for striker_eureka

[gipsy_danger]

((starting here))

True to her word, Gipsy waits.

Of course, she can't do much other than that -- she's fairly constrained by previous injuries, and though her arm has been reattached and repaired she still can't quite walk on her own. This, Gipsy makes abundantly clear in beeps and grumbles, but it's mostly ignored because there's nothing they can do about it quite yet. Progress is being made, but it's not nearly fast enough for her satisfaction.

It's why she's grumpy as hell when he comes the next day; beeps decidedly irritated and far too loud for someone that had been drifting solo with a jaeger the previous day.

(( other conclusions Here. ))

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[striker_eureka]

Hercules keeps himself busy now that Gipsy has broken up with him, as it were, spending his days training at singlestick with the other pilots in the dome, going over strategy with Stacker in his office, playing fetch with Max in one of the unused hangar bays. He'd never admit it, but he feels oddly lonely now that Gipsy is refusing to talk to him; these past few weeks have been really nice, having someone else to talk to, someone who doesn't resent him (Chuck), or view him as some kind of mythical hero (the rookies), or a washed-up has-been (some of the other pilots). Gipsy has the most solid AI of all the Jaegers, and so talking with them just isn't the same.

Plus he feels oddly like he's cheating on her when he drifts with the others, so...

He's in the gym, working with the loose weights when he feels the first reverberations of music. At first, he thinks it's another attack — there isn't any precedent for a noise of that caliber — but then the lyrics start and he actually drops his weights on the ground. The other people in the room look just as surprised as he feels, staring at him with wide eyes as he slumps back against the bench and covers his face with his hands.

"Jesus fucking Christ, are you kidding me."

That's when the laughter starts.

The laughter that follows him all the way from the gym up to the control room, where Tendo is looking just as confused as Herc feels. Stacker, thankfully, is as stony-faced as ever, but Herc can see the little twitch around the edge of his mouth that means his old friend is laughing at him. It only gets more pronounced when Gipsy segues into N*Sync.

And then Taylor Swift.

"Good god, man, can't you unplug her or something?"

[gipsy_danger]

“No way. This is way too good.”

There’s no force on the planet that will make Tendo force Gipsy to stop. This is way too entertaining.

Meanwhile, because Hercules hasn’t appeared in the pod to ‘talk’, Gipsy continues her assault on everyone’s ears. Taylor peters out and is replaced by something else entirely.

It’s loud. It’s obnoxious. It’s awkward.

Tendo? Laughing his ass off.

[striker_eureka]

As if Tendo practically collapsing on the ground isn't bad enough, Gipsy's next musical choice has even Stacker breaking down into startled guffaws.

Hercules is town between horror and hilarity.

He's pretty sure his face is burning right now, but that doesn't stop him from shouldering past all the frozen people in the control room to grab at the microphone that has a direct link into each Jaeger.

"Gipsy Danger, that is enough."

That's right, Herc, pulling out the Dad Voice is exactly the right response to this situation.

"Turn that racket off this instant."

[gipsy_danger]

Tendo is too busy wheezing with laughter to do anything about it at all. This jaeger. She's one of a kind, alright. Only imitated, never duplicated.

And that voice? Oh -- she hears it, definitely. Does she listen? Not at all. In fact, the music just gets louder, as if she's a rebellious teenager challenging her father.

[striker_eureka]

This is mortifying. He'd rather she stuck with Taylor Swift, he will never ever live Boyz II Men down.

He growls into the microphone, his fingers tightening around the stem.

"If you don't turn that off right now, I won't come Drift with you."

It's probably an idle threat, because there's no way anyone can do any work with that cacophonous noise happening, but still. "Gipsy. I'm not kidding around."

[gipsy_danger]

Idle threat or not, the music stops instantly. Gipsy's form is as stationary and prone as it had been, but the massive robot seems to shrink back against the weight of those words.

There's utter silence, save for a few choked laughs around the Shatterdome. Everything else? Dead silence.

[striker_eureka]

Finally, the music stops.

Hercules lets out a relieved groan and lets his head drop down, his free hand coming up to cover his face. "For Christ's sake," he mutters, shaking his head. Thankfully everyone else is too stunned by what happened to be able to say much of anything, which is why he jumps a little when a hand lands on his shoulder.

"Better go see what she wants," comes Stacker's amused baritone, and Hercules lets himself groan again.

"How the fuck is this my life," he gripes as he gets his helmet and suits up.

[gipsy_danger]

Blame Stacker. It was under his orders he Drifted with Gipsy to begin with.

Gipsy Danger, whose avatar is pacing in her own mind, waiting for Hercules to make good on that perceived promise he'd just made her. Admittedly he never said he would Drift with her, only that he wouldn't if she didn't shut up.

Still, she hopes and waits.

[striker_eureka]

He is absolutely going to blame Stacker. He is going to blame Stacker for everything.

Clambering up into the cockpit and hooking himself into the conn-podd feels alarmingly familiar and comforting, even with him being as mortified as he is. He doesn't think too much about it.

Initiating neural handshake in 3...2...1...

[gipsy_danger]

The neural handshake establishes quickly; the familiar rush of emotions and memories an easy transition, especially compared to last time.

When the dust settles, she's standing there in front of him, anxious and hopeful and worried.

Hercules?

[striker_eureka]

He's a little bit wary, since he's been pushed away for so long, but yes he's here.

Hello, Gipsy.

[gipsy_danger]

I'm sorry. She blurts that immediately, hands dry washing together in front of her.

For everything. I--

She pauses to sort through her emotions before continuing. She's not really looking at him, instead she's more focused on staring at what passes for the ground.

I was wrong.

[striker_eureka]

If she were a regular woman he'd probably try to hold out a little more to make her realize just what it was that happened and how it affected him, but while Gipsy is a giant behemoth of a fighting machine, she's also very young, and her consciousness is younger still.

Oh, it's alright, love.

He spreads his arms in a familiar hug-me gesture.

C'mere. I forgive you.

[gipsy_danger]

She rushes to him, avatar crashing against his body and holding him tight against her. Her face buries in his shoulder, cheek pressing against his neck.

I screwed everything up. I thought I was protecting you, but--

In the end, it had just made everything worse.

I just keep hurting you, don't I?

[striker_eureka]

Don't say that, he chides, smoothing his hand over her hair, his free arm sliding around her waist and holding her close.

It's okay. I'm fine, nothing permanent was done. I don't blame you for anything, okay?

[gipsy_danger]

It‘s true, even though he tells her otherwise. Gipsy, however, is very well aware that she is in no position to argue. She doesn’t want to argue.

Okay.

She pulls back, just enough to take his face in her hands and look him over. Her thumbs smooth over his cheeks as she looks at him, blue eyes penetrating. Don’t try and lie to her, Hercules. You can’t. Not in the Drift.

Everything checked out, after last time? Health-wise, she means. She probes gently into his mind, searching for evidence he’d had some kind of physical, x-ray, anything. She wants to make sure that it’s not too soon, that he’s alright, that nothing was damaged permanently, like he’d claimed.

[striker_eureka]

He lets her take his face in her hands and hold him still so she can look him over, doesn't fight her on it, just lets his arms settle comfortably around her waist. It's strange that she's so petite, at least physically, because he's used to the idea of her being much, much larger. But it's nice, he likes how she fits comfortably in his arms.

I saw the doctor and everything. And got a right dressing-down for his trouble, too. But apart from some mild neural strain, he was apparently just fine with a little rest.

He manages not to focus on the trouble he got into for not breaking the connection while he still could. He doesn't want her to think about that, because he knows she's going to blame herself and that much was definitely not her fault. The decision was all on him.

[gipsy_danger]

Good.

The relief comes over the connection loud and clear. She’d been terrified ever since she’d booted him out that day that she’d permanently hurt him, or that she’d managed to guarantee him an early death.

I promise you, Hercules, I will never hurt you again. Ever. I told you once you were always safe with Gipsy Danger, and I broke that promise. It won’t happen again, I swear.

[striker_eureka]

I know, love.

He has no idea if that kind of neural strain will mean an earlier death for him, but then again, Hercules is kind of convinced he's living on borrowed time anyway, so he doesn't put much stock in a 'long and happy life.' He's not going to mention that to her, though. He doubts she'd take it very well.

I believe you. He leans in and kisses her forehead like he did the first time she showed him her humanoid avatar.

Now, are you going to tell me what all that was about?

[gipsy_danger]

She lets a flood of affection trickle through the Drift and surround him, a little shiver of happiness sliding through her frame at the little kiss.

Tell you what what was about?

So very innocent, of course – he could mean a multitude of things, right?

[striker_eureka]

He scoffs, but he's smiling, pleased she's feeling better already.

The music, Gipsy. You're far too clever for me to believe you when you play dumb like that.

[gipsy_danger]

I needed to get your attention somehow. I can't communicate outside of the Drift with you very well so...

There you have it.

One hand drops from his face to his shoulder while the other carefully traces a path along his jaw line.

I need you.

[striker_eureka]

He wonders idly where she learned to be so physically affectionate, and then realizes that, oh, it's probably from him.

Whoops.

I'm here.

[gipsy_danger]

It definitely comes from him. Some from Raleigh, but mostly Hercules.

I want you to be my pilot. I think we both know he is not going to return.

This is a lot to ask, she knows.

I am not as strong as Striker, and I am not as fast, but I fight hard. I will protect you, Hercules Hansen.

I will also understand if you tell me no.

[striker_eureka]

There you have it, his bad habits keep rubbing off on impressionable young women. He should feel worse about that than he does.

He might.

But it's a weak hope, even he knows that.

I'd never tell you no, Gipsy. Not for this. I need to talk to Stacker about it. If I leave Striker then Chuck needs to find a new co-pilot. That might take some time.