Colin MacGregor

Sighing, Colin agreed. "Aye, if he's gwan tae dish i', he needs tae learn tae take some back. S'pose tis a wisp thing, eh Sean?"

The younger wisp shrugged. "I don't seem to swing around moods quite as much as he does, but yeah, there's definitely a touch of it."

Scooter chuckled. "Aren't we young ones supposed to be playing the part of the immature and reckless?"

That got a grin out of Colin. "Yeah, but they keep kicking me out of the driver's seat."

CJ rolled her eyes but kept the van moving through the ever heavier traffic just south of Atlanta. "Look, we need to figure out our plan. I see two choices," she glanced at the traffic before her. "A, we head straight to Orpheus to get Sean's car and I skim from the lounge. We go by his apartments and pick him up some clothes and head straight to the club.

"B, we head straight to the club after Sean's apartment and I skim from the van. Not my first choice as there won't be anyone watching my body, but," she shrugged. "I'll leave the final decision up to you."

"I' we show up at the club in a big, white, stakeou' van, everyone inside is gwan tae be on alert for cops, regardless o' outfits." Colin frowned.

"And I'm not sure I like the idea of Sean being the only quick inside. It may be best for you to go in solid as well, CJ." Liz looked up at her thoughtfully. "Even if your body is in the van, it's going to take time for you to wake up and get in and help if ne needs it."

Liz frowned. "Well, as I see it, our objectives are to conduct field research on the effects of pigment, obtain a sample of possible, and send any lingering PLEs on their way. That about sum it up?"

CJ turned around and arched an eyebrow at the former FBI agent. "Gee Liz, you are remarkable at repetition. That's pretty much what the briefing says, yes."

Ryan slid up to sit near CJ and seemed on the verge of saying something when Liz's angry voice overshadowed whatever his words might have been.

"Why thank you, Inzmann", the sleeper snarled. "And you seem to have a remarkable talent for pissing off your crucible mates.

"I was simply trying to get our discussion back on track and in compliance with mission perameters. If that bothers you, or if you would rather go into this situation as part of a chaotic mess, then that's fine with me." She folded her arms across her chest and sat back in a huff.

CJ sighed. "Then what do you suggest you do, Miss Vance?" she asked plaintively.

"Well", Liz snapped, "I could haunt the van and protect your body while you skim, but after that last comment, I don't think I'm particularly inclined to do so." With that final barb, the haunter's gauze faded into nothingness.

"Well, this is bluidy fantastic", Colin muttered. "Two down - three i' ye coun' Scooter staring silently ou' the window a' the billboards."

"Anyone fancy jus' listenin' tae the radio till we ge' back tae the office?" Colin asked hopefully.

We ha'e nay business going intae another mission like this. Nay wi' e'eryone on edge and a' each others' throats.

"Look, let's just stop with the finger pointin' and do our jobs." Ryan looked around hopefully. "Please? We need to elect a Crucible leader so that that person can deal with Max - or any other issues that arise. In the meantime, we can file the proper paperwork with Kate if we have any official complaints."

"Believe i'", Colin muttered. "I dinnae like Max, bu' I'll nay make an official complaint abou' him. Abou' this group being sent on another mission when tempers are this frayed, aye, e'en I will figure ou' how tae use tha' infernal machine tae file a complaint for tha'."

"You want the Leader job?" CJ spoke up, looking back at Ryan with a questioning eyebrow.

The banshee shrugged. "If noone else will. Someone needs to engage this Enterprise."

Liz reappeared then, her face calmed and expressionless. "I'd like to apologize for my outburst", she said quietly. "I don't really respond well to that brand of sarcasm. CJ, you had no way of knowing that, so I'm sorry.

"Second, my work with the FBI often involved coordinating operative Agents in the field and then reporting back to the Agent In Charge. From what I have read of the Orpheus Operations Manual, that is what is expected of a crucible leader. If we need a leader - and believe me, we do - then I am qualified and more than willing to act in that capacity for this group."

Colin arched an eyebrow at her. "I mean this on all possible levels, Liz, so take it how ye wan'. Can ye learn tae handle i'? I'm nay gwan tae shut me yap jus' cause I like ye be'er than Max."

"Don't get me wrong, Colin", Liz replied. "Normally I enjoy sarcasm. I just sensed a note of...hostility....from CJ that I didn't quite appreciate. Plus, I'm still a little on edge from dealing with the United. I think we all are."

"Now, now, CJ", Colin grinned. "Ye and Liz need tae kiss and make up." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Sean can look the o'er way."

"Hey, just because I may seem to enjoy other types of pairings for myself doesn't mean I can't appreciate an expression like that between two comely people." Sean had a wide smile on his face now.

"Oy." Ryan shook his head in mock despair. "Why couldn't I have been a different shade? These emotional rollercoasters are going to be the death of me."

CJ just shook her head and picked up her cellphone again. She punched a speed dial number and lifted it to her ear as they entered a stretch of stop and go traffic. "Hey Joe", she began, "I don't think I'm going to have time to swing by."

Colin grinned evilly and slipped forward through the bench seats to position himself directly behind CJ.

He saw Ryan's eyes widen in the rear-view mirror as the skinrider reached out to brush a spectral hand across the ex-detective's neck. The banshee was mouthing the word 'No' over and over.

"No, Joe, really, I'm allright", CJ was continuing. "And have I ever told you how cute you are when you're being a mother hen?"

Colin dove for the back of the van, phasing through the seat to avoid the swatting hand that CJ sent his way and chuckling the whole time.

"Nothing, nothing", CJ was stammering into the phone. "I just seemed to have lost my head for a moment."

CJ pulled the van into Orpheus' parking deck and quickly stepped out. She bent over to stretch before striding towards the elevators without a word to the others.

Colin hurried after her. CJ had been silent since hanging up the phone with Joe, and he wanted to apologize for the prank. Before he could say anything, however, the lift doors slid open and Kate Dennison stepped out with an irritated expression on her face.

CJ slid to a hasty stop, and Colin nearly phased through her before he caught himself.

Max's projected form walked slowly out of the elevator to stand next to Kate, also apparently in a foul mood to judge by his folded arms and scowling face.

CJ narrowed her eyes at Max, but nodded curtly to Kate before stepping into the elevator behind Colin.

Sean slunk in to the lift as he caught up to Colin and CJ, while Ryan and Scooter hurried past the Training Director. Liz slowly walked up and stopped in front of Kate.

"I was wondering if I might have a word." The haunter arched an eyebrow at Dennison.

Liz nodded before joining the other Crucible members on the elevator. The group rode the single floor's distance down to the second subbasement in a stony silence, the lift car crowded and opressive despite the fact that only three of the riders were physically present.

When the elevator doors slid open once more, Kate stepped out first; the members of crucible 672 followed behind her in varying stages of anger, resentment, and depression. The procession filed into conference room 5 - Has i' really been only a day and a half since we lef' here for the Tethys mission?, Colin wondered to himself - and took their seats.

"Before you say anything", Max began without preamble, "I have already reported our difficulties to senior management. Their response is that any...disagreements are a purely internal matter to the crucible." He raised a hand to stifle an angry outburst from CJ. "I don't like it, but there it is." The old man glanced over at Kate who nodded slightly. "Our record thus far bespeaks of a crucible that is excelling at our work."

"Tha' will nay hold, nay if we go ou' again tonight." Colin scowled at Kate. "The quick ha'e nay slept, we're arguing..."

The trainer cut him off. "From what I hear, you haven't stopped arguing since you were put together. Nevertheless, this mission will proceed tonight, and you are the only Crucible currently available. You all may, of course, choose not to undertake it." Kate's eyes flashed. "Understand, however, that any who do not will not be offered any further missions by Orpheus. I trust I am understood?"

Colin blinked in surprise before sitting back in his chair. He folded his arms across his chest and nodded curtly to Dennison. The others were similarly shcoked into silence, but acquiesced quietly to her demand.

"Good. Then I will leave it to your project leader", she smiled humorlously at Max, "to fill in any gaps in your briefing. Good luck."

CJ glared at her. "Schedules, yes, but our Captain at least made sure we weren't going into a known dangerous situation dead tired." She glanced over at Ryan, then at Colin. "No offense."

Ryan waved off the comment dismissively. "Might as well get it over with." He looked up at the clock on the wall. "It's almost 9. If we're going to be ready to show at 11, we need to get a move on."

"I guess we can get some stuff..." Sean broke off into a yawn. "Sorry", he apologized, chagrined. "Some clothes at my apartment."

"Ye two are going in solid, then?" Colin asked, peering quizzically at Sean and CJ.

"Do you want me along? To adivse, if not to save your bacon?" Max smirked at CJ.

Ryan sighed. "I think you'd better. We may need all the hands we can get with all the various things we need to accomplish."

"Very well", Max agreed. "I won't be far away then." Without another word, his gauzy form shivered and shrunk into itself, compressing as he flowed into CJ's cell phone.

CJ eyed the phone askance. "Wonder what would happen if I flushed the damn thing?"

DON'T LOOK BACK

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Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen

#0770 - Driving Back

November 14, 2003