves due to their pride and apathy."

Jet Stingray takes his trenchcoat up again after he flexes his hands once or twice as well as removing as much of the dust off his blue painted hands as he can. The stingray takes up his trenchcoat, getting off the dirt and grass off with tender loving care... After all, it is the only real line of clothing he has. Indeed, it appears that even though Jet has been told a bit, there is far more that the stingray doesn't understand... But that won't stop him from batting blinding in darkness until he hits a home run to help the Hunters get back together... Though if Twila is this opposed to the Hunters, it leaves Jet feeling somewhat confused. .oO(This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Maybe I actually need to talk to X and.... *mental shudder* Zero. Not sure if it would help, since I would hope X would be talking to be people.)Oo.

"Well, Twila... Here's what I would recommend. I remember one line that has carried me a long way.... Sometimes when I feel like I can't do anything I think of this. Thinks about all the good leaders of the world... Heck, think of almost /every/ person that is considered a hero. General, Lincoln, Light, Washington, Colonel, Jimmy Steward, Mother Tessa or whatever that famous non-nun nun was... I could list them for days. Now, they all had different upbrings, most of them different times they did their thing. Some of them fought and fight, some of them couldn't throw a punch to save their lives. Tell me Twila, what do you think they all had in common?" As he waits for a response, he puts on his trenchcoat.

The Twila remains still, her arms remaining over her chest, not answering. Oh, she's not ignoring him...but she's not really geared to reapond to that.

Jet Stingray sighs faintly, figuring inside he wouldn't get an answer... And if he did get one, the stingray imagines it wouldn't have been the one he was looking for. But he shakes his head, takes in a breath and continues. "They all had hope. I know, it's corny and hokey, but hope is an important thing. If I didn't hope that I could make a difference in the world, it wouldn't matter if I could or couldn't because I would never /try/. If General lost faith and became a Mav.... Well, that would stink all over. If that nun chic decided that people would also be hungrey and sad, she would never save the people that she could and help the people she did."

The Stingray of Justice gives a look out, appearing ready to go at any moment. "Yeah, it could be consider a bunch of stupid hippie stuff, but yeah, it's what keeps me going. I know that sometimes a you might get worn around the edges, and since you are a human and stuff, I bet it might happen a bit. But when that happens, you just need to find someone to get some strength from until you can stand up on your own two feet." He shakes his head yet again. "In any case, I have some patrolling I need to get to."

The young redhead holds herself more tightly until a shudder can be see emitting from her five foot frame. When it passes, her arms lower themselves to her sides and she quietly nods in acknowledgment, but nothing more. Not even the usual "Godspeed". "Take care out there," she mumbles. And with that stated, she turns about and starts her trek heading away from the pond...and her friend.

Jet Stingray looks back, he watches as Twila goes. .oO(Man, humans stink... I don't even know if I made things better or worse! I should have just done the Repliforce way and taken her to a bar... but then again, I hear getting humans drunk is worse then getting Reploids drunk.)Oo. Looking back to Twila, the Stingray of Love offers a thumbs up. "I'm not sure if anything I said helped or hurt, but just remember Twila... I got your back." His peice said, he turns around and prepares to fly off, part of him hoping that someone is around to watch Twila. She seems in the mood to do... well...What exactly? Jet doesn't know, but he figures it wouldn't be something good. Having pushed back his exit as far as he can, Jet takes to the skies.

Twila Peterson pauses for a few moments to glanc back upwards as the Repliforcer takes his leave as well. Again she says or does very little...she only watches. After he's gone she manages a weakened, "Thanks, Jet," even though she well knows he can't hear her.

As for what she'll eventually do...that's anyone's guess.