“I’d suggest monthly check-ins with a few of the counselors back at HQ. Make sure they’re not overloaded,” Michael said at Felix’s side. “It’s one thing to get desensitized to the whole thing, it’s another to lose yourself.”
Felix gave a brief nod of his head. “We’ll need a new name,” he said offhandedly, staring out at the encampment.
“A new name?” Andrea asked.
“Fixers are for HQ and security. What I just ordered put together is anything but that,” Felix said.
Andrea puffed her cheeks out and furrowed her brows. Then she smacked one hand into another and turned to him with a grin.
“Minders!” she said happily.
Not exactly what I was looking for but… not bad. It’ll do.
“Great. There we go then. A new department for HR is born. Though I get the distinct impression this might have some overlap with Ioana. Oh, speaking of, has Miu checked back in?” Felix asked.
“Nn! An hour or two ago. I think she finished debriefing a while ago and was prepping to head back to Wal,” Andrea said, her eyes jumping back to her terminal.
“Call her in. I want her here for a few days. I think Ioana can survive without her for a time. If not, we can train up a second Miu for her,” Felix said. “List of candidates for that please, by the way.”
“Got it, dear,” Andrea said, typing into her terminal. “I’ve notified Miu. She’s probably on her way.”
“From everything I hear about her… the fact that it’s Felix asking for her means she’ll be here as fast as a dead sprint can carry her,” Michael said under his breath.
“Faster,” an Adriana said. The ring of Adrianas shifted their positions to create a slight gap that faced towards the portal.
I wonder what that’s about. She’s not killing even more of them lately, is she?
… I bet she is.
Looking beyond the space the Adrianas had cleared, Felix could see the portal. It was left open at all times and guarded from both sides right now.
Someone came sprinting through the portal as if the blazes of hell were behind them. They came to a sudden halt almost as fast as they’d arrived.
Felix got the distinct impression that they were looking his way.
Then they were off again at a dead sprint.
Straight for him.
It only took a few seconds for him to realize it was Miu.
He really should have known, too. The more he accepted her personality, her behavior, the more she let her control slide in a different direction.
Especially once he deliberately took ownership of her actions and need for control. She seemed to delight in asking him for direction and then doing what she wanted free of restraint inside of those parameters. Without fear of him judging or holding her accountable for her actions.
He felt it was strange that she wanted to know his exact orders at times, but she seemed to enjoy it. Knowing her exact boundaries.
Taking responsibility for her control was her favorite reward now.
Taking no time at all, Miu came to a stop inches from him. Her hands fluttered between them, her fingers curling and uncurling.
Again with the grabby hands. The subtlety has long since gone.
She stared up at him with wide unblinking eyes. Amazingly, she wasn’t even panting. All her work lately was to further increase her powers and abilities.
To be more useful to him.
“Felix,” she said with a neutral tone. “I’m here. You want me?”
“Thank you for coming so quickly. I have a bit of a hard one for you,” Felix began.
Andrea snickered from the side, followed immediately by the Adrianas.
Really, ladies? Felix mentally sighed and pressed onward.
“I need you to track down whoever is leading the attacks on our camp here. Once you find out who they are, and the general structure of it, report it all back here to Michael,” Felix said, aiming a thumb at his site commander.
“I shall do this,” Miu said severely.
“Do it quickly, and without accidental deaths, and I’ll give you four hours where I’ll take personal responsibility for your control.”
Miu visibly spasmed at his words, then nodded her head.
“Go,” Felix said.
His personal psycho was off in a flash, leaping off the wall and vanishing.
“At least she can’t kill me tonight,” Andrea muttered.
“Or us,” the Adrianas said in unison.
Adriana Prime could only smile sadly at that, as she and Andrea Prime were the only ones Miu spared.
Chapter 27 - Negotiable -
Felix watched as the locals were being sworn in. This was the first group of individuals who had passed their language lessons and had been put into actual Legion training.
The first of Legion world from Fort One to join Legion directly.
Right after this would be given proper Legion training after being provided with their new recruit equipment.
One of the things they’d found out early about the skill books Felix made was that they tended to do a great job with information, but application of that information could be problematic at times.
There hadn’t been many mistakes in the past because a lot of it had been context dependent.
Having to bind up a wound only had so many ways to be done.
The problems showed up when security forces were being deployed in early training exercises. Too many possibilities for how to approach something.
Solving that was having constant training.
All that drilling was for situations that could and would happen in the field. Which they had knowledge of, but needed to know how to apply it without thinking.
Just like the military, according to Michael and Adriana.
Gripping the edge of the wall, Felix shifted his weight around. Even though there wasn’t much to do here, it was better than sitting around in the dark underground of HQ.
The sun, wind, and open skies were considerably better than small dark rooms.
With Fort One being stable, other than the occasional ball of fire or lightning bolt, they were actually having people come through here regularly. If only for a break and breath of fresh air.
Both SC:HQ and T:HQ were sending people on field trips regularly. It did wonders for morale to be able to escape what was viewed as a siege. When you could simply walk through a doorway and end up on another planet without a care, suddenly nothing seemed that bad.
It seemed like it wasn’t a siege.
“Things aren’t going well back on Earth I take it?” Michael asked, easing up next to him.
“Well enough for us. We’re supplied for a few years as far as foodstuffs and water goes. Ioana has an operating portal up in Wal now as well, so we could always start putting in massive orders there, and shipping it here,” Felix said with a smirk. “I never thought I’d become a smuggler, but with the portals, we’ve got the ability to do exactly that.”
“Sounds like a good way to get people out of the cities, too,” Michael said.
“Definitely been doing that. We’ve been having a large number of visitors who enter the Legion shells. They come asking for help, looking for it, trying to find us. Me.”
Felix paused, watching as the recruits got up from the benches. They moved over to a series of lockers and equipment chests. Making an orderly line, they all began to move through the area, coming out the other side with gear.
This was their recruit assignment. The day they all got the equipment they’d be personally maintaining and using throughout training.
“For anyone brave enough to do that, and passing a Fixer scan, they get a few options. Join Legion, leave, or pay to get shipped off to Wal. We don’t give them any documentation, so they’re on their own once they arrive, but most seem happy enough to just escape.”
“How much of a fee are you charging?” Michael asked curiously.
“Five a head.”