agent-montgomery

[agent-montgomery]

[agent-montgomery]

[He found himself frowning at her pensive look, then the words she said next. Montgomery shook his head quickly, but his frown remained slightly as he chuckled. Good ol' Helena, worrying about being too nice, or 'forward'.]

No, no, it's definitely not, no...I just wasn't expecting it, that's all.

[And he honestly wasn't. When was the last time someone had bought him a present? Jeez...he honestly couldn't remember. It must've been for a birthday, but what one? He'd gotten that t-shirt from Caitlyn for his fifteenth, she probably got him something the next year too...]

Thank you, Helena, like...really.

[The thanks was sincere despite the fact he had no idea what she was giving him. His face relaxed as she started to ramble, and he couldn't help but wonder why she seemed to be uncomfortable and awkward most of the time - she was a good person, someone whose company he enjoyed compared to most on the ship, she was a hard worker and deserved that spot on the leader board... so why was she so insecure?]

Relax, Hels, I'm sure they loved them. Plus, it's not exactly common for someone to go out of their way like that for the Agents these days, so...it's a pretty big deal to them, I beat you.

@Hels

[agent-montgomery]

Montgomery had no clue what had attracted him to the kitchen in the first place. Well, he sorta did - his mother used to have an obsession with cooking and baking. She'd spend every day in their tiny kitchen, experimenting with old recipes and trying out new ones, then would go round to someone or others house to drop off. He'd used to get home each day to find the house filled with some new, exotic yet delicious smell, and on any days he'd manage to get off school for one reason or another, he'd spend it in the kitchen, watching her rush back and licking the bowls and spoons when she'd let him. It was amazing that different powders and liquids could be turned into a meal...

After she'd died, their kitchen had practically gone untouched. An occasional meal would be made in it, but nothing of the same quality ever made it past those doors. 

Montgomery rubbed roughly at his eyes as he looked in the fridge and cupboards, trying to get rid of the memories. The things he'd been running from his whole life were starting to catch up to him more and more lately, and that was the last thing he needed, especially since being part of the Project. He glanced between the eggs, milk and countless water bottles that were stored on the top shelf, as well as a bottle of wine that was clearly got the fact that if anyone touched it they'd get the cork shoved somewhere rather unpleasant, then realised that despite the fact he could name everything and knew what it was for, he couldn't cook for the life of him.

He glanced over his shoulder when he heard footsteps and grinned as Olympia entered the kitchen. He stood up and let the door swing shut behind him, the nodded slightly in greeting. "Looking for a new hobby?"

Adventures with Measuring Cups || Montgomery and Olympia

The last time Olympia had tried cooking, it had ended up in a disaster. Not only had the cookies she’d been trying to cook come out more like misshapen lumps than an actual piece of food, but Candice had seen it as another chance to insult her. Since then, Olympia had avoided the kitchen like the plague. 

But in the days in between missions, when the halls were full of agents Olympia didn’t yet know and perhaps didn’t care to know, It was lonely and dull, training was always an option, and Olympia had done a lot of it…but she was starting to wonder if they’d ever get a chance to use that training, or if they’d just constantly be thrown into situations where pure luck decided whether they lived, died, or were crippled in cryo tubes. 

She was beginning to realize she needed something to do, outside of training. Otherwise, she’d go insane. 

So the agent ventured back to the kitchen, hoping that this time she could avoid meeting up with Candice and being mocked. As she entered the kitchen, the familiar surfaces of stainless steel greeted her eye. She always felt like a stranger in these kitchens, like she didn’t quite belong. A kitchen was no place for a soldier, but what else was a soldier to do in their free time? There wasn’t much on this bloody ship to interest people, even her teammates were boring. 

It was as Olympia walked fully into the room that she realized she wasn’t the only one in there. 

[agent-montgomery]

When he was younger, he'd always imagined what it'd be like to fly. There had even came a point where he'd decided that he could in fact fly, and after spending a good five minutes trying to gain as much height as a five year old possibly could on that swing and had thrown himself off. And, for a few glorious moments, he had flown, and it had been magical. The wind ripping at his clothes, tugging at his hair, roaring through his ears, his whole body completely weightless... Until gravity had decided to come into play.Suddenly he wasn't flying, he was falling, the first and most definitely not that last time he'd experience such a sensation. This such experience had resulted in a broken left arm, the first but not the last break he'd experienced.

As their fingers made contact briefly, Montgomery couldn't help but wonder what power Augusta would have, given the chance. Those thoughts quickly vanished, however, as the cue ball once again disappeared from view. The Gamma whooped in delight, laughing as Augusta went around the table rather grudgingly to retrieve the ball. The good ol' walk of shame, as a couple of his pool buddies used to call it. His smile faded slightly as he caught Augusta's expression when she held the ball out to him, and he clapped her on the shoulder as he held out his palm for her to drop it into. "It's just a game, remember?" The comment was a bit unfair, seeing as he would've fought back if it was aimed at him, even if it was jokingly, but it was out there now. 

He threw the white ball in the air and caught it, then moved to put it back on the table when she spoke. 

"I got cocky. That's literally the story of my whole life."

There was something about that comment that made his freeze - maybe it was how raw and truthful it sounded compared to everything else they'd been throwing back and forth; maybe it was that she was finally giving him a better insight to herself, despite the fact she had no reason to do so; or maybe it was because he could relate so well to the statement. Everything that had gone wrong in his life that was on him was for that exact reason - he'd gotten cocky. He still was, but definitely not to the extent he had been in the past.

Montgomery scowled as Augusta started laughing and shook his head as he walked towards the table. Examining the remaining balls, he placed the cue ball carefully on the line and took his shot, hitting one of his balls, but not sinking it when he easily could have. Suddenly and despite the threat of having to wear a dress for fourteen hours, this game wasn't about winning any more. 

"Will it bring out my eyes?" he asked, blinking several times in quick succession as he turned back to her. He crossed his arms over his chest as she looked him up and down, seemingly self conscious, then narrowed his eyes at her question. "If you, my dear Agent Augusta, lose this game, then..." His eyes flickered around the room, trying to find an idea. "You've gotta, a) tell me the rest of these superpowers, b) wear socks for the next week, and c) stop being so darn mean to me." He sniffed rather dramatically. "I do have feelings, y'know." 

Early Mornings || Augusta and Montgomery

[agent-montgomery]

"I want you. Naked. In my bed. Now." - The Director

[agent-montgomery]

[agent-montgomery]

"I trust you."

The words honestly should’ve had a positive effect. She’d been through so much - he’d seen the scars, he’d heard her screams, he’d felt her shaking next to him in her sleep. Yet here she was, saying something that clearly wasn’t to be taken lightly, actually trusting him with everything. But they were soldiers. They weren’t supposed to have anything to lose. So why was the so damn much at stake?

Montgomery stared down at her, eyes wide, the breathlessness he was feeling before feeling like it had been magnified a thousand times. Those words meant so much more than ‘I want you' or 'I need you' or 'I love you' ever could, because she'd seen his scars too.

She knew the stories behind every single one of them. She knew the one on his right wrist was from when he’d tried to swing just a little too high and had fallen off when he was five; she knew the one just below his hairline that was so faint you could only see it in certain light was from the time he and Charleston had gotten trapped in a building with two dozen civilians; she knew he’d gotten the one on his left shin from his first day as a Cadet; and she knew perfectly the one that ran under his collar bone on the left side of his chest was from the last time someone had trusted him.

Everyone knew how well that had ended. 

The sound of gunfire filled his ears and told him that they were getting closer, he nodded slightly and held out his hand to her. He knew the risks now, he knew what he could lose and what he would pay if he did. But he knew that he had her trust, her confidence, and that was what fuelled him.

Because wasn’t that enough?

Barely a heartbeat later, they were moving forward. He was guiding her out into the battlefield with practically no protection or weapons, but he saw a way that would work. Could work. It was the feeling her hand clutching his, though, that gave him his answer. 

 Yeah.

[agent-montgomery]

"I love you."

Montgomery fired two quick shots in succession then ducked back behind the pillar, breathing hard. The sweat trickling down his brow made his helmet feel uncomfortably confining, but at least the number of explosions and fire this mission seemed to include made it easier to sneak around and reload weapons without alerting the enemy. 

He chuckled rather breathlessly at Nashville’s words, glancing over at the Pilot’s navy blue armour. Out of all the Agents he could’ve been stuck with in a ‘near impossible to survive situation’ like this, Nashville was definitely one of the better to be with. 

"Course you do, Nash," Montgomery replied with a smug grin despite the fact that his face couldn’t be seen by the other agent. It vanished slightly as another explosion shook the building - Phoenix was really putting his all into this mission - and heavy footsteps began to approach them that definitely belonged to something not human. 

"Tell you what," the Gamma said quickly, clapping Nashville on the shoulder as he got into crouching position, "if we survive this and you keep saving my sorry butt, I’ll get back to you on that."

[agent-montgomery]

"You’re dead to me."

Despite the fact that the contact they’d had recently and the slight feeling of resentment (there had been one too many times that he’d thought maybe it was jealousy, and had wondered whether it was caused by his pride more than anything else) Montgomery felt towards Orion, the words hit him harder than he’d ever care to admit.

"You’re dead to me."

Dead. Useless. Broken.

He wasn’t worth anything. He was a hypocrite, a liar, someone completely worthless, as Orion reminded him constantly. Their brief friendship had meant nothing. It might as well have not happened.

You are nothing, Agent Montgomery.

Despite his pounding heart and the lead weight that had dropped in his stomach, Montgomery clenched his jaw and looked the A.I. directly in the eye. 

Lying wasn’t so hard. It never had been.

"Right back at you."

[agent-montgomery]

"I love you."

"I hate you."

"You’re dead to me."

"I trust you."

"I’m dying."

"I’m pregnant with your baby."

"I never really loved you."

"I want you. Naked. In my bed. Now."

"I’m proud of you."

"I’m disappointed in you."

Put one of these in my askbox to see how my Muse reacts.

[agent-montgomery]

The fact that he'd actually made the shot in the first place had been pretty damn impressive, but Augusta's reaction definitely made the risk worth it. He bent his knees slightly as she hit them, pretending they'd buckled under the hit despite how light it had been, and followed her movements with a stupid, smug grin on his face. "Oh, come on, 'Gus, I'm the most likeable guy on this dump - if you don't like me, you're gonna have a hard time getting on with anyone."

He leaned his forearms against the table as Augusta moved forward to take her shot, stretching his legs out behind him, then clapped rather awkwardly as another ball disappeared from sight. It wasn't anything spectacular, but half the Agents on the Equinox wouldn't have been able to make it. "You're not half bad, Agent." He was half-tempted to ask where she'd gotten so good, but the past was a no-go zone with him, so who was to say it'd be any different with Augusta?

Montgomery stood up as she spoke, narrowing his eyes as he looked at her, seemingly shocked at this revelation. "Well, damn, I never would've guessed. If I could look half as good as you do after exercising, I'd do it more often. And judging by the way this game is going, sure, I'll buy into the superhuman thing." He took a few slow steps towards her and bent down to her level when he was a foot away, studying her carefully. Obviously, he could see nothing out of the ordinary, but at this distance, the shadows under her eyes were a lot clearer. It looked like she was getting even less sleep than he was. "Tell me this - any more powers on top of the 'staying good looking post work out' thing?"

He took a step back as she walked around him to get to the table, about to protest the fact that she was taking two shots in a row, then decided it wasn't doing any harm as far as him winning went. There were eight balls left on the table now - they had three each to sink, then of course there was the cue and infamous 8 ball. If anything, the fact that there wasn't much on the table now made the whole thing a lot easier. Montgomery lined up his next shot. He managed to sink the solid red ball no problem, but he dropped his head and cursed when the cue ball disappeared with it. 

"Pool beats running any day of the week," Montgomery commented lightly as he walked round the table to retrieve the white ball, a slight grin on his lips. "I mean, you exercise you arms and your brain, which is definitely what a few of our fellow Freelancers as in dire need of." Cue ball in hand, he approached Augusta and held it out to her. "Just remember that I did that on purpose when you beat me, okay?"

He nodded when Augusta suggested they make the game worth something, but his eyes widened as she said what his consequence would be. "Seriously?" he choked out, laughing as he did. "I don't think the Director would approve...and even if he did, not only would you have to own a dress to lend me, but it would have to magically grow by ten sizes."

Early Mornings || Augusta and Montgomery

[agent-montgomery]

[Montgomery let his head drop back onto his pillow rather dramatically as he groaned. He sat up a few seconds later and glanced over at Nashville, then sighed again.]

Fine. But I will earn it, just you wait and see...

Apparently we're all sick, but I don't have a cough like that. 

[The Gamma shook his head and rolled his eyes.]

Oh, absolutely, although I think you're a little more curious than I am at this stage.

Sick Day (Open to people in the Medbay currently)

[agent-montgomery]

[Another steak sandwich was left outside of Montgomery's quarters, along with a note.] 

Bear,

Anytime you want to find someplace more private, I'm always up for a little exploration.

I'm also very discrete.

-Nash

[Despite the fact that they hadn't had a mission in a while, Montgomery somehow found himself with a pile of paperwork to fill in. He'd been given it while on the way to the gym and told that it was due in the next twenty-four hours, so after a few minutes of trying to decide what to do, he'd sighed rather dramatically and marched rather dramatically back to his room despite the fact that no one was in sight. 

The box sitting outside his door caused him to frown, but after reading the note and flicking it open to find a delicious, still slightly warm steak sandwich inside, he couldn't help but grin. "Nashville, you sly dog," was all he said as he went into his room and chucked the paperwork on his desk before digging into the meal. It looked like he wouldn't need to make a pitstop at the mess hall after all.]

[agent-montgomery]

[When she flinches, Montgomery runs a hand over his face, wishing he could just vanish from the room and have the medic forget this whole conversation. The silence completely unnerves him - he can practically hear her brain churning through what to say, but yet she refuses to say anything. She had been so open only moments before about subjects most would have shied away from, himself included... Orion was definitely Helena's 'awkward', for lack of a better word, topic to discuss.

And the more he thought about it, the less he honestly blamed her. Sage was far from perfect, he would admit that, but if anyone had come to him and made the sort of statement he just had, they'd be getting an earful. Getting shouted at would be better than the silence though - it was easier to deal with.

So maybe complaining about the 'superior' rant Orion had give him wasn't the best angle to go off. Montgomery had admitted to himself that the A.I.s were, and anyone could see that. It was the way Orion had said it, like he was going to stage a revolution and take over the Equinox, then do who knows what to the Agents to figure out what 'real emotions' were. 

Montgomery opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'Have you heard the guy go off on one of his rants?', but quickly changed his mind. Instead, he smirked slightly in regards to her finishing statement and ducked his head.]

We're just lucky we've got someone so willing and capable on board to fix us up. I'm sure if you just left someone to bleed out in the hallway, the rest of us would learn a bit of self-control.

[It doesn't take much to see that the smile is fake - Helena was obviously one of the Agents who needed a bit more practice when it came to the whole 'lying about your feelings' thing. It was the fact that he'd put it there that made Montgomery's stomach drop.]

Damn, that would've been good - just think of how impressed you'd be with my vocab the next time we talk. You...got me something? Really?

[It's hard to keep the tone of surprise out of his voice - the fact that someone went out of there way to do something specifically for him was...strange, but pretty cool at the same time.]

@Hels

[agent-montgomery]

"Oh, that is something I most definitely can believe." Montgomery looked Augusta up and down again as he smirked. Her toned arms and slim figure would've told anyone that she worked out, but her size would've caused most to underestimate her from there. Montgomery, on the other hand, had had plenty of experience with shorter women who didn't look like much, but could have him on the floor in under a minute, and he wasn't about to assume anything of the sort with Augusta.

The fact that she followed up his applause with a curtsy made the situation all the better, and he made note that when he was in a mindset like he had been the past few weeks, he would beeline straight in the direction of the Agent standing before him. She wasn't any work to be around, unlike most of the people he had some sort of relationship with on the Equinox. Well, either her or Nashville. He almost questioned what the eye roll was about, then decided against it. Keep it light, keep it informal, keep it not awkward....

He'd seemed to shock her slightly with his flawless shot and that caused him to chuckle. "Rule number one of the Equinox: never, and I mean ever, underestimate anyone, especially when it comes to seemingly random skills." The comment was said to add amusement more than anything else, but there was a lot of truth behind it. "Pretty much all I'm saying is don't be surprised when you walk into the kitchen in the middle of the night, expecting it to be empty, only to find one of the Project's toughest baking cupcakes in a flowery apron."

Montgomery narrowed his eyes as Augusta stepped forward confidently, lined up another shot, then carefully watched her technique as she shot a ball straight into the pocket. Maybe he'd finally found someone he could play what other deemed as stupid, waste of time games with... "Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow as he stepped forward and went around the opposite side of the table, examining the table before him. His eyes widened slightly as he spied the perfect shot - well, it'd be perfect and pretty damn impressive if he managed to pull it off - then glanced up at Augusta mischievously. "Check this out." He positioned himself in such a way that the cue ball would hit one of his own that was near the centre of the table, rather than one that was practically sitting at the corner and was seemingly the logical choice. His cue hit the white ball with a satisfying dink and it rolled forward, steering the one in the centre towards the corner. It collided with it and fell into the pocket, and a second later, the second ball slowly rolled forward and disappeared too. 

He glanced up to see what her reaction would be with a rather proud look on his face as he shrugged nonchalantly. "Just another lucky shot, eh?" The Gamma chuckled and shook his head at her comment, then pulled at the worn t-shirt he was wearing. "I'll admit that it's slightly easier to pull off the 'smelly old gym clothes' look than the whole 'sick, feel-sorry-for-me' one. You should just be relieved you caught me before my workout and not after, or you would be wishing I had snot and drool back."

Early Mornings || Augusta and Montgomery

[agent-montgomery]

[agent-montgomery]

[Montgomery smirked at Helena's admittance. The Medic was definitely full of surprises today, he decided as he rubbed at his eyes and listened to her continue. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined her going as far as releasing her A.I. out the airlock - then again, he had seen her kick Covvie butt, and if that was anything to go off... The Gamma could only assume Helena was taking advantage of the new found privacy she had thanks to their links being down.]

Yeah, I guess they do.

[He didn't voice the fact that the only time he'd wanted to airlock Sage was before she had even been implanted, a feat that would've been impossible, seeing as out of all the places on the Equinox, the labs were pretty much the most secure. Well, it was likely that the Director's office was even more so, but the challenge of breaking into it had never appealed to Montgomery...]

But don't you think he's...jeez, I don't know, dangerous? And I'm not just saying that cause he knocked me out or whatever - it was the way he was speaking before all that, about how A.I.s are 'superior' and all that.

[He didn't want to vent to Helena about her A.I. or force his opinions on her, or even think about Orion in general, but since they were on the topic, he figured he might as well go for it. It wasn't like the atmosphere in the room could get any dimmer, after all. 

But it could always get lighter, even if it was forced or faked.]

Oh come on, you're not supposed to use big words around me - it's not fair, y'know. But now that you mention it, it would definitely lighten up this place a lot more.

@Hels