Manfred Korbinian. A war hero and fighter ace. A man of bravery. A legend, even in his own time.
But now, the man known as the Baron will come to face perhaps the greatest challenge he's ever come across, and that's _including_ homicidal alien aces that seem to be popping out of the woodwork to gun for him.
/*note: this happens a bit after the misfold and when the city is a somewhat 'stable' social environment*/
***
The resounding thuds broke the tenous grasp on sleep that Estavan had struggled so hard to attain for the better part of two hours.
His eyes went to the chrono sitting innocently on his desk at the other end of the room, the numbers on its face taunting him with their bright red color ... among other things.
He'd never had relationship issues before, quite possibly because he'd never really been in what could be considered a 'serious' relationship. Nor had he been particularly inclined to pursue one. Now, however, whatever gods were watching had obviously decided he'd had it too easy. What with the obvious triviality of 'only' having to risk his life in the defense of an entire city's worth of people as a matter of course in his still relatively new line of work.
And he was losing sleep over the whole thing. Damnit, he _liked_ his sleep. It was one of his favorite past-times nowadays.
With obvious frustration coloring his movements, they young pilot rose from the bed, pulled on a t-shirt, nearly tripped over the boots he'd forgotten he'd just shucked at the foot of the bed earlier that night (or was it morning?) and yanked the door open.
"What ...?!" he'd been intending to give whoever it was a piece of his mind. His first leave in more than a month of active duty, interspaced with the occasional day of 'just' running simulations, and he wasn't even allowed to get in a measly six hours of sleep!
His insomnia aside, that is.
He was _not_ prepared to suddenly be face to face with a frazzled looking Manfred Korbinian.
"Kleiner Bruder! You've gotta hide me!" the look of ... was that panic? ... on the usually confident Lieutenant-Colonel's face would have been comical, if it weren't so damn late.
Then Manfred's entire body seemed to go rigid, and Estavan would later swear he'd seen his CO's ears *twitch* before his face blanched.
The Austrian man lunged past the startled Mexican, casting a quick look around the room and immediately diving ... under the bed. How he'd managed to cram himself into the exceedingly tight space without any subsequent injury would give physicists and physicians headaches for years to come. Well, if any would ever be informed of the event.
Estavan stood, dumbfounded, before he heard someone ... or rather, a group of someones, approaching along the corridor. At speed.
He turned. He blinked.
"He's got to be around here somewhere!"
"Oh, my lord Baron, I'm so distraught. Will you comfort me?"
"Sir? Where are you? I just wanted to get your autograph!"
***
Fangirls. Lots and lots of fangirls.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
But now, the man known as the Baron will come to face perhaps the greatest challenge he's ever come across, and that's _including_ homicidal alien aces that seem to be popping out of the woodwork to gun for him.
/*note: this happens a bit after the misfold and when the city is a somewhat 'stable' social environment*/
***
The resounding thuds broke the tenous grasp on sleep that Estavan had struggled so hard to attain for the better part of two hours.
His eyes went to the chrono sitting innocently on his desk at the other end of the room, the numbers on its face taunting him with their bright red color ... among other things.
He'd never had relationship issues before, quite possibly because he'd never really been in what could be considered a 'serious' relationship. Nor had he been particularly inclined to pursue one. Now, however, whatever gods were watching had obviously decided he'd had it too easy. What with the obvious triviality of 'only' having to risk his life in the defense of an entire city's worth of people as a matter of course in his still relatively new line of work.
And he was losing sleep over the whole thing. Damnit, he _liked_ his sleep. It was one of his favorite past-times nowadays.
With obvious frustration coloring his movements, they young pilot rose from the bed, pulled on a t-shirt, nearly tripped over the boots he'd forgotten he'd just shucked at the foot of the bed earlier that night (or was it morning?) and yanked the door open.
"What ...?!" he'd been intending to give whoever it was a piece of his mind. His first leave in more than a month of active duty, interspaced with the occasional day of 'just' running simulations, and he wasn't even allowed to get in a measly six hours of sleep!
His insomnia aside, that is.
He was _not_ prepared to suddenly be face to face with a frazzled looking Manfred Korbinian.
"Kleiner Bruder! You've gotta hide me!" the look of ... was that panic? ... on the usually confident Lieutenant-Colonel's face would have been comical, if it weren't so damn late.
Then Manfred's entire body seemed to go rigid, and Estavan would later swear he'd seen his CO's ears *twitch* before his face blanched.
The Austrian man lunged past the startled Mexican, casting a quick look around the room and immediately diving ... under the bed. How he'd managed to cram himself into the exceedingly tight space without any subsequent injury would give physicists and physicians headaches for years to come. Well, if any would ever be informed of the event.
Estavan stood, dumbfounded, before he heard someone ... or rather, a group of someones, approaching along the corridor. At speed.
He turned. He blinked.
"He's got to be around here somewhere!"
"Oh, my lord Baron, I'm so distraught. Will you comfort me?"
"Sir? Where are you? I just wanted to get your autograph!"
***
Fangirls. Lots and lots of fangirls.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm