#Rhodes and Vermont are friends ocs used with permission

[agent-pennsylvania]

First Contact

“86” as his ODST used to call him, steps off the Pelican boots of his standard issue SPI (Semi-Powered Infiltration) mark II armor clunking as he did. So this was his new home: a ship called the Mother of Invention sounded kind of cool. He hoped this place would be better than his old base...It had been pretty unbearable after the loss of his ODST squad. So when the UNSC had told him he had a new assignment he didn’t question it… He needed to get out of that place anyway. Now he was here, a new start in a way. He was supposed to meet with a man named Brenton Toll for more details of whatever they were doing here.

His mechanical arm whirred quietly as he adjusted his duffle bag to hang over his shoulder. He didn’t have much, just some clothes, extra combat knives... a few momentos... essentials really…

“U-086 over here please...” 86 turned towards the voice, no one but superiors used his full name so that must be Toll? He made his way over giving the dark skinned man a proper Spartan salute minus the fact he was still holding his duffle bag over his shoulder.

“Yes, sir...Reporting for duty.” He was nervous… Who wouldn’t be? The UNSC hadn’t told him why he was here, just that he was a good fit for this assignment. The man seemed to look him over, appraising him. 86 was used to that, everyone did that especially to Spartans they were assets not people… He was used to it but the way Toll looked at him was different...creepy even, made his anxiety squirm under his skin.

“At ease, soldier...There’s no need for such formality here 086.” Toll gave a friendly smile, but 86 thought it was weird that he actually said the zero instead of just 86. “Welcome to the Mother of Invention or MOI as everyone likes to call her. You’ll be one of our agents from now on, Agent Pennsylvania to be exact. I hope you can get along well with the others… Now if you don’t mind we need to get you properly equipped as one of us… and we have a few evaluations we’d like you to complete so we can match you properly with any assignments we send you on. This way please...” Toll said as he started to walk away.

86 no Agent Pennsylvania, had no trouble keeping up with the man’s pace as he followed along behind him. While at the same time taking in the sights and sounds of his new home.

Toll took him into a showroom of sorts displaying quite a few different prototype MJOLNIR armors. Agent Pennsylvania was a little stunned. How did they have MJOLNIR armors of their own? This project must be bigger than he thought…

“Go ahead and equip whatever you want from this room. Feel free to specialize it to your strong points. I’ll meet you outside when you're done.” With that being said Toll left the door sliding closed automatically behind him as he stepped out.

Pennsylvania all but dropped his duffle bag once his superior was gone. Looking over his options with all the energy of a kid in a candy store. The SPI armor he was currently equipped with was mass produced garbage meant to enhance the efficiency of the suicide soldier he was originally meant to be.

He looked the suits over before settling on a variation of the scout armor. Scout armor has many advantages for someone like him. The wider angle visor would help with his blind spot... Since he only had one eye, it also had enhanced optics… The type of thing every sniper needs... The suit has an anti-tracking system, shroud-induction and has the ability to mask radioactive emissions making him practically invisible to infrared sensors and reactor pings. While also extending the up time of active camouflage... Too bad he didn’t have an active camo unit… Although maybe he could make the photo-reactive coating from the SPI armor work with the Scout armor. It wouldn’t be a full active camo but enough for sort of a phasing out effect probably…

He shed his old SPI armor for the new Scout setup making sure to scavenge the photo-reactive unit to adapt into this suit later. He equipped the chest plate with an extra combat knife, as you can never have too many knives. Next he needed a gun.… Looking them over his eyes landed on an anti-materiel sniper rifle and she practically sang to him like a siren in those old pirate tales… He took it slinging it over his shoulder and into place over the mag strips on the back of the suit. He would definitely customize his colors later, probably jungle camo as it was his favorite pattern.

Right now though it was just plain OD Green. Stepping out of the room suited up with his new gear he found Toll was waiting for him in the hallway. Toll took a moment to study him again, another appraising look before nodding his head.

“As I expected from your file it seemed you leaned towards stealth/recon missions, the anti-materiel sniper is a nice fit also.” Toll adjusted his glasses before writing something down on the clipboard he was carrying. Odd... Who carries a clipboard around this day and age?

Agent Pennsylvania just nodded in response he wasn’t really sure how he was supposed to act with this man yet…

“Alright then let’s get started shall we? I’ll show you to the training room and we will have a look at what you can do. Set up a baseline of sorts for future tests.” Toll started walking as he talked Pennsylvania following close behind. The man showed him around a bit before heading to the training room he knew where the cafeteria, and their rooms were located. Informing him that he would get his very own room, saying that he could go pick a room once they were done with his testing… Pennsylvania was definitely looking forward to that...

Toll led him to the training room. The room was pretty lackluster. A table was set up with a few different pistols… He hates pistols...Something with them just never clicks quite right in his brain. It made them extremely difficult for him to use with his lack of an eye. If this man had read his files as he said he had, he would know this… Unless this was some sort of test… There were three targets on the other side of the room, half torso types.

“Take out the three targets with what you have at your disposal,” was all Toll said as he leaned against the wall to observe clipboard and pen seemingly at the ready.

Pennsylvania just nodded as he stepped over to the table. Pistols all laid out nice and neat separated from their magazines for safety-sake, probably. Pennsylvania picks one of them up pulling the slide backwards to inspect the chamber… Nothing in it… Good. He releases the slide allowing it to snap back and then he holds the pistol in his open hand gauging its weight getting a feel for its distribution before stepping up to the line like a pitcher stepping up to the plate. He grins to himself under his helmet as he whips the pistol...the whole thing...at one of the targets. The barrel of the pistol embeds itself into whatever the targets are made of, sort of like an axe would, but it’s not an axe.

The target doesn't take the impact gracefully, the head breaking off and tumbling back a little while after. Penn pulls his combat knives from the sheaths on his chest plate, he doesn't need to take a moment to gauge their weight though he knew his knives like they were extensions of himself. The knives left his hands in quick succession flying true and sinking nicely into the other two targets clean up to the hilt.

He straightened up and turned to Toll, who looked less than amused... Pennsylvania almost laughed but he caught it in time and stifled it as Toll spoke, "You were supposed to shoot them..."

"You didn't say I had to shoot them. You said to take them out with what I had at my disposal...And that's what I did..." Pennsylvania replied with only a slight hint of sass.

Toll sighed and started writing something on his clipboard, probably something about being unruly... But what could you expect from someone who was raised by ODST... As Toll was writing, Pennsylvania walked up to the targets to pull his knives out of their faces. Yanking one out before happening to look up and see he had a small audience looking down at him from an observation deck of sorts.

He didn't know that was going to be a thing and was now a little embarrassed by his actions. Although it didn't really look like he needed to be... One of his viewers, a smaller one, had a hand pressed against the glass as if trying to get a better look. The other, a bigger guy probably bigger than even him, but it was hard to tell from here, was looking down at him also... Did this PFL have more Spartans? Would he be able to talk to them? Slightly taken aback by the spectators being right there, Pennsylvania did the only thing he could think of at that moment... He gave a little hand wave as if to say Hi, it was an awkward little thing...

As Pennsylvania waved the smaller one pulled away from the glass almost like they had been burnt. Turning their head towards where Toll was standing still writing away... As if to see if he was looking? Were they not supposed to interact with each other? Strange... Pennsylvania almost missed it...but after seeming to decide the coast was clear the smaller one gave a tiny wave back. The bigger one gave him a simple head nod and after that Pennsylvania turned to pull the second knife from the other target's head.

It seemed this Toll character wasn't to be trusted if that reaction was anything to go by... He had felt it when they first met but having his suspicions confirmed made him feel a bit better about it. He sheathed his knives and made his way back over to Toll somewhat at attention but not fully. He wanted to get these tests over with so he could pick a room, hopefully they had nice closets...

_______________________________

"Vermont! Did you see that guy, the one that just got off the Pelican... He had a fucking robotic arm... Do you think he was a Spartan like you? Is he a new Agent maybe? I wonder what stupid shitty state name they'll give him..." Rhodes practically exploded with excitement as soon as the coast was clear. He could practically feel Vermont roll his eyes as the helmet that covered his face rolled and he heard a small sigh.

"Yes, Rhodes I saw him... He was a bit hard to miss... You don't see people wearing SPI armor often... Nor do you see people almost as big as me..." Vermont chuckled lightly... Rhodes was being gay about the new guy he just knew it... "If he is a new Agent they'll probably have him in the training room soon enough... Want to go see?"

"Fuckin' yeah! Let's go..." Another check of their surroundings and Rhodes had a hold of Vermont's hand all but dragging him down the hall towards the observation deck, Vermont allowed it as a small laugh escaped his lips...Rhodes was so cute...

With Vermont in tow it didn't take long to get where they were going, luckily no one else was on deck so they could be secretly gay together while they watched a few people getting the training room ready for testing. Rhodes somehow managed to weasel his way into Vermont's lap even with both of them standing. Vermont just took the time to hold him. His chin resting on the top of his head as they waited for the new guy to show up.

After a little while the guest of honor soon came walking into the training room slightly behind Toll. Rhodes stood back up and moved towards the window to get a better look, Vermont following suit just after. Vermont noted the Scout armor and sniper rifle on the new guy's back, but he didn't see a side arm, just knives...a bit odd...

The guy picked the pistol up from the table but didn't load it, just checked the action and then to his surprise used it to unconventionally take out the target across the room... Rhodes squeaked the sound involuntarily leaving his throat due to his surprise, his hand pressed against the glass, as he elbowed Vermont in the side.

"Did you fucking see that! That was so cool, holy shit!" Rhodes was bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah... I don't think that's how he was supposed to do it..." Vermont paused as the knives flew to the other targets... He was probably going to have to peel Rhodes off the glass here in a second before he went ass over tin cups into the training room... "He's got a good arm, I'll give him that."

The new Agent went up to retrieve his knives pulling one and then seeming to notice them the man's head tilted slightly as he gave a small awkward looking wave, like he had no idea what he was doing. Rhodes stepped back from the glass and checked to see if Toll saw not wanting to bring more attention to themselves as necessary. Toll wasn't looking and Rhodes relaxed a bit before returning the wave albeit cautiously...Vermont just gave a simple nod it was the polite thing to do after all.

"He's adorable, did you see that? He's like a big puppy..." Rhodes awed.

Vermont sighed... Rhodes was gone... Deep in whatever little place his brain went. "Come on, let's go... Before you get us in trouble..." He drug Rhodes back out into the hallway. It was about lunch time anyway. May as well see if there was anything good...probably not but it wouldn't hurt to check. After lunch Rhodes had to go to a briefing with fire team alpha so they had to separate. Rhodes promised to come by Vermont's room later, some quiet "I love yous" passing between them.

Sneaking back to Vermont's room later Rhodes got caught just outside the room as the new guy stepped out of one of the previously empty rooms. Rhodes tried to be as nonchalant as possible about it, after all this guy was new he didn't know who slept where... It was probably fine...

Rhodes' thoughts were interrupted when the new guy spoke. "What’s it called when a Peeping Tom is skilled in his game?" Rhodes' brain stalled, what the fuck was this? Was this because they got caught watching his training tests... How did he even know it was him? His voice didn't sound angry though actually it sounded kind of kidding... Like a joke? There was a pause as Rhodes was sort of frozen unsure what was going on...

"It's called being at... Peak Performance." The other Agent finally broke the strange silence, erupting into a fit of giggles.

Rhodes couldn't help but laugh too, did this guy seriously just use a joke in order to get his attention? He had no business being that fucking cute... Once the agent sobered up a bit he stepped a bit closer and pulled off his helmet revealing a heavily scared face and an adorable lopsided grin...cute...

"Hey, do you know how much a polar bear weighs?" Pennsylvania tried another one... It seemed like the first one broke the little one... He was pretty sure this was the one that waved at him earlier.

"No, I don't..." the little one replied once he had stopped his own laugh.

Pennsylvania grinned again this time holding his hand out for a handshake... The flesh one, he had his helmet tucked against his side with the mechanical one. "I don't know either but it's enough to break the ice... Haha... Name's Agent Pennsylvania... I guess... What's yours?" Pennsylvania chuckled as he introduced himself.

Was that a pickup line? Did this Agent Pennsylvania just use a pickup line on him Oh my G-d! His brain was broken... Cause he answered almost immediately... "Agent Rhode Island... but...most people just call me Rhodes..." Rhodes took Pennsylvania's hand to shake it; he couldn't help the smile on his face as he did so. This guy was dangerous...

"Oh, can we shorten them? Okay... Then I guess I would just be Penn then? Nice to meet you, Rhodes." Penn tilted his head again. Like he had done earlier, in the training room although now Rhodes knew it was because Penn only had one eye but it didn't make it any less adorable.

"Yeah, I guess it would... Hello, Penn..." When Rhodes said his name Penn smiled even wider... Oh shit... This is bad... Fuck...