Titans Ch. 04

Hi again everyone! Sorry the Christmas update ended up being a bit late, I saw the complaints that the previous chapters were too short and this one turned out to be even shorter, so I took a couple of extra days (I can't spend long each day writing due to a busy schedule) to extend what I had written. The result is still short, but pretty action-packed so I hope it's okay. Future updates will be longer by default, but as I'm sure you can appreciate, this is a busy time of year.

A few people mentioned that the fifty lashes Elizabeth took in the last chapter would probably have killed her, and I have a simple response to that. Oops. I changed that just before uploading but must have forgotten to save the change. No other errors got through though, so let's all just pretend they went easy on her, shall we? Future updates will be back on the 21^st of each month, and it's looking like I'll be finished by Easter, at which point I'll take a break before possibly moving onto another project. We'll see. With that all out of the way...

Are you sitting comfortably?

*****

When they had both recovered, Alex helped Elizabeth get dressed in one of Talia's tunics. The green dress was stretched taut across her chest, but at least it wasn't stained with blood.

"Do you drink, Alex?" Elizabeth asked, gathering up her stained clothing

"On occasion," he smirked, "You know a place?"

"Nothing special," she shrugged, "But it should be quiet at this time of day, and Talia should walk past when she's done working, if she heads back to the camp at least."

"Lead the way then," Alex gestured down the path.

The soft ground squelched beneath Alex's boots as Elizabeth traced the familiar path towards the armory. The camp was unsettlingly quiet; all the populace was away working or training. Eventually, she veered off the path to a large, squat tent that stood on its own, between the camps of two different regiments. The off-white canvas flap was stretched over some tall poles, and pulled taught with a pair of sturdy roped to make a porch. In the dim interior light, he could just make out some tables and chairs clustered together in small groups.

As they approached, the smell of alcohol caught Alex's sensitive nostrils. Not cheap ale this time, the scent was stronger and cleaner, more like spirits than beer. Elizabeth stepped inside.

"Bottle of rye vodka if you please, Walter," the major called out to the car corner of the room.

A rail-thin man with a well-trimmed goatee perked up as they entered. He was hunched over on a stool next to a small bar, one of only two stools that fit along its length. Walter stood to his full height - nearly rivalling Alex - and danced around to the other side, bending down to grab a ceramic bottle stoppered with a wooden plug. Analytical eyes flicked over the pair as they drew closer.

"Don't blame you," he said in a low, dry, but not unkind voice, "And for the gentleman?"

"Rum?" inquired Alex.

Walter shook his head.

"Gin?"

Another shake. Alex thought for a moment.

"Whiskey?"

"Coming right up," the bartender's lips twitched with amusement, "Free of charge for the man who made Liz smile after a flogging."

"You heard then?" Alex asked, sitting down and accepting the two bottles before handing the first one to the major.

"Nope," Walter said flatly, "Didn't know for certain until you confirmed it just now. Just guessing."

"He does that," said Elizabeth, taking a swig, "Downright creepy sometimes. And I told you not to call me Liz."

"But of course, Lady Lizzy," he said mockingly, bowing deeply.

Alex glared at him, but relaxed when Elizabeth choked out a laugh past a second mouthful of vodka.

"Fuck that burns," she coughed, "Bottoms up Alex, I only brought you along so I wouldn't be drinking alone."

"Only?" he chuckled, following her lead and taking a drink straight from the bottle.

The liquor was rich and earthy, lighting a pleasantly warm fire down Alex's throat to his stomach. Elizabeth gestured him over to a table near the entrance, where they could watch the pathway for Talia walking by. Walter retook his seat, where Alex saw he had been scribbling in a notebook. Drawing some sort of schematic with equations lining the margins; maybe a catapult?

"So," she said, after gulping down another mouthful, "Why don't you tell me a bit more about what you do for fun? Sounds interesting to say the least."

"Isn't this supposed to be first date stuff?" Alex shook his head, smiling, "I'm afraid I don't get out much; the only time I get to myself is when I'm travelling from one place to the next. If I'm lucky, we're tagging along on a passenger craft and I get to socialise, drink, and... well, socialise," he winked at her, "I'm sterile, in case you were worried."

Alex watched as Elizabeth's eyes went wide in realisation of the risks they had taken, then relief that there was nothing to worry about.

"...I probably should have mentioned that earlier come to think of it."

Alex hid his face behind the whiskey bottle by taking another drink. When he put it back down Elizabeth was staring at him, one eyebrow raised. He cleared his throat nervously.

"What about you?" he said, breaking the awkward silence, "We met out in the woods, you go camping often?"

"As often as I can," she grimaced, "The higher-ups don't like me going out on field work, but it saves my sanity to get away from the endless reports and paperwork for a week every now and then."

They sat chatting as the day passed. Without even being asked, Walter left at some time around midday and got them both a hot meal from a nearby kitchen. Alex's enhanced liver was dealing with the alcohol pretty well, though he felt his heart-rate rise as his body's defences reacted to the 'poison' entering his system. Elizabeth on the other hand, was getting very drunk. Strangely, she didn't start slurring her words, but instead became progressively posher. She was the first to spot Talia, walking down the path in the direction of their camp.

"Talia!" Elizabeth called out, "Talia my dear! Over here!"

The elf jumped at the sudden shouting, but when she spotted the two officers sat in the gloom of the bar she immediately looked relieved and ran towards them.

"I'm not sure if this is a good sign or a bad sign, but I'm glad you're still here," she sighed, then looked Elizabeth up and down, "Is that one of my dresses?"

Alex opened his mouth to respond, but Elizabeth was quicker.

"Indeed," she tittered, "Dreadfully sorry, but my other outfit was simply ruined."

Talia looked to Alex with a knowing grin.

"It's not that," he chuckled, "Well, that did happen but that's not why she had to borrow your clothes."

He paused, contemplating how best to break the news, but again Elizabeth beat him to it.

"They had me flogged," she laughed, leaning across the table, "For the good captain's actions. Isn't that just hilarious?"

Talia clearly didn't think so, her expression very suddenly turned fiery as she glared at Alex. He saw her raise an open hand, but closed his eyes and took the slap stoically. It stung his cheek, but he had had worse recently. When he opened his eyes, the elf was staring down at her red palm with a blank face.

"I-I'm sorry," Talia stammered out.

"Don't be," Alex shook his head, "I deserved that."

A loud grunt startled them both. Lying face down on the table, Elizabeth was snoring. Alex gently moved her hair out of the way to check if her mouth was clear; she was drooling a bit but there didn't seem to be any danger of her choking.

"Come on," Alex said softly, getting to his feet, "Let's get her into her bed."

Talia nodded vaguely in agreement, still staring at her hand. Alex carefully maneuvered the unconscious major into a position where he could pick her up, cradling her easily in his thick arms. He spared a parting glance over his shoulder at the barkeep.

"Thanks for the drinks Walter," he smiled.

Walter was looking at the trio with a strange smile, those piercing blue eyes roaming over them.

"No trouble at all, Captain Murray," he said finally, after an uncomfortable pause, "If I'm not mistaken, there will be a meeting announced this evening. You may wish to wake her before then so she has time to dress properly."

With that cryptic comment the bartender turned back around, once more engrossed in his notebook. Alex looked at the strange man curiously, before shrugging to himself and leaving.

"Do you know where her tent is?" Alex asked.

"I think so," Talia said in what was almost a whisper, "I don't go there often. The scouts are all fine - Elizabeth wouldn't have it any other way - but the other soldiers don't like it when I'm outside the non-human camp."

"I don't think they'll try and stop you this time," he said wryly.

They walked on in silence for a while before Talia finally worked up the courage to ask.

"Mind telling me exactly what happened?" she said pointedly.

Alex sighed.

"First time being a tough son-of-a-bitch has worked against me, that I can remember. The officers decided that since punishing me wouldn't do anything, they'd just start punishing everyone else. The next time I step out of line, they're going to flog all my subordinates," he looked at Talia, "That includes you."

She set her lips into a thin line, her eyes hardening.

"Don't worry about me," she spat, "I've survived seventy years of that sort of thing. I might not like it, but I can take it, and I'm not going to let them bully you into bending over and giving up."

Elizabeth murmured sleepily into Alex's chest, but the rocking motion of his walk didn't seem to be waking her at all. He plodded onwards for a while, contemplating what Talia had said.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time," he eventually agreed, "To be honest, I was just thinking that the threat to whip everyone I know if I leave only works if there's anyone I care about left behind."

"There's definitely no need to worry about that," she smiled softly, "I don't think anyone who's worth a damn wouldn't back you up against those assholes if it comes to it again."

"Does she always get like that when she's drunk?" asked Alex, changing the subject.

"You mean sleepy, or well-spoken?" Talia smirked, "Yes to both I suppose. I think it's her upbringing showing through, but she gets really embarrassed when I mention it."

"She's from nobility, right?" Alex thought back, "She mentioned her parents were Lord and Lady when I asked about them."

"That's right," Talia nodded, "Not very powerful I think, but enough that when she joined the army they made her an officer straight away. Blood rights or some such nonsense."

The Scout camp was very quiet; it still being the middle of the afternoon. Talia led Alex to Elizabeth's tent which was the largest around, with the same green and brown color-scheme as all of Elizabeth's regalia. Alex felt a little stupid, with retrospect he should have easily been able to find it without assistance. He gently lay Elizabeth in a comfortable, down-filled bed; on her front so as not to agitate her wounds. He and Talia sat on the floor and had a hushed conversation about the future.

A few hours later the sun was getting low in the sky. Remembering Walter's cryptic parting message, Alex lay a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and squeezed. She evidently wasn't sleeping too deeply, because she woke with a sudden flinch.

"Huh?" she mumbled groggily, opening her eyes, "Oh damnation, did I fall asleep? Sorry for the inconvenience."

"That's quite alright," said Alex, fighting to keep a straight face at her ridiculous speech pattern.

Elizabeth winced as she rolled over and sat up. Alex and Talia both rushed forward to help, but she waved them away and continued by herself. She fought against the folds of Talia's dress that she still wore and staggered to her feet. She closed her eyes, swaying slightly, before taking a deep breath and snapping upright, standing at attention. Alex couldn't help but be reminded of certain branches of the military he had served alongside before, where pretending to be sober was a vital survival skill.

"Right," she said, speaking normally again, "I'm off to the latrines then. Could one of you get me some water?"

Talia gave a small laugh.

"I'll get some, you idiot," she chuckled, "I thought I told you to never do this again."

"Yeah, well..." Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at Alex as she left the tent, "It was a special occasion."

"I don't doubt it," Talia shook her head and followed.

Alex brought up the rear out into the open air, as the two women set off in different directions Talia gestured for him to stay.

"Wait here," she said as she walked away, "She'll probably be back before I am."

Alex waited, basking in the sunlight and feeling the last of the light buzz from the whiskey fade away. He looked around, taking in the scouts arriving back from their daily duties and skittering in and out of tents like worker ants. One in particular had just arrived, and was forging a path straight towards Captain Murray. The captain resisted the urge to snap to attention; he wasn't doing anything wrong just standing there and he didn't care if anyone thought so. Instead, as the soldier - a sergeant by his stripes - arrived, he gave a smart salute.

"Sir," the sergeant said in a crisp voice, "Begging your pardon, but is Major Swift present?"

"She's... indisposed at the moment," Alex said after a short pause, "But I can take a message."

"If course sir," the sergeant nodded, "Please inform the major that there has been a meeting of officers called at the war table in a half hour."

"So he was right," Alex muttered under his breath then shook his head, speaking up, "Noted, sergeant. You are dismissed."

The sergeant saluted again and left in a different direction. Alex made a mental note to keep a careful watch on Walter, there was definitely more to the bartender than met the eye. Elizabeth appeared again, heedless of the stares as she walked across her campsite in a borrowed dress. She smiled at Alex and he returned the gesture, following her back inside the tent.

"There's a meeting at the war table in half an hour," said Alex as he closed the tent flap behind him, "Someone came by with a message while you were gone."

"Oh damnation," Elizabeth swore, running her fingers through her hair as her brow furrowed, "Could you assist me in getting changed?"

"No problem," Alex chuckled at her lapse in speech.

A thought suddenly struck him, a memory from back when he had first landed on this planet. He was barely paying enough attention to catch the dress as it was thrown at him, Elizabeth brazenly walking nude across the room to a trunk and beginning to pull out a familiar looking set of regimental armor.

"Were you drunk when you first found me?" Alex asked, thinking back to the last time he had heard her speaking like that.

Elizabeth fumbled a heavy piece of chainmail and it clattered to the floor of the trunk loudly. She looked over her shoulder, blushing.

"Those trips out are the only time I get to properly relax, okay?" she muttered, not meeting his eyes.

"Hey, I'm not judging, just observing," Alex said softly, folding the dress and laying it down, "It was only earlier today that I found out just how pent up you've been."

He watched with fascination as the blush spread down Elizabeth's neck and across her shoulders. She was really fun to tease, he was coming to realise.

Elizabeth dressed herself in a layer of thin underclothes designed to prevent chafing, then Alex helped her into the bulkier leather and plate that made up her full uniform. Alex was suddenly even more grateful for his pilot suit; not only was it tougher, but also much, much easier to put on and maintain. When they were halfway through the process Talia arrived with a bucket of water and a mug, which Elizabeth filled and drained twice then splashed onto her face to clear the last of the sleep from her body.

As the half-hour window drew to a close, Elizabeth sat on the bed while Talia ran a comb through her thick, red hair. The elf looked up at the captain.

"Will you be going to this meeting?" she asked, not stopping the long, slow strokes with the comb.

"I didn't think I was invited," Alex looked questioningly at the major.

"I don't see why not," Elizabeth shrugged, "You have a regiment, even if it's small. Besides, if it's at the war table then it's out in the open anyway so it won't be top secret."

"Fair enough," Alex nodded, looking to Talia, "See you later?"

Talia pulled the comb free and set it down, springing to her feet and walking over. She kissed him on the cheek - the same one she had slapped - then took a sudden step back, sadness in her eyes.

"I'll see you later," she mumbled, dashing away before he could ask her what the problem was.

"Dammit," Alex pinched the bridge of his nose; it seemed like every problem he dealt with another sprang up.

"You okay?" asked Elizabeth, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"It's probably fine," he sighed, "I just need to have a talk with her later. Let's get going, shall we?"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and the pair set off towards the centre of the camp. The journey was much shorter than the one Alex was used to, as the Scouts campsite was much closer to the central clearing. Within a few minutes they had arrived at the back of an already large crowd. Dozens of different brightly colored uniforms making a clashing mess of a rainbow across the clearing, Alex and Elizabeth standing out with their plainer and more practical armors. The carriage from earlier was nowhere to be seen, evidently the Empress had left.

A subtle hubbub of voices filled the air as the sun began to set; the General and his entourage walked out onto the raised platform of the war table. The General held up a hand, causing every part of him to wobble, and silence fell.

"Gentlemen," he called out, and Alex could almost hear Elizabeth rolling her eyes beside him, "Today I met with our gracious Empress to discuss the war. It was decided that with our recent recruitments, the army is now ready."

The General looked out across the crowd in what he probably thought was a dramatic fashion, somewhat ruined by the squint of his piggy eyes.

"At dawn tomorrow," he shouted, "We march north. Tomorrow we head out for war!"

*****

All evening the camp was buzzing with activity as equipment was stowed and made ready for travel. All but the essentials were bundled together into piles ready to be loaded onto carts in the morning. Alex tried to start a conversation with Talia a few times, but she always brushed it off until "later" before busying herself with something else that needed doing. Eventually, he just gave up and threw himself into getting the campsite packed away.

To save time in the morning, all the tents except Talia's were taken down. The Irregulars would sleep in the same tent while all their gear lay beneath a canvas sheet outside. One by one the others grew tired and were sent to bed by Alex as he toiled to gather everything together until at last only he remained, binding the canvas sheet to the ground by the harsh glare of his mech's spotlights. He wiped the sweat from his brow and went inside, commanding the mech to turn its lights off as he did. In the darkness of the tent, everything was quiet. He made his way over to Talia, lay down beside her and went to sleep.

Once more Alex found himself in the weird dream-world, in the rustic interior of a glass and steel building. This time though, he was alone. Wandering the empty rooms and corridors revealed nothing new, just more of the same wood-panelled walls and unnaturally smooth floorboards. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he poked his head out of the hole in the wall he had entered through with Anna, only a couple of nights ago.