Post by Drake on Jun 4, 2023 2:48:12 GMT
The drive wasn't as harsh as the first minutes had been, even if he had his reservations about the whole debacle, he knew Hope would have gotten rid of him the moment they got back in the van if she did not care. She truly desired for this little taskforce they had been a part of to thrive, and she felt as if Mandrake was a necessary component, not something to be left rotting in a box. He could appreciate her willingness to listen to the others when push came to shove, even if she would rather still keep her true self from her teammates. It was not in Ezekiel's nature to put her in a straitjacket of her own and have her listen to how her lack of confidence in her soldiers's abilities would wear her out every time a failure occurred. She had her magics, yes, but unlike Zeke who had been virtually immortal and wielded powers beyond human imagination, Hope could not bear the whole weight by herself.
By the time they had arrived, his forehead had stopped bleeding, his headache mostly gone, his cigars nowhere in sight. If he was seen by anyone but Wisdom Teeth breaching containment procedures after going berserk? Well, he could kiss the one rank demotion goodbye, and box experimentation hello. Although he truly did not comprehend why after almost an entire century under Foundation employment they required the use of a straitjacket until he was sealed within a safe space, had he intended to go on a murderous rampage it would have been done decades ago. Honestly, he missed the days when protocol was a fancy word for whitecoats behind desks and not those out on the field. It felt particularly distinct, now he felt like an asset, then he felt like an agent.
Now he was five-o-five-b, then he was Zeke.
"Thank you, lass. You have a good night's sleep now, you hear? If you have a hard time with it, tell that old bastard Joshua in R&D Ezekiel sent you, he cannot make an entire stock vanish, but a couple pills should get you three snoring through the roof. No need to tell big boss lady, let it be our only little secret." Carmichael whispered at Ivonne as the rest of the team moved on to their respective responsibilities. He knew out of the three, she would be the most likely to heed his words and do a little underhanded misconduct for the sake of her squad. "You take care now." He nodded, walking off to the other worn out lady which would be assisting him tonight.
"I think I finally understand what old men in retirement homes feel like, love, surrounded by all these gorgeous helpers to do what their senile bodies cannot." Zeke chortled as he gestured toward the lengthy hallways they would have to walk through. Thankfully the night shifts were quieter, less ears around, and shortly they were encompassed by nothing but absolute silence. "Alright, sunshine, I believe we are far enough. You can stop putting on a brave face. Let Agent Hope L. Phillips take a break, I am an old hound, there is no fooling these eyes. You can let Hope out now." He demanded, a gentle, caring tone on his voice, perfectly mirrored by his expression. "There is nobody else here. Cry, yell, hit me, hug me. You can fall for a bit now, sunshine." Zeke closed the gap between them, slightly in front of his Handler, then turned around to stop her dead in her tracks. "I will pick you up."