hadriel | [audio]

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[In the past, Nick has usually left this kind of information either to be shared by someone else, or found out gradually out of respect for those who've gone missing; however, given who it is who vanished this time, his position within the Guard, and his time within and dedication to the city, he figures he'd best say something. Henry deserves that.]

For those who knew him, Henry Percy is gone.

[A small pause. For all they knew, he could be back in a week, in a month, in a year... or not at all.]

Guardsmen, you're reporting to me for now.

[And a quiet sigh. He's not sure how he feels about that weight on his shoulders. Hell, he wasn't sure when he was appointed to the co-head of the organization. Guess he'd better figure it out now.]

That's all.

[Click.]

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[He's still away, and this news comes like a punch to the gut. If nothing else was urging him to return, this would certainly be it.]

If I can be of any assistance, [No need to say he's sorry to hear the news. Nick knows him well enough to realise that.] don't hesitate to ask. I should be back to Hadriel within the week.

Thanks, Ignis. Hopefully, I'll have figured out where we go from here by the time you get back.

[ ...Henry? Pell just stares at his phone for a moment in shock after hearing that message. The name it comes from isn't familiar to him, but from context he thinks he knows who it is. Association.

He may not know Nick, but he certainly knew Henry. One of the few who'd been in this place longer than him. Someone who'd helped him personally a great deal over the years, besides all his efforts protecting the city. So Pell can't just close the post, can't just say nothing. It just all feels empty. ]

I'm sorry. He'll be missed.

[He can't help but agree, and his tone says he's not all that happy to do so.]

He certainly will be. He did a lot for this city, and we're that much poorer without him.

[ Well.... shit. Drake locks his reply because nobody else needs to hear this potential conversation. It might even be worth having in person, honestly, but he's not certain where Nick is at the moment. So a call will have to suffice. ]

What can I do, Nick?

[ The question runs deeper than just offering to take extra shifts or help with the schedule. He's also asking if there's anything Nick needs, because this is definitely both a blow and a lot of extra responsibility. They may have been co-commanders but Henry was their public face, and was far more comfortable giving orders. But in case there's any doubt Nick's earned the full command: ]

We'll follow you, you know. Nobody's going to question it, but you're not alone either.

( She knew the second the city shifted back to normal. Knew as soon as she searched the guard headquarters, the training grounds, the armoury, and found nothing. When the list of contacts in her phone was very specifically missing one name. It's the same song and dance that's been done with so many people here - hunting for them until you realise that your phone holds the biggest clue to their status, feeling the confirmation clench around your heart.

She knew, and yet scrolling through the network, hangover throbbing at her temples, makes her heart ache all over again.

Two years. More than that, probably. She never tracked the days in Hadriel half as well as Henry did. He isn't the first person to disappear, not even the first person she's cared about, or the first person she's thought of as a staple of the city, but it fucking hurts nonetheless. Henry had been more than just the leader of the guard, more than just a friend, even. He'd been the only person who was from somewhere even close to approaching her hometown. Someone who'd goaded her into learning skills she would have never considered otherwise. Someone who, despite her own foolishness leaving him wrecked in the wake of the fog all that time ago, ended up a trusted friend and confidant.

She tosses her phone blindly at the wall, twisting the red leather belt loosely around her hands.

Another fucking person down. )

[Drake can't see it through the audio feed -- Nick tends to keep his camera off on purpose -- but that reassurance does get the barest of smiles from him, however somber it may be.]

Did you know there are some folks I've hardly spoken to since they signed up? I wonder sometimes how many of them would still have joined if it'd been me doing the talking.

[Henry was a good face man for a reason. He was charismatic, bold... and human.]

[ The sentiment isn't surprising, honestly. Henry was a natural leader in every sense, and he looks good on camera. Drake personally doesn't have any issue with Nick's synthetic nature, and neither commander had cared he was something besides human himself -- it was about capability and judging the person.

But he absolutely gets the reluctance to show your face when you're not exactly the norm. ]

So we work on your motivational speeches, maybe. And I know... I'm nobody's the first choice, but. If you need somebody to make announcements or wrangle recruits or anything, I've got your back.

Thanks.

[He means it. Drake might be able to pass for human easily enough, but he knows what it's like to not be. Nick's problem is that he look more like he'd fit in with the Null than the people of Hadriel, and he's painfully aware of that. Most who have been in the city long enough know whose side he's on, but newcomers just learning about the mechanical menace out to kill the gods, and possibly them along with them? That's a different story.]

We're going to have to work on getting some new hands. We're pretty spread out right now, and there's no telling exactly what we'll be dealing with if the gods move us again.

[Aside from 'jungle' and 'tundra,' and all the implied dangers.]

[ That's a concern, yup. Drake can't even blame people for being wary, just coming into all of this, but he can stand by the synth. ]

A recruitment push is probably a good idea, at this point. Not enough people have been joining up by word of mouth.

[ He's quiet for a moment, thinking back... he doesn't remember Henry ever making a post like that in his time, but maybe before. Back at the start? ]

I can't actually help lead, considering. Something happens to Hope, or another event like that last one, and I'm fucking useless. [ Nick can't see his face right now but can hear how upset he still is about that. ] But I can go hunting for tips from Henry on bringing in help, and make an announcement. I can train people.

Training would be good, since it's not exactly my forte.

[Even if he wasn't dealing with excessive corrosion on one half of his body, he's just not the kind of fighter Henry was.]

I'll see what I can do about recruitment, but if I can send people your way for training, that'd be a load off my shoulders. Some folks want to help, but just don't know the first thing about how to deal with what comes in through the Door every month.

Sure. I can organize that much, at least, and I bet I'm not the only one willing. There are others who are better with certain weapons, like the bow -- Henry was only just teaching me.

[ He's already making a mental list in his head, who's best at what as far as he knows to ask. Basic skills he can teach himself. Yeah, they can make this work. ]

Send new folks my way and I'll make sure they know what they're doing.

[ About that corrosion, though. ]

Are you looking into repairs, by the way? I know a lot of people are still out at sea, but there must be someone who can help...

Edited 2018-08-31 22:44 (UTC)

Of course.

[And it would be so easy to end it there, wouldn't it? Detachment is so easy when the person isn't standing directly in front of you, but Ignis has far too much respect for Nick to treat this as simply a guardsman checking in.]

Nick... are you alright?

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

[there's a pause, long enough for Nick to think that maybe this unknown girl has hung up, but then comes]

How old do you have to be to join the Guard?

[The simple answer is yes -- he's still here, after all, still functioning. The more accurate answer is no, given the rust on his arm and his leg, and now this development.

He goes for the answer that is somewhere between the two.]

I'm going to have to be.

I'll probably give Dr. Alphys a call, see if she's got anything that can help down at the lab. My usual mechanic is out of town, but hopefully she's got some parts that'll work.

[Ones that haven't been used by Name and are compatible with him are hard to come by.]

[Unknown girl or not, he'll look into any and all offers.]

Depends on how well you can defend yourself, or if you're willing to learn.

If you need to deal for materials, I'd be willing.

[ Nick wouldn't be the first he's made deals on behalf of, and probably wouldn't be the last. He wants to help... somehow. Though offering to take on more responsibility with the Guard or get Nick new parts doesn't really hit at the heart of it.

There's a soft sigh on the other end of the line, then: ]

Where are you hanging around, right now? I can come by if you need company.

[ Losing people sucks. A lot. And Nick has been there for him several times now. ]

I have hand-to-hand combat training and I can phase, meaning nothing can touch me if I don't want it to.

[In truth, Drake wouldn't be the first person to make deals on his behalf, either. That's how Rey has gotten parts to repair him before. It's not something he's proud of, and he'd ask the gods himself if he thought he could trust most of them to get it right at all. Rey knows exactly what she needs, and as for Nick, he's not sure exactly where he stands with Hope as it is. Things got complicated real fast when the Null showed up.]

I'm at the office at the moment. Trying to put some things in order.

[He's not going to clean out Henry's area or anything, but trying to get the shifts moved around at least lets him feel productive.]

That's a heckuva skill.

[And would definitely be useful against most of the monsters that come through the Door, not to mention the Null or hostile residents.

That still leaves one major question, though:]

So how old are we talking?

[Because he's not about to send a ten year-old to fight a bunch of monsters every month, no matter how much training they have.]

And I've got a lot of practice using it.

[nearly a year in the Legion of Super-Heroes.

there's another long pause] ...I'm fifteen.

Edited 2018-09-01 00:06 (UTC)

Okay, I'm heading over... maybe half an hour, tops.

[ He wants a look at the roster anyway, and it can't hurt to "go to work" so to speak. Get himself in the proper mindset for organization and training. Drake's used to having to slip into and out of roles no matter where he is but there's something to be said for having an HQ.

Company rarely hurts, in any case. Maybe if Nick's feeling up for it, they can brainstorm a little.

Drake cuts the call and finishes up what he was doing at home, then heads to HQ. Nick's right where he says he is, at his desk looking a bit cluttered at the moment. ]

Hey. How's the schedule looking?

[A pause on his end. He'd consider fifteen a kid, but on the other hand, he's seen some downright dangerous fifteen year-olds, both in Hadriel and back home. The Wasteland ages people in the worst kind of way.

But that's far behind him, and this is now. Fifteen is right around that cusp of not quite a child, but nowhere near an adult. Still...]

Get in touch with Drake Holloway, have him run through some training with you. If he thinks you can handle yourself, we'll get you signed up. How's that sound?

[He has quandaries, but they can't be too picky, especially when people legitimately want to help. Besides that, it might help to have some younger people around the Guard to help others their age get settled quickly. Not everyone trusts adults, after all.]

[The HQ is quiet these days, especially when the islands being spread so far apart; it's even quieter now without Henry out back, practicing with his weapons, always keeping his skills sharp. Nick has the maps open across his desk, his cane leaning against the side of it as he moves his various notes for who has what shift and when around. He's had to limit his own, given the rust, and now this.]

Like a problem if anything big comes through the Door this month. Some of the folks who are at sea should be back by then, but there's no telling how many we'll need to wrangle the monsters this time around. And we just lost someone who was a hell of a wrangler.

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