(Macamber)
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"Welcome back, Bra--" Macamber stopped, took a deep breath, and then started again. "Welcome back, Mister Chord. I'll have to get used to calling you that now, won't I? It sounds strange, having to say that to anyone but your father." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "Thank you for coming so quickly. Please sit down."
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The head of security slid a document towards Brandon and left it where he could take it. "This is your father's will, the one he left in the secure safe in his office. There are actually other parts to it, but they're mostly technical details laying out the exact extent of his estate. This page, however..." she nodded to the document she'd passed to him "...is the only one that matters. It's short and to the point. It names you as his sole heir and put you in control of... well, everything." Leaning back in her chair, she gave Brandon an appraising look. "It seems I work for you now."
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[Gen]
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Brandon's abrupt appearance in the common room startled Gen and Kites, but fortunately he didn't stop, just vented his annoyance and then went on out into the hall.
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The androgyne blinked, watching the man as he left, then looked back at Kites. Suddenly he choked, as if suppressing a giggle, his eyes lighting up. A moment later he was just laughing openly, his eyes bright with mischief. "Well, you heard the man!"
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At Kites' puzzled look, Gen said cheerily "Brandon's the group leader, right? And we're supposed to do what he says, right?" Disentangling himself from the winged youth, he hopped off the edge of the table. "He just told us that this is not the place for that and to get a room." he grabbed Kites' hand and began pulling him along. "So let's go!" He glanced back at the other boy with a smirk. "Your room's closer. And I am _not_ gonna take a chance on anyone else coming along and telling us to stop!" ?
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[Kites]
Kites was about to lean in and kiss Gen again when a voice came out of nowhere and startled him enough that he nearly jumped, the downy feathers at the base of his scalp stood on ends and his wings flared out in defense. He breathed a sigh of relief when the "danger" presented itself as Brandon, though he shrank back at the scolding tone in his team lead's voice. When he looked back though, instead of feeling anxious himself, Gen just laughed out loud which ended up causing Kites to giggle himself.
"I know that this is an exaggeration, but I thought I was going to die," Kites admitted. Was what they were doing right at all when everyone else was grieving and trying to make heads and tails out what to do now that Chord was gone? Lost in his head, he didn't even realize that Gen was pulling him out and away, sorely missing the body heat of his lover when his hand brought Kites back to reality. "Oh, my room's closer? Maybe yours would've been if you'd won the wing race."
Kites took Gen into his arms and flew up to the second floor, not letting go of androgyne as their lips glued together again, stumbling against the door as he blindly felt the wall for the touch pad and finally palming it, the door opened with a 'woosh' and they fell in, closing behind them with a hiss.
He rolled onto his back, Gen still in his arms as he brushed the androgyne's hair out of his face, taking a moment to look at him. Really look at him. When he first came upon Gen laying half-dead upon the lighthouse stairs, Kites felt as if the rug was pulled out from under him. His decision to send Harrison away could've cost him big time.
"Gen... Maybe what we're doing IS wrong, but by God, I don't want to be right right now," Kites breathed, caressing Gen's face. "When I found you on that island, I thought my heard dropped. But you are here and alive, and... My decision could've cost you your life. I want...I want you so much, but what if the next decision I make does? Would you still want to be with me in spite of that?"
(Brandon)
Brandon looked at Macamber and did his best to keep a straight face.? Every time he heard the name it was another stab to his heart that he had failed his father when he was alive and didn¡¯t trust¡only to let his ego and self-depreciation keep him from loving those around him.? Maybe in another life, his sister would have been¡
He pushed those thoughts aside, but still, there was that part of him that wondered if his negativity was what truly drove her away.? He shook those thoughts away, he wasn¡¯t about to go down that pity road again.? He didn¡¯t have the damned time.? He had a company to run and a team to train.? He knew what father wanted deep down, but he was almost sure Raine was NOT coming back.
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?¡°That makes two of us,¡± there was a slight smile upon his face but it was just the mask he would have to¡be wearing for a while.? He said nothing only complied with her request to sit down.? He was in a suit, even though his uniform was underneath he was going to have to get used to the suit and tie also now.
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?He looked at the woman and reached for the envelope he kept the mask in place as he looked at it. ?¡®Another stab¡God, he loved me far more than I trusted him!¡¯
He didn¡¯t have time for the water that was threatening his eyes. ?¡°Fine!
I am going to need you to continue to do a great job as you have been doing Ms. Macamber.? I will need the report for the crash ASAP.? I will keep the team and their training will continue and some of your members that you think are better suited for training¡will help to train them in combat, espionage, weapons.? I can¡¯t make them an efficient team to protect others if they don¡¯t know how to protect themselves.? That is security for the team, I will have to handle the company's day-to-day operations and finish fulfilling the outstanding contracts before deciding on what to do with the rest.? I know my father wouldn¡¯t want me to just live off of his patents and inventions.
He would want me to help the company also grow and flourish.¡± ?He paused.
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?¡°He left ME in charge, but he left Raine¡nothing?!?¡± ?He asked which didn¡¯t sound like his father at all, but he was still fighting his own bit of shellshock at present. ?<<Forward¡always Forward!? You are my son!>> ?He was given the keys to the kingdom to run¡alone!? No Harrison, No Ireland, No Raine even.? Just him and he was no Atlas!!? He was just finding that part of himself that could walk upright instead of feeling like the world was on his shoulders, now so many people¡¯s lives were in his hands.
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?¡°Ok so any other suggestions?? You have the boss¡¯s ear, now?¡± ?He asked.? He would meet with all of the department heads he couldn¡¯t do this alone but that is what the department heads were for, if he couldn¡¯t trust them to run their departments he didn¡¯t need them!
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?Those that remained he would make sure they were trained.? He wouldn¡¯t let his ego get in the way and if Mia still wanted the leader spot¡he wouldn¡¯t dare fight for it.? Even Harrison felt she was better suited for the spot than he was and right now¡he had no qualms with that.
Tag - Macamber, Gen, Kites, Brandon
