New Elysium: Breakout

Hotwired with a bobby pin and a rubber band Part 44

"What about her?"

Red's eyes narrowed as she turned to face Ember's brother. He tried remembering that this man and Ember were twins. He could see the physical resemblance, the same auburn hair, even her augmented eyes were the same color blue as Jack's, but that was it.  Ember was short, the weaker twin apparently, Jack was tall and lanky. The black and blue uniform Jack wore looked comical to Red as Jack certainly didn't fill it out. 

Their personalities were night and day. Ember was a fighter, and too honest, too ready to sacrifice herself to save others. Jack was cunning, not someone you'd turn your back on if you were his enemy. He didn't put himself in the heat of battle but moved pieces around as if he was playing chess. Everything was done from a distance and other people got their hands dirty.

Red wasn't sure whether he and Jack were enemies.

"Stop seeing her." Jack crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed in return. A flush creeped up his face as he tried to stare Red down. Red tried to remember that this man, a brilliant scientist, was in charge of New Elysium and had orchestrated its construction. If he did anything else, he was going to laugh in his face.

"No," Red uttered the word through clenched teeth knowing what would come after. He wasn't listening, he wasn't obeying as he should have been. Not playing the good Captain, as he had for Jack before. 

"No? Look, Red, it's not what you think." The flush went away and Jack relaxed his arms as he turned to look out the open view into the infinity of space. A new argument forming in his mind, Red remembered how Jack operated. Dag had kept things in perspective for both of them. He was still the most humane amongst the three of them. Red and Jack would have killed each other off at some point if not for his intervention. Dag should be up here now. 

"Then tell me what it is," Red's voice lowered an octave, his body tensed. The threat to Jack was implicit if not actually stated. 

"I need you focused. On the task at hand. Not thinking about Ember," Jack's voice rose a little higher, he cracked his knuckles against each other. Red remembered that habit, Red tugged on his hair when he was nervous or agitated. Jack cracked his knuckles.

"Wow, and here I thought I was going to get the big brother talk, maybe you were concerned about her..." Red shrugged as his eye began to tick. He rubbed it with his hand, he should probaby get out of here. 

"Of course I am. But there are bigger things at stake here and sacrifices must—"

"Be made. Yeah, I get it," Red rubbed his temple. Jack was always hyperfocused on the mission at hand, he should have remembered this part.

"Look I think you are terrible for her, you were hot-headed, almost suicidal on your missions. Its what made you so good at them. You did everything I told you, even if I didn't think you were coming back." 

Red let that roll around his mind for a second. He no longer moved like a fully obedient soldier. "And I don't do that anymore," Red snapped. "And that's the problem isn't it?" He moved closer, Red wasn't tall but he could be intimidating when he wanted to be. There was no one else in this room but the two of them, and he knew Jack was fully aware of what he was capable of. "I don't do that anymore," he repeated through clenched teeth. "I gave that kind of loyalty to Neo-Tokyo, and they took everything. You're Neo-Tokyan and you are still playing the same game."

"Re—"

"Fuck you," Red turned around and went back to the console looking down at its smooth surface. He placed his hands on top of it as he put his weight on them. "You fooled all of us. We didn't know you were from Neo-Tokyo, does anyone know here?"